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Have you ever said, I feel like I need a detox?
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Maybe you're bloated, puffy, constipated, exhausted, your skin is breaking out, your brain feels foggy.
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Alcohol suddenly makes you feel terrible.
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You can't tolerate supplements the way you used to.
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Fragrances bother you.
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Foods that you used to eat don't sit the same.
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Maybe your hormones feel completely different.
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And somewhere along the way, you start thinking I must be toxic.
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Then you go online, and suddenly you're being told you need a liver cleanse, a binder, a parasite cleanse, glutathione, a sauna, lymphatic drainage, maybe dry brushing, castor oil packs, a coffee enema, 24,000 supplements, and probably something involving celery at some point.
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Okay, but here's the question nobody seems to ask.
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What does detoxification actually mean?
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Because if you've never entered the functional wellness world before, you may be sitting here thinking, wait, am I supposed to be detoxing?
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Detoxing from what?
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And if you've been in this world for a while, you may have been taught that practically every uncomfortable symptom means toxins are building up.
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Neither is extremely helpful because your body actually does have sophisticated systems for processing and eliminating compounds.
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Your liver does this, your kidneys do this, your gastrointestinal system participates in this, even your lungs participate.
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Your circulatory and lymphatic system transport things throughout the body.
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Your cells are constantly transforming, using, recycling, transporting, and eliminating substances.
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Your body was doing all of this long before anyone sold a seven-day detox kit off Instagram.
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Okay, so the question isn't, how do I make my body detox?
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Your body already knows how.
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The better questions are, what is my body asking to process?
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What is my body being asked to process?
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What is it producing internally?
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Does it have the resources to process those things?
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Can it transport and eliminate what needs to leave?
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And maybe most importantly, does my body currently have the capacity to keep up with the total load being placed on it?
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Because that is a completely different detox conversation.
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Welcome back to the Being Whole podcast.
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I'm your host, Dr.
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Danny Hole, board certified in functional medicine, PhD, and today we are talking about detoxification.
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But we're not going to make your body the dirty house that needs to be scrubbed clean.
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We're going to talk about exposure, capacity, the liver, the gut, the kidneys, bile, bowel movements, genetics, hormones, mitochondria, inflammation, sauna, lymphatics, binders, glutathione, peptides, and yes, the physical, energetic, and emotional things that we carry.
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Because detoxification isn't about forcing the body harder, it's about understanding what the body is being asked to do and whether it has what it needs to do it.
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Before we get into today's episode, quick reminder: this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only.
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It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, and it does not replace individualized medical care.
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Symptoms people sometimes attribute to detox can have many causes, and many require medical evaluation.
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Significant toxic exposures, poisoning, liver or kidney disease, severe gastrointestinal symptoms, jaundice, confusion, breathing difficulty, persistent vomiting, severe dehydration, or other concerning symptoms require appropriate medical care.
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Okay, do not stop medications, begin restrictive cleanses, or significantly change supplements or treatment based solely on information in this podcast.
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Okay, now let's completely rethink detox.
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So I want you to meet Rachel.
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Rachel's 42, and Rachel comes to me saying, I think I need a detox.
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So I ask why.
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She says, because I can't tolerate anything anymore.
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She used to drink wine and feel fine.
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Now one or two glasses, and she wakes up at 2 a.m.
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with her heart racing and she feels terrible the next day.
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She's suddenly weirdly sensitive to smells.
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Her skin reacts more easily.
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She's bloated, she's constipated, she's tired, her brain feels foggy, her periods are changing, she's gaining weight around her middle, she's not recovering from workouts the way she used to.
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Supplements she used to take suddenly make her feel weird.
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And Rachel keeps saying, I don't understand.
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I've always done these things.
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I've always had wine, I've always been stressed, I've always used these products, I've always stayed up late, I've always pushed through, I've always been a little constipated.
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Why can't my body handle it anymore?
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Now that is the question I want to talk about.
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Because maybe Rachel's environment changed, maybe exposure changed, maybe there's a legitimate medical problem.
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Okay, we have to consider all of those things.
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But there's another possibility that people don't talk about enough.
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Maybe the thing didn't change, maybe Rachel's capacity did.
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Now, why you could handle it before, but you can't now, and this is one of the most common things that I hear, but I've always done this.
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Okay, and I want you to imagine your body has a processing budget.
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On one side, we have load, everything the body is dealing with, things coming from outside, alcohol, medications, smoke, environmental pollutants, occupational exposures, components of food, personal care products, whatever you're actually exposed to.
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But there is also an internal load.
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Hormones need to be metabolized.
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Cells create metabolic byproducts.
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Your immune system creates signaling molecules.
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Your gut microbes produce compounds.
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Protein metabolism produces nitrogen-containing waste.
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Your mitochondria generate reactive molecules during normal energy production.
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Simply being alive creates chemistry your body has to manage.
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Then we have the other side, capacity.
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Okay, liver function, kidney function, gut function, nutrient availability, protein intake, bowel regularity, mitochondrial energy, sleep, metabolic health, hormonal environment, genetics, age, overall resilience.
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Now imagine Rachel at 25.
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She sleeps eight hours, she moves constantly, she eats fairly well, she's metabolically healthy.
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She's not taking six medications and 12 supplements.
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Her menstrual cycle isn't changing.
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Okay, she's not caring for aging parents while raising children and working full time.
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Her processing budget has some room.
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Fast forward 17 years, now she's 42.
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Perimenopause may be changing her hormonal landscape.
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She's sleeping five hours, she's chronically stressed, she has two bowel movements a week, she's eating less protein, she's losing muscle, she has blood sugar instability, she's drinking more often because wine has become her way to turn her brain off at night.
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She's taking more supplements, maybe she's taking medication, maybe inflammation is higher, maybe her nutrient needs have changed.
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And she asks, why can't I handle the same things anymore?
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Because biology isn't about only the thing you're exposed to, it's also about the organism being exposed.
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The wine may be the same, but Rachel isn't.
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And I don't mean that in a bad way.
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Her physiology has changed, her environment has changed, her hormonal landscape has changed, her energy demands have changed, her total load has changed, and her capacity may have changed.
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Okay, this is why the question, what toxin is causing this, is sometimes more useful or less useful, but usually the question we should be asking that's more useful is what changed in my ability to handle my total load?
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Okay, you've probably heard about like the toxic bucket, okay?
