Love Your Lymph

EmpowerWellness

Apr 22

One of the easiest ways to boost your immunity, improve your skin, and help balance hormones is by supporting your lymphatic system. This system includes your lymph, lymph nodes, tonsils, adenoids, and spleen, and is responsible for removing excess fluid and proteins from the tissue and putting it back into the bloodstream. It runs just under the skin and acts as a filter for toxins, helping to protect you from infections, bacteria, and even cancer. White blood cells and interstitial fluid help to shuttle unwanted toxins out, so in essence, all detoxification starts with the lymphatic system. Sluggish blood circulation results in the lymph not being able to promptly transport toxins out, which can weaken your immune system, cause skin issues, and burden hormonal balance.

Poor diets, lack of movement, and the borage of toxins and chemicals we are exposed to these days have many of our lymphatic systems overworked. Taking steps to support it can be beneficial and super easy. Here are my top tips for encouraging proper lymphatic flow:

Dry Brushing is an age-old way to help stimulate lymphatic drainage. Using a dry brush that has natural, stiff, short bristles - preferably with a long handle to reach the lower part of your back. You brush from the bottom of your body in long upward strokes. Moving always towards the heart, as your natural lymphatic flow does. Best to do this 2-3 times per week before a shower. This will help move stuck toxins and can even help with cellulite and dark spots on the body.

Rebounding I love this method because it's easy and fun. Rebounding is the act of jumping on a small trampoline for five to ten minutes a day and has been shown to benefit the movement of the lymph system.

Hot/Cold Therapy is a technique that has been used for centuries, not only to help with lymphatic drainage but to also help strengthen the immune system and can increase your metabolism (hello!!). When we expose our bodies to hot and cold plunges back to back, our muscles contract in such a way that it stimulates the lymphatic flow. You can do this in the shower by alternating between hot and cold output. If you've heard all the recent craze about cold plunges - this is it! Essentially, it increases circulation to the skin and releases a hormonal cascade that can help decrease cortisol levels - cortisol is responsible for storing belly fat and stress in the body. Specifically, when we are exposed to cold water, our bodies release dopamine and noradrenaline. When these guys go up, cortisol goes down - voila'! Stress levels decrease in the body and your lymphatic system gets a boost too!

Regular Exercise will help stimulate the lymphatic system. This can be anything from walking to HIIT classes (High Intensity Interval Training). However, yoga really takes the prize here. The twisting and even the inversions performed during a yoga session can have a powerful effect in moving the lymphatic system.

Infrared Saunas help increase body heat deep into our tissue, causing us to sweat and the body to remove toxins deeply embedded in our systems.

These, in no way, are the only ways to help move your lymph more effectively, but they are my top picks. They're easy to incorporate into your daily routine once you become mindful of them. As always, a healthy diet with lots of Omega 3s, sulfur-rich veggies, antioxidants, and herbs should be your foundation!