In the field of functional and integrative medicine, detoxification is given its place and is talked about a lot. Unfortunately, the drainage pathways do not receive the attention they deserve, and these are fundamental for the recovery from chronic illnesses and healing.
The best way to describe the drainage pathways is with a funnel.
Drainage Pathway Funnel
- CELLS
- ORGANS AND TISSUES
- LYMPHATIC SYSTEM
- LIVER & BILE DUCTS
- THE COLON
The goal is to decongest them and optimize their function
and flow from the colon upwards.
The Colon
Before attempting any type of detox or healing, it is imperative that your body is capable of effectively eliminating waste, starting with the colon, which is the most important drainage pathway. This is not only important during a healing protocol but also for maintaining optimal health. More than 42 million Americans are regularly constipated; hundreds of millions of dollars are spent annually on laxatives to find relief.
The main cause of constipation is usually a combination of several factors, including:
• Poor diet.
• Inactivity.
• Dehydration.
• Parasitic infection.
• Excessive candida growth.
• Environmental toxins.
• Hormonal or thyroid imbalances.
• Magnesium deficiency.
• Lack of sleep and stress.
When there are constipation issues, the toxins your body is trying to purge through stool end up being reabsorbed because your intestines move too slowly.
So, what is normal?
Your goal should be to have 2-3 bowel movements a day, and your stools should be well-formed and easily eliminated, without any straining. You should poop regularly. This way, the waste and toxins from the upper levels flow downward for elimination through stool.
TIPS
💩 Hydration
💩 Eat fiber-rich foods
💩Move your body daily.
💩 Take botanicals that help move the bowel, such as senna leaf tea, ginger root, aloe vera leaf.
💩 Take spore-based probiotics.
💩 Use a Squatty Potty for a more natural position to relax and fully evacuate.
💩 At-home coffee enemas or colon hydrotherapy.
💩 Eradicate infections like parasites and candida.
💩 Reduce exposure to heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, and other environmental toxins.
If you have a long history of significant constipation, initially what we are looking for is progress, not necessarily perfection.
Liver and Bile Ducts
The liver is the second largest detoxification organ after the skin. One of its main functions is to metabolize toxins and expel them through bile, which is released through the bile duct into the small intestine during digestion. Part of the bile accumulates in the feces and is thus eliminated, reducing your body's toxin levels. Sometimes this system is impaired, and the bile ducts become congested. As a result, toxins and bile acids stagnate and accumulate in your liver, potentially damaging the organ. This stagnation leads to diseases if toxins are not efficiently eliminated. Several factors can cause inflammation, damage, stagnation, and blockages of the bile ducts. Some of these triggers are:
Viruses: infections by hepatitis and herpes viruses.
Parasites: Worms, including Ascaris lumbricoides (a roundworm) and Fasciola hepatica.
Bacteria: various types of bacteria, including Klebsiella and Pseudomonas.
Toxins: such as glyphosate, triggering a reduction in bile production and flow.
Excess estrogen: such as that caused by birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy, can increase your risk of gallstones.
The sphincter of Oddi is a muscular valve that controls the release of bile into the small intestine; a shortage of thyroxine (T4) prevents the sphincter of Oddi from relaxing and bile from flowing.
Today, our livers are often overloaded due to the amount of toxins and chemicals we are exposed to daily (think polluted air, pesticides in food, contaminated water... and the list goes on). Added to this is high-fructose corn syrup, which we find in everything; studies show it's linked to fatty liver disease, which is practically an epidemic.
Once overloaded, it cannot properly carry out phase one and two detoxification, bile becomes thicker, gallstones form, and then bile acids accumulate in the systemic circulation (causing itchy skin). Studies show that bile acids can reach the lungs and are detoxified by renal excretion if the liver is saturated. Using the kidneys is not how the body was designed; it's a backup system! This is how our blood and other organs are affected when the liver and intestines are obstructed in the order of our drainage funnel.
Results of biliary or bile duct dysfunction:
🚨 Intestinal inflammation.
🚨 Altered gene expression in the intestine.
🚨 Altered gut microbiome.
🚨 Insulin resistance.
🚨 Bile duct obstruction, which correlates with cancer of this duct.
So, what can we do when our liver needs a little help?
• ✅ Coffee enemas: Can help relieve some of the liver's overload by opening the bile duct system, eliminating stagnant and often toxic bile. They stimulate proper bile and digestive enzyme flow and also encourage the natural production of glutathione, the master antioxidant.
• ✅ Bitter herbs / tubers: Dandelion, milk thistle, beets, carrots, ginger, garlic, and cruciferous vegetables are great support.
• ✅ TUDCA: Also known as tauroursodeoxycholic acid, it is a popular bile acid that helps thin bile and allows it to flow freely.
• ✅ Castor oil packs: This oil is composed of 90% ricinoleic acid, which is absorbed through the skin and has been shown to improve blood circulation, drainage, and detoxification, as well as reduce pain, swelling, and inflammation.
