Full Transcript Introduction to the Detox Series 0:01 [music] >> Welcome to The Trip Lab, kitchen table 0:05 conversations about integrative medicine and psychedelics. [music] 0:08 I'm your host and attending physician, Dr. Mariela Wood. 0:13 Hi everyone. Welcome back to The Trip Lab. Today we are doing part three of 0:18 five in our series detox in a toxic world, where we are taking a deeper and 0:22 more evidence-based look at environmental toxins, how they affect 0:26 health, and what we can realistically do about them. I also have companion guides 0:30 to all of these episodes in this series, and you can find them on my website at 0:34 dr.marielawood.com/guides. 0:37 So d r m a r y e l l a w o o d dot com forward slash guides. So a quick recap 0:45 here. In part one, we dove deeper into what environmental toxins actually are, 0:50 the major categories we are exposed to in our modern lives, and the main ways 0:55 that they actually impact the body. Then last week in part two, we shifted 0:59 into more practical ways to start to reduce exposures starting in the home. 1:03 So we looked at the home as a health ecosystem and walked through realistic 1:07 changes and swaps that you can make. Today, we're going even deeper. So we're 1:11 going to talk all about the body's already in place detox pathways and what 1:16 we can do to support them and make them more efficient and more optimal. Because 1:20 it's not just about removing exposures, which like I said is impossible to do 1:25 100%. So I like to think about and I mentioned this in the previous episodes, 1:29 the idea of the total toxic burden. So that's what really matters. So working 1:33 on reducing exposures, yes, but also helping the body get rid of exposures 1:37 and toxins, too. So before we go down this episode, I do want to talk a little 1:41 bit about the word detox itself. So in a lot of these wellness spaces, detox is 1:47 made to sound like something dramatic, like a protocol, a cleanse, or a product 1:50 that you absolutely have to buy, which we'll get more into in part four next 1:54 week. But I really want to emphasize that your body is already detoxing 24/7. 1:59 So, it's doing that all the time through beautifully coordinated systems that are 2:03 constantly processing hormones, waste products, metabolic byproducts,
How the Body Detoxifies 2:07 medications, and all these environmental chemicals and toxins. I also want to 2:12 mention that the idea of detox, more so in the wellness space, is very different 2:17 from medical detox, which is what we call it when someone is being treated in 2:21 the hospital for things like alcohol withdrawal, substance use, overdoses, 2:26 poisoning, or other acute toxicology issues that require close medical 2:31 supervision. So, that is not what we're talking about here. What we are talking 2:35 about is something I think that's really foundational to health. We're going to 2:39 look at the body's actual detoxification and elimination systems, how they work 2:44 so you can understand them better, and then we'll get into practical things 2:47 that we can actually do to support them. So, let's start by looking at those 2:51 detox and elimination pathways that we have. So, we're going to look at the 2:55 liver, the digestive tract, kidneys, lungs even, that's one people don't 3:00 really think about, the skin, the lymphatic system, and actually the 3:04 glymphatic system, which is the brain's detox mechanisms. 3:08 So, we'll start with the liver. So, yes, talked about a lot on social media, in 3:12 these wellness spaces, but it really is one of the body's major detox hubs. So, 3:17 the liver is constantly helping us process both things coming in from the 3:20 outside, like environmental toxins, alcohol, medications, 3:25 and also things generated from inside the body, like hormones and metabolic 3:29 waste. One of the main ways that it does this is through a process called 3:34 biotransformation, which basically means taking a compound 3:37 and transforming it into another form that is easier for the body to safely 3:41 excrete. So, you'll sometimes hear this described as phase one and phase two 3:45 detoxification. So, very, very simply, phase one starts 3:49 that transformation process by modifying a compounds. 