Sweating Is A Detox Tool

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Detox is one of the most overused words in wellness — however, it is something your body is doing automatically ALL the time. Your body is constantly working to eliminate toxins that your own body produces as well as the toxins you encounter through the outside world (food, water, air, body care products, household products, etc). And your skin is your largest organ of detoxification.

What your sweat actually eliminates

Sweat is produced by two types of glands — eccrine glands, which cover most of your body and produce the watery sweat you have after exercise or from heat, and apocrine glands, concentrated in areas like your armpits and groin. It’s your eccrine glands that matter most for detoxification.

So what are you sweating out of your body? Well, published research dating back from 2012 from the Journal of Environmental and Public Health found measurable concentrations of heavy metals — arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury — in sweat! And surprisingly, these levels were sometimes at higher concentrations than in matched urine samples from the same individuals. This is quite important because these metals can accumulate in your soft tissue (causing a myriad of health problems) and can be difficult to clear out. Additionally, certain persistent organic pollutants including BPA and phthalates (which are hormone disrupting chemicals!) have also been detected in sweat.

Beyond toxicants, your sweat also contains urea, ammonia, and lactate which are metabolic waste products that your kidneys typically handle. When your kidney filtration is under stress, your sweat glands help out and partially compensate to remove that waste. 

Summer gives you a natural detox advantage

Heat-induced sweating and exercise-induced sweating are both good for you and they also have some differences. The hotter weather we have during the summer certainly helps us sweat out more toxins!  Additionally, the sweating that comes from exercise tends to contain higher concentrations of certain metals (perhaps due to increased circulation mobilizing stored toxins from your tissues).

For heat-induced sweating, the research on regular sauna use is quite impressive. Both Finnish and infrared sauna studies have linked frequent use (4–7 times per week) with reduced all-cause mortality, improved cardiovascular function, and lower inflammatory markers. While more frequent use is associated with more dramatic health benefits, 2–3 sessions weekly are sufficient to begin experiencing benefits such as lowered blood pressure, reduced systemic inflammation, better circulation,stress reduction, and improved sleep quality.

Making the most of it

Clearly there are health benefits to sweating. Here are some important takeaways:

  • Sweat regularly and intentionally. Aim for at least 3–4 sessions per week of meaningful sweating through exercise, heat exposure, or sauna.
  • Shower promptly after sweating. Compounds excreted through your skin can be partially reabsorbed through the stratum corneum if sweat remains on your skin — rinsing within 15–20 minutes matters (wiping sweat off with a towel unfortunately doesn’t prevent reabsorption of toxins).
  • Replenish lost minerals. Sweat contains significant amounts of magnesium, zinc, sodium, and potassium. If you’re sweating without replenishing these minerals, you’ll feel it (muscle cramps, trouble sleeping, fatigue). A diet rich in fresh veggies and fruits, quality protein, and staying hydrated helps a lot with keeping your mineral levels replenished. If you are sweating for longer periods of time or frequently, consider electrolyte support (either DIY or a product).
  • Support your liver too. Phase I and Phase II liver detoxification pathways process the compounds that eventually get excreted through your sweat. You can support your “detox team” through cruciferous vegetables (leafy greens, broccoli, cabbage, etc) — which upregulate glutathione-S-transferase), adequate protein (for glucuronidation), and B vitamins (for methylation) all amplify what sweating can do.

Hopefully you have a newfound appreciation for your sweat and how your body works hard to eliminate toxins and keep you healthy. 

As a functional nutritionist, I don’t just help you to eat healthier: I help you create a healthier lifestyle.  

If you’re ready to discover where your best health has been hiding, I’d love to connect with you!

Apply for a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session.
http://bit.ly/schedulinghealth (subject to availability).

Until next time, I’m wishing you unstoppable health,

~Rebecca

P.S. If you know someone who is ready to feel great & create health habits that stick, I would love to connect with them!

Please share my scheduling link with them so that they can schedule a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session with me.

As always, nothing in this newsletter is intended as medical advice. Please work with a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to any medications or treatment plans.

Vacation Gut: Your Gut Doesn’t Vacation When You Do

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Going on vacation can be a lot of fun — especially when you feel good in your body! But I hear from SO many people that their digestion suffers when they take a trip…Bloating, constipation, or diarrhea can sure get in the way of what would otherwise be a great vacation. 
Let’s look at 3 common reasons travel can disrupt your gut: circadian clock shifts, MMC stress, and dietary stressors as well as some helpful habits that can make a huge difference.

Your Gut’s Circadian Clock

Your digestive system runs on its own circadian clock. Specialized clock genes in your gut lining — including BMAL1 and CLOCK — control the timing of motility, enzyme secretion, and gut barrier function. Isn’t that fascinating?! When your meal timing shifts, your sleep is disrupted, or you cross time zones, these genes fall out of sync with your environment. The result is that your motility slows down or is erratic, you have reduced digestive enzyme output, and your gut lining is temporarily more permeable than usual. In a nutshell, your digestive system has less capacity and resilience than usual.

Your Gut’s Cleaning Crew

And there’s more. Your migrating motor complex (MMC) — the wave-like muscular contraction that sweeps the small intestine clean between meals that I’ve talked about in past newsletters — is particularly vulnerable. Your MMC depends on consistent fasting windows (vs grazing all day) and is suppressed by stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, both of which tend to spike during travel. When your MMC stalls, undigested food and bacteria linger in the small intestine longer than they should, creating bloating and discomfort.

Dietary Stressors on Your Gut

Your microbiome responds quickly to changes in food, stress, and environment — sometimes within 24 to 48 hours. Studies on dietary shifts show that the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes — two major bacterial phyla — can change meaningfully in just a few days of altered eating. Add in alcohol (which reduces beneficial Lactobacillus populations and increases intestinal permeability), lower fiber intake from restaurant meals, and elevated cortisol (which disrupts the gut-brain axis and alters secretory IgA, your gut’s frontline immune defense), and it becomes pretty clear why your microbiome may struggle just to keep up.

