Sometimes, surgery is necessary. To help you get through it a little easier and speed up your healing time, we have some suggestions that have worked time and time again, based on research and years of clinical experience.

There's a lot of hype about detoxing these days. While some trends are all hype, detoxing has definitely earned its spotlight. Before industrialization, humans had the privilege of living in relatively clean environments. There were no artificial chemicals in the forms of pesticides, solvents, synthetic additives and so on. Unfortunately, we modern humans can't get away from these things. BUT we can remediate their harm so that we can live a vibrant and healthy life. Here's where detoxing comes in.

Think of yourself as a cup. The more toxins you're exposed to the more your cup fills. When it is overflowing, inflammation and disease sets in. The goal is to lower the toxin load in the cup enough to allow your body's self healing mechanisms to keep you feeling your best.

In addition to environmental toxins, modernized living allows for a whole slew of other body burdens. Mold from water damaged buildings, candida overgrowth from high sugar and refined carbohydrate consumption, parasites from food and the environment, microbiome imbalances from the Standard American Diet, and chronic viruses from overburdened immune systems. Realistically, we can never completely empty our toxin cups, but the deeper we detox, the more crud we clear from the body. 

Deep detoxing is done in phases, systematically opening up the emunctories to release the crud. Emunctories are your detox pathways. These include the colon, liver, kidneys, skin, and lungs. When these function optimally, toxins may come into the body, but they'll also drain right out. When there's some sort of backup, the whole system suffers. Another great analogy is to think of your body as a funnel. If you pour toxins in too quickly, the funnel overflows. If there's a clog anywhere in the funnel, no matter how little is poured in, the funnel will overflow.

Ideally, our bodies function like the funnel on the left. But symptoms occur when we function like the funnel on the right, when toxins overflow from the emunctories and into the body. When the colon is backed up, the liver and bile ducts become congested. From here, toxins enter the bloodstream and get excreted through the skin, kidneys and lungs. Some toxins are meant to be excreted this way, through sweat, urine and breath. But too many of them result in conditions like eczema or acne, kidney diseases, or respiratory illnesses.

The detox protocols, designed by CellCore, are designed to be gentle, yet thorough. In phase 1, you open up the liver and the kidney pathways, to allow congestion to clear and toxins to begin to make their way out of the body. Importantly, you also support your mitochondria, the powerhouses of your cells. Many environmental toxins can cause the mitochondria to burn out. When this happens, the cells can't make enough energy to fuel you through your day. Without energy, the cells can't initiate detoxification processes. This is why your mitochondria are supported from the very start.

In phase 2, we bring the gut microbiome back into balance, supporting digestion and optimal nutrient absorption. In phase 3, we support your immune system, so that it can properly calm down the toxic inflammatory storm. In phase 4, we clear out all the environmental toxins, heavy metals, and radioactive elements which have built up in the body causing havoc. And, if necessary, in phase 5 we go even deeper into the immune system, fighting off chronic viruses that are taxing the body.

OK, if you've read this far, you're probably intrigued! Clearing out all the crud sounds like a great idea. Doing it in a systematic way, so that your funnel doesn't overflow anywhere in the process, sounds like the best way it could be done! So, what's the catch?

To effectively do this deep detox, you get to choose between *drum roll please* a four or a nine month long protocol. Now, before you start imagining what life would be like without ice cream for that long, we have some good news. The supplements in this protocol do the heavy lifting. Each month you're on a new set of supplements, aimed at clearing out more layers of crud. Yes, clean eating will facilitate the process. The less you pour into the funnel, the less that needs to drain. But on this detox, rigid eating is not required, and moderation is your best friend.

So, if you're ready to embark upon the deepest inner spring cleaning you've ever done, make an appointment with Dr. Lisa at Mountain River Naturopathic Clinic. She'll help you determine which protocol is right for you, answer all of your questions, recommend additional support or testing that might benefit your detoxifying journey, and be your guide throughout the entire process.

The American Association of Naturopathic Doctors (AANP) is the national professional association representing licensed and licenseable naturopathic doctors (NDs) in the US.
Licensed naturopathic doctors are trained as primary care providers, who emphasize patient-centered, preventive healthcare and are strong proponents of the principles of shared decision making.
 
