Spring Detox Series finale
And just like that, summer is upon us! Therefore, this is the finale to the Spring Detox blog series, where I discuss the importance of the inherent detoxification pathways in the body. The last four emunctories to cover are the gastrointestinal tract, the lungs, the integumentary system (skin), and emotions. Below each emunctory I also share a quick tip to supporting this detox pathway.
Gastrointestinal (GI) tract:
The GI tract is responsible for the breakdown of foods, absorption of nutrients, and elimination of waste products through bowel movements. If you are not having at least 1 bowel movement per day, you may not be detoxifying as well as you could be. This is why I always check in on the function of the GI tract with patients, even if that is not a direct health concern, because health truly does being in the gut.
Fiber and proper hydration can both help maintain healthy bowel movements. The standard recommendation for fiber intake is at least 25 grams of fiber per day!
Lungs:
The lungs are considered an emunctory because they too help with the detoxification process in the body. From the most obvious example, the lungs release carbon dioxide when we breath out. When we cough, we are expelling unwanted materials like phlegm from respiratory tract. On a deeper level, the way we breath directly impacts our nervous system and our nervous system plays a huge role in overall health, from the way we digest foods to our emotions.
Diaphragmatic breathing helps support the parasympathetic “rest and digest” nervous system.
Integumentary system (skin):
Simply put- we release small amounts of toxins through our skin by sweating. Breaking a sweat through exercise and sauna can help this process. Don’t have a sauna? No problem! There is an awesome sauna community in the Twin Cities (and most major other cities!)
Emotions:
The sayings “the issues are in the tissues”, or “the body keeps the score” aren’t far off- unprocessed or repressed emotions can and do often manifest in the body as health concerns. This is why the process of healthy emoting is included as an emunctory.
To learn how to process and express emotions in a healthy way- therapy can be a great option. There is no one right way to heal and there are many paths to working through trauma in addition to therapy such as using plant medicine, energy healing modalities such as reiki, and more.
In summary- the emunctories are “organs or parts of the body that carry off bodily wastes.” The body’s primary emunctories are the liver, kidneys, lungs, skin, intestines, and emotions. Building a foundation of health that supports these organs will help promote healthy detoxication in the body.