Integrative Functional Medicine for Toxins
When people hear the word “toxins,” they often think of extreme chemical spills or rare poisonings—but in truth, toxin exposure is an everyday reality for most of us, and a major contributor to chronic illness that is often completely overlooked.
Toxins are harmful substances that can come from environmental mold, heavy metals, pesticides, plastics, food additives, personal care products, and even certain infections. When your body’s natural detox pathways become overwhelmed—or when you're genetically predisposed to hold onto these toxins—they begin to accumulate, creating a slow, silent storm of inflammation that impacts everything from your immune system to your brain and hormones.
At Restorative Medicine Center, we see this all the time. Patients come in with years of symptoms like fatigue, anxiety, brain fog, pain, autoimmunity, or sensitivities—and no one has asked, “What’s in your environment?” or “Is your body struggling to clear what it’s been exposed to?”
That’s the gap in conventional medicine. Traditional care focuses on labeling symptoms, not asking what’s driving them. Rarely are mold exposure, heavy metal toxicity, or endocrine-disrupting chemicals considered as part of the diagnostic picture—let alone tested or treated.
But in Integrative Functional Medicine, these are exactly the questions we ask.
As a root-cause physician, my job is to identify what’s weighing down your immune system—and help you clear it safely. We use advanced testing, symptom timelines, and a calm, layered treatment strategy to help patients in Rochester Hills and beyond finally uncover the toxic burdens that are keeping them sick—and begin healing at a deeper level.
Understanding Toxins from a Functional Medicine Perspective
Toxins vs. Toxicants: What’s the Difference?
In root-cause medicine, we make an important distinction:
- Toxins are naturally occurring poisons that originate from living organisms. These include:
- Mold toxins (mycotoxins) from water-damaged buildings
- Heavy metals like mercury, lead, aluminum, and arsenic
- Biotoxins produced by infections such as Lyme, Babesia, or Bartonella
- Toxicants are manmade chemicals that we encounter through modern life. These include:
- Pesticides and herbicides on food and lawns
- Phthalates, parabens, and BPA in plastics and personal care products
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in cleaning supplies, furniture, and paint
- Industrial air and water pollution
Total Toxic Load: The Tipping Point
Everyone is exposed to toxins. The problem begins when your body’s detoxification pathways—primarily the liver, gut, kidneys, lymph, and skin—become overburdened. This tipping point is what we call “total toxic load.”
When this load gets too high—due to genetics, chronic exposure, inflammation, stress, or nutrient depletion—your ability to clear toxins slows down. Instead of being eliminated, they get stored in tissues, where they can inflame your immune system, disrupt hormones, impair mitochondrial function, and confuse your nervous system.
This doesn’t cause one big symptom—it causes many subtle and confusing ones, often labeled as unrelated diagnoses.
Chronic Symptoms That May Be Related to Toxin Burden:
- Brain fog and difficulty concentrating
- Fatigue or feeling “wired but tired”
- Autoimmunity or unexplained inflammation
- Hormone imbalances like PMS, low testosterone, thyroid issues
- Gut issues like bloating, constipation, or food intolerances
- Chemical sensitivities or overreaction to smells, fragrances, cleaners
- Migraines, rashes, insomnia, or anxiety with no clear cause
Toxins: One Arm of the Root Cause Triad
In our clinic, we approach every complex case using the Root Cause Triad—a diagnostic model that recognizes three major drivers of chronic illness:
- Microbes (infections and stealth pathogens)
- Toxins (environmental and internal toxic burden)
- Stress Response (nervous system dysregulation)
Toxins are a central pillar in this triad, and often the most overlooked. But when we begin to gently reduce the toxic load—and support the body’s ability to detox naturally—symptoms begin to shift, energy improves, and healing can finally take hold.
How Integrative Functional Medicine Evaluates Toxic Burden
When it comes to uncovering toxic burden, conventional lab work just scratches the surface. Most standard testing doesn’t evaluate mold exposure, mycotoxins, heavy metals, or chemical toxicity—and it almost never includes immune markers or genetic detox profiles.
At Restorative Medicine Center, we use a Functional Medicine approach to toxin evaluation that is personalized, precise, and deeply informed by your history and symptom patterns. Our goal isn’t to throw a detox at you—it’s to understand what your body is holding onto, why, and how to safely begin releasing it.
Detailed Symptom Timeline + Exposure History
We begin every evaluation by mapping out your full health journey. We want to know:
- When your symptoms began, and how they’ve changed over time
- Whether they worsened after moving homes, starting a new job, or recovering from illness
- How your symptoms fluctuate with environment, weather, or travel
- Past medical treatments and how your body responded
We also gather an extensive environmental exposure history, including:
- Mold or water damage in your home, school, or workplace
- Occupational or hobby-related chemical exposures (salons, construction, painting, agriculture, etc.)
