Detoxification

What Is It?

Detoxification is defined as the removal of toxic substances. Naturally, the human body (along with all living organisms) detoxifies itself in the presence of toxins. Our liver is well-known for being a major detoxifying organ of our blood, but it is really a chemical processing organ. Chemical processing differs from getting rid of unwanted materials. The lymphatic system (including the kidneys and skin) is the system that truly detoxifies the body as it is the main system that eliminates toxins. This system is your phlegm and mucus that comes out of the body, the swollen nodes under your throat when you feel sick, and the tumors of “cancer”. It is a giant system of channels, or vessels, that move the waste out of the body. All organs (and all cells) require regular cleaning in order to function optimally. So really, all cells detoxify themselves whether they are liver cells, lung cells, heart cells, skin cells, brain cells, etc. Every cell consumes energy through the blood and eliminates waste through the lymphatic system. 

As we consume elements throughout our day through the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat, our cells are constantly processing these elements. With this processing, there is the absorption and utilization of what is beneficial and needed in the body and the elimination of any waste produced from this process. On a physical level, our bodies are chemical processing machines and powerful sources of energy. The body consumes energy from the energy around us such as the sun, air, and nature, along with the foods we consume. Everything is energy, and as energy utilization in the body always undergoes a series of chemical reactions, there are always byproducts, or energy, to be moved elsewhere.

Our bodies are metabolic, combustive, and oxidative engines. Metabolism refers to the various energetic reactions occurring in the body, and organisms primarily produce energy with oxidation reactions. Oxidation refers to the process of an atom or molecule losing an electron to another atom or molecule, a reaction that produces energy. In the case of glucose metabolism, oxidation is the primary reaction used in which carbon dioxide and water along with pyruvic acid are left as an end product. ATP production also plays a significant role in glucose metabolism and all other metabolic reactions within an organism. Organic combustion is comparable to this as the end products produced are also energy (heat and light) in the presence of oxygen. The calories in food represent units of energy contained in the specific food, and this is the energy “burned” with metabolism. Combustion reactions are used in a multitude of ways in our world. This goes for burning wood to get fire which yields smoke or the combustion engines in cars which create gases that leave via the exhaust system. Our bodies are no different than these processes, the gases used just may be different. Gas exchange also takes place in the lungs where oxygen is taken in and carbon dioxide is let out. In the human body, energy production is directly proportional to oxygen consumption. Notice how those with poor oxygenation have low energy, and those with high oxygenation have healthy levels of energy. 

Even in the absence of toxins from the air, food, or water we consume, daily biological processes create waste byproducts, one example being exercise and movement. Contraction and flexion of the muscle tissue create lactic acid as a waste product in the muscle cells. While a normal biological process, this waste is meant to be eliminated from the body (this is the reason for muscle soreness felt after vigorous exercise…poor lactic acid elimination). So not only is it essential to one’s health to eliminate foreign and harmful materials such as metabolic waste from improper foods and environmental toxins, but the naturally occurring acids and gases produced by normal mechanisms equally require efficient exiting. 

Generally speaking then, one can say that a well-functioning body is measured by how efficient it is at energy utilization and the elimination of its waste products…how smoothly energy moves through the body. The chemistry behind it all is not meant to lead one to confusion. It is best to simply look at the big picture: the human body is a vehicle for energy, taking it in and letting it out. Blood is the main fluid that holds the oxygen and energy to be delivered to the cells. Our great lymphatic system is the body’s major eliminating system. Every cell contains blood (fuel) fluid supply along with a lymph (sewage) fluid system. Blood is the kitchen, lymph is the bathroom. No matter what, the body is always detoxifying.

Why is it necessary?

Detoxification is a natural process for all living organisms. If cells were unable to rid themselves of toxins, they would eventually become congested with these substances and cause harm to your body. Disease (“dis-ease”) is simply the presence of obstructions of energy (primarily of acidic chemistry). There’s a saying, “What you don’t eliminate, you accumulate”. 

Think of a car that’s in need of an oil change. If the old build-up is left and not rid of, problems will arise with the car’s ability to function. Once that oil is changed, the problems go away. Just like cars need proper fuel and maintenance, so do our bodies, and luckily our bodies do it for us for free. Detoxification is a natural part of nature, as all organisms consume and eliminate some form of energy. 

