October 13, 2025 • 29 mins
Your skin isn’t being difficult—it’s doing its job. When the liver, gut, and lymphatic system slow down, your face becomes a billboard for what’s happening inside: jawline breakouts, morning puffiness, and that hard-to-name “tired” look that no serum seems to fix. I pull back the curtain on how detox actually works, why perimenopause ramps up the load, and the simple, sustainable habits that restore flow so your glow returns.
In this episode I walk through the four key players—liver, gut, skin, and lymph—and translate biology into daily choices. You’ll learn how fluctuating oestrogen, reduced bile flow, lower muscle mass, and stress can jam your internal exits, and why constipation is often the first domino to address. From cruciferous veg and sulphur-rich foods to honest hydration and alcohol minimisation, I map the food-first steps that lighten the liver’s queue. I then get practical about gut health, choosing prebiotic and probiotic foods over processed “probiotic” products, and using movement—walking, yoga, bouncing, legs-up-the-wall—to power the pump-less lymph system. Sleep takes centre stage too, because nightly repair and waste clearance are where a lot of the magic happens.
If bringing back your natural glow sounds good, hit follow, share this with a friend who needs it, and join the wait list for my new 8 week group program - In Your Skin - via the link in the show notes. Got a question or an aha moment? Message me on Instagram—let’s keep the conversation going.
Are you a woman feeling stressed, flat and experiencing the challenges of perimenopause?
It’s time to reclaim your youthful energy, radiance and self-assurance (and your ideal weight).
I’m here to help with my proven method.
Here's how I can support you -
1. Hit your health and wellbeing goals this year, balance your hormones and lose weight with your own personalised protocol, based on your body's biochemistry. Sounds awesome right!! Book a free 30 minute Peri Weight Loss Assessment with me so we can discuss your health and wellbeing goals and also see how I might be able to support you. Book your call here.
2. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook - @the.perimenopause.path
3. Join the waitlist for my innovative NEW 8 week group program, In Your Skin™️, for women in perimenopause and post-menopause who want effective solutions to manage skin changes at this time of life.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Hi, I'm Susie Garden and this is the Ageless and
Autumn Podcast.
I'm an age-defying naturopathand clinical nutritionist and
I'm here to bust myths aroundwomen's health and ageing so
that you can be ageless andawesome in your 40s, 50s, and
beyond.
(00:20):
The Ageless and Awesome Podcastis dedicated to helping women
through perimenopause andmenopause with great health, a
positive mindset, and outrageousconfidence.
Hit subscribe or follow now andlet's get started.
Hello, gorgeous one, and welcometo this week's episode of the
Ageless and Awesome Podcast.
(00:41):
I'm Susie Garden.
I'm really excited today tocontinue the Skin Health series
that I started a few weeks ago.
I just had a little um kind ofexit out of that last week
because I forgot about thepublic holiday.
So we did a rerun episode lastweek, but we're back on skin
this week.
The launch of my new skinprogram in your skin is
(01:06):
imminent.
So if you're interested, get onthe wait list.
The link is in the show notesbelow.
And uh yeah, I'd love to see youin there.
So this week we're gonna talkabout uh something that is one
of my favorite topics, actually,because many women don't even
think of this particular thingwhen their skin isn't optimal.
(01:30):
You know, they're looking atskincare, they're looking at
what am I eating.
But actually, what I'm gonnatalk today is detox pathways,
what they actually are, how theycan get sluggish, how that shows
up on your skin.
And that can be things likebreakouts, dullness, or just
looking, you know, where yourglow has just kind of
(01:52):
disappeared.
So if you're if you've everwondered why your skin seems to
be working against you, evenwhen you're eating well, using
great skincare, doing all thethings, this episode is going to
connect some dots for you.
So I hope you enjoy it.
Interestingly, I had a clientjust last week who's going
through a detox uh period aspart of her glow protocol, and
(02:15):
she said to me her skin'sbreaking out.
It was actually quite bad, andshe didn't know why.
But then it cleared prettyquickly, and it was a reminder
for me that something that Itake for granted that everyone
knows about isn't necessarilythe case.
So I'm really excited to sharethis apps with you today.
So let's firstly talk about whatyour detox pathways are, what
(02:38):
they actually do.
And I do want to start with thebasics because detox is one of
those words that's been reallyhijacked by hype and marketing.
And I'll be honest with you, Iall through my conventional
medicine career, I thought itwas a complete scam.
I've said that on this podcastbefore.
(03:00):
I just thought, you know, ityour body detoxes itself.
You don't need something todetox you, it's just another way
for people to make money.
And honestly, part of that isthe truth.
Your body does detox all of thetime, all day, overnight, while
you're asleep.
You don't need a glue, a juicecleanse or a fancy powder to
(03:24):
make that happen.
But, and here's the big one thatI didn't fully understand before
I did my second degree.
Um, your detox pathways can slowdown, they can get congested,
and this is particularly duringum perimenopause, but also can
happen in menopause as well.
Um, so let's start with what doI mean by pathways?
(03:48):
So these are, I guess, thesystems that your body uses to
break down and eliminate waste,because detox is closely linked
to waste and you know, bringingbreaking down our waste products
to get them out of the body.
And waste products I'm talkingabout are things like they can
be hormones, they can beenvironmental toxins, like you
(04:09):
know, think about when you'refilling your car with fuel,
getting, you know, that residueon your hands.
Um, if you're taking somepharmaceutical or other drugs,
um things you put in your skin,skin creams that might have
chemicals in them, and metabolicbyproducts, so the the things
that you know, the byproducts ofprocesses that happen inside the
(04:29):
body.
