Cleansing and detox are always super trendy in the wellness world, but many go about it the wrong way and end up feeling worse than before or their detox is unsuccessful. Some say that our bodies naturally detox on their own, but given all the toxins we are exposed to daily, most of us do need some support in this department these days, especially if we tend to be on the sensitive side or have a fair amount of healing to do (from things like chronic infections and parasites, mold, metals, and environmental toxins.
When working to eliminate things that have taken up a home in the body, we must support the body's pathways for toxin elimination BEFORE we can effectively and safely remove toxins from the body. I think that this process is what people are referring to when they talk about detox.
The order in which the body naturally moves fluids to remove toxins from the body is known as the drainage funnel and by ensuring these drainage pathways are all open and functioning properly, your body’s detoxification processes may function just fine. Unfortunately, for most people, all the pieces of the drainage funnel aren’t always working as they should. This is why I always discuss these pathways with clients before we do any deeper work and we often focus on drainage before we do any sort of detox whether we are working on gut dysbiosis, infections, and/or toxins.
What is drainage?
To state it simply, drainage is the process by which we can detox, and ensuring your drainage pathways are functioning properly should be the first step in any detox. These pathways include our cells, lymphatic system and glymphatic system (lymph in the brain), the liver and liver bile ducts, the kidneys, and the colon.
It is important to ensure these drainage pathways are open and functioning optimally first because if the pathways are blocked, all the toxins your body is working to detox won’t have anywhere to go and will just recirculate in the body. This can lead to some not-so-great symptoms or what is known as a Herxhemier (or “Herx”) reaction.
Symptoms of a Herx or detox reaction might include
Excessive sweating
Chills
Fever
Pounding heart/anxiety
Muscle aches
Nausea
Dizziness
Skin irritations
Excessive mucus
Fatigue and/or brain fog
Loose stools or constipation
When meeting with a client for the first time, we establish if their drainage pathways are open or if some or all of them need support. This may look like dietary changes, lifestyle, or supportive supplements. I use qualitative tools like assessments and signs and symptoms, but I may also muscle tests for this. Some lab testing can give us ideas on drainage dysfunction as well.
The Drainage Funnel
The most important part of the drainage funnel is the colon and it is at the bottom of the funnel. If the colon is backed up and the bowels are not moving (i.e. constipation is happening), everything else is going to be clogged up as well. If this pathway is blocked we will work to get you pooping at least 1-2 times per day.
The next level up is the liver and liver bile duct (which is also connected to the gallbladder). This is a critical part of the drainage funnel as the liver processes toxins that enter the body and releases those toxins into the bile to exit the body. If the bile duct is not functioning well, the liver is not able to dump those toxins for exit out of the body and the toxins enter the bloodstream leading to other problems including skin irritations, brain fog, and fatigue. This ends up affecting the kidneys, lungs, and skin as well. To get this pathway functioning properly we need to support the liver.
Next on the drainage funnel is the lymphatic system is very important because it drains fluid from body tissues across the entire body including most of the organs. The lymph nodes filter out bacteria, toxins, and viruses so that the immune cells can come to deal with them. If the lymph is sluggish or stuck, the body’s ability to get rid of the toxins, bacteria, and so on is hampered and will keep healing at bay. There are many lifestyle strategies we can bring in to support this pathway.
Above the lymphatic system are the organs and tissues of the body, including the brain and the glymphatic system. Getting enough quality sleep is a great way to support this pathway.
And finally, we get to the cellular level of the body and our mitochondria. Cells are like houses in a city and each home has its waste products to get rid of. Some of the waste the cells accumulate comes from sources like environmental toxins, heavy metals, and mycotoxins. For our cells to be draining and functioning optimally, they need to have enough energy (from the mitochondria) to fire up everything below.
The mitochondria play a role in our immune system and DNA repair so are important to the detox process. Oftentimes, supporting the mitochondria and cells looks a lot like the foundational work (which is why we always start here) I do with my clients that involves stress management, adrenal support, blood sugar management, sleep, mineral balancing, and specific supplements that support mitochondrial function.
Whether or not you're diving deep into a healing protocol, it is important to have a functioning drainage funnel to support the body in its natural detoxification process. If you are ready to learn how working on drainage can help alleviate your symptoms or get you started on your healing journey, feel free to schedule a 30-minute consultation call.
Resources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21057782/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22114753/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27585664/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26167297/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29713107/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28757096/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25947369/