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And as an analogy, I understand why.
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Imagine a bucket.
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A little comes in, no problem.
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A little more, still fine.
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Eventually, the bucket gets full, and one tiny additional thing causes it to overflow.
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That can help us understand cumulative demand, okay?
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But I want to be careful because your body is not literally a bucket filled with miscellaneous toxins.
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Different compounds behave differently, different exposures are processed differently, different organs handle different substances, and symptoms do not tell us how quote unquote full your bucket is.
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Okay, so I'm going to use this idea of total load, but not as a diagnosis.
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It's a framework.
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It's a way of asking what is the body being asked to manage right now, and what resources does it have available to manage it?
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That distinction matters.
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Now, this next section may be one of the most important parts of today's episode because there are four things people constantly mix together exposure, body burden, toxicity, symptoms.
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Okay, they are not interchangeable.
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Exposure means you came into contact with something.
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Body burden generally refers to the amount of a particular chemical or its metabolites present in the body.
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Toxicity means that a substance is causing harmful biological effects at a particular exposure or dose.
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And symptoms are symptoms.
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Fatigue doesn't identify an exposure, brain fog doesn't prove something has accumulated in your tissues.
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Bloating doesn't prove you have mold toxicity.
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A headache doesn't tell us which chemical caused it.
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Those symptoms are real, but they're nonspecific.
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They can occur in dozens of reasons.
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So when someone tells me, I know my toxic load is high because I have 20 symptoms, my response isn't, you're wrong.
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It's those symptoms are telling us something.
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Now let's figure out what.
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Maybe an environmental exposure is part of the picture, but maybe it's not.
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The symptoms give us a reason to investigate, they do not automatically identify the culprit.
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Okay, that is how we stay curious without becoming afraid.
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So, what is a toxin anyway?
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Okay, the word toxin gets used so loosely in wellness that it basically means anything we don't like.
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So let's clean that up.
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Your body encounters substances from outside of you all day long: air pollution, smoke, alcohol, medications, food compounds, household chemicals, occupational exposures, environmental contaminants.
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But here's where we need nuance.
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The presence of a chemical does not automatically mean poison.
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Everything is chemistry.
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Water is a chemical, oxygen is chemistry, estrogen is chemistry, glutathione is chemistry.
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The fact that you can't pronounce something doesn't tell you whether it's dangerous.
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Toxicology depends on things like dose, route, duration, timing, susceptibility.
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Take iron.
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You need iron.
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Too little can create a serious problem.
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Too much can create a serious problem.
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Same substance, different dose.
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Vitamin A, essential.
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Too much can be toxic.
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Water, absolutely necessary for life.
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Extreme overconsumption can also be dangerous.
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Alcohol.
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Dose and frequency matter enormously.
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Okay, so I don't want the detox conversation to become natural equals safe, chemical equals toxic.
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Nature produces some incredibly toxic substances, and modern medicine uses plenty of chemicals that save lives.
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The better question is what is the substance?
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How much are you how are you being exposed?
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For how long?
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And what does the evidence tell us?
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Now we can finally talk about what your body actually does.
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Your liver is the star of the detox conversation.
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Okay, but I don't want you imagining your liver as a Brita filter.
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Dirty blood goes in, clean blood comes out.
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No.
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Your liver is more like an enormous biochemical processing facility.
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It receives compounds and essentially asks, what is this?
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Do we need it?
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Can we use it?
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Does it need to be modified?
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Does it need to be packaged differently?
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Where does it need to go next?
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Okay, your liver participates in medication metabolism, hormone metabolism, alcohol metabolism, bile production, blood sugar regulation, cholesterol metabolism, protein metabolism, storage of certain nutrients, and so much more.
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So when somebody says, I'm cleansing my liver, I want to know what they actually mean because the liver isn't dirty.
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It needs to be able to perform its normal functions.
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Okay, so phase one.
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Don't tune me out here.
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This is so much easier than it sounds.
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Imagine a package arrives at a processing facility, but the package can't be shipped out in its current form.
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So someone opens it and changes what's inside.
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That is loosely how I want you to picture phase one.
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Your liver uses families of enzymes, including cytochrome P450 enzymes, to chemically modify many compounds.
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Sometimes those reactions help move the compound toward elimination.
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But sometimes phase one creates an intermediate that is more chemically reactive than the original substance, which means phase one is not bad thing in, harmless thing out.
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Sometimes it's compound in, intermediate created.
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Now we need the next part of the process.
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Okay, and this is why I don't automatically love language like boost your detox pathways.
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Well, which one?
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And why?
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What happens downstream?
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Faster isn't always better.
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So now our compound reaches another part of the processing facility.
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Phase two includes several types of reactions called conjugation.
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All that means is your body attaches another chemical group or molecule to a compound.
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This can help change its properties and prepare it for transport and elimination.
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If you start to research this, you may hear words like sulfation, glutathione conjugation, methylation, amino acid conjugation.
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Okay, you don't need to memorize these things, but here's what matters.
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There is no single detox pathway.
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There are multiple pathways and they each do different jobs, and they require resources.
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Resources like amino acids, vitamins, minerals, energy, glutathione-related chemistry, adequate nutrition.
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Now think about Rachel.
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She's undereating, barely eating protein, sleeping five hours, constipated, stressed, losing muscle, and now we're gonna put her on an aggressive cleanse that further restricts calories?
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Why?
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Before I ask the body to do more, I want to know does it have the resources to do what I'm asking?
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There it is again, right?
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Readiness before intensity.
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If you work with me, you know every single thing we do, we ask your body if it's ready for it.
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Now, this brings us to phase three.
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This is the part I wish more people talked about or knew about because processing something is not the same as eliminating it.
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Let me say that again.
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Processing does not equal elimination.
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Imagine a city with the most sophisticated waste management facility in the world.
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Garbage comes in, workers sort it perfectly, everything gets packaged into the correct containers, the truck gets loaded.
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Fantastic.
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Except the trucks have nowhere to go.
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Eventually, you have a problem.
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Your body is obviously much more sophisticated than a garbage facility, but the analogy helps.
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After compounds are processed, transport systems help to move them.
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Depending on the substance, elimination may involve bile and stool, urine, breath, and other routes.
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So, yes, if you're doing an enormous detox protocol, I still want to know, are you pooping?
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Because bowel elimination matters.
