In January of 2023, I was fortunate to attend a detox seminar my friends, Dr. Holland and the rest of his team, put together. My goal with the original blog post I wrote then was to share with you the main ideas and key takeaways from that day, as well as some other things I’ve learned about detox along the way. Now here we are 2+ years later in March of 2025, and there is more insight I have gained from school and my personal experience over the past couple of years that I want to add. So, rather than write a whole new post, I decided to update this one to keep it all in one place!
What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word “detox?” I’d guess some people think of drug or alcohol withdrawal that occurs in the early days of addiction treatment, taking a break from social media for a while or the latest fad diet or juice cleanse. It is true that what you do or don’t eat, drink, or consume can impact the detox process and how effectively it happens, but there is so much more to it than that! The truth is, we are bombarded by both natural and manmade toxins, some of which are completely unavoidable…which sounds pretty discouraging. But as Dr. Holland reminded those of us who were present at the event, we are fearfully and wonderfully made! (Psalm 139:14) God designed us with the ability to detoxify, but our bodies are often so overburdened that our systems struggle to function like they are meant to. We tend to have too much of what we don’t need and not enough of what we do need. This causes our various organs to get bogged down and backed up, and can lead to a whole host of issues! That is why a functional medicine detox, which addresses the whole person, can be incredibly beneficial for overall health!
The first thing we encourage you to do is become aware of the different things that may be adding to your body’s toxic burden. This is where reducing your exposure begins! So let’s break it down into a few different categories:
Toxic physical environment
To help you consider some different ways you might be ingesting, inhaling or absorbing toxins into your body, here is a great handout from The Institute of Functional Medicine:
Unfortunately, chemicals and toxins are much less regulated in the U.S. than in other places like Europe. The FDA only tests a small number of products and most research on toxins is short-term and focused on individual things, not what happens when they are combined, like they so often are! Therefore, we cannot rely on the government to protect us, we have to make sure we are doing our best to educate and protect ourselves and our loved ones from toxic exposures that are within our control! I know from my own experience that it can be very overwhelming, so take it one step at a time because those small changes add up.
Another thing which can really help with this process of identifying toxic products you might be using in your home and on your body is the Environmental Working Group (EWG) “Healthy Living” app. You just type in the name of the product you are wondering about or scan the barcode and it gives you a rating, as well as details behind that rating. Unfortunately not everything is going to be in there, but there is a lot! Click here to visit their website for a plethora of good information! I use the phone app frequently, especially at the grocery store when I am buying food, cleaning or body care products. According to EWG’s 2023 survey, American women use an average of 12 personal care products daily that contain 168 different chemicals; Men use an average of six personal care products that contain 85 different chemicals. Are those numbers a little bit alarming to anyone?
Toxic mental and emotional environment
These areas are frequently overlooked regarding detoxification, but are very important, because all the parts of your body are connected and impact one another! Just like we are trying to remove physical toxins from the body, we also want to address and hopefully discard toxic thoughts, attitudes and patterns. Working with a professional counselor or health coach can often help you identify where you might be stuck and assist you to start creating some healthier patterns around your thoughts, attitudes and behaviors.
One thing that has been really powerful for me has been getting to know and becoming more aware of my nervous system! Learning to recognize whether I am in fight-or-flight (sympathetic), rest-and-digest (parasympathetic) or freeze (dorsal vagal)…and that there are things I can do to change that has been really eye-opening and empowering! Please read my vagus nerve blog if you’d like to know more. Other stress reduction techniques can also be really beneficial: spending time in nature, deep breathing and meditation, exercise, certain supplements, Epsom salt baths, etc.
Toxic spiritual environment
Functional Medicine emphasizes the importance of spirituality not only as it relates to detox but in all aspects of health. I believe faith in God and a relationship with Him are the foundation of true health! Only the One who created your body knows how best to heal and restore it.
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
Psalm 139:13-26
As you can see, multiple organs and systems are involved here. The liver is the star of the show, but all of them play important roles!
