20 ways to Cleanse the Lymphatic System Naturally
DO you suffer from colds and flu every winter or feel sluggish and lethargic all the time? One reason may be that the lymphatic system is backed up and not able to keep up with the chemicals the body is trying to unload. How does the lymphatic system work and what are ways we can cleanse the lymphatic system naturally?
A peak functioning lymphatic system is the key to health and vitality, but this critically important part of the body is one that most people don’t appreciate or know much about.
Your lymphatic system is your body’s built-in sanitation centre, the plumbing that carries away and filters out poisonous waste products from every cell, tissue and organ. It absorbs fats and fat-soluble vitamins from the digestive tract and delivers them to the cells of the body. It is also an essential part of the immune system that maintains fluid levels, fights infection and produces disease-fighting white blood cells.
Twice as extensive as the arterial blood supply system which brings oxygen and nutrients to the cells, the lymph is the takeaway garbage collector and is the largest circulatory system in the body. But, the lymphatic system needs your help to move the fluid through the body because it doesn’t have an automatic pump like the heart, which moves the blood in the circulatory system.
If you want to know more about how the Lymphatic system works click here. Below we will uncover 20 ways to cleanse the lymphatic system naturally to
- 1.Massage: Any type of massage will help reduce swelling, increase tissue regeneration and reduce stress. But a lymphatic massage is specifically designed to focus on congested areas of fluid in the body. You can schedule a lymphatic massage with a professional, or do your own self-massage at home.
Tip: If doing your own massage, remember that is more of a pulling the skin motion versus pushing into the skin. Use citrus scents of essential oils, like orange, grapefruit, and lemon to stimulate lymph glands. Peppermint, ginger, and rosemary are also good options for circulation and will help lymph nodes drain.
To use these oils, dilute with a carrier oil and rub on lymph glands under the neck and arms.
If you don’t want to buy all these separately, then I recommend this Lymph Support Blend to get all of the necessities into one bottle! Get free International shipping here
- 2.Dry brushing: This promotes the drainage of toxic waste. Simply dry brush your skin with an inexpensive natural bristle brush. You don’t have to use a lot of pressure, just start the habit of dry brushing before your shower or bath to refresh the skin and help your lymphatic system drain more easily.
Tip: Try dry brushing your skin for just a few minutes before your shower or bath every day. This brush is a great option to get started. It shouldn’t hurt at all, just light pressure and consistent practice can make a huge difference.
Experts suggest to start at the extremities and always brush towards your heart. You can start with a few minutes and work your way up to longer sessions as your body gets adjusted. But trust me, it can feel good, so this will feel like less of a chore than you might be imagining.
- 3.Alternating Hot/Cold showers: This is a simple alternative to expensive hydrotherapy. Simply alternating your shower between hot and cold uses the water temperature and pressure to move stagnant fluid throughout your body. This increases circulation, Immunity, and can even boost your metabolism.
Tip: After you have dry brushed your skin, step into a hot shower and let the steam penetrate your skin for about three minutes. Then switch the water to cold for three minutes. Alternate between hot and cold temperatures a few times, ending with a cold shower before stepping out. This is a great tool to use if you need help becoming more of a morning person too!
- 4.Supplement to help your body move the toxins out: The lymph is cleansing your body of different toxins, and you will want to aid that transition out of your system as swiftly as possible. I suggest using well-rounded Immune boosting and cleansing supplements such as this one from ClearPureHealth as it has all of the goodies to help get the bad guys out like 13 detoxifiers including Chlorella and Spirulina.
Tip: The point is to make sure that all of the good work you are doing doesn’t go right back into your system because you are not able to detoxify the byproducts that your lymph system is cleaning out. If so, use this in conjunction with a probiotic. HUM has an amazing probiotic that helps with digestion and the appearance of my skin.
- 5.Be Mindful: Meditation is more than just a buzzword, it can actually make a huge difference in your overall health. The engine of the lymphatic system is your everyday breathing. Constant shallow breathing leads to lymphatic congestion. Proper breathing is the most important facilitator of lymphatic function Taking a few minutes each day for deep belly breathing can make a huge difference in lymphatic efficiency.
Tip: If you are new to mindfulness or meditation, this is a great book for beginners. You can also download multiple meditation apps; I prefer one called “Headspace.” Taking just a few minutes each day will help build the habit and also lower your stress hormones.
