Detox support during wildfires

How to stay healthy when there is severe air pollution. The principles here would apply if you want to double down on detoxification for other reasons...

My heart is broken by the wildfires raging through California right now. My prayers are with those affected, and my deepest gratitude to the frontline staff, and volunteers who are saving lives. Praying the fires are contained soon.

Below, I'm sharing some updated tips to stay healthy if your outdoor air quality has been affected during this time. If you are new here, I send regular newsletters with helpful science-based tips if you want to stay in the loop on integrative health. 

P.S. I just got word that Air Doctor (the professional-grade air purifiers I use and love) has deepened the discount on the AD3500, the most popular model. You can now get $300 off via my affiliate link + Stack code “LAFIRE2” to get another 10% off, bringing the price to $296. (This is the lowest price I’ve ever seen them offer the AD3500.) I wanted to share this in case you are in need of a quality air purifier.

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1. Improving air quality in your home

Simple actions can go a long way:

• Take off your shoes when you come inside, this will reduce the tracking of particulate matter into your home. 

• Vacuum with a sealed HEPA filter and wipe down surfaces with a wet rag (i.e. damp dust) regularly (1-2x a week). I recently invested in a Sebo E3 as it's a sealed system with a HEPA filter. 

• Avoid fragranced products: no scented candles, or air fresheners and swap out household cleaners for non-toxic ones (I like and use Branch Basics (platefulhealth 15% off)

• Make sure to cook with the range hood ON as cooking, particularly at high temperatures can generate PM2.5. If you don't have one, consider investing in a portable air filter (see below) 

• Make sure you have recently replaced your HVAC filter at home (these should be ideally changed 2-3 months or so, sooner if you have allergies/respiratory conditions) - Look for a MERV rating as high as your HVAC system can handle, based on the manufacturer’s recommendation. (The higher the MERV the better the filtration, however, high MERV filters can cause issues with the HVAC so check your HVAC manual. Ideally, you want a MERV around 13, or more if your unit can tolerate it). 

• Last but not least, consider getting a CARB-certified portable air filter with a high CADR score for smoke. 

I personally use AirDoctor to filter my indoor air - and have 3 of them - They just dropped the price of the AD3500 (the most popular model) via my affiliate link and you can save another 10% on top with code: LAFIRE2 (for a few days)

• The most affordable PROFESSIONAL QUALITY air purifier I have found for the CADR it offers. Comparable units with similar CADR and functionality cost $800-1000.

• They have a larger size (AD5500) which is good for larger rooms: has a smoke CADR of 560 (excellent), filters 2170 sqf every 2 hours

• They also have a medium size (AD3000) which is good for bedrooms: Has a smoke CADR of 320 (very good!), filters 1262 sqf every 2 hours

• Please note that walls will reduce the effectiveness of the filtration and so ideally, the filter should be in the room you are in and not on the landing or a corridor. This is why I have 3 in our house, I bring it to the room I'm in, and perhaps the most important room is the bedroom where we spend 8+ hours per day. 

>> My affiliate discount link gets you up to $300 OFF here (Code:LAFIRE2 gets another 10% off the AD3500 model) <<<

Read on to see how I manage air quality when there are wildfires and what my protocols to ensure I am supporting my body as much as possible.

2. Check your air quality

The first rule of toxicology/detox is always exposure reduction. So, check the AQI in your area and if the air quality is poor, please stay indoors and keep the windows closed.

What is 'poor air quality? Well, it depends on your health status - for some, 50-100 may trigger asthma or cardiac events whereas other people can tolerate 150+ with little outward symptoms (even if there are no outward symptoms, there may be internal inflammation and oxidative stress going on, so please do keep an eye on that AQI and manage your activities accordingly)

Take a look at this chart below from the EPA. I personally avoid being outdoors if the AQI is above 100. If I have to be outdoors, I wear an N95 mask or P100 (make sure it is fitted properly and use a new one every day. People with lung and heart conditions need to check with their doctor before wearing N95 or P100 as these can make it more difficult to breathe). 

Check the air quality index in your area here. 

I’m not saying this to scare you - but I see people running outdoors without a mak when AQI is above 150, and this is concerning to me. We now have evidence in the scientific literature linking air pollutants like PM 2.5 (from wildfires, and also vehicle exhaust, cooking, industrial processes, etc.) - with many chronic diseases like cardiovascular, lung diseases, increased risks of stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, adverse birth outcomes, and even diabetes. So even if it may not 'smell bad', if the AQI is poor, avoid being outdoors, especially at a time when lung and immune health is paramount¹ 

3. Support your body:

This is particularly important if you know your natural detoxification systems may be suboptimal due to genetic variations like MTHFR, GSTM-1. 

What I'm sharing below is for education only and not to be taken as medical advice. Please consult your doctor before starting new supplements and making lifestyle changes. 

• Drink lots of water - LA water is currently not safe to drink, even if you have an at-home water purifier. Check with your local municipality for updates on water quality, but for now, bottled water is likely the safest option. This might change as local authorities get clarity on contaminants in the water. Aim to drink half your body weight in pounds in ounces of water daily (e.g., 130 lbs = 65 oz), unless you have heart or kidney issues. Add more if you exercise, sauna, or sweat a lot. My favorite water filters are linked in my website shop. website shop. 

• Eat antioxidant-rich foods - focus on getting in different colors of the rainbow + plenty of fiber. Frozen berries are an easy source, and so is matcha and green tea.

