How detox pathways impact stress and long-term wellness
If you could only focus on one area of health this year, let it be keeping your detox pathways open. Especially if you’re dealing with chronic illness, nothing will have a bigger impact on your body’s ability to heal.
This is the other side of nervous system regulation that I don’t see talked about enough. Our nervous system is always looking for threats, but we tend to zero in on external threats: anxieties, mindset, relationships, our environment, etc.
That is important, but our brain isn’t just paying attention to what’s happening around us, it’s also paying attention to what’s happening inside of us. And when it senses an internal threat, it triggers that same stress response as it does for external threats.
You will have a dump of adrenaline and cortisol when your blood sugar drops, or when you have inflammation, or when your electrolytes balance is off.
Our body is trying to help us survive, and even subtle shifts in our state need to be managed and balanced.
So what are the detox pathways and why does that have such a big impact on our stress response and overall health?
Every cell in your body is currently producing waste. If that waste is not properly eliminated from the body, it creates a problem. Just think of what would happen to your house if you never took out the garbage.
On top of that, there are endless compounds that must be broken down, metabolized, and cleared from the body when no longer needed.
For instance, when you are stressed, stress hormones like cortisol are released. When the need for cortisol goes away, detox organs like your liver and kidneys must metabolize and clear cortisol from the blood stream. If your detox organs are overwhelmed or stagnant, cortisol doesn’t get broken down and sticks around longer than necessary, keeping you feeling stressed and anxious.
And here’s the other side of the coin: Stress has a big impact on your detox organs! One of your major waste eliminators is your colon. But when you’re stressed, digestion is greatly impacted. Constipation is very common for people stuck in a stress state. But if your body cannot properly eliminate waste, it only adds to that internal threat response.
This is how we can easily get stuck in a negative feedback loop.
Yes, mindset work is so incredibly important when it comes to nervous system regulation, but taking care of your physical body is also a very important component.
Let’s dig into what our detox organs are, what they do, and how to support each one specifically, and then we’ll talk about some practices you can start adding in to support all of your detox pathways.
I have a lot of links attached here because I wanted to create a one stop shop for detox support. Some of these are affiliate links, and some are just products I like but am not affiliated with. But there are a lot of recommendations that are free too! Start with whatever is easiest and where you need the most support. Make sure and scroll to the bottom for my top recommendations for overall support!
Detox Organs
The Liver
We think of the liver as our filter and that’s true, but it does so much more! The liver is the body's largest internal organ and a biochemical powerhouse. It performs over 500 essential functions, including processing nutrients, detoxifying harmful substances, and regulating hormones. It produces bile which is necessary for digestion, and it helps to convert excess hormones into inactive forms.
If you have excess estrogen levels for instance, it may not be because your body is making too much of it, it might be because your body is unable to excrete the excess because your liver is too overwhelmed.
Ways to support the liver:
Drink warm lemon water daily: I do this just about every morning before I eat or drink anything. It stimulates bile production and gets your bowels moving.
Add in foods to support bile flow and detoxification: bitter leafy greens, cruciferous veggies, beets, artichokes, citrus fruits, berries, apples, avocados, lentils and chickpeas, Omega-3 rich nuts and seeds, Whole grains like quinoa, healthy fats, fermented foods.
Drink Dandelion root tea: This supports liver detoxification and bile production. I use Traditional Medicinals Organic Roasted Dandelion Root Tea.
Use a Castor oil pack 3-5 nights a week: Yes, this can be a little messy. But it’s a tried and true way to support the liver and lymphatic system. Castor oil has some amazing anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. You can make your own castor oil pack, but I use the Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Pack to make my life easier.
Use a liver support supplement: With life being as stressful as it is and with the amount of toxins we’re exposed to on the daily, using something to support your liver every single day can be a great idea. I use the EquiLife Daily Nutritional Support protein powder every day in my smoothie. It’s formulated with vitamins and minerals to support phase 1 and 2 liver detoxification. If you want something in capsule form, this is a great tool to use for daily liver support: https://equi.life/collections/supplements/products/daily-detox-support
The Kidneys
The kidneys are crucial for filtering blood, maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance, and removing waste products through urine. They also help regulate blood pressure and play a role in hormone balance by activating vitamin D and producing erythropoietin, which supports red blood cell production. Healthy kidney function is vital for detoxification and overall metabolic balance.