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I want to know, are your kidneys functioning normally?
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Are you hydrated properly?
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What's happening with bile?
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What's happening with the gut?
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Do we have a medical reason that elimination may be impaired?
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Because you can buy every detox supplement on the internet, but you cannot supplement your way around basic physiology.
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Now your gut is part of the story.
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Okay, your gut is not simply a poop tube, it's interacting with nutrients, microbes, immune signaling, bile acids, hormone metabolites, and compounds your liver has processed.
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Here's one example.
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Your liver can process certain estrogen metabolites and conjugate them.
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Some enter bile.
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Bile enters the intestine, and then certain bacterial enzymes in the gut can modify some of those compounds.
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One enzyme you may hear about is beta-glucaronidase.
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Microbial activity involving enzymes like this can influence whether certain conjugated compounds remain in a form more likely to leave or become available for reabsorption.
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So does that mean high beta glucaronidase equals estrogen dominance?
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No, we're not doing that.
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But it shows you something important.
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The liver doesn't work alone.
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Gut health, microbial activity, bowel function, bile, hormone metabolism, they're all communicating.
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Okay, this is why the body never fits neatly into separate little boxes.
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Now the liver gets all the detox credit, right?
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But meanwhile, your kidneys are working 24 hours a day.
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Your kidneys filter blood and help regulate fluid balance, electrolytes, acid-based balance, blood pressure, and the elimination of many waste products and compounds through urine.
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And this is where we need to kill another wellness myth.
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Just drink tons of water and flush everything out.
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Hydration matters absolutely, but more water isn't infinitely better.
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Your kidneys regulate water and electrolytes carefully.
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Excess water intake can actually become dangerous.
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Again, the goal isn't to bully your body into detoxifying harder.
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The goal is to support normal physiology.
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Take a breath.
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Now breathe out.
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You just eliminated carbon dioxide.
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Carbon dioxide is produced during normal metabolism.
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Your lungs are constantly helping regulate it.
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And I want you to notice what this tells us.
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Detoxification isn't an event.
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Okay, it isn't something your body does for seven days in January.
00:21:12.640 --> 00:21:14.319
It happens all the time.
00:21:14.559 --> 00:21:18.240
Input, processing, transport, output.
00:21:18.400 --> 00:21:20.640
Again and again and again.
00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:24.240
Your body is constantly maintaining balance.
00:21:25.119 --> 00:21:35.599
Now someone listening to this is probably thinking, okay, Danny, if my body already eliminates things, why do we have to worry about heavy metals or persistent chemicals?
00:21:35.839 --> 00:21:36.640
Excellent question.
00:21:36.799 --> 00:21:38.240
I'm so glad you asked.
00:21:38.559 --> 00:21:42.319
Because not every compound behaves the same way.
00:21:42.640 --> 00:21:46.480
Some substances are metabolized relatively quickly.
00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:50.079
Some are eliminated largely unchanged.
00:21:50.240 --> 00:21:53.599
Some can persist in the body for longer periods.
00:21:53.839 --> 00:21:59.680
Some can accumulate in particular tissues depending on the substance, exposure, dose.
00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:03.599
Duration and individual physiology.
00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:11.200
Certain environmental chemicals are called persistent precisely because they don't break down quickly.
00:22:11.440 --> 00:22:15.680
And certain metals can accumulate with sufficient exposure.
00:22:15.920 --> 00:22:20.240
So I am absolutely not saying your body detoxes itself.
00:22:20.480 --> 00:22:22.480
Environmental toxins don't matter.
00:22:22.640 --> 00:22:25.279
Okay, that's just the opposite extreme.
00:22:25.519 --> 00:22:27.039
Lead exposure is real.
00:22:27.279 --> 00:22:29.279
Mercury toxicity is real.
00:22:29.519 --> 00:22:31.839
Carbon monoxide poisoning is real.
00:22:32.160 --> 00:22:34.079
Occupational exposures are real.
00:22:34.319 --> 00:22:36.640
Environmental contamination is real.
00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:44.559
Damp buildings and mold can contribute to health problems, particularly respiratory and allergic conditions.
00:22:44.720 --> 00:22:46.400
But here's what matters.
00:22:46.720 --> 00:22:51.680
We identify the actual exposure because lead isn't mercury.
00:22:52.079 --> 00:22:53.839
Mercury isn't alcohol.
00:22:54.079 --> 00:22:56.000
Alcohol isn't a medication.
00:22:56.319 --> 00:23:00.000
A medication isn't a persistent organic pollutant.
00:23:00.240 --> 00:23:04.559
And none of those should be lumped together under toxins.
00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:19.200
If we suspect a legitimate exposure, history matters, testing matters, the actual component matters, dose matters, medical evaluation may matter, and treatment should be appropriate to the actual problem.
00:23:20.480 --> 00:23:22.880
Now, one thing I want you to hear.
00:23:23.119 --> 00:23:26.240
Feeling worse does not prove you're detoxing.
00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:31.039
And this section hopefully will save someone a lot of misery.
00:23:31.359 --> 00:23:32.559
You start a cleanse.
00:23:32.799 --> 00:23:38.799
Day two, bam, headache, nausea, diarrhea, exhaustion, brain fog, anxiety.
00:23:39.119 --> 00:23:41.440
You feel absolutely terrible.
00:23:41.680 --> 00:23:44.640
Someone says, good, the toxins are leaving.
00:23:44.960 --> 00:23:47.119
No, we do not know that.
00:23:47.359 --> 00:23:50.000
Maybe you abruptly stopped caffeine.
00:23:50.240 --> 00:23:51.680
Maybe you're under-eating.
00:23:51.839 --> 00:23:53.680
Maybe your blood sugar is dropping.
00:23:53.839 --> 00:23:57.839
Maybe the supplement irritated your gastrointestinal tract.
00:23:58.000 --> 00:23:59.519
Maybe you're dehydrated.
00:23:59.680 --> 00:24:01.519
Maybe you're losing electrolytes.
00:24:01.759 --> 00:24:04.640
Maybe something is interacting with medication.
00:24:05.039 --> 00:24:06.559
Maybe you're constipated.
00:24:06.720 --> 00:24:07.599
Maybe you're sick.
00:24:07.839 --> 00:24:10.079
Maybe you're reacting to an ingredient.
00:24:10.319 --> 00:24:13.359
Maybe you started too many things all at once.
