MASTERING MAST CELL ACTIVATION SUMMIT

PREPARING FOR
YOUR DETOX

The Pre-Tox Protocol

Kelly McCann, MD
 Are you ready to detox? Slow
down, speed racer!

You want to get better ASAP. I get that. But you don’t
want to make the mistake millions of people are making
when embarking on a detox journey: jumping into a detox
protocol without proper preparation, not seeing long-
term results, maybe feeling even worse, then giving up
completely. I don’t want this for you.
Before embarking on a detox protocol, you need to
prepare your body appropriately through a Pre-Tox.

A Pre-Tox will help your body to cleanse on a cellular

level and prepare your organs for deeper detoxification.
This will ensure successful detoxification and long-term
results — and a healthier you with a smile on your face.

So how do you get started with a Pre-Tox? We’ll get into

that, but first, let’s talk about why it’s so important to
detox in the first place.

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What Are Toxins?
Wouldn’t it be nice to live in a world with clean air, clean
water, and healthy, nourishing food — without the risk of
toxins harming your health? Unfortunately, this is not the
world we live in. Our world is full of toxic chemicals. From
exhaust fumes to pesticides, you are exposed to numerous
toxins on a daily basis. But what are toxins anyway?

Toxins are naturally occurring substances created by the

metabolic activities of living cells or organisms, including
plants and animals, that are harmful to your health.
Toxicants may be naturally occurring, such as toxic metals,
but more often, these are synthetic, man-made chemicals.
There are two main types of toxins: exotoxins (outside of
ourselves) and endotoxins (made inside of ourselves).

The largest category of substances we are concerned about

are the toxicants, which are exotoxins. Electromagnetic
fields (EMFs) are not considered to be toxins or toxicants,
but they certainly have adverse effects on the body!

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 Exotoxins include:
Toxins
Mold mycotoxins
Botulinum toxin
Ciguatera toxins
Toxins from Algae blooms

Endotoxins are byproducts of normal metabolic processes

that are either not fully metabolized or are made in really
high quantities.

Endotoxins include:
Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from microbiome bacteria
Cytotoxins from Clostridia species that cause C.
Difficile infections
Oxalates
Hydrogen sulfide
Carbon monoxide
Byproducts of brain detoxification, the glymphatic
system
Ammonia

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Toxicants include:

Chemicals:
Pesticides - organochlorine pesticides - DDT and
organophosphate pesticides
Insecticides
Fungicides
Plastics - Bisphenols and phthalates
Formaldehyde
Persistent organic pollutants - polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs) and Dioxins
Flame retardants Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFOS and
PFAS)
Industrial solvents and volatile organic compounds -
Benzene
Radon

Toxic/Heavy metals:
Lead
Mercury
Cadmium
Aluminum
Arsenic
Thallium

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Where Do Toxicants Hide?
The most common places that toxic chemicals hide include non-organic
and overly processed foods and drinks, air (indoor and outdoor), soil,
municipal tap water, non-stick cookware, furniture, carpet, mattresses,
old paint, wallpaper, synthetic clothing, electronic equipment,
conventional cleaning, hygiene, body, and beauty products, plastic
products, medications, and especially in building materials.

Though this is a very long list, it doesn’t include all possible exposure
sources that these chemicals may hide around you. It’s important that
you educate yourself to assess your personal situation and your risks.

Here are some resources that may help you to assess your personal
environment and risk factors:
The Environmental Working Group
Think Dirty App
Good Guide
AirNow
EPA Air Quality Index (AQI)
Toxics Release Inventory (TRI)
Water Quality Portal
Environmental Working Group (EWG)'s Tap Water Database
Water Quality Mobile App
Building Biology Institute for Home Exposures
Toxics in Home Products Database (TIPHD):.
Healthy Building Source

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What Is the Problem with Toxicants
and a High Toxic Load?

No matter how careful you are, you will encounter chemicals every
single day. We all do. The problem is that all these exposures add
up over time, leading to a high total load. And often, the people
who have symptoms of these exposures are like the canaries in the
coal mine, revealing to the rest of the world that there are
problems in our environment.

Your toxic load refers to the amount of toxins, toxicants, and toxic
stressors your body accumulates through exposure. If you are
healthy, your detoxification pathways are functioning properly, and
your total toxin load is low, chances are, your body will be able to
handle daily toxicant exposures. But if you are dealing with chronic
inflammation and health issues, following poor lifestyle and dietary
habits, and your detoxification pathways are slow, daily toxicity can
lead to detrimental effects.

