How to Support Your Body's Natural Detox Pathways: What Actually Works

Your body is already detoxifying. Right now, as you read this. The question isn't whether to do a cleanse — it's whether you're giving your organs of elimination the support they need to do their job well.

In this episode, I'm joined by Anthia Koullouros — naturopath, medical herbalist, and founder of Apotheca by Anthia in Sydney's Surrey Hills. Anthia has been in clinical practice for 31 years.

We clear up the biggest misconceptions around detoxing (including why the "cleaner is better" mentality can actually do harm), and then we go organ by organ through your body's real detox pathways: the liver's two-phase process, the gut, the kidneys, the lymphatic system, the lungs, and even the emotional load we carry. Anthia explains what sluggish looks like in each, and what actually helps.

This episode is part one of two. Next week, Anthia is back to cover the other side: what's adding to your toxic load, and how to start reducing it without overhauling your life.

If you've ever wondered whether detoxing is worth it — or if you've gone too hard on a cleanse and felt worse — this episode will reframe the whole thing for you.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Welcome to Wellness Simplified. I'm Kelly Nichols, and this show is for busy people who care deeply about their health, but are drowning in conflicting advice and don't know where to focus. Every episode, we simplify one area of health. One habit, one simple experiment, one clear next step that will actually fit into your life. Together, let's optimize our health. One simple step at a time. Hi, I'm Kelly Nichols. Welcome to this week's episode of Wellness Simplified. I don't know about you, but I feel like I'm constantly bombarded by people trying to sell different detox products, programs, teas, retreats, etc. But the question isn't whether you should do another rigid program. It's whether you're actually giving your liver, your gut, your kidneys, your lymphatic system, all of those organs of elimination and detoxification what they need to do their actual job properly. And there's a huge difference between supporting your mod your body's natural detox pathways and the stuff being marketed to us. Today I'm taking I'm talking to someone who has been supporting people through this approach for 31 years. Anthea Kaluros is a naturopath and medical herbalist based in Sydney, Surrey Hills, and the founder of Apotheca by Anthea, a clinic store and online practice that has been helping people to get well naturally for over three decades. She runs seasonal cleanse programs. I've actually done them twice myself, and I love her gentle, grounded approach, which is why I invited her to come to the show. In today's episode, we talk about the liver's two-phase detoxification process, what a sluggish gut and liver actually look like, why the lymphatic system needs movement to flow and the emotional load that we carry as part of our body's total toxic burden, and ways that we can improve each of these organs so they function optimally. And at the end, as always, we land on one thing that you can try this week. If you've ever felt confused about detoxing or wondered if you're doing it right, or maybe doing too much, this one is for you. Let's get into it. Hey Andy Ath. Thank you so much for joining us. I really appreciate it. I was um really wanted to do a session on, well, a few sessions. We're gonna do two on cleansing and the body's natural ability to cleanse and how to optimize it and how to reduce toxic load. And I think it's in you know, particularly important right now because I don't know, it just feels heavy with everything that's happening in the world. And I really love your approach having gone through two of your seasonal cleansers. So I'm thrilled to have you on. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 2:46

Thank you so much for having me. It's a delight. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 2:50

So before we get started, I love to just give people a kind of a sense into the um into your life. So could you run us through what your morning looked like and how do you kind of nourish yourself at the start of the day?

SPEAKER_01 3:01

Yeah, sure. Well, because I am on a 21-day seasonal cleanse reset at the moment. So this morning looked like um a pot of my Hygia 1 to same. Um, it's a lovely bow liver cleanser, um, a cup of chicken bone stock broth. And I also had um I made some yesterday, I made some quinoa gluten-free bread, quinoa chia seeds. It actually worked out. I was very impressed. This morning I had it, so I was happy with just some chicken liver pate, and um, I had avocado and some sauteed spinach. That was it. Pretty nutrient-dense start. I've got a big day consulting. So that was it today.

SPEAKER_00 3:43

That's a beautiful, like you're really loading your body with nutrients that way. So beautiful. Um, okay, let's jump in. So you've been in naturopathic practice for 31 years, which is amazing, a wealth of knowledge. How has your understanding of detoxification evolved over that time?

