Episode 56: Healthy Detoxification with Torea Rodriguez

Supporting Our Bodies’ Natural Detox Pathways Without Overwhelming Them

Our bodies have natural detox pathways, but they are overwhelmed by modern life. More than 80,000 new chemicals have been released into the world since the industrial revolution 150 years ago, and most of them within the past 50 years. These chemicals have never been fully tested for their effects on our bodies or the environment. We are asking our bodies to detoxify far more than they were designed to handle, and this is an important element in reclaiming our health. That said, there are a lot of scams out there related to detox cleanses, powders and programs. Many people who try these end up feeling worse. So, in this podcast we’re going to learn how to detoxify in a healthy, sustainable way. My guest is Toréa Rodriguez. She is a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner and a Transformational Life Coach. She’s also a fellow autoimmune warrior.

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Show Notes

• Intro (0:00)
• Thank You to Our Podcast Sponsor: Paleo on the Go (2:06)
  • A frozen meal delivery service, they have a large menu of items for the paleo autoimmune protocol (AIP).
  • Use the code PHOENIX for 10% off your first order.
• Meet Toréa (3:08)
  • Toréa is a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner and Transformational Life Coach.
  • She also has Hashimoto’s and Raynaud’s Disease. When her health was at its worst, she had debilitating fatigue and was bedridden for months. She lost her ability to work, her hair was falling out, and she had extreme brain fog. In spite of taking prescribed thyroid medication, she swung wildly between hypothyroid and hyperthyroid symptoms, and her doctor suggested irradiating and surgically removing her thyroid. That’s when she began pursuing alternative health solutions. She worked with Chris Kresser, who found many underlying root causes that were preventing her from healing, including anemia, adrenal fatigue, and co-infections. They worked on her issues one at a time, and over the course of three years, she regained her health. Today, she has more energy and vitality than ever before. The interventions that made the biggest difference for her were the paleo autoimmune protocol and functional medicine testing.
• What Are the Detox Pathways in Our Bodies? (11:40)
  • Skin: Sweating is a powerful form of detoxification.
  • Lymph: Responsible for the internal collection and breaking down of toxins, which are then eliminated from the body.
  • Liver: Phase 1 detox breaks down the toxin, and phase 2 marks it to be eliminated from the body. For many people, phase 2 is slower than phase 1. If we detox too aggressively, we can actually make ourselves sicker because we’re simply releasing toxins into circulation rather than eliminating them from the body.
• What Happens When We Over-Detox? (15:17)
  • It’s not uncommon for people to feel worse when doing juice fasts, detox cleanses or chelation. This is because aggressive detox protocols often liberate toxins faster than the body can eliminate them, which means they are just released into the circulation. This can be very harmful to health, especially for people with autoimmune disease. Autoimmune expert Dr. Datis Kharrazian warns agains chelation particularly. Toréa herself had a negative chelation experience which set her health backward, and it took her a year to recover.
• How Does a Nutrient-Dense Paleo Diet Support Our Bodies’ Detox Capability? (17:51)
  • A wide variety of vegetables provide the micronutrients our bodies need to detoxify. This is why Terry Wahls recommends 3 cups of sulfur-rich vegetables, 3 cups of greens, and 3 cups of brightly colored vegetables daily.
  • Resources: The AIP Food Pyramid and Podcast Ep. 183: Detoxifying Foods.
• What Is a “Toxin”? (20:42)
  • Any chemical substance that is causing harm to part or all of the human body.
  • In ancestral times, there were small amounts of natural toxins found in the soil and water, which our bodies were naturally capable of eliminating. Modern life is different. We have created over 80,000 new chemical compounds that aren’t normally found in nature.. Toxins are all around us – in our air, water, food, cleaning and beauty products, furniture, kitchens, and even the components of our homes.
  • Article Toréa referenced: Chromium 6 Found in Drinking Water Across USA.
• How to Reduce Toxin Exposure (23:38)
  • Start with Food: Buy organically whenever possible, and look at the Clean Fifteen/Dirty Dozen guides to make wise choices with conventional produce.
  • Cleaning Supplies: Switch out toxic ones for more natural ones. You can clean most of your home with three simple items: baking soda, vinegar, and castile soap.
  • Beauty and Hygiene Products: Count how many you use in a day, then look at the labels and see how many chemicals are contained in each one. Resource: What Is Paleo Skincare?
  • Garage Check: Look at the chemicals you use on your car and in your garden, and research alternatives.
  • Pay Attention to Off-Gassing: Whenever you buy something new, it usually contains chemicals that are releasing fumes into the air. This is that “new car smell” or the smell of a newly painted wall or new furniture. Toréa recommends leaving a new car in the garage with the windows open for one month before driving it regularly. For remodeling, look into low-VOC paints and green building materials, and choose to remodel at a time of year you can keep the windows open. You can also buy an air purifier to help clean the air. For furniture, consider buying from thrift stores, consignment shops or antique stores. Toréa also recommends Ikea furniture, because it’s held to European standards for toxins, which are stricter than US standards.
  • Plastics: Reduce or eliminate the plastic in your kitchen. At a minimum, don’t cook food in plastic, because the heat speeds up the transfer of the plastic into the food. Toréa’s recommendations: Glasslock Containers, and Stainless Steel Lunchboxes and Water Bottles.
  • Water Filters: Go to your local municipal water supply to find out what’s in the water. Then you can research filters that address your water needs. Toréa uses pitcher filters and shower head filters, and Clearly Filtered is her preferred brand. If you own your home, Terry Wahls, recommends a reverse-osmosis system. Resource: EWG’s Tap Water Database
  • Resource: EWG – The Environmental Working Group – an information-rich website providing free research and product information to help use reduce our exposure to toxins.
• How Does Sleep Support Detoxification? (40:34)
  • We mentioned earlier in the podcast that some people struggle with phase 2 liver detox, which is essential to eliminating the toxins out of our bodies. This phase only happens when we sleep!
  • Resources:
    • Podcast: Ep. 94: Troubleshooting Sleep.
    • Article: 10 Ways to Improve Your Sleep Right Now.
    • Ebook: The Go To Bed Sleep Challenge by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne.
• Gentle & Effective At-Home Detox Therapies (42:19)
  • Dandelion and Milk Thistle Teas.
  • Detoxifying Baths.
  • Lymphatic Self-Care.
  • Oil Pulling: You can start small with baby steps and work up to the full amount and time recommended in this tutorial. Toréa recommends starting with 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil for just 30 seconds, and as you build up to more time, do something else simultaneously, as a distraction. She’ll often prepare her breakfast while oil pulling.
  • Saunas: Either traditional or infrared. The sweating is what’s important.
• Outro (50:42)
  • Toréa’s website is ToreaRodriguez.com. She offers 1:1 health consultations,  and she specializes in clients with autoimmune disease. She’s offering my podcast listeners a free 30-minute session. Use the coupon code PHOENIXHELIX. She also has a free detoxification webinar happening on 11/1/16, and a 5-week online course which starts in January.
  • Eileen (your podcast host) is the author of multiple books, written to help people thrive with autoimmune disease. Learn more on the Books Page.
  • If you like this podcast, follow or subscribe through your favorite podcast app. You can also subscribe to Eileen’s biweekly newsletter.
  • Check out the entire archive of podcast episodes.

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