TOXIC LOAD: Are you Puffy, Swollen, Inflamed, and Bloated?

Perfectly Unfinished Conversations | It's Good Enough, Let's Go!

In this episode, Coach Jo and Coach Kim explore the critical topic of toxic load, which is accumulation of harmful substances in our bodies that can lead to inflammation, chronic illness, and many other health issues. They break down which kinds of substances are leading to these issues, what your body might be telling you about your toxic load, and how to reduce your exposure through small but powerful changes in your daily life.

One of the main focuses is how the body naturally detoxifies through four main pathways: urine, feces, sweat, and breath. The coaches share their personal struggles with inflammation and autoimmune conditions, illustrating how toxic load affects everyone differently. They identify the top ten toxic offenders—including everything from the typical villains like processed foods to more subtle ones, like scents and chronic stress—and offer actionable steps to reduce exposure without becoming overwhelmed. The episode emphasizes that while we can't eliminate all toxins, we can make informed choices to support our body's natural detoxification processes.

From choosing organic produce to improving air quality and managing stress, they pinpoint some of the worst contributors and share how their own personal experiences with limiting toxins has changed their families’ lives and health. They acknowledge the challenges of implementing changes while maintaining that small, consistent adjustments can lead to significant improvements in overall health and wellbeing.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Environmental Working Group (EWG) Dirty Dozen List
• EWG Product Verification Seal
• St. Francis Herb Farm Canadian Bitters

Contact Joely Churchill and Kim Berube | Iron Lab:

• Website: IronLabLacombe.com
• Instagram: Iron.Lab.Lacombe
• Facebook: IronLabLacombe
• Coach Jo Instagram: @CoachJoChurch
• Coach Kim Instagram: @CoachKimBerube
• Course: Metabolic Blueprint

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Transcript

Coach Jo 00:09

Welcome to Perfectly Unfinished Conversations, the Iron Lab podcast with Coach Jo…

Coach Kim 00:14

…and Coach Kim…

Coach Jo 00:15

Where you ride shotgun with us as we have raw, real, unfiltered, and unfinished conversations about trying to eat, sleep, train, and live with some integrity in a messy, imperfect life.

Coach Kim 00:27

We're all about creating a strong support system, taking radical personal responsibility, having fun, and being authentic. And one of the most common themes you're going to find in this podcast is the idea that we create positive momentum in our life, by doing what we call b-minus work.

Coach Jo 00:45

We’re making gains and getting ahead and loving life without self-sabotaging our goals by striving for perfection. We get it done by moving ahead…

Coach Kim 00:55

…before we're ready…

Coach Jo 00:56

…when we aren't feeling like it…

Coach Kim 00:58

…and without hesitation.

Coach Jo 1:00

Be sure to subscribe now on Apple or Spotify, so you don't miss a single episode. It’s good enough. Let's go.

Coach Jo 01:10

Welcome to Episode 19 of Perfectly Unfinished Conversations. And in this episode, we're talking all about toxic load. Are you puffy, inflamed. and bloated? We are going to address what is actually classified as toxic load to the body, and what kinds of things increase toxic burden on the body and why it's a problem and what you can do about it. Disclaimer: This is not medical advice. We are always recommending that you consult your own medical doctor, functional medicine practitioner, or naturopath and follow their recommendations. Today's discussion is education, and of course, some thoughts and opinions between us both, but we've also done our homework to support this subject matter. These aren't “woo woo” or conspiracy claims. These are now proven facts that are creating major implications for our health and for the health of our children. So holy shit, Kim, where do we begin?

Coach Kim 02:09

I think it's a good place to start with just why this conversation is so important. Like someone could say, stay in your lane, ladies, but I see my lane as proactive and preventative: long-term, optimal health care. And so there's this term that exists, which has been coined to describe our current model of health care, which is unfortunately, “sick care”, that our medical system has become one that is only ever responding to sickness, muting and managing symptomology, and never actually supporting or optimizing health. And so let's be frank, while we know a lot of health professionals and doctors who take their jobs very seriously and are very deeply caring about their patients and people, and who are also concerned about the unprecedented epidemic of chronic illness, which is mostly metabolic in nature. Like. we still recognize that there are limits to conventional health care.

Coach Jo 03:14

Remember, most people see the word metabolic or metabolism, and we only think about weight— weight up or weight down. Your metabolism is the finely tuned symphony of chemical reactions, hormones, and energy use that tells your body how to run effectively, efficiently, and perfectly the way it was designed to. You were designed to clean yourself (detoxification). You were designed to fight illness and disease (immunology), and you were designed to regenerate and heal and grow and thrive, hopefully enjoying a vital and productive lifespan. But we've never seen so much chronic illness, general unwellness, and mental health troubles. Something is desperately fucking wrong, and we're ignoring the signals. Now, one of the things Kim and I teach in the Metabolic Blueprint program that we run is that it's more than just food, guys. This is why we won't give out any strict, calorie controlled food plans, like ultimately, we want you to nourish and hydrate, build muscle and manage your stress load, because stress is a real killer, guys. We still have so many people coming to us saying, I need you to motivate me. I need you to kick me in the pants and the ass and tell me what to eat. I must be eating too much. I just need to work out really harder. Meanwhile, their nervous system is highly taxed. They are drinking too much coffee and eating way too many processed foods. They don't like water, and are dousing themselves in chemical soup, staring into their phones until late at night, and saying that they just can't sleep.

Right.

Coach Kim 04:50

So you can always trust us to give it to you straight up. And I think it's important to understand that none of us are getting away wi...