The Art & Science of Detoxification – Part 2: Lungs
Learning the art and science of detoxification is key to supporting to your EBV healing journey. In my case, I usually experience the viral flareup after heavily stressful life events (such a grieving loved ones and dealing without childcare during a pandemic in my most recent experience). While my body fights the higher viral load, my physical pathways get bogged up and the viral die-off seems to recirculate and make everything worse. Now that I’ve been through the pattern many times, I notice this is usually the starts of fatigue and brain fog and double-down on detoxing routines to get things moving and prevent a bigger crash.
While I’m not a medical professional, I’m here to share what I’ve learned about the pathways of detoxification and how you can apply rituals in your life. When fighting Epstein-Barr or any other pathogen, it’s important to give your body the support it needs to flush the garbage out. The six key detoxifying pathways are: Skin, Lungs, Kidneys, Digestion, Lymphatic and Liver. These systems work together to rid your body of toxins your skin, breath, stool and urine.
Please, I beg of you, don’t go googling any wild and crazy fad cleanses. Especially you have chronic illness, these kinds of cleanses can be extremely dangerous. It’s important to take small and steady steps forward, being kind and gentle to yourself. You don’t need drastic or expensive measures to make a big difference.
Where to Start:
I encourage you to start with Part 1 of this detox series - the Skin. Next up, let’s talk about our breathing! Here are my favorite Respiratory Detoxing tips:
Regular Deep Breathing– One of best tools for our overall health. Regular deep breaths are good for our nervous system, mental health, stress hormone levels and so much more. In my high-paced office job, I find myself holding my breath all day long. I try to begin my day with deep breathing before getting out of bed, taking conscious breaks every hour at work (or at least every bathroom break) and doing easy breathing exercises before going to sleep. For some memorable and simple breathing techniques, check out Box Breathing, my favorite nighttime 4-7-8 Breathing or my son’s favorite five finger breathing.
Daily Movement - Whether walking, jogging, yoga or otherwise, anything that gets your blood pumping and breath moving will do the trick. Remember, when you are in a flare up the job of exercising is about detoxing and feeling better, not to push your body too far or build up to a new goal.
In-Home Air Filtration - Our homes are full of all kinds of airborne toxins - from dust to pathogens to mold and mycotoxins. I found significant improvement in my health by putting a simple Hepa Air Filter in my bedroom and office, in addition to a high-quality filter in our forced air furnace and air conditioner.
Avoiding Smoke or Inhaled Toxins - Smoking and vaping of any sort, including second hand, is to be avoided as much as possible. While marijuana isn’t for me, I will share that it is a additionally toxic when inhaled and ingesting in an alternative manner is probably better. While I’m not a smoker myself, I personally find the late Summer wildfire season to give me quite a bit of trouble. Do your best to avoid, breath filtered air and ramp up your immune and antiviral protocol during these seasons.
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