PHW Newsletter - Edition 6

A Word from Dr. Marvin

Supporting Your Body’s Detoxification Systems

How many times have you seen an advertisement or Instagram reel urging you to buy products to “do a detox.” As more people become aware of the toxins lurking around every corner, they start asking themselves, “Do I need to do a detox?” Not a bad question per se, but perhaps a better question is – how do we support the existing detoxification systems we already have instead of spending time and money on expensive product lines claiming to detoxify the body?

Let’s start by acknowledging that the human body is an amazing, complex system with existing, built-in mechanisms to do the very thing we’re discussing – detoxification! The first area of focus should be supporting the 3 big elimination pathways in the body – skin, gut (including the liver), and kidneys. Think of this as sweat, poop, and pee. If you’re not sweating on a regular basis, pooping every day, and urinating throughout the day, you’re probably not detoxing very well.

The best ways to sweat – exercise and sauna. There is evidence that small amounts of metals like lead and a chemical found in plastic called bisphenol A (BPA) can be found in sweat. The best way to have a daily bowel movement – eat mostly nourishing foods. This helps support the liver, the organ in our body that produces bile. Bile contains many things that can help with digestion and absorption of nutrients but also plays an important role in carrying toxins out of the body. The best way to urinate regularly – drink plenty of clean water (which can also help most people poop, by the way). Urine also has been shown to contain toxins that the body is trying to eliminate, like heavy metals and chemical compounds.

As with any system, what goes in is just as important as what comes out, if not more so. While many like to focus on “getting things out”, let’s not forget the critical part of – what is going IN? While there are many things beyond our control, like what our neighbor is spraying on the lawn, there are also things we can control, like what we are putting in and on our bodies. Are you aware that most foods contain surprising levels of chemical residue, toxic metals, and other artificial substances? Crops like soy, wheat, and corn are sprayed with chemical pesticides and herbicides, which do not come off when these crops are made into the many foods we consume. Popular cereals like Cheerios and snack foods like Goldfish crackers have high levels of glyphosate residue, a chemical known to cause cancer. Many soaps, lotions, perfumes, and beauty products also contain similar harmful substances.

With a fun-filled summer ahead, what kind of sunscreen are you wearing? Most common sunscreens contain chemicals that are found in the bloodstream after usage, and we have no idea if they are safe or not. Unfortunately, our government gives the companies making these products the job of “proving harm,” you can see how this is like letting the fox guard the henhouse. We need to take it upon ourselves to investigate and make sure that what we choose to consume and apply on our bodies is as safe as possible. Thankfully there are helpful resources like the Environmental Working Group, which has an amazing website with several tools and apps we can use as guides.

So, get a good water filtration system, choose organic foods whenever possible, stay away from processed foods, choose hair and skin care products that aren’t full of potentially harmful chemicals, and find ways to support the 3 major elimination pathways of the body. These key things must be supported before we start layering on the latest and greatest detox supplements on the market. Don’t get me wrong, I love using tools like our Liver Support MD, the nutritional IV Detoxify, and potent antioxidants like Glutathione, but we’re doing a disservice and will only get so far by not supporting the foundational tools the body has to offer and limiting toxic exposure to the best of our ability.