Nature abides by the law of thermodynamics, which states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, and there is a total amount that is conserved. Energy is not created out of thin air, so detoxification is a vital process for all living organisms. Animals do it, trees do it, bacteria do it…all life participates in the process of consuming and eliminating. What’s beautiful about creation is that often one organism’s waste is another organism’s fuel, so there is complete harmony among them all. The trees rely on our cellular respiration waste product, carbon dioxide. We rely on the nutritious fruit the tree produces. Human digestive waste is food for the soil, and the soil provides us with nutritious plant food. These are just a few of the many harmonious and symbiotic systems found in nature. 

Detoxification is a rule in nature. It is necessary for total energetic balance among all areas in our ecosystem, where energy is conserved and simply transferred. Human energy is not an exception to this rule, we are automatic participants.

Toxins

Toxins can be found everywhere, and the word “toxin” includes many different organic or inorganic substances found in a myriad of places. A toxin to the human body is simply any foreign chemistry that doesn’t belong inside of it. In our modern world, we have an oversaturation of toxins from the various sources of energy we consume (food, air, water). So while the body is continuing to detoxify, the high amounts of toxins are making the body less and less efficient at this natural process. There are toxins in the deepest parts of a wild forest and also on the shelf at your local pharmacy or grocery store. Toxins can be inhaled through the nose, ingested through the mouth, and absorbed through the skin or into the mucous membranes near the eyes. No matter the route, they all end up in the bloodstream (the body’s kitchen). Below is a brief list of just some of the toxins around us. 

• Pesticides, herbicides (ie. glyphosate), BPA from canned foods, preservatives in processed foods, mercury in fish, heterocyclic amines found when meat is cooked at high temperatures, artificial colors and dyes, MSG, gluten, microplastics in bottled water, and more. 
• Toxins that can be inhaled include carbon monoxide, smoke fumes, cigarette smoke, chemicals from insulation and packaging materials, chemicals from cleaning products, and more.
• Toxins that can be absorbed through the skin and into the tissues or from eye contact include chemicals from sunscreens, formaldehyde, mercury, PFAS, Dibutyl phthalates, parabens, M- and o-phenylenediamine, and more. Many of these are found in cosmetic products. 
• Vaccines contain multiple contaminants that cause damage. These are often injected into the muscle. The CDC’s “Pinkbook” titled Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases states that it “provides physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals with the most comprehensive information on routinely used vaccines and the diseases they prevent.” Be sure to take a look at Appendix B to read each vaccine and its ingredients…some may shock you. Link: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/index.html

• All milk and dairy products are foreign chemistry to the body and have toxic effects, especially when they’re pasteurized. These are your cow’s milk, goat milk, cheeses, and other processed foods that contain dairy. Not only do these substances have far more protein than is needed for the human body which is inflammatory, but they cause harm due to their excessive saturated fat content along with their mucus-forming tendencies. These products are acidic to the body and force the body to pull out calcium from the body as a buffer, leading one to further problems down the road (depression, osteoporosis, and more). Even organic milk contains pus (mucus) and hormones that are not fit for the human body. 
• Animal protein is another toxin as it is acidic upon metabolism and therefore damaging and inflammatory to the tissues of the body. The kidneys and adrenals are especially affected by animal protein with its stimulant effect and acid-ash-forming nature. Progressive kidney (an eliminative organ) damage leads to progressive acid buildup throughout the body. Like dairy, animal protein also forces the body to suck out calcium to buffer the acidosis. Abnormally high cholesterol production may also occur for buffering. Learn more about protein in my other post, “All About Protein”.
• All cooked foods are foreign chemistry to the human body and therefore produce an inflammatory effect on it. A study done in 1930 by Dr. Paul Kouchakoff found that by eating food that had been heated over a certain temperature or if the food was processed in any way, the body’s white blood cell count would rise. Rising WBC levels indicate the presence of injury, inflammation, and infection. The researchers labeled this effect as “pathological leukocytosis”, as this reaction is found only when the body comes in contact with foreign chemistry or trauma. The study additionally found that eating raw, unaltered food or food heated at low temperatures did not cause this immune response in the body. 

