S2 E5: Detox Liver and Kidneys

Becky Miller:  Okay, welcome back to Autoimmune Adventures. Today we're discussing something really important. Your liver and kidneys. These two hardworking organs play a big role in keeping your body clean by filtering out toxins and waste. That's important for everyone, but especially for those of us dealing with chronic illness or autoimmune conditions. When your liver and kidneys are running smoothly, it can actually help take some pressure off of your immune system. That means fewer flare-ups and a feeling a little more like yourself again. We'll talk about how these organs connect to autoimmune health and share some simple, practical ways to support them in your daily life.

 Stacy Griffin:  Before we go any further though, just a really quick reminder. If you're thinking about making big changes to your diet or lifestyle, especially if you're managing an autoimmune condition, it's always best to check in with your health care provider and make sure that things are good there. Detoxing is not a one-size-fits-all kind of thing. It's actually pretty complex, and what helps one person might not be the right fit for someone else. And with that said, research does show that a connection between environmental toxins and autoimmune issues exists. So the more that we can cut down on exposure to harmful things, the better off we're going to be. When we give our bodies a break from all the extra stress that can occur when we aren't taking care of ourselves with the toxins in our lives, it can help our kidneys and our liver to do their job better. And obviously that's a win-win. So it goes a long way to helping our immune system stay balanced and happy.

Alysia Thomas:  Right? So, when we're talking about toxins, um they, they're they're everywhere. They're everywhere. There are environmental toxins and then there are the more obvious toxins that you would think of. Um, we're talking about like we'll go through several of them, but um, let's talk about something we all come across, household chemicals, right? It's, they're in a lot of cleaning products. They're even in um, candles, air fil, or air um, fresheners. Um, they're and some of them are really nasty ones like they're endocrine disrupting toxins that can really mess up your hormones. Um, and we have enough, our body's doing enough right now. We don't need to be adding to its toxic load, right? So, the harsh stuff in these chemical um cleaning chemicals for our houses, you - look for alternatives.

 Alysia Thomas: It's not hard to find these days. There are so many companies, I mean, so many companies coming out with great clean products that aren't going to be full of toxins. And do not underestimate the power of just some vinegar, just some good old household vinegar and some baking soda. There's a whole lot of things you can do with that, and it will uh it could replace a whole lot of cleaning products that might be doing you damage. 

So, also when you're thinking about um laundry detergents, you know, you're going to want to go for the things that are free of dyes and fragrances. I, This one was a hard change for me because I love things that smell good. I just love good smelling things. So, but my body uh doesn't need more more chemicals to deal with. And so putting those things on your skin, um, things in your hair, they do get absorbed and it might be, you know, trace amounts, but over years and years, it builds up and it puts wear and tear on our liver and our kidneys. So, when you're thinking also about your personal care products, look for, look for companies, brands that are committed to clean, non-toxic ingredients.

And one more tip, try not to use plastic with heat. Um, in fact, you're better off if you can just get rid of plastic in your kitchen altogether. I know that is easier said than done, and I'm, I'm not 100% plastic free in my house, in my kitchen, but even BPA free plastics can still leech chemicals. And so, especially when they're exposed to heat. Um, my kids know, they don't know why because it's a little hard to explain to a kid, but they know you don't put plastic plates in the dishwasher, or in the um microwave. You know, they know not to heat things up with plastic. Um, so when you have the opportunity to choose glass or stainless steel or cast iron, whatever it may be, especially in the kitchen, that is a smart move to make. Those little microplastics um also build up and can really gunk up your system. So some just lots of little things to be aware of. 

Becky Miller:  Yeah. And I guess one other little plug for cast iron. Um, for those of us that don't absorb our nutrients and our vitamins very well, it's actually a great source of iron to get in your food. And it tastes great, too. It's like, you know, you're camping but at home. 

Alysia Thomas:  So just think about this. How wild is it that if you can get extra sources like trace sources of iron from cooking in cast iron, what does that say about cooking in those non-stick pans? And then the little microplastics start to come off. What does that say? What are we putting in our bodies really?

