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Protecting Yourself from Fire-Related Toxicity: A Guide for Southern California Residents
By Dr. Diane Angela Fong, ND
Wildfires in Southern California pose significant health risks beyond immediate danger to property and safety. The smoke, ash, and airborne toxins released during fires not only affect respiratory health but can also exacerbate existing inflammatory conditions such as eczema, asthma, and autoimmune disorders. Whether you’re managing these conditions or simply trying to protect your health, there are steps you can take to reduce exposure to toxins, support detoxification, and minimize inflammation during this challenging time.
How Wildfire Toxins Impact Health and Inflammatory Conditions
Wildfire smoke contains a mixture of harmful pollutants:
Particulate Matter (PM2.5): These tiny particles penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, causing oxidative stress and systemic inflammation.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): Chemicals released during combustion can irritate the skin and respiratory system and disrupt hormonal balance.
Carbon Monoxide (CO): Reduces oxygen delivery to the body, compounding stress on your organs.
Dry Air and Heat: Dehydration and skin irritation are common, particularly for those with conditions like eczema.
For individuals managing inflammatory conditions, these factors can trigger or worsen symptoms, such as flare-ups, increased itching, and fatigue.
Steps to Reduce Exposure and Support Detoxification
While you cannot entirely avoid exposure during fire season, these strategies can help protect your health and reduce the harmful effects of toxins:
1. Strengthen Your Detox Pathways
Cellular Health (Glutathione): Supports your body’s ability to neutralize free radicals and detoxify harmful chemicals.
Cleanbody Cleanse: Helps eliminate accumulated toxins through liver and gut support.
Cleanbody Greens and Cleanbody Complete: Provide a boost of antioxidants to fight oxidative stress.
Bile Essentials (capsules) or CleanLIVER Formula (liquid formula): Optimizes liver function to process environmental toxins more efficiently.
2. Reduce Inflammation Naturally
Omega Essentials (Omega-3 Fatty Acids): Helps decrease systemic inflammation and soothes inflammatory skin conditions.
Clean C (Vitamin C): Protects cells from damage caused by smoke and airborne toxins.
Gut Mend (Anti-Inflammatories): Combines quercetin and other powerful compounds to calm inflammation.
Gut Restore (Probiotics): Supports gut health, which plays a vital role in regulating your immune and inflammatory responses.
3. Protect Your Skin and Respiratory System
CleanSKIN Protect (Emollient): Forms a barrier to lock in moisture and shield the skin from irritants like ash and smoke.
Soakness (Bath Soak): Soothes irritated skin and relieves dryness exacerbated by dry air.
Saline Nasal Rinse: Clears smoke particles and pollutants from your nasal passages, reducing irritation.
Steam Inhalation: Add essential oils like eucalyptus or lavender to open airways and reduce respiratory discomfort.
4. Improve Indoor Air Quality
HEPA Air Filters: Use high-efficiency filters to remove particulate matter from indoor air. Check our recommended filters at www.cleanbody.health/filters.
Humidifiers: Keep indoor air moist to prevent dry skin and respiratory irritation.
Wet Cleaning: Regularly wipe down surfaces with damp cloths to minimize ash and dust without stirring particles into the air.
5. Stay Hydrated and Nourished
Hydration: Drink plenty of water, herbal teas, and electrolyte-rich fluids to flush out toxins and maintain skin hydration.
Anti-Inflammatory Diet: Focus on whole, nutrient-rich foods like leafy greens, berries, and omega-3-rich fish. Add Cleanbody Greens or a Cleanbody Cleanse Smoothie for additional antioxidant and detox support.
Sample Daily Plan for Reducing Toxicity and Inflammation
Here’s a practical plan to help you protect yourself from fire-related toxins and support your body during wildfire season. This plan incorporates supplements and remedies to reduce inflammation, strengthen your body’s detox pathways, and improve your overall resilience.
Morning Routine
Apply CleanSKIN Protect to maintain your skin barrier if you’ve been exposed to smoke or dry air.
Hydrate & Flush: Start your day with a glass of warm water and a squeeze of lemon or our Cleanbody Drink to kickstart your detox pathways and hydrate your body. The Cleanbody Drink includes Cleanbody Complete, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, flaxseed oil, and water. See the Cleanbody Drink recipe here.
Neti Pot or Saline Spray: Use to rinse out nasal passages and clear any inhaled smoke particles.