• Make sure you are pooping 1-2 times a day - this is a major way by which pollutants leave our bodies. 

Foods to get more of:

• Berries (frozen is just as good)

• Cruciferous - bak choi, broccoli, cabbage, daikon. The biggest bang for your buck here is going to be broccoli sprouts. It contains 2-50x more sulforaphane than normal broccoli. If you don’t like the taste or can’t grow them, this (up to 30% off) is a supplement that I take when I cannot access fresh broccoli sprouts.

• Quercetin-rich foods (my favorite is green tea/matcha-which also helps support liver detoxification, apple, onion, capers). When I'm traveling, I look for smoothies and always bring my own heavy metal + pesticide-tested matcha as it's an EASY dose of antioxidants. Matcha/green tea also supports liver detoxification. Get up to 15% off for life here. 

• Other things that may support the glutathione detox pathway (this is the master antioxidant in our body):  rosemary, rooibos, turmeric, ginger, garlic, and high-quality protein - I make teas with the first 5 which helps to add to my hydration too, and I love raw garlic in my salad dressings. 

• Fermented foods - your gut health is important in detoxification - get some kimchi, or sauerkraut in the fridge

4. Get enough magnesium and zinc

Sources include; leafy greens, nuts/seeds, cacao, pumpkin seeds, and supplement if necessary but consult a health care provider before use. Zinc can tip our copper balance, so I don't like long-term supplementation. But I take it when I need it. Check out my Magnsium article for the brands I take.

5. Get enough B vitamins including folate

These are needed to support detoxification - leafy greens, whole grains, nuts, and legumes (if you eat meat, liver is a super nutrient-dense source) - speak to your doctor if you need a supplement as some people need specific forms of B vitamins. I personally supplement with a methylated B complex every day. 

6. Increase your intake of Vitamin C.

Smoke, especially the ultrafine particulate matter causes widespread inflammation. Antioxidants can help counter some of the oxidative damage that leads to inflammation. Food is always the preferred source e.g. berries, bell peppers, camu camu, kiwi, but I also supplement when I can't get enough from my diet or if there is an increased demand. I like liposomal Vitamin C because it is absorbed better. I use Pique because it also comes with another antioxidant powerhouse, Elderberry, and doesn't require refrigeration. Another brand that does not need refrigeration is LivOn Labs. 

7. NAC (N-acetyl cysteine)

This is a precursor to glutathione (a master antioxidant). It can provide detoxification and lung support and I take this when I need the extra support during wild fires (I personally use Seeking Health NAC (Code: DRVIV10 for 10% off).

8. Liposomal Glutathione

Glutathione is not for everyone, some people have side effects, and we don't know how much oral glutathione gets to the target tissue... I prefer to support my detox organs with nutritional support that helps my body make glutathione instead (as above). However, if I was to take glutathione, I personally like the Quicksilver or Readisorb Liposomal Glutathione 

9. Liver supporting herbs

I also like to support my liver with herbs when the environment is particularly taxing: Milk thistle, Dandelion root, Burdock root, and turmeric are some favorites. The Liver Juice tincture (code: platefulhealth) combines all these herbs in one place and tastes good, and I often take it when traveling, because it is taxing on the liver. 

If you want a supplement that contains many of the different nutrients and herbs I talked about above, this one (code: platefulhealth) contains a lot of them - be sure to check with your doctor first.

10. Lung tincture

If I start to feel congested, or the smoky days persist and my lungs feel like they need supporting, I sometimes use this tincture with lung-supporting herbs. This is an option available on Amazon if you need a quick delivery.

10. Spend some time in a sauna or hot bath

If you have a sauna, use it if you don't have medical contraindications. If you don't have access to a sauna, take an Epsom salt bath instead and get sweating! I have had my Clearlight wooden sauna for 5 years and love it (Discount Code: Platefulhealth). I use my sauna 2-3x a week and more if I have had high environmental toxin exposures. Studies show that environmental toxins like heavy metals can be found in sweat.

Baths may not be ideal while water is so scarce. But I like adding Epsom Salts in my baths if I do take one (You can get Dr Teal’s from Costco at a good price) - this contains magnesium and could be one way to get some magnesium into the body although the absorption rate can vary from person to person.

11. Avoid things that tax our detoxification systems

Stay away from alcohol, inflammatory foods, and fragranced products. We want to take the load off our liver and kidneys so they can focus on getting rid of the air pollutants that do enter our bodies.  

12. Sleep

Prioritizing sleep can support our defenses against environmental threats. I know it's easier said than done... but letting go of that which is out of your control is important in situations like these. The pain is devastating, and sometimes I resort to breathwork or meditation to help regulate my nervous system.

On that note, I want to remind you that we DO have detox organs, and if we support our detox organs and reduce the amount of toxins going in, our bodies are resilient. You got this!

P.S. If you want to take a deeper dive with me on how to support your detox organs the RIGHT way, check out my signature course - DETOX RIGHT (use code “JOIN200” to get $200 off right now)

I'm an affiliate for some of the products linked on my website. I get asked about products I use and love all the time, and by being an affiliate, I can negotiate discount codes to share with you, plus earn a small commission if you use my code or link to purchase. This helps me to support my research so that I can continue to provide the content on my platform, thank you so much for your support.

Originally written August 8th 2021

1. World Health Organization, Air quality, energy and health, https://www.who.int/teams/environment-climate-change-and-health/air-quality-energy-and-health/ambient-air-pollution, accessed August 8th 2021