Becky Miller:  Exactly. And let's not forget about what's actually in our food, too. Um because a lot of our food that we eat nowadays is processed. There's a lot of artificial sweeteners, food dyes, and I know they seem harmless. And I know like I love I'm a girl who loves a themed birthday party. And that includes I'm going to dye everything some fun color or at least I used to anyway, before I realized that um those actually have a big impact. 

Um, I have a friend who has rheumatoid arthritis and has issues with her kidneys that she actually can't eat any red dye because it damages her kidneys. And yes, that's an extreme example, but like Alysia was saying, if that's happening, and that's something that she's not allowed to have, just imagine what it's doing to to all of us on a daily basis. There's research that links food dyes to hyperactivity in kids. It research that shows that it triggers immune responses in some people. Um, these kind of things can really ramp up inflammation, which is the last thing that any of us need help with. So, we need to also watch out for preservatives, things like MSG and nitrates. They can also mess with how our body functions and make our symptoms worse. A pretty good rule of thumb is that you want to choose food with simple, recognizable ingredients. If you turn it over and you're looking at the label and there's like 20 or 30 ingredients and more than half of them are things you can't even pronounce or you've never seen before, maybe you ought to pick something else. 

Becky Miller: Um, your best options are always going to be your whole foods, um, whole nutritious foods. And we're not, you know, we're talking about lean meats and good fruits and veggies. Give your fruits and veggies a good rinse, too, because not only does that help remove pesticides, but sometimes it can actually help them last longer. And as always, I think we've done it in one of our previous episodes, but we'll do it again. We have a link to a great little thing on the most effective way to wash your veggies to help preserve them and also to remove pesticides.

Stacy Griffin:  And then there's heavy metal exposure. Um things like mercury in fish, uh old dental fillings, even certain types of cookware. As was mentioned, these metals can build up in the body and they mess with how your cells work, which can definitely stir up autoimmune symptoms. 

But don't stress. Just make yourself mindful of these things and start to make changes over time, because small changes really do add up over time. Mold is another one of the things that can really trigger some serious immune reactions. So, if you think you might have mold in your home or you've been exposed to mold in some way, it's worth checking in with your doctor and finding out if that is something you need to be concerned with. 

At the end of the day, it's all about reducing the load on your liver and kidneys as best you can. They can't do their job very effectively if they're being loaded down with all this extra stuff. So to help you feel your best, that's what we suggest. It's just small steps consistently over time.

Alysia Thomas:  Right? And just make them lifestyle changes. You know, I've just I just made these lifestyle changes and some things where I say, "Okay, I, I got rid of all of my non-stick pans. just recently did it. Just recently. And my kids are like, "Wait, where's the such and such pan?" I'm like, "We're not using that crap anymore, you know, and they don't it's it's kind of hard to explain to them. I just say, you know, they they're not good for us. They're not good for us." And I kind of leave it at that. And when they're a little older and I can get into the details, I'll share with them. 

But it's, it's true that they do have, there's just and they're, they're we we can't see it, but we're ingesting these things into our bodies and our bodies are already impaired um immune wise. So mold is an interesting one because like how do you know how do you know if you've been exposed to it? How do you know if you have it in you? That has to be looked for, specifically looked for. And there are so many different kinds of mold, and so sometimes um and and you have to treat them differently as well, like you know what I mean treatments for certain kinds of mold are not going to work on other kinds of mold or fungus, or you know these are the tricky things that sometimes are happening oftentimes in our gut microbiome that we don't know about and that um a lot of a lot of traditional um you know western medicine doctors aren't going to be like, "Hey let's get to the…Let's get into this and let's find out what's going on. Let's find out what toxins are in your body. Let's find out what's disrupting your gut health."