SPEAKER_01 4:01

It is such an interesting question to ask me because it was only last week, Heidi, my assistant, said to me, you know, you haven't changed your stance on detoxification and cleansers. And I said, Absolutely right, I haven't. Um I think I've been thinking the way I've been thinking about seasonal cleansing and detoxifications as something that is a pairing back and then a re-nourishment. And I've been thinking about that since I read a book when I was 12. Oh, wow. I know how to get well by Pavo Ariola, who talked about cleansing and saunas and dry brushing, and it just something clicked and made sense to me. Not that I knew at the time what we were detoxing, um, but just as a seasonal reset, it's I haven't changed my views on detoxification or cleansing.

SPEAKER_00 4:56

Amazing. Um, you so with the 21-day seasonal cleanse program, could you explain a little your approach? But also, I'm curious like why seasonal and what's the importance of that?

SPEAKER_01 5:08

Yeah. So for me, a cleanse and a detox doesn't mean um a highly restrictive fast or water cleansing or anything like that. It's a simple pairing back of any processed foods and ingredients and addictive substances, whether it's caffeine, sugar, or alcohol, that can get in the way because we end up using them as crutches. And then we replenish instead with nourishing food and nourishing self-care practices. It made sense to do that with a change in season. So I created these four rituals or touch points over a year because there's different food on offer, and also there's different conditions that we experience with the change of season. So when we're thinking autumn, winter, it's all about preparing for immunity, gut supporting gut immunity, but the changing temperature and the changing food on offer, there's a lot more citrus fruit, a lot more greens that are made available. So we're supporting immunity. And I also think how nice to have a reminder in this busy landscape and environment of modernity that there are seasons, the food does change, the temperature should change, so we're not having smoothies 365 days a year.

SPEAKER_00 6:30

Yeah, I think like if you live in you know countries where there's really marked seasons, it can be more off obvious also with the food. But I think in Australia, we tend, I don't know about completely forgetting it, but it's not so obvious. So yeah, people probably tend to have the same food throughout the year. How does that affect your body? Just out of curiosity.

SPEAKER_01 6:51

Well, I don't think you're eating food in its prime, in its optimal nutrition. I think if you bought organic produce or food that was grown locally and seasonally, it would be much more obvious. But because food is made available all the time, so produce, you know, we can get cherries that are out of season, but they come from the US. I think once you plug into seasonal local or organic produce, you'll notice the changes. You'll notice a difference in pricing as well, and you'll notice the taste being different. So it'll taste a lot better like a seasonal strawberry in summer tastes very different to a strawberry in the middle of winter. Um, and there's more nutrients made available. We know that. Um, the science shows us that. So I think also then you're eating what you've evolved to eat or designed to eat with that changing temperature or weather or season. So I it does make, I know it sounds very obvious, but we just kind of miss a lot of that nuance because we're so stressed out and overwhelmed with just life.

unknown 8:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:04

I feel like people, I mean, I'm in, you know, being in wellness, I feel like people tend to go to the shiny and you know, the super advanced and the new, and all that is amazing. It's great that we have access to it. But unless you're kind of coming back and starting and really looking at the foundations, all of that stuff is not really going to work too much.

SPEAKER_01 8:23

No, it isn't. Because these are the foundations that we say. So when we say a 21-day reset, it sounds such a short time, but it's so then we can carry on the things that we have instilled over that period of time until the next season. So it's creating self-care habits that we can carry on through the entire season. We may bring back coffee and we may want to drink one or two drinks during the week or more than that, but it's a it is an opportunity to pair back and reset and instill those habits rather than these big grand new years resolutions. It's that opportunity to revisit. Well, how is it that I want to feel? And how is it that I want to be in my life rather than just consuming what is given to us in on the digital plane? Um, you know, be the creative. What is it that I want to do and be? And how do I want to experience this? And I think being liberated from symptoms and disease is a is a is a big place to start. And a cleanse and a detox can help do that.

SPEAKER_00 9:34

I feel like the word detox though, it's it's really thrown around so much. And your approach is very gentle, but there's there's often this quiet kind of, I don't know, harsh, urgent kind of I see it everywhere. Detox this, do this, take this. Um, I'm just curious, like what's where do you think there's the greatest misconceptions around detoxes?