When you are stressed, your body uses up electrolytes to bring you back into homeostasis. When doing lab testing, one sign that someone is stuck in a high stress state is low electrolytes. Since the kidneys are so involved in maintaining our electrolyte balance, you can see why it’s so important to support the kidneys when our stress levels are high.
Ways to support the kidneys:
Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of clean water to support filtration and waste elimination. Hydration is important for every single detox pathway so it’s one of the most important things you can do! Just remember that water quality is important. The last few months I’ve been using a Kangen machine for hydrogen rich water. It’s an investment but has already been worth every penny. I’ll be diving more into why I love this machine so much in future blog posts. At the very least make sure you’re using a quality filter. We just installed a Hydroviv filter and it’s been great!
Eat Kidney-Supportive Foods: Include hydrating and mineral-rich foods like cucumbers, watermelon, berries, leafy greens, celery, and sweet potatoes.
Try Herbal Teas: Nettle leaf or parsley tea can promote kidney health by gently supporting detoxification. I love the brands Yogi or Traditional Medicinals.
Reduce High Sodium and Processed Foods: This lowers the strain on kidneys and helps maintain fluid balance. Note: Real salt is CRUCIAL for electrolyte balance. But unfortunately most sodium used in processed foods is essentially dead. Use a quality salt in your foods to help with electrolyte balance. I use Redmond Real Sea Salt.
Use a warm compress over kidneys: Add a drop or two of essential oils like clove, cypress, lavender, or lemon. Always dilute with a carrier oil like coconut or jojoba oil.
Use a kidney support supplement: If you know you need some extra help with kidney support, I love Organic Olivia’s herbal formulas. You can shop here: https://www.pjtra.com/t/8-12680-358581-247296
The Lymphatic System
The lymphatic system is not talked about enough! So much of your overall health comes back to whether or not your lymphatic system is working optimally. And with so many people living a sedentary lifestyle, it’s one of the systems that is sluggish in a lot of people.
It’s made up of lymph nodes, vessels, and organs that work together to remove toxins, waste, and other unwanted materials from the body. The lymphatic system helps transport white blood cells and plays an essential role in fighting infections and maintaining fluid balance.
When the lymphatic system becomes sluggish, it can lead to the buildup of toxins in the body, resulting in symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, and swollen lymph nodes. Keeping the lymphatic system moving is crucial for overall health.
Ways to support the Lymphatic System:
Movement: The lymphatic vessels are part of your circulatory system, but unlike your cardiovascular system, it doesn’t have a pump to move fluid through. Your pump for the lymphatic system is movement. This is why when people are bed-ridden they end up swollen-the fluid gets stuck. Exercise like daily walking, jumping on a rebounder, or using a vibration plate (I got the LifePro Vibration Plate Exercise Machine and LOVE it) can make a huge difference, especially if you have a job or lifestyle where you sit most of the day.
Dry Brushing: This is an Ayurvedic practice that is wonderful for the whole body, but especially powerful for the lymphatic system. I like this set HERE. Here’s a video that walks you through how to do this - https://youtu.be/J8apjfb6-xM?feature=shared
Try herbal teas: Red clover, echinacea, and calendula teas are great options for supporting lymphatic health.
Eat detoxifying foods: Include antioxidant-rich foods like berries, citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, and cruciferous vegetables to help cleanse the lymphatic system.
The Skin
Did you know that your skin is your largest organ? It’s not only a protective barrier, but it helps to regulate body temperature and it’s one of the ways our body eliminates toxins.
Our skin is constantly interacting with the environment, which means it’s also vulnerable to stress, environmental toxins, and inflammation. Healthy skin reflects overall health, so taking care of it is essential for maintaining your body’s natural detox system.