00:24:13.680 --> 00:24:18.319
Feeling worse is not proof that detoxification is happening.
00:24:18.480 --> 00:24:24.799
And I think this is incredibly important because wellness culture sometimes rewards suffering.
00:24:24.960 --> 00:24:28.240
The worse you feel, the more you're told it's working.
00:24:28.559 --> 00:24:31.200
No, symptoms are information.
00:24:31.359 --> 00:24:33.279
We have to listen to them.
00:24:34.160 --> 00:24:38.079
Now we can bring last week's episode into this one.
00:24:38.400 --> 00:24:42.559
Genes provide instructions for protein and enzymes.
00:24:42.880 --> 00:24:45.519
Proteins carry out chemical reactions.
00:24:45.680 --> 00:24:53.200
So yes, genetics can influence some pathways involved in metabolism and detoxification.
00:24:53.519 --> 00:25:04.079
You may hear about genes and enzyme families such as GST, UGT, SULT, NAT, CYP, and others.
00:25:04.319 --> 00:25:05.920
So let's go back to Rachel.
00:25:06.079 --> 00:25:12.400
Imagine Rachel's genetics suggest variants affecting glutathione-related enzymes.
00:25:12.640 --> 00:25:15.119
Does that mean Rachel can't detox?
00:25:15.599 --> 00:25:15.920
No.
00:25:16.559 --> 00:25:21.440
But now maybe I pay closer attention to that pathway.
00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:27.119
Then imagine Rachel's blood work suggests nutrient status that deserves attention.
00:25:27.359 --> 00:25:28.960
She's barely eating protein.
00:25:29.200 --> 00:25:30.559
She drinks most nights.
00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:35.599
She sleeps five hours, she's constipated, she's metabolically struggling.
00:25:35.839 --> 00:25:39.359
Now the genetic information becomes more interesting.
00:25:39.680 --> 00:25:51.440
Not because the gene caused everything, but because we identified a possible vulnerability and then looked at the environment that vulnerability is operating inside.
00:25:52.160 --> 00:25:54.720
Now imagine Rachel has a sister.
00:25:55.200 --> 00:26:12.160
Same relevant genetic variant, but her sister sleeps eight hours, rarely drinks, eats enough protein, exercises, has regular bowel movements, has no symptoms, and she has no concerning relevant laboratory findings.
00:26:12.559 --> 00:26:15.680
Same genetic clue, different physiology.
00:26:16.000 --> 00:26:18.720
Genes can influence susceptibility.
00:26:19.039 --> 00:26:22.880
They do not automatically determine the outcome.
00:26:23.200 --> 00:26:24.319
Sound familiar?
00:26:24.559 --> 00:26:30.240
Okay, that's the entire series on the on this, the biology of you.
00:26:32.160 --> 00:26:37.119
Now here's somewhere that genetics become especially tangible.
00:26:37.680 --> 00:26:42.720
Some CYP enzymes are involved in medication metabolism.
00:26:42.960 --> 00:26:50.880
Genetic variation in certain enzymes can influence how some people metabolize particular medications.
00:26:51.119 --> 00:26:53.680
And I want you to notice how medicine approaches this.
00:26:53.839 --> 00:26:59.279
Okay, they don't generally say you have a CYP variant your liver can't detox.
00:26:59.759 --> 00:27:01.440
They ask, which enzyme?
00:27:01.599 --> 00:27:02.480
Which medication?
00:27:02.640 --> 00:27:03.359
Which variant?
00:27:03.599 --> 00:27:05.119
What does the evidence show?
00:27:05.279 --> 00:27:07.599
What other medications are being taken?
00:27:07.839 --> 00:27:08.799
What's the dose?
00:27:09.039 --> 00:27:11.839
What are the person's liver and kidney functions?
00:27:12.000 --> 00:27:13.920
What's the clinical situation?
00:27:14.400 --> 00:27:18.400
Specific question, specific pathway, specific person.
00:27:18.880 --> 00:27:24.240
That's exactly how I want us thinking about genetics everywhere else too.
00:27:24.799 --> 00:27:26.640
Now the mitochondria are back.
00:27:26.799 --> 00:27:27.920
Of course they are.
00:27:28.480 --> 00:27:32.000
Because everything keeps coming back to energy.
00:27:32.240 --> 00:27:35.279
Your liver is metabolically active.
00:27:35.599 --> 00:27:38.319
Transporting molecules costs energy.
00:27:38.559 --> 00:27:40.880
Building compounds costs energy.
00:27:41.119 --> 00:27:44.160
Maintaining cellular function costs energy.
00:27:44.400 --> 00:27:45.920
Repair costs energy.
00:27:46.079 --> 00:27:50.799
Your kidneys require enormous amounts of energy to perform their jobs.
00:27:51.039 --> 00:27:53.039
Your gut requires energy.
00:27:53.279 --> 00:27:55.759
Your immune system requires energy.
00:27:56.000 --> 00:27:58.400
Remember the energy budget episode?
00:27:58.720 --> 00:28:09.519
Your body has bills, brain, heart, temperature, movement, digestion, immune function, hormones, repair, and all of this is chemistry.
00:28:09.839 --> 00:28:17.039
So if Rachel is completely depleted, I'm not only asking what detox supplement does she need.
00:28:17.279 --> 00:28:21.200
I'm asking what is her body spending energy on?
00:28:21.519 --> 00:28:30.319
Stress, inflammation, poor sleep, blood sugar instability, illness, overtraining, undernourishment, hormonal transition?
00:28:30.720 --> 00:28:36.240
Okay, this is why detoxification cannot be separated from cellular capacity.
00:28:37.039 --> 00:28:39.119
Now let's connect this to hormones.
00:28:39.359 --> 00:28:42.559
Remember, Rachel's 42, her cycles are changing.
00:28:42.720 --> 00:28:44.400
She's waking up in the middle of the night.
00:28:44.559 --> 00:28:46.480
Her body composition is shifting.
00:28:46.640 --> 00:28:48.880
Her alcohol tolerance is different.
00:28:49.119 --> 00:28:53.359
Could hormonal transition be part of her changing experience?
00:28:53.599 --> 00:28:54.480
Absolutely.
00:28:54.799 --> 00:29:00.000
But again, we don't reduce it to your estrogen isn't detoxing.
