19/11/2025
WELLNESS WEDNESDAY!
Welcome!
Today's topic is LYMPHATIC HEALTH.
I focus on 4 key areas that impact our body's ability to maintain a healthy lymphatic system, contributions to poor lymphatic flow and how to improve it at home.
1. STRESS - How to manage stress that also improves our lymph.
๐ฟ Diaphragmatic breathing is great for this. Deep belly breathing acts as a lymphatic pump, stimulating lymphatic flow to the extremities. It also activates our para sympathetic nervous system that promotes rest and relaxation. I like to do 10 deep belly breaths every morning when I wake up and it's also great when driving!
๐ฟExercise. Lowers stress hormones, stimulates endorphins, increases energy and stimulates lymphatic flow due to muscle contraction.
2. SLEEP
๐ฟAim to eat dinner early and focus on smaller portion size. This helps the body focus more on waste removal and reducing inflammation and less on digesting food.
๐ฟAim for 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep
๐ฟAvoid sugary desserts late at night that spike cortisol and inflammation as this negatively impacts sleep quality.
๐ฟAvoid caffeine at night. It takes caffeine 8 hours to be eliminated by the body. This affects our ability to sleep deeply and is also a diuretic and contributes to dehydration.
3. HYDRATION
๐ฟSip on small mouthfuls of filtered or boiled room temperature water throughout the day. Avoid big gulps of water as this affects your blood and electrolyte balance. I like to fill a water bottle so I know how much water I am consuming.
๐ฟCaffeine free herbal teas and fruits and vegetables contribute to healthy hydration.
4. SITTING STILL
๐ฟEvery morning when I wake up I like to massage my abdomen in a clockwise motion. This aids digestion, gets lymph moving and stimulates my metabolism.
๐ฟWhen getting out of bed, dynamic stretches help to get muscle contraction going which stimulates lymph flow. I also like to jump up and down and move and shake my body.
๐ฟFor our office workers - bouncing on a fit ball, standing desks, moving your body every hour, having lunch outside with your bare feet on the earth, jumping up and down all help to support healthy lymph flow.
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