Our Founder's Favorite Ways To Detox
The word “detox” gets thrown around flippantly these days, but how often do we really stop and think about what detoxification is and why it’s necessary?
The world we live in today is infinitely more toxic than the one our great grandparents (or even our grandparents) grew up in. Diseases of every kind aren’t skyrocketing because our genetics have dramatically changed since then - but our environment sure has!
We’re exposed to toxins via the foods we eat, the products we use, the air we breathe, the water we drink and more. Some of these exposures are difficult to control, but some aren’t.
I love how Dr. Mark Hyman explains toxic load with this analogy:
“To understand toxicity, you must understand the concept of total load, or a total amount of stressors on your system at any one time. Think of total load like a glass filling over with water. It takes a certain amount to fill the glass and then, after a certain point, you put more in and it overflows. When our detoxification system becomes overwhelmed and overloaded, we start developing symptoms and get sick, but it may take years of accumulated stress and toxins to get to that point.”
Most of us are taking in toxins at a faster rate than we can detox from them, which is why it’s important to take charge of the things we DO have control over. Our bodies can handle occasional chemical exposures BUT when exposed consistently and daily, disease and health conditions are more likely to occur. Some of us are genetically better at detoxing than others, and some were not born with all of the mechanisms necessary to get rid of toxins efficiently.
Below, I’ve laid out some of my favorite methods of detoxification. Some are more intense detox protocols that I was implementing prior to becoming pregnant. Others are more gentle ways of detoxing for those who are pregnant, nursing or in a more fragile state healthwise.
GENTLE DETOXIFICATION METHODS
- Removal: The first and most important step to support detoxification is to stop the intake of additional toxins by removing them from your environment.
The products we use are a great place to start. Because when we look at the use of toxic, conventional products cumulatively over the course of a lifetime, it all adds up - quickly.
I always recommend beginning with deodorant. Most deodorants you’ll find on drugstore shelves are filled with ingredients like fragrance, aluminum and parabens that have been linked to sickness + disease time and time again (especially when applied in such a sensitive + absorptive part of the body next to our breast tissue and so many lymph nodes!).
If you’re not quite in a position to do a complete product overhaul just yet, that’s ok! Check out our DIY series where we teach you to make skincare and personal products using ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.
- Hydration: Dehydration is one of the biggest culprits of a sluggish lymphatic system. Lymph is largely comprised of water as well (96%!) and requires adequate hydration to flow properly and remove waste most effectively. This system is your body’s natural cleansing and detoxification system (think: your body’s personal plumbing service).
Aim to drink half of your body weight in ounces of water each day. Adding electrolytes like LMNT or even sea salt to water can help the cells to better retain and utilize water.
- Diet Optimization: Just as removing toxins from our environment can give the body the space it needs to heal, removing toxins from the diet has the same effect.
Industrial seed oils (including vegetable, corn, soy, sunflower, safflower and canola), gluten-containing grains, refined sugar, conventional dairy and chemical additives tend to be the biggest offenders.
- Movement: Exercise increases blood flow and boosts white blood cell counts which helps to fend off toxins and inflammation.
A quick 20-30 minute walk will provide the body with these health-boosting benefits, and engaging in more rigorous exercise will give increased oxygenation + detoxification benefits.
- Dry Brushing: One of the most powerful and important benefits of dry brushing is lymph drainage. The lymphatic system helps to detoxify the whole body, but when this system is blocked, it causes toxic buildup in tissues - leading to blemishes, rashes, irritations and other skin conditions.
These light, simple strokes stimulate lymph flow to flush out toxins + waste which strengthens the immune system, prevents sickness and increases energy levels. Plus, dry brusing helps to reduce the appearance of stretch marks and cellulite.
- Optimizing Air Quality: Surprisingly, the level of pollutants inside the home can be a hundred times higher than outside (according to the EPA) and can contribute to health issues. And the products we spray, pump and apply have a big part to play in that statistic. One easy and very powerful way to detoxify your home (and declutter at the same time!) is to swap the products you use in your home.
We love Branch Basics for all things home cleaning and the Primally Pure Home Line for freshening and deodorizing indoor spaces.
Opening windows, adding houseplants and investing in an air purifier are all effective ways to further detoxify indoor spaces and eliminate air pollutants.
INTENSIVE DETOXIFICATION METHODS
- Fasting: Intermittent and extended fasting gives your body a break from digesting and breaking down food so that it can focus on detox and repair. When you fast, autophagy (the process of clearing out old, junky proteins and cellular parts) is activated and growth hormone is stimulated, producing newer + better cellular parts.
This analogy about how fasting works from Dr. Jason Fung really resonated with me:
“You need to get rid of the old stuff before you can put in new stuff. Think about renovating your kitchen. If you have old 1970s style lime green cabinets sitting around, you need to junk them before putting in some new ones. So the process of destruction (removal) is just as important as the process of creation. If you simply tried to put in new cabinets without taking out the old ones, it wouldn’t look so hot. So fasting may in some ways reverse the aging process, by getting rid of old cellular junk and replacing it with new parts.”
- Infrared Sauna: Sweating is a healthy, natural and necessary function to rid the body of toxic buildup. The body excretes toxins and heavy metals through the skin via sweat, and infrared sauna sessions are extremely effective in allowing the body to release a substantial amount of toxins in this fashion.
In addition to deep detox, regular infrared sauna sessions also help to boost immune function (among other benefits!). Saunas aren’t cheap, but their benefits are extensive making it a worthwhile investment over the course of a lifetime. This sauna I use is from Heavenly Heat, and is made with non-resinous wood and unique no-adhesive construction methods.
- Coffee Enemas: Coffee enemas stimulate glutathione (the body’s master antioxidant) and boost liver function. This post on my dear friend Season Johnson’s website has more info about the benefits and history of coffee enemas, as well as how to do them at home!
- Personalized Detox Protocols: If you’re unsure about where to start or what your levels of toxic buildup look like, finding a natural-minded healthcare practitioner to work with can be highly beneficial in designing a detox protocol that best fits your unique needs.
A knowledgeable health practitioner will be able to recommend specific supplements and/or herbs that will help your body to effectively eliminate toxins, as well as other intensive methods of detox like ozone therapy.
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