Helpful Habits to Travel With

  • Keep eating times somewhat consistent. Even a loose window helps anchor your digestive circadian rhythm and supports MMC function. I’ve done plenty of traveling so trust me, I know that it can be easy to both skip meals or eat a lot more when you travel. Do your best to create some consistency with meal times most days of your vacation. Your gut will thank you.
  • Prioritize fiber wherever you can. Fruit, veggies, nuts/seeds, avocado, legumes — even small amounts feed your beneficial Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus strains and help your microbiome to be more stable. Plus making sure to eat fiber with all your meals helps you to stay satisfied between meals and reduces food noise.
  • Bring a probiotic. I’m a big fan of taking only the most helpful supplements with me on vacation–and probiotics are one of them! If you already have one that you love, great. If you’re wanting to get one that can help protect against traveler’s diarrhea, choose a multi-strain probiotic that has Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Saccharomyces boulardii (like BioMatrix’s Support Biotic)–they have the strongest evidence for reducing traveler’s diarrhea and general gut disruption.
  • Stay ahead of hydration. If you are flying, airplane cabin humidity sits around 10–20% (well below the 40–60% your mucous membranes prefer). Staying hydrated helps protect your mucus layer and gut lining (dehydration causes that mucus layer to get thick and reduces healthy functioning). I highly recommend taking a good (non-plastic) water bottle on vacation with you–it makes all the difference to take it with you everywhere and refill throughout your day (stainless steel is a good lightweight option).
  • Move your body. Walking stimulates the gastrocolic reflex (when the stomach signals to the colon to evacuate) and promotes MMC activity — take a short walk about 20 minutes after meals to support your motility (sooner than that for blood sugar benefits).

Doing these simple habits can make your whole trip more comfortable and enjoyable.

As a functional nutritionist, I don’t just help you to eat healthier: I help you create a healthier lifestyle.  

If you’re ready to discover where your best health has been hiding, I’d love to connect with you!

Apply for a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session.
http://bit.ly/schedulinghealth (subject to availability).

Until next time, I’m wishing you unstoppable health,

~Rebecca

P.S. If you know someone who is ready to feel great & create health habits that stick, I would love to connect with them!

Please share my scheduling link with them so that they can schedule a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session with me.

Summer Superfoods: What’s Actually Worth Eating (And What’s Just Hype)

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Every summer, the wellness world lights up with lists of “superfoods” you absolutely need to be eating. Acai smoothie bowls! Watermelon juice! Turmeric everything! Some are actually worth eating/drinking…and the majority is just clever, misleading marketing.

Here’s my functional nutrition take on what the real summer superfoods are and what you can feel free to skip.

Actually Worth It

Wild-caught salmon and sardines
Omega-3 fatty acids are among the most well-researched anti-inflammatory compounds we know of, and fatty fish are one of the best, and most highly-absorbable sources. In summer, these are easy to grill, easy to find, and genuinely powerful for reducing inflammation, supporting brain health, and balancing out the omega-6 load that we tend to eat in excess. Sardines in particular are an underrated nutritional powerhouse — rich in omega-3s, calcium, vitamin D, and B12.

Berries
Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries are loaded with polyphenols and antioxidants, particularly anthocyanins, which have been shown to reduce oxidative stress (that ages our cells), support brain health, lower blood pressure, and fight inflammation. And a big overall health bonus: they’re naturally lower in sugar than most fruits and high in fiber. Plus, YUM!

Leafy greens (especially arugula and watercress)
I especially love eating fresh leafy greens when it’s warm/hot weather. Dark leafy greens are rich in magnesium, folate, vitamin K, and nitrates — the compounds that support nitric oxide production in your body (which means better circulation and lower blood pressure). Arugula and watercress are particularly high in nitrates (which your body coverts to nitric oxide) and also have natural compounds that support liver detoxification (by upregulating Phase II detoxification enzymes, helping your liver get rid of carcinogens, heavy metals, and toxins.)

Fermented foods
Summertime can be quite a gut disrupting season — more travel, more alcohol, more processed food at gatherings, more antibiotic exposure from conventionally raised meats, and more pesticide exposure from conventionally grown produce which is quite the insult to our microbiome. Fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, miso (can be used in sauces or dressings), plain kefir, and plain yogurt deliver live beneficial bacteria that help maintain and restore your gut microbiome. A small serving daily goes a long way.

Watermelon
Watermelon gets dismissed as “just sugar and water,” but it’s actually a functional food worth including. It’s rich in lycopene — a powerful antioxidant linked to reduced inflammation and lower risk of heart disease and certain cancers. It also contains citrulline, an amino acid that supports nitric oxide production and healthy blood flow. Eat it as whole fruit (not juice) to get that fiber. Watermelon isn’t high in fiber, but every bit of fiber helps buffer the impact of fruit’s natural sugar.

Garlic and fresh herbs
Garlic is one of nature’s most potent anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial foods, and summer is peak season for fresh herbs like basil, parsley, rosemary, mint, and cilantro (personally, I can’t stand cilantro unless it’s in salsa and think it tastes like soap, but many people love the taste and I acknowledge that it has redeemable health qualities). These herbs are loaded with antioxidants, support detoxification pathways, and add great flavor without any of the inflammatory ingredients found in many bottled sauces and dressings.

Overhyped 

Açai bowls (from a restaurant)
Here me out. Açai itself is a legitimate antioxidant-rich fruit. But most açai bowls you buy at restaurants or smoothie shops are usually loaded with sweetened granola, honey, sweetened coconut flakes, and more fruit on top — often adding up to 60–80 grams of sugar! That’s not a health food; that’s dessert. Make your own at home with unsweetened açai, a handful of berries, and some nuts & seeds for protein, fat, and fiber. If you are able to get these modifications from a restaurant, more power to ya!

Coconut water (most brands)
Coconut water has been positioned as a natural electrolyte drink and sports recovery beverage. And while it does contain potassium, most commercial coconut waters are also high in natural sugars (some even have added sugars) and low in sodium — so they’re not actually well-suited for electrolyte replacement after exercise. If you are lucky enough to get fresh coconut water straight from the coconut, that has more nutrients and enzymes than bottled coconut water. For hydration/electrolytes though, better to keep coconut water intake low and have plain water with a pinch of sea salt and some mineral-rich foods. All that being said, unsweetened coconut water is a far better choice than sodas or beverages that have even more sugar and artificial flavors and colors.

“Green” juices
As I brought up recently, juicing removes the fiber from fruits and vegetables — the very thing that slows down sugar absorption and feeds your beneficial gut bacteria. A green juice made with apple, carrot, beet, and a little kale can easily have 30+ grams of sugar (7+ teaspoons!). Your body doesn’t need all that sugar; it needs consistent daily support through whole vegetables, adequate protein, and reduced toxin exposure (organic is best). Eat the fruits and vegetables — don’t drink them. Or if you are going to drink them, have them blended rather than juiced and keep the serving size small to keep your total sugar load low.

