Digital Social Hour — Episode #1756

Guest: Marina Ortega
Host: Sean Kelly
Date: January 15, 2026
Title: "Your Acne, Fatigue, and Inflammation Might Be a Poop Problem"

Episode Overview

This candid episode dives deep into gut health, chronic constipation, detoxification, and why our bathroom habits affect much more than we think—including skin health, inflammation, fatigue, and overall well-being. Marina Ortega, affectionately dubbed "the poop fairy," brings nearly 30 years of experience to bust taboos around digestive struggles, explore causes and real-world solutions, and explain how overlooked gut issues are truly epidemic. The discussion ranges from specific remedies like colonics, coffee enemas, and castor oil packs, to larger lifestyle factors and the surprising links between our bowels and issues like acne, mold toxicity, and even emotional health.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Taboo Around Bathroom Habits

• Marina on Social Stigma:
  • “More people need to start talking about poop and bathroom habits...I’m here to really talk to people about that.” (01:03)
  • Shame keeps people from discussing issues, even with family or doctors; this leads to chronic, hidden problems.
• Host Admission:
  • Sean shares his own history of constipation, linked to Accutane and poor diet, acknowledging many quietly struggle (01:10).

How Constipation Affects the Whole Body

• Body Burden and Toxins:
  • Not going regularly causes reabsorption of waste, leading to issues like acne:
    • “Once you hold all that poop in, you start absorbing it, and then your face starts purging it. Hence the reason people get breakouts and stuff.” —Marina (01:30)
    • Chronic constipation is more widespread than people expect:
      • “110 million people are dealing with chronic constipation...this is like a national epidemic.” (03:02–03:31)
• Foreign Toilet Syndrome:
  • Many, especially kids, avoid public bathrooms, which worsens issues. “Many kids, even at school, aren’t pooping. They’ll wait eight hours...this is happening to adults too.” (01:48)

Diet, Toxins, and Stress as Root Causes

• “It’s a lot of different things. Diet...toxins, plastics, food...Stress as well.” —Marina (03:38)
• People use coffee as an aid, but the root problem remains unresolved.

Natural Remedies: What Works—and What Doesn't

• Constipation Protocols:

  • Marina’s approach involves sequencing treatments to ensure open “drainage pathways.”
    • Colonics and distilled water enemas always come before coffee enemas (05:55).
    • “If you’re constipated, you don’t want to do any cleanse at all, you’re just stirring everything up.” (06:07)

• Parasite Cleanses:

  • Popular online, but risky if not pooping regularly:
    • “If you’re not pooping, don’t do a parasite cleanse...You’ll reabsorb all those parasites you just killed off.” (06:42–07:47)
  • Marina has seen parasites come out during treatments, sometimes linked with mold exposure (07:51).

Mold Toxicity and Parasite Connection

• The guest shares her personal battle:
  • “If you have black mold, treat the parasites first. If you try to treat the mold, the parasites will just regurgitate it back into your system.” (08:02–09:13)
  • She treated herself using colonics, ozone sauna, lymphatic drainage, castor oil packs, and anti-parasitic teas. “Six months into it, my levels were halfway down...All natural.” (09:40–10:13)

Environmental Exposure

• Source of mold was a steam room at a gym, not home or office:
  • “Steam rooms are notorious for black mold...I’ll never step foot in one again.” (11:23–12:15)

The Science of Coffee Enemas and Castor Oil Packs

• Coffee Enemas:
  • Use only USDA Organic coffee for enemas, not drinking coffee (14:12–14:24).
  • “When you do a coffee enema, it goes through the rectum, dilates the bile ducts, [and] it’s like filtering the blood...increasing glutathione by 500-700%.” (14:23–14:58)
• Castor Oil Packs:
  • “Put USDA organic castor oil on your abdomen with a heating pad; it penetrates the liver, dilates the ducts, and helps purge toxins.” (15:38–16:24)
  • Multiple benefits: beauty, anti-inflammation, antimicrobial, and especially bowel movement regulation.

