Why You Are Feeling Achey and Bloated, and Simple Home-Remedies To Feel Better Straight Away
Waking up feeling achey and stiff every morning, or feeling like you’re ageing? In this article, we’ll explore how an unexplored system, the lymph system, can cause havoc with our vitality. This much forgotten & ignored ‘sanitation’ system, has a critical role in keeping us free of pain and infections. You will also learn the symptoms to look out for, and what you can do about it.
THE SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH A SLUGGISH LYMPH SYSTEM:
ACHES & PAINS (often muscular or diffuse)
MIGRAINES/HEADACHES
EZCEMA
WATER RETENTION & WEIGHT GAIN
HEAVY & TIRED LIMBS
FREQUENT COLDS/INFECTIONS
These symptoms may arise, as a Stagnant and overloaded lymph fluid leads to waste and toxin build-up, weakening immunity and lowers vitality.
A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE LYMPH SYSTEM IN LAYMAN’S TERMS:
The lymph system is everywhere, and liken the circulatory system in that it has what might be described as ‘veins and arteries’, that run alongside our blood arteries. The fact that it’s everywhere, tells us about how critical it is for our survival. The lymphatics is also part of our immune system, clearing away infections and keeping our body fluids in balance, The immune system and lymph system work together to keep us alive! It also has a hugely important ‘sanitation’ role, and this is what we’ll focus on in this article.
A SLUGGISH GUT MEANS SLUGGISH LYMPHATICS:
Most organ have a lymph system including the eye, skin and the brain (which in fact is more active at night, removing wastes as we sleep!) The liver and gut however, generate more than 80% of all the body lymph. A sluggish gut is thought to prevent efficient flow of lymph, creating stagnation. In fact, constipated people often complain of significant water retention!!
And it’s not just constipation. Even just a mildly slow transit can cause a ‘car jam’. If you only eliminate 75% of what you eat daily, just think how clogged up you will be by end of the week, never mind one month. By day 4 you’re be holding onto a whole day’s worth of food! Therefore, going to the toilet more than once a day is ideal.
FLUSHING TOXINS THROUGH THE LYMPH SYSTEM:
Unfortunately for us and unlike our arteries and veins, the lymph doesn’t have it’s on own pump to move the fluid against gravity, up from say a leg to the throat area, where it can be sent for cleaning and elimination. To move the lymph - WE need to move. Lymph moves using our own body movement! This means that as we walk and move our legs in particular, the lymph fluid is pushed forward in the lymphatic veins. The other it circulates, is via the pumping action created by our lungs and core area when we belly breath. Going for a brisk walk therefore has a double benefit, moving and breathing deeper at the same time. Ever noticed how you may need a wee after a long walk in the fresh air, as the ‘sanitation’ process is speeded up?
THE MODERN PROBLEM:
So the problem with this is of course that, IF we’re sedentary, so is our lymph function. A few modern inventions are making us very sedentary. 1) working from home, 2) getting everything delivered, 3) of course our screen-based work.
With many of us now working from home, the routine of a brisk walk to the station or at lunch is no more, as most of us jump straight onto the computer to work. Not getting the circulation and lymph going in the morning is particularly challenging, as we want to clear out all that ‘sanitation’ work that’s been carried out over night.
A SLUGGISH LYMPH SYSTEM AND THE ACHEY FEELING:
As our blood swishes around the body to ship energy and oxygen to cells, they leak fluid out into the spaces between the cells (‘interstitial tissue’), and this is what gets collected by the lymphatic system. So it’s a sort of hoover that goes around and collects fluid, and with it, toxins and stuff that cells have chucked into this ‘sanitation’ system. If this fluid isn’t being cleared efficiently, this causes stagnation. Think of it as a toilet that doesn’t get flushed properly!
Stagnation means not moving, and as fluid begins to build up, toxins will simmer, and the shipment of oxygen and nutrients that the cells so badly need to perform their functions, will have a hard time reaching the cells. If a muscle needs to make energy WITHOUT oxygen, it produces lactic acid, which you may recognise as muscle pain! Lymph fluid that pools, tend to cause swelling, a bloated feeling and dull achey pain. We mostly see this in more severe scenarios in legs in people with circulatory problems.
THE 3 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO IMPROVE YOUR LYMPH FLOW:
BREATH!
Don’t SIT too much.
Deal with stress and TENSION? neck pain/teeth grinding etc. Tension may also prevent proper lymph flow
A note on breathing:
I’ve lost count on how many clients have told me that they breath through the mouth or hold their breath (stress). Not breathing properly, not only prevents adequate oxygen to your cells and brain (fatigue), but also prevents the function of ALL cells to function optimally, as we’ve learned above. Practise 4-7-8 breath before you fall asleep, and 3 times a day to learn to breath better.
SIMPLE LIFESTYLE ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE TODAY:
DEAL WITH CONSTIPATION! I can’t stress this enough. If you