The Bottom Line

The most powerful summer superfoods are natural and simple: berries, leafy greens, fatty fish, garlic, fresh herbs, and fermented foods. 

Eat real food. Eat what’s in season. Keep it simple.

As a functional nutritionist, I don’t just help you to eat healthier: I help you create a healthier lifestyle.  

If you’re ready to discover where your best health has been hiding, I’d love to connect with you!

Apply for a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session. http://bit.ly/schedulinghealth (subject to availability).

Until next time, I’m wishing you unstoppable health,

~Rebecca

P.S. If you know someone who is ready to feel great & create health habits that stick, I would love to connect with them!

Please share my scheduling link with them so that they can schedule a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session with me.

As always, nothing in this newsletter is intended as medical advice. Please work with a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to any medications or treatment plans.

Skip the Food Coma This 4th of July

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Have you spent your fair share of 4th of July celebrations starting off great, but then overeating/drinking…and paying for it later? No judgment here! You’re certainly not alone. 

But this year, let’s change that.

Today I’m sharing a few festive recipes that are protein-packed, fiber-forward, and genuinely delicious so you can still have a great time without suffering afterward.

Why You Feel Like You’re in a Food Coma After a Cookout (The Short Version)

The classic holiday spread — hot dogs, white buns, chips, sugary drinks, mayo-heavy sides, tons of desserts — is a perfect storm for blood sugar spikes, gut inflammation, and digestive sluggishness. There’s very little fiber to slow digestion, very little quality protein to keep you satiated, and often a lot of refined carbs, desserts, and seed oils working against your gut lining.

The fix isn’t skipping the party–social connection is one of the most important ingredients to a happy & healthy life. The solution is having/bringing food that you enjoy and that actually nourishes you. 

The Recipes

Smoky Lentil & Roasted Tomato Salad

This one is absolutely delicious, easy, and one of the highest fiber-per-bite dishes you can make. 

What you need:

  • 1.5 cups French green lentils, cooked and cooled (quality canned is great too, I love Eden Organics)
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, roasted or fresh
  • 1 roasted red pepper, chopped
  • Large handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • Salt and pepper to taste

How to make it: Toss everything together in a large bowl. Taste and adjust lemon and salt. This salad is even better made the night before — the lentils absorb the dressing and the flavor deepens. Serves 6–8 as a side.

Why it works nutritionally: One cup of cooked lentils delivers around 18g of protein and 15g of fiber, supporting gut motility, blood sugar balance, and sustained energy. The smoked paprika and olive oil add anti-inflammatory polyphenols, and the parsley is a great source of vitamin K and flavonoids.

Greek Yogurt Herb Dip with Summer Crudités

This dip takes five minutes and replaces every processed dip on the table. It’s a winner.

What you need:

  • 2 cups full-fat Greek yogurt
  • 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
  • 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh chives or green onion, chopped
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Serve with: Jicama sticks, cucumber rounds, endive leaves, sliced bell pepper, snap peas — whatever veggies you love to dip.

How to make it: Stir everything together, taste, adjust seasoning. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving so the flavors come together. Wash and cut up your favorite dipping veggies.

Why it works nutritionally: Full-fat Greek yogurt provides around 20g of protein per cup plus live probiotic cultures that actively support your gut microbiome. The fat helps slow digestion and keeps you satisfied. The crudités bring crunch, color, and a range of prebiotic fibers that feed your good gut bacteria.

Wild Salmon Burgers with Blueberry-Jalapeño Salsa

This one may sound odd but it is incredible — sweet, spicy, bright — and the combination of wild salmon and blueberries is one of the most anti-inflammatory pairings you can put on a plate.

For the salmon patties:

  • 2 cans (6oz each) wild sockeye salmon, drained
  • ¼ cup oat flour or almond flour
  • 2 green onions, finely chopped
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 egg
  • Salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne

For the blueberry-jalapeño salsa:

  • 1 cup fresh blueberries, roughly chopped
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
  • 2 tbsp red onion, finely diced
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Small handful of fresh cilantro
  • Pinch of salt

How to make it: I recommend preparing the salsa first so all those yummy flavors can blend together. Mix all patty ingredients together and form into 4–6 patties. Cook in a skillet or on the grill over medium heat, about 4 minutes per side. Serve patties in butter lettuce cups or Unbuns; add as much salsa as you like.

Why it works nutritionally: Wild sockeye salmon is one of the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which directly counteract inflammatory pathways in the body. Blueberries are loaded with anthocyanins — the deep blue-purple pigments that are among the most potent antioxidants in the food world. Together, this is a wonderfully healthy combo that also happens to taste like summer.

Build Your Own Yogurt Parfait Bar

Set this up as a self-serve station. It’s delicious, quick to make, and eye-catching with the festive colors.  

Set out:

  • Coconut yogurt (or Greek yogurt if dairy isn’t an issue, higher in protein)
  • Sliced strawberries
  • Fresh blueberries
  • Raw honey
  • Toasted hemp seeds
  • Toasted coconut flakes
  • Optional: granola for crunch

Let everyone build their own. The hemp seeds are a nutritional hero here — 3 tablespoons give you 10g of complete protein plus a high dose of omega-3s. 

A Few Tips for Ease

  • Make the lentil salad and salmon patties the night before. Both hold well and your morning will be so much more relaxed.
  • Eat a protein-forward breakfast before you head out or host. Starting your day anchored in protein and fat means you be ravenous and reactive to other foods at the party/potluck.
  • Hydrate early and consistently. Summer heat plus alcohol plus not enough water is a major contributor to that end-of-day crash. Aim for a glass of water between every alcoholic drink if you’re indulging.

The Big Picture

I want you to enjoy your life–and that means that you don’t feel trapped in a body that feels uncomfortable or painful. Choosing health isn’t about restriction: it’s about intention. I hope you enjoy these recipes and have a wonderful holiday!

As a functional nutritionist, I don’t just help you to eat healthier: I help you create a healthier lifestyle.  

If you’re ready to discover where your best health has been hiding, I’d love to connect with you!

Apply for a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session.
http://bit.ly/schedulinghealth (subject to availability).

Until next time, I’m wishing you unstoppable health,

~Rebecca

P.S. If you know someone who is ready to feel great & create health habits that stick, I would love to connect with them!

Please share my scheduling link with them so that they can schedule a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session with me.

How to Navigate Summer Social Eating Without Derailing Your Progress

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Summer can sure feel like one long social eating season. BBQs, family gatherings, 4th of July parties, vacations — there’s a lot of fun opportunities to socialize, connect with others, and enjoy great weather.  It doesn’t have to be a health derailing experience…but that is certainly the reality for many people.