SPEAKER_01 9:56

And I think, yeah, thank you for asking this question. It's a good question to ask because we see a lot of patients, as you know, I've got a busy clinical practice, we see so many patients who have been taking oregano oil, consuming it relentlessly for years, and then we do a gut microbiome stool test, and they have undetected levels of beneficial bacteria. So I think because detox is synonymous with clean, and clean is where we should be, but it isn't where we should be. We're we're symbiotic beings living in an ecosystem that is dynamic with the outside world and the inside world, and we're full of gut microbiome and more biome than there are of human cells. So it isn't to clean everything out that is dirty or to purify, it's as if the word purification and clean is better than symbiosis or balance. It's it's really interesting, that kind of sterilization way of thinking. So we see it in wellness as well. Just oregano oil is just one example.

SPEAKER_00 11:08

That framing is really interesting because I think you're right, there is this sterilization, is a really good word for it, you know? Um, and then the impact that that has on people, as you were saying. Um, could you talk a little about then the other approach, which is supporting the body's natural ability? Like the body, you know, functions perfectly and it's more about supporting it. And what are those, how does the body naturally detox if it's functioning optimally?

SPEAKER_01 11:37

Yeah, and I think that's also a good question to ask because often people think when we start a detox is when we switch on the switch of detoxication, and your body's always detoxifying through the organs of elimination, whether it be but by the bowels, um, the kidneys, the urinary system, but there's the liver and the lymphatic, um, the lungs, the respiratory through breath, the skin. So when we're supporting, and the word is support is the right word, the organs of detoxification, it's about, well, what are the toxins we're exposed to? So minimizing those. And then if those organs feel sluggish, we would have presenting symptoms. So often people might have symptoms like, I don't know, for the liver, it could be feeling quite nauseous, not being able to digest fats, um, feeling a bit sluggish and tired. Now I know that's a list of symptoms that couldn't be something else entirely. We might also do a blood test and see what the liver enzymes are doing as well. Someone might already have a fatty liver, so on and so on. So I think it's support by minimizing, and then support might also not just taking off the load, is either using herbs or medicines or particular foods that tone the function of those organs.

SPEAKER_00 13:07

Amazing. Okay, well, let's we'll jump into that in a second, but I just wanted to step back because what you just said before was really interesting. So for somebody who's listening who might have got kind of you know carried away on the detox bandwagon, um, maybe you could uh like elaborate a little bit about what what are the potential risks of over-detoxify over-detoxing?

SPEAKER_01 13:30

Yeah, um, I think is stripping the gut biome of beneficial bacteria. Um sometimes, as part of detox, people are alkalining and they forget that our stomach needs to be acid, pH. That the pH of your body will sort itself out once we take care of what your body requires, eating well, rest, relaxation, sleep, all those things will sort the pH. But for some reason, as part of detoxing, we want to alkaline everything. We don't want acidity in the stomach, which is so important for breaking down protein and any ingested bacteria can be when I use the word sterilize here, but it is the right word, can sterilize any ingested bacteria that are more pathogenic that come from the foods that we ate or the environment or another person. So I think in so many ways, sometimes people go on restrictive diets and then they miss out on macronutrients as well as micronutrients. Micronutrients are the vitamins and minerals and antioxidants and all the in-betweens that are yielded from macronutrients, protein, carbs, and fats. So I think they're just some of the reasons.

SPEAKER_00 14:51

Yeah, no, it makes so much sense, but I do like see people have, you know, with this quite restrictive approach. So hopefully that will help. I think what would be really useful now is if we could maybe take a little bit of a deep dive into each of those detoxification pathways and really help people understand how they work and then how they can optimize each of them. Um, maybe if we start with the liver, because obviously it's really doing a lot of heavy lifting. If you could explain a little bit about the two-phase liver detoxification, you talked a bit about the signs that someone's liver is under pressure, if there's anything to add to that as well. Sure.

SPEAKER_01 15:28

Um, so I don't think people know that the liver actually has two phases of detoxification to begin with, so I think that's a good place to start. But think of phase one as the liver's ability to break down toxins into more intermediate compounds, so it helps transform them, transform them, if you like, into something that phase two then binds to them. Um, and the reason it in phase two detoxification, there are these compounds that help bind to those toxins to neutralize them so they can then be safely eliminated out via the bowels, via urine, via bile. So I think think of phase one as just the way we transform those toxins to then go into phase two to neutralize them and safely eliminate them. I think that's the best way to describe it. Yeah, that's clear.