How to Detoxify?

Detoxification is always occurring in the body at various levels. Improving one’s health is understanding it and finding ways to advance it when appropriate. With the current level of toxicity and chronic acidosis in man on the planet, detoxification of the human body is an art. For those affected by chronic and degenerative conditions, it is strongly recommended to work with a detoxification specialist. Many of us are chronically affected and are not aware of it.  

There are multiple ways to start fixing this issue. Detoxification can happen on levels other than physical…the emotional, mental, and spiritual realms also contain their experiences of “cleansing” or “detoxifying”, but this post is focusing on the physical methods of detoxification. With physical detoxification comes changes on other levels. While man tends to separate these levels, they operate together in union. One is simply getting their body more and more efficient at channeling energy. Diet is the main chain anchoring many people to suffering, addiction, and pain. What we put in our mouths directly impacts our thoughts and emotions. We live under the rules of chemistry, and one cannot expect changes to manifest unless you change the chemistry you are putting in your body. Our bodies consume energy (fuel) from the food we eat, yet not all foods are the proper type of fuel for the human body. Below are detoxification methods, or levels of diet density, in order from milder detoxifying to stronger detoxifying. I start this list with vegetarian eating because most people eat a diet that is even less detoxifying (denser) than this. The denser the diet, the less detoxification occurs. The less-dense the diet, the more detoxification occurs. There is no specific food that heals the body, is it only the body that heals the body. Food is simply an energetic tool to play with and control the rate of detoxification. Of course, most habit-changing processes aren’t linear, one’s experience is usually a rugged path down this list. One can play with higher levels for short or extended periods, it is their choice.

With detoxification and diet, the more your body has to use energy to digest food, the less detoxification will occur. It is a game of energy utilization. Any time you eat, the body uses energy to digest, absorb, utilize, and eliminate the food. The lighter in density your foods are, the less energy is needed to perform these processes and the more energy you have for detoxification processes. The more raw and unprocessed the foods are, the more electromagnetic energy it contains and the less energy it robs from the body in order to metabolize. This is why raw foods are optimal for detoxification and excellent health. While the body still has to digest raw foods, it is much less in demand because the food is providing its own energy and digestive enzymes to the body. See my other post on raw foods, “What Is Raw Veganism?”, to learn more. 

Remember that detoxification is always occurring and the body will advance or slow detoxification based on its energetic demands. This is why digestion is slowed during exercise or vigorous movement and is advanced during rest. The key to food is water: the more structured water a food contains, the less energy it demands. Fruit (especially melons) are the highest on the list of water-rich foods. Cooked food has no structured water.

These lists are not comprehensive, each individual’s experience is unique.

During Detoxification

After Detoxification

Changing bowel movements, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach and/or intestinal pains Cold and flu-like symptoms, sweating, fevers  Increased urination Mucus coming out of the body (from any orifice) Pain (nerve or bone), aches, inflammation, headaches, migraines Poor or worsened eyesight Shortness of breath, dry mouth, sore throat, pain in the throat, productive coughing Intense cravings Arrhythmias, palpitations, high or low blood pressures or heart rates Upper and lower back pains, flank pain Muscle weakness, general fatigue Dizziness, vertigo  Insomnia, Intense and/or vivid dreams Skin breakouts, rashes, acne, sores Emotional fluctuations, breakdowns, and breakthroughs Spiritual breakthroughs And many more…

Improved bowel movement regularity, digestive symptoms improved or gone Temperature regulated Less mucus eliminated Cravings lessened or gone Pain eliminated Eyesight improved Breathing becomes easier Regulated heart rhythms and rates, blood pressure improved Elevated energy levels, dynamic energy felt Easier to fall asleep and sleep is deeper Skin symptoms improve and heal Emotional balance Spiritual uplifting, sense of connectedness experienced And many more…

The Healing Crisis

When the body undergoes heavy detoxification and the eliminative organs cannot handle it, often a healing crisis ensues. The healing crisis is the expression “You may feel worse before you feel better” in action. It is crucial to understand what is going on when this arises as responding to it inappropriately can counteract your efforts in detoxification and actually cause more harm. The healing crisis occurs when symptoms (often strong) arise or significantly worsen during detoxification. This can occur multiple times through a heavy detoxing period where one is eating less dense foods or doing a juice, water, or dry fast. The symptoms are of a wide range from mild to strong (see above list for examples) and often the onset is quick. 

