Planning to Get Pregnant? Support Detoxification.

The word “detox” in popular culture often signifies something drastic, but detoxification is a natural bodily process. The hitch is that the world looks different as of the last century, putting an extra burden on our innate detoxification processes. We now have to deal with heavy pollution, processed food with manufactured additives and preservatives, endocrine-disrupting chemicals in our environment, and the list goes on.

What does detox have to do with pregnancy

When our body is overburdened and undernourished, fertility and pregnancy may suffer.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can throw a wrench in the harmony of hormone balance necessary for conception and growing a baby. Did you know there are over 700 estrogen-mimicking chemicals which can dramatically increase estrogen levels relative to other hormones? This disrupts the body’s balance of hormones, throwing off processes like ovulation, and contributes to conditions that challenge fertility like endometriosis. 

More broadly speaking, the accumulation of toxins in the body is a burden and disruptive. It’s a stress on the body, on the adrenals in particular, promotes and contributes to chronic inflammation, and depletes nutrients. 

All of the above makes fertility all the more challenging, and once pregnant a high body burden also impacts the health of the baby. Studies show that toxins in mama’s body can cross the placenta. The Environmental Working Group published a 2009 study that tested newborn umbilical cords and found 232 toxic chemicals.

When to support detoxification

Allow 3 or more months before trying to conceive. I would not recommend amping up significant detoxification support while pregnant or breastfeeding.

How to support detoxification

There are really simple everyday things you can do to support detoxification on your own. And every little bit helps, whether it’s a supportive practice you’re incorporating or a toxin you’re avoiding. This everyday support is safe even if you’re within 3 months of conception, pregnant or breastfeeding.

DIET

There are 3 key things to consider for your diet:

1. Hydrate. It’s not as simple as drinking 8 glasses of water each day. Learn more with the Ultimate Guide to Hydration. Tip: Start each morning with warm water with fresh lemon juice. Both hydration and fiber support elimination, which is the key conclusion to detoxification, and are critical detox support.

2. Get your fiber. Or perhaps more practically stated, eat your plants! Be sure to include at least 1 whole plant food in every single meal. Vegetables, fruits, whole grains (in whole grain form) and legumes all count. 

3. Reduce pesticide exposure. In the US, 70% of non-organic fresh produce is contaminated with high pesticide residue. I recommend getting familiar with the EWG’s dirty dozen list so you can swap for organic where it matters most.

LIFESTYLE

Reducing the toxic exposure in your home environment is one of the best things you can do. Consider exposures from: 

1. Kitchen plastic. The number one step I recommend taking to reduce accidental intake of sneaky endocrine disruptors from plastic is to eat and drink from glass, ceramic, cast-iron and stainless steel materials. Or at the very very least, avoid allowing the plastic container or utensil to come into contact with hot food or drink.

2. Toxins in your personal care products. The list of harmful substances in common personal care items is long. Check out the EWG’s skin deep to see how your products rank. If you’re trying to conceive or thinking about this soon, I recommend making swaps ASAP. Otherwise, aim to swap out personal care items as they run out, and soon enough you’ll be avoiding a large toxic load.

What else can I do?

Most people can benefit from extra detoxification support. Further support not only helps to prepare the body for pregnancy and to reap the benefits ranging from mental clarity and increased energy to better sleep. Going deeper than the simple, yet very important, everyday support requires careful consideration of the delicate balance between phases of liver detoxification, blood sugar stability and adrenal support. An intentional detoxification program, like Replenish & Reset: A 10 Day Real Food Reset, ensures there’s no harm done.

In Replenish & Reset, we reduce the burden of processed, inflammatory and toxic ingredients, while nourishing with the most potent healing foods and supportive practices to reset through a combination of rest and the healing power of food. I guide you each step of the way to replenish with fiber to feed the microbiome, with plant diversity for maximum antioxidants, and with key cofactors to fuel the busy liver. Learn more or reach out with any questions here. The waitlist is open for the next virtual group program coming up August 22 - 31, 2022. 

I discuss this topic, supporting detoxification for fertility health with Dr. Susan Fox, DACM, L.Ac., FABORM on her podcast, FUNdamentally Fertile.