What You Need to Know About Detoxing

The mainstream will tell you that you can’t detox.

The good news is: YOU CAN!

We want you to know that we can detox out the bad things – by supporting the very process our bodies already have!

We understand that a healthy diet and natural herbal options can support your body’s natural detox pathways (liver, kidneys, intestines, and lymphatic system). We know that too many toxins can make our bodies sluggish.

Detoxing For Better Overall Health And Wellness

If your detoxification pathways are clogged or not supported properly, they can’t detox properly. Out there somewhere, there may be scams that claim one pill or “one dose of XYZ will clear your body forever” – do not believe those blatant scams! However, some of these so-called “fads” are about enhancing and rejuvenating what your body is naturally supposed to be doing.

These bodily functions may be hindered by everyday toxin exposure or long-term exposure. Because of that, it isn’t a one-time thing or a short-term commitment. We cannot provide treatment plans or medical advice, but we can share what we have learned with you.

Intense Detox vs Gentle Detox

Intense detoxes may cause pain, discomfort, and worsening symptoms. This is because the system is already clogged up and is now dealing with more of everything – including toxins – being rushed to the detox pathways faster. This can be hard work for our bodies in light conditions, and it can go really rough, really fast with intense ones. The detox pathways were already struggling to keep up and screaming, “We need help!” but then, toxin dumps suddenly increased without any extra help to process it. Think of it like Black Friday shopping at a Big Box Chain, but only 2 cashiers in the entire building! Trying to get what you need and leaving the store will be clogged up with inflamed lines everywhere. Now, the whole store feels like a complete mess, and no one can move around to do what they need to!

These pathways work hard every day to keep up with the toxin crowds, and they need our support!

Be gentle and wise with your body. Take it in three important directions: support the body, open detox pathways, and reduce the toxin load. Easing the load and supporting the body’s processes to gently move out the fluids and toxins can be easier on your body. Envision a more calming creek, less raging, white rapids!

These three parts are very intertwined. As you accomplish one, you are also supporting the work in the other two steps!

Part 1: Support Your Body

While detoxing, you should support your entire body – liver, kidneys, lymphatic system, gut, immune system, and adrenals. Not doing this step is often the #1 detox mistake. We will break it down into beginner’s steps as well as intermediate and advanced. Once you feel a good rhythm of one, then you can move on to the next progression.

Beginner steps for supporting your body:

Eat more vegetables and low-sugar fruit: Replace a sugary item you eat now, with a healthy, whole food choice each day. This will help you slowly reduce sugar in your diet.

Support liver health: Use Castor Oil packs, take liver-supporting herbs like milk thistle and dandelion with supplements like Liver Love or Black Liver Oil.

Support kidney health: Use kidney-supporting herbs like cranberries, astragalus, cleavers, and yellow dock with supplements like our Liver Love and UT-Relief.

Intermediate steps for supporting your body:

Keep eating more vegetables and low-sugar fruit: Replace a processed food item you eat now, with a healthy, whole food choice each day. This will help you slowly reduce sugars, sodium, and other toxins in your diet.

Support lymphatic health: Use dry brushing and herbal support like Anti-Inflammatory.

Support the immune system: Use immune-supporting herbs like echinacea, made elderberry syrup, and supplements like Adaptogenic Immunity, Vita-C, or Immune-Aid.

Advanced steps for supporting your body:

Start replacing processed foods and ingredients with real, natural, whole foods and homemade meals. Kate (the CMO and Lead Herbalist of Earthley) wanted to help families easily make healthy, whole-food meals that are simple but still yummy enough for the whole family to enjoy by writing Wholesome Real Food Favorites Cookbook.

Support gut health: Drink kombucha, consume fibrous foods, and supplement with Digest-Ease, Gut Health Oil, and Candida Cleanse.

Support adrenal health: Drink adrenal cocktails, take adaptogenic herbs like ashwagandha and Schisandra, and supplements like Master Tonic and Metabolism Support.

Part 2: Open Detox Pathways

Opening up overburdened detox pathways helps to efficiently reduce the toxins already in the body and gets the new ones arriving daily out the door much quicker. When we have a good outflow, we have less overload, less inflammation, less fatigue, less skin issues, less digestive problems, and just overall a better wellbeing. This is the body’s design to keep a good, healthy balance.

Beginner steps for opening detox pathway:

Increase water consumption to help flush toxins out: try adding flavor like lemons, berries, mint leaves, and cucumber if needed.

Ensure you get balanced electrolytes (especially Magnesium and Potassium): You may like Electrolyte Powder and our number #1 seller, the magnesium-enriched Good Night Lotion.

Intermediate steps for opening detox pathway:

Keep the body moving (even gently helps!): Try bouncing activities like small trampolines and exercise to keep the lymphatic system flowing.

Advanced steps for opening detox pathway:

Encourage sweat production with a sauna or our Herbal Detox Bath.

Support lymphatic health with drainage massages along with Lymphatic Cream.

Part 3: Reduce Toxin Load

Toxins are everywhere, and we have to be vigilant to keep them out of our bodies and homes.

Now that the detox pathways are open and functioning, the body is working better independently. You’re ready to remove built-up toxins. Toxins build up throughout the body, usually in fat, muscles, lymphatic fluid, blood, or the brain. Because we live in a world that is filled with toxic options, we inhale, absorb, and consume many of them in a day. Everything that goes in has the chance to get held up in a queue waiting to go out. It can be dangerous to knock those toxins loose before the detox pathways are open and working correctly. When the body can’t shoo the toxins right out the door, they can circulate around and cause further damage. Many “detox plans” don’t emphasize this enough.

Beginner steps for reducing toxin load:

Limit toxin exposure: Replace toxic cleaning supplies (filled with fragrances and strong chemicals) with homemade or natural cleaning lines like our Laundry Detergent, Dish Soap, Cleaning Spray Concentrate, All-Purpose Spray, and Cleaning Paste.

Keep focusing on supporting the body with whole, natural foods to reduce the food toxins.

Intermediate steps for reducing toxin load:

Limit toxin exposure: Look into water filters.

Keep focusing on supporting the body with whole, natural foods to reduce the food toxins.

Advanced steps for reducing toxin load:

Limit toxin exposure: Look into houseplants that filter the air or air filters/purifiers.

Reduce liver disruptors: This would be consuming larger amounts of alcohol or medications like acetaminophen.