SPEAKER_00 16:28

And you talked about some of the fear, the ways that people could um, or maybe you could just recap a little, what what are the signs that people might have a sluggish liver?

SPEAKER_01 16:37

Yeah, look, it could be anything from feeling nauseous, not being able to digest fats, um, not being able to lose weight, um, not being able to break down cholesterol well, um, it could be hormonal imbalance, it could be so many different things just because the liver has such an important role in metabolism, detoxification, the synthesis and storage of nutrients. Um usually people with sluggish livers are burning the candle at both ends, um, take a lot of prescriptive medication, over-the-counter medication, drugs, alcohol, um, caffeine, sugar, processed foods and ingredients. Now, obviously, we we don't suggest that anyone stop their prescriptive medication, but just to be mindful of liver health and support um during those periods of many medications, which some people are taking for life.

SPEAKER_00 17:38

Yeah, my dad was definitely like that. I used to tell him he looked like he was like some Colombian drug lord with your medication. No, I know, poor thing. Um, yeah, yes. Sorry, I was just gonna ask with the liver, then uh you, I mean, having done the cleanse, you have some really beautiful nourishing protocols for it. Could you talk us through those?

SPEAKER_01 17:58

Yeah, I mean, we begin with, you know, food is medicine because it's the easiest place to start. So a lot of people aren't eating enough of the kinds of fruits and vegetables that support the different phases within your liver. Um, the main group of vegetables is the brassica family, also known as the cruciferous family, um, which includes broccoli, broccolini, kale, um, cauliflower, cabbage, what else? Um, turnips, rocket, that family. Um, they will support phase one, phase two, liver detoxification. Anything that is bright purple, red, orange, anything that's rich in antioxidants, anything that's naturally rich in B vitamins. But of course, making sure that you are hydrating well and having good regular bowel motions also helps. So, in a sense, we say make sure you're having a whole nutrient-dense diet, whole food nutrient dense diet, um, adequate protein, carbohydrates, and fats, um, making sure it's organic and clean with minimal pesticides. Um, and then, you know, as herbalists and naturopaths, we can prescribe herbs very specifically. But again, we say get advice from a qualified practitioner to make sure if you are on any prescriptive medication that you don't have any drug interactions. I find this day in, day out. I'm always saying can't take that with this, you can't take that supplement with that. You really need to speak to someone who's experienced. It's either your doctor who's prescribed the medication or seek expert advice when you want prescriptive herbs or supplements. Often people don't tell the pharmacist or health food store assistant, or they just buy things over the counter and unsure of if that's the right product for them. And that can have a significant role and damage to them.

SPEAKER_00 20:05

Yeah, they probably don't realize that it like even herbal medicine can be can interact. Correct. Um, and do you give any guidance in terms of you know, try to aim for however brassica vegetables per day, per week?

SPEAKER_01 20:21

Yeah, yes. So we could say for someone who wants to support liver detoxification, one to two cups of cooked brassica family per day. And for some people, that's a lot because a lot of people aren't eating enough vegetables, nor are they eating enough variety. So we try to aim for that diversity for their gut biome, but also to get the diversity in nutrition. When I say for their gut biome is those plant fibers feed beneficial bacteria, so diversity in plants is really important.

SPEAKER_00 20:55

Yep, absolutely. Um, so let's go on to the gut now. The gut gut obviously plays a central role in detoxification. What are some of the signs that it's not working optimally? Um, and what's happening in the body when it isn't?

SPEAKER_01 21:10

Um, so when I think of the gut and I think of what are the most common presenting symptoms that a patient will see me for, it is bloating, gas, discomfort, and some type of irregular bowels, whether it's constipation or loose stools. Um, some people know about their food intolerances or food sensitivities or have this kind of understanding when I eat this, I get this. Um, some people can't pinpoint it, and they're always wanting to be able to pinpoint. Um, some people are are very attuned to their symptoms, so they'll think, ah, every time I eat that, I get fatigued or I get brain fog, or when I eat this, my skin breaks out. So there's that kind of understanding and connection. And it is really interesting to me that people are very um attuned and experience a lot of gut symptoms.

