Follow Your Gut Podcast

Cleanses, Detoxes, and Fads I Would Never Follow (And Why)

• Juniper Bennett • Season 4 • Episode 162

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We are all bombarded with quick-fix “solutions” whether it is from a doctor, dermatologist or an influencer online, and it’s no wonder it feels confusing. One person is recommending a powder. Another is telling you to take ten different herbs. Then someone else is claiming you have to do a parasite cleanse before you can heal anything else.

It’s a lot. 

And it’s really important to understand how these different cleanses, detoxes, and fads actually work (or don’t work) so that you can make the most aligned and intentional choices for your body or your child’s.

So let’s take a closer look at some of the most common tools people are talking about or being told to use. Because I want to walk you through exactly why they’re not included in any of our formulas at ōNLē - and how that decision was made with deep, thoughtful intention.

These aren’t ingredients we overlooked. They’re ingredients we intentionally chose not to include, because of what we now understand about how they interact with the body.

When we know better, we can choose better.
And I want you to have that knowledge so you can feel grounded and confident in the choices you make for your body, and for your family.

Thanks for listening! I would love to connect with you ♡


Sending love and wellness from my family yours,
xx - Juniper Bennett
Founder of ōNLē ORGANICS

We are all bombarded with quick-fix “solutions” whether it is from a doctor, dermatologist or an influencer online, and it’s no wonder it feels confusing. One person is recommending a powder. Another is telling you to take ten different herbs. Then someone else is claiming you have to do a parasite cleanse before you can heal anything else.

It’s a lot. And it’s really important to understand how these different cleanses, detoxes, and fads actually work (or don’t work) so that you can make the most aligned and intentional choices for your body or your child’s.

So let’s take a closer look at some of the most common tools people are talking about or being told to use. Because I want to walk you through exactly why they’re not included in any of our formulas at ōNLē - and how that decision was made with deep, thoughtful intention.

These aren’t ingredients we overlooked. They’re ingredients we intentionally chose not to include, because of what we now understand about how they interact with the body.

When we know better, we can choose better.
And I want you to have that knowledge so you can feel grounded and confident in the choices you make for your body, and for your family.


Let’s start with zeolite:

Zeolite is everywhere right now. It’s being marketed as a gentle binder - something that can help pull out toxins, heavy metals, even parasites. And while it can bind to harmful substances, what most people don’t realize is that it binds indiscriminately. Meaning it doesn’t just grab toxins. It also binds to essential minerals that your body depends on like zinc, magnesium, iron, and selenium. When you’re already depleted, this kind of binding can leave you feeling foggy, anxious, drained, and even more imbalanced than before.

But there’s something even more important to understand about zeolite: it contains aluminum.

It’s part of the natural structure of the mineral itself. And yes, some brands will claim that the aluminum is “trapped” or “inert,” but the truth is we still don’t know how much of it is absorbed by the body when taken over time. And I’m not willing to gamble with that. Aluminum is a known neurotoxin. It’s been linked to inflammation, oxidative stress, and even long-term neurological issues.

This is one of the biggest reasons I chose not to include zeolite in any of our protocols. Not just because it strips the good with the bad but because it contains something I would never knowingly introduce into my body, or my children’s.

I know it’s trendy. I know it’s being recommended everywhere.
But trendy doesn’t mean trustworthy.

And just because something can bind toxins doesn’t mean it belongs in your healing toolkit.

Now let’s talk about charcoal.

Charcoal has become another go-to in the detox culture. It’s often praised for its ability to absorb toxins, and you’ll find it in everything from capsules to juices to toothpaste. It’s marketed as a gentle binder - but in truth, it’s anything but gentle.

Charcoal is incredibly drying. It moves through the digestive tract like a sponge, soaking up everything in its path. That includes toxins, yes, but also minerals, nutrients, and beneficial bacteria. And it’s not selective. Just like zeolite, it binds to what your body needs, not just what it doesn’t.