00:29:00.319 --> 00:29:04.240
Hormone physiology is way more complicated than that.
00:29:04.480 --> 00:29:07.359
The liver participates in hormone metabolism.
00:29:07.519 --> 00:29:10.400
The gut can interact with hormone metabolites.
00:29:10.640 --> 00:29:12.160
Body composition matters.
00:29:12.319 --> 00:29:15.279
Alcohol can influence hormone physiology.
00:29:15.519 --> 00:29:20.400
Sleep matters, age matters, medication and hormone therapy can matter.
00:29:20.559 --> 00:29:25.440
And during menopause, hormone levels can fluctuate significantly.
00:29:25.759 --> 00:29:33.759
So Rachel may genuinely experience substances differently at 42 than she did at 25.
00:29:33.920 --> 00:29:39.279
Not because her body suddenly forgot how to detox, but because the terrain changed.
00:29:39.519 --> 00:29:44.000
That's becoming one of the most important phrases in this episode.
00:29:44.240 --> 00:29:48.480
The exposure matters and the terrain matters.
00:29:49.200 --> 00:29:51.759
So let's talk about some tools, okay?
00:29:51.920 --> 00:29:54.559
One of the tools that being whole has is sauna.
00:29:54.640 --> 00:29:56.799
I love sauna, I use the sauna.
00:29:56.880 --> 00:30:04.160
And I still want to be accurate about what it does because there's also a misconception around heat therapy.
00:30:04.480 --> 00:30:09.920
Sweat contains water, electrolytes, and small amounts of various compounds.
00:30:10.079 --> 00:30:14.960
But your sweat glands are not your primary detoxification organs.
00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:23.119
The liver and kidneys are doing much more of the work when it comes to processing and eliminating many substances.
00:30:23.519 --> 00:30:26.079
So does that make sauna useless?
00:30:26.240 --> 00:30:27.279
Absolutely not.
00:30:27.519 --> 00:30:41.200
Heat exposure can influence circulation, cardiovascular responses, heat shock proteins, relaxation, stress adaptation, and other physiological processes being studied.
00:30:41.440 --> 00:30:43.759
Sweating can feel incredible.
00:30:44.000 --> 00:30:47.440
Sauna can be a beautiful part of a wellness plan.
00:30:47.759 --> 00:30:56.000
I simply don't need to tell you that every bead of sweat is pulling mysterious toxins out of your body to make sauna valuable.
00:30:56.240 --> 00:31:00.480
Something does not have to be exaggerated to be useful.
00:31:01.440 --> 00:31:02.720
Lymphatic support.
00:31:02.880 --> 00:31:04.559
Okay, same conversation here.
00:31:04.799 --> 00:31:07.759
Your lymphatic system matters enormously.
00:31:08.000 --> 00:31:12.000
It helps return fluid from tissues back into circulation.
00:31:12.240 --> 00:31:21.039
It transports immune cells, it participates in immune surveillance, and it helps transport dietary fats from the intestine.
00:31:21.200 --> 00:31:30.319
And unlike your cardiovascular system, it doesn't have a heart pumping lymph around the body in the same way blood has pumped.
00:31:30.640 --> 00:31:32.079
Movement matters.
00:31:32.319 --> 00:31:34.160
Muscle contraction matters.
00:31:34.400 --> 00:31:35.599
Breathing matters.
00:31:35.920 --> 00:31:38.559
Normal physiology matters.
00:31:38.799 --> 00:31:49.200
So yes, walking, movement, compression in appropriate situations, massage, breathing, all of these can interact with lymphatic flow.
00:31:49.440 --> 00:31:55.519
But lymph isn't a sewer full of toxins that we manually push out of the body.
00:31:55.680 --> 00:32:02.240
Again, support the physiology, but don't invent a scarier story than we actually need.
00:32:02.880 --> 00:32:04.640
So let's talk about binders.
00:32:04.880 --> 00:32:13.279
Activated charcoal, certain fibers, clays, and other substances marketed for binding compounds in the gut.
00:32:13.599 --> 00:32:26.799
The general idea is that something remains largely in the gastrointestinal tract and binds or absorbs certain substances, potentially reducing absorption or reabsorption.
00:32:27.039 --> 00:32:31.440
Now there are legitimate medical uses for some binding agents.
00:32:31.680 --> 00:32:39.359
Activated charcoal, for example, has established uses in certain poisonings when used appropriately at the right time.
00:32:39.599 --> 00:32:44.000
Okay, but that does not mean everyone needs charcoal every morning.
00:32:44.319 --> 00:32:53.279
Binders can also interfere with things you actually want absorbed, medications, nutrients, other supplements.
00:32:53.599 --> 00:32:55.759
Some can worsen constipation.
00:32:55.920 --> 00:33:06.559
So if Rachel already has two bowel movements a week and somebody hands her a binder that makes her more constipated, we need to ask whether we're actually helping anything.
00:33:06.799 --> 00:33:10.240
Okay, the tool isn't inherently good or bad.
00:33:10.400 --> 00:33:13.839
The context determines whether the tool makes sense.
00:33:14.640 --> 00:33:18.000
Now we cannot do this episode without glutathione.
00:33:18.319 --> 00:33:21.759
Okay, glutathione is made from amino acids.
00:33:21.920 --> 00:33:27.200
It participates in cellular antioxidant defense and redox balance.
00:33:27.440 --> 00:33:33.200
It also participates in certain conjugation reactions involved in processing compounds.
00:33:33.440 --> 00:33:41.119
Your body makes glutathione and its production depends on the available building blocks and cellular conditions.
00:33:41.359 --> 00:33:43.359
Does glutathione matter?
00:33:43.599 --> 00:33:44.559
Absolutely.
00:33:44.880 --> 00:33:48.720
Does that mean everyone needs glutathione injections?
00:33:49.039 --> 00:33:49.359
No.
00:33:49.759 --> 00:33:53.519
Does that mean supplementation can never be useful?
00:33:53.759 --> 00:33:54.720
Also, no.
00:33:55.039 --> 00:33:57.759
The question is, why are we using it?
00:33:57.920 --> 00:33:59.599
What are we trying to accomplish?
00:33:59.839 --> 00:34:01.680
What is the person's health status?
00:34:01.839 --> 00:34:03.039
What else are they taking?
00:34:03.200 --> 00:34:04.480
What is the larger plan?