But here’s the good news: you can enjoy yourself without spending the next day feeling poorly in your body (sluggish, bloated, and regretful). The key is knowing a few simple principles and how to put them into practice in real-life social situations.

Start With Blood Sugar Basics

Your mood, energy level, and your inflammation all depend on what is going on with your blood sugar! Blood sugar spikes are one of the fastest ways to trigger inflammation in your body and have your energy and mood crash when the spike comes down. When you eat a big hit of refined carbohydrates or sugar — think chips, white bread rolls, sweetened cocktails, or dessert on an empty stomach — your blood sugar shoots up quickly. Your body responds with a surge of insulin, followed by a crash. That roller coaster drives cravings, fatigue, and inflammation, and it also sets you up to overeat later which is a strain on digestion (and fat storage).

The goal isn’t to avoid carbs entirely: it’s to have a game plan that sets you up for feeling fueled, energized, and enjoying the people you’re socializing with.

Your Social Eating Game Plan

Eat before you go (or at least don’t arrive starving)
This one is simple and game-changing. Having a small, protein-rich snack before a gathering — a handful of nuts, some hard-boiled eggs, a little leftover chicken — takes the edge off hunger so you’re not standing in front of the chip bowl making desperate decisions. 

Prioritize protein and fat first
When you get to the food, load your plate with protein and healthy fats before anything else. Grilled chicken, salmon, shrimp, guacamole, olives, cheese, deviled eggs — these foods slow digestion, blunt blood sugar spikes, and keep you satisfied. Once you’ve eaten those, your system will feel more balanced and you’ll naturally eat less of the high-carb, high-sugar foods because you won’t be as hungry for them.

Choose your carbs wisely
Not all carbs at a summer gathering are equal. Fresh fruit, corn on the cob, and potato salad made with actual potatoes are very different from chips, white buns, and pasta salad made with processed pasta and canola oil dressing. If you’re going to have carbs, go for the real, whole-food versions — and pair them with protein and fat to slow down their impact on your blood sugar.

Watch the drinks
Alcohol, sweetened cocktails, lemonade, and even some sparkling waters with “natural flavors” and hidden sweeteners can send your blood sugar on a roller coaster ride. Don’t drink alcohol or sweet drinks on an empty stomach (anchor with some protein and fat first). If you’re drinking alcohol, opt for dry wine or spirits with sparkling water and a squeeze of citrus. Alternate with plain water. And if you’re not drinking alcohol, sparkling water with lemon or lime is a great stand-in that feels festive without the blood sugar hit. I’m also a big fan of iced herbal teas! 

Progress, not perfection
One gathering is not likely going to derail your health. Chronic stress and guilt about food is itself an inflammation driver. The goal is to make smart (kind to your body) choices most of the time — not to be “perfect” all of the time. Enjoy the meal, enjoy the people, take your time and savor whatever it is you are eating or drinking, and get back to your regular habits the next day. Your mindset has SO much to do with your enjoyment of any experience. If you go into a social gathering with the mindset that you can’t have fun unless you’re drinking alcohol or eating cake, you’re going to feel deprived if you don’t partake. But if you go into any situation with a mindset and attitude of enjoying the people, the weather, the delicious & healthy food, the good conversation…you’ll have a great time.

The Big Picture

Summer social eating doesn’t have to be a health obstacle. With a little intention and following the basics I’ve laid out, it can actually be one of the most nourishing seasons of the year — good food, good people, and plenty of time outside. That’s a great combination!

As a functional nutritionist, I don’t just help you to eat healthier: I help you create a healthier lifestyle.  

If you’re ready to discover where your best health has been hiding, I’d love to connect with you!

Apply for a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session. http://bit.ly/schedulinghealth (subject to availability).

Until next time, I’m wishing you unstoppable health,

~Rebecca

P.S. If you know someone who is ready to feel great & create health habits that stick, I would love to connect with them!

Please share my scheduling link with them so that they can schedule a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session with me.

Sneaky Summer Inflammation Triggers (And What to Do About Them)

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For many of us, the fun of summer usually includes BBQ’s and potlucks, slathering on more sunscreen, and enjoying some pool time. But what you might not realize is that some of your favorite warm-weather rituals might be quietly increasing your inflammation.

Today I want to shed some light on how to enjoy your summer without it driving up your inflammation. 

Sunscreen Chemicals

As someone who burns easily, I appreciate sun protection!  But not all sunscreens are created equal. Many conventional sunscreens contain chemical UV filters like oxybenzone, octinoxate, and homosalate. These ingredients are absorbed through your skin and have been detected in the bloodstream, urine, and even breast milk. Research is ever evolving, but several of these chemicals are known endocrine (aka hormone) disruptors and some have shown the ability to trigger inflammatory pathways in your body. No thanks!

What to do: Switch to a mineral-based sunscreen with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as the active ingredient. These sit on top of the skin rather than absorbing into it, providing a physical barrier without the chemical burden (hats, and UV protective clothing are also great!). I also recommend looking for products that are fragrance-free and free of parabens to reduce your chemical exposure even more. For more details on sunscreen safety, you can check out this thorough guide by the EWG. 

Chlorine

One of my fondest childhood memories is my grandma taking me, my siblings, and cousins to the public pool (except for that one summer my hair turned really, really green!). As fun as it is to cool off in the pool, chlorine is a chemical disinfectant, and your skin and lungs absorb more of it than you might think. Chlorine can also disrupt your skin’s natural microbiome (yes, your skin has one too), strip away its protective barrier, and trigger inflammatory responses — especially if you’re someone who already has sensitive skin or dealing with conditions like eczema or asthma. Swallowing pool water, even accidentally, also negatively affects your gut microbiome.

What to do: Rinse off immediately after swimming to remove chlorine from your skin and then apply a good non-toxic moisturizer to help restore your skin barrier.
And if you swim often, or have kids who do, OR if you’re particularly sensitive to chlorine, I recommend a vitamin C shower filter (because the reality is that the shower you’re rinsing off the pool water with also has some chlorine in it).
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) neutralizes chlorine and chloramine on contact, and it’s one of the most effective and well-documented methods for dechlorinating water. Unlike standard carbon filters, which can reduce chlorine but struggle with chloramines (a common disinfectant used in many municipal water systems), vitamin C neutralizes both. These filters attach directly to your showerhead and are a simple, affordable solution. Even if you don’t swim in a chlorinated pool but notice that showering leaves your skin dry or irritated, a Vit C filter could help. 

