The lymphatic system is comprised of LOTS of different working component and is a large part of the immune system. This system includes (but not limited to) the following: lymph nodes, lymph vessels, lymphoid tissue, spleen, thymus, thyroid and tonsils. Your lymphatic system helps rid the body of toxins and maintain balance of the immune system.
This structure, which acts as the body’s drainage system, works by collecting the waste from your cells throughout the body and then travels back to the largest lymph nodes in your neck before depositing those toxins into the blood stream. As the heart beats, it essentially acts as a pump for the lymphatic system (which does not have one of its own) by creating a vacuum and draining everything from the lymph, in the neck, into the blood stream via the vena cava. All the toxins from the lymphatic system are then transported and filtered through the blood into the kidneys and eventually leaves the body through the urine.
When this system does not work properly different lymphatic issues can appear in so many ways varying from: lymphoedema (swelling of the legs and arms with tightness of skin and lack of movement), Hodgkin’s Disease/Lymphoma, sinus infections, and stiffness. It can also affect pre-existing allergies and make them worse, and also lead to other allergic reactions with food. Because the thyroid is a key player in the lymphatic system, when this gets out of whack the body can then start having a hard time regulating it temperature, either too hot or too cold, as well as excess weigh being held in the body.
Since the lymphatic system has no pump of its own, it can sometimes need a little extra help getting going. Now, all movement that we make in our day to day activities helps the circulation of the lymphatic system, but some good ways to help encourage that flow is: deep breathing exercises (think the Wim Hof method), dry brushing, drinking water, exercise including yoga, tai chi, walking and jumping.
So many of us spend the days sitting at our desks, sitting in our cars to commute to work, and then getting home and sitting down to watch a movie. Lots of sitting, lots and lots of sitting. And all of this can lead to a stagnation of, well all of our systems, but since the lymphatic system depends on our movement to flow, we need to be making sure to help it along. Any of the modalities mentioned above are a great way to help it out.
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| Supports A Healthy Lymphatic System |
As the lymphatic system is essentially our garbage disposal system, the more junk that comes in the more junk that it has to filter out. What our environment is composed of, what we eat and drink, and what we put on our bodies and in the air the lymph system has to collect and then dispose of. And because the cardiovascular system and the urinary tract are directly in communication with the lymphatic, the harder each one up the chain has to work, the more work they all consequentially have.
When you eat fast foods, drink lots of sugary drinks, spray on way too much hair spray in the morning- all of those will in turn have to be broken down and filtered out for your body to work at its optimum ability. Throw in some inflammation (that so many of the foods that we eat end up causing in our body) and boom, we have a lot for our lymphatic system to trudge through to get all that junk out.
Due to your lymphatic system being so intricately woven through your entire body and since we have more lymph fluid than blood, if it goes out of whack, your entire human can feel the repercussions. (*The average 145 person has 12 liters of lymph fluid compared to 5 liters of blood.) So, take some time each day to get some movement and drink plenty of water to make sure that lymph fluid gets to moving and gets the chance to clean up your body!
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