By Dr. Michael Smith, ND
When it comes to hobbies, we usually find and pursue the things we are interested in. In the case of one of my hobbies—car mechanics—it found me. I think it was the combination of my older 200,000-mile vehicles that needed repairs, a fascination of how things work, and an intrinsic do-it-yourself mentality that led me to dive into my vehicles and repair what I can. From overhauling front-end suspensions on multiple cars, replacing brakes, oil changes, exhaust systems, and more, I have been around the block (and my garage shop) in the world of auto mechanics.
Cars and the Human Body
Through my many experiences working on cars, I have realized just how many similarities there are between cars and the human body. To share a few:
- Both are high performing machines and can run for a long time. Depending on the vehicle and how well it is taken care of, a car engine can keep purring along down the freeway for 100,000 to 200,000 miles, and sometimes up to 300,000 miles. The human heart, for example, can pump 2000 gallons of blood per day and beat over 2.5 million times in a 70-year lifespan.
- Both are very complex. An average car can have 30,000 or more individual parts, including every nut and bolt. The human body has 79 organs, over 200 bones, and over 650 muscles.
- Both require fuel to run. A large helping of unleaded gasoline soup is not something that we would order at a restaurant, but for a car, that is exactly what it wants. We’ll opt for turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, salad, a pumpkin pie, or whatever else is on the menu.
- Both require preventive maintenance. Preventive maintenance are those things we do regularly to keep things running the way that they should. In a car, this includes tire rotations, oil changes, and replacing wiper blades, brakes, and the timing belt. For the human body, preventive maintenance includes regular checkups, blood work (more on that in a minute), checking in on diet and physical activity, and continually making little adjustments to our health.
By thinking about how cars run, we can gain valuable insight into our own health and how to take care of our body to help keep it running for many more years…and miles.
Oil Changes
One of the most routine preventive maintenance tasks we do on vehicles is an oil change. In a car, oil is used to lubricate the engine, keeping many different parts moving smoothly. Oil also helps to decrease friction that could lead to excess heat. Over time, even normal engines can wear down a little, dirt may creep into the engine, and the oil gets filled with little particles that can further erode the engine over time. The oil itself can break down. All this leads to the need to give your car the 3000 to 5000 mile TLC it needs with an oil change.
In an oil change, we let the old oil drain from a car, change the oil filter, and put new oil into the engine. In the same way, we need to let our body drain. One of the main ways that our body drains is through our emunctories. Emunctories are organs that help our body get rid of things we no longer need. These include:
- Gastrointestinal tract – clearing out food waste, bound up cholesterol, and broken down chemicals and toxins
- Kidneys – helping filter our blood, balancing
- Lungs – exchanging unwanted carbon dioxide for needed oxygen
- Skin – sweating out toxins
Making sure these organs are working optimally is the health equivalent to an oil change. There are often simple things that can be done and often take center stage during a naturopathic medical visit. I have often found that my cars run better after an oil change. When we strengthen our emunctories and let our body detox and clear out gunk, we can feel better too.
I am passionate about making sure emunctories are working well. I frequently bring out my Bristol scale “poop chart” with patients to ask them about their bowel movements. I make sure that patients can breathe well, especially when they are moving their bodies. And I am always sure to check on kidney function in lab results. It is all part of a whole-person approach that I strive to have in my practice as a naturopathic doctor.
If you or someone you know would like to come and talk shop, dive into more of these car-human body similarities, and make a detailed mechanics plan to optimize your health, call Natura Health and Wellness Clinic at 406-317-1965 to set up a free 15-minute consultation.