So, anyway, we know that like "detox" is kind of a buzzword, right? It's people are people have been talking about doing detox diets or detox shakes or detox drinks or whatever. And the truth is that our bodies are already built to detox. We are detoxing machines and our liver and our kidneys do that. Our skin also does that. We also detox through our skin. So these these organs are constantly working behind the scene to clear out waste and to keep everything running smoothly, but they really need support to do their job well.

Alysia Thomas:  So instead of going for like those trendy quick fix detoxes, which honestly sometimes can do more harm than good, um it's better to focus on long-term habits like we're talking about things like eating those real whole foods, staying hydrated, good clean water, filter your water. There's a lot of gunk in our water, getting enough sleep. our body is able to detox better when we're getting proper sleep, managing stress, uh that kind of thing that supports our our like our daily habits that support our body doing the things that it already knows how to do.  

Becky Miller:  Definitely. And if you have any kind of kidney issues, which I know a lot of people out there that have chronic illness and autoimmune problems do have kidney issues, um especially if you're on dialysis or managing chronic kidney disease, it is especially important to work closely with your doctor when you take any of these kind of steps because again, some things that would maybe be helpful to one person if you're on dialysis might not be what you're supposed to be doing. Um, I know that there are certain treatments and things that you're limited on how much liquid you can have. Like normally people say, "Drink more water, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate." But sometimes that is not what you're supposed to be doing. So, always consult with your doctor because detoxing is going to look different for whoever it is and whatever health issues they have. And um, definitely looks different if your kidneys need a little more care. But for most people that have a relatively healthy liver and kidney function, those organs are totally capable of handling detox.So we just want to try to avoid adding any unnecessary strain.

Um so again, like we've been saying that the best way to do that is to hydrate, to eat well, and to stay away from things like excess amounts of alcohol and those highly processed foods that can make, make things harder on our liver and kidneys.

Stacy Griffin: And if you're living with an autoimmune condition, you really want to take an individualized approach. We understand that everyone is different and everyone else and everyone has different needs. So what works for one person might not work for another. It's important to tune in to your body and notice how it responds when you eat certain foods, when you use certain products or even stress. For instance, I had a shampoo I was using a year ago that I loved the way it smelled and it was light and I'd been careful with the ingredients, but what I had not realized is that it had gluten in it and I have celiac disease. So, yeah, it should have been great for my hair, but it started to make my hair fall out.

And would that be okay for someone without celiac disease? Sure, it would be great. Wheat germ can be great for someone who's not allergic to it. But I didn't pay close enough attention. I was just looking for things that weren't dangerous chemicals. So, I found a good “safe” shampoo, but it wasn't safe for me personally. So you have to be very aware of what your specific needs are and then find products that meet your specific needs. 

And there, there are ways you can learn from trial and error obviously, but you can also work with your health care provider. Um especially someone who is aware of your autoimmune diseases and understands the needs that you have. And then they can help you get supplements and routines in place that can help, and help you figure out how to skip those harsh detox methods that are out there that may or may not be very safe. So, your system's already doing a lot. It's overwhelmed, and you don't need to do anything else that adds to that overwhelm.

 Stacy Griffin:  Just go slow, go steady, and it will become sustainable. And that's where the magic starts to happen is when you just make it a sustainable and constant willful change. It's like we talked about with growth mindset. Part of growth mindset is knowing that change is inevitable and finding good changes that you can incorporate into your life. So that forward momentum is something that's consistent because that also gives us a lot of joy is knowing that, "Hey, I'm doing something that's good for me, and I'm starting to feel a little bit better. So anything that points you in that direction is good and positive change is what we're looking for.

Alysia Thomas: And we want to support those companies that are coming out with those kind of products, right? We want to buy those things that are cleaner. We want to I, I mean, not to get political, but I I would love to shut down some of the crappy processed garbage ingredients and products that are coming out that have become just a daily household. Um, you know, things that we use because it, it's, we don't we don't even think about it.