And you have a number of organsof detoxification.
I'm not going to go through allof them today.
I'm just gonna go through thekey players.
So, number one, you would haveheard, is of course, your liver,
your body's main detox organ.
It filters, it neutralizes, itpackages up toxins and excess
(04:52):
hormones for removal.
And it's got you know a coupleof different phases, it's quite
complicated.
I remember when I learned thisuh doing my nutrition degree,
and it was just like such a bigtopic.
There's so much that your liverdoes, particularly when it comes
to detoxification, and it'ssuper important.
(05:12):
So it's a big player when we'retalking about detox.
And probably number two, andit's closely linked to the
liver, is your gut.
So that's where all that wastegets excreted, right?
Into the toilet.
So if your digestion's sluggishor your microbiome isn't very
happy, it's out of balance,those toxins can actually get
(05:35):
reabsorbed.
And that in particular can causeissues with excess estrogen.
Again, you can see why this is aproblem in perimenopause in
particular, sometimes menopauseas well.
Your skin is probably the thirduh most important organ.
It's actually your skin'slargest, sorry, your body's
(05:57):
largest organ, regardless.
The skin is the body's largestorgan, but it's also the body's
largest organ of eliminationwhen you're looking at actual
sheer size.
When the liver and the gut areoverloaded, which is probably
what happened in my client lastweek, the skin steps in as a
backup detox organ.
(06:18):
And that's when you'll seethings like skin breakouts in
particular.
And number four that I'm goingto discuss today is your
lymphatic system.
You may not know a lot aboutyour lymphatic system, it's
actually really important.
It's the body's drainagenetwork, it helps clear cellular
waste and inflammation from thebody, or products of
(06:40):
inflammation, I should say.
So when these systems are allworking really efficiently, you
feel light, you feel energetic,your skin glows, it's happy
days.
But when they're sluggish, yourbody tries to compensate, and
often your skin pays the pricefor this.
And often, obviously, being anexternal organ, that's where we
(07:03):
might notice that as well.
So let's talk about how sluggishdetox might show up on your
skin, you know, because this iswhere so many women have issues
and either get confused or notunderstand what's going on.
Because you know, you might beusing some fantastic skincare,
(07:27):
you might be eating all of theright foods, eating your
veggies, getting your five andtwo, your five serves of veg,
your two serves of fruit,drinking all your water, but
your skin might just still lookdull, blotchy, red, uh, sallow,
getting breakouts, particularlyaround the chin or the bottom
(07:50):
thirty of your face.
And here's what's reallyhappening underneath.
Well, let's talk about breakbreakouts first.
And often when we see breakoutshappening in that lower third of
the face and along the jawline,that's where we tend to think it
could be a hormonal kind of uhcause.
(08:11):
It often points to sluggishdetox of estrogen metabolites in
the liver.
And during perimenopause, ourhormone levels, particularly
estrogen, fluctuate wildly.
And when your liver just can'tkeep up, or if you're
constipated, uh excess estrogenwill recirculate, and that
(08:34):
hormonal congestion shows up onthe skin.
Uh, can be sort of deep cysticpimples that seem to appear
overnight, linger for ages, itcan be even boils, it can be all
kinds of like itching can beanother one.
Like it's just something thatit's no one will no one wants.
(08:56):
No one wants this.
Um, so that's breakouts.
You can also just get a reallydull skin tone because when
detox slows down, circulationand lymph flow are affected.
And you might notice yourcomplexion just kind of looks
sallow, flat, dull.
(09:17):
People might tell you you looktired.
And that's your body saying,Hey, I'm trying to move the
waist out, but the exits areblocked.
You may get redness orirritation.
You know, if your gut or liverare struggling, your immune
system can become more reactive.
And that can show up as, youknow, a flare of rosacea, uh,
(09:37):
skin sensitivity, random skinflare-ups like itching or
rashes, particularly maybe evenafter eating certain foods or
using skincare products thatperhaps they never used to be a
problem for you, but all of asudden they are.
Um, and then another thing ispuffiness or under-eye bags.
(09:57):
And, you know, that's congestionsometimes, like nasal
congestion.
It can be lymphatic, stagnation.
I know, you know, like I thinkwe've probably all had that
experience where you wake up andyou're like, oh my gosh, my
eyes, what's going on?
And if you're not sort of alittle bit, sometimes that
happens certainly to me inallergy season because I get hay
(10:20):
fever.
So, you know, sometimes it couldbe an allergy type situation and
congestion, or sometimes it'slymphatic stagnation.
And when your body can't clearfluids efficiently, it often
shows up as puffiness, andespecially in the morning,
because gravity is part of ourlymphatic drainage.
(10:42):
As you may or may not know, thelymphatic system doesn't have
its own pumps, like you know,veins and arteries.
We have the heart is pumping theblood through that.
But the lymphatic system doesn'tactually have its own pump or a
way to move.
So it's muscular contractions,that's why movement's really
important, and uh gravity.
(11:04):
So if you've been lying flat allnight, that fluid can build up.
That's why you'll often see itin the morning and not so much
at night.
So while you might be thinking,oh, I need to get a new serum,
what your body's really askingfor is support from the inside
out.
So let's talk about why detoxslows down in perimenopause.
(11:26):
And I did kind of allude to itbefore, um, but this is really
key because your detox capacitynaturally shifts with age and
hormonal changes.
And this is somewhere withsomething that when we
understand this, we can dothings to really help to support
detox in our body so that itstarts working effectively.