Skin issues like acne, eczema, or dullness can be an indicator that something needs support internally. But we can do a lot to support the skin from the inside out, you can help improve its appearance and vitality.
Ways to support your skin as a detox pathway:
Sweat: Using an infrared sauna might be one of the best ways to support your detox pathways, but it works by increasing detoxification through sweat. Research shows that sweat can concentrate arsenic 10x more than blood, Cadmium 25x more, and Lead up to 300x more than blood.
Practice regular exfoliation: If you’re doing dry brushing then that will address this, but even using a gentle scrub occasionally can be incredibly beneficial by keeping your skin healthy.
Support your skin microbiome: Yes, you have a whole host of bacteria’s and fungi that live on your skin, and that’s a good thing! Avoid overusing antibacterial soaps or gels as this disrupts your skin’s ecosystem. Getting outside and interacting with nature is one of the best things you can do!
Avoid toxic personal care products: So much skincare has ingredients that are known endocrine disruptors or carcinogenic. Check your product’s ingredients out at ewg.org. And if you’re looking for natural skincare, I’ve been loving mine from Olive Tree People. You can take their skin quiz here: us.olivetreepeople.com/?referral=Deborahcobblmp
The Lungs
Yep! your lungs are one of your detox organs, and in fact, it’s one of the fastest ways to detoxify your body. We focus a lot of breathing in oxygen, but when we breathe out we are helping to detoxify our body of not only carbon dioxide but many other metabolic waste products like VOC’s, acetone (a by-product of fat metabolism), and alcohols.
A healthy set of lungs supports overall vitality, and clear lungs promote optimal energy, immune function, and detoxification.
Ways to support your lungs:
Bring awareness to your breath: We often want to jump into breathing techniques but the first step is really just awareness. As you’re going through your day, notice if you’re holding your breath, breathing too quickly, breathing shallowly, or breathing through your mouth. All of those can limit your lungs capacity and contribute to the activation of your nervous system. I’m going to dig more into this in a future blog, but sometimes awareness is all we need to start with to change our pattern of breathing.
Diaphragmatic Breathing: Most people are breathing incorrectly. When we’re stressed we tend to breathe shallowly into our upper chest instead of fully engaging our diaphragm. Our diaphragm is the main muscle that should be controlling our breath, but it is often under used. Try this exercise to start using this muscle correctly.
Inhale essential oils: Diffusing eucalyptus, peppermint, and tea tree oils can open airways, promote clearer breathing, and help with respiratory support. Just make sure whatever oils you use are pure and high quality.
Drink herbal teas: Peppermint, mullein, and licorice root teas can help support lung function and soothe irritation.
Stay active: Regular cardiovascular exercise, like walking, swimming, or running, helps strengthen the lungs and improve oxygen uptake.
Use a quality air filter: There are an incredible amount of environmental toxins indoors. While you do want to avoid cleaners, fragrances, etc that have VOC’s, there are still a lot of chemicals in the air that we’re breathing in everyday and so using an air filter is a great idea. We love our Air Doctor and have seen a massive difference in symptoms like allergies since we’ve been using it. You can check out their systems here: https://airdoctorpro.com/air-purifiers
Mouth tape at night: Ideally we want to be breathing through our nose for optimal oxygen exchange, but at night it’s very common to end up breathing through your mouth without realizing it. There are many reasons for this and it’s something you want to look further into, but a temporary solution is mouth taping. I notice that I don’t clench my jaw as much, I sleep much deeper, and I wake up feeling more refreshed when I use mouth tape. Only use tape that allows you to open your mouth if needed, and do not try this if you cannot easily breathe through your nose. Here’s the tape I use: https://amzn.to/49XKEog
The Colon
I’m sorry but we need to talk about poop. Our poop is not only the leftovers of our food, but it’s through our colon that we eliminate the bulk (literally) of our waste products.
It’s not just about making sure you’re having enough bowel movements (at least once a day), but you want to have a healthy colon. You can be pooping once a day and still technically constipated if you are not fully eliminating everything.