I didn't think about that stuff growing up. You know, now here I am and I'm have these, these issues and I'm thinking of, oh my gosh, all of these things that are putting toxins into me, things I never even thought about. Body sprays and perfumes sometimes, you know, these things that don't have the natural ingredients have these artificial scents and these artificial flavors and these artificial colors, those things are chemicals. A lot of them are toxins, you know, there and it's everywhere. It's in like receipt paper and it's in I mean all kinds of crazy things. 

So just do yourself a favor and and like ask, ask your AI, whatever you use Gemini or chatGPT, where are unknown toxins where are toxins that I'm unaware of and you will be dumbfounded, dumbfounded at the things that you will find.

Becky Miller:  Well, and I think that we would be surprised to see um how much of that varies from country to country. Like I know a lot of people get upset about food changes that are happening here in the United States, but we have a lot of chemicals in our food and other things that have been not allowed in a lot of other countries for a long time because they're known to be toxins. And so I think it is important to get that out there so people are aware. 

Because yes there's um some of the toxins like for instance air pollution or whatever might be a little more challenging, depending on where you live, to get that out of your life. I mean there's things you can do. You can have air purifiers in your home or whatever, but if you're out walking on the street in a major city that might be a little more challenging. However, um food I think that's a perfect example - like there's, that, that's one where we can make those changes.

Alysia Thomas:  Right? Nutrition is one of the best ways you can support your liver. Right? You got to think about the the antioxidant rich foods like the the colorful ones, the leafy green berries, or the leafy greens and the berries and anything that has natural anti-inflammatory properties. So instead of getting your color from artificial colors, think about natural colors, colors in nature. Those really, those the more saturated the color, the more nutrient-dense the food.

Alysia Thomas:  So think about those they're going to be anti-inflammatory. going to support your liver and your kidneys and they can present or excuse me, they can protect your cells and they actually reduce inflammation, and that gives your liver a little bit of breathing room to do its thing like you know filtering the blood and making bile for your digestive, your digestion. Um, it's it's an easy way to support detox in your body. Even, and if you're not eating them regularly, make a smoothie. Like, start your day with a green smoothie and you can throw in berries and you can throw in spinach or kale and there's very little flavor to that green stuff. You can get it in your diet. If you don't like eating it, drink it instead. But get it in your body because even a little bit helps.

Becky Miller:  Some really great liver friendly options are cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cabbage and Brussels sprouts, which are of course not as easy to put in a smoothie. But there are some great ways if you don't like just eating them fresh or cooked, there are some ways you can adapt.

Becky Miller:  And the one that I always think of is that um, for me, cauliflower. Sometimes I like it raw, maybe dipped in ranch dressing or something like that, but it's not one of my favorites. Honestly, cauliflower is not one of my favorites. However, I had someone who made a cauliflower cream soup one time and it had a lot of other veggies in it and the cauliflower was cooked down so much it was like pureed and you couldn't even tell it was cauliflower. It was absolutely delicious and it was all whole foods and it was amazing. 

So, don't be afraid to try new things. Even if you've, you know, tried something before and it's not your favorite, there's tons of recipes online that you can try and adapt. And, um, just a heads up, if you've got something like lupus, check in with your doctor before you load up on cruciferous vegetables, green tea can be another good one for some people because it supports the liver and it comes in capsule form if you're not really into the green tea taste. So, there are some options there.

Alysia Thomas:  But just, just a heads up because um when you are eating these healthy foods every once in a while you might have a weird reaction. Um bloating, feeling off, feeling really full, um gas, and it that is often a sign that there is something going on in your gut, right? I I would suggest getting to a gastroenterenterologist and getting looked at because conditions like SIBO, uh, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, for example, it can make your body extra sensitive to certain foods. If you've heard of FODMAPs, if you haven't, that's fine. Most people haven't, but if you've heard of FODMAPs, it will be on your radar if you have SIBO. You'll start learning about that. And so if that sounds familiar, um, don't hesitate to reach out to a gastroenterenterologist. 

