Why you don't need to DO a detox or cleanse

Episode #223: Why you don't need to do a detox or cleanse 

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Why You Don’t Need a Detox or Cleanse

As we transition out of winter, many people begin to feel the effects of the season—sluggishness, weight gain, brain fog, or just a sense that something feels “off.” Spring often shakes us out of this rut, but it’s also the time when we hear a lot about detoxes and cleanses.

So let’s talk about why you don’t actually need a detox or cleanse—and what your body really needs instead.

The Truth About Detoxification

First, let’s clear something up: your body is detoxing *all the time.* Your liver, lymphatic system, kidneys, skin, and gut are constantly working together to eliminate waste and neutralize toxins.

But here’s the thing: the sheer volume of toxins we’re exposed to today is unprecedented. Between pesticides, air and water pollution, synthetic chemicals, and processed foods, our bodies are carrying a far greater burden than they were designed to handle.

When your detox systems become overwhelmed, it can lead to fatigue, skin issues, digestive trouble, headaches, and more.

The Liver: A Detox Powerhouse

Your liver performs over 500 vital functions, including:
- Supporting digestion by metabolizing fats, proteins, and carbs
- Balancing hormones and blood sugar
- Producing bile to break down fats and eliminate toxins
- Detoxifying daily exposures like alcohol, caffeine, and environmental pollutants

But when the liver is overloaded, it can’t function optimally, which impacts digestion, bile production, and detoxification pathways.

Why Detoxes and Cleanses Miss the Point

Many people turn to detoxes and cleanses thinking they’ll “fix” their sluggishness or reset their system. But here’s the kicker: most cleanses don’t address the root cause of why your body is struggling in the first place.

For example:
- Weak digestion can lead to waste buildup in the gut, creating a damp, stagnant environment.
- This imbalance can reflex out into the liver and other organs, worsening the body’s ability to detoxify naturally.

In these cases, a cleanse won’t repair your digestive power or improve your body’s ability to eliminate toxins. Instead, it often adds stress to an already overwhelmed system.

The Role of Digestion and Hormones

For women, sluggish digestion and elimination can also impact hormones and cycles, leading to symptoms like fatigue, bloating, or irregularity.

If someone has patterns of slow oxidation (or Fast 4 oxidation), they’re often dealing with:
- Low energy reserves
- Poor cellular receptivity
- Slowed adrenal and thyroid function

This is the body’s way of protecting itself, but it also slows down detoxification, leaving you feeling more fatigued and sluggish over time.

What Your Body Really Needs

The reason many of us feel like we need a detox is because our digestion and elimination aren’t working properly. But instead of forcing a cleanse, we need to focus on supporting our body’s natural detox pathways by:
1️⃣ Nourishing digestion
2️⃣ Supporting the liver and gut axis
3️⃣ Building energy reserves

A cleanse won’t teach you the habits or skills needed to optimize your body’s natural detoxification processes. Instead, focus on foundational habits that allow your body to heal and thrive over time.

The Bottom Line

Your body is inherently self-healing when given the right inputs. Detoxification isn’t about forcing the process; it’s about creating the conditions for your body to do what it’s designed to do.

If you’ve been feeling sluggish, fatigued, or stuck, it’s not about finding the perfect cleanse—it’s about building a life that supports your body’s natural rhythms every day.

In my work with Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA), I often see markers like an elevated calcium-to-potassium ratio, low sodium-to-magnesium ratio, or low sodium-to-potassium ratio. These patterns show me that someone is in survival mode—low energy reserves, poor digestion, and a body that’s stuck treading water.

Survival mode feels like holding down five full-time jobs while barely staying afloat (dramatic example, perhaps but you get the point). It’s exhausting. It keeps your nervous system on high alert, leaving no energy for detoxification, proper digestion, or maintaining a strong immune system. This is why you feel fatigued, sluggish, and disconnected.

And this is also why doing a detox or cleanse isn’t the solution. It misses the bigger picture: the breakdown of your inner ecosystem. If your reserves are depleted, forcing a detox can backfire, leaving you worse off. True healing isn’t about forcing your body to purge—it’s about rebuilding your reserves, repairing digestion, and creating the energy your body needs to heal itself.

Let me share a couple of things I’m currently doing—not as a prescription for you, but as an example of how I support my body.

I eat a nutrient-dense diet, focusing on local, seasonal foods and plenty of functional fibers. This is foundational, but it’s often overlooked. The liver needs nutrients to run both phases of detoxification, and no short term cleanse will correct that for the long haul. 

For liver support—and so much more than just liver support—I’m currently working with these herbal allies:

- Milk Thistle: A well-known herb that supports liver detoxification and is broadly tolerated (I even have a podcast episode about it—check it out!).

- Yellow Dock: A fantastic iron and mineral tonic that drew my attention when I was working on blood flow and anemia. It helps flush toxins through the liver, gallbladder, lymph, and intestines while remineralizing the body.

- Burdock Root: A deeply nourishing herb that supports liver health, purifies the blood, and promotes lymphatic flow. It’s also a prebiotic, feeding beneficial gut bacteria and supporting digestive and detox pathways.

Bitters like Yellow Dock are especially useful for damp or stagnant tissue states. They stimulate bile production, aiding digestion and detoxification. But here’s the thing: your body isn’t a machine—it’s an ecosystem. When digestion slows or becomes inefficient, it creates a “swampy” state: toxins build up, digestion struggles, and symptoms like sluggishness, brain fog, and fatigue take over.

Healing isn’t about isolating one problem or one herb. Plants, like Milk Thistle, Yellow Dock, and Burdock Root, need to align with your unique constitution and physiology. They’re not “natural drugs” but allies that work best when we consider the whole picture.

When I work with clients, I use HTMA alongside a full health history to uncover imbalances in the body. This process provides clarity and allows us to create strategies to restore function—without cleanses, restrictive diets, or intense detoxes. Instead, we focus on:

- Deep nourishment
- Foundational habits
- Targeted nutrients
- Gentle detox support
- Digestive and gut restoration

Sometimes, we need “relief care” for flare-ups or stress responses before we can make deeper progress. And we always address the gut because it plays a major role in detoxification.

In my consultations, I also include an online program filled with resources, tools, and weekly check-ins to keep clients motivated and supported.

If you’re ready to gain clarity on how your body is functioning and start addressing the root causes of your health struggles, I’d love to invite you to my 1:1 HTMA consultation and online program. 

It takes patience, care, and practice, but healing is absolutely possible when we support the body as the ecosystem it truly is.

Alright, friends, thanks for tuning in! I hope you found something helpful in this episode. Please share it with a friend or family member who might benefit—and until next time, stay wild and well!