Steps to a Healthy Lymphatic System

Our immunity suffers if the health of our lymphatic system is not addressed making it more likely to deal with common illnesses and even long-term health problems. Here are five ways to boost the immune system and, moreover, support a healthy lymphatic system:

1. Reduce Inflammation and Improve Circulation

Eating a healthy diet, exercising, not smoking, getting enough sleep and reducing stress are all critical for lowering oxidative stress and halting the body’s natural detoxification processes. The immune systemcirculatory system and lymphatic system rely on one another.

While 90% of the arterial and venous blood circulates around the body via blood vessels. The lymph vessel system is the other 10% , toxins, bacteria, waste product, cancer, fat soluble vitamins like Vit A,D & K are brought to filtering stations, lymphnodes to be cleaned up and put back into the body to be remetabolized.

When there is too much waste in the body and the lymph nodes are full, tissues in the body can become inflamed and painful when circulation slows and inflammation builds. A healthy lymphatic system nourishes muscle, joint and other tissue because lymph vessels have tiny openings that let gases, water and nutrients pass through to surrounding cells (called interstitial fluid). The fluid then drains back into the lymph vessels, then goes to the lymph glands to be filtered and finally to a larger lymphatic vessel located at the base of the neck called the thoracic duct.

The thoracic duct dumps cleaned lymph fluid back into the blood, and on and on the cycle goes — which is why circulation is important for keeping the system running smoothly, otherwise tissue can become swollen with excess waste. To keep circulation pumping and the lymphatic system functioning optimally, it’s important to stay hydrated and maintain a healthy diet with all the essential nutrients, like vitamins, minerals, electrolytes and antioxidants, you need.

2. Follow an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

The more nutrient-dense your diet, and the less chemicals entering your body, the better your lymphatic system can work. Foods that put stress on the digestive, circulatory and immune systems include common allergens (like dairy products, gluten, soy, shellfish or nightshades, for example), low-quality animal products, refined vegetable oils and processed foods that contain chemical toxins.

Anti-inflammatory foods, on the other hand, supply much-needed nutrients and antioxidants while also lowering free radical damage (also called oxidation stress) that ages the body and lowers immunity.

Some of the key high-antioxidant foods to focus on include:

green leafy vegetables (especially spinach)
cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc.)
berries omega-3 foods like salmon and wild seafood
nuts and seeds (chia, flax, hemp, pumpkin, etc.)
unrefined oils like extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil
herbs and spices (ginger, turmeric, garlic, for example)

3. Exercise

The lymphatic system works best when you move your body, which helps keep fluids circulating and nutrients reaching your cells. There’s a reason why being stagnant causes you to feel more achy, stiff and prone to becoming sick.

Any type of regular exercise and movement (such as simply walking more) is good for keeping lymph fluid flowing, but some exercise seems to be particularly beneficial, including yoga (which twists the body and helps fluid drain), high-intensity interval training (also called HIIT workouts, which is great for improving circulation) or “rebounding.“

Rebounding has been popular and researched since the 1980’s to improve lymph function and involves jumping a small trampoline that you can keep inside your house. It only takes up a few feet, and just five to 10 minutes of jumping daily can really get your heart rate up and help keep your lymphatic system running smoothly.

In addition special forms of Qigong, the Chinese healing exercise, have been assisting people with cancer recovery and reduction for centuries. Lin has studied some of these forms and shares them during the Sisu Experiences.

(And why not follow up exercise with a relaxing detox bath to further help improve blood flow?)

4. Massage Therapy

“Lymphatic drainage massage” is a type of specialized massage therapy that helps cells release toxins and breaks up lymph congestion. Studies have found it’s beneficial for lowering post - surgical swelling, post injury swelling, pain intensity, pain pressure and pain threshold. (7) Massages can activate the lymphatic system and help flush excess fluid from within tissues.

Some physical therapists or massage therapists are specially trained in manual lymphatic drainage. It is the opposite of a traditional deep massage as the lymph vessels are most directly influenced by movement of the skin, arterial pulsation and muscular contraction. Deep massage bypasses the lymph system, but any type of deep tissue massage is also beneficial.  At Sisu Oasis we can show you a simple self -MLD to facilitate your general lymph flow or specific MLD for challenge areas.

5. Sauna/Infrared Sauna Treatment

 At Sisu Oasis we have a dry/ steam sauna- this is the traditional sauna for relieving muscle pain, relaxing , increasing endorphins, weight loss, and immune function. This sauna has a higher temperature. This simple treatment is one way to naturally detox the body and support an overall healthy immune system. Infrared sauna therapy are another option and work by increasing sweat production so more toxins are removed from tissue. It can also improve blood flood and help with tissue healing, which is critical for lymphatic health.

Studies show that regular infrared sauna treatments can improve the quality of life for people living with chronic pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression and congestive heart failure (controlled by medication)(8) People who use sauna therapy love it because it’s relaxing, healing, cost-effective, can be done within your own home and really works. Cancer patients have been using infared sauna and reporting benefits, however there are no peer reviewed articles at this time. Infrared saunas use heat lamps that generate infrared light waves, which make their way into tissues and promote cell regeneration along with sweating.

Red Light / NIR( Near Infared Ligth Treatment) has had an amazing renascence in beauty- increasing collagen production, plumping lips, decreasing fat, improving skin tone and decreasing wrinkles and sunspots/ tattoos. In healthcare - wounds heal and heal faster, develop vascularization, increasing mitochondrial activity, pain reduction in joints, scar tissue reduction post surgically, lymphedema reduction and other areas. Red Light has therapeutic dosages of 660-830 J/cm^2 and time dosages specific to its use. The infrared sauna is a general use of this NIR.

Please take care of your body, mind and spirit! Create and maintain a quality life for yourself. Health and fitness looked at as a necessity, a first line of importance/defense…not letting any internal or external triggers get in the way of the simple practices we choose …will give us  lives  by design vs deference and will  allow us to have to live full, purposeful, healthy, happy lives and grow into our potential as being the best that we be for ourselves, family, friends and community each year, month , day, moment and second! To Life, To Love , To Lymph -LIn