SPEAKER_00 22:09

Yeah, it does feel to me like it's it's extremely um common to those core things that you talked about, like I think a lot of people would experience. So, what uh have you found in your experience that supports the gut?

SPEAKER_01 22:23

Yes, I think one of the first things isn't so obvious because first thing we're going to think of is food. For me, one of the first things is the awareness that the counterbalance to fight-flight stress response is called rest and digest. And so when I make a patient aware that in a stressful state or eating on the run or eating in a stressed-out state, you're not going to optimize your digestive capacity. You won't be able to eliminate as well or in a more regular fashion. You won't be able to absorb optimally nutrients because in a fight-flight response, the counterbalance to rest and digest, all blood flow jumps away from the digestive system to support a fight or flight response to stress. So, how do we optimize that is slow everything down, chew-choo-choo food until liquid, and use those kind of sensory touch points to prepare our digestive system for food consumption?

SPEAKER_00 23:31

And I imagine that this is probably very rare for people. At least I would think that very few people in today's crazy world would have three meals in that state of, you know, calm. So maybe we could kind of think about okay, so if your life is hectic, what is little practices that you can do just to help your body get into that calm state?

SPEAKER_01 23:57

I created something called the 15-15-15-minute rule for especially for my patients at lunchtime where they're very stressed out in the middle of the day if they're, you know, work these intensive long days. So 15 minutes of preparation, wind down, almost in readying yourself to sit down and eat, going out and getting your food or getting your food organized on a plate, finding a lovely place to sit and eat your food, and then 15 minutes, because not everyone gets an hour to eat lunch. No, so then 15 minutes to sit, chew food until liquid, do nothing else, but just eat and enjoy that meal and nothing else. And then 15 minutes, pack it away, put it away, and perhaps go for a little walk to just support that digestive process. And just keep it that simple. And if you've got more time, excellent. Extend it, extend the eating time and perhaps go for a longer walk. So I always like those suggesting to my patients and clients to go for a walk after you've eaten.

SPEAKER_00 25:07

Because that also helps with the blood sugar regulation as well.

SPEAKER_01 25:11

It does, rather than sit back in that sedentary position again and be in this weird contorted pretzel sitting there in front of your screen as you're trying to digest your food.

SPEAKER_00 25:22

And maybe just like it might feel hard if you're like, you know, busy for it to drag yourself away from the computer, but maybe trying it for one week and seeing how that impacts your digestion, because then that then creates kind of added motivation. And it's it feels a lot easier to try something for a week than okay, I'm just gonna make this change. Exactly. Yeah, beautiful. Okay, maybe we could talk about the kidneys. I feel like we they're not talked about as much. And could you explain the role of the kidneys and what commonly what most commonly compromises them?

SPEAKER_01 25:53

Um when I think of the kidneys, the first thing I think about is filtering the blood and removing waste via urine. So it kind of makes sense that we hydrate the kidneys, make sure we're drinking enough fluids and what kind of fluids, hydrating fluids, or are we drinking a lot of dehydrating fluids like alcohol and caffeinated drinks? So we support the kidneys because they too eliminate waste. Um, and remember those phase one, phase two liver detoxification, phase two is to convert um those uh basically to neutralize those toxins so they can be eliminated safely via the kidneys, via urine. So we often think about are these patients or people dehydrated to begin with? Are they eating a lot of processed foods, sodium, alcohol, caffeinated drinks? Um, and are there certain medications that are that are uh affecting kidney function? But yeah, I think again, a whole food diet, if you're eating a lot of processed food, it's not fresh food and it's not food that's hydrated. Think of it as dehydrated food, like breakfast, cereal, anything that needs to be rehydrated because you couldn't really get it down if it was dry. Um, yeah, I think that's it when I think about the kidneys is just hydration, hydration, hydration. And remember, it is an organ that's equally important for detoxification because it filters out waste.

SPEAKER_00 27:30

Yeah, exactly. And do you think is water itself enough, or or do you need to put like electrolytes or some sea salt or something in?