And something that most people don’t realize is that charcoal is also very abrasive. It physically scrapes along the lining of your gut. For someone whose digestive system is already inflamed or compromised, this can do real damage. It weakens the gut barrier even further, which leads to more inflammation, more immune dysregulation, and even more symptoms over time.

It also slows down the bowels. For people who are already constipated, this creates even more backup in the system - right when you’re trying to detox. That backup means more recirculating toxins, more brain fog, more skin flares and prolonged healing.

Charcoal doesn’t nourish or support your body. It just absorbs. And when you’re already depleted, that kind of absorption isn’t healing - it’s harm masked as help.

And here’s where I want to zoom out even more.
Because this issue goes far beyond zeolite and charcoal.

There’s a whole world of over-the-counter cleanses, detox kits, and trendy protocols being sold as quick fixes. And unfortunately most of them are doing more harm than good.

Maybe you’ve seen a “3-day whole body reset” at your local health food store. Or a 7-day cleanse that promises to detox your liver, gut, and lymph all at once. Or a kit you found online that claims to clear parasites in a week. Maybe it’s a juice cleanse, or a green powder that says it’ll flush out toxins and give you glowing skin.

These sound harmless. Some even feel good for a day or two. But what they almost never include is replenishment. They don’t tell you how to restore your minerals. They don’t guide you through supporting your microbiome. They don’t explain what to do when symptoms flare, or how to support your nervous system when things start to shift.

And then there are the more extreme options.
Coffee enemas. Liver flushes and even ivermectin.

I know these can sound appealing when you see beautiful influencers swearing by them and you’re desperate for answers. But let’s talk about coffee enemas for a second. Most people don’t realize that enemas bypass the body’s natural processing systems. Your gut is designed to absorb slowly, to filter and regulate through the stomach acid, liver, and microbiome. But when you take something like coffee through the rectum, it bypasses all of that and enters the bloodstream immediately, at full strength. For a sensitive, depleted body, that can be incredibly dysregulating. It’s not healing. It’s a shock to the system.

And ivermectin? That one deserves a pause here.

Last month, we were at one of our son’s skateboard competitions. Seven months out of the year, we drive nine hours each way to support him in his passion. Well, my husband, Ty, usually comes with us, and he proudly tells everyone who will listen about ōNLē because he has been in charge of customer care for the last year and a half and everyday gets emails from so many people sharing their transformations. But this time, he wasn’t with us. And a dad came up to me and said, “So! Our whole family is doing a parasite cleanse and I want to know what you think. It has ivermectin in it so I know it’ll be great!”

He was beaming. So excited. And he had this vague sense that somehow this was connected to what I do… but I could also tell he didn’t actually want to learn. He just wanted someone to cheer him on.

I left that conversation feeling sad. Because they’re trying. They’re really trying. But again - there’s so much you need to know before putting something like ivermectin into your body.

See, ivermectin is a pharmaceutical antiparasitic. It was originally developed for livestock, and while it’s sometimes prescribed in extreme medical situations, it was never designed as a tool for foundational healing. In recent years, it’s been repackaged as a quick fix for parasites and that’s exactly how it’s being used. Casually and aggressively by people who are already deeply depleted and looking for relief.

But the unfortunate truth is that Ivermectin doesn’t heal the body. It doesn’t restore your microbiome. It doesn’t support your detox pathways. It doesn’t replenish minerals or calm your nervous system. What it does is paralyze and kill certain parasites. But your body is still left with the job of clearing them.

And if your drainage pathways aren’t open? If your liver is sluggish, your gut is inflamed, your nervous system is dysregulated? You’re going to feel it hard and finish your “parasite cleanse” in a much worse place than when you started. 

The problem is, when something kills aggressively without any support for the body’s ability to process and restore, it leaves you deeply depleted. This isn’t healing. 

Now what about herbal cleanses?

I want to preface this and say how much I love herbal medicine and that they have their place. The herbs I am about to talk about aren’t bad. They’re just more disruptive than helpful in most situations.