00:34:04.559 --> 00:34:08.639
And again, the product doesn't get to lead, the person does.
00:34:09.440 --> 00:34:16.239
And because peptides are part of the larger being whole conversation, let's talk about where they fit here.
00:34:16.559 --> 00:34:20.639
I do not look at someone and say, you're toxic, here's a peptide.
00:34:20.800 --> 00:34:22.239
That's not how this works.
00:34:22.480 --> 00:34:26.159
There isn't a universal detox peptide.
00:34:26.400 --> 00:34:34.159
But peptide-based therapies may sometimes fit elsewhere in the physiology where that we're trying to support.
00:34:34.559 --> 00:34:37.840
Maybe gut integrity is part of a larger picture.
00:34:38.079 --> 00:34:40.800
Maybe inflammatory regulation matters.
00:34:40.960 --> 00:34:45.599
Maybe metabolic dysfunction is increasing physiological load.
00:34:45.760 --> 00:34:49.039
Maybe tissue repair and recovery are priorities.
00:34:49.199 --> 00:34:57.360
Maybe improving body composition and metabolic health changes the environment, the liver, and other systems are operating inside.
00:34:57.760 --> 00:35:08.079
So depending on the person, appropriately prescribed peptide or metabolic therapies may become one tool inside a much larger plan.
00:35:08.559 --> 00:35:10.559
But notice what we're doing.
00:35:10.719 --> 00:35:14.639
We're not asking which peptide dot detoxes Rachel.
00:35:14.800 --> 00:35:20.320
We're asking what part of Rachel's physiology actually needs support.
00:35:20.559 --> 00:35:22.320
Very different question here.
00:35:23.440 --> 00:35:26.639
Now, okay, let's bring this into something practical.
00:35:26.960 --> 00:35:34.880
If I want to support the body's normal processing and elimination systems, I'm thinking in two directions.
00:35:35.360 --> 00:35:39.599
Reduce unnecessary load and build capacity.
00:35:40.000 --> 00:36:00.000
Maybe reducing load looks like drinking less alcohol, stopping smoking, reducing known unnecessary exposures where practical, not taking 17 supplements that you don't need, using medications appropriately rather than adding random products around them.
00:36:00.559 --> 00:36:07.039
Maybe it's addressing a legitimate environmental exposure when one exists, and then building capacity.
00:36:07.679 --> 00:36:24.719
This means adequate calories, protein, micronutrients, fiber appropriate for you, hydration, regular bowel movements, movement in general, muscle, sleep, metabolic health, gut health, appropriate medical care, stress recovery.
00:36:25.039 --> 00:36:28.719
See how different this is from take this seven-day liver cleanse?
00:36:28.960 --> 00:36:33.360
We're changing the environment in which the body has to perform its work.
00:36:34.480 --> 00:36:36.880
Now we're gonna move into the woo, okay?
00:36:37.119 --> 00:36:38.559
But grounded woo.
00:36:38.719 --> 00:36:42.960
If you know me, you know I merge the science with the woo.
00:36:43.440 --> 00:36:53.920
Traditional healing systems have long used language around flow, stagnation, heat, dampness, deficiency, excess, release.
00:36:54.159 --> 00:37:01.440
In traditional Chinese medicine, the liver has energetic meanings that go far beyond anatomical organ.
00:37:02.239 --> 00:37:12.400
It's traditionally associated with the smooth flow of qi and with patterns involving constraint, frustration, irritability, and stagnation.
00:37:12.960 --> 00:37:15.119
That is a traditional framework.
00:37:15.280 --> 00:37:19.679
Okay, it is not cytochrome P450 biology.
00:37:19.920 --> 00:37:33.280
Your anger isn't physically clogging your CYP enzymes, but I still find that lens useful because what is one of the recurring themes we've discovered in modern physiology too?
00:37:33.599 --> 00:37:48.559
Movement matters, blood moves, lymph moves, bile moves, the gut moves, breath moves, fluid moves, food moves through us, metabolic products move, information moves.
00:37:48.880 --> 00:37:53.119
And sometimes the question isn't how do I force more out?
00:37:53.440 --> 00:37:56.719
It's where has movement become difficult?
00:37:57.039 --> 00:38:07.599
Physical movement, digestive movement, energetic movement, emotional movement, different languages, different mechanisms, but an interesting question.
00:38:08.960 --> 00:38:13.760
Now, this is where I think the detox conversation becomes much bigger.
00:38:14.079 --> 00:38:17.920
We use the word toxic emotionally all of the time.
00:38:18.239 --> 00:38:23.920
Toxic relationship, toxic workplace, toxic family dynamic, toxic environment.
00:38:24.159 --> 00:38:28.800
And no, your liver is not metabolizing your toxic mother-in-law.
00:38:29.039 --> 00:38:33.199
Emotional stress is not the same thing as lead exposure.
00:38:33.360 --> 00:38:34.639
But think about this.
00:38:34.960 --> 00:38:37.679
How many things are you carrying?
00:38:37.920 --> 00:38:40.800
How many conversations never happened?
00:38:41.039 --> 00:38:46.159
How many emotions do you swallow because keeping the peace feels safer?
00:38:46.480 --> 00:38:51.519
How many responsibilities are sitting unfinished in the back of your mind?
00:38:51.840 --> 00:38:53.519
How many notifications?
00:38:53.679 --> 00:38:54.639
How many appointments?
00:38:54.800 --> 00:38:55.920
How many commitments?
00:38:56.079 --> 00:38:57.519
How many wellness rules?
00:38:57.599 --> 00:38:58.719
How many supplements?
00:38:58.960 --> 00:39:02.639
How many people have unrestricted access to you?
00:39:02.880 --> 00:39:04.880
How much physical clutter?
00:39:05.039 --> 00:39:06.480
How much digital clutter?
00:39:06.639 --> 00:39:15.440
How many times a day does your nervous system here don't forget this, handle this, fix this, respond to this, take care of them, don't let anyone down?
00:39:15.679 --> 00:39:19.599
And then we sit in a sauna and ask the body to let go.
00:39:20.000 --> 00:39:21.039
Think about that.
00:39:21.360 --> 00:39:30.400
We spend so much time asking the body to let go while building lives that require us to hold on to everything.
00:39:30.639 --> 00:39:32.559
That's not toxicology.