And this not only helps ourskin, it helps our hormone
(11:51):
balance, it helps our guthealth, it helps our brain
health.
Like it's just it's just so goodfor so many different parts of
our body and our health.
So this is particularlyimportant.
So the reason why our detox canbe impacted negatively in peri,
particularly, is the estrogenmetabolism changes.
(12:14):
You know, we have thisfluctuating estrogen, and our
liver has to work harder toprocess that.
Reduced bile flow is anotherone.
So bile uh breaks down fat.
And as oestrogen declines, bileproduction can slow down, making
it harder to eliminate toxinsvia the gut.
(12:34):
Um because you know, we startlosing some of our muscle mass
during this time, our metabolismwill slow because the more
muscle mass you have, the uhhigher your basal metabolic
rate.
So you're burning more fuel atrest.
So your metabolism is a littlefaster.
If you're losing muscle, thenyour metabolism slows down.
(12:56):
This is one of the reasons thatmuscle mass is a really
important focus when you're inthis time of life.
And when you've got this slowermetabolism, it can and lower
muscle mass, it can reducecirculation and lymph flow.
Remember, I said before that themuscles help move lymph along.
So the waist can move moreslowly.
(13:17):
That's why you can getpuffiness.
Um, stress is another factorbecause elevated cortisol shun
resources away fromdetoxification.
Also, nutrient depletion, youknow, years of stress, uh
dieting, processed foods inparticular, uh, alcohol can
(13:37):
leave you low in key nutrientslike B vitamins, magnesium,
zinc, amino acids, which are thebuilding blocks of protein, all
of which are essential for liverdetox.
So you need to get the rightnutrients to actually perform
these tasks in the body.
So it's not your imagination.
Your body really is workingharder to maintain balance.
(14:02):
But the good news is you havesome control here.
You can absolutely support thesepathways naturally and
effectively.
You don't necessarily have totake expensive supplements to do
that.
So let's get practical.
What can you actually do to helpyour body detox efficiently
again and get your glow back?
(14:22):
Um, here are my top kind oflevel strategies.
So liver support, obviously, itwould be number one.
And that's eating the kind offoods that have the nutrients in
them that support your liver.
So cruciferous veg fall intothat category.
So things like broccoli,cauliflower, kale, cabbage, they
(14:47):
contain certain phytochemicalsor nutrients, compounds,
whatever you want to call them,that help your liver safely
metabolize hormones.
Stay hydrated.
Your liver needs water to flushout toxins.
And water is your best uh betfor hydration.
(15:08):
I'm seeing a lot of peoplecoming through at the moment
that I'm talking to potentialclients and clients that I'm
working with that are intoprotein water and having protein
water in between meals.
Look, there may be a place forit.
Generally speaking, you don'tneed to have protein water.
You should be able to getprotein from food.
(15:31):
Um, I know there's a lot of talkabout women in peri and
postmenopause needing additionalprotein.
That's absolutely true.
Um, generally speaking, youknow, there's a there's a few
different calculations around.
I'm going to go through all ofthat in the in your skin program
because it's a little bitcomplicated.
But staying hydrated really justmeans with water, not water with
(15:52):
other things in it.
Because that potentially cangive your liver just other
things that it needs to detox.
Uh minimize alcohol, yet again,that old chestnut.
Alcohol is just not our friendin peri and postmenopause.
You know, they compete for detoxcapacity.
(16:13):
I remember getting taught at unithat that that once you have
alcohol in your system,basically a lot of your other
normal processes will stop andthe body will focus on
detoxifying that alcohol becauseit is a toxin, it is a poison.
It will focus on that and otherthings will stop.
So uh you've got to minimizethings like alcohol and
(16:34):
processed foods, particularly ifyou're wanting to look up after
your, well, just your generalhealth, but also your skin.
Uh, include foods that are richin sulfur.
So any foods that smell likesulfur have sulfur.
And things like eggs, garlic,onions, they help boost phase
two liver detox, which is reallyimportant.
(16:56):
Um, also, antioxidant-rich foodsare also gonna really be helpful
in supporting your liver.
There are a number of otherthings, but they would be my top
ones.
Uh, secondly, supporting yourgut health.
Yes, you know how much I lovegut health.
So aim for 25 to 30 grams offiber a day.
That's, you know, gonna helpkeep you regularly emptying your
(17:20):
bowel, and that's how toxinsexit your body.
So 25 to 30 grams of fiber andgood hydration is really gonna
help that.
Um, if you are someone that'sconstipated, work on that first.
Nothing else will move properlyuntil that is resolved.
So that would be your number onepriority if you're constipated.
(17:44):
Unfortunately, oftenconstipation can be a sign of
excess estrogen.
So that gets complicated, andthat's where you may need the
help of a practitioner tosupport you with that.
Um, but yeah, if you'reconstipated, work on that first.
Um, eat a variety of prebioticand probiotic foods, and I'm
(18:07):
using the word foods, not takingrandom probiotics.
So have a variety of prebioticand probiotic foods to keep your
microbiome happy.
Now, I this is general advice.
If you have a specific guthealth issue, you need specific
gut health advice.
This is not what this is, okay?
I just want to put that caveatout there that if you've got
(18:27):
something, if you've got IBS, ifyou've got chronic constipation,
chronic diarrhea, IBD, any othersort of gut health condition,
you need to have specific adviceto help you with that.
All right, because for somepeople, you don't want to have
too much fiber if you'rechronically constipated.
(18:49):
That may not be the issue.
You may need to work on motilityof the bowel.
That's a very differentapproach.