3:53 And then phase two helps package it up in a way that makes it easier to 3:56 eliminate. So, some compounds will actually re-enter the bloodstream and 4:00 then get converted into urine by the kidneys. Some will get put into bile, 4:04 also made by the liver, which then enters the digestive tract and gets 4:08 excreted through the stool or poop. So, in the digestive tract, some of these 4:11 compounds actually can get reabsorbed if things are not moving well through the 4:15 gut. So, one reason, which we'll get into in a minute here, why digestion and 4:19 bowel regularity is really important. So, moving on a little bit deeper into 4:24 that digestive tract, more of the intestines, the colon. So, one, we have 4:28 some toxins getting excreted after packaging by our liver. The other part 4:32 we need to think about is the microbiome. 4:35 Because the bacteria that live in our gut actually play a huge role in how 4:39 certain compounds are metabolized. So, all those little microbes can modify 4:43 bile acids, dietary compounds, drugs, and other xenobiotics as well. So, 4:48 they're actually helping the body determine which get reabsorbed and which 4:52 get properly excreted. The lining of the gut also impacts this, too. So, 4:57 sometimes people can develop what we call increased intestinal permeability, 5:01 or more in the wellness space known as leaky gut syndrome, 5:05 which means the gut lining gets more porous than it should. So, more easily 5:09 absorbing pathogens and toxins and not absorbing nutrients and minerals. So, 5:15 this increased intestinal permeability or leaky gut syndrome can be caused from 5:20 a lot of different reasons. So, stress can cause this, inflammation, poor 5:25 nutrition, infections, a whole lot. We already kind of mentioned this, but 5:29 proper elimination also plays a role here. So, if someone is constipated, 5:33 that stool is sitting in the gut for a longer time, which inevitably, makes 5:38 sense, increases the chance that compounds meant to leave the body 5:41 actually get reabsorbed instead. So, next, let's talk about the kidneys. So, 5:45 we kind of briefly mentioned them earlier. 5:48 So, the kidneys are constantly filtering the blood, pulling out waste products, 5:52 extra fluid, many water-soluble compounds, and then sending them out 5:57 through the urine. So, healthy kidneys actually filter half 6:00 a cup of blood every minute. It is actually pretty remarkable thinking 6:04 about how non-stop that work is. So, understanding this helps us understand 6:08 why hydration matters so much. So, water helps the kidneys remove waste 6:13 from the blood in the form of urine. And dehydration makes that process a lot 6:18 harder. So, dehydration reduces blood flow to 6:21 the kidneys, makes the urine more concentrated, and over time just adds 6:25 strain to the system. So, moving on from the kidneys, next we 6:29 actually have the lungs, which again, I think many people may not normally think 6:33 of as a detox organ. But, every time we breathe out, we are 6:37 getting rid of carbon dioxide, which is a byproduct of chemical 6:41 reactions that your cells are constantly carrying out to make energy. 6:45 We also exhale volatile compounds. Granted, ones that we are inhaling, so 6:50 it's more of a strategy in which the lungs prevent entry rather than fully 6:53 detox. But, if the lungs aren't working in the 6:57 way that they should, then those compounds are not going to be exhaled, 7:00 and they can actually enter the bloodstream. 7:03 Next, we have our skin and our sweat glands. So, this is a major way that our 7:07 body excretes byproducts, heavy metals, BPA, and other environmental chemicals. 7:13 Kind of along those same lines, we have our lymphatic system. 7:17 So, another one that I think people talk about a lot in wellness spaces, but 7:20 often without a clear explanation of what it actually does. So, the lymphatic
Nutrition for Detox Support 7:24 system helps move fluid, immune cells, proteins, and waste products throughout 7:29 the body, and eventually back into the bloodstream, so that they can be 7:33 processed and eliminated through the other ways that we talked about. So, we 7:36 can think of it as a major part of the body's drainage and transport network. 7:40 So, helping move excess fluid and cellular waste out of the tissues and 7:45 into the systems that help with elimination. 7:47 So, I think the lymphatic system is actually really cool and pretty 7:50 interesting, too, because unlike blood flow, it does not have one central pump, 7:55 okay, the heart. It actually depends on movement, muscle contraction, breathing, 8:01 and body position to keep things flowing. 8:04 So, this is where we can start to see that things like walking, exercise, 8:08 stretching, yoga, diaphragmatic breathing, and even lymphatic massage 8:13 can be really helpful. So, all these things support circulation and also 8:17 encourage the movement of fluid and waste through the lymphatic system. 