Your detoxification system is like the drainage system in your

bathroom. Just imagine letting the water run in your sink. At first,
it’s not an issue. It’s draining. But if there is a problem with the
drainage system, the water will have a harder time going down. If
you let the water run, the drainage system won’t be able to handle
it, and the water will overflow, causing a mess in your bathroom.

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The same thing happens in your body. At first, your body can
handle occasional toxic exposures. But chronic daily toxin exposure
without proper detoxification strategies will eventually clog up
your detoxification pathways, and your body will have an
increasingly difficult time handling the load. Over time, a high toxic
load and compromised detoxification may lead to chronic
inflammation, poor gut microbiome balance, chronic symptoms,
and health issues. If your detoxification system is impaired and you
are dealing with related health issues, even a low toxic load can
cause issues.

Imagine that your body is that sink. There are many different
varieties of sinks in the world. There are deep sinks with very large
drains and some very shallow sinks with tiny drains. Each one of us
is unique. Sometimes our genetics and our circumstances mean
that our sinks are shallow, and we have to work harder to keep up
with the demands of living on this polluted planet.

Even if you have challenges with detoxification and feel like you
are a canary in the coal mine, I got you. Keep reading!

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What Are the Organs of Detoxification?

If you're still wondering why proper detoxification is so

crucial and how it might be improved, think about all of
the organs that are responsible for this vital process.

Organs of detoxification include:

GI tract
Liver
Kidney
Skin
Lungs
Lymphatic system

This also means that these are all the avenues that we
can utilize to help eliminate the toxicants we are exposed
to regularly. More on this further on.

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What Is a Detox — And Why Do You Need It?

When patients come in and want to do a “detox”, my first

question is, what exactly do you mean? And part of this is that
there are sooo many different forms of detoxes and cleanses
out there that it is important to be speaking the same language.

Detox refers to the process of abstaining from and ridding the

body of unhealthy substances or toxins. Doing a detox basically
means that you are helping your body to eliminate accumulated
toxins and reduce your toxic load. But why do you need this?
Can’t your body do this without help?

The answer is yes - ideally. Your body is a smart and complex

organism with all kinds of systems to handle toxins and waste.
Here is the problem, though: our modern life has changed our
environment and increased our toxic load drastically. Our
bodies didn’t evolve to handle this toxic environment. The
environment now contains tens of thousands, if not hundreds
of thousands of chemicals today compared to about 500 in
1900, let alone millions of years ago when humans first
evolved.

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As a result of the chemical toxicants in our environment, our
bodies are exposed to these chemicals, and our toxin load has
dramatically increased within a relatively short time — and it
keeps increasing. In order to maintain health, you need to
support your body to reduce the burden of chemicals and other
toxins it encounters on a daily basis. By doing a Detox Protocol,
you are allowing your body to reduce exposures and dedicate
time to enhance your body’s natural mechanisms to release
more toxic chemicals than you are taking in, effectively
lowering your total toxic load, and supporting healing.

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Why Some People Can Handle Toxins and
Some Can’t?

Remember the sink analogy? Your unique ability to manage

exposure depends on your individual circumstances. To fully
understand your situation, it is important to explore not just your
symptoms, health, dietary and lifestyle choices, but also your family
history, genetics, and lab results, as well as to investigate your
exposures. You need to become a super sleuth, together with your
healthcare team, to explore and discover your exposures. Some of
the most common things that may affect how well your body can
detox include your genes, gene expression, your emotional state,
stress, and the structural integrity of your body. But knowing how
much and which kinds of chemical toxicants you carry in your body
will determine what methods of detoxification will be most
effective.

How would you suspect you have a toxic burden that

needs to be addressed? You have symptoms!

In fact, you may be symptomatic and have health conditions due to

exposures that are affecting both you and everyone around you.
Just because other people in your life don't currently have
symptoms doesn't mean they are not exposed. Their sinks are not
yet overflowing, but they, too, can benefit from this knowledge to
protect themselves from future health issues.

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Symptoms of Poor Detoxification

Symptoms of poor detoxification may include:

Fatigue
Insomnia or other sleep issues
Brain fog
Poor memory, poor concentration, and other cognitive issues
Headaches or migraines
Bloating, gas, and other GI symptoms
Weight gain and/or difficulty losing weight
Sugar cravings and cravings for overly processed inflammatory
foods
Fluid retention
Acne and skin issues
Dark circles under your eyes
Hormonal imbalance
Infertility
Muscle and joint pain
Chronic pain
Bad breath
Depression, anxiety, and mood imbalances
High or low blood pressure

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Medical Conditions Associated with
Poor Detoxification

