Harris Holistic Health Support

12/23/2025

12/23/2025

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🌿 Organ Series | Part 1

The Liver & the Lymphatic System

Why Your Liver Is Central to Detox, Hormones & Inflammation

The liver is one of the hardest-working organs in the body — and one of the most misunderstood.

It is not just a “detox organ.”
It is a metabolic control centre, deeply interconnected with the lymphatic system, immune health, hormones, and inflammation.

When the liver is overloaded, lymph flow often becomes sluggish — and symptoms start to appear.

Let’s break it down simply 🌿

🧠 1. What Does the Liver Do?

Your liver is responsible for:
• Filtering toxins from the blood
• Processing hormones (especially estrogen)
• Metabolising fats
• Producing bile for digestion
• Regulating blood sugar
• Supporting immune function

Every single day, your liver processes hundreds of substances — from food, medications, stress hormones, and environmental toxins.

🌿 2. How the Liver Connects to the Lymphatic System

This is where most people have their aha moment.

The liver:
• Produces large amounts of lymph fluid
• Drains into the lymphatic system via hepatic lymph vessels
• Relies on healthy lymph flow to remove metabolic waste

👉 Up to 50% of the body’s lymph can pass through the liver region.

If liver detox pathways slow down, lymph stagnation increases — leading to inflammation, congestion, and fluid retention.

⚠️ 3. Signs Your Liver May Be Under Strain

Common signs include:
• Bloating (especially after meals)
• Fatigue or sluggishness
• Headaches
• Hormonal imbalances
• Skin issues (acne, rashes, eczema)
• Poor fat digestion
• Feeling “toxic” or inflamed

These symptoms are often blamed on food — when the root issue may be impaired liver–lymph communication.

🌊 4. What Happens When Lymph Flow Is Poor?

When lymph becomes stagnant around the liver:
• Toxins recirculate instead of being eliminated
• Inflammation increases
• Hormone clearance slows
• Fascia tightens around the liver region
• Digestive and immune symptoms worsen

This creates a cycle of congestion → inflammation → fatigue.

🌿 5. Gentle Daily Ways to Support Your Liver & Lymph

Support does not need to be extreme.

✔️ Hydration

Water keeps bile and lymph fluid moving.

✔️ Deep Breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing gently mobilises liver lymph drainage.

✔️ Gentle Movement

Walking and trunk rotation stimulate liver circulation.

✔️ Reduce Inflammatory Load

Focus on whole foods and reduce ultra-processed foods.

✔️ Lymphatic Support

Manual lymphatic drainage, castor oil packs, and gentle self-care can support liver lymph flow.

🌿 Final Thought

The liver and lymphatic system work together — not separately.

When you support your liver gently and consistently, lymph flow improves, inflammation reduces, and the body can finally begin to heal more efficiently.

✍️ Written by

Bianca Botha
CLT | RLD | MLDT | CDS
Certified Lymphoedema Therapist
Founder of Lymphatica – Lymphatic Therapy & Body Detox Facility

Medical Disclaimer:
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, exercise, or health regimen.

12/21/2025

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The Fascia–Lymph–Pain Triangle 🔺

Why Tight Tissue Feels Like Deep Inflammation

Have you ever noticed this?
• Your body feels sore, tight or inflamed
• Scans and blood tests come back “normal”
• Massage helps… but only temporarily
• Stretching feels good, yet the pain keeps returning

This is often where fascia, lymph, and pain signalling intersect.

Let’s unpack this gently 🤍

What Is Fascia, Really? 🧵

Fascia is not just “connective tissue.”

It is a continuous, body-wide network that:
• Wraps muscles, organs, nerves and blood vessels
• Conducts fluid
• Communicates sensory information
• Responds to stress, inflammation and trauma

Think of fascia like a 3-dimensional web holding everything in place — while still allowing movement.

When fascia is healthy, it’s supple and hydrated.
When it’s irritated or restricted, it becomes tight, dense and painful.

Where the Lymphatic System Fits In 🌿

Many lymphatic vessels run within and between fascial layers.

This means:
• Fascia helps guide lymph flow
• Lymph keeps fascia hydrated and mobile

When inflammation, injury, surgery or stress occurs:
• Fascia stiffens
• Lymph flow slows
• Interstitial fluid accumulates

This creates a feedback loop 🔁
Tight fascia → poor lymph drainage → more inflammation → more pain.

Why Pain Feels Deep, Diffuse or “Unexplainable” 😣

Fascia is richly innervated — meaning it has many sensory nerve endings.

When fascia is restricted:
• Pain may feel deep rather than sharp
• It may radiate instead of staying local
• It often feels worse with stress or fatigue
• It may not match imaging findings

This is why people say:

“It hurts everywhere, but nothing is wrong.”

Something is happening — it’s just happening at a tissue level, not a structural one.

How Inflammation Changes Fascia 🔥

Inflammation causes:
• Increased fluid leakage into tissue
• Thickening of fascial layers
• Reduced glide between tissue planes

Over time, fascia loses elasticity and becomes protective — almost like it’s bracing.

This bracing increases:
• Pressure
• Nerve sensitivity
• Pain perception

The body isn’t malfunctioning — it’s adapting.