8:20 Okay, last, we have the glymphatic system. So, this is the brain's waste 8:25 clearance network. So, this is what moves cerebrospinal 8:29 fluid through the brain to clear out metabolic waste products. 8:33 And this system actually works best during sleep, especially in the deeper 8:37 stages of sleep, which we'll get into a little bit more. 8:40 Okay, great. So, that was a little overview of all of our detox elimination 8:44 systems in the body. Now, let's get into what you can 8:47 actually do to support all these systems. So, first, of course, we have 8:51 to start with nutrition. So, I think one of the biggest things here is protein, 8:55 which starts to get into one of the reasons that I don't love the idea of 8:58 extreme juice cleanses or restrictive detox diets for long periods of time. 9:03 So, the liver needs amino acids, which come from protein, to carry out 9:08 biotransformation, especially that phase two detoxification. 9:12 So, if someone's barely eating protein, they're not really giving the body what 9:16 it needs to do that work efficiently. So, good sources of protein here would 9:20 be things like eggs, fish. Fish are probably my number one. Chicken, turkey, 9:25 Greek yogurt, if you tolerate that. Then we have plant-based options like tofu, 9:30 tempeh, edamame. Lentils and beans are great ones. 9:34 And for all these protein sources, choosing organic when possible, I think 9:38 is also pretty important. This is more so to reduce exposures, but can also 9:43 have more nutrient contents as well. Okay, next, and maybe equally as or 9:48 maybe even more important than protein is fiber. So, I really, really want to 9:52 emphasize fiber. So, fiber helps bind waste in the gut, helps support healthy 9:57 bowel movements, helps the body excrete metabolized hormones and bile through 10:02 the stool, and it also supports the microbiome. 10:05 And there are actually many studies that show that fiber actually binds 10:09 microplastics, heavy metals, and other contaminants. So, all around, a great 10:14 option for detox. And great high-fiber foods include 10:17 things like chia seeds, flax seeds, lentils, beans, oats, avocados, 10:24 raspberries, pears, apples, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and artichokes. 10:30 And just as a reminder, the companion guide to this episode has all of these 10:34 details, so list of foods, all the things that we're talking about, and it 10:37 can be found on my website at doctor.marillewood.com/guides. 10:41 Okay, so fiber. Really emphasize fiber. Next, a more specific category is 10:47 cruciferous vegetables. So, these definitely are fiber in and of 10:50 themselves, but beyond their fiber properties, they also contain compounds 10:56 like glucosinolates, which actually directly help support detox. So, this is 11:00 where we can start to think of food is medicine. So, we're actually giving the 11:04 body compounds to support processes. So, cruciferous vegetables are going to be 11:08 things like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, arugula, 11:13 cabbage, bok choy, all great options. Next, I want to talk about colorful 11:19 polyphenol-rich plant foods. So, my rule of thumb is the more 11:23 colorful, the more potent the color, the better. 11:26 I'm talking natural foods, plant foods, not colorful artificial flavorings, of 11:30 Of So, the potent color in foods like 11:33 berries, pomegranates, beets, purple cabbage, all contain antioxidants that 11:38 help with detox. And each color actually has its own 11:42 unique phytonutrients and helpful ingredients. So try to eat the rainbow 11:45 as they say. Next, we have healthy fats. So these are 11:49 really important because bile flow depends in part on fat intake. So 11:54 healthy fats would be things like olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds, and fatty 11:58 fish. So kind of moving on a little bit from 12:01 food, but related is hydration. So I know this gets thrown around a lot on 12:05 social media as the answer to everything, but in reality it really 12:08 does matter a lot. We kind of talked about this already. 12:12 But hydration supports blood flow, kidney filtration, urine production, 12:16 bowel regularity, and even lymphatic flow, too. 12:20 And you do not need to drink gallons of water a day. A good rule of thumb is
