Your lymphatic system is integral to the body's immune and circulatory systems, performing crucial functions that ensure our overall health and well-being. A complex network plays a vital role in fluid balance, immune defence, absorption of dietary fats, and waste removal.
By understanding the functions of the lymphatic system and how to support it with natural remedies like celery, juniper berries, and dandelion, you can enhance your body's ability to detoxify, fight infections, and maintain optimal health.
Discover how these crude antidotes can help you achieve a healthier lymphatic system and learn tips for incorporating them into your daily routine.
The 7 Parts of the Lymphatic System
The lymphatic system performs several vital functions and consists of seven main parts:
- Lymph: A clear fluid circulating through the lymphatic system, containing white blood cells, especially lymphocytes, proteins, fats, and waste products.
- Lymph Vessels: A network of vessels that transport lymph throughout the body. These vessels include smaller capillaries, which collect lymph from tissues, and larger vessels that transport it to lymph nodes and eventually to the bloodstream.
- Lymph Nodes: Small, bean-shaped structures that filter lymph and house immune cells that can respond to pathogens.
- Thymus: An organ located in the chest where T-lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) mature.
- Spleen: An organ that filters blood, removes old or damaged blood cells, and helps produce lymphocytes.
- Tonsils and Adenoids: Lymphoid tissues located in the throat that help protect against inhaled or ingested pathogens.
- Bone Marrow: The primary site of new blood cell production, including lymphocytes.
The 4 Functions of the Lymphatic System
- Fluid Balance. The lymphatic system helps maintain fluid balance by collecting excess interstitial fluid (the fluid that surrounds cells in tissues) and returning it to the bloodstream. Without this process, fluid would accumulate in tissues, leading to swelling and oedema.
- Immune Defence. The lymphatic system produces and transports lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) and other immune cells that help the body fight infections. Lymph nodes, small bean-shaped structures scattered throughout the lymphatic system, filter out harmful substances such as bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells. They contain immune cells that can respond to and neutralise these threats.
- Absorption of Dietary Fats. Lacteals, specialised lymphatic capillaries called lacteals, located in the lining of the small intestine, absorb fats and fat-soluble vitamins from the digestive system. These nutrients are transported through the lymphatic system and delivered to the bloodstream.
- Waste Removal. The lymphatic system helps remove waste products and toxins from tissues, supporting the body's detoxification processes.
How to Support a Healthy Lymphatic System
Maintaining a healthy lymphatic system is essential for an efficient immune response, fluid regulation and detoxification. Removing waste products and toxins helps maintain overall health and well-being.
There are many ways to support your lymphatic system, including regular exercise, a healthy diet, staying hydrated, and reducing toxin exposure from hygiene and household products. Practices like dry brushing, lymphatic drainage massage, good quality sleep, cold showers, ocean swimming, and FIR Saunas can support lymphatic health and improve its function.
3 Natural Remedies to Fight Water Retention & Cellulite
I include three natural HERO ingredients in my life each day and have been recommending them to my clients for decades to help them flush out unwanted water retention and reduce the appearance of cellulite.
Celery, juniper berries, and dandelion can benefit the lymphatic system through their diuretic, anti-inflammatory, and detoxifying properties.
Here's how each of these natural remedies can support lymphatic health. I know what you're thinking: celery is easy, but Juniper Berries and Dandelion?
Read on for my suggestions on how to incorporate them into your diet, but if you need a fast track for water retention, you can always add our Water Flo capsules, which contain these three hero ingredients and many other plant-based diuretic ingredients.
Our Water Flow Capsules are also key players in our Metabolic Reset Pack, which helps boost your metabolism and reduce body fat.
I also take our Rejuv Water Flo capsules before and after a flight to avoid 'cankles' (puffy ankles) and around my period too. Yes, that's right, I'm 52 next month and have no menopause or perimenopause to date.
Celery
How Celery Benefits the Lymphatic System:
- Detoxification: Celery supports detoxification processes, helping to cleanse the body of waste products that can accumulate in the lymphatic system.
- Anti-inflammatory Properties: The antioxidants in celery, such as flavonoids and vitamin C, reduce inflammation, which can support a healthy lymphatic system by reducing congestion and swelling.
- Hydration: Celery has a high water content, which aids in maintaining proper hydration, which is crucial for the lymphatic system's function in transporting lymph fluid throughout the body.
How to have your celery:
- Juice: Drink fresh celery juice regularly to support hydration and detoxification.
- Raw or Cooked: Incorporate celery into your diet by adding it to salads, soups, or stews.
Juniper Berries
How Juniper Berries benefits the Lymphatic System:
- Diuretic Effect: Juniper berries promote urine production, helping flush out excess fluids and toxins from the body and reducing the load on the lymphatic system.
- Detoxification: The berries' detoxifying properties aid in cleansing the lymphatic system by supporting the removal of waste products.
- Anti-inflammatory: The anti-inflammatory compounds in juniper berries can help reduce inflammation and swelling, promoting a more efficient lymphatic flow.
How to take your Juniper Berries:
- Tea: Steep dried juniper berries in hot water to make a tea that supports detoxification and diuresis.
- Culinary Use: Use juniper berries as a seasoning in various dishes to incorporate their benefits into your diet.
Dandelion
How Dandelion benefits the Lymphatic System:
- Natural Diuretic: Dandelion helps increase urine production, assisting in removing excess fluids and toxins, thereby lightening the burden on the lymphatic system.
- Liver Support: By supporting liver function, dandelion aids in the overall detoxification process, indirectly benefiting the lymphatic system by reducing the amount of waste products it needs to transport.
- Anti-inflammatory Properties: The anti-inflammatory effects of dandelion can help reduce lymphatic congestion and swelling, promoting better lymphatic drainage.
How to take your Dandelion:
- Tea: Brew dandelion root or leaves to make a tea that supports detoxification and lymphatic health.
- Salads: Add fresh dandelion greens to your salads for a nutrient boost.
- Supplements: Consider using dandelion supplements, available in various forms, to support lymphatic health.
General Tips for Supporting the Lymphatic System
- Stay Hydrated: Proper hydration is essential for maintaining a healthy lymphatic system.
- Regular Exercise: Physical activity promotes lymphatic flow and helps reduce lymphatic congestion.
- Dry Brushing: This technique can stimulate the lymphatic system and promote better circulation.
- Balanced Diet: A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole foods supports overall lymphatic health.
As you can see, there are many lifestyle hacks you can incorporate into your life to support our mighty Lymphatic Systems, and adding these 3 HERO INGREDIENTS is also a game changer.
For those embarking on summer holidays, be safe and enjoy the glorious sunshine, which will give you a good Vitamin D kick before the seasons change. Remember to monitor your seven pillars of wellness...
Your Immune System and The 7 Pillars of Wellness
The 7 Pillars of Wellness is my framework for moving you into full wellness and wellbeing.
There are seven pillars of wellness, and these pillars are crucial for you to have a healthy immune system. The seven pillars are:
- Sleep
- Movement
- Environment
- Nutrition
- Mindfulness
- Body Balance
- Supplementation
Your immune systems is the main defence against harmful pathogens in our environment. Infectious diseases are caused by pathogens, which include bacteria, fungi, protozoa, worms and viruses. Our immune systems play an influential role in regulating the inflammatory responses that help our body heal damaged tissues and fight disease. Like all of the 11 systems of the body, the immune system works at optimum when in balance.
Check your 7 Pillars of Wellness with our quick quiz.