So it's really important thatyou are getting individual
advice for your individual umconcerns.
I just want to put that outthere.
Um, but generally, if you've gotnothing, no problems in that
area, eating a variety ofprebiotic, and that's prebiotic
(19:10):
foods are just foods, they'revegetables mainly, and some uh
starches and probiotic foods,things like your yogurt and your
kombucha and your kefir, butremembering always in
moderation.
And I would really stick tothose kinds of probiotic foods.
I see so many um, oh my gosh, somany random foods now, processed
(19:35):
foods that have got probioticsadded to them.
I've seen probiotic breakfastcereal, probiotic spreads.
It's like that's just dressingup processed foods, trying to
make it look healthy, and it'snot.
So go for your natural probioticfoods, your fermented foods to
(19:57):
keep your microbiome happy.
Um, activating your lymphaticflow would be number three.
So that's actually really easy.
Just moving will help a lot.
So walking, yoga, um, jumping upand down on a trampoline.
Um, you know, this all helps tomove lymph.
(20:21):
And that is really important.
Even just things like, you know,I'm I'm I always record my
podcast standing up.
I'm lucky enough to have asit-stand desk, and I really
feel it.
If I sit all day, I really feelit in my hips, in my pelvis.
My body does not like sitting,my body likes moving.
And just as I I know I'venoticed when I first started
(20:45):
standing, sorry, I'm going offon a tangent here, how much I
move when I'm standing at mydesk, like you know, just moving
from leg to leg, doing a littlebit of tree pose, if you know
yoga.
Um, it really helps me move, andthat's definitely moving lymph.
Um, and I think if you if you dodo yoga or even if you don't,
(21:08):
you've probably heard of legs upthe wall.
That's a really good way,particularly if your job
requires you to stand all day.
I'm lucky I have the choice.
But if you're in retail, ifyou're a nurse, if you're in a
job where you are standing themajority of the day, I've done
both of those jobs, and yourlegs get really, really tired.
(21:30):
And so legs up the wall reallyhelp to move fluid and lymph
back towards the heart where itcan then go through and exit the
body.
Um, you've probably all heard ofdry brushing before your shower.
There are some gloves that youcan use in the shower.
Um, you can, if you want, finishyour shower with about 30
(21:52):
seconds of cool water tostimulate circulation.
There are a number of benefitsof cold showers.
Um, I'm not a massive fan justpersonally, because I just don't
like being cold.
But it's definitely something ifyou quite like that, then you
can try that.
And the fourth thing I'm goingto talk about is just nourishing
(22:12):
your skin from the inside out.
Yes, there's things you can doon the outside of the skin, but
it's the inside that makes thebiggest difference.
So getting plenty ofantioxidants like berries, green
tea, leafy greens, that kind ofthing, including omega-3 fats in
(22:33):
your diet, like chia seeds, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, salmon, um,
those sorts of things to calminflammation really help.
Sleeping, sleep, prioritizingsleep.
Your body does most of its detoxand repair overnight.
And it's probably another reasonin perimenopause in particular
(22:54):
that women can struggle a littlebecause often our sleep is
really impacted.
And postmenopause as well.
So that would probably be athing, actually.
I'd say number one would be ifyou've constipated, get that
sorted out.
And number two, if you're notsleeping, that's a huge priority
(23:16):
for so many reasons, detox beingjust one of them.
And I guess finally, I justwanted to say detox isn't about
starving yourself.
It's not about doing a juicefast.
That's it's something that thatis perpetuated in the media that
detox is about doing somethingradical.
(23:36):
It really isn't.
It's about creating flow,essentially.
When your detox pathways areopen, moving, your skin
naturally glows because yourbody's energy isn't bogged down
by waste.
So, you know, you want to beeating the right foods, drinking
lots of water, moving your bodyand not starving yourself.
(24:00):
I mean, occasionally, I will sayyou don't have to have expensive
supplements.
Sometimes it is helpful,particularly if you do have a
lot of symptoms.
If you've got a lot of skinsymptoms like breakouts,
redness, itching, uh, if you'vegot fatigue, if you're trying to
lose weight and that weight'sjust not coming off very fast,
(24:20):
then sometimes having a bit of asupplement can help.
It's something that you justkind of take short term.
You don't need to be on a greenspowder every single day if your
diet is good.
So I did want to just pop thatin there as well.
So if I just summarize, if yourskin is feeling dull, congested,
(24:40):
like it's lost its glow, ifpeople are telling you you look
tired, it's not just a surfaceissue.
Your skin is communicating withyou.
It's saying it needs attention.
Um, and when you support yourliver, your gut, your lymphatic
systems, your body can do whatit's designed to do naturally,
(25:03):
which is cleanse, repair, renew.
And that's why detoxification isone of the key pillars inside my
new In Your Skin program.
We go beyond skincare.
I'm going to talk a lot aboutskincare though, um, but we also
go beyond that into the rootcauses that affect how your skin
looks, feels, and ages.
(25:25):
Because glowing skin is not justa product of what you put on
your face, it's a reflection ofwhat's happening inside.
And that's why I've called it InYour Skin.
Uh, it is a group program, it'sgonna go for eight weeks.
I'm hoping to release it inabout two weeks' time.
(25:45):
So, watch this space.
And if you loved this episodeand you're ready to bring back
your natural glow, you canactually join the wait list for
In Your Skin.
There's a link in the shownotes.
Uh and yeah, I'll be sending outemails probably this week just
giving a bit more aboutinformation about it.
(26:05):
Uh so yeah, I think that's itfor today.