00:39:32.719 --> 00:39:36.320
I'm not telling you resentment is stored in your liver.
00:39:36.480 --> 00:39:54.159
I'm telling you that the emotional environment you live inside absolutely affects your sleep, behavior, alcohol use, eating, digestion, nervous system signaling, muscle tension, metabolism, recovery, and your overall physiological load.
00:39:54.880 --> 00:39:59.280
So maybe part of supporting the body isn't another supplement.
00:39:59.599 --> 00:40:01.519
Maybe there's another question.
00:40:01.840 --> 00:40:06.320
What am I carrying that no longer needs to come with me?
00:40:06.800 --> 00:40:17.840
A responsibility, a relationship dynamic, a schedule, a habit, a belief, a wellness protocol, a version of yourself you no longer need to maintain.
00:40:18.239 --> 00:40:23.519
That's the energetic and emotional side of detoxification that I care about.
00:40:23.920 --> 00:40:26.800
Not magical toxins, capacity.
00:40:28.639 --> 00:40:33.519
You'll hear me talk about drainage before detox throughout the entire being whole method.
00:40:33.679 --> 00:40:35.599
So I want you to understand what I mean.
00:40:35.760 --> 00:40:39.599
I do not mean open these mysterious toxin drains.
00:40:40.000 --> 00:40:50.480
I mean before we aggressively push processing, are the foundational systems that support movement and elimination functioning appropriately?
00:40:50.719 --> 00:40:51.519
Are you eating?
00:40:51.679 --> 00:40:52.480
Are you nourished?
00:40:52.639 --> 00:40:53.519
Are you hydrated?
00:40:53.679 --> 00:40:54.480
Are you moving?
00:40:54.639 --> 00:40:55.920
Are your bowels moving?
00:40:56.079 --> 00:40:56.960
Are you sleeping?
00:40:57.119 --> 00:40:59.039
Do you have adequate protein?
00:40:59.199 --> 00:41:00.719
Do you have enough energy?
00:41:00.960 --> 00:41:03.199
Are your kidneys functioning normally?
00:41:03.440 --> 00:41:08.239
Is there a liver or gallbladder issue requiring medical evaluation?
00:41:08.480 --> 00:41:10.960
Is there a reason you're constipated?
00:41:11.199 --> 00:41:13.920
Is your nervous system completely overwhelmed?
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Does your body have the capacity for what we're about to ask it to do?
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Because I don't care how impressive the protocol looks on paper.
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If the person doesn't have the capacity for it, it's the wrong protocol.
00:41:30.320 --> 00:41:35.840
Regulation before resolution, readiness before intensity.
00:41:36.159 --> 00:41:43.440
And in this conversation, support movement and elimination before demanding more processing.
00:41:44.320 --> 00:41:47.280
So now let's go back to the woman we met in the beginning.
00:41:47.519 --> 00:41:50.559
Rachel walked in saying, I need a detox.
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At that point, she imagined toxins, right?
00:41:54.400 --> 00:41:57.920
Something dirty inside of her, something that we needed to flush out.
00:41:58.159 --> 00:41:59.679
But now we know more.
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Rachel's 42.
00:42:01.599 --> 00:42:04.159
She's in a changing hormonal environment.
00:42:04.320 --> 00:42:05.760
She sleeps five hours.
00:42:06.000 --> 00:42:08.719
She drinks most evenings because she's stressed.
00:42:08.880 --> 00:42:10.000
She's constipated.
00:42:10.079 --> 00:42:11.119
She's losing muscle.
00:42:11.360 --> 00:42:12.960
She's under-eating protein.
00:42:13.119 --> 00:42:17.920
She's taking 12 supplements because she's trying desperately to feel better.
00:42:18.159 --> 00:42:20.960
Her blood sugar regulation deserves attention.
00:42:21.199 --> 00:42:22.880
Her gut deserves attention.
00:42:23.119 --> 00:42:25.440
Her sleep deserves attention.
00:42:25.679 --> 00:42:27.679
Her stress deserves attention.
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Maybe genetics reveals some areas where she's more vulnerable.
00:42:32.639 --> 00:42:38.159
Maybe her blood work identifies actual physiology that we need to address.
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Maybe her comprehensive scan gives us another wellness lens into where her body appears to be asking for support.
00:42:46.960 --> 00:42:54.719
And if her history suggests a legitimate environmental exposure, we investigate that appropriately too.
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Now I ask Rachel again, what do you think your body needs?
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And this time her answer is completely different.
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She says, maybe I don't need to force my body to detox harder.
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Maybe I need to give it less unnecessary load and more capacity to handle what remains.
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Exactly.
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And that is this entire episode.
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Okay, this is why being whole doesn't start with a generic detox protocol.
00:43:28.719 --> 00:43:32.000
I don't want to know which cleanse is trending.
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I want to know what's your story, what's coming in, what's being created internally, what's happening with digestion, elimination, nutrition, hormones, sleep, stress, metabolism, inflammation, medications, supplements, environment.
00:43:49.679 --> 00:43:54.000
Okay, what does your scan suggest may deserve deeper investigation?
00:43:54.239 --> 00:43:59.760
What does blood work tell us is happening physiolic physiologically in your body right now?
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Now, what do your genetics tell us about the potential inherited vulnerabilities?
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And what do we still not know?
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Because that's important too.
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We don't fill gaps with assumptions.
00:44:13.119 --> 00:44:14.239
We investigate.
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Scan, blood work, genetics, story.
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Then we build the plan.
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Because Rachel doesn't need the internet's detox protocol.
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Rachel needs Rachel's plan.
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After everything we've talked about, the foundational list is almost annoyingly simple, and the wellness space can make it sound more difficult than it actually is.
00:44:41.119 --> 00:44:42.320
Eat enough.
00:44:42.639 --> 00:44:44.239
Get adequate protein.
00:44:44.639 --> 00:45:06.239
Eat a variety of nutrient dense foods, get fiber appropriate for your body, hydrate appropriately, support regular bowel movements, move, build and preserve muscle, sleep, reduce unnecessary alcohol, don't smoke, reduce meaningful unnecessary exposures where practical.
00:45:06.480 --> 00:45:08.960
Address constipation instead of ignoring it.
00:45:09.119 --> 00:45:13.039
Address gut dysfunction when it's actually present.
00:45:13.280 --> 00:45:23.119
Address metabolic dysfunction, correct nutrient deficiencies when identified, investigate abnormal liver or kidney markers appropriately.