SPEAKER_01 27:37

I think it just depends on the what kind of water you're drinking. So whether it's tap water, spring water, um, and also what kind of exercise are you doing? Um, do you live in a hot climate? Um, some people who get really sick and feverish often. Um, so they're all the factors that I think about. Also, the environment is whatever it is that you're doing, not just what you're consuming orally, but the environment that you in that could lead to dehydration. And therefore, does your water need something a little bit extra like electrolytes or coconut water or bone stock broth?

SPEAKER_00 28:18

Yeah, yeah. I used to always tell my dad that um tea and milk does not constitute as having a water. I know. That actually means you've got to take an extra glass because you're dehydrating yourself.

SPEAKER_01 28:32

I know. Yeah, that is common.

SPEAKER_00 28:34

Yeah. Okay, let's um let's maybe talk about the lymphatic system. I I don't know if you've experienced seen this, but it seems to me like in the past kind of two years or something like that, I see information about the lymphatic system all over the place. Before that, nothing. Um, but yeah, if we could talk a bit about its role in detoxification and how to best support it.

SPEAKER_01 28:56

Okay. Well, let me just tell you this this stuff cycles. So someone who's been a practitioner for nearly 31 years now, we've seen the trends. It's like I always say, okay, we're back here again.

SPEAKER_00 29:11

Kind of like going back to wearing your 80s clothes or something.

SPEAKER_01 29:14

It's really quite so interesting to me. So I don't know what kick starts the trends, but regardless, so yes, lymphatic system and lymphatic flow and lymphatic movement and dry brushing and all of this is the trend again. Um, which it is important to highlight the importance of it as part of detoxification because the lymph system also moves waste and toxins out of the body, but it doesn't have a pump, so it relies on circulation and movement and breath. And so there are all these added tools, like from vibration machines that you stand on, dry brushing, so you dry brush to the to the glands, to the lymphatic glands. Um, there is particular movements that you can do to support the lymphatic flow. There's a whole bunch of things that people are doing, even hot and cold showers and saunas and things like that. Um, but when I think of the lymphatic system, and usually how we will tell if someone needs to support the lymphatic system is if they're really puffy or fluidy and they have feel this heaviness in their body. But so sometimes people will get that if they've been sitting all day long, and especially um anyone who's just sitting in front of a screen all day long, and they'll say, My legs feel so heavy, Anthony, and I don't understand, I don't have any ankles anymore, and they just need to move their bodies, it's that simple for those people and make sure they're hydrating well. Yeah, so yeah, the lymphatic. I know there's all these gadgets and things that are all wonderful, but I think just even just simple movement, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:00

Keep it simple. My kids have a trampoline and I use it more than they do. I love it. Yeah, I had a kid ask me once, he was like, he looked up at me because we we back onto a park and he was like, What are you doing jumping on the trampoline? And I'm like, Because it's fun. And he's like, but you're an adult.

SPEAKER_01 31:18

I know. Well, you'll have to tell them that um, I don't know when it was, was it the 80s or the 90s when the rebounder like trampoline and everyone had one in their living room while you watched your TV show and you're like jumping up and down?

SPEAKER_00 31:32

There we go. I'm jumping up and down nature much better. So good. Um, and you touched on breath. So I mean the lungs obviously themselves are an important detox pathway. So, what are some simple changes that we can make in the way that we breathe to best support detoxification?

SPEAKER_01 31:48

Yeah, I think people don't realize that yes, your breath also detoxifies um metabolic ways. So, first of all, I check if people can breathe well. So I notice whether they're shallow breathers, nose breathers, or mouth breathers. And if they can't breathe through their nose, which is what we want them to be doing in and out, um, then we're looking at sinusitis, hay fever, allergies, nasal congestion causes, lots of head colds. Um, there's a whole bunch of reasons why people can't breathe well. So we want to address those first and foremost. Um, but also people who are stressed, hold as it's as if they hold their breath. So we teach them how to breathe well, which might be, you know, first of all, see if you can breathe through the nasal passages, mouth closed and breathing in for a few breaths, a few counts, and then breathing out for a few counts. So I see what happens basically. I'll ask them to do that within a consort, or I've noticed it. But it's also what you're breathing in, what's in your environment that you're breathing in. Um, within your home office, workplace, um, home, um, you know, the environment of your work. Like, you know, we had a patient who's a carpenter, and what he's breathing in were really toxic chemicals that we then were able to test. So I think that's really important. Molds, um, synthetic chemicals, fragrances versus fresh air. But what is fresh air? So sure patients will push back on that. Um, but I think, you know, if you've got a garden, if there's a park nearby, get around trees, because they breathe out the oxygen that we breathe in, and we breathe out the carbon dioxide that they breathe in. So there's our symbiotic partner right there. Perfect. Perfect.