Uh, if you found the episodehelpful, please share it.
I love it when people share mypodcast on their stories and tag
me at the Perimanopause Path.
It's really, it makes my day.
Uh, because I'm literally just,you know, in my room, I've got,
(26:26):
in my clinic room, I've got mytwo dogs here.
I'm just talking into mymicrophone, hoping someone's
listening.
So it is lovely when I do getfeedback like that.
So thank you for spending thistime with me today.
Um, remember your skin is amirror of your inner health, and
when you support your body withthe right nourishment, with
(26:47):
love, with movement, your glowwill return naturally.
Thanks so much for joining me onthe Ageless and Awesome Podcast.
If you would like this episode,please make sure you click the
little post button if you're onApple Podcasts, or the follow
button if you're on Spotify, sothat you get each new episode
delivered to you every singleweek.
(27:08):
If you feel like writing me afive star review, you would
absolutely make my day.
If you found this episoderesonated with you, head over to
my Instagram and DM me at thePerimetopause Park.
I would love to connect withyou.
Hi, I'm Susie Garden and this is the Ageless and
Autumn Podcast.
I'm an age-defying naturopathand clinical nutritionist and
I'm here to bust myths aroundwomen's health and ageing so
that you can be ageless andawesome in your 40s, 50s, and
beyond.
(00:20):
The Ageless and Awesome Podcastis dedicated to helping women
through perimenopause andmenopause with great health, a
positive mindset, and outrageousconfidence.
Hit subscribe or follow now andlet's get started.
Hello, gorgeous one, and welcometo this week's episode of the
Ageless and Awesome Podcast.
(00:41):
I'm Susie Garden.
I'm really excited today tocontinue the Skin Health series
that I started a few weeks ago.
I just had a little um kind ofexit out of that last week
because I forgot about thepublic holiday.
So we did a rerun episode lastweek, but we're back on skin
this week.
The launch of my new skinprogram in your skin is
(01:06):
imminent.
So if you're interested, get onthe wait list.
The link is in the show notesbelow.
And uh yeah, I'd love to see youin there.
So this week we're gonna talkabout uh something that is one
of my favorite topics, actually,because many women don't even
think of this particular thingwhen their skin isn't optimal.
(01:30):
You know, they're looking atskincare, they're looking at
what am I eating.
But actually, what I'm gonnatalk today is detox pathways,
what they actually are, how theycan get sluggish, how that shows
up on your skin.
And that can be things likebreakouts, dullness, or just
looking, you know, where yourglow has just kind of
(01:52):
disappeared.
So if you're if you've everwondered why your skin seems to
be working against you, evenwhen you're eating well, using
great skincare, doing all thethings, this episode is going to
connect some dots for you.
So I hope you enjoy it.
Interestingly, I had a clientjust last week who's going
through a detox uh period aspart of her glow protocol, and
(02:15):
she said to me her skin'sbreaking out.
It was actually quite bad, andshe didn't know why.
But then it cleared prettyquickly, and it was a reminder
for me that something that Itake for granted that everyone
knows about isn't necessarilythe case.
So I'm really excited to sharethis apps with you today.
So let's firstly talk about whatyour detox pathways are, what
(02:38):
they actually do.
And I do want to start with thebasics because detox is one of
those words that's been reallyhijacked by hype and marketing.
And I'll be honest with you, Iall through my conventional
medicine career, I thought itwas a complete scam.
I've said that on this podcastbefore.
(03:00):
I just thought, you know, ityour body detoxes itself.
You don't need something todetox you, it's just another way
for people to make money.
And honestly, part of that isthe truth.
Your body does detox all of thetime, all day, overnight, while
you're asleep.
You don't need a glue, a juicecleanse or a fancy powder to
(03:24):
make that happen.
But, and here's the big one thatI didn't fully understand before
I did my second degree.
Um, your detox pathways can slowdown, they can get congested,
and this is particularly duringum perimenopause, but also can
happen in menopause as well.
Um, so let's start with what doI mean by pathways?
(03:48):
So these are, I guess, thesystems that your body uses to
break down and eliminate waste,because detox is closely linked
to waste and you know, bringingbreaking down our waste products
to get them out of the body.
And waste products I'm talkingabout are things like they can
be hormones, they can beenvironmental toxins, like you
(04:09):
know, think about when you'refilling your car with fuel,
getting, you know, that residueon your hands.
Um, if you're taking somepharmaceutical or other drugs,
um things you put in your skin,skin creams that might have
chemicals in them, and metabolicbyproducts, so the the things
that you know, the byproducts ofprocesses that happen inside the
(04:29):
body.
And you have a number of organsof detoxification.
I'm not going to go through allof them today.
I'm just gonna go through thekey players.
So, number one, you would haveheard, is of course, your liver,
your body's main detox organ.
It filters, it neutralizes, itpackages up toxins and excess
(04:52):
hormones for removal.
And it's got you know a coupleof different phases, it's quite
complicated.
I remember when I learned thisuh doing my nutrition degree,
and it was just like such a bigtopic.
There's so much that your liverdoes, particularly when it comes
to detoxification, and it'ssuper important.
(05:12):
So it's a big player when we'retalking about detox.
And probably number two, andit's closely linked to the
liver, is your gut.
So that's where all that wastegets excreted, right?
Into the toilet.
So if your digestion's sluggishor your microbiome isn't very
happy, it's out of balance,those toxins can actually get
(05:35):
reabsorbed.
And that in particular can causeissues with excess estrogen.
Again, you can see why this is aproblem in perimenopause in
particular, sometimes menopauseas well.