One day you can have a simple mild fever and in the evening you may go into heavy sweating, headache, vomiting, eliminating dark stools. You may be on a juice fast and the initial days feel fine with high energy, then by the 8th day you are suddenly feeling extremely angry or depressed thinking about a past memory you haven’t thought about in years. Or perhaps you had spinal trauma from a childhood bike accident and you’re now transitioning to raw fruits and vegetables. One day you have overwhelming back pain and shortness of breath and you decide to use massage, hot packs, herbs, and deep breathing to help move the blood and lymph fluid and relieve the pain. The next day your pain is gone and you feel improved as a whole. This is what the healing crisis can look like and it varies from person to person as we all accumulate different physical and emotional traumas. It is a form of stepping back in time and cleaning out the cellular waste, the cellular memory of accumulated damage, and waking it up again to a new form of energy, awareness, and clarity.

When experiencing a healing crisis, it is important to (1) let it run its course without interference and (2) assist the organs of elimination. In a healing crisis, the body works extra hard to manage the toxins in the system…detoxification is on high speed. The last thing you want to do is go from a crisis during a juice fast then eat a steamed potato just to feel better. In reference to the scale of optimal detoxification diets earlier in this post, it can be harmful to do a long jump from one end to another while skipping the levels in between. So in a healing crisis, you don’t want to stop this major detoxification period and pop an Advil or Tylenol in your mouth. Reverting to cooked food is another big no-no with a healing crisis, especially when on the levels of juice, water, or dry fasting. Consuming pharmaceuticals or cooked foods will put a sudden halt on the body’s detoxification process and can cause more harm in the end. If needed, it’s best to slow down detoxification rather than stop it. In other words, if feeling terrible on a water fast, drink some fruit juice first instead of going for a large salad of vegetables. If emotions and pain are unbearable on fruits only, have a simple salad first instead of a bowl of cooked oatmeal. The body in a healing crisis has already reached a peak level of detoxification, one might as well take advantage of it, embrace it, let it run its course and come out the other end feeling new. 

Assisting the organs of elimination is crucial throughout detoxification but especially during a healing crisis. The only way the crisis will subside is when the body can rid itself of the toxins that are oversaturating the body. As explained below, some methods to do this are massaging the colon to promote bowel movements, rebounding, body massaging, or any kind of movement in order to move the lymphatic fluids, intermittent dry fasting to improve kidney filtration, and sweating to open the pores of the skin. In my personal experience with overwhelming detox symptoms, I find that simply doing breathwork, fasting until the next morning, and going to bed early gives my body the best opportunity to heal. 

Managing Detoxification

Management of detoxification symptoms will vary from person to person. Some general tips to keep in mind while detoxifying on any level are below. 

Support your organs of elimination. A healing crisis often arises when the body is finally starting to hydrate with your fruits and juices and toxins are becoming loose in the tissues but the skin, kidneys, intestines, and/or lymphatic system are not yet opened up and remain obstructed. This leaves the toxins to wreak havoc on your tissues because they have no path to get out. 

• Colon – massage the colon daily and aim for at least one bowel movement a day, diaphragmatic breathing (“belly breathing”) will activate the parasympathetic nervous system to assist in peristalsis and keep stress levels low
• Kidneys – kidney herbs, dry fasting up to 24-36 hours, lower back massage to move acids
• Kidney Filtration: Urinate in a jar first thing in the morning, let it sit for at least 12 hours, and check for any sediment or mucus present. Anywhere from small white flakes to large strands of mucus counts as filtration. Clear urine is a sign of low kidney filtration, cloudy urine is a sign of better filtration. The cloudier the urine, the better. Depending on what you eat and what your body is eliminating, the type of waste sediment will differ. Dry fasting is the most powerful method of achieving kidney filtration.
• Lymphatic System – lymphatic herbs, dry fasting up to 24-36 hours, exercise or any movement or stretching, body self-massage, diaphragmatic breathing (“belly breathing”)
• Skin – body self-massage, sweating (exercise, sauna, steam, moving in the sunshine)
• Lungs – diaphragmatic breathing (“belly breathing”)

Expect symptoms to arise, remember that it is normal. In order to gain health, you will need to get rid of the junk piled up in your bodily systems. This is not meant to be a pretty process, but the reward (health, happiness, peace, etc.) is priceless. 