I’ve also found a really great resource called 7 Minute Mindfulness that can really help you destress in a short period of time. As with anything, mindfulness takes practise, but the process of learning should help you feel calmer already!
- 6.Rebounding or sitting at your desk on an exercise ball: Gently bouncing up and down turbocharges lymph function. You can do this with a small trampoline, or sitting on an exercise ball instead of a desk chair. This is a low impact way to promote movement inside your body within just a few minutes.
Tip: A trampoline is a great way to get the body moving and encourage large muscle activity. This mini trampoline is a great option to keep near your desk and take a break every hour or so for just a few minutes.
If you spend a lot of time at the computer, and you aren’t allowed to look crazy at work jumping around, consider swapping your typical desk chair for a balance ball instead. This can increase circulation throughout the day and encourage gentle exercise.
- 7.Exercise: Any type of exercise will help the lymphatic system from becoming sluggish. Split training, in particular, is very helpful. Instead of focusing on just one muscle group, split your workout up into smaller segments that include both upper body and lower body during the same trip to the gym.
Tip: Incorporate some hand weights and do a workout at home if you are not a gym fan. Focus on high reps with the low weight with one body part and work your way through your body. Also, if you love walking then make sure you are swinging your arms. There are a ton of vessels and lymph nodes at the armpits and thighs that you can stimulate just by walking!
- 8.Yoga: The practice of yoga is a great way to increase circulation. The combination of stretching, yoga poses, and deep belly breathing helps to direct the lymph through the deep channels of your body. Holding stretches combined with conscious deep breathing can help direct lymph through the deep channels of the chest.
Tip: Go ahead and get that yoga mat and get started! A few of the best yoga poses for lymph health include downward-facing dog, cat and cow, shoulder stand, plough pose, and bridge pose.
If you are a newbie or prefer to have a guided yoga class, consider checking out Yoga Burn. Their 12-week program is designed to help with stress, weight management, and other yoga benefits! Or my other favourite is Yoga Download. Their platform lets you pick your own programs and pace!
- 9. Apple Cider Vinegar: ACV or apple cider vinegar can be used for a multitude of health benefits. The acid in ACV can also bind to toxins which can assist in removing toxins from the body. Apple cider vinegar’s potassium content helps to break up mucus in the body and clearing the lymph nodes. This also aids in the removal of toxins. Add apple cider into your diet and check out these other ways to detox
Tip: Apple cider vinegar is one of the most underrated superfoods out there. It has hundreds of health benefits and health applications, check out this amazing ebook packed with remedies and recipes to get the best out of your apple cider vinegar
- 10.Far Infrared Sauna: Saunas have been used for decades because of their clear health benefits. The infrared waves penetrate deep into the body, activating circulation in just a few short sessions. The heat also helps with deep breathing and increased heart rate, which boosts drainage even more. Alternate between a 15-minute sauna session and a cold shower for optimum results. Practice conscious deep breathing during your sauna to supercharge lymphatic drainage. Take a break every 15 minutes to shower in cold water for 30 seconds to promote even more circulation
Tip: The health benefits of the infrared sauna are remarkable, and you can have one in your own home. No need to head to the gym anymore, enjoy the perfect balance of health benefits and convenience.
- 11.Inversion Table: Gravity forces lymph fluid to settle in the lower part of the body. An inversion table helps to move fluid throughout the body and towards the upper body to improve circulation and reduce muscle tension. A study published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation found that inversion reduced muscle tension which can improve circulation and lymph movement.
Tip: If you’re looking for an at-home option for an inversion table, this one is definitely an option to consider. But don’t fret, if that looks a little scarier than what you would be comfortable doing for the sake of health, you can always use your exercise ball I mentioned. Just sit on the ball and lean back, then roll until your head is lower than the rest of your body.
- 12.Essentials Oils for Lymph Cleanse: As we mentioned above, there are several essential oils that are beneficial to the lymphatic system. Cypress acts to tone the blood and lymphatic vessels, grapefruit speeds up circulation, and fennel aids in digestion and detoxification through the skin, kidneys, and digestive tract.
Tip: Essential oils are not water-soluble, therefore it is necessary to use a carrier oil. Mix cypress oil with a carrier oil of your choice and rub it on the lymph glands. It can also be mixed with other oils, like fennel oil, to create your own unique blend.