• ✅ NAC: Also known as N-acetyl cysteine, it is the precursor to glutathione, your body's main antioxidant, which fights oxidative stress and protects the liver from free radical damage.
Lymphatic System
The lymphatic system often doesn't receive the attention it deserves when it comes to drainage, partly because it's very difficult to visualize. It is a network of tissues, vessels, and organs that help the body eliminate toxic waste. Its primary function is to transport lymph, the extracellular fluid that drains from cells and tissues throughout the body. Lymph also carries white blood cells that fight infections. When functioning optimally, it helps us detoxify and produce cells that can help fight diseases. The lymphatic system has twice as much fluid as the blood system, but unlike the blood system which has a pump (the heart), the lymphatic system only has the diaphragm to move it, meaning it only moves with breathing.
Signs that indicate congestion in your lymphatic system:
- Cellulite
- Dull, dimpled skin
- Rashes / itchy skin
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Edema.
Natural ways to stimulate your lymphatic system:
• Movement: An easy way is to move your body! And it doesn't have to be a strenuous, high-intensity workout; a walk or light yoga can help move lymphatic fluid and produce pathogen-fighting cells.
• Hydration: Because lymph is 96% water, staying hydrated keeps lymph moving freely throughout the body. Remember to drink filtered and ideally structured water (tap water will expose you to even more toxins)!
• Lymphatic massage or (Gua sha): This is very different from a traditional massage; it uses a gentle technique with circular movements to stimulate fluid flow through the lymphatic vessels.
• Dry brushing: Stimulates blood circulation and stimulates lymph, which helps remove toxic buildup on the skin's surface. Make sure to brush gently but firmly towards the heart with a natural bristle brush.
• Infrared sauna and/or (hot baths): Heat helps lymphatic fluid flow better and allows your body to sweat and purge toxins, including heavy metals. (Epsom salt baths)
• Rebounding exercises: Jumping up and down forces the body to eliminate toxins and waste from cells. This also activates immune cells called T lymphocytes, which devour viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens, thereby strengthening the immune system.
• Botanicals: Turkey rhubarb, astragalus, and slippery elm bark have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial properties that enhance the immune system and naturally promote lymph movement.
Organs and Tissues
Above your lymphatic system, in the drainage funnel, are your organs and tissues. Your brain, which represents only 2% of your body weight, consumes 25% of your body's energy. All this energy production results in the accumulation of metabolic waste.
• Unlike the rest of your body, your brain does not have a lymphatic system to remove toxins. Instead, it eliminates cellular waste through the "glymphatic system" while you sleep, via cerebrospinal fluids. The glymphatic system is a network of lymphatic vessels in the brain that drains waste and stored toxins over time. It supports the regeneration of brain cells every day by containing T cells, B cells, myeloid cells, and antigen-presenting proteins, also helping to prevent and fight infections. It is crucial to focus on adequate drainage and support of the glymphatic system for your health and that of your brain. If it deteriorates, a cascade of inflammatory chemical reactions is triggered, which, if not mitigated, increases the accumulation of beta-amyloid (the main protein responsible for the onset of Alzheimer's disease).
This can happen as a result of:
- Infections.
- Inconsistent sleep.
- Neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Huntington's disease, ALS.
- Strokes.
- SNS dominance.
- Conditions such as chronic fatigue.
Simple ways to detox your brain:
7-8 hours of deep, uninterrupted sleep is the most restorative tool while the glymphatic system is active.
Staying hydrated with purified and remineralized water.
Standing instead of sitting during the day creates tension that forces the lymphatic system to drain.
Deep diaphragmatic breathing pushes the flow of cerebrospinal fluid in and out of the brain.
Meditation, where alpha and theta states of brainwave coherence are reached, will stimulate the glymphatic system (basically, that feeling of inner calm mimics the moments between wakefulness and sleep, so the brain's glymphatic system can get to work).
Upper cervical chiropractic adjustments that increase flow.
CELLS:
Some of the waste or toxins that cells accumulate come from external sources. These include pollutants such as:
- Air.
- Heavy metals.
- Mycotoxins. Pesticides.
These toxins can cause mitochondrial dysfunction, so you need to get rid of them. Your mitochondria generate the energy needed to support detoxification, as well as playing an important role in immune defense and DNA repair. Therefore, you need them to function optimally to achieve detoxification and reduce your risk of disease.
The solution is not to start a pollutant detox on day one. If all the drainage pathways described above are not flowing, the worst thing you can do is attempt a detox! You have to lay the proper foundation to start detoxifying and healing your body at the cellular level. This means you must address the drainage funnel from the bottom up, which will ultimately impact your cells.
When you have constipation, a congested liver, and sluggish lymph, you cannot detoxify well. If any of these areas are stagnant or obstructed before attempting to detoxify, you run the risk of toxins being reabsorbed into the bloodstream and traveling to other organs. This has the potential to cause serious long-term damage to your health. To achieve true healing, start by optimizing your drainage pathways.