You may need to support your lymph if you are feeling sluggish, tired, and emotionally spent these days. As well as struggling with inflammation and waking up stiff or sore.
What your Lymphatic System does
Your lymphatic system is part of your immune system — a network of vessels and nodes that moves lymph fluid through your body. It is key to removing waste from the body, creating key immune system cells, and maintaining healthy fluid levels. It weaves through your whole body — vessels, ducts, and lymph nodes, plus the spleen, thymus, adenoids, and tonsils.
The catch: it has no pump
Unlike your blood, which has your heart to move it through the body, lymph fluid has no pump of its own. So, it relies on movement, deep breathing, and muscle contraction to keep things flowing – It moves when you move.
Because most of us live sedentary lives we must make an effort to get moving. Primarily caused by desk work, long drives/air travel or even when the opportunity to get outside is diminished; our lymph flow can get sluggish — and that’s when we need to look for ways to support it.
Signs your Lymph is Sluggish
You may notice feeling sluggish, morning stiffness, fatigue, dry or itchy skin, bloating, holding on to water, brain fog, and cold hands and feet. Those are everyday experiences with many possible causes — which is exactly why daily habits that support flow are a sensible place to start.
5 simple ways to move lymph at home
- Move Walking, stretching, rebounding — anything that contracts your muscles helps move lymph. Even 10 minutes counts.
- Hydrate. Lymph fluid is.about 95% water, therefore dehydration is one of the most common reasons it gets thicker and slower. So, sip clean water through the day; add in electrolytes,
- Breathe deeply. Slow diaphragmatic breathing acts like a gentle pump for the lymphatic vessels in your torso. Try 5 slow breaths (inhale for 5 seconds, hold it for 5, and then exhale for 5) several times a day.
- DIY Lymph Massage: just using your hands, lightly stimulate and move your lymph. Here’s a video as an example of upper body only and one for full body.
- Dry brushing. Using a medium-soft natural-bristle brush on dry skin, stroke toward your nodes before showering. Here’s a video to show an example of how this is done.
- Detox Bath: Hot water, Epsom salt or magnesium flakes, baking soda even hydrogen peroxide; if you like, you can add circulation loving essential oils such as Cypress, and Rosemary. The first 20 minutes help you sweat; the second 20 are for soaking up the magnesium and oils.
- Eat Well: To support all of these changes, eat whole foods, quality protein and healthy fats, and go easy on sugar and alcohol — especially during a focused flush. Naturally red foods (berries, cherries, cranberries, pomegranates, beets) are a traditional favorite for keeping lymph moving.
- Reduce Toxic Exposure: Also to support these changes, check out the ingredients in your cleaners and toiletries. Make sure they are good for you and not compromising your system. Check your products here and if they don’t score well, look for natural alternatives:
Ready to give your body some extra support?
At-home habits are wonderful maintenance, but sometimes you want someone to do something deeper. Here are some options through me, but feel free to search out others you trust for additional support.
- Join my Lymph Flush Challenge – we’ll be learning all of the things during on on-line class on Thursday 10/29, RSVP here.. The actual challenge begins 11/12 -25, but you can start anytime you have your supplies.
- Young Living Products
- Book a Raindrop session – there are movements done on the back that help move lymph fluid. You can also add on a Vitaflex Lymphatic add-on ($5) — targeted on the feet for additional lymph support. (learn more –
- Not sure where to start? Grab a free consultation and we’ll map it out:
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and cannot diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. Anyone suffering from disease or injury should consult with their physician.
Source: Most material in this blog was referenced from the Life Steps Resources (lifestepsapp.com – https://m.lfstps.com/YtyD/4ie)