00:45:23.360 --> 00:45:29.360
Don't stop necessary medications because somebody told you medication is toxic.
00:45:30.639 --> 00:45:39.119
Maybe, just maybe, it also means you don't have to keep taking 20 supplements that you can't even explain.
00:45:39.440 --> 00:45:43.199
Then, when targeted tools make sense, use them.
00:45:43.519 --> 00:45:58.719
Sauna, movement, lymphatic support, specific nutrients, glutathione, appropriate binders in appropriate situations, peptides or prescription therapies when they have a legitimate role and are managed appropriately.
00:45:59.039 --> 00:46:02.719
Those are tools, but the foundation comes first.
00:46:02.960 --> 00:46:07.840
Because the goal isn't more detox, the goal is better capacity.
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I want you to leave this episode with a completely different image of your body.
00:46:14.800 --> 00:46:17.039
Your body is not a dirty house.
00:46:17.199 --> 00:46:19.679
Your liver isn't a clogged filter.
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Your lymphatic system isn't a sewer.
00:46:22.800 --> 00:46:26.719
Your cells aren't sitting there waiting for you to order the right cleanse.
00:46:26.960 --> 00:46:32.880
Your body is a living system constantly interacting with the world around it.
00:46:33.119 --> 00:46:43.360
Food comes in, air comes in, water comes in, medication comes in, environmental exposures come in, your own metabolism creates compounds.
00:46:43.519 --> 00:46:44.719
Hormones are made.
00:46:44.880 --> 00:46:46.320
Hormones are broken down.
00:46:46.559 --> 00:46:48.559
Cells are built, cells die.
00:46:48.800 --> 00:46:50.960
Your microbiome creates compounds.
00:46:51.119 --> 00:46:53.280
Your mitochondria make energy.
00:46:53.440 --> 00:47:10.559
Your immune system communicates, your liver transforms, your gut processes and eliminates, your kidneys filter and eliminate, your lungs exchange gases, your blood transports, your lymphatic system transports, and all of those systems require resources.
00:47:11.039 --> 00:47:15.840
So maybe the better detox question isn't how do I clean myself out?
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Maybe it's what is my body being asked to manage?
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What can I reasonably reduce?
00:47:22.400 --> 00:47:24.159
What needs to be investigated?
00:47:24.400 --> 00:47:25.360
What needs to move?
00:47:25.519 --> 00:47:26.880
What needs to leave?
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And what does my body need in order to have enough capacity to do the work?
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Because sometimes the answer isn't another supplement.
00:47:36.079 --> 00:47:58.159
Sometimes it's food, sleep, protein, movement, a bowel movement, less alcohol, better blood sugar, more muscle, medical treatment, a boundary, a conversation, a responsibility you finally put down, a legitimate exposure you finally identify and remove, or simply less.
00:47:58.800 --> 00:48:07.760
Less input, less forcing, less fear, less trying to micromanage every pathway in your body.
00:48:08.000 --> 00:48:13.840
Your body does not need to be cleaned, it needs to be supported.
00:48:14.079 --> 00:48:19.519
And that is the difference between chasing detox and understanding your biology.
00:48:19.920 --> 00:48:22.639
The tool does not lead.
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The body leads, the data leads, the person leads always.
00:48:28.320 --> 00:48:36.880
And next week we're going into another phrase that sounds terrifying when it shows up in a functional report, and that is oxidative stress.
00:48:37.119 --> 00:48:42.400
Free radicals, antioxidants, glutathione, cellular damage, aging.
00:48:42.559 --> 00:48:50.159
You've probably heard of all of those words, and you've probably been taught free radicals bad, antioxidants good.
00:48:50.480 --> 00:48:55.440
Except, once again, biology is more interesting than that.
00:48:55.679 --> 00:48:59.440
Your body actually uses reactive molecules.
00:48:59.679 --> 00:49:01.360
Your immune system uses them.
00:49:01.599 --> 00:49:03.280
Exercise creates them.
00:49:03.519 --> 00:49:09.119
Your mitochondria naturally generate reactive molecules when making energy.
00:49:09.360 --> 00:49:14.480
Some of those molecules act as signals that actually help the body adapt.
00:49:14.719 --> 00:49:18.000
So the goal isn't eliminate oxidation.
00:49:18.239 --> 00:49:26.480
The question is, can your body create the signal, manage the signal, repair what needs repairing, and return to balance?
00:49:26.719 --> 00:49:46.559
We're going to connect oxidative stress to mitochondria, inflammation, detoxification, genetics, exercise, aging, hormones, nutrition, glutathione, and the reason that taking enormous amounts of antioxidants isn't necessarily the answer.
00:49:46.880 --> 00:49:53.760
Because once again, sometimes the thing we've been taught to eliminate is something the body was designed to use.
00:49:54.000 --> 00:49:56.719
And we're going to make that make sense also.
00:49:57.440 --> 00:50:12.079
If this episode changed the way you think about detox, send it to a friend who maybe is on six binders, three liver supplements, two detox teas, and absolutely has no idea when the last time they had a bowel movement was.
00:50:12.239 --> 00:50:13.679
Okay, you know who they are.
00:50:13.920 --> 00:50:20.800
And if you're listening to all of this thinking, okay, but how do I know where my body is struggling?
00:50:21.039 --> 00:50:24.960
That's exactly why I created the Being Whole comprehensive scan.
00:50:25.199 --> 00:50:40.000
Instead of randomly choosing the next supplement, cleanse, diet, or protocol, the scan gives us an additional wellness lens into patterns across the body and helps us identify where deeper investigation may make sense.
00:50:40.400 --> 00:50:51.519
From there, when appropriate, we can layer in blood work, genetics, your symptoms, health history, and your actual lived experience to start connecting the dots.
00:50:51.840 --> 00:50:56.000
Because you don't need Rachel's plan, you need yours.
00:50:56.239 --> 00:51:02.239
You can schedule your Being Whole comprehensive scan through the Being Whole website or by downloading the app.
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I'll also link them in the show notes.
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Wellness starts at the root.
00:51:07.440 --> 00:51:16.880
Until next time, stay curious, stay grounded, listen to your body's wisdom, and keep becoming the most whole version of yourself.
00:51:17.039 --> 00:51:18.159
I'll see you next week.