Celebrate Father’s Day by Boosting Men’s Health: The Essential Detox Before Conception

As we celebrate the incredible men in our lives this Father's Day, let's prioritize their health and well-being, especially for those planning to start a family.


Recently, I read an eye-opening article about "forever chemicals" like PFAS and their alarming accumulation in human bodies. The article detailed how even DNA-sized particles of these chemicals have been found in male testicles, with firefighters being among those who suffer the most due to their continuous exposure to toxic chemicals at work​​.

This made me think of my own father, who worked tirelessly in a physically demanding job, as many men do today, sacrificing so much for their families. Inspired by their hard work and dedication, I wanted to create something that not only pampers dads and helps them relax but also offers a pleasurable and effective way to detox and prepare for conception. I formulated a special black charcoal detox botanical soak for our wonderful men.

Discover how our detox bath can help men cleanse their bodies of harmful chemicals, ensuring a healthier future for them and your family.

What are PFAS?
PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) are a group of man-made chemicals found in everyday items like non-stick cookware, waterproof clothing, and food packaging. Often referred to as "forever chemicals," PFAS do not break down in the environment and accumulate in the human body over time.

Health Risks of PFAS
PFAS exposure has been linked to various health issues, including cancer, liver damage, thyroid disease, weakened immune response, and decreased fertility in men. Studies have shown that PFAS can decrease sperm motility, impair chromatin integrity, and increase oxidative stress in sperm cells, leading to reduced fertility and reproductive health issues.

What are Heavy Metals?
You probably haven't given much thought to how much exposure you've had to heavy metals over the course of your life. But if you stop and think, it might just surprise you how abundant heavy metal toxicity is in our environment. Heavy metals are endocrine disruptors and influence fertility for both men and women. Semen quality has declined, especially among Western men. Studies have shown potential links between exposure to environmental toxicants and poor male fertility. Men often suffer larger exposure to heavy metals through their work environments, smoking cigarettes, and drinking pop or beer out of aluminum cans.

Have you had any of the following at any point in your life:

- Mercury Fillings
- Mercury Filling Removal
- Mercury - handling batteries
- X-Rays
- CT Scans
- Radiation - plane flights
- Lead - lead paint
- Flu Shots
- Aluminum - mainstream deodorant, soda cans, aluminum foil/baking pans, take-out containers

Some other sources of heavy metal exposure include metal cookware, old lead-based paint, batteries, and even pesticides and herbicides. In our childhood, toys often had lead in the paint used, even those for teething babies.

Additional Endocrine Disruptors
Heavy metals and PFAS are sadly not the only endocrine-disrupting chemicals in our environment that are showing reductions in fertility for both men and women. Substances such as dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls, phthalates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides, alkylphenols, and bisphenol A are some of them.

I will add the burden of fragrances most often made with ingredients that are fossil industry byproducts and endocrine disruptors. And cosmetics in plastic packaging which over time leaches into the product you use. Watch out for these ingredients:
- Parabens (methy-, butyl-, ethyl-, propyl-) synthetic preservatives used in many cosmetics
- Phthalates, used for softening plastics but also as a fragrance ingredient or to help penetration of the product into the skin
- Sulphates, Sodium Laureth Sulphate and Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, synthetic foaming ingredients
- Petroleum/petrolatum, a byproduct of the oil industry, causing more allergies than coconut oil
- Artificial colors, FD&C and D&C followed by a number. Derived from coal tar, these are carcinogenic and toxic
- DEA (Lauramide DEA or Cocamide DEA) foaming agent, strong skin irritant

How to avoid them? Use a solid bar of soap and natural moisturizers and deodorants. We will talk about our natural skincare and how it can be used for dads as well as the rest of the family later.

Mitigating the Toxic Load

Limiting Ingestion and Reducing Toxic Load of PFAS

Sadly, our environment is not going to change for the better anytime soon and this is a reality we need to live with and learn ways to thrive despite this issue. Health can be improved in most cases by taking steps to reduce exposure and adopting healthy lifestyle habits to eliminate as many toxins as possible. Here are some easy steps and advice on reducing your family's toxic load.

Healthy Diet
- Consume organic fruits and vegetables to avoid pesticide exposure.
- Include antioxidant-rich foods like berries, nuts, and green leafy vegetables to combat free radicals.