Another word for detoxification is “biotransformation,” which basically means to change the shape of toxins/waste so it can be removed from the body. We will do a quick overview of how this happens in three phases in the liver:
- Pull it out and disarm it. This phase uses many enzymes to break down toxins. After that happens, some toxic byproducts remain, and they must quickly be moved on to phase 2 in order to make them safer for the body to use or remove.
- Pack it up. This phase consists of seven different pathways. This is where the liver attaches another molecule to the toxin to make it less harmful and ready for excretion.
- Send it away. This phase involves elimination primarily via stool, urine or sweat.
Although this whole system is pretty amazing, many factors can impair it, such as: high toxin exposure, metabolic dysfunction, drug interactions, poor gut health and genetic factors. Each phase involves a complicated set of processes and several nutrients to work well. If we are deficient in these nutrients and/or take in more toxins than our bodies can effectively detoxify, we end up storing them throughout the body, because they have nowhere else to go. As things get more and more bogged down and backed up, it is very taxing on the whole system and symptoms begin to appear.
Some other impacts of toxicity can include cellular damage, decreased immunity, cancer, imbalanced gut bacteria, nervous system dysfunction, increased inflammation, tremors, Parkinson’s disease, Raynaud’s syndrome, brain fog, arthritis, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, thyroid dysfunction, insomnia, allergies and neuropathy.
The good news is that there are some practical lifestyle modifications we can all make!
DECREASE TOXINS
- Avoid plastics and use glass, stainless steel, silicone or wood utensils, servingware and storage containers instead
- Decrease sugar and artificial sweetener intake and replace with honey, allulose, monkfruit or stevia
- No more than 2 alcoholic drinks a week
- Get rid of artificial fragrances such as candles, air fresheners, perfumes, body products, etc. and use high quality essential oils instead
- Swap out cleaning products for non-toxic alternatives
- Eat organic foods as much as possible (not just fruits and veggies…but meat, grains, eggs, dairy and coffee, too!) EWG Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen lists are helpful
- Swap out beauty and personal care products for cleaner options
- Use air purifiers in your home, open windows regularly, change filters every 3-4 months and consider having ducts cleaned
- Have your home tested for mold if that is a concern or suspicion
- Look into having mercury dental fillings removed by a biological dentist who has been trained in how to do that safely
SUPPORT DETOX
- Drink half your weight of filtered water daily (Example 160 lbs= 80 oz. of water). This will help you stay hydrated and flush toxins out through urine
- Promote sweating through exercise, sauna or hot epsom salt baths
- Functional medicine food plans like detox, mito or cardiometabolic (Mediterranean)
- Dry brushing or rebounding to increase lymphatic drainage
- Prioritize prayer and bible study
- Work on sleep hygiene, since a lot of detoxification happens while you sleep
- Promote regular bowel movements (at least one daily). High fiber foods, magnesium citrate and hydration can help!
- Meditation
- Breathing exercises
- Regularly eat cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts which contain nutrients needed for detox
- Increase omega 3 fatty acids
- Include polyphenols such as green tea, turmeric, ginger, spices, red grapes/wine, dark chocolate, olives and berries in the diet.
- Boost glutathione, “the master antioxidant.” Click to read article.
I took these photos in my backyard today because it struck me that they are a great visual of what we are trying to accomplish with the lists above! Just as removing old, dead debris and weeds from around plants can help them grow and thrive, doing what you can to limit exposure to toxins and assist your body in the removal of stored toxins can allow it to function better and heal. Think of it as spring cleaning! Again, you don’t have to do everything at once. Start with awareness and then go at your own pace. It is a process, and I am here to help! If you are interested in working with me to provide you with a personalized plan and support, please don’t hesitate to reach out! Just click on the “coaching” tab on the homepage of this website or send me a message through Instagram @chelsey_naturally to contact me.
“It can be strongly said that the health of an individual is largely determined by the ability of the body to detoxify.” Joseph Pizzorno, ND, Author of “The Toxin Solution.”
Although I am a nurse by trade, I am not a doctor or an expert, and the information I provide on this blog is for educational purposes only. Each person is unique and their needs and circumstances vary, so I always recommend that you consult your medical provider before making any changes.