Chronic health issues and medical conditions that may be

linked to poor detoxification may include:

Fibromyalgia
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Autoimmune disorders
Migraines and headaches
Lyme disease and other chronic infections
Leaky gut syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other digestive issues
Acne
Eczema and other skin conditions
Hormonal imbalance
Infertility
Mood disorders
Brain fog and other cognitive issues
Mast cell activation syndrome
Multiple chemical sensitivity
Electromagnetic frequency sensitivity

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The Problem with Most Detox Diets
and Cleanses

Detox diets and cleanses are incredibly popular. Yet most of

them don’t work as advertised. When I talk to my patients, I
tend to hear two experiences. Some of them feel better for a
few days or weeks after the detox, but then all of their
symptoms return. Others end up feeling worse during the detox
and never complete it, thus never seeing any improvements.

You want results. And you want long-term results. There

is no quick fix for all our ongoing exposures.

This means you need to detox on a cellular level, addressing

cellular inflammation. Cellular inflammation can lead to chronic
symptoms and, eventually, chronic disease. This means that
only targeting a main organ or two during a cleanse may not
work. You need to go deeper.

You also can’t just jump into a short detox, especially if you are
dealing with chronic health issues or leading an unhealthy
lifestyle filled with processed foods, stress, and poor sleep or
both! You need to prepare to detox or Pre-Tox.

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What Is a Pre-Tox?
A Pre-Tox is essentially a series of important steps to prepare your
target organs of elimination, including your GI tract, liver, kidneys, skin,
and lungs, for a detox protocol. This approach gently helps your body
to remove waste and toxins on a cellular level, preparing your body for
a deeper detoxification protocol. Once you complete your Pre-Tox and
eventually a Detox, your inflammation levels will be lower, and your
organs of detoxification will be able to do their job effectively again.

Why Is It So Important to Prepare

for Detoxification?
If you don’t prepare for detoxification, you can flare your underlying
conditions or even worsen your situation. For example, if your body
and your organs of detoxification are not ready, you may end up
holding on to even more toxicants, which may cause an elevation of
liver enzymes, worsening kidney filtration, GI blockages from extreme
constipation, and other issues further compromising elimination and
overall health.

The idea of a Pre-Tox is that our CELLS have to be ready for detox,
just as much, if not more, than our organs of detoxification. A Pre-Tox
can prepare your body on a cellular level for detoxification. It can make
your detox more successful and support long-lasting results.

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Does Everyone Need a Pre-Tox?
While everyone can benefit from a Pre-Tox, some need it more than
others. If you are dealing with signs of poor detoxification, chronic
symptoms, or chronic health issues, chances are, you need a Pre-Tox
before moving on to a Detox protocol.

You may need to Pre-Tox if you have:

Had problems with detoxing in Eczema or psoriasis
the past Allergies and asthma
A high degree of sensitivity Autoimmune conditions
MCAS and don’t tolerate many Fatigue and activity intolerance
foods or supplements Blood pressure issues
Known mold exposure or ongoing High cholesterol
mold exposure Brain fog
Known ongoing chemical Headaches and migraines
exposures Thyroid issues
An inability to sweat despite the Hormone imbalances
heat Mood disorders
Constipation Pain in muscles or joints
Dark circles under your eyes Liver or gallbladder issues
Edema/ fluid retention or Had a gallbladder resection or
puffiness in the face removal
Difficulty losing weight Cardiovascular disease
Trouble sleeping Neurological disorders
Brain fog
Skin rashes

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Pre-Tox: What to Do In Preparation
for a Detox?
So you are ready for a Pre-Tox, but don’t know how to get started.
Buckle up, we are going for a ride!! Of course, it’s always good to work
with a functional medicine practitioner for personalized guidance. But
if you are embarking on this on your own, here are some simple steps
you can take to Pre-Tox and prepare for your Detox.

Avoid or Reduce Your Exposure to

Chemicals and Toxins
Even before we begin to stabilize mast cells, we need to practice
avoidance as our first step of a successful Pre-Tox!

Reduce your exposure to the chemicals and toxins we discussed earlier.

Instead of conventional cleaning, hygiene, body, and beauty products,
focus on natural, organic, or homemade options. Reduce your use of
plastic and completely eliminate BPA-containing plastics. Improve the air
quality in your home with air filtration options. Clean up your water
source with water filtration options, and so on. You don’t have to do it all
at once. Start slowly, one by one. You can go through one type of
exposure every week until you have addressed as many as possible.
Educate yourself with the tools listed above and implement healthier
choices while you layer in other aspects of your Pre-Tox strategy.