Processed “Health” Foods at BBQs

Summer gatherings can be full of foods that look healthy on the surface — veggie burgers, flavored sparkling waters, fruit salads with sweetened dressings, store-bought dips, and “light” potato chips. But many of these are loaded with refined seed oils (like canola, soybean, and sunflower), added sugars, artificial flavors, and preservatives — all of which are well-established inflammation drivers.

Seed oils are are hiding in almost every packaged food. They are high in omega-6 fatty acids, and when your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio gets out of balance (which it easily does on a standard American diet) inflammation goes up. 

What to do: Whenever possible, bring a dish you trust like fresh guacamole with fresh veggies (I also really like Siete chips or plantain chips for a healthier chip option), a simple antipasto platter, grilled vegetables with olive oil, or a fruit salad without the sugary dressing. Choose sparkling water or iced tea and avoid all the added sugar and artificial sweeteners. For proteins, opt for whole cuts of meat or wild-caught fish over highly processed veggie burgers or sausages (for vegetarians, grilled tempeh, tofu, paneer, seitan, halloimi, and portobello mushrooms are good options). High quality marinades ((I like Primal Kitchen) usually contain some antioxidant protective herbs/spices (rosemary, garlic, thyme) to counteract some of the risks associated with grilling.

The Bigger Picture

A little awareness goes a long way to protect your health and reduce exposure to inflammatory triggers. With these tips, I hope your summer (and beyond) is even more enjoyable!

As a functional nutritionist, I don’t just help you to eat healthier: I help you create a healthier lifestyle.  

If you’re ready to discover where your best health has been hiding, I’d love to connect with you!

Apply for a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session. http://bit.ly/schedulinghealth (subject to availability).

Wishing you unstoppable health,

~Rebecca

P.S. If you know someone who is ready to feel great & create health habits that stick, I would love to connect with them!

Please share my scheduling link with them so that they can schedule a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session with me.

Your Gut Has a Cleaning Crew: Here’s How to Support Them

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You probably think about what you eat and when you eat, but do you know what your gut is doing when you aren’t eating? Well, today you’re going to learn why that window of time might be one of the most important factors in your digestive health!
Meet the migrating motor complex. It’s one of the most fascinating and under appreciated systems in your body.

What Is the Migrating Motor Complex?

The migrating motor complex — or MMC — is a series of electrical waves that sweep through your digestive tract during periods of fasting. You can think of it as your gut’s built-in cleaning crew. It starts in your stomach, moves through the small intestine, and sweeps everything forward — leftover food particles, dead cells, mucus, and bacteria — and out of the small intestine.
Without your MMC, things start to accumulate that shouldn’t (more on this shortly).
And the MMC only activates when you’re in a fasted state. Once you eat (or drink something caloric), your MMC shuts off and your body shifts into digestive mode. 

Why This Matters for Your Health

Your small intestine is supposed to be relatively low in bacteria compared to your large intestine. The MMC is one of the primary reasons for that. By regularly sweeping bacteria forward and out, it helps maintain the balance of bacteria in your small intestine, supporting proper function.
When the MMC is disrupted or sluggish, bacteria can begin to accumulate in the small intestine where they don’t belong. This is one of the leading proposed mechanisms that can lead to SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). SIBO is one of the root causes of bloating, gas, irregular bowel movements, and even nutrient malabsorption.
And importantly, research has found that people with conditions that impair gut motility — including diabetes, hypothyroidism, and certain autoimmune conditions — often have compromised MMC function, and a corresponding higher risk of SIBO. These connections between the MMC and SIBO are important to understand, especially if you want to resolve  (or prevent) digestive issues.

What Disrupts Your MMC?

Your current eating habits could either be helping or hurting your MMC and digestive health. Here are some big MMC disruptors:

  • Frequent snacking. This is the big one. Every time you eat, you reset the MMC cycle. If you’re grazing throughout the day — even on healthy foods — your gut’s cleaning cycle never gets a chance to complete. The MMC starts 90 mins-2 hrs after you finish eating and needs roughly 90 mins-3.5 hrs to run a full sweep.
  • Chronic stress. Your nervous system plays a direct role in MMC function, and the connection is more profound than we thought. The MMC is coordinated by your enteric nervous system (a whole network of neurons in your gut wall, also called your “second brain”), your brain, and your vagus nerve. In a calm, parasympathetic state, this communication works well and your MMC runs on schedule. When you’re under chronic stress, it’s a different story: Your body is operating in a low-grade sympathetic (“fight or flight”) state almost continuously. In that mode, your brain is signaling to your body that survival takes priority over housekeeping. Digestion and motility get deprioritized. The hormone motilin — which is the primary trigger for MMC contractions — is sensitive to this shift. Elevated cortisol (our primary stress hormone) can suppress motilin release and blunt the strength of your MMC waves. Not good. But another layer to this is that chronic stress also increases intestinal permeability (aka leaky gut) and promotes low-grade gut inflammation. An inflamed gut lining is a sluggish gut lining. So stress isn’t just suppressing the signal to clean house — it’s also impairing the machinery doing the cleaning. Over time, this creates exactly the kind of environment where bacteria accumulate in the small intestine and digestive issues develop.
  • Poor sleep. MMC activity is closely tied to your circadian rhythm. Research suggests that MMC function is more robust during nighttime hours, which is one of the reasons an overnight fast is so valuable for gut health — your body is doing some of its best housekeeping while you sleep (at night). If you go to bed late or skimp on sleep, you aren’t giving your MMC the opportunity to do as thorough of a cleaning.
  • Low stomach acid. This one tends to surprise people, because we rarely think of stomach acid as having a role beyond breaking down food in the stomach itself. But stomach acid — hydrochloric acid, or HCl — is a massively important signal that coordinates all of our downstream digestion, including MMC function. Here’s how the sequence is supposed to work: when food arrives in your stomach, HCl drops the pH significantly, activating the enzyme pepsin to begin protein digestion. That acidic environment then triggers the release of a hormone called secretin from the lining of your small intestine (secretin is what signals your pancreas to release bicarbonate and digestive enzymes, signals the gallbladder to release bile, and also plays a role in coordinating gut motility). When stomach acid is low, the pH of the stomach contents entering the small intestine isn’t acidic enough to trigger a robust secretin response. So, your enzyme and bile output are reduced, your food is less thoroughly broken down, which means larger, partially digested particles are moving through your small intestine — exactly the kind of environment that feeds opportunistic bacteria and sets the stage for SIBO and fermentation-driven symptoms like bloating and gas. And guess what? Motilin, the hormone most directly responsible for initiating MMC contractions, also needs proper acidification! So low HCL is going to lead to weaker and less frequent MMC contractions (less cleaning). That’s a bad combo: more opportunistic bacteria building up and less clearing of it out. 
    • Certain medications. Opioids are well known to significantly impair gut motility; GLP-1 meds interfere with proper MMC function; PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) used long-term to suppress stomach acid may also play a role.

