Have you ever wondered exactly what it means to have lymph in your body? Our lymphatic system has a variety of functions, but it mainly works like our body’s drainage system that helps transport fluids to tissues around the body and blood. Its role is to protect the body against outside threats (think infections, bacteria, cancer cells), while keeping our fluid levels in balance at the same time. It consists of nodes and ducts that are spread throughout the body. There are hundreds of lymph nodes in the human body that are located close to our major arteries, such as under the arm, groin or even around the lungs, heart and even around the brain.

Lymph Helps Fight Infections

Lymph is a clear, watery liquid that stores our white blood cells and carries molecules and substances throughout the body (proteins, salts, glucose and bacteria). It is filtered through our lymph nodes, which makes the immune cells that help the body fight infection. You might have felt a swollen lymph node in your neck or armpit when fighting an infection, or during cold/ flu season. This is indication that your lymphatic system is over stressed!

The issue here is that unlike blood, lymph has no pump, which means it relies on the muscles and joints to move it around. When it becomes overwhelmed with toxic debris for example, it can become inactive, which leads to a lot of issues and complications such as edema (fluid retention), chronic pain and fatty deposits. Aside from swelling of the lymph nodes, a sluggish lymphatic system can result in a number of symptoms such as inflammation, chronic sinusitis, eczema, arthritis, frequent upper respiratory/ sinus/ ear infections, chronic fatigue, muscle aches and pains, arthritis, weight gain, and fibromyalgia symptoms.

Lymph and weight gain

A very common issue we see with sluggish lymph is weight gain, or inability to lose weight. Our lymphatic systems are responsible for collecting and absorbing digestive fat from the small intestine and transporting it into the blood stream. If the lymph fluid is slow-moving, fat absorption becomes impaired and it gets accumulated in the tissues. Over time this leads to weight gain. If it seems like no matter how much you exercise or alter in your diet, you always have swollen or puffy area on your body (upper arms, belly, thighs, neck), a sluggish lymph might be to blame.

Maintaining a strong lymph

A strong functioning lymphatic system is vital in order to help our body’s function optimally and eliminate excess wastes, especially as we are exposed to so many different toxins throughout the day. Cleaning products, beauty products, processed foods, medications, plastics, air pollution and other environmental toxins are all major contributors to the toxic load in our tissues. What slows our lymph down even more so is stress, sitting too much, lack of physical activity, injuries, and poor posture. Here are some tips on how can you support a healthy lymphatic system:

• Drinking water is vital for lymph to flow properly. Our bodies comprise of about 55-75% water, with the majority of it being a part of the lymphatic fluid. Adequate water intake directly affects lymph fluid as it regulates the balance and health of our organs and how effectively our system functions. It helps the body cleanse itself and allows the cells to get the nutrients they need. How much water is enough water? More than you think! Try dividing your body weight in half, and drinking that number in ounces per day.
• Eating your fruits and vegetables are also extremely helpful in removing waste from the body. Raw fruits and vegetables in particular contain enzymes and antioxidants that help break down toxins and reduce any hold up in the lymphatic system. You have probably heard how important green leafy vegetables are for your overall health. They contain chlorophyll, which has natural cleansing properties that are extremely good for both the blood and lymph.
• Massage therapy or foam rolling is also a great way to break up adhesions of the muscles and tissues in order to help release toxins and break up lymph congestion. This can be done at home with a foam rollers, or a manual lymphatic drainage massage, which many massage therapists are licensed in.
• Acupuncture is helpful because it helps to increase circulation in the body and this in turn can get blood and lymph circulating more effectively. This technique is often combined with cupping and/or Asian bodywork to help remove toxins from inside the tissue and promote the flow of lymph.
• Biopuncture is also another technique that  can deliver homeopathic drainage remedies right to the area needing cleansing. This treatment is especially useful when diet and exercise alone is not enough to move the lymph and/or when lymph nodes in area have been compromised due to medical procedures. This technique can often help aid in increasing weight loss when weight gain is related to lymph congestion.

Nutrition Response Testing for proper lymph supplementation

Medicinal herbs and supplements can also go a long way when cleansing the body’s system. A great way of finding out which ones are right for you and your body is by getting tested with Nutrition Response Testing. With the use of whole food, herbal or homeopathic supplement, we can precisely support the area of the body under stress and help your body to work at its best. This is a clinically proven system may be quite different that any other healing practice you have experienced. Through an analysis of your body’s natural reflexes, Nutrition Response Testing can help determine the exact nutrients you need to supplement your diet in order to bring about balanced and improved health, which oftentimes means proper drainage of your lymph!