Embarrassing story from a few years ago. Um, I had SIBO. I didn't know I had SIBO. I was on this kick and I was doing so well eating clean, clean, clean. Like my husband and I went through this, hey, we're going to really clean out our pantry. We're going to eat clean foods. And it was summer, and so I was hitting the farmers market every week and I'm getting fresh veggies and I'm buying the fruit, you know, that's coming in during the summertime, cherries and watermelon and you know, I just had the most horrendous day and I remember I was out walking with my dog, and I could not stop farting, you guys. I was crop dusting the neighborhood. I'm walking around the neighborhood and I was like, "What is happening right now?" I could not stop farting. And I was like, "This is crazy. Something's wrong with me." Um, so I started looking up some of my symptoms and I'm like, "Oh my gosh, I got to get to a gastroenterenterologist. Sure enough, I had SIBO, which is really a tricky little infection. It's a, it's a, it's a tricky little thing to you have to be aware of it. You have to treat it. And then you have to be careful that it doesn't come back. 

So yes, quick shout out to green tea. Um it's not just good for, for your liver, it also helps with hydration, right? So when you're cutting back on alcohol and processed foods, um that will take a load off of your liver. But I mean just adding something like green tea can just give a little boost as well. It has those really great anti-inflammatory properties. So for your kidneys, for those are that's for your liver. for your kidneys, drinking lots of water.

Stacy Griffin: So, speaking of water, please make sure it's clean. We've talked about this a little bit. Just make sure you have a good water filter and that you're getting the best water that you can.

Stacy Griffin: And when it comes to supporting kidney health with food, go with just the basics that we've been talking about. Fresh fruit, veg, whole grains, lean proteins. You can never go wrong with those. And as far as salt is concerned, instead of using regular table salt, try and get yourself some sea salt. It has more nutrients and honestly, it tastes better. But if you're someone with like Graves disease, it's extremely important. There are several autoimmune diseases where the kind of salt you get can actually be dangerous if it's not done correctly. So with Graves, you need to get rid of the iodine that you usually have in iodized salt. So sea salt eliminates that problem. People who have salt wasting diseases where they have to have more salt in order to be safe. If you're pouring more and more iodized salt into you, it's not healthy because the iodine though it is generally necessary for some people, it's not necessary for most people. We get plenty of iodine in the food that we eat and it's absorbable iodine that doesn't collect and cause problems for thyroids. So that's where you want to think about things as far as salt is concerned. Don't forget that you can get potassium from foods like bananas and spinach and potatoes. Potatoes have more potassium than almost any other thing out there. Okay? They're great for your kidneys and they help keep your blood pressure in check. So, potassium is important.

Becky Miller: And of course, let's not forget about lifestyle things. Stress, sleep, and gentle movement all play a huge role in how well your liver and kidneys function. Chronic stress can really mess with your immune system and your organs. I'm sure all of us are familiar with that. So finding ways to help yourself decompress, whether it's meditation, journaling, just stepping outside and enjoying the, you know, nature can help make a real difference.

Sleep is another big one. It's when your body really gets reset and repairs. It actually helps reduce inflammation and supports kidney function. And I will tell you that I've seen personally that is a huge thing. I have swelling in my legs, my lower extremities. And if I don't get enough sleep, without a doubt, the swelling is always worse the next day. Um, I can tell that that's actually like that's my download time. My body really uh deals with my inflammation when I get good sleep.

Um, other things to keep in mind, again, the gentle movement is important. Things just like a little bit of a walk because they help it helps with circulation which gets your detox system flowing. And we're not talking about - we know that most of us out here that have chronic illness can't get out and do like a crazy cardio workout or something like that. We're just talking gentle movement, walking, just something to get your blood flowing because your blood is actually what moves out the toxins. So that's important.

Alysia Thomas:  Speaking of one thing that's helping to move out the toxins, um something you don't hear a lot about and that we just probably don't talk enough about is your lymphatic system and how it is a key part of your body's detox team.