Movement, Sweating, and Lymphatic Flow 12:23 just look at your urine. Is it light yellow? Or is it dark and concentrated? 12:27 So just use that as a reference for your personal intake. On the hydration note, 12:31 I do also want to briefly mention electrolyte powders here. So I think in 12:34 general, my take is that I think they're overused, and a lot of them actually 12:38 contain added sugars, flavorings, dyes, and unnecessary ingredients, which kind 12:43 of defeats the point if you're trying to lower your overall chemical burden. 12:47 There definitely are scenarios where they can be helpful. So if you're 12:49 sweating a lot, I would say child labor would be a good scenario in which to use 12:53 them. So I'm not against electrolytes, but I do want to emphasize making sure 12:57 that you're getting a simple and clean formula. And actually, just a pinch of 13:01 sea salt in the water does the trick. You can also get more electrolytes 13:04 through food, eat more potassium-rich foods like leafy greens and citrus, too. 13:09 Okay, so we did food, water. Next, we have exercise and movement. So 13:14 getting out and moving our bodies, either through formal exercise or walks, 13:18 stretching, yoga, so really anything is one of the most important things you can 13:23 do. So this helps improve circulation, which 13:27 helps move nutrients in and waste out. It helps support lymphatic flow because 13:32 like we talked about earlier, the lymphatic system depends heavily on 13:35 muscle contraction and body movement to keep fluid and waste moving. 13:40 Exercise and movement also helps support mitochondrial health, which helps our 13:44 body produce and use energy, which helps essentially all of the detox pathways 13:48 earlier that we talked about. It also helps support lung function simply by 13:53 helping us breathe more deeply and more efficiently. Exercise also helps support 13:57 gut motility, which is a big deal because if things are not moving through 14:01 the digestive tract well, elimination of toxins suffers, too. 14:05 So, so much more than just burning calories. It is supporting full body 14:09 systems involved in circulation, drainage, and elimination. I also want 14:13 to give a special mention here to yoga because it can be a really beautiful 14:17 detox-supportive practice. So, the movement and breathwork 14:21 connection can help support lymphatic drainage, circulation, and nervous 14:25 system regulation all at once. And there's certain poses or asanas, 14:30 especially twists, that also may help support digestion and gut motility. So, 14:34 what is the best exercise? The one that you will actually do and 14:38 the one that you enjoy. So, moving on from exercise, but very related to 14:42 exercise, is sweating. There are actually many toxins that are better 14:47 excreted through sweat than other pathways. 14:50 So, specifically, the BUS or blood, urine, sweat landmark study showed that 14:54 BPA, heavy metals, and phthalates were excreted more efficiently through sweat. 14:59 So, when I say sweat, that can be through exercise, steam rooms, saunas. 15:03 So, truly anything that just gets you sweating counts. Kind of related to 15:07 that, too, is the bigger picture of heat therapy in general. So, saunas and steam 15:11 rooms, even hot baths, they actually do more than just help us sweat and excrete 15:16 toxins through the sweat. They also increase circulation and 15:19 support cardiovascular function. So, the heat, especially really high 15:23 heat, activates what are called heat shock proteins, which helps protect 15:28 cells under stress and support protein repair. This process also helps support 15:32 autophagy, which is the body's cellular cleanup and recycling process. 15:37 So, a very heavily cited Finnish study that followed over 2,300 people 15:42 found that those that used a sauna four to seven times per week had 15:46 substantially lower rates of fatal heart problems and all-cause mortality 15:50 compared to those who only used it once a week. So, in this specific study, the 15:54 average sauna session was about 15 minutes at around 175° F. 16:00 Now, infrared saunas may actually offer similar benefits at lower temperatures 16:05 because they heat the body more directly. 16:07 So, essentially raising core body temperature without needing the air to 16:10 be as hot as a traditional sauna. So, I love sweating, saunas, steam 16:14 rooms. I could talk about them all day, but we'll move on here. Next, I want to 16:18 talk about more targeted ways to support lymphatic flow. So, exercise, walking, 16:24 also great way to do this, which we mentioned earlier. But, there are some 16:27 other simple and powerful tools like diaphragmatic breathing. So, this kind 16:31 of deep breathing creates pressure changes in the chest and abdomen that 16:35 actually help move lymph more through the body, especially through the 16:38 thoracic duct, which is one of the main lymphatic vessels. Lymphatic massage can 16:43 also be helpful, especially for people dealing with fluid retention, 16:46 sluggishness, puffiness, or actually post-surgical swelling, as well. 16:50 So, this type of massage, or manual lymphatic drainage, is designed to 16:53 encourage movement of the lymph and reduce fluid buildup. 