Hydration
- Drink plenty of filtered water to flush out toxins. Nettle tea is also really tasty and supportive in toxin elimination.
- Avoid water bottled in plastic packaging that may contain microplastics.

Physical Activity
- Regular exercise helps eliminate toxins through sweat.
- Engage in activities like jogging, cycling, or yoga.

Avoid Harmful Chemicals
- Choose natural and organic personal care products.
- Avoid using non-stick cookware and opt for stainless steel or cast iron.

Adequate Sleep
- Ensure 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night to support the body's natural detox processes. Women require on average one hour of sleep a day more than men to function well.

Stress Management
- Practice mindfulness, meditation, or deep-breathing exercises to reduce stress levels. Yoga is healing and supportive for both women and men, as it was designed for male bodies to thrive.

Reducing Exposure to Heavy Metals

Obviously, continuing to use aluminum soda or beer cans, pots, and working with materials and in professions where you are exposed to these toxins is not ideal. Implementing a regular detox in your daily life will benefit your and your family's health.
- Use steel pots and pans and get rid of any aluminum ones.
- Replace aluminum-containing antiperspirants with natural ones.
- Have your mercury fillings replaced by an experienced dentist who will protect you from the fumes released during the procedure.
- Avoid beverages packaged in aluminum cans and choose glass instead.
- Reduce your cigarette smoking.

How to Reduce Your Exposure to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals
- Avoid plastic containers, bottles, and packaging.
- Avoid canned food/beverages.
- Consume fresh and organic food.
- Avoid fast/processed foods.
- Supplement your diet with vitamin C, iodine, and folic acid.

The Importance of Detox Before Conception

Why Detox?
Detoxifying the body is crucial for all of us in the environment we live in, but for men, especially those exposed to chemicals at work or through lifestyle choices, detoxification on a regular basis is an absolute necessity. A clean, toxin-free body enhances overall health, boosts fertility, and improves the chances of conceiving a healthy baby.

Support for Partners
Women play a vital role in supporting their partners' health. Encouraging detoxification not only benefits men's health but also ensures a healthier future for your family. This Father's Day, let's help our men detoxify and rejuvenate. There are fun and enjoyable ways to detox without it needing to be an unpleasant experience.

Ideas for Detoxification
We already mentioned food, hydration, sleep, exercise, limiting toxic habits, and using cookware that does not spice your food with forever chemicals like non-stick pans do.

Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie Recipe:  

Here is a simple and tasty recipe from the Medical Medium, Anthony William's book "Liver Rescue": the heavy metal detox smoothie:

Ingredients:
- 2 organic bananas
- 2 cups organic wild blueberries
- 1 cup organic fresh cilantro
- 1 cup organic orange juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 teaspoon organic barley grass juice powder
- 1 teaspoon spirulina powder
- 1 handful Atlantic dulse (approximately 2 tablespoons)

Instructions:
- Add all ingredients to a Vitamix or blender and blend until well combined.
- For a thick, smoothie bowl texture: use (2) frozen bananas
- For a thinner, smoothie texture: add (1) cup filtered/purified water

I like to use coconut water to thin this smoothie down and use hemp seeds to add protein. The wild blueberries are much smaller in size, richer in flavor, and higher in nutrient content. Spirulina powder contains some protein, but turning this into a smoothie bowl and topping it off with hemp and chia seeds or adding them to the mix before blending will make this more filling and add protein and fiber.

Hydrotherapy

Sauna
There is no denying sauna is fantastic for sweating out toxins. It may not remove the forever chemicals, but it will flush out a lot of toxins, including heavy metals, from the body with very little effort. As a clinical aromatherapist, I recommend Juniper Berry essential oil to be used in the sauna for added detoxification and to stimulate the production of the most powerful antioxidant, glutathione.

Cold Showers or Cold Plunges
These are not necessarily detoxifying the body, but cold exposure therapy or cryotherapy helps to reduce stress hormones in the body, which are a lot of work to break down for our liver and limit its function when in too much supply. The added benefit to cold exposure therapy is that it activates the mitochondria,

 or the energy packs in our cells, improving metabolism. Last but not least, a couple of minutes of cold exposure therapy will raise your dopamine levels substantially, leading to improved mood and a general feeling of well-being.

Andrew Huberman, my favorite geek, suggests up to 11 minutes of cold exposure therapy a week, broken up into a couple of minute windows over several days, not all 11 minutes at once. Building up resistance to be able to stay in the cold bath or shower longer has more benefits than quick dips.