- Proximity to known pollution sources (factories, highways, pesticides)
- Use of common toxic products (air fresheners, personal care, cleaning agents)
Advanced Functional Testing (When Indicated)
Based on your clinical picture and history, we may recommend targeted testing to evaluate specific toxin types or inflammatory responses. These include:
Urine Mycotoxin Testing
Assesses for the presence of mycotoxins—poisonous metabolites released by mold—which can drive inflammation, brain fog, and immune dysfunction. Especially important if there’s a history of water damage or mold exposure.
Heavy Metal Provocation Testing
Checks for toxic metals like mercury, lead, arsenic, and aluminum—especially if you have brain fog, fatigue, or neurological symptoms. Provoked testing can offer a more complete picture of tissue-stored metals.
Chemical Toxin Panels
Evaluates for common environmental toxicants such as:
- Pesticides and herbicides (glyphosate)
- Phthalates and parabens (plastics and personal care)
- VOCs and solvents (cleaners, paint, synthetic fragrances)
CIRS Biomarkers
If we suspect mold-related or biotoxin-driven illness (CIRS), we may test:
- C4a – a marker of chronic immune activation
- TGFB1 – associated with autoimmune activity and tissue inflammation
- MMP-9 – linked to blood-brain barrier dysfunction
- VEGF – reflects oxygen delivery and vascular inflammation
Genetic Detox Markers
Some patients have inherited impairments in detox pathways that make them more vulnerable to toxin buildup. We may test:
- HLA types – related to mold and biotoxin sensitivity
- MTHFR, COMT, GST, and other SNPs – related to methylation and liver detox efficiency
Labs Interpreted Through a Functional Medicine Lens
Most importantly, we interpret your labs based on optimal function—not just whether you're “in range.” A result that’s “normal” on a conventional lab might still be completely wrong for your body.
We correlate labs with real symptoms, timelines, and functional patterns so that you get a clear, actionable picture—not a dismissive shrug.
How Dr. Teresa Treats Toxin Overload with Integrative Functional Medicine
At Restorative Medicine Center, we don’t believe in “one-size-fits-all” detox plans. Why? Because your body, your exposures, and your tolerance are unique—and detoxing without that context can actually make things worse.
Whether you're dealing with mold illness, chemical sensitivity, or heavy metal toxicity, our approach is always layered, slow, and personalized. We focus on doing things in the right order and at a pace your body can handle. There’s no rushing the process—only strategic, well-supported healing.
Stabilize
We start by calming the system and reducing ongoing exposure so your body isn’t fighting a constant uphill battle.
This phase may include:
- Identifying and removing toxin sources (moldy homes, toxic products, contaminated water)
- Supporting drainage pathways (bowel movements, lymphatic flow, hydration)
- Managing inflammation and flares with gentle anti-inflammatories, breathing work, and nervous system support
Support Detox Pathways
Before we “detox,” we strengthen the organs that do the detoxing—especially the:
- Liver (phase I & II detox pathways)
- Kidneys and lymph system (filtration and waste removal)
- Gut (elimination, bile flow, microbiome balance)
- Skin (sweating and barrier support)
Bind and Remove Toxins Safely
Once your body is ready, we begin mobilizing and removing stored toxins—carefully.
Tools we may use:
- Binders like charcoal, chlorella, bentonite clay, or cholestyramine to catch toxins in the gut
- Far infrared sauna or detox baths to release toxins through the skin
- Red light and near-infrared therapy to support mitochondria and circulation
- Gentle mobilizers for metals or biotoxins if labs show your system can handle it
Restore and Rebalance
After (and during) detox, we focus on repairing what’s been damaged by long-term toxic stress.
This includes:
- Rebuilding gut lining integrity with targeted nutrients and probiotics
- Replenishing depleted nutrients like zinc, selenium, and omega-3s
- Supporting mitochondrial health (your body’s energy engines)
- Balancing hormones and the HPA axis, often disrupted by toxic load
- Calming immune overactivation and autoimmunity
Nervous System Regulation Is Woven Throughout
Detox is never just physical—it’s neurological too.
Many of our patients are stuck in a fight-or-flight loop, which blocks detox and keeps inflammation high. That’s why we incorporate:
- Breathing techniques and vagus nerve support
- Primal Trust and neuroplasticity work
- Gentle movement and rest rhythms
- EMDR or trauma-aware referrals when needed
Start Your Root-Cause Detox Journey Today
If you’ve been dealing with chronic symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, gut issues, inflammation, or chemical sensitivity—and nothing seems to help—it’s time to ask a different question:
Could toxins be the missing piece?
At Restorative Medicine Center, we specialize in helping patients across Rochester Hills, Oakland County, and the surrounding areas uncover and address toxic burdens that conventional medicine too often ignores. Using advanced diagnostics and a gentle, individualized detox strategy, we’ll help you understand what your body’s been holding onto—and how to let it go safely.
Schedule a New Patient Consultation
Restorative Medicine Center
📍 705 Barclay Cir, Suite 115
Rochester Hills, MI 48307
📞 Phone: 248.289.6349
📠 Fax: 248.289.6923
🕘 Hours: Monday – Thursday: 9AM–5PM | Friday: Closed
🌐 Website: www.restorativemedcenter.com