SPEAKER_00 33:45

Amazing. Well, maybe just to finish up, I mean, I think one thing that people tend not to um take into account when they're thinking about detoxification, but you do in your programs is also the mental emotional load that we deal with, which in itself is is can be quite toxic. Did you want to speak to that at all?

SPEAKER_01 34:05

Yes, I think um, and I it is something that I hear that language a lot um with patients who um really don't like themselves and use quite negative critical language of their symptoms and feelings, how they look and how they feel. And I think you know, a take-home message would be um have reverence for your symptoms and feelings and act with kindness to yourself as if it was a friend knocking on the door that need attending to. Um, that your symptoms and feelings just need attention. So there are part of you that sometimes are uh knocking on the door, needing attention from you quietly, sometimes they're screaming really loud with big symptoms or disease states. And having reverence towards them is is far more regulating to your nervous system to not be in that fight-fight response towards your symptoms and feelings. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 35:09

Absolutely. I think that's so important because if you go about addressing an issue to try and improve your health, but you do it with stress, you're just worsening the situation. Whereas if you take that reverent, kind of slow, gentle approach, you're working in harmony with your body.

SPEAKER_01 35:25

It is you and then you stay in a much more curious space, which uh opens up so many more doors, you have greater perspective, more possibilities, rather than being this very narrow fight flight response, which is important to get us out of danger, but not when it's like that as your default.

SPEAKER_00 35:46

Yeah, 100%. I love that. And that's very linked to my final question because I like to end these interviews like we're giving people so much information, but I'd like to bring it down to okay, what's one thing that they could do this week, next week to make a difference? We've covered a lot, but where would you recommend that people started? It's so hard to do that. I know, I know people always say this to me. They're like, Can I have three? Can I have four? You can say like two or three in order.

SPEAKER_01 36:16

You know, you know what? I would just I would I'm just gonna say the first thing that pops in my head is chew, chew, chew, chew, chew your food until liquid and eat in a relaxed state with reverence of what you're eating. Beautiful, just because it then you can really think about it and feel what's happening. Am I eating the right food? Am I eating nutrient-dense food? What am I feeding myself? But if you slow it down, that'll give you a lot of insight. Just chewing.

SPEAKER_00 36:49

And I bet a lot of people listening, and I'm probably one of them, doesn't chew, don't we chew our food to to liquid, as you were saying. So that's definitely something I can take on this week. Good. Thank you so much. Um, where can people find you and what are the different ways that they can work with you?

SPEAKER_01 37:07

Sure. Well, I too have a podcast which is This Is How We Heal. Um, so on all platforms. But if they visit my apothecarbyanthea.com is my website. You can book a one-on-one consult with me. You can subscribe to my Substack, you can listen in on the podcast. So it's Apotheca Byanthea A-P-O-T-H-E-C-A B-Y-A-N-T-H I A.com. And that's where you'll find me, either in my store, in my clinic here in Surrey Hills or online.

SPEAKER_00 37:40

Beautiful. Um, that's excellent. And next week you're coming back, which is perfect to talk about. So now we've covered the ways that we can support our body to detoxify naturally, which is amazing. And the next step then is okay, how can we reduce all the things in our environment that are adding to that toxic load? So listen next week, because Anthea will be back to talk about that. Yes. Thank you so much. I really appreciate your time. Thank you. Please. Now it's your turn. Take what you've learned today and put it into action. Try the habit, run the experiment, and actually track how you go. I'll be doing it right alongside you and sharing on socials. So come find me there. Links are in the show notes. Tell me what's working, what isn't, and what questions are coming up. I genuinely want to know. And if today's episode helped, share it with someone who needs it. And if you haven't already, hit subscribe so we can keep optimizing our health together. One simple step at a time. Take care, and I'll see you next week.