If you've been following me a while, you probably know I've been a huge fan of supporting your lymphatic system since my first lymphatic challenge a few years ago.
If you’re feeling sluggish, tired, and emotionally spent, then this is for you.
If you feel like you struggle with inflammation, then this is for you.
If you’re looking at the summer and worrying about cellulite and swimsuits, then this is for you.
If your skin is feeling dull and tired and dimply, then this is for you.
If you feel stiff or sore when you wake in the morning, then this is for you.
Let’s dive into the lymphatic system, friend, because this one area of health can have such a huge impact!
What is Our Lymphatic System and What Does It Do?
The lymphatic system is one of the most overlooked, yet significant systems in the body. It is the key to removing toxins from the body, creating key immune system cells, maintaining healthy fluid levels, and more!
The lymphatic system is expansive – it weaves through the entire body! Most of us are familiar with lymph nodes, and they are present in various sites in the body, but this system also includes vessels, ducts, and the spleen, thymus, adenoids, and tonsils!
Lymph vessels run throughout the body to remove waste from cells, regulate the immune system, destroy old or abnormal cells, and maintain normal fluid levels in the body. The lymphatic system also helps your body absorb fats and fat-soluble vitamins and move them into the bloodstream.
To say it is important is an understatement!
And yet, so many of us aren’t tuned into this system and many conventional doctors overlook how it affects us!
Giving your lymphatic system the attention it needs can help you….
Reduce inflammation and swelling in your body
Improve skin tone and reduce cellulite
Reduce stiffness and pain in joints and muscles
Improve mood and mental outlook
Improve blood flow throughout the body
Stimulate the immune system
Help shed those extra pounds
Why is Our Lymphatic System So Important?
Because the lymphatic system deals with ‘waste’ in the body, keeping this system running smoothly is important!
Lymph fluid exists to flush out waste that is naturally produced within the body (think dead cells) as well as toxins that are introduced from the external environment (think pollution, chemicals in your home and personal care items, etc.).
When we have inflammation throughout the body (from a poor diet, lack of sleep, extreme stress, or external chemicals) our tissues swell and lymph cannot flow well. The lymph vessels become congested, backed up so to speak.
These same things and the added congestion create oxidative stress on the lymph vessels, further impairing their ability to effectively transport lymph fluid and wastes.
Almost every part of the body can be affected by poor waste removal in the lymphatic system. When your lymph drains become congested you may notice:
Stiffness, especially in the morning
Fatigue
Itchy and dry skin
Bloating
Holding on to water
Brain fog
Swollen glands
Stubborn weight gain
Chronic sinus or ear issues
Cellulite
Cold hands and feet
When your lymphatic system is functioning well, it affects every aspect of your health!
And you can support this system really well each day with simple habits. You can also do a targeted lymph flush for two weeks to naturally decongest the system if you want to get a jump on cleansing!
What to Expect as You Cleanse
When you start a lymphatic cleanse (also called a lymphatic flush), your body is moving lymph fluid that has been stagnant, sometimes for a while.
And since lymph fluid carries things from all the organs in the body and contains waste products, your body is going to process and excrete those toxins in various ways.
You may sweat more than normal.
You may find you have a headache.
You may have negative emotions that arise.
Your muscles may feel tense and a bit sore.
All this is normal, and there is a lot you can do to support your mind and body during a lymph cleanse!
In general….
Drink lots of filtered water with minerals. We LOVE Mineral Essence for this!
Take detox baths with essential oils, and allow yourself to sit in the bath for as long as possible. The first 20 minutes is to help your body sweat out toxins, and the second 20 minutes allows time for your body to absorb the magnesium and receive the full effects of the essential oils.
Inhale, diffuse, and apply oils that you find emotionally calming like Valor, Peace & Calming, or even Lavender.
For tension in the body, we love Deep Relief, detox baths with Cypress and Frankincense, and the CBD Muscle Rub or Cool Azul Pain Relief Cream
Let’s Get Things Moving
The lymphatic vessels act like a giant drainage system for the body that needs to stay clear for it to work properly. There is no pump to move things on its own!
Stagnant lymph flow leads to waste and toxin buildup, weakening immunity and leading to a wide variety of health issues. And we want to avoid this!
So, how do we do that? We get things moving!!
The lymphatic system relies on the contraction and relaxation of the muscles and joints to move the lymph. Movement helps to move fluid from the tissues and push it through the lymphatic channels.
Exercises involving jumping are the best way to keep your lymph system flowing smoothly. This is in part why rebounding is so popular!
Want an easy way to give your lymphatic system some TLC that you can start today?? As soon as you wake in the morning, jump up and down 100 times! Little jumps are fine!
