The lymphatic system runs throughout your body similar to the circulatory system. The circulatory system, though, has a heart to pump the blood through your body, whereas the lymph system does not. It relies on deep breathing and exercise to move lymph fluid through your body, and there is twice as much lymph fluid (by weight) as there is blood. The lymph system is one of the major ways your body cleanses itself of toxins, so supporting this system through a healthy diet and exercise is important to good health.
Supporting the Lymph System
Supporting the lymph system can be done through diet, exercise, drinking enough fluids, dry brushing and massage. Ki Y. Shin, MD, in an article by Alicia Potter in CNN's "Health Magazine," is quoted as saying "leave lymph alone." Shin notes that he uses the lymphatic drainage technique at the MD Anderson Cancer Clinic at the University of Texas. Most of us, he says, do not need this type of lymphatic drainage, as our bodies do fine on their own. In Europe and Asia, however, doctors are much quicker to encourage preventative medicine, according to Marcelle Pick, MD, a naturopathic doctor and owner of the Women to Women clinic in Yarmouth, Maine. According to Pick, by practicing lymphatic drainage, we can support a lymphatic system before it becomes so sluggish that we develop cancer or other destructive diseases.
Lymphatic Massage
An important part of detoxing the lymphatic system is the lymphatic drainage massage. This massage technique is done by specially trained massage therapists. Pick suggests seeing a massage therapist trained in lymphatic drainage and then doing regular, daily lymph massage as preventative maintenance. Dry brushing is another technique to maintain a healthy lymphatic system. Any soft-bristled brush with a long handle will work. You can buy a dry skin brush in health food stores or pharmacies. For 2 to 5 minutes daily, brush your skin upward toward your heart and in a circular fashion around your abdomen. This helps remove dead skin cells but also encourages the lymphatic system's healthy circulation.
Detox Diet
The lymph system can benefit from a healthier diet, just as the rest of the body can. By cleaning up your diet, reduce the stress on the lymphatic system as well as the liver and kidneys. Reduce or eliminate sugar, refined flour and other grains, alcohol, caffeine, processed foods, artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners. Eat as many organic foods as possible to avoid herbicides and pesticides. According to Pick, taking a medical-grade multivitamin will also help support the lymph system. Eat one more serving of vegetables each day until you have reached the suggested daily level of 5 servings per day, recommends Cindy Moore, a registered dietician, in CNN's "Health Magazine." Increasing your intake of fresh vegetables and fruits is an important way to support the entire body, lymphatic system included. Drinking fresh water, about 2 liters per day, is also important to detoxifying and supporting the lymphatic system.
Deep Breathing and Exercise
Deep breathing and exercise are two of the most important ways to detoxify the lymphatic system. Helping it to move the lymph fluid through the body will keep the toxins that it carries moving through and out of your body more quickly. When your lymph glands swell, for example, this means that there is an infection nearby that your lymph system is taking care of. But if this fluid gets backed up and cannot move through your body at the correct pace, disease can occur. Practicing deep breathing from the diaphragm and moderate exercise will help keep the lymphatic system moving and healthy. Even 5 minutes on a mini trampoline is helpful, according to Pick.
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