Avoid suppressing symptoms with pharmaceutical drugs – try your best with this. Every drug that you take is another drug that your body needs to work to eliminate. Especially with the all-too-common cold and flu-like symptoms and fevers, let them be. Intervention is usually only necessary if a fever gets higher than 103 degrees Fahrenheit, in which one can first try using cold temperatures to assist in lowering it. Pain is a sign of energy obstruction and acid accumulation. Make it easier on your body and let it do its thing. Work with your body, not against it. Trust its intelligence.

Avoid suppressing emotions – with physical detoxification comes emotional detoxification. This is a fact and there is no way to go around it. As old physical pains and traumas will rise to the surface, the same goes with emotions. Embrace it, put your phone away, go out in nature, write down your thoughts and let them go, meditate in the moment, and be an observer. In hard emotional moments, I enjoy reminding myself that “this too shall pass”.

Keep hydrated – dehydration will worsen detox symptoms. Hydration is essential for our cells to function properly. Our bodies are mostly water, about 60%, and this ratio is important to maintain. Hydration will assist the whole body, especially the lymphatic system, in detoxifying. 

Only eat when hungry and stop when satisfied – when your “pipe” is clogged, it will not function optimally. The body is not able to detoxify properly when it has to first tackle digestion. Eat mindfully without distractions. Let yourself away from the food before you feel physically full.

Use energy wisely – Move when you have energy, rest when you don’t. Don’t overexert yourself. 

Remember that heat is acidic and cold and alkaline. Cold promotes detoxification but heat can be therapeutic as well. Play with hot and cold showers.

Breathwork is a total game-changer on a detoxification journey and is powerful on all levels. As oxygen saturation in the blood and efficient cellular utilization is vital for optimal health, practicing deep breathing should be a routine exercise in everyone’s health journey. Practicing diaphragmatic breathing instead of thoracic breathing can make a huge difference in outcomes.

Herbs can be an excellent tool to accelerate detoxification and specifically regeneration. Herbs are alive with consciousness and can awaken cells. Especially for those weak and congested in the lungs and who suffer from asthma, looking into anti-spasmodic herbs can be life-changing and beneficial throughout detoxifying. The power of herbs can kick your butt and trip you into heavy detoxification symptoms, so start out gently. Play with them and see how your body responds. Fortunately, it’s hard to “overdose” or get toxicity from herbs.

Enjoy the outdoors and breathe fresh air into your lungs. Sit under the sun and watch the animals around you. Humans are meant to be outside in nature, and there is no doubt about the therapeutic effects of living in alignment with this.

Know when to slow down your detox. Use your inner knowing to let you know when it’s time to have some higher-density foods.

Detoxification is essential to a healthy body and living with happiness and vitality. Don’t be scared of it, embrace the process! It’s amazing what proper detoxification and healing can do to the human body. Imagine a slow-motion video of an injury in reverse…a back finally straightening, a once paralyzed leg now able to move its toes, a baby now locking eyes with her mother. The body will detoxify for the rest of your life whether you want it to or not, it is an automatic and natural process. It’s fun to learn and understand how this manifests in our bodies so we can optimize our efforts for a healthier life. Some people become familiar with detoxification too late, with multiple diagnoses of chronic and degenerative diseases. Wake up now. Live with health and self-love now. It is never too late.  

References:

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases. Hall E., Wodi A.P., Hamborsky J., et al., eds. 14th ed. Washington, D.C. Public Health Foundation, 2021.
2. Kouchakoff, Paul, M.D.; “The Influence of Cooking Food on the Blood Formula of Man”; First International Congress of Microbiology; Paris, 1930.
3. Tortora, G. J., Funke, B. R., & Case, C. L. (2016). Chapter 5: Microbial Metabolism. In Microbiology: An Introduction (12th ed., p. 117-148). essay, Pearson.