You need to pump it daily to be healthy!

So I’m sitting here waiting for Durianrider to finish a bike race and I started to think about exercise and our lymph systems and why having a clean lymphatic system is so crucial if we want to attain and maintain truly vibrant health.

The past 2 months or so I have been pretty much “out of action” and not participating in my usual fitness routine due to running my immune system down, sustaining a toe injury followed by a bout of tropical ulcers (which I will talk more about in the future) but in the meantime I will focus on exercise and the lymphatic system.

Anyway being virtually inactive for 2months is a new experience for me and not one I’m keen to repeat anytime soon. My appetite dropped considerably and my enthusiasm to exercise dropped along with it (just more confirmation of the importance of eating enough calories), if we don’t have the fuel then we won’t feel like burning it, makes sense.

Yesterday I did a group run, 8.5km’s in 45.05, my goal over the next few months is to do a 10km under 50mins. I have my training program sorted out for the Gold Coast half marathon in July and I’m psyched!

So today I will talk about the Lymph system…

So why is a healthy, clean lymphatic system important? .

* The lymphatic system collects the body’s garbage. The body naturally produces toxins due to the functions of the body (cell metabolism etc), the lymph picks up this waste and eliminates it from the body.

* The lymph system is usually in a state of toxin removal, which come mainly from the high fat cooked foods most people eat. When we eliminate the toxins that come from cooked foods, the body can then concentrate on effectively cleaning out the lymph system, because the energy is now directed there, this means clearer skin for one!

* Apparently there is three times more lymph fluid than blood in the body! Which is incredible, that’s like 18 litres of lymph fluid. So, the health of our entire system is dependant on how clean our lymph is.

The lymphatic system assists the immune system in destroying pathogens and filtering waste so that the lymph can be safely returned to the circulatory system, I can now see that my recent bout of “illness” was exasperated by my lack of activity during the healing period. If I had exercised gently throughout this time then I would have pumped my lymph system more, therefore assisting waste removal.

The lymphatic system is responsible for many things! – Removing excess fluid, waste, debris, dead blood cells, pathogens, cancer cells, and toxins from the cells and tissues, not only this the lymphatic system also works with the circulatory system to deliver nutrients, oxygen, and hormones from the blood to the cells that make up the tissues of the body, how important!

So now you can probably see how important the lymph system is to our health and well being, keeping it clean and flowing freely is priority. The consequences of a backed up lymphatic system can be serious, even life-threatening.. The are many side effects of a backed up lymphatic system – not only are the building, repair and waste disposal systems affected by a disruption, the body’s defenses against foreign substances are also compromised.

Symptoms of a “dirty” lymph system..

Allergies and food sensitivities, joint pain, headaches and migraines,menstrual cramps, arthritis, fibrocystic breasts, breast tenderness, sinusitis, loss of appetite and GI issues, muscle cramping, tissue swelling, fatigue, mental fuzziness, mood irregularities, depression, parasites, skin breakouts, acne, and inability to lose fat. So in general, you may feel tired and toxic, with a heaviness in your abdomen.

The lymph nodes filter out toxic waste and apparently also produce substances which fight off invading viruses and bacteria and destroy abnormal cells that developed within the body, such as cancer cells. The lymphatics are an essential part of our immune system.

The lymphatic system

What happens when we aren’t looking after ourselves properly?

Sometimes more waste is produced than the lymph can handle, this results in an overflow of toxins in the bloodstream leading to pain and discomfort in our bodies. If the amount of waste that enters the lymphatic system is greater than the amount of waste that leaves it, then our lymph nodes swell up, like under our arms, around our groin and under our chins. This was the case recently for me with this bout of “tropical ulcers”, I had swelled lymph nodes in all those places.

What is the best way to increase the efficiency of our lymphatic system?

Exercise of course! Exercise can increase lymphatic flow threefold (or more with intense exercise). With exercise comes deeper breathing & increased respiration. Deep breathing is extremely important when it comes to the circulation of lymph fluid.

Deep, conscious breathing speeds up the flow of lymphatic fluid around the heart and through your chest on its way to the liver so get into conscious breathing! I find the best way is to go out for a run/cycle/hill walk, even ashtanga yoga is fantastic but I do not recommend Bikram yoga because it encourages dehydration.

So if you have any sort of congestion, you need to take action as soon as you can to increase lymph flow and clear any blockages. As you have read already, when the lymphatic system is impaired, toxic build up occurs causing negative effects upon your overall health.

A few ways to keep your lymph system clean…

* Exercise daily – if you can’t get out for a sweat session then do 50 deep breaths instead
* Incorporate high intensity workouts twice a week, sprints are great
* Skin brushing with a soft-bristled brush twice daily
* Here is a comment from RichG regarding Body Brushing… Daily brushing of your body with a body brush designed for lymph system enhancement. You start at the feet and brush 2 strokes from the toes up to the knees. Then move to the back of the legs and do the same thing. Always brush towards the heart. I had to learn this when my wife had breast cancer and had lymph problems from the removal of lymph ducts causing inflammation of her arms and lots of pain! Try this daily as we both do now! Here is a link to a brush like we have. I am sure u can find it for much less on ebay. http://www.timetospa.com/elemis/exfoliators-and-masks/elemis-body-brush/?PSPID=87&ELEMIS=1&s_kwcid=TC
* Rebounding is awesome on those rainy days
* Drink at least 2.5litres of water a day so you are peeing clear 10 or more times a day
* Eat low fat vegan foods and preferably in their raw states, focus on high water content fruits that quickly pass through the digestive system
* Avoid running your immune system into the ground! Don’t overtrain and get dehydrated like I did because this leaves you open for all sorts of pathogens
* Do all the above things CONSISTENTLY!

The lymphatic system is totally dependant on the contraction of our muscles and deep breathing. So choose an exercise which gets your heart thumping and lymph pumping!

Grapefull!

I’m back!

Ok so I know it’s been a while, no excuses really I’ve just been enjoying time outdoors.

Me & guinea pigs at a house sit

We have been house sitting various places and pets lately, its a great way to live, I have also created a Global house sitting website – Yes I do Mind!, it’s coming along nicely, feel free to join up and share the site with your friends.

I have also used this house sitting service and have found it to be one of the best…Home carers

Today I went for a 6km hilly run, real sweat session, loved it. I’m going to write about the importance of pumping our lymphatic system over the next couple of days, so stay tuned it’s sure to be one of the most interesting blogs I’ve ever written!

Yesterday…

3 litres of water
* 20 dates blended with water (dateOrade)
* 1/4 jakfruit
* 1kg grapes
* Another 15 dates with water

I’m currently watching interviews with vegan Dr’s in the “processed people” series, really interesting stuff.

I’ve also decided to train for a half marathon scheduled for July 4th, I’m really keen to get serious about running again, so I will log my training here.

Thanks for all the support and inspiring emails X

Stay tuned!
Lovefreelee