Course Description: The strength and resiliency of the immune system is more important than ever as we continue to navigate global-reaching environmental threats, however depth of immune function is crucially hinged on keeping toxin loads low and metabolic function high metabolic clarity. Traditionally integrative and functional medicine has had high regard for detoxification, but a low mechanistic understanding of its function and its clear overlap with metabolic clarity. Key to these functions is the liver, which under poor conditions 1 does not pass toxins into the bile and onto the GI tract blocked directionality leading to toxicity, and 2 does not properly regulate metabolism e.g. insulin sensitivity, leading to metabolic syndromes. The toxicity and metabolic dysregulation together lead to lowered cellular energy due to depleted mitochondrial function. Endotoxemia features strongly in altering proper function of the liver, but dietary aspects such as carbohydrate excess and phytochemical deficiency play strongly as well. This seminar will focus on pathways from cell to excretion, the overlap of metabolic factors that promote autophagy self-eating and renewal, build mitochondrial and NAD+ pools, and correct patterns of metabolic dysfunctions. Learning Objectives: Understand the Phases of Detoxification and their connection to Nrf2 activation Understand potential liver pathways Understand the effects of inflammation on detoxification pathways Understand how the metabolic and autophagy benefits AMPK activation via supplementation coupled to keto diets or fasting accelerates and deepens benefits of detoxification Understand how AMPK activation further increases cellular energy through augmentation of mitochondrial and NAD+ pools Understand how to put together detoxification protocols that couple detox phase upregulation and metabolic activation