- 13.Hydration: Dehydration is perhaps the number one cause of congestion. If you are dehydrated, your lymph becomes thicker, making it harder to circulate adequately. Pure water is the best way to rehydrate the body – a little lemon can help aid the process a bit faster. Don’t overcompensate – we are not promoting over-drinking. Use urine colour to help determine hydration level – if your urine is clear, you are drinking too much water.
Tip: Pure water is the best when you’re really serious about lymph cleanse. Check out getting a solid water purifier, because there are so many reasons to invest in a quality water filter. If you live in the US like me, you may think we have the purest water, but sadly our water is still not as healthy as we are told. Try this for Health & Hydration
#Protip – Moving over to glass bottle containers versus plastic is also a good move for your overall health. And check out my favourite brand, Berkey Filters below!
- 14.Lymph Cleanse Diet: While trying to enhance your lymphatic system, you don’t want to give it extra work to deal with. Stick to anti-inflammatory foods that give your system a break. The best rule of thumb for this is to focus on red and raw foods like leafy greens, healthy fats, wild-caught salmon, and other naturally red foods like pomegranate, cherries, cranberries, and beets. Try Super Green Blend
Tip: Inflammatory foods are a huge culprit of gut problems. Do your research to discover and eliminate inflammatory foods as a key to any lymph cleanse. This cookbook is a great starting point for noninflammatory keto meal. Plus, you will get that summer body you have been telling yourself about for the last few months.
- 15.Enzymes: There are thousands of enzymes in the body that help it function properly. The Proteolytic Enzyme family includes bromelain, papain, and peptidase. These all help the system break down complex fats and proteins in your diet. Using supplements help your body’s ability to do this more easily.
Tip: Using an enzyme supplement helps your body to digest easier. This particular formula from Zenwise supports healthy digestion, immune function, bowel activity, and energy levels.
- 16.Herbs: Some of the best herbs for lymph cleanse are likely varieties you’ve never heard of. It may be difficult to find Turkey Rhubarb, Manjistha, or Ashwagandha in your grocery store. However, you can likely find Vitamin D and Turmeric, which are also big lymphatic system movers.
Tip: Look for herbal a true supplement that gives you multiple health benefits? Try Ashwagandha helps with anti-anxiety and anti-stress. Check out more here
- 17.Teas: Herbal teas are a safe and effective way to support your lymphatic system on a regular basis. Some of the best teas for lymph cleanse are red root, cleavers, echinacea, and wild indigo.
Tip: Teas are the most effective the more you drink. To get the most out of your cup of tea, look for multi-ingredient teas that hit all of the herbs in one drink. I like the lemon taste of this one and I even add a tsp of sea salt to help get more electrolytes in my system. Tea + hydration = double whammy.
- 18.Liver Cleanse: Your liver produces most of your lymph fluid, says Barron, and when your liver is congested, your system is also congested. If you’re concerned about this – a liver cleanse might be a good place to start.
Tip: The best way to take care of your diet is with clean eating and a few supplements to get the ball rolling.
- 19.Clothing choices: Surprisingly, even what you’re wearing right now can be affecting your lymph system. Consider wearing clothing that can facilitate your lymph cleanse. This is usually tight or compression clothing. When the compression clothing squeezes your tissue, it can help to facilitate lymph drainage.
Tip: It’s important to use compression clothing father from the heart and slightly less tight clothing closer to the heart. These compression socks are a good starting point to control discomfort and aid in fluid movement throughout your body. Also, look for bras without underwire, and toss the tight underwear. Trust me, you will feel fantastic and free!
- 20.Detox your environment: The environment you live in has a huge impact on your body’s health. Think carefully about personal care products, food, water, and exposure to chemicals every day. Take measures to control your environment as much as reasonably possible to protect your own health.
Tip: One of the best ways to do this is to learn how to make your own cleaners. Most times, a simple concoction of lemon oil or vinegar and water go a long way! Or if you are lazy like me – just buy this soap and dilute it with water!
Well, there you go. You now an understanding of how to naturally cleanse your Lymphatic system. Id suggests selecting two it three to start with, implement them for a week or so then try implementing a few more and you should start to see and feel the results.