This is especially important to look at because when we’re stressed, often our digestion shuts down or our body tries to get rid of everything all at once. Either way, we’re damaging our colon over time if nothing changes. It’s so important that we’re supporting our colon!
Ways to support your colon:
Eat a high-fiber diet: Fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains not only keep the microbiome happy, but fiber helps to keep the colon clean and promotes regular bowel movements. If you need an easy add to your diet, Psyllium Husk can be a great add to keep things moving.
Eat fermented foods: This has to do with keeping your microbiome healthy which keeps your colon healthy. Add in one of these foods to your diet every day: Sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, kefir, yogurt.
Herbal teas: Peppermint, ginger, and dandelion root tea can soothe the digestive system and promote healthy colon function. I also love Smooth Move Tea when your colon is feeling sluggish.
Enemas and colonics: I have to admit, this is one area I have very limited experience in, but I know so many people who use enemas or colonics as a regular part of their health care. If you struggle here, it’s something worth looking into. Coffee enemas specifically can be incredibly beneficial to the liver!
Lifestyle Practices to Keep Detox Pathways Open
Now that we’ve discussed each major detox organ, there are a few practices that are going to help every single system. If you’re starting from zero, just choose one thing to add in to your daily routine. Once you’ve successfully added it in, add in something else. Continue on until you have a daily practice of taking care of your body and mind.
Remember, keeping your detox pathways open is not only taking care of your physical body, but it’s helping your mind as well. No system works fully by itself.
Hydration: If you don’t know where to start, start here. We cannot eliminate waste if we don’t have enough fluids in our body! Aim to drink half your body weight in ounces daily. That means if you weigh 150 lbs, your goal is to drink 75 ounces of water. Start your day with a glass of water before you do anything else and you just might find yourself craving water all day long.
Movement: All of your detox pathways benefit from regular movement, and my absolute favorite is just taking a daily walk, outside in nature if at all possible. Stretching, rebounding, or using a vibration plate can also be incredibly beneficial.
Warm lemon water: I love starting my day with lemon water. I use half a large lemon, pour hot water over it, let it sit for a minute, then I squeeze all the juices out. Do this before you eat anything. It’s such an easy thing to do and is incredibly effective at supporting multiple detox organs.
Deep breathing: Set alarms on your phone throughout your day to remind yourself to tune into your breath. Notice if you’re holding your breath, breathing quickly, shallowly, or through your mouth. Try box breathing (inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4), or my favorite is to make your exhale longer than your inhale. 4-7 count is my go to. Breath is not only the fastest way to calm your nervous system, it’s also an important avenue of detoxification.
Sweat: You do get some benefits from exercise sweat, but if at all possible seeking out the use of a sauna is such a phenomenal tool to support your detox pathways. It is also a hormetic stressor which means it’s a positive stress on the body. Check with your doctor first if you have any illness or condition that might make sauna use contraindicated.
Avoid toxins: The less we expose ourselves to, the less work for our detox organs. We are creating waste in our body every second just from existing, we don’t need to add to that waste with known harmful chemicals like pesticides, plastics, or endocrine disruptors. We cannot avoid them all, but just do your best to lessen your toxic load when possible.
Do a seasonal detox: I’ve done just about every detox out there and I have two favorites. If you want a more comprehensive detox, this one from Dr. Stephen Cabral is specifically focused on the liver. I do this 7 day detox with each change of season. Or if you’re looking for something simpler and easier to do, this 3 Day Reboot supports multiple detox pathways including the liver. It’s simple but incredibly effective and easy on the pocketbook.
When your detox pathways are open and functioning well, it has a profound impact on your nervous system. You’re better able to process stress hormones, nutrient absorption improves, and your body is able to work efficiently, which allows your nervous system to be calm and resilient.
If nervous system regulation is something you’re struggling with and creating self-care habits is something you can’t seem to stay consistent with, then you’re definitely not alone. That’s exactly where I was stuck for many years. This is exactly why I created my course Regulate + Thrive so I could teach you exactly what finally made the difference for me to be able to create real change, not only in finally regulating my nervous system and freeing myself of constant anxiety, but also in taking better care of my physical body at the same time.
