Holistic Self- Care Suggestions For Your Lymphatic System




In previous articles we discussed about physiology of lymphatic system. Now we will discuss how this very neglected system can be taken care and why it plays such an important role in our overall health.

·      Love water, lack of full hydration in the body causes problems. As lymph is made up of 96% water, even mild to moderate dehydration can have a significant effect of this most watery of the body systems. As the water in the body depletes our lymphatic flow decreases and the lymph becomes stagnant, congested and dirty. Immune system also gets compromised due to stagnation.
·      Reduce fats to significantly cut down the workload of your lymphatic system and help it flow. Avoid fried food and trans fats.
·      Green yourself up, fresh green juices and smoothies are full of life boosting vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that can give your system a detox and also helps in circulation.
·      Dry skin brushing daily with skin brush is a good practice and helps in the lymphatic movement. the light but firm pressure provided by the dry skin brush activates the lymphatic vessels of the skin and gets the lymph moving.
·      Pump with the lungs. Give your lymphatic system a real boost by deep breathing, which increases the pressure changes in the chest and abdomen, thereby maximizing the effect of the thoracic pumping of the lymph.
·      Ditch any wired bras in your drawer. Tight bras especially wired ones, which change the shape of the breast restrict the lymph flow in the large and important group of nodes under the armpits. The wires are metal and react with electronic devices in a potentially unhealthy way. Some researchers believe that long term bra wearing contributes to the development of serious conditions including breast cancer.
·      Rebounding or jumping helps in improving lymphatic circulation. Lymphatic fluid is completely dependent on physical exercise to move, so it’s very important that we do any form of exercise every day. There is one movement that keeps the lymph pumping, from the feet up legs- the action of going up and down on your toes, as naturally happens when you are walking.  Walking is the ideal exercise but if you can’t walk a lot, his movement going while you sit or stand considerably helps the lymphatic drainage in your legs. Many yoga poses are known to help the venous return and lymphatic drainage system. These include legs up the wall, downward dog, cobra pose, and sun salutations, which is a sequence of movements.
·      Detox your mind. Negative thoughts about ourselves and others are unhelpful. Positive affirmations can help with this- and it can be especially powerful to combine breathing exercises with self-worth affirmations.
·      Massage therapy and foam rolling, they are both useful for preventing swelling. Foam rolling helps to increase the blood flow. Lymphatic drainage massage helps to release toxins and breaks up lymph congestion. Massages can activate the lymphatic system and help flush excess fluid from within tissues. (reference Dr Axe)

Tomorrow we will see what happens when you neglect this very important lymphatic system and what foods are important to consume to keep this system running smoothly.

reference
Deeply holistic
pip waller


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