Signs of Healthy (or Unhealthy) Poop

• Dehydration:
  • “Most people are pooping out little rabbit turds...They’re chronically dehydrated.” (16:52–17:12)
  • Optimal is “long, smooth, like a banana.” (17:15)
  • If you see pellets: “Increase electrolytes, minerals, water.” (17:43)
• Electrolytes & affordable options: “Pinch of Himalayan salt in water has 72 natural minerals.” (18:13–18:25)

Affordability and Access

• Treatments at Marina’s center in Scottsdale are out-of-pocket but accept HSA/FSA (18:28–18:53).
• Insurance rarely covers detox modalities, pushing many to alternatives.
• Focus on making quality supplements and remedies affordable:
  • “We’re dealing with a sick culture. Let’s help these people. Let’s make it affordable.” (27:06)

The Problem with Laxatives & The Role of Western Medicine

• Many grow dependent: “People are addicted to laxatives for decades...It breaks that peristalsis wave.” (21:51–22:56)
• Losing the natural urge to go becomes a real risk with chronic use.
• Marina advises restoring function instead of masking symptoms.

The Lymphatic System and Movement

• “Lymphatic system is double the size of your blood volume...If you’re sitting all day, inflammation will build up.” (19:39–20:21)
• Gentle exercise, walking, and “pumping” the system is crucial for detox.

Product Education and “Greenwashing”

• Marina critiques misleading labeling—only “USDA Organic” is federally regulated, not just “organic.”
  • “You and I could make a product and say it’s organic...When it’s USDA organic, there’s a lot of paperwork, rules, inspections.” (25:36–26:24)
• Her “Trust Your Gut” product line prioritizes third-party testing and transparency.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the impact of gut stasis:
  “People are hanging on to all that poop and toxins...your body gets acidic, and with that comes bad things.” —Marina (21:15)

• On missed ‘poop windows’:
  “Everyone’s got that poop window. And if you miss it, you don’t know when you’re going to get that urge to go again.” —Marina (02:49)

• On the hidden epidemic:
  “110 million people...this is like a national epidemic of chronic constipation that no one's talking about.” —Marina (03:02)

• On parasites and cleanses:
  "If you’re not pooping, don’t do a parasite cleanse...You’ll reabsorb all those parasites you just killed off." —Marina (07:21)

• On coffee enemas:
  “Once you do your coffee enema...think of it like almost dialysis, like open everything up and all the sludge, the bile, just start dumping stuff out.” —Marina (14:23)

• On shame and silence:
  “Women are going on vacation for 12 to 14 days, not pooping...they can’t poop in front of their boyfriend.” —Marina (31:03)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:03 | Elvis' autopsy and how much waste we hold | | 01:03 | The shame/guilt around discussing poop | | 01:30 | How holding in waste leads to acne and toxins | | 01:48 | 'Foreign toilet syndrome' and school-age constipation | | 03:02 | Constipation as a national epidemic | | 05:38 | Natural remedies: colonics, enemas, castor oil packs | | 06:42 | Parasite cleanse dangers if not pooping regularly | | 08:02 | Connection between mold and parasites | | 09:40 | Alternative healing for mold exposure | | 11:23 | Source of mold: steam room at gym | | 14:23 | Coffee enemas: mechanism and benefits | | 15:38 | Castor oil packs for detox/constipation | | 16:52 | What healthy poop looks like; dehydration signs | | 18:13 | Affordable hydration/electrolyte solutions | | 21:51 | Dangers and dependency of chronic laxative use | | 19:39 | Importance of lymphatic drainage and movement | | 25:36 | Difference between “organic” and “USDA Organic” | | 28:36 | Step-by-step on doing coffee enemas at home | | 30:00 | Success stories/testimonials—how common constipation is | | 31:03 | Societal (esp. female) shame around pooping |

Additional Resources Mentioned

• Marina’s clinic: scottsdaletherapy.com (19:12, 32:57)
• Product line: trustyourgut.shop (27:23; see educational videos and products)
• Recommended minerals brand: Beam (18:04)
• Techniques: Colonics, coffee enemas, castor oil packs, ozone sauna, infrared sauna, hyperbaric, lymphatic drainage

Summary Tone

Lighthearted, candid, evidence-based yet “unfiltered,” seeking to break taboos and impart practical, actionable insights with empathy and clarity. Both host and guest are open about personal struggles, which reinforces the “real talk” mission of the show.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This conversation is a must-listen (or read!) for anyone who has struggled with acne, fatigue, mystery inflammation, or “bathroom issues”—and for those looking for down-to-earth, practical health wisdom that often goes unsaid. Marina Ortega pulls back the curtain on what’s really happening in our guts and why the first solution often starts with honest conversation and a willingness to address root causes—not just symptoms.

To learn more or try the discussed remedies, see trustyourgut.shop and scottsdaletherapy.com.