Plumbing your body
We recently had a septic tank problem at home. It took the plumber a while to sort out the blocked pipes while explaining to me in great detail how the system works and the reasons for the system break down.
While he was talking, it reminded me of the human body and its lymphatic system.
The lymphatic system is the garbage disposable system of the body…but on a cellular level.
It is a series of vessels and nodes which:
- cleans up waste from around the cells,
- passes it through lymph nodes where all the baddies are disarmed,
- and squirts it into the cardiovascular system up by the heart for recycling.
Much like waste pipes in your house. If there isn’t enough water to flush the system then ‘the waste’ just keeps building up in the body. Or, if we put the wrong stuff down the pipes the system gets overloaded and you get a backlog and a buildup of waste and toxic material.
What loves to live in warm wastelands? Bacteria, viruses and a myriad of other pestilence.
An over abundance of these 'waste-landers' hammer our immune system and eventually leads to serious illness and chronic disease including cancer.
My wife’s experience with melanoma has brought home to me the importance of the immune system.
Cancer researchers have apparently just realized the importance as well, hence the new range of immune- stimulating drugs that are now on the shelf thanks to the government pharmaceutical agency Pharmac.
Want to get your lymphatic system pumping and reduce your chances of serious illness?
Want to help someone you know who is suffering from ill health?
Here’s a start:
· Reduce stress…however you can…
· Drink more water - dehydration causes the lymph to go jelly like and will not flow so well.
· Exercise - muscle activity squeezes the lymph through the lymph nodes and back into the blood…basically do however much you can.
Gentle rebounding is a fantastic form of lymphatic drainage…you know those little trampolines?
Also -you guessed it - stretching! releases muscle tension which improves circulation both lymphatic and cardio.
· Proper breathing helps the diaphragm suck lymph back up.
· Certain herbs and spices are very good at stimulating the immune and lymphatic system. Herbs like Echinacea, calendula, red clover, Devil’s Claw, Goldenseal, cleavers, Astragalus, and wild indigo root have been used by herbalists and naturopaths to improve lymphatic function and help remove waste from the body,
· An anti-inflammatory, non toxic diet limits the assault on the lymphatic system.
To increase your resistance to serious illness and chronic disease you need to have a pumping lymphatic system.
Drink that water, Google anti-inflammatory diet (or check this one out stretchforlife.co.nz/anti-inflammatory-diet/ and head on over to stretchforlife.co.nz and get stretching.
If you add some exercise into the mix, work up a sweat, you will be away laughing.
Beware of those that say you are full of shite…it might be true 🙂
Until next time,
Tim Judd
