The Unsung Hero – Lymphatic System

What is the lymphatic system and is it worth knowing about?

The answer–absolutely!

The lymphatic system is like the unsung hero of your body and here are the details:

Your lymph, like your blood vessels, runs all over your body. It plays a very important role in fighting infections, absorbing excess fluid and helps to carry toxins out of your body through your urine.

Now that you know more, what can you do to optimize this lymphatic system:

1. Flip you for real:
   Doing any inversions (i.e handstand pushups for the show offs or a downward dog for the yogis.) In a similar way simply hanging down from  your waist and allowing your hands to graze the floor helps to move the lymph. Your vessels have the heart as a pump to promote blood flow, the lymph on the other hand has no such organ. Therefore you must move your body to allow this to happen. This practice can be done 10 minutes before bed and helps to promote deep sleep.
   
2. Brushing to the next level:
   Your teeth are not the only things that need brushing. This kind however does not require toothpaste-dry skin brushing is another technique that helps to move the lymph. Very light small strokes are used from the extremities, through your trunk and ending around the area of your heart helps to direct the lymph to where it is drained i.e. the thoracic duct. Imagine your are directing various rivers of water through different streets all towards the sewer to be drained and cleaned. The Merben brand has great dry skin brushes that are available at most health foods stores. Dry brushing can be done everyday in the morning before showering and only takes a few minutes.
3. Be the flow:
   Imagine now, a dried up river. How can the body drain and clean out unwanted toxins when there is no water in the riverbed? Drinking 2 glasses of water upon waking and 2 glasses after dinner help to improve your hydration. This is also the perfect time to get into making soups–aim to commit to making 1 pot of soup 1x/week.
   

   Have a healthy lymphatic system, support your immunity and glow!Kirsten Almon ND, CHt.
   Your in-house and virtual Naturopathic Doctor in Mississauga

For more information on how to keep you and your family healthy, I can help in a couple of ways:

1. Work with me one-on-one
If you would like to work directly with me and radically improve your energy-just send us a quick email erinmillshealth@bellnet.ca and we can set you up with a Naturopathic Initial Consult.

2. Test drive my services
Email us at erinmillshealth@bellnet.ca and we can set you up with a complimentary 15 minute consult

Dr. Kirsten Almon

Dr. Kirsten Almon has a Naturopathic Family Practice in Mississauga at Erin Mills Optimum Health with special interest and training in fertility (helping couples conceive naturally as well as improving outcomes for couples using assisted reproductive technology), pregnancy, birth, postpartum and pediatric care. She loves seeing children for “naturopathic well child visits” and consults on common issues such as food introduction, how to avoid colds, flus and ear infections.  Dr. Almon is the co-author and instructor of a Doula course specifically designed for Naturopathic Doctors and teaches across Canada.