What Supports Your MMC?

The good news is that there’s a lot you can do to support this system — and most of it is pretty simple.

  • Give yourself real gaps between meals. Aim for 3.5- 4.5 hours between eating meals/snacks to allow your MMC to complete a full cycle. 
  • Don’t eat within 2 to 3 hours of bed. Your overnight fast is prime MMC time. 
  • Prioritize sleep quality. Since MMC function follows your circadian rhythm, protecting your sleep is also protecting your gut motility. 
  • Actively manage stress. Stress management tools show up in almost every conversation about gut health. Your vagus nerve plays a central role in coordinating gut motility, and chronic stress dampens vagal tone. Breathwork, gentle movement, and even humming (as we explored in a previous newsletter) all support the parasympathetic state your gut needs to do its cleaning.
  • Consider ginger. Ginger has been studied for its prokinetic properties — meaning it supports the forward movement of contents through the digestive tract. A cup of ginger tea between meals is a simple, gentle way to support motility.
  • Stay hydrated between meals. Water (without calories) does not disrupt your MMC: it helps it by keeping things moving.

The Bigger Picture

Your MMC is an amazing system that cleans your gut and amplifies your health and now you know what to do (and not do) to support it to function optimally.
If you’ve been dealing with persistent bloating, feeling full long after meals, or digestive symptoms that don’t seem to respond to dietary changes alone, the tools for supporting your MMC could make a big difference.
Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do for your gut health isn’t adding something to your plate: It’s stepping away from it.

As a functional nutritionist, I don’t just help you to eat healthier: I help you create a healthier lifestyle.  

If you’re ready to discover where your best health has been hiding, I’d love to connect with you!

Apply for a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session.  http://bit.ly/schedulinghealth (subject to availability).

Until next time, wishing you unstoppable health,

~Rebecca

 
As always, nothing in this newsletter is intended as medical advice. Please work with a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to any medications or treatment plans.

Your blood pressure is trying to tell you something— are you listening?

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Imagine you have a cut on your hand that won’t stop bleeding. Every time you take off the Band-Aid, it starts up again. Would you just keep reapplying bandages? Or would you want to know why it keeps bleeding?

As a holistic nutritionist, I was trained to never just slap a Band-Aid on symptoms because you would be missing the entire point. We can all agree that symptoms, no matter what they are, range from annoying to horrible…however, symptoms are your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. Symptoms are an early warning system that can save your life.

Today I want to look at a particular symptom, high blood pressure, and shed some light on traditional versus root cause approaches to address it.

To be clear, I am not recommending that everyone just stop taking their medication. I am inviting you to think about an important question:  Why is your blood pressure elevated in the first place?

Most medications work a lot like a Band-Aid. They’re not designed for healing, they are designed to mask the symptom…and once you stop taking it, the symptom returns. That’s not a flaw in the medication — it’s just what happens when the root cause was never addressed. 

Nitric Oxide Deficiency: A Root Cause of High Blood Pressure

If there’s one molecule at the center of natural blood pressure support, it’s nitric oxide (NO). This important molecule helps your blood vessels relax and dilate — which directly lowers blood pressure. Think of it like widening a garden hose: the same amount of water flows through, but with much less pressure.

Optimize Your NO Production:

1. Breathe Through Your Nose

This one sounds almost too simple, but the science is real. Nasal breathing increases nitric oxide production six-fold compared to mouth breathing. When you breathe through your mouth, you produce very little nitric oxide.

During the day, you’re able to consciously breathe through your nose, but at night when you’re asleep, you may be unconsciously switching to mouth breathing (it’s pretty common!). To prevent yourself from potentially missing hours of nitric oxide production every single night, mouth taping is an easy and very inexpensive solution. Mouth taping is when you use a small piece of tape over or around your lips during sleep (the idea isn’t to firmly seal your mouth, but rather provide gentle encouragement to nasal breathe). I tried it and while it is weird at first, I think it is worth the insurance that you’re getting all that extra nitric oxide production. Here are some more details and instructions on mouth taping.  (If you have any concerns about nasal congestion, breathing issues, or use a CPAP definitely check with your provider first.)2. Try Humming

Yup, humming your favorite tunes can increase nitric oxide production by up to 15 times! The vibration created by humming in your nasal passages is thought to stimulate the release of nitric oxide from the nasal sinuses. Even a few minutes of humming each day can have a positive impact. Think of some areas of your life you could incorporate humming (while you’re cooking, cleaning, driving, etc).3. Rethink Your Mouthwash

This is one that surprises a lot of people. Many popular antibacterial mouthwashes don’t just kill the bad bacteria in your mouth — they kill all of it, including the bacteria that help your body produce nitric oxide.

Here’s the connection: certain beneficial oral bacteria convert nitrates from food into nitric oxide. When you sterilize your mouth with antimicrobial mouthwash, you wipe out those bacteria. And a growing body of research is finding an association between regular mouthwash use and elevated systemic blood pressure. And then of course if you’re breathing through your mouth rather than your nose, it makes things worse by drying out your mouth tissue and shifting the balance of your oral microbiome toward less beneficial bacteria.

Consider:

  • Switching to a non-antimicrobial toothpaste and rinse
  • Trying oral probiotics, which can help restore a healthy balance of mouth bacteria (like ProBiora)
  • Focusing on good mechanical hygiene (brushing, flossing) rather than sterilizing all your oral bacteria

Foods to Boost Nitric Oxide & Support Healthy Blood Pressure

Your diet is one of the most powerful tools you have. These foods specifically support nitric oxide production and cardiovascular health:

  • Beets — one of the richest sources of dietary nitrates, which your body converts to nitric oxide
  • Arugula — another nitrate powerhouse (and delicious with olive oil and lemon)
  • Watermelon — high in L-citrulline, an amino acid that boosts nitric oxide
  • Nuts — support blood vessel health and provide L-arginine, another NO precursor

And for some added support, these functional foods and botanicals act as nitric oxide regulators:

  • Black ginger — emerging research points to its role in improving circulation and NO bioavailability
  • Medicinal mushrooms (like reishi and lion’s mane) — support cardiovascular function and reduce inflammation
  • Black aged garlic — a gentler, more bioavailable form of garlic with well-documented blood pressure benefits

Hibiscus Tea For the Win

Hibiscus tea deserves its own spotlight. The research on hibiscus and blood pressure is impressive — multiple studies have shown it can produce meaningful reductions in both systolic and diastolic pressure. Enjoy 2-3 cups/day hot or iced. 