Although jumping up and down is the best way to stimulate lymph flow, any type of exercise will do the trick. When your muscles are moving, they massage the lymphatic system and improve lymph flow.
Hydration
Is there any health topic we could cover that wouldn’t include a note on hydration?? Our guess is a resounding no.
Hydration is clearly a crucial piece of the health puzzle, and lymph health is no exception!
Lymph fluid is about 95% water, but it becomes thicker and less fluid when you are dehydrated. In fact, one of the most common causes of lymph congestion is dehydration!
Staying well-hydrated by sipping clean, purified water (with minerals!!) throughout the day is a simple way to help keep lymph flowing well. We LOVE using Mineral Essence in our water to make sure we have enough minerals!
One simple way to help you drink more water is to add some Grapefruit or other citrus Vitality oil(s) to your water! We love to add about 2-3 drops and sip away!
Nutrition
We all know that nutrition is a huge part of our health, and that is true of lymphatic health as well! Focus on whole foods, as much organic as possible, high quality protein and healthy fat. Limit or avoid sugar and alcohol, especially when you are doing an intense lymph flush.
A sluggish digestive tract also congests the lymphatic system. Ayurvedic medicine teaches that naturally red foods like berries, pomegranates, cherries, cranberries, and beets keep the lymph moving freely.
In general, focus on good nutritious foods, and make sure you are getting enough minerals with your water!
And supplement your nutrition with high-quality vitamins, minerals, herbs, and oils! NingXia Red, Super C, and MultiGreens are really great ones for lymphatic health, both during an acute flush and for maintenance.
NingXia Red
This antioxidant powerhouse delivers nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to your system so you can have healthy energy levels, support heart, eye, brain, and nervous system health, keep soft, glowing skin, and much more! NingXia Red is a wolfberry puree that is infused with citrus essential oils. It is an excellent whole-food source of nutrients that gives energy and strength to the body without harmful stimulates.
Super C
Super C Chewable tablets support immune, respiratory, and circulatory function through whole food antioxidant sources - camu camu, acerola, cherry, and rosehip fruit powder - plus Orange essential oil. All these incredible ingredients work together to promote health, vitality, and longevity! Vitamin C is essential for the lymphatic system for collagen production and excretion of toxins, making this one thing you want to have daily!
MultiGreens
MultiGreens blends spirulina, alfalfa sprouts, barley grass, bee pollen, eleuthero, Pacific kelp, and therapeutic essential oils such as Melissa to boost vitality! This ‘salad in a bottle' supplement works with the glandular, nervous, and circulatory systems to promote removal of toxins and overall health.
For both of these supplements, I do a little extra during a focused lymph flush, then scale back a bit to a maintenance schedule!
Dry Brushing
Dry brushing in conjunction with using Cel-Lite Magic Massage Oil is a wonderful health habit! We love to add a bottle of Cypress directly to the bottle of Cel-Lite Magic for more lymph stimulation.
Dry brushing sweeps away dead skin cells, stimulates the hormones and oil-producing glands in the skin, and increases circulation The coarse bristles of a dry brush encourage movement of the lymph and blood in the underlying tissues, which helps move out built-up toxins.
It's best to incorporate dry brushing into your daily routine either before or after your shower. You can choose morning or evening depending on what works best for you but what matters most is when and how to apply your lotions and oils.
Shower before skin-brushing if you're using Cel-Lite Magic Massage Oil on the brush. You can also shower after dry brushing and then apply the massage oil.
Choose a medium soft brush and be gentle on your skin. Your skin shouldn't scratch or be damaged in any way. Use firm, small strokes upward, or work in a circular motion. Start at your feet and brush upward toward the heart. Similarly, when you start on your arms, begin at the hands and work upward. For the stomach, work in a clockwise direction using very gentle strokes. Avoid the chest and very sensitive areas.
Detox Baths
There are so many incredible ways to use essential oils, and adding them to our bath routine is one of them! Detox baths can be an incredible way to help your body through an acute lymph flush, soothe any issues that may arise, support the immune system, or help you process through emotions… and more!
Making them a part of your lymph flush and then a part of your regular routine is a wonderful thing!
Essential oils, baking soda, and Epsom salts or magnesium flakes combined in hot water can help flush impurities from the body by allowing it to sweat out toxins. Plus, you get all the benefits of the essential oils and the magnesium.
Basic Detox Bath Recipe
1 cup magnesium flakes or epsom salt
½ cup high quality baking soda (optional)
20-40 drops essential oils of choice (Cypress, Grapefruit, Frankincense are great)
Simply add oils to magnesium and mix well.
To use, run hot water into the container of salts and let it overflow into the tub!
When adding essential oils to detox baths, you can use your own judgment on the number of drops, but remember that we are using this for an acute need (versus a relaxing soak!). Because of that you want to use enough oil to give your immune, respiratory, or other body system the boost that it needs. For most detox baths, we use around 30 drops of essential oil.