Your skin is probably the thirduh most important organ.
It's actually your skin'slargest, sorry, your body's
(05:57):
largest organ, regardless.
The skin is the body's largestorgan, but it's also the body's
largest organ of eliminationwhen you're looking at actual
sheer size.
When the liver and the gut areoverloaded, which is probably
what happened in my client lastweek, the skin steps in as a
backup detox organ.
(06:18):
And that's when you'll seethings like skin breakouts in
particular.
And number four that I'm goingto discuss today is your
lymphatic system.
You may not know a lot aboutyour lymphatic system, it's
actually really important.
It's the body's drainagenetwork, it helps clear cellular
waste and inflammation from thebody, or products of
(06:40):
inflammation, I should say.
So when these systems are allworking really efficiently, you
feel light, you feel energetic,your skin glows, it's happy
days.
But when they're sluggish, yourbody tries to compensate, and
often your skin pays the pricefor this.
And often, obviously, being anexternal organ, that's where we
(07:03):
might notice that as well.
So let's talk about how sluggishdetox might show up on your
skin, you know, because this iswhere so many women have issues
and either get confused or notunderstand what's going on.
Because you know, you might beusing some fantastic skincare,
(07:27):
you might be eating all of theright foods, eating your
veggies, getting your five andtwo, your five serves of veg,
your two serves of fruit,drinking all your water, but
your skin might just still lookdull, blotchy, red, uh, sallow,
getting breakouts, particularlyaround the chin or the bottom
(07:50):
thirty of your face.
And here's what's reallyhappening underneath.
Well, let's talk about breakbreakouts first.
And often when we see breakoutshappening in that lower third of
the face and along the jawline,that's where we tend to think it
could be a hormonal kind of uhcause.
(08:11):
It often points to sluggishdetox of estrogen metabolites in
the liver.
And during perimenopause, ourhormone levels, particularly
estrogen, fluctuate wildly.
And when your liver just can'tkeep up, or if you're
constipated, uh excess estrogenwill recirculate, and that
(08:34):
hormonal congestion shows up onthe skin.
Uh, can be sort of deep cysticpimples that seem to appear
overnight, linger for ages, itcan be even boils, it can be all
kinds of like itching can beanother one.
Like it's just something thatit's no one will no one wants.
(08:56):
No one wants this.
Um, so that's breakouts.
You can also just get a reallydull skin tone because when
detox slows down, circulationand lymph flow are affected.
And you might notice yourcomplexion just kind of looks
sallow, flat, dull.
(09:17):
People might tell you you looktired.
And that's your body saying,Hey, I'm trying to move the
waist out, but the exits areblocked.
You may get redness orirritation.
You know, if your gut or liverare struggling, your immune
system can become more reactive.
And that can show up as, youknow, a flare of rosacea, uh,
(09:37):
skin sensitivity, random skinflare-ups like itching or
rashes, particularly maybe evenafter eating certain foods or
using skincare products thatperhaps they never used to be a
problem for you, but all of asudden they are.
Um, and then another thing ispuffiness or under-eye bags.
(09:57):
And, you know, that's congestionsometimes, like nasal
congestion.
It can be lymphatic, stagnation.
I know, you know, like I thinkwe've probably all had that
experience where you wake up andyou're like, oh my gosh, my
eyes, what's going on?
And if you're not sort of alittle bit, sometimes that
happens certainly to me inallergy season because I get hay
(10:20):
fever.
So, you know, sometimes it couldbe an allergy type situation and
congestion, or sometimes it'slymphatic stagnation.
And when your body can't clearfluids efficiently, it often
shows up as puffiness, andespecially in the morning,
because gravity is part of ourlymphatic drainage.
(10:42):
As you may or may not know, thelymphatic system doesn't have
its own pumps, like you know,veins and arteries.
We have the heart is pumping theblood through that.
But the lymphatic system doesn'tactually have its own pump or a
way to move.
So it's muscular contractions,that's why movement's really
important, and uh gravity.
(11:04):
So if you've been lying flat allnight, that fluid can build up.
That's why you'll often see itin the morning and not so much
at night.
So while you might be thinking,oh, I need to get a new serum,
what your body's really askingfor is support from the inside
out.
So let's talk about why detoxslows down in perimenopause.
(11:26):
And I did kind of allude to itbefore, um, but this is really
key because your detox capacitynaturally shifts with age and
hormonal changes.
And this is somewhere withsomething that when we
understand this, we can dothings to really help to support
detox in our body so that itstarts working effectively.
And this not only helps ourskin, it helps our hormone
(11:51):
balance, it helps our guthealth, it helps our brain
health.
Like it's just it's just so goodfor so many different parts of
our body and our health.
So this is particularlyimportant.
So the reason why our detox canbe impacted negatively in peri,
particularly, is the estrogenmetabolism changes.
(12:14):
You know, we have thisfluctuating estrogen, and our
liver has to work harder toprocess that.
Reduced bile flow is anotherone.
So bile uh breaks down fat.
And as oestrogen declines, bileproduction can slow down, making
it harder to eliminate toxinsvia the gut.
(12:34):
Um because you know, we startlosing some of our muscle mass
during this time, our metabolismwill slow because the more
muscle mass you have, the uhhigher your basal metabolic
rate.
So you're burning more fuel atrest.
So your metabolism is a littlefaster.
If you're losing muscle, thenyour metabolism slows down.
(12:56):
This is one of the reasons thatmuscle mass is a really
important focus when you're inthis time of life.