Alysia Thomas:  It moves waste and toxins out of your system. So, keeping it flowing is really important. We are going to do a whole episode on uh your your lymphatic health. And in the meantime, try things like dry brushing, um gentle massages, rebounding. Um it doesn't it's not it this is really gentle movement. Lymph does not require um heavy movement. It's gentle. Don't underestimate the power of water-based therapies. A warm bath, um, or alternating hot and cold showers can help your body relax. That can support detox. Just make sure you check with your doctor first, because some people are very sensitive to temperature depending on what kind of chronic illness or autoimmune condition you're dealing with. So, better to be safe than sorry.

Stacy Griffin:  Let's just put a pitch in here for saunas and sweat lodges. They've been used for centuries in all kinds of cultures as a way to support health and healing. And I used to live in the UP of Michigan, so the upper peninsula of Michigan, which has a large Norwegian populace, and they had saunas at almost every single home. So when I tell you that it has been a longstanding over many millennia that this has been used and helpful. So sweating is seen as being one of the most natural detox methods that our body has. It helps to release things through our skin. And because our skin is our largest organ, that means we can detox most effectively through our skin.

Stacy Griffin:  And that being said, if you're living with a chronic illness or an autoimmune disease, you have to be really careful and check in with your doctor. Sweating can be healthy, but it can also be dangerous if you're too sick. So, you need to make sure that you check in with your doctor and that they approve you to be using a saunatherapy or um being involved in a sweat lodge of some kind.

Just advocate for yourself. Tell your doctor that this is something that's important to you and you're just checking in to make sure that it's okay, that it's that something that isn't going to hurt you. But if you're curious about that, definitely research it. It’s something that can be very helpful and talk it through with your doctor. See if it'll be a good fit. And then if they say that you can physically do it, by all means try and add that to your health goals.

Alysia Thomas:  Yeah, absolutely. When you go into those conversations with your doctor, try to be well informed. Do your homework before you, you talk to your doctor about it. Um that's that's advocate…that's part of advocating for yourself is doing your homework. So when also ask about other therapies, hydrotherapies, infrared light, um even even like I mentioned the hot and the cold showers or baths, bring that stuff up. Um, as Stacy said, it it really does depend on what is going on with you and your body. 

So if a traditional sauna isn't an option, there are also some budget friendly alternatives out there like the sauna sleeping bags. Actually, let me rephrase that. I don't feel like those are budget friendly. I think they're still crazy expensive. However, they are more convenient and often significantly more affordable. So, it's really about finding what works for you and something that supports your body and its natural detox system in a way that is safe and sustainable for you. And you can just start to include that in your routine.

Becky Miller:  Exactly. Because sweating is one of the easiest ways to support your detox. And it is easy to work into a routine in whatever way works best for you. If you can go to a sauna or you have one, that's great. But if you can't, just that regular movement and getting out and doing - and I don't know about you guys, but I would say that with my chronic illness, I sweat a lot easier than I used to. I don't have to get out and do as heavy of exercise before I'm sweating.  So, you can still do that light exercise. Do something you enjoy. Dance around your kitchen, whatever makes you happy. The key is doing something that gets your body moving and that helps you feel good.

Becky Miller:  We hope that this episode gave you a few ideas, um, things that you can maybe bring to your next doctor visit and ask, what are the best ways for you personally to detox? Maybe it sparks a conversation that leads to a personalized plan for you that will help you feel better. 

Stacy Griffin:  Thank you so much for joining us this week. We would love to hear your questions and stories. You can reach out to us on social media or visit us at autoimmuneadventures.com. Make sure to subscribe, so that you don't miss any episodes.

And remember, you are worthy of joy. Your disease does not define your life. You do.

HELPFUL LINKS:

REAL SIMPLE - 8 Ways to Help Your Body Detoxify Itself Naturally

https://www.realsimple.com/how-to-detox-your-body-naturally-8422021

Video on how to correctly wash produce, so that it has less contaminates and stores longer:

https://youtu.be/VmRtK4CVQ20?si=cO4TrQpo8LI2i-CS