Exercise
Moving your body is great for the lymphatic system because it helps move fluid in the body. Walking, yoga, and exercise in general move fluid from our extremities back up towards the heart, helping with circulation and lymph flow.
Bouncing on a trampoline is great because you can harness both the effects of gravity and your muscle contractions to stimulate the flow of lymph! (Side note, jumping/rebounding is great for your nervous system as well!!)
You can also incorporate yoga and dynamic stretches to promote lymph movement. Try these three movements every day (ideally in the morning!)
Legs up the wall: Lying on your back with your glutes next to a wall, extend your legs up toward the ceiling, and rest the back of your heels and legs on the wall.
Apanasana (wind relieving pose): While laying on your back, hug your knees tightly into your chest while squeezing your inner thighs together and contracting the low abdomen towards the back of the body. If possible, try drawing your forehead toward your knees.
Modified Sun Salutations: Go through this sequence - mountain pose to upward hands pose to standing forward fold to downward-facing dog to down dog split to low lunge to standing forward fold to upward hands pose to mountain pose
Oils
Essential oils are another amazing way to help your lymphatic system stay healthy and moving properly! We use them in detox baths, for tense or sore muscles, in our water to stay hydrated, and on our skin!
One of our favorite daily lymph health habits is Cel-Lite Magic Massage Oil and Cypress Essential Oil!
Cypress Essential Oil
Cypress essential oil has a clean, evergreen aroma that can be used aromatically to create an ambience of security and grounding. Applied topically, it has benefits for skin, hair, and scalp. This evergreen oil is wonderful for supporting healthy circulation - a critical part of the lymphatic system! Use this oil to help the body circulate blood and remove toxins through lymphatic pathways.
Grapefruit is another wonderful oil when it comes to the lymphatic system. So is Citrus Fresh - a blend of citrus oils that you can use the same way as Grapefruit! We love to add this to our water for a natural, gentle detox, and it is amazing for the skin!
Grapefruit Essential Oil
Cold pressed from the peels of fresh grapefruit, this oil's sweet, invigorating scent associates it with feelings of joy, satisfaction, and playfulness. Not only is Grapefruit a wonderful oil to diffuse, it's also a great addition to DIY skin care products. Combine it in a salt body scrub with other skin-toning essential oils—such as Cypress—for a home spa experience that gives your skin a smooth-looking glow. Grapefruit is amazing for the lymphatic system as it helps the body naturally get rid of excess fluids!
Get Started Today with the Lymphatic System Bundle
With such an intricate network of pathways sending exactly what your body needs to the right places, your lymphatic system works hard. Support it fully with these powerful products from Young Living!
Simply add each of these items to your cart, and you are ready to give your lymphatic system some TLC. We use each of these things every day for maintaining lymph health!
Cel-Lite Magic Massage Oil – To use daily with dry brushing!
Super C Chewable Tablets – For solid plant-based Vitamin C! Take 1 chewable tablet 3 times daily or as needed.
MultiGreens – Take 3 capsules 2 times daily. Capsules may also be opened and sprinkled over food.
Grapefruit Essential Oil (or Citrus Fresh) – Add Grapefruit to Cel-Lite Massage Oil when dry brushing and to Epsom salts for a detox bath. Make a body scrub with 1 cup sugar and 20 drops each Grapefruit, Cypress, Lemongrass.
Cypress Essential Oil – Add Cypress to a body scrub, Cel-Lite Massage oil, and Epsom salts to help support lymphatic flow. Use when dry brushing to stimulate the lymph system. Dilute and massage Cypress onto the legs and feet to support healthy circulation - especially after standing or walking all day!
Make a Shift: Daily Wellness Kit – This collection has everything you need for nutrient-dense health goodness! It is a starter pack of the fan-favorite, super nutritious NingXia Red (daily wellness!) and NingXia Nitro (kick the brain fog) wolfberry drinks, as well some of the most popular citrus oils so you can give your everyday wellness a jumpstart.
If you are wanting to do a focused lymph cleanse, here is the protocol:
Dry Brush Daily using Cel-Lite Magic Massage Oil and Cypress Essential Oil.
Take the recommended dosage of MultiGreens capsules daily (on the bottle!).
Take 2 Super C Chewable tablets three times a day.
Drink 2-4 oz of NingXia Red daily.
Stay hydrated with eight 8 oz glasses of water with Lime, Orange or Grapefruit Vitality essential oil.
Start the day by jumping 100 times and performing the yoga poses mentioned above.
Move your body for 30 minutes each day.
Take a detox bath with Cypress and Grapefruit (and Frankincense if you have it!) 3-4 times a week
Comments