And when you've got this slowermetabolism, it can and lower
muscle mass, it can reducecirculation and lymph flow.
Remember, I said before that themuscles help move lymph along.
So the waist can move moreslowly.
(13:17):
That's why you can getpuffiness.
Um, stress is another factorbecause elevated cortisol shun
resources away fromdetoxification.
Also, nutrient depletion, youknow, years of stress, uh
dieting, processed foods inparticular, uh, alcohol can
(13:37):
leave you low in key nutrientslike B vitamins, magnesium,
zinc, amino acids, which are thebuilding blocks of protein, all
of which are essential for liverdetox.
So you need to get the rightnutrients to actually perform
these tasks in the body.
So it's not your imagination.
Your body really is workingharder to maintain balance.
(14:02):
But the good news is you havesome control here.
You can absolutely support thesepathways naturally and
effectively.
You don't necessarily have totake expensive supplements to do
that.
So let's get practical.
What can you actually do to helpyour body detox efficiently
again and get your glow back?
(14:22):
Um, here are my top kind oflevel strategies.
So liver support, obviously, itwould be number one.
And that's eating the kind offoods that have the nutrients in
them that support your liver.
So cruciferous veg fall intothat category.
So things like broccoli,cauliflower, kale, cabbage, they
(14:47):
contain certain phytochemicalsor nutrients, compounds,
whatever you want to call them,that help your liver safely
metabolize hormones.
Stay hydrated.
Your liver needs water to flushout toxins.
And water is your best uh betfor hydration.
(15:08):
I'm seeing a lot of peoplecoming through at the moment
that I'm talking to potentialclients and clients that I'm
working with that are intoprotein water and having protein
water in between meals.
Look, there may be a place forit.
Generally speaking, you don'tneed to have protein water.
You should be able to getprotein from food.
(15:31):
Um, I know there's a lot of talkabout women in peri and
postmenopause needing additionalprotein.
That's absolutely true.
Um, generally speaking, youknow, there's a there's a few
different calculations around.
I'm going to go through all ofthat in the in your skin program
because it's a little bitcomplicated.
But staying hydrated really justmeans with water, not water with
(15:52):
other things in it.
Because that potentially cangive your liver just other
things that it needs to detox.
Uh minimize alcohol, yet again,that old chestnut.
Alcohol is just not our friendin peri and postmenopause.
You know, they compete for detoxcapacity.
(16:13):
I remember getting taught at unithat that that once you have
alcohol in your system,basically a lot of your other
normal processes will stop andthe body will focus on
detoxifying that alcohol becauseit is a toxin, it is a poison.
It will focus on that and otherthings will stop.
So uh you've got to minimizethings like alcohol and
(16:34):
processed foods, particularly ifyou're wanting to look up after
your, well, just your generalhealth, but also your skin.
Uh, include foods that are richin sulfur.
So any foods that smell likesulfur have sulfur.
And things like eggs, garlic,onions, they help boost phase
two liver detox, which is reallyimportant.
(16:56):
Um, also, antioxidant-rich foodsare also gonna really be helpful
in supporting your liver.
There are a number of otherthings, but they would be my top
ones.
Uh, secondly, supporting yourgut health.
Yes, you know how much I lovegut health.
So aim for 25 to 30 grams offiber a day.
That's, you know, gonna helpkeep you regularly emptying your
(17:20):
bowel, and that's how toxinsexit your body.
So 25 to 30 grams of fiber andgood hydration is really gonna
help that.
Um, if you are someone that'sconstipated, work on that first.
Nothing else will move properlyuntil that is resolved.
So that would be your number onepriority if you're constipated.
(17:44):
Unfortunately, oftenconstipation can be a sign of
excess estrogen.
So that gets complicated, andthat's where you may need the
help of a practitioner tosupport you with that.
Um, but yeah, if you'reconstipated, work on that first.
Um, eat a variety of prebioticand probiotic foods, and I'm
(18:07):
using the word foods, not takingrandom probiotics.
So have a variety of prebioticand probiotic foods to keep your
microbiome happy.
Now, I this is general advice.
If you have a specific guthealth issue, you need specific
gut health advice.
This is not what this is, okay?
I just want to put that caveatout there that if you've got
(18:27):
something, if you've got IBS, ifyou've got chronic constipation,
chronic diarrhea, IBD, any othersort of gut health condition,
you need to have specific adviceto help you with that.
All right, because for somepeople, you don't want to have
too much fiber if you'rechronically constipated.
(18:49):
That may not be the issue.
You may need to work on motilityof the bowel.
That's a very differentapproach.
So it's really important thatyou are getting individual
advice for your individual umconcerns.
I just want to put that outthere.
Um, but generally, if you've gotnothing, no problems in that
area, eating a variety ofprebiotic, and that's prebiotic
(19:10):
foods are just foods, they'revegetables mainly, and some uh
starches and probiotic foods,things like your yogurt and your
kombucha and your kefir, butremembering always in
moderation.
And I would really stick tothose kinds of probiotic foods.
I see so many um, oh my gosh, somany random foods now, processed
(19:35):
foods that have got probioticsadded to them.
I've seen probiotic breakfastcereal, probiotic spreads.
It's like that's just dressingup processed foods, trying to
make it look healthy, and it'snot.
So go for your natural probioticfoods, your fermented foods to
(19:57):
keep your microbiome happy.
Um, activating your lymphaticflow would be number three.
So that's actually really easy.
Just moving will help a lot.
So walking, yoga, um, jumping upand down on a trampoline.
Um, you know, this all helps tomove lymph.
(20:21):
And that is really important.