Move Your Body — Gently

Exercise is one of the best things you can do for heart health, but if your blood pressure is currently elevated, the type & intensity of exercise matters. 

It is recommended to focus on gentle, sustainable movement — walking, swimming, cycling at a comfortable pace. Also gentle yoga and tai chi are excellent movement options for lowering blood pressure. The goal is to stay in a zone where you can breathe comfortably through your nose the entire time. This supports nitric oxide production during the exercise itself, and it keeps the cardiovascular system gently challenged without spiking pressure further.

The Foundation Is Always the Same

Building a strong foundation of heathy diet & lifestyle habits is key. From there you can layer in targeted strategies like supplements.

And if your blood pressure is elevated, please work with a practitioner who will help you get curious about the why behind it. Medication may be appropriate or even necessary in some cases — but even then, understanding and addressing root causes alongside medication is almost always going to get you to a better place.

Your symptoms are not inconveniences to be masked. They’re invitations to look deeper.

As a functional nutritionist, I don’t just help you to eat healthier: I help you create a healthier lifestyle.  

If you’re ready to discover where your best health has been hiding, I’d love to connect with you!

Apply for a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session. http://bit.ly/schedulinghealth (subject to availability).

Wishing you unstoppable health,

~Rebecca

P.S. If you know someone who is ready to feel great & create health habits that stick, I would love to connect with them!

Please share my scheduling link with them so that they can schedule a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session with me.

As always, nothing in this newsletter is intended as medical advice. Please work with a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to any medications or treatment plans.

Gut Bug Poop: The Inflammation Trigger Nobody’s Talking About

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Your gut is at the ROOT of your health. Inside your gut, there’s a molecule hiding that most people have never heard of — and it might be silently fueling some of the most common health problems. It’s called LPS (lipopolysaccharide). What you’re going to learn about your gut and LPS today will give you a whole new appreciation for your gut.

First: What Is LPS?

LPS is a byproduct of the bacteria that naturally live in your gut. LPS, also known as endotoxin, is a byproduct of the bacteria that naturally live in your gut.  It forms the outermost layer of certain bacteria (gram-negative bacteria) and helps protect them. LPS is released both during the normal day to day metabolic processes of bacteria and when they die. Okay so technically LPS isn’t your gut bug’s poop…but it is waste material and I stand by my analogy.

In a nutshell, LPS is a completely normal part of your gut ecosystem. The problem isn’t that it exists: The problem is what happens when too much of it gets out.

LPS belongs inside your gut, not in your bloodstream. When LPS repeatedly escapes into your bloodstream, even at low levels, it is like flicking the domino on inflammation throughout your entire body.

Chronically elevated LPS in the blood has been linked to:
Type 2 diabetes · Atherosclerosis · Hypertension · Obesity · NAFLD (fatty liver disease) · Autoimmune conditions · IBS and SIBO · Cognitive decline and brain fog · Depression and anxiety

And here’s a fun fact, your diet and lifestyle play a HUGE role in LPS-induced inflammation. In one study, healthy people placed on a Western-style diet for just one month saw a 71% increase in blood LPS levels — while those eating a whole-food diet saw levels drop by 31%. 

The Gut Barrier: Your First Line of Defense

Your gut lining is not just a passive tube. It’s an active, brilliantly designed barrier with multiple layers that work together to protect you. Here are 3 noteworthy lines of defense your gut has for keeping LPS in check.  

Defense Layer 1: An Enzyme Called IAP
Your gut lining produces an enzyme called intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP). IAP is like a bouncer at your gut’s door. It detoxifies LPS right there in your gut and prevents it from entering your bloodstream and triggering inflammation. IAP also helps keep your gut lining sealed tight (helps regulate tight junction protein levels). IAP works best when you have good microbial diversity, healthy bile flow, and a fiber-rich diet.

Defense Layer 2: The mucus layer
This is a thick physical barrier that acts as a buffer and prevents bacteria (and their byproducts like LPS) from making direct contact with your intestinal cells.

Defense Layer 3: Tight junctions
The “seals” between your intestinal cells. When these are intact, they keep LPS from slipping through into the bloodstream. When they break down, LPS and all sorts of other toxins, gets through.

The Liver: Your Second Line of Defense

Defense Layer 1: HDL3
You’ve probably heard HDL called “good cholesterol.” But there’s a specific subtype — HDL3 — that plays a fascinating and newly discovered role in LPS defense. Your intestinal cells produce HDL3 particles that travel directly to the liver through the portal vein. On its way to the liver, HDL3 binds to a protein called LPS-binding protein (LBP), which in turn binds to LPS. Such a good example of the teamwork between your gut and your liver!

What supports healthy HDL3? Zone 2 cardio (easy pace exercise), omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenol-rich foods, and dietary fiber all help keep this system working well.

Defense Layer 2: Your Liver
Any LPS that makes it past your gut and past your HDL3 gets filtered by your liver. When your liver is healthy and not overburdened, it clears LPS efficiently. When it’s stressed — by poor diet, gut dysbiosis, or metabolic dysfunction — clearance of LPS suffers and more LPS spills into circulation. Supporting your liver with a clean diet, filtered water, daily movement, curcumin (well-documented anti-inflammatory effects on the liver and has been shown to modulate the TLR4 signaling pathway that LPS uses to trigger inflammation), milk thistle (supports liver cell regeneration and protects hepatocytes from inflammatory damage), and dandelion root (supports bile production and flow, which matters both for liver detoxification and for keeping IAP active in the gut) can help keep this final filter running smoothly.

The Most Powerful Takeaways

The good news: the same lifestyle habits that support your overall health are the very ones that keep your LPS defense system strong.