Baths
My favorite way of detoxifying and relaxing is taking a healing soak. As the father of medicine, Hippocrates said in his time, the way to good health is through a daily scented bath and aromatic massage.

Relaxing in warm water is wonderful and beneficial for health, but there are so many wonderful additives that have healing properties that can benefit all of us, not just men. But since we are focusing on dad and his health, here are a few suggestions.

Epsom salts are rich in magnesium, which we should all be supplementing with because our soil is depleted and magnesium supports many different functions of the body. Have you ever felt that annoying twitch of your eyelid and wondered why that's going on? Yup, you are short on magnesium. Magnesium absorbs through the skin easily and helps to relax tired and tense muscles. Simple and powerful.

Adding a few drops of essential oil to a teaspoon of carrier oil mixed with Epsom salts can bring many additional healing benefits. Fir Balsam or Pine essential oils are wonderful for easing a cold and stuffy nose. Essential oils like Juniper Berry, Bergamot, or Rosemary are energizing, while Cedarwood, Sandalwood, and Lavender are relaxing. Juniper Berry, Sandalwood, Black Pepper, or Cardamom are aphrodisiacs. Wink wink!

This Father's Day, I decided to formulate a special botanical soak for the man in your life focused on his health. Considering that my audience is women in a stage of starting a new family, I understand the need for men to actively participate in improving their health and the quality of their sperm pre-conception.

I am sure you have seen prenatal supplements for men, and they are fantastic, but a big part of the preparation also needs to be detoxification.

The Ultimate Detox Bath for Men  

How Detox Baths Work
Detox baths help remove toxins from the body through the skin. Ingredients like Epsom salt, bentonite clay, and activated charcoal are known for their detoxifying properties.

Our detox bath for men includes therapeutic ingredients designed to aid in the removal of common toxins. Essential oils enhance the detoxification process while providing relaxation and stress relief.

Key Ingredients and Their Benefits
- Epsom Salt:*Draws out toxins, reduces inflammation, and improves muscle and nerve function.
- Dead Sea Salt: Detoxifies and cleanses the skin, improves circulation, and relaxes muscles.
- Baking Soda: Neutralizes acids and toxins, soothes irritated skin, and promotes detoxification.
- Black Hawaiian Lava Salt: Absorbs impurities and toxins, cleanses the skin, and improves skin texture.
- Goat Milk Extract: Nourishes the skin, promotes exfoliation, and removes dead skin cells.
- Activated Coconut Charcoal: Absorbs toxins and impurities, unclogs pores, and removes deep-seated impurities.
- Citric Acid: Exfoliates the skin, promotes detoxification, and balances skin pH.
- Multani Mitti Clay: Draws out toxins and excess oils, cleanses and purifies the skin.
- Meadowfoam Seed Oil: Locks in moisture, delivers nutrients, and enhances detoxification. Rich in skin-beautifying vitamin E.
- Cetearyl Olivate and Sorbitan Olivate (Emulsifiers): Ensure even distribution of ingredients.
- Saw Palmetto Fruit Extract: Reduces chronic inflammation, supports prostate health, and benefits male reproductive health.
- Vitamin C: Protects the skin from free radicals, promotes collagen production, and enhances detoxification.
- Blue Cornflower Petals: Soothes and reduces skin irritation.
- Pine Scotch Leaf Essential Oil: Stimulates blood flow and supports respiratory health.
- Cedarwood Texas Essential Oil: Cleanses the skin and supports detoxification.
- Juniper Berry Essential Oil: Stimulates circulation, detoxifies and cleanses the skin, reduces fluid retention. Aphrodisiac. 

If you are looking for a thoughtful and functional Father's Day gift that will make dad's preparation for conception fun and easy and support him in living a healthier and happier life, look no further. This detox bath is not just a gift but an investment in health and well-being for your man and your family.

And if you want to make it a full experience for dad, check out our special for this season with the Black Charcoal Detox Botanical Soak, our Baby Butter in Blue and an aromatherapy stick with synergy of essential oils to help dad transition from work mode to home life, so that he may be more present and available mentally and emotionally. This little thing that fits into his pocket and stays potent for 3-6 months is particularly great for people in jobs carrying high stress levels and smokers to help them reduce their habit by replacing it with a healthy alternative. Because the most addictive part of smoking is deep breathing and the little break away from work it provides. 

Happy Father's day!

Henrieta