16:57 I think regular massage can also be supportive, but more so just in a 17:00 general broad way by improving circulation and that relaxation 17:03 response. There are also some more traditional or home-based practices like 17:07 dry brushing and gua sha. So, these support circulation, tissue movement, 17:12 and local fluid flow. And many people actually find them pretty helpful, 17:15 especially for drainage or depuffing. Also, for lymphatic drainage, there are 17:19 more traditional medicine-based practices as well. 17:22 So, we already mentioned yoga with the twisting poses or asanas, but other 17:26 asanas or poses like inversions, breath-led flow, and gentle
Sleep, Stress, and Nature 17:31 rebound-style movement can also support circulation and drainage. 17:35 In Ayurveda, practices like abhyanga or warm self-oil massage may be supportive 17:40 by improving circulation, calming the nervous system, and encouraging that 17:43 sense of flow throughout the tissues. Okay, next we have sleep, which is 17:49 definitely one of the most important, but often underestimated parts of this 17:53 whole conversation. So, I mentioned briefly the glymphatic system in the 17:57 beginning, which is basically the brain's waste clearance network. 18:01 So, it helps move cerebrospinal fluid through the brain and clear out 18:04 metabolic waste and debris that builds up over the course of the day. 18:08 And like I said, this system is most active and most efficient during sleep, 18:13 especially deeper sleep. So, sleep, regulating sleep is important 18:17 for that. But beyond the glymphatic system, sleep also shifts the whole body 18:22 into a state of repair, regulation, hormone balance, immune restoration, and 18:27 tissue recovery. And bodies that are constantly sleep 18:30 deprived slowly start to work less efficiently over time. So, really, 18:35 really protect your sleep. So, things you can start thinking about, try to go 18:39 to bed and wake up at roughly the same time each day, within half an hour, even 18:43 on weekends, which can be hard to do. But that is going to help regulate your 18:47 circadian rhythm, which [clears throat] then will help support hormone 18:50 signaling, metabolism, and sleep quality. Other things for circadian 18:54 rhythm is try to get morning light first thing in the morning. There's also sleep 18:58 hygiene tips like keep the bedroom cool, dark, and quiet, reduce screens and 19:03 bright light at the end of the night, especially close to bedtime, watch your 19:07 timing of caffeine and alcohol, because both can actually disrupt sleep 19:11 architecture, even if you're still falling asleep. And if the problem is 19:15 that your brain is just staying on at night, this is where things like breath 19:18 work, a wind down routine, stretching, reading, yoga nidra, a personal favorite 19:22 of mine, or even a hot bath can be really helpful. 19:25 Okay, so sleep, very important. Next, we have stress reduction and some mind body 19:30 medicine techniques that you can do to actually help support the body's detox 19:34 pathways. So truly the mind can influence the body 19:37 and vice versa. So we'll chat through how and why really so you can understand 19:42 this a little bit better. When the body is under chronic stress, 19:45 it shifts into what we call a survival state. 19:49 So that stress response increases cortisol and sympathetic nervous system 19:53 activation, that's that fight or flight. And over time, that chronic activation 19:58 actually directly increases inflammation. We literally see increased 20:02 inflammatory markers on blood work. It also causes blood sugar 20:06 dysregulation, sleep disruption, impaired digestion, changes in gut 20:11 motility, and overall full body physiologic strain. 20:16 So if the body is constantly having to divert resources towards survival or 20:20 that fight or flight stage, the systems that are involved in repair, 20:25 digestion, elimination, and detoxification 20:28 are just not going to function as efficiently and can sometimes actually 20:31 shut off altogether. More directly and in real time, stress 20:36 slows down and disregulates digestion, impairs sleep, and worsens inflammation 20:41 in the acute sense, too. So this creates more oxidative stress 20:45 that you will then need to detox out later. 20:48 So it is quite literally adding to your total toxic burden. It's not just some 20:51 theory. So what can we do about it? 20:54 We'll talk through some high yield mind body practices. 