Even just things like, you know,I'm I'm I always record my
podcast standing up.
I'm lucky enough to have asit-stand desk, and I really
feel it.
If I sit all day, I really feelit in my hips, in my pelvis.
My body does not like sitting,my body likes moving.
And just as I I know I'venoticed when I first started
(20:45):
standing, sorry, I'm going offon a tangent here, how much I
move when I'm standing at mydesk, like you know, just moving
from leg to leg, doing a littlebit of tree pose, if you know
yoga.
Um, it really helps me move, andthat's definitely moving lymph.
Um, and I think if you if you dodo yoga or even if you don't,
(21:08):
you've probably heard of legs upthe wall.
That's a really good way,particularly if your job
requires you to stand all day.
I'm lucky I have the choice.
But if you're in retail, ifyou're a nurse, if you're in a
job where you are standing themajority of the day, I've done
both of those jobs, and yourlegs get really, really tired.
(21:30):
And so legs up the wall reallyhelp to move fluid and lymph
back towards the heart where itcan then go through and exit the
body.
Um, you've probably all heard ofdry brushing before your shower.
There are some gloves that youcan use in the shower.
Um, you can, if you want, finishyour shower with about 30
(21:52):
seconds of cool water tostimulate circulation.
There are a number of benefitsof cold showers.
Um, I'm not a massive fan justpersonally, because I just don't
like being cold.
But it's definitely something ifyou quite like that, then you
can try that.
And the fourth thing I'm goingto talk about is just nourishing
(22:12):
your skin from the inside out.
Yes, there's things you can doon the outside of the skin, but
it's the inside that makes thebiggest difference.
So getting plenty ofantioxidants like berries, green
tea, leafy greens, that kind ofthing, including omega-3 fats in
(22:33):
your diet, like chia seeds, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, salmon, um,
those sorts of things to calminflammation really help.
Sleeping, sleep, prioritizingsleep.
Your body does most of its detoxand repair overnight.
And it's probably another reasonin perimenopause in particular
(22:54):
that women can struggle a littlebecause often our sleep is
really impacted.
And postmenopause as well.
So that would probably be athing, actually.
I'd say number one would be ifyou've constipated, get that
sorted out.
And number two, if you're notsleeping, that's a huge priority
(23:16):
for so many reasons, detox beingjust one of them.
And I guess finally, I justwanted to say detox isn't about
starving yourself.
It's not about doing a juicefast.
That's it's something that thatis perpetuated in the media that
detox is about doing somethingradical.
(23:36):
It really isn't.
It's about creating flow,essentially.
When your detox pathways areopen, moving, your skin
naturally glows because yourbody's energy isn't bogged down
by waste.
So, you know, you want to beeating the right foods, drinking
lots of water, moving your bodyand not starving yourself.
(24:00):
I mean, occasionally, I will sayyou don't have to have expensive
supplements.
Sometimes it is helpful,particularly if you do have a
lot of symptoms.
If you've got a lot of skinsymptoms like breakouts,
redness, itching, uh, if you'vegot fatigue, if you're trying to
lose weight and that weight'sjust not coming off very fast,
(24:20):
then sometimes having a bit of asupplement can help.
It's something that you justkind of take short term.
You don't need to be on a greenspowder every single day if your
diet is good.
So I did want to just pop thatin there as well.
So if I just summarize, if yourskin is feeling dull, congested,
(24:40):
like it's lost its glow, ifpeople are telling you you look
tired, it's not just a surfaceissue.
Your skin is communicating withyou.
It's saying it needs attention.
Um, and when you support yourliver, your gut, your lymphatic
systems, your body can do whatit's designed to do naturally,
(25:03):
which is cleanse, repair, renew.
And that's why detoxification isone of the key pillars inside my
new In Your Skin program.
We go beyond skincare.
I'm going to talk a lot aboutskincare though, um, but we also
go beyond that into the rootcauses that affect how your skin
looks, feels, and ages.
(25:25):
Because glowing skin is not justa product of what you put on
your face, it's a reflection ofwhat's happening inside.
And that's why I've called it InYour Skin.
Uh, it is a group program, it'sgonna go for eight weeks.
I'm hoping to release it inabout two weeks' time.
(25:45):
So, watch this space.
And if you loved this episodeand you're ready to bring back
your natural glow, you canactually join the wait list for
In Your Skin.
There's a link in the shownotes.
Uh and yeah, I'll be sending outemails probably this week just
giving a bit more aboutinformation about it.
(26:05):
Uh so yeah, I think that's itfor today.
Uh, if you found the episodehelpful, please share it.
I love it when people share mypodcast on their stories and tag
me at the Perimanopause Path.
It's really, it makes my day.
Uh, because I'm literally just,you know, in my room, I've got,
(26:26):
in my clinic room, I've got mytwo dogs here.
I'm just talking into mymicrophone, hoping someone's
listening.
So it is lovely when I do getfeedback like that.
So thank you for spending thistime with me today.
Um, remember your skin is amirror of your inner health, and
when you support your body withthe right nourishment, with
(26:47):
love, with movement, your glowwill return naturally.
Thanks so much for joining me onthe Ageless and Awesome Podcast.
If you would like this episode,please make sure you click the
little post button if you're onApple Podcasts, or the follow
button if you're on Spotify, sothat you get each new episode
delivered to you every singleweek.
(27:08):
If you feel like writing me afive star review, you would
absolutely make my day.
If you found this episoderesonated with you, head over to
my Instagram and DM me at thePerimetopause Park.
I would love to connect withyou.
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