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Stabilize Your Mast Cells
Reduce or, ideally, remove your mast cell triggers, including mold,
allergens, infections, chemicals and other toxins, heavy metals, smells
from chemical-filled products, medications, physical and psychological
stress, and hormonal changes.

Follow an anti-inflammatory diet, with greens, vegetables, sprouts,

herbs, spices, nuts, seeds, organic grass-fed meat, organic pasture-
raised poultry and eggs, and wild-caught fish.

Reduce high-histamine foods, histamine-liberating foods, and DAO

enzyme-blocking foods. Initiate other dietary strategies as needed, such
as low oxalate, low salicylate diets as needed.

Stress, a lack of exercise, and other poor lifestyle choices can add to
your histamine bucket and trigger mast cell activation. Getting enough
sleep, exercising regularly, and reducing stress is critical for your mast
cell health.

Add some mast cell-stabilizing foods to your diet, including quercetin-

rich foods, turmeric, onions, apples, Brazil nuts, nettle, chamomile,
ginger, peaches, watercress, pomegranates, peppermint, and fiber-rich
foods, if tolerated.

Try some mast cell-stabilizing supplements and medications, including

H1 and H2 blockers, quercetin, DAO enzymes, pycnogenol, perimine, or
other options that you find work well for you.

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Pay Attention to Adequate Fluid Intake

Drinking lots of water is part of the detox phase. Many people

forget that adequate fluid intake is a critical part of the Pre-
Tox phase — and everyday life. I recommend starting the day
with a big glass (16- 32 oz) of purified, filtered water. You can
add some lemon or lime juice, if able, to support digestion,
immune health and increase the alkalinity of your body which
enhances detoxification of certain chemicals.

Continue drinking purified water throughout the day, one glass

about every hour, aiming for 1 oz per kg of weight or ½ your
weight in pounds. You can add some lemon or lime juice,
cucumber slices, berries, basil, ginger, or mint for taste and
micronutrients. In addition to water, you may add some herbal
tea, green juices, green smoothies, and hydrating veggies and
fruits, such as cucumber, bell pepper, celery, berries, apples,
and citrus.

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Ensure Healthy Elimination
Supporting digestion and elimination is critical, especially if you have
constipation. To reduce constipation, increase your fluid and fiber intake
through fiber-rich foods and prebiotic fibers. Support your digestion with
probiotic-rich fermented foods and a daily probiotic supplement. Be sure to
move regularly which will help with the mobility of the GI tract. Some
people benefit from apple cider vinegar or betaine for improving acidity in
the stomach. Tudca can help reduce inflammation and support fat digestion.
Some folks need digestive enzymes. I personally love magnesium to
facilitate elimination. It also helps to relax your body and mind, preparing
for a deeper detox.

Homeopathic Drainage Remedies

Homeopathic drainage remedies may help mobilize and clean out the space
in between the cells where a lot of cellular debris and toxins reside. These
are usually well tolerated and very gentle. Desbio, Pekana, and Sanpharma
are great brands that offer homeopathic drainage remedies and detox
supplements. But it’s best to consult with a practitioner familiar with
homeopathic strategies to pick the right options and strategies for use of
these amazing products.

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Vagus Nerve Exercises
Your vagus nerve is one of the longest and most important nerves in
your body. It is intricately involved in so many facets of your health. It
is considered a cranial nerve, meaning it comes from the brain and it
innervates what is called the autonomic nervous system and regulates
so many aspects of your life. The vagus nerve is responsible for all
facets of digestion from chewing, and swallowing all the way down to
elimination. It is what allows your heart to pump and your lungs to
breathe without conscious thought.

When you are in a state of arousal such as fight, flight or freeze, your
sympathetic nervous system is dominant. You are ready to run from
the tiger or fight for your life. This is a critical function. Your ancestors
would not have lived long, if they didn’t have this appropriate response
to a stressful event. The human body is built for managing short
stressful events. But life today contains so many stressors, both real
and perceived, that many people now live in a constant state of
sympathetic overdrive. When in this sympathetic state, you can not
digest your most recent meal, think clearly, be creative, learn or HEAL.

The goal of stimulating the vagus nerve is to shift you into a relaxed,
parasympathetic state. If you are experiencing poor digestion, chronic
inflammation, sleep issues, mood imbalances, and other chronic
symptoms of a sympathetic overdrive, it is time to learn how to shift
your state of being, especially since the stress response also slows
down detoxification!

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Incorporate vagus nerve exercises to stimulate the vagus nerve and
move you into a parasympathetic state which will support gut motility,
improve elimination and reduce your stress ! Vagus nerve exercises are
a crucial part of your Pre-Tox protocol and preparing for a Detox.

