How toxins impact your health.

Should you do a liver detox?

From the time we enter this world our toxin burden begins accumulating and it's important to understand how toxins impact our health. We inherit toxins from our mother and continue to be bombarded with them via our food, water, air, and the environment throughout our lives. The good news is that our liver is working hard on detox and doing a great job. The not so good news is that the burden is often more than our liver can handle and this leads to stored toxins in the body such as pesticides, heavy metals, plastics, and other environmental toxins. I’ve yet to have a client not test high for glyphosate even when eating only organic food and drinking clean water. I’m also seeing a lot of clients with mold/mycotoxins issues lately which can be very debilitating if it’s not addressed.

Our ability to detox is also dependent on our genes (more specifically, the expression of our genes, or epigenetics) which is why some people are impacted more than others. Your detox and methylation pathways also require certain nutrients, so if you are deficient that can impact your body's ability to detox efficiently.

Signs toxins are impacting your health

There are many signs and symptoms that could indicate that you need some detox support. The list of potential symptoms is lengthy, but the most common are fatigue/weakness, brain fog, headaches, GI symptoms, food sensitivities, depression/anxiety, irritability or irrational anger (associated with mercury toxicity), neurocognitive decline, autoimmune diseases, histamine intolerance, skin issues (rashes, rosacea, eczema, hives), joint pain, pins and needle sensations in arms and legs, and sleep problems. 

Ultimately, all of these symptoms or diseases are due to the mitochondrial dysfunction that these toxins cause. Our mitochondria are the batteries that provide all of the energy that our body needs to function and thrive. If the mitochondria are drained from a high toxin burden then they can’t provide you with the energy for digestion, brain function, physical activity, cellular repair, etc. In addition, your nutrients are being drained rapidly and/or stolen from pathogens.

How to test your toxic burden

If you’re interested in testing your toxic burden I highly recommend Vibrant Health's Total Toxin Test. It’s a comprehensive test that includes 39 environmental toxin markers, 31 of the most common mycotoxins (from mold), and 20 of the most common heavy metals. It’s an easy urine test that you do in the comfort of your home. If you're interested in having this test done you can schedule a consultation.

Always open drainage pathways before detoxing

Before beginning any detoxification protocol it is absolutely imperative that you open up your drainage pathways first. Your drainage pathways include your liver/gallbladder, lymphatic system, skin (sweating), and your colon (having regular bowel movements). If you start a liver detox before your drainage pathways are open it can potentially make you very sick through what is known as a Herxheimer reaction also commonly known as “die-off” symptoms. This occurs because as the toxins are released from pathogens and parasites they are left circulating in the body and it’s important that you are able to sweat, bind and excrete them efficiently. Please do not skip this step!

If you’re interested in testing or would like to discuss whether a detox protocol would be appropriate for you please send us a message.