Loving your Lymphs
DO YOU GET BLOATED?
I bet the first thing you do is blame the last thing you ate, right? So now you jump right into eliminating whatever food you think caused it, do the latest liver cleanse and still it happens again!
SOOO WHAT IF IT WASN'T?
Maybe you are forgetting an important part of your body, a rather complicated network that consists of fluid-filled nodes, vessels, glands and organs – and no it’s not your circulatory system.
IT IS YOUR LYMPHATIC SYSTEM!
This is such an important part of your body, yet the most forgotten, it touches pretty most every part of you! It silently goes about its business disposing the toxins and waste, this is your bodies natural drainage system, it naturally detoxes you and is your bodies first line of defense protecting you from outside threats, bacterias, infections and cancers.
SO LOOK AFTER IT!
I got double barrelled by one of our horses when I was 17, not only did I rupture my liver, I damaged my spleen and spent time in hospital lying on my back while my body worked super hard to heal itself. They told me my liver would make a full recovery, but my spleen is the hardest organ to heal properly. I have babied my spleen and still sometimes it lets me know it is super unhappy with something I have or haven't done, however our relationship has certainly improved and I believe it is now the happiest it has ever been!
MEET YOUR SPLEEN
If you don't know what this amazing organ does, you want to, the spleen fights infection, destroys worn-out red blood cells and holds a reserve of white and red blood cells. Your spleen is not alone, he has friends, so in addition to lymphatic organs and glands which also include your thymus and tonsils, we also have between 500-700 lymph nodes that are spread throughout the body. Lymph nodes filter lymph fluid, a clear substance that comes from your blood plasma – containing nutrients, oxygen, hormones, toxins and cellular waste. They also house lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) which play a role in your immune system.
SADLY THOUGH
There is a flaw in our system, your blood has this amazing pump that sends the blood around your body, the lymphatic system is not so lucky, it has no pump to do this, luckily it has YOU, because YOU are the pump for this system, so when you stop doing things to help it drain, it becomes stagnant and stressed, it cannot look after you properly and you can then develop some pretty uncomfortable things like......
Edema (fluid retention/bloating)
Cellulite
Chronic pain
Headaches
Fatty deposits
Chronic sinusitis
Swollen glands, ankles and eyes
Eczema
Arthritis
Upper respiratory, sinus and ear infections
Frequents colds
Tonsillitis, bronchitis and pneumonia
ALL IS NOT LOST, WE CAN GET IT ALL MOVING AGAIN!
My favourite thing to do for my body is dry brushing, I have been adding citrus oils like grapefruit to my brush for a while now, this helps the body to detox and smells amazing! I love the feeling it gives me, I love what it does to help my system to detox, and that glow it gives your skin!!
YOU CAN'T GO PAST A GREAT MASSAGE, HAVE YOU TRIED A LYMPHATIC MASSAGE YET?
You may not have even known such a beast existed, you do now! Book one in, it is designed to get everything moving. Once you have finished reward your body with a dandelion tea, this is also a way to love your lymphs! We all love a long soak in a bath, did you know that those epsom salts you add can also help your lymphs, add some baking soda with the epsom salts to assist with clearing out toxins.
GET YOUR BODY MOVING!
Jump on a trampoline, go for a walk, do some yoga, remember YOU are the pump, pumps don't work if they are idle in a chair or on the couch all day! We've heard it all before, but eat clean, love your body, wholefoods are much easier for your body to digest, and your lymphs love green veges, healthy fats and nuts and seeds! We all know there is an oil for that! And it is true, here are a few great oils for lymph cleansing
Add a few drops to fractionated coconut oil or an unscented lotion and massage into the inner and outer thighs, around the knees, near the armpits, and on the abdomen in a clockwise motion, this is just like aromatic dressing just good for your lymphs and you will smell divine!
How are you looking after your lymphs now?
On our site we have our Breast health book that you can download which goes into way more detail, teaches you to dry brush and to massage your breasts.
You can also purchase our Boob Lube Breast Massage Oil and the printed book from here as well.
Hugs Nic x