How the lymphatic system could help with your weight loss, skin goals and more

We don’t often talk about the lymphatic system, and you might even go your whole life without having any idea about the state of yours or what it even is.

For something so overlooked, it is the largest circulatory system in the body. It is one of the most important parts of the immune system and it helps defend the body from infections, help with the absorption of dietary fats in the blood stream and keep all your fluid levels balanced. The entire lymphatic system is composed of the spleen, which helps filter the blood, the thymus, which helps produce immune cells, red bone marrow, which produces red blood cells, and the lymph nodes, which filter out toxins and waste from the body.

Basically, all of this works together as the “sewage system” of the body. They collect excess fluid (or the waste) and filter it into the blood stream. If it is not filtering correctly, this is where you will see swelling. As it is being filtered into the blood stream, the lymph nodes check it for any abnormal findings, or the bad stuff. If a lot of it is found or an infection is detected, this is when our lymph nodes swell as inflammatory cells come to fight off the bad guys. As most of our lymph’s are found in the stomach and intestines, they also help with the absorption of dietary fats.

Some signs that your lymphatic system needs some help from you:

-brain fog

-breast tenderness before period

-weight gain

-acne

-swelling or bloating

-recurring infections that won’t go away

It is so simple to work with your lymph system and help it work at its best. The above-mentioned symptoms are almost entirely in our hands and are very simple to solve. All the lymph really needs is movement. Since this system has no “pump” of its own, we are the pump that must get it moving.

Some ways to move your lymph’s:

-gentle daily exercise and movement such as yoga, walking, weightlifting…

-massage is a great way to get in and around your muscles and move all the stagnant fluid between them

-cupping and gua sha are also great ways for a more targeted approach to a specific area

-great sleep—it is found that your brain even has its own lymphatic system that flushes out all the bad stuff out of our cerebrospinal fluid (associated with Alzheimer’s) while we sleep

-deep breathing and relaxation can help “wring out” the lymph’s working from your abdominal region and bring down cortisol levels as constantly elevated levels can cause a lymphs to work improperly

-dry brushing is also great and works as a massage would

-simply sweating it out in a hot yoga class, a workout or sauna or steam bath help to move out the toxins as well

Whether you are trying to lose weight, clear your skin or feel more energetic, clearing out the lymph nodes and making sure that they are working properly is one of the simplest ways to start supporting your body better. Aside from eating clean and making sure that you are correctly nourishing yourself, movement is so important and can really affect just about every part of our lives.

If you need additional support, please click here to schedule a free introductory session with me!