Take Supplements:
Cellular Health (Glutathione): 2 pumps under the tongue to support liver detox and combat oxidative stress. Wait 15-20 minutes before eating anything.
Mid-Morning
Cleanbody Cleanse Smoothie: Prepare a nutrient-dense smoothie using the Cleanbody Cleanse powder (1 scoop). Blend with non-dairy milk, water, greens or Cleanbody Greens (1 scoop), frozen berries, cilantro, and lemon juice or Clean C (1 scoop). See the recipe for the Cleanbody Cleanse Smoothie here.
Other Detox Support: If you are not doing the Cleanbody Cleanse Smoothie, then take Bile Essentials (3 capsules) or CleanLIVER Formula (2-4 dropperfuls) to support liver detoxification and bile flow.
Lunch
Anti-Inflammatory Meal: Prepare a plate with 50% colorful vegetables (e.g., leafy greens, carrots, and bell peppers), 30% protein (e.g., wild-caught salmon or lentils), and 20% healthy fats (e.g., avocado or olive oil).
Omega Essentials (Omega-3 Fatty Acids): 2 capsules to reduce inflammation and support skin health.
Evening Routine
Relax and De-Stress:
Take a warm bath with Soakness Bath Soak to soothe irritated skin and calm your body.
Practice deep breathing exercises (like the 4-7-8 method) to lower cortisol levels and prepare for sleep.
Dinner:
Focus on an anti-inflammatory meal with a source of omega-3s (like wild salmon or a chia seed pudding) and rainbow vegetables.
Evening Supplements:
Gut Mend (Anti-Inflammatories): Take 4-7 capsules to calm inflammation and support skin health overnight. These can also be thrown into your Cleanbody Cleanse smoothie for easier administration.
Omega Essentials: Take 2 softgels to further reduce inflammation.
Bedtime
Wind Down: Ensure your room is cool and dark. Limit screen use for 1–2 hours before bed.
Apply CleanSKIN Protect to maintain your skin barrier if you’ve been exposed to smoke or dry air.
Weekly Add-Ons
Air Quality Check: Regularly clean or replace your HEPA air filters (recommendations here).
Deep Cleaning: Dust and mop surfaces with damp cloths to remove ash and toxins.
Purchase the Recommended Supplements
To make it easy for you to implement these recommendations, all of the supplements mentioned in this guide are available through our Cleanbody Store. You can find direct links to purchase each product in the previous section above, so you can start supporting your body’s detox pathways and protecting your health today.
If you’re unsure which supplements are best suited for your needs, consult with your healthcare practitioner for personalized advice. Take the first step toward reducing fire-related toxicity and improving your well-being!
Important Disclaimer
These recommendations are for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult your healthcare practitioner before starting any new supplement, remedy, or detox regimen, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or managing a chronic condition. Your healthcare provider can help ensure these recommendations are appropriate for your specific health needs.
When to Seek Help
Fire season brings many challenges, but with the right steps, you can protect yourself and support your body’s natural ability to detoxify and heal. By focusing on reducing exposure, supporting detox pathways, and calming inflammation, you can minimize the impact of fire-related toxins on your health and well-being.
If you have an inflammatory condition such as eczema, asthma, or an autoimmune disorder, it is especially important to seek assistance from a knowledgeable healthcare practitioner. They can provide personalized recommendations to help mitigate the effects of wildfire exposure and prevent flare-ups or complications. Stay safe, stay hydrated, and take care of your body and skin during this time!
If you’re child is struggling with eczema, understanding your child's unique root causes is the key to long-term healing. At Cleanbody, we offer the Eczema Root Cause Assessment, which helps identify the factors contributing to your eczema. With this personalized insight, you can take the first step toward regaining control of your skin health.
Take the assessment today to learn more, or click here to book a consultation and use the code BLOG10 to get 10% off, and start your healing journey!
Got Questions?
Dr. Fong is going live to discuss this topic on her weekly Live with the Eczema Doc on Wednesday, January 22, at 1:00 PM PST! Watch the live or check out the replay here:
t the Author:
Dr. Diane Angela Fong, ND, is the CEO and founder of Cleanbody, a wellness company dedicated to treating and preventing chronic disease. She is the creator of the Cleanbody Method, which follows a three-step process: Evaluate (digging into the root causes of chronic disease using lab testing and other evaluation tools), Optimize (enhancing health foundations by addressing nutrition, lifestyle, and toxic exposures), and Support (optimizing organ functions through healing protocols).
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Medical Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog post is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
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