Black walnut, wormwood, and oil of oregano have powerful antimicrobial properties. They’re commonly used in parasite and candida protocols because they work - they powerfully kill overgrowths. But they don’t do it gently. They come in strong, and they don’t discriminate. They target harmful pathogens, yes, but like zeolite and charcoal, they also wipe out beneficial bacteria that your gut needs to stay balanced.

They can also be irritating to the gut lining. Especially when taken in high doses, or over extended periods of time, these herbs can inflame and weaken the very system you’re trying to heal. They flood the body with die-off toxins and disrupt the microbiome. Which makes them unsafe during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and for young children.

The truth is, these herbs are often used with the best intentions. But when they’re taken without replenishment, without nervous system support, and without any understanding of what they’re actually doing inside the body - they can do more harm than good.

I’ve watched this happen more times than I can count.

Women bouncing from one cleanse to the next. Children put on tinctures so strong their symptoms spiral. Families desperate for healing, unknowingly using tools that leave the body more depleted than before.

Now I want to pause here and speak directly to the part of you that’s so confused, overwhelmed, or maybe even discouraged.

You are not wrong for trying.
You are not wrong for waiting.
You are not wrong for being cautious.

There is so much conflicting information out there. One person tells you to do more. Another tells you to do nothing. Some tell you to detox everything, while others say healing will just happen naturally over time. And in the middle of all that noise is you. A woman trying to heal. A mother trying to help her child. A family just wanting to feel well.

If you’ve ever felt frozen by the options…
If it’s felt like every step forward leads to two steps back…
This is why.

Because so much of what’s being taught online skips the most important piece… understanding what your body actually needs in order to heal.

Not a quick fix.
Not a harsh protocol that leaves you depleted.
But a complete approach. One that sees your body as a whole being and supports it with gentle intention.

So if you’ve already tried one of these cleanses or trends, it’s okay. You weren’t wrong for wanting the best for your body and your family. And if you’ve been waiting, watching, listening to all the different voices and wondering why nothing feels quite right… that’s your intuition guiding you.

And from here, we’re going to start peeling back those layers. I’m going to walk you through what a safe, effective, and complete healing approach actually looks like - one that restores the body rather than breaks it down.

So, what does true healing actually look like?

It starts with a completely different mindset. One that doesn’t ask, “How do I kill this off quickly?” but instead asks, “How do I bring my body back into balance and keep it there?”

That shift changes everything. Because it’s not just about clearing parasites or getting rid of a symptom. It’s about restoring the very systems that were disrupted in the first place.

That’s what rebalancing is.

It’s not a cleanse. It’s not a detox. It’s a method. A process that supports your body in clearing out what doesn’t belong and replenishing what’s missing - at the same time.

Because, right? When we eliminate without restoring, we create a vicious cycle. But when we do both together? That’s when true, lasting change happens.

So let’s walk through what rebalancing actually supports in the body and how to know if your body (or your child’s) is needing it.

Sometimes it’s obvious. You’re dealing with a skin issue that won’t go away. Or your child is battling constant ear infections, allergies, or tantrums that feel way bigger than them. Maybe your hormones are a mess. Your cycle is painful or missing altogether. Your sleep is broken, your mood is unpredictable, or you’re exhausted no matter how much rest you get.

Other times it’s more subtle. You feel “off.” Your gut is bloated or sluggish. You’re sensitive to foods you used to tolerate. Or maybe you just sense that something isn’t right. You’re not thriving. Your child isn’t thriving.

These are all signs that the body is out of balance. And it’s not just one thing. It isn't just one bad bacteria, yeast, mold, parasites, or a sluggish liver - it’s all connected. That’s why isolated protocols fall short. You can’t target just one of these and expect the rest of the system to function.

Rebalancing is about addressing the full picture.

