How to Clear Lymph Stagnation

Lymph. Lymph. Lymph. You hear us talking about this ALL the time. It may seem a bit repetitive, but it is so important. Hence us wanting to talk about it constantly. Lymph nodes and lymphatic vessels filter your toxic waste and are located all over the body. They are your body’s sewer system; without them, our bodies would be like pre-plumbed London during the great stink. Let’s not let our bodies get to that point.

Today’s blog covers how to tell if your lymph system is stagnant, how it got that way, and how to bring flow back to your lymph system.

The lymphatic system needs assistance to help detox the body. If your lymph system isn’t moving correctly, you can experience stagnation throughout the body, showing up as some of the following;

Breakouts

Itchy and dry skin

Fluid retention (puffy under eyes, chin, or swelling in the body)

Constipation

Bloating

Sore throats

Sinus congestion

Brain fog

Headaches

Fatigue

Breast swelling and tenderness during menstruation

Inflamed lymph nodes

There are many causes of stagnant lymph. Let’s name a few;

Lack of movement

Dehydration

Stress

Poor diet

Chemical exposure

How can we help engage your lymph system and help you detox the toxic load your body is holding onto? Here are a few of our favorite tools;

1. Massage. How could we not start by mentioning this? There are so many forms of helpful massage for engaging your lymph system. For self-massage, we recommend dry brushing, Gua Sha, and cupping. You could also visit your favorite LMT and receive a professional massage. Any massage will help move toxins in the body. However, Swedish or Lymph-focused massage, such as Gua Sha, will primarily focus on detox.

2. Exercise. Any vascular activity will get your blood pumping and your lymph engaging. One of our favorite lymph-focused exercises is rebounding. This exercise is jumping on a little trampoline to get your heart rate up and your lymph systems moving. 10-15 minutes daily will set your body up for a great day.

3. Healthy eating habits. We highly recommend getting a food journal or writing out in your notes on your phone what you are eating and how you feel after eating it. This will help you get an idea of foods that are bringing you down. Some basic examples of food that brings you down would be processed foods like fast foods, an overly dairy-focused diet, and crude cooking oils. Foods to embrace to promote a healthy lymph system are;

   Arugula, figs, garlic, cucumbers, nettle leaf, and red clover ( try these in tea form), watermelon, mangos, lettuce/microgreens, and pomegranates.

4. Pay attention to what you expose yourself to. We can’t control the people around us, but we can limit our chemical exposure by removing chemicals from our households. Swap out laundry detergents, cleaning supplies, candles, skin/body products, lotions, body wash, and perfumes.  Anything with FRAGRANCE on the label! Greenwashing is a dirty trick in marketing, so if you are unsure how “Clean” a product is, visit EWG and see its toxic load rating. EWG has an app to scan products in to get a rating on toxic levels of products and foods. Also, be mindful when buying food. Is it wrapped in plastic, or are you putting it in plastic bags? Microplastics in and on our foods are highly toxic to our bodies. Select the “email my receipt” option when shopping or be “that person” who leaves the receipt at checkout. Those pesky little printed papers are loaded with harsh chemicals. Making these changes isn’t only great for your health but a massive help to Mother Earth. If you are environmentally cautious and haven’t made these changes, here is your sign to do your part.

5. Hydration. Drink WATER. This is possibly the most essential part of healthy lymph. Earlier, we compared the lymph system to a sewer system. Here’s why; our lymph vessels route the fluid through the lymph nodes, which house immune cells that kill off abnormal cells and other harmful substances. The lymph fluid then drains back into the bloodstream, which flows through the kidneys, where waste is removed and passed out in your urine. This is our body’s sewer system. The yellow color of your urine is the toxins released from your body. Your urine should be almost clear (only slightly yellow) if you are correctly cleansing your system and hydrating enough. A combination of drinking water and eating fruits and veggies will help to keep you hydrated. Even liquids, coffee, energy drinks, and sodas will dehydrate you.

So we know this is a lot of information. We recommend starting with one or two of these areas, working on improvement, and then slowly adding them all so they become a part of your lifestyle and don’t feel like a chore. Please comment with any ways you’ve improved lymph stagnation in your body; we’d love to hear your success stories!