07/27/2025
💬 What Does It Mean When Your Therapist Says “You Have Toxins”?
Let’s clear the lymph fog on a phrase you’ve probably heard more than once:
“You have toxins in your body.”
But what does that really mean?
In the world of holistic and lymphatic therapy, “toxins” isn’t a vague scare word—it’s a shorthand for a very real and layered physiological reality. Here’s what’s really going on beneath the surface when a practitioner mentions it:
🧪 1. Toxins: The Scientific Breakdown
The word “toxins” in clinical or lymphatic settings usually refers to a build-up of metabolic waste, inflammatory byproducts, environmental chemicals, pathogens, or cellular debris that the body has either not cleared efficiently or is struggling to process.
These include:
• 🧂 Endotoxins – internal toxins from the gut (e.g. lipopolysaccharides from dysbiosis)
• 🦠Exotoxins – external sources like mold, pesticides, heavy metals, and pollution
• 🔥 Inflammatory byproducts – such as cytokines and histamines
• 💥 Cellular waste – from regular metabolism, immune responses, or tissue damage
🌿 2. Why the Lymphatic System Gets Involved
The lymphatic system is your body’s sanitation and drainage network. When someone says “toxins,” they often mean that:
• Your lymph is stagnant, not effectively draining cellular debris or inflammatory waste
• Your detox pathways (liver, kidneys, gut, skin, lungs) are overloaded or underfunctioning
• Your immune system is working overtime, and toxins are accumulating in tissues
This may show up as:
• Puffy face or underarms
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Fatigue or brain fog
• Skin breakouts or rashes
• Digestive discomfort
• Achy joints or low-grade inflammation
🔬 3. What We Actually See as Therapists
When we palpate or scan the body, we may feel:
• Thickened or sluggish lymph flow
• Heat or inflammation in drainage zones (like inguinal, axillary, cervical nodes)
• Fluid retention in fascia and interstitial spaces
• Liver or gut strain that points to poor elimination
• Tension in detox organs like the colon, gallbladder, or kidneys
This isn’t “woo” — it’s somatic feedback from a system that’s under pressure.
🧰 4. What Can Be Done About It?
If your therapist mentions toxins, they’re also likely encouraging one or more of these solutions:
• Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) to stimulate flow
• Castor oil packs over liver, gut or lymph zones
• Infrared sauna for skin-based detox
• Anti-inflammatory diet to reduce toxic load
• Hydration + movement to enhance natural drainage
• Supplements like binders, bitters, probiotics or magnesium depending on the source of the toxin build-up
❤️ Final Thought: Toxins Aren’t a Scary Diagnosis—They’re a Signal
Toxins aren’t “bad luck” or something to fear. They’re simply a call to action from your body, telling you that something is overloaded, stagnant, or inflamed. With support, your lymphatic system knows exactly how to handle them.
When we say, “You have toxins,” we really mean:
✨“Your body is asking for support so it can do what it’s designed to do—heal, clear, and flow.”✨
©️