Vagus nerve exercise may include:

Meditation
Breathwork
Gratitude
Chanting
Singing
Laughing
Gargling
Moving your body and exercise
Social connections
Bodywork
Acupuncture

There are many applications and devices on the marketplace for

supporting vagus nerve stimulation. Please see Dr Kelly's Resources
page for more details.

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Limbic System Retraining
Limbic system retraining goes hand in hand with vagus nerve exercises. Whereas the
vagus nerve is part of the autonomic nervous system, your limbic system is located in
your brain, and it is responsible for regulating your emotional responses, for learning, for
motivation but especially for turning your emotional experiences into long-term
memories. Oftentimes, the longer someone is experiencing illness and stress, the more
activated the limbic system becomes, perceiving danger everywhere. Limbic retraining is
a powerful process that helps to rewire neural pathways in your brain to ‘unlearn’ and
‘experience safety and joy’ enabling you to overcome chronic pain, fatigue, anxiety, and
other chronic emotional or physical health complaints.

Limbic system retraining exercises may include:

Meditation
Neuroplasticity
Somatic experiences
Supporting the release of endorphins through dancing, hiking, power walking, other
forms of exercise, experiencing safe forms of touch and connecting
Getting in the flow and being present
Positive affirmations
Addressing hidden aspects of yourself
Working with coaches

You may consider trying a limbic system retraining program. Some of the most popular
retraining programs are:

Gupta Amygdala Retraining™ Program (ART)

Dynamic Neural Retraining System™ (DNRS™)
Primal Trust
ANS REWIRE recovery program
VitalSide

Some additional tools include: Buteyko Breathing Method, and Lumosity Brain Game.

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Addressing Emotional Imbalances
and Trauma
Emotional imbalances and trauma can impact not only your mental
and emotional health but your physical health too. They may
increase the risk of chronic symptoms and health issues that can
impact detoxification. Continuing to address any underlying
emotional imbalances and trauma can only support your physical
and emotional health with the support of a therapist or other
appropriate mental health professional.

Manual Therapies
Your structural health may impact your digestion, elimination,
lymphatic flow, breathing, inflammation levels, stress levels, sleep,
and emotional health. Craniosacral therapy, fascial counter strain,
some forms of chiropractic, and especially osteopathic
manipulation can help put the body into proper alignment so your
tissues can drain more efficiently and effectively. They are also
great for calming your nervous system and reducing stress.

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Clean Up Your Diet and Sources of
Water

It’s time to clean up your diet — and your pantry. Remove

refined sugar, refined oil, gluten-containing food, in most
cases, cow’s milk dairy products, anything with artificial
coloring, artificial ingredients and additives, junk food, and
overly processed foods. Avoid deep-fried food and junky fast
food.

Fill up your kitchen (and your plate!) with healthy, anti-

inflammatory, nutrient-dense, ideally organic food. Greens,
vegetables, sprouts, fermented foods, herbs, spices, fruits,
nuts, seeds, gluten-free pseudograins, grass-fed meat, pasture-
raised poultry and eggs, wild-caught fish and seafood, and wild
game are your friends. Check out some healthy whole foods
recipes and start experimenting! Have fun!

Avoid municipal tap water right out of the tap. Get a water
filtration system, and make sure you only drink purified water.
If you have access to clean springs or mineral water, those are
some great options too.

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Begin a Gentle Movement Program
If you are already exercising regularly, great! If not, it’s not too
late to start. In fact, moving your body is essential for
detoxification and your health. Begin a gentle movement program.
Depending on where you are starting this may be walking, light
stretching, or slow yoga. As you improve, consider more vigorous
activities, including cardio and resistance training.

Consider Testing to Assess Your

Toxic Burden

Getting some lab tests done can help you to assess your toxic
burden, check your genetic variants (also called single nucleotide
polymorphisms (SNPs), and test for underlying health issues.
Working with a functional medicine practitioner can help with this
aspect, although there are fewer tests these days than were
available previously.

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Next Steps
Congratulations! You’ve completed the Pre-Tox step of your
detoxification health journey. You are ready for the Detox Phase!!!

Read the Detox handout to learn how to get started. You are on
your way to transforming your health. I’m so excited for you!

Remember, you are not meant to heal alone. If you need more
information on avoidance, consider registering for my MCAS
Masterclass in which we dive deeply into your environmental
exposures. If you are looking for more personalized guidance,
learn more about becoming a patient at the Spring Center here.

To Your health,

Dr. Kelly
Kelly K McCann, MD

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