Detoxification for Health — Your Questions Answered
Some people claim they are toxic and that they need to follow complex regimens to detoxify, while others have never even considered it. The idea of detoxification isn’t on their radar at all. Some people know about detoxing but believe it is all a bunch of hooey — or even dangerous.
What’s the real scoop on detoxification? Is it hooey, or is it legit?
As a Functional Epigenetic Nutritionist, I can tell you that detoxification can be a legitimate process. It should definitely be on your radar.
But how do you know when and if you need to detox? The simple answer is we need to detox when we are carrying a toxic burden. You’ll know you’re carrying a toxic burden if you experience the symptoms listed below.
Symptoms of Toxicity
- Headaches
- Insomnia
- Dark circles under the eyes
- Sinus problems
- Acne
- Irregular heartbeat or skipped beats
- Digestive issues
- Achy joints
- Excess weight or under weight
- Fatigue
- mood swings
- And much, much more!
Am I Toxic? Do I Need to Detox? How Do I Know?
Unfortunately, we sometimes have no idea that we’re toxic, and that can be really scary!
I have a client who is preparing for pregnancy. As part of that preparation, we tested her for environmental toxins, including glyphosate. I felt this test was important because she grew up in an agricultural community. We tested for 173 environmental toxins, but she was only elevated in glyphosate.
Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Round Up and is a known carcinogen. Read here for more information on Glyphosate.
She followed a glyphosate-clearing protocol for a short time. At that point she went on an extended mission trip overseas.
Her goal was to start her family right away, but she agreed to have her glyphosate levels retested after this extended trip, just to be on the safe side.
Her priority had become starting a family, and she was eager to get the green light. Unfortunately, her second test showed that her glyphosate levels had tripled!
We examined her possible exposures: water, protein powders, food and personal care products. We realized everything had stayed the same except that she needed vaccines to travel to the country she visited. One of our nation’s brightest researchers, Stephanie Seneff, PhD, recently spoke on glyphosate in vaccines. You can read an interview with Dr. Seneff here.
Feeling Good with Toxic Load
Interestingly, my client said she was feeling great. She didn’t feel the glyphosate in her body. Had we not tested and simply went by how she was feeling, she could have inadvertently put her baby in harm’s way. Fortunately we tested, and she is now following a rather simple protocol shown in trials to increase glyphosate clearance from the body.
Toxicity is real and we’re bombarded daily — even if you eat a healthy diet, exercise, and don’t smoke or drink alcohol.
And the toxins aren’t just glyphosate. Like my client, you can’t always tell by how you feel if you have a heavy toxic burden.
Toxins are in the air we breathe, in the water we drink and bathe in, on the foods we eat and in the products we put on our skin every day, including moisturizers, sunscreen and other “healthy” items. (Read more about toxins that we encounter every day and why detoxification is so important.)
Knowing your toxicity levels is key to preventing diseases like cancer, heart disease and more.
At Living Well Nutrition, we use the Great Plains Lab EnviroTox plus Glyphosate test so that we know what we are dealing with. We can also test for heavy metals.
Your Genetics Determines How to Clear Toxins
Knowing what toxins you have isn’t enough. Knowing your genetics allows you to know how well you can clear the toxins stored in your body. There are dozens of genes involved in the detoxification systems of the body. Here are a few:
- PON1
- CYPs
- CTH
- SHMT
- BCMO1
- GCLC
- GCLM
- GSS
- GLRX
- GSR
- GSTs
- GGTs
- SIRT
- SOD
- CAT
- SULT
- All the methylation genes, AND SO MUCH MORE!
When assessing someone’s genetics, I take into consideration hundreds of genes covering over a hundred pages of information.
Those bits of information aren’t linear. They are very dynamic in their impact on your health.
It’s like a game of Pick-Up Sticks, only there are hundreds of sticks that are all touching! Wherever they touch is like a little roadblock that slows down your ability to clear the toxins.
When we take into consideration your diet, lifestyle, signs, symptoms, diagnoses, family history and genes layering all the pieces, we can create a laser-focused approach to getting you the support your body needs so it can clear toxins in the most efficient, healthy way for YOU.
Order your Genetic Test for Detoxification by calling today!
I hope you’re getting the picture that the body’s detoxification process is complex and can be sluggish anywhere along the way. Knowing just where you need support is key to successful detoxification.
Without this knowledge, you might go on a “detox diet” but may not get the results YOU need. And what you need might be very different from what your spouse, children, parents, siblings or friends need — even with similar exposures or heredity!
For example, my husband and I both have sloppy SOD genes. This gene is critical for reducing superoxide that is a result of normal cellular metabolism. For that reason, as a daily support, we take SOD supplements. This helps to stave off inflammatory processes in the body.
Another area of weakness for my husband is with his PON1 gene. This makes him susceptible to glyphosate toxicity. You can bet that we support his gene’s optimal function daily.
The beginning of a new year is a great time to focus your efforts on detoxification. If you’re ready to get serious about lowering your toxic burden and optimizing your genes, schedule an appointment for a toxic screen now.