We start by eliminating the overgrowths. So again, this is the harmful bacteria, yeast, mold, parasites, and even some viruses. But just as important is what we replenish. Because without rebuilding the gut microbiome and nourishing the body with what it needs to thrive, the cycle just repeats itself.

That’s what makes this different. It’s not a one-size-fits-all cleanse. It’s a methodology that supports the body in restoring itself from the inside out.

And we don’t just throw the body into elimination mode. That’s why the Rebalance Kits come with free access to our course - so you can learn how to prepare your body, open detox pathways, and support your (or your child’s) liver before anything is cleared. We calm the nervous system. We teach your body how to release what’s being eliminated, so healing feels supported - not like a flood of symptoms you’re left to navigate on your own.

This is what I needed someone to teach me when I was standing in that pharmacy with a steroid cream in my hand, wondering how my baby’s body got to this place. And it’s what I want you to know now… your body is not broken. Your child’s body is not broken. They’re just out of balance.

And when we support them gently, completely, and consistently, healing becomes not just possible but inevitable.

So when someone asks me how the Rebalance Kit compares to other cleanses or detoxes, it’s hard to answer in a quick DM. Because the truth is, we’re not doing the same thing.

This isn’t about wiping something out. It’s about healing and restoring the foundation of the body.

That’s the heart of rebalancing. And if that’s what you’ve been looking for… if something about this conversation has helped you feel a little more clear, confident and intuitively ready - then follow that.

You’ll want the Ultimate option of the Rebalance Kit. 

Transformation and Q&A of the week:

Transformation:

I can’t wait for you to read this transformation… “I have updates and I could honestly cry. The difference in just a few months is amazing. My son just looks so much healthier. His skin has cleared up beautifully — no more redness, no more rashes, no more bleeding — and it's so much softer. And something else I noticed... he had lost so much weight when his eczema was at its worst and looked really malnourished. But now that his skin has cleared, he’s gained some weight and just looks so much healthier.”

This is such an important reminder that eczema is not just a skin issue.

When a child has chronic eczema, it’s a sign of deeper gut imbalance which leads to inflammation and an overwhelmed immune system. And when we address the root by rebalancing healing doesn’t just happen on the outside. It happens throughout the whole body.

The skin softens, inflammation calms and the body starts absorbing nutrients optimally.

Q) How to use cleanse for UTI or bacterial vagenosis?

  1. I think the best way to answer this is to zoom out first and help you understand why symptoms like these show up in the first place.

UTIs and bacterial vaginosis are both signs from the body that there’s a deeper imbalance happening - not just a local issue in the urinary tract or vaginal flora, but a systemic one rooted in the gut.

When the gut microbiome is out of balance it can lead to chronic inflammation and immune dysregulation. These pathogens don’t just stay in the gut. They spread through the bloodstream, the lymphatic system, and absolutely disrupt the delicate balance of bacteria in the vaginal microbiome.

So when a woman experiences recurring UTIs or bacterial vaginosis, it’s not just about treating the surface symptoms. These are downstream effects of a gut that is out of balance.

That’s why we always recommend rebalancing with the Ultimate Women’s Gut Rebalance Kit. Because it not only heals the issue you are currently dealing with, it actually goes deeper and clears the bad bacteria, yeast, mold, and toxins at the root, while also replenishing the beneficial bacteria that your body needs to thrive. 

And for women who are already rebalancing and have the kit, this is where you get to really lean into what’s in your hands.

If you are rebalancing and something like a UTI or bacterial vaginosis shows up, what’s likely happening is that your body is pushing out deeper layers of overgrowth. This is not a setback. It’s your body clearing.

So here's what I suggest in this situation:
Temporarily return to your super-start dose of Cleanse - even if you’ve already moved beyond that in the protocol. This gives your body a little extra support in clearing whatever has flared up. You can stay at the super-start dose for as long as you need until symptoms subside. here is also a bit more support for UTIs in the symptom-specific section of the course that came with your kit.

For bacterial vaginosis, you’ll also want to apply Relieve topically to the vagina throughout the day.