20:57 First, we have mindfulness, which is fully being in the present moment with 21:01 non-judgmental awareness. So meditation is one type of mindfulness 21:05 practice, and there are of course other types of meditation you can do, too. 21:09 And I think what's really important to mention here is that even 5 minutes a 21:13 day, done consistently, can actually rewire the brain over time. 21:17 We also have breathwork, another great one. 21:20 So again, that longer exhale shifts the body in real time into parasympathetic 21:26 or rest and digest, so the opposite of fight or flight. 21:29 And then also impacts general repair and elimination or detoxification. 21:34 So you think one simple super simple easy way to do this at any time is 21:37 what's called the physiologic sigh. So you have a big inhale and then an 21:41 audible prolonged exhale, like >> [sighs and gasps] 21:48 >> Vagal nerve toning is another simple, quick, and highly effective one. 21:52 >> [clears throat] >> So the vagus nerve is the biggest 21:54 parasympathetic nerve in the body, and there's different ways to stimulate it. 21:58 So things like humming, singing, actually gentle cold exposure, can 22:03 actually {quote} {unquote} tone the vagus nerve and make it more readily 22:06 available for you. Okay, last thing here and kind of along 22:10 the same lines as mind-body medicine and stress reduction, we have time in nature 22:14 and grounding. So getting out, getting in nature sounds 22:18 so simple, but it's surprisingly is something that most of us do not do 22:21 enough. But we actually have a research showing that it lowers stress, 22:26 literally see biomarker stress reduction evidence, regulates the nervous system, 22:31 improves mood, and improves sleep. So trees and plants actually release 22:36 biologically active compounds into the air called phytoncides that reduce 22:41 stress hormones and support the immune system. 22:44 So related to just time in nature, there's also this idea of grounding or 22:49 physically putting your bare feet on natural surfaces like grass, sand, or 22:53 soil. So the theory is that direct contact with the earth supports an 22:57 exchange of electrical charge that reduces inflammation and autonomic 23:01 balance. So the scientific data here, specifically for grounding, is still 23:05 emerging. But, the broader idea that the body 23:08 works through electrical activity is not new. We measure this actually all the 23:13 time with things like EKGs for the heart, EEGs for the brain. 23:18 So, the earth has electromagnetic fields, our bodies do, and all of the 23:22 technology we use, so chargers, Wi-Fis, also emit electromagnetic fields as 23:27 well. And synthetic EMF exposures, from screens, phones, etc., is actually an 23:32 active area of ongoing research that is actually pretty interesting. 23:36 So, we'll get deeper into that in the part five when we talk about digital 23:38 detox, but I did want to briefly mention that here. So, with all that, I want to 23:43 close out and encourage you all to give your beautiful body more credit. 23:48 It is working so hard for you every single day, processing, clearing, 23:53 adapting, repairing, and handling an enormous amount of inputs all the time. 23:59 So, I really wanted to put this together because if we can understand it a little 24:02 better, we can also support it a little better. 24:05 So, just as another reminder, all of these episodes in this series have a 24:09 companion guide to organize everything for you. 24:12 You can find them on my website at dr.maryellalwood.com/guides. 24:17 So, with that, next week, part four of our detox series, we're going to talk 24:21 all about those detox supplements and protocols that I mentioned in the 24:25 beginning. So, we'll dive into everything from 24:28 binders, powders, cleanses, all of the products being sold in the name of 24:33 detox. So, we're going to look at the evidence 24:36 to understand them a little bit better. We'll talk about which ones actually may 24:39 have a supportive role and which ones I use in my practice, 24:43 which ones are definitely overhyped, probably unnecessary, and then actually, 24:47 most importantly, which ones are actually very harmful. So, thank you for 24:51 listening to this episode and taking this detox journey with me. I'll see you 24:55 all next week. Thanks for listening to the Trip Lab. If 24:59 you liked this episode, please subscribe and share so we can get the conversation 25:03 started about integrative medicine and psychedelics to destigmatize it and 25:08 fully explore what this could mean in the world. 25:13 >> [music]
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