What if you spent your life cruising the world, and you were told on boarding that there’s a crucial storage and cleansing system that runs throughout the ship just beneath its exterior on which your wellbeing depended?
This amazing system contains a magic liquid and eventually through various filtrations, the rubbish that needs to be cleansed out of the ship is handled through this liquid. The bad stuff gathers into certain nodules where it’s basically broken down and consumed (imagine Pacman very busily doing its thing) and can be safely released for elimination.
This super-system also helps to store, carry and distribute essential supplies throughout the ship. When it’s functioning well, the ship can take care of its own maintenance easily, can better eliminate toxic substances and all the fluids carried on board maintain a great state of equilibrium so the ship doesn’t risk swelling in places and who knows what would happen from there.
You’d want to make sure that cleansing and storage system is sparkling along fantastically, wouldn’t you? After all, you’re spending your life on board this ship so it better be able to handle the rubbish that finds its way on board just through the daily process of life.
And so it is with your lymphatic system.
Very similarly to how our circulatory system carries blood throughout its vessels, the lymphatic system vessels carry lymph fluid. The lymph system includes lymph nodes which store our immune cells, gather and filter bacteria and toxins, and go to battle against threats with white blood cells (carried in the lymph).
Your tonsils are a major organ in the lymph system, filtering bacteria before it goes into your digestive system. And your tonsils are often a great indicator of when your lymph nodes are detecting threats which cause them to become swollen as they pump out more white blood cells – lymphocytes – to fight infection. How often do you hear people say, “If my throat starts feeling dodgy, I know I’m starting to fight something off!” It’s likely true.
Just looking at this logically, it also makes sense to help lighten the load on the tonsils by using a great natural mouthwash that can help to take care of keeping the mouth fresh.
When you consider the proximity of our mouth and throat to a key part of our immune system, it also makes sense to really be careful about choosing a mouthwash that’s free of potentially unsafe ingredients. Why make our systems work harder than they need by taxing them with trying to filter out excess dodgy things when you can choose a mouthwash that has no known harmful ingredients – one like Young Living Thieves Fresh Essence Plus Mouthwash™ that includes an intensely fresh and spicy essential oil blend that will really ‘clear out the jets’!
Also part of the lymphatic system are the adenoids at the back of your nose which help filter bacteria from entering your respiratory and digestive systems, plus the spleen and thymus gland which help with filtering and white blood cell production.
Eessential oils can help with freshening the air. When you’re inhaling them, it’s like giving your adenoids a refreshing breeze. If you’re not diffusing essential oils, I can’t urge you enough to please go check out our articles on the Whys and Hows of Diffusing. You’ll be glad you did! You can reach out on our contact page for our help with choosing which Young Living diffuser to order.
This will also connect you up with The Good Oil Team for our personal support and coaching. We'd love to help you on your journey to vibrant well-being the natural way!
Any questions? Please get in touch via our Contact page.
Along with clearing our cellular waste and toxins and being responsible for our immunity, the lymphatic system when operating optimally keeps fluids in balance, directly influencing cellulite and the skin.
It helps your body to absorb vitamins internally, so it’s a key part of taking care of healthy skin, hair and nails and heading off premature cellular ageing and inflammation.
And did you know the lymphatic system needs stimulation to work properly? Failing to stimulate the circulation of your lymphatic system will cause it to get sluggish in its processes – it can fall behind in elimination of waste. Fluid and inflammation can accumulate and our immunity can weaken.
Key signs of a stressed or fatigued lymphatic system include:
- Frequent viruses/infections, sore throats and colds
- Constant/chronic fatigue
- Sore tonsils/inflamed lymph nodes (eg: groin, armpits, throat)
- Sore joints and muscles
So what can you do to take care of this vital system in your body and head things off from going down a more serious path?
It’s all pretty much common sense and aligned with the usual suspects for creating a balanced and supportive lifestyle. Let’s take a quick overview:
Eat anti-inflammatory foods
Consume plenty of fresh fruit, leafy and cruciferous veges, healthy fats and proteins, Omega3s, turmeric. Avoid processed foods.
Get plenty of good quality sleep and rest
You can set a lovely restful ambience ahead of bedtime by diffusing Young Living Lavender essential oil or putting a drop or two on the pillow before your head hits it.
Stay well hydrated
We’re made up of close to 70% water and most of it is carried through the lymphatic system. Adequate hydration is needed to keep it flowing easily. Imagine the health of a stagnant river vs a free-flowing, vibrant one.
Keep it moving!
The lymphatic system doesn’t have a pump, unlike the circulatory system. So you need both ample fluids and perspiration to keep it moving.
Yoga and rebounding are thought to be highly beneficial for the lymphatic system. Yoga is also great for unwinding, and rebounding is fun and easy! Set one up in the corner of your lounge room and catch up on your favourite TV in the morning or early in the evening while doing your lymphatics a favour. Five to ten minutes does the trick.
To help with perspiration and flushing toxins, regular saunas are wonderful. You can even set up an infrared sauna at home pretty easily and cost-effectively.
The lymphatic and circulatory systems are closely linked and work hand-in-hand. Keeping your circulation moving helps the lymphatics as well, and in addition to stimulating with exercise and movement, physical stimulation is fantastic. Do this daily with dry brushing, using an exfoliating mitt in the shower, and massaging after you’ve dried off, whether with moisturiser or with a wonderfully stimulating massage oil blend like Young Living Cel-Lite Magic. This ready-made blend tones and nourishes the skin with pure vegetable oils, vitamin E, and authentic essential oils like grapefruit for improving the look of the skin’s texture plus stimulating juniper to help cleanse.
This will also connect you up with The Good Oil Team for our personal support and coaching. We'd love to help you on your journey to vibrant well-being the natural way!
Any questions? Please get in touch via our Contact page.
Reduce stress
Diet, sleep, hydration and exercise are all monumental assets in helping with stress reduction. If you’re taking care of those, you’re helping your feelings and emotional state, too. Unwinding with a book, quiet music, diffusing or applying your favourite relaxation essential oils (Young Living StressAway™ blend is one of my favourites), having or giving a foot massage, turning off your phone and social media for a while: find out what works for you and be sure to do it.
Massage
Get regular lymphatic massages. These feel amazing and focus specifically on your lymphatic system. Take your Young Living Cel-Lite Magic™ along or DIY a blend of pure carrier oil plus cypress, grapefruit and orange essential oils. Along with their energising effects, citrus oils are ‘happy oils’. Who doesn’t want a smile on their dial?!
Not all oils are created equal. Far from it. Quality varies immensely, so please ensure you are choosing a brand with complete transparency from seed to seal, such as Young Living. Discover why we love them so much in this short video.
Essential oils are potent, so as always, please follow directions on the bottle and the usual guidelines for safe use of authentic essential oils.