Why Forcing Stretching or Exercise Can Backfire 🚫

Aggressive stretching or pushing through pain can:
• Trigger further fascial guarding
• Increase inflammatory signalling
• Overstimulate sensitised nerves

This is why some people feel worse after:
• Intense workouts
• Deep aggressive massage
• “No pain, no gain” approaches

The nervous system needs safety before tissues can soften 🫶

What Actually Helps the Fascia–Lymph–Pain Loop 🌿

Supportive approaches often include:
• Gentle lymphatic stimulation
• Slow, mindful movement
• Diaphragmatic breathing 🫁
• Heat and hydration
• Nervous system regulation

When lymph flow improves, fascia often softens — and pain reduces without force.

The Takeaway 🤍

Pain isn’t always coming from damage.
Sometimes it’s coming from tight, inflamed, overloaded tissue.

The fascia–lymph–pain triangle explains why:
• Pain can exist without pathology
• Gentle approaches can be powerful
• Healing often feels slow, but deeply corrective

Your body isn’t weak.
It’s communicating.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, exercise, or health regimen.

12/21/2025

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👣 The Lymph in Your Feet: Why Your Toes Might Be More Important Than You Think
When we think about circulation and detox, most of us picture the heart, the liver, or the kidneys. But here’s an underrated truth: your feet are lymphatic powerhouses, silently working to detox your body, regulate inflammation, and support immune function—all while you walk, stand, or even wiggle your toes.
Yes, your feet do far more than take you places—they help keep you alive, clean, and balanced.

🧬 What Is the Lymphatic System?
The lymphatic system is your body’s second circulatory system, consisting of:
* Lymphatic vessels (similar to veins)
* Lymph nodes
* Lymph fluid
* Immune cells (lymphocytes)
Its key roles include:
* Clearing waste and cellular debris
* Transporting fats from the digestive system
* Regulating inflammation
* Carrying immune signals
Unlike the cardiovascular system, the lymphatic system doesn’t have a central pump (like the heart). It relies on muscle contractions, gravity, and movement to circulate lymph.

👣 The Lymphatic System in Your Feet
Your feet contain a dense network of superficial and deep lymphatic vessels, all designed to transport lymph upward against gravity. These vessels drain into larger lymphatic trunks in the ankles and calves, then continue their journey toward inguinal lymph nodes in the groin, iliac nodes in the pelvis, and ultimately into the thoracic duct, where lymph rejoins the bloodstream.
Key lymphatic components in the feet include:
* Dorsal digital lymphatics (between the toes)
* Plantar lymphatics (bottom of the foot)
* Posterior tibial lymphatics (deep inside the ankle)
* Superficial lymph capillaries (just under the skin)

🔄 How Lymph Moves Through Your Feet
Because gravity pulls lymph downward, the feet are particularly prone to lymphatic congestion. Movement is essential to drive fluid back up the body.
Lymphatic flow in the feet depends on:
* Walking or toe flexion (muscle pumps)
* Ankle movement (activates venous-lymphatic synergy)
* Proper footwear and posture (restrictive shoes may impede lymph flow)
* Manual stimulation or dry brushing (boosts superficial lymph movement)

🧪 What Happens When Lymph Doesn’t Flow?
When lymph becomes stagnant in the feet, you may experience:
* Pitting edema (swelling that leaves an indentation)
* Heavy, tired legs
* Cold toes or poor circulation
* Skin changes (hyperkeratosis, dryness, thickening)
* Increased susceptibility to infections (e.g. cellulitis)
Lymphatic stagnation in the lower extremities can result from:
* Sedentary lifestyle
* Prolonged standing or sitting
* Post-surgical trauma (especially orthopedic procedures)
* Venous insufficiency
* Chronic inflammation or autoimmune disease

💃 Fun Facts About Foot Lymphatics
* 🧦 Compression socks support both venous and lymphatic return—your lymph loves them!
* 🌙 Lymphatic drainage is slower at night, which is why many people wake with puffy feet or ankles.
* 🔄 The plantar fascia (thick tissue in the sole of your foot) influences lymphatic flow by stimulating movement when walking barefoot.
* 🌿 Foot reflexology points correlate with major lymphatic pathways in the body.

🌿 How to Support Lymph Flow in the Feet
1. Move often! Rebounding, walking, and calf raises are your lymph’s best friends.
2. Hydrate well. Lymph is 95% water—thicker lymph = slower drainage.
3. Use a massage ball. Rolling the soles stimulates deep plantar lymphatics.
4. Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD). Gentle hands-on therapy can mobilize stagnant fluid.
5. Elevate your feet. A few minutes of elevation each day helps reverse gravitational pull.
6. Reflexology Lymph Drainage (RLD)

🧠 Final Thought
Your feet might be the furthest thing from your head, but when it comes to immune function, inflammation regulation, and fluid balance, they’re front and center. A healthy lymphatic system starts from the ground up—and that includes your soles, toes, and ankles.
So next time you stretch your feet or walk barefoot in the grass, remember: you’re doing your whole lymphatic system a big favor. 👣💚

Disclaimer:�This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before beginning any new wellness or therapeutic routine.

©️

12/11/2025

Interesting . . .

12/10/2025

Goal: Increase food choices that nourish, support and heal my body.
Here are some good options . . .

11/25/2025

I took an essential oils class from the scientist and author, David Stewart. He said, "When in doubt of which oil to use, choose frankincense or lavender." I always keep them on hand.

11/15/2025

Using Dr. Christopher’s foundational philosophies in Herbalism, the Family Herbalist Course will empower you with the knowledge and confidence to tackle health issues in an informed, educated, and independent way.

11/09/2025

Note: Melissa Essential oil is also known as Lemon Balm.