  • Eat plenty of fiber, especially with your fats. Fiber reduces LPS-producing bacteria, supports IAP, and helps buffer the LPS absorption that naturally accompanies fat digestion.
  • Choose polyphenol-rich foods daily. Berries, olive oil, green tea, colorful vegetables, dark chocolate — these support both a healthier gut microbiome and better HDL function.
  • Get your omega-3s. EPA and DHA (from fatty fish or quality fish oil) improve HDL particle quality and have direct anti-inflammatory effects throughout the gut-liver axis.
  • Do Zone 2 cardio consistently. 3–5 sessions per week of moderate-intensity movement is one of the most reliable ways to improve your HDL profile and reduce systemic inflammation over time.
  • Support your liver. Curcumin, milk thistle, and dandelion root all support the liver’s ability to clear LPS efficiently.
  • Build your microbiome. A diverse gut microbiome means fewer LPS-producing bacteria, stronger IAP activity, and a more resilient gut barrier. Prioritize prebiotic fiber, fermented foods, and a spore-based probiotic (Spore-based probiotics such as Bacillus indicus, Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus coagulans have been associated with a meaningful reduction in endotoxin levels in the blood).
  • Protect your gut barrier. Sure there are supplements (like Zinc, L-glutamine, collagen, butyrate-producing foods) that you can take to support your gut barrier, but one of the most powerful tools for your gut is nervous system regulation (aka emotional self-regulation)!

The Big Picture

LPS is a normal part of life — you can’t eliminate it, and you don’t need to. Your body has a brilliant, layered system for keeping it in check. The best thing you can do is to support that system with: a diverse, fiber-forward diet, healthy fats, quality sleep, daily movement, emotional self-regulation, hydration, and targeted gut support when needed. 

When your gut and liver are getting what they need to be strong and functional, the chronic inflammatory burden that drives so much modern disease becomes far less of a threat.

If you’re ready to discover where your best health has been hiding, I’d love to connect with you!

As a functional nutritionist, I don’t just help you to eat healthier: I help you create a healthier lifestyle.  

Apply for a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session. http://bit.ly/schedulinghealth (subject to availability).

Wishing you unstoppable health,

~Rebecca

P.S. If you know someone who is ready to feel great & create health habits that stick, I would love to connect with them!

Please share my scheduling link with them so that they can schedule a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session with me.

Your Gut Called — It Doesn’t Need Another Juice Cleanse

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There are a lot of ads out this time of year for detoxifying your body: juice cleanses, detox teas, 7-day “reset” programs promising to flush toxins and fix everything. Here’s the thing: your body already has its own sophisticated detoxification system built right in. And the real secret to supporting it? It starts in your gut.

Your gut is at the ROOT of your health. Your gut is where you take all the good stuff you eat and drink and transform it into the many building blocks your body needs to make energy, think clearly, sleep well, maintain a healthy weight, build muscle, fight infections, and yes, clear out toxins that need clearing out daily so you can thrive. 



Today we will look at the gut-detox connection and 5 simple yet effective ways to support your gut’s natural detoxification capabilities.

The Gut–Detox Connection

Your liver gets most of the detox glory, and it’s honestly well deserved— it processes hundreds of toxins every day. But your gut is your liver’s partner in health! 

A 2022 review published in Nutrients found that your gut microbiome directly influences your liver’s ability to metabolize toxins and regulate inflammation — confirming that the gut-liver axis is one of the most important detox pathways in the body.

The lining of your intestines acts as a critical filter, deciding what gets absorbed into your bloodstream and what gets escorted out. When your gut microbiome is balanced and your intestinal lining is healthy, that filtration process works beautifully…

However, when your microbiome isn’t balanced and your gut is struggling, then toxins, undigested food particles, and harmful bacteria byproducts can slip through — something called increased intestinal permeability, aka “leaky gut.” This puts extra burden on your liver and immune system, and can contribute to all sorts of unpleasant symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, skin issues, weight gain, and inflammation.
 

5 Practical Ways to Support Your Gut’s Natural Detox

1. Load up on fiber — especially prebiotic fiber
Fiber is your gut’s best friend. It feeds the beneficial bacteria in your microbiome and adds bulk that literally sweeps waste through your digestive tract. Aim for a variety: onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, and slightly underripe bananas are especially rich in prebiotic fiber that feeds your good bacteria directly (see my previous newsletter on resistant starch).

2. Eat fermented foods daily
Yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, and miso introduce live beneficial bacteria into your gut. Research from Stanford found that a diet high in fermented foods increased microbiome diversity and reduced inflammatory markers — two things that directly support your body’s detox capacity.

3. Prioritize cruciferous vegetables
Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage contain compounds called glucosinolates, which your gut bacteria convert into sulforaphane — a powerful activator of the liver’s Phase 2 detox enzymes. 

4. Stay hydrated (more than you think)
Water is how your kidneys flush water-soluble toxins out of your body. It also works with fiber to keep things moving in your digestive tract. Aim for at least 8 cups a day, more if you’re active or live in a warm climate. I also love herbal teas like dandelion root, ginger, turmeric, milk thistle, and nettle leaf to provide additional detoxification support.

5. Give your gut an earlier bedtime
A 12+ hour overnight fast (for example, finishing dinner by 7pm and eating breakfast at 7am) activates the migrating motor complex — your gut’s built-in cleaning wave that works when you aren’t eating/digesting. You probably don’t need a 3-day juice cleanse; consistent overnight fasting (I recommend 12-16hrs) is one of the most research-backed gut reset strategies available. 

What to Skip: The “Detox” Products That Make Your Gut Cringe

Some detox products can actually disrupt the very gut ecosystem you’re trying to support. Laxatives and aggressive colon flushes can strip away the mucus lining of your intestines and reduce microbial diversity — the opposite of what you want. I understand the appeal of fast results, but you will save yourself a lot of time, stress, and yo-yo’ing by giving your body what it needs to support your natural processes: consistent fiber, hydration, and taking care of your beneficial bacteria.

Key Takeaways

Your body is remarkably good at detoxifying itself — it does it every single day. The most powerful thing you can do is stop overwhelming your system with ultra-processed foods, alcohol, stress, and body care products loaded with chemicals and start consistently feeding your gut bacteria and gut terrain that make the whole process work. Real detox isn’t a 3-day cleanse or even a 30-day program. It’s the fiber you build your meals around, the fermented foods you learn to love, and the 12-16 hour overnight rest you give your gut every night: it’s the habits you do consistently!

As a functional nutritionist, I don’t just help you to eat healthier: I help you create healthy diet and lifestyle habits.

If you’re ready to discover where your best health has been hiding, I’d love to connect with you!

Apply for a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session. http://bit.ly/schedulinghealth (subject to availability).

Wishing you unstoppable health,

~Rebecca

P.S. If you know someone who is ready to feel great & create health habits that stick, I would love to connect with them!

Please share my scheduling link with them so that they can schedule a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session with me.