NDs and the COVID-19 Vaccines
With broader eligibility and availability of the vaccine and increased distribution channels, the AANP strongly advocates that naturopathic doctors have access to, and be able to administer, the COVID-19 vaccine where it is within their scope of practice. Fundamental to AANP’s strategic plan is to advocate for NDs to be licensed and recognized to practice to the fullest extent of their education and training throughout the US. Naturopathic Doctors are educated on standards of care for immunization, and vaccines are one of many tools used by naturopathic doctors to protect against infectious diseases as reflected in the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges Core Competencies on Immunization Education.
 
The Role of Licensed Naturopathic Doctors in the Pandemic
Public health guidelines such as social distancing, hand washing, and mask wearing have been prioritized in the last year as the nation has struggled to understand the nature of this disease. Despite these measures, morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 continues to be alarmingly high. Certain populations, including individuals with pre-existing chronic disease, those without sufficient access to comprehensive healthcare service, and people of color are disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
Even with the new vaccines, there are currently still important unknowns, including whether the vaccine prevents asymptomatic transmission, how long vaccine protection will last, what the impact of the vaccine will be on untested populations such as much older adults, pregnant women and children, and the extent of risk of allergic reaction and adverse events.
Because of these unknowns, and the simple fact that there are also populations that are vaccine hesitant or for whom the vaccine is currently not recommended by the CDC, it is of utmost importance to pursue additional pathways to further decrease the spread and the negative consequences of COVID-19. These additional pathways should include:
1.    Adding naturopathic doctors to plans to combat COVID-19. Licensed NDs work collaboratively within all medical settings, and in regulated states, NDs are integrated into health systems in both primary and specialty settings. The World Naturopathic Federation outlines how naturopathic doctors can help change the trajectory of this public health crisis. There is an increasing body of research on naturopathic practice, including how care by licensed naturopathic doctors can lead to better outcomes in the conditions that predispose individuals to severe cases of COVID-19, including those patients with diabetes[1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6],[7],[8],[9], cardiovascular disease[10],[11],[12],[13],[14], obesity[15],[16] and more.
2.    Engaging naturopathic doctors to provide education about risk vs. benefit with vaccine-hesitant, vaccine-resistant individuals[17], as well as with other individuals who may not tolerate the current vaccines, or for whom the vaccine is not currently recommended by the CDC due to age or other reasons. These populations often seek care from naturopathic doctors and integrative medicine providers, who can help educate about vaccine safety and provide information related to vaccine ingredients, potential allergens, symptoms that may be representative of a healthy immune response, and potential adverse events.
 
Policy Changes That Need to Happen

1. Licensing NDs in all 50 states and US territories. Currently, 22 states, the District of Columbia, and the US territories of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands have licensing or registration for naturopathic doctors. This pandemic has vividly exposed the weaknesses in our healthcare system and its severe shortages of trained providers. In addition to managing chronic diseases that contribute to worse COVID-19 outcomes, naturopathic medicine is particularly well poised to provide supportive care to patients with mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19 to help them recuperate at home, freeing up hospital resources needed for the critically ill. Naturopathic doctors are also well equipped to contribute to primary care needs, including desperately needed mental health services.
   
2. We strongly urge every state to fast-track licensure of naturopathic doctors to the full extent of their education and training, and to engage NDs into healthcare teams to address lifestyle factors and underlying chronic diseases to ease the burden of emergency COVID-19 cases overwhelming our hospital systems.
   
3. Immediate funding for large multicenter clinical trials via the FDA’s Coronavirus Treatment Acceleration Program to evaluate natural medicine therapies that are low-cost, readily available, and that have already shown promising results in strengthening host immunity in similar viral infections. Some natural products to consider include: Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Zinc, Sambucus nigra, among others, as well as other strategies to support gut microbiota linked to improved outcomes for COVID-19.
4. Urging federal and state regulatory agencies to dialogue with integrative medicine providers to support freedom of speech and sharing of factual medical information for the purposes of expanding patient education about evidence-based, natural medicine approaches to the prevention and potential mitigation of COVID-19.

 
In summary, licensed naturopathic doctors play a valuable role as front-line, primary healthcare providers but are limited by lack of licensure in all 50 states. Their patient-centered communication, comprehensive training in prevention-oriented primary care, and unique expertise in evidence-based integrative and natural health, provides effective treatment of chronic diseases and supports immune health in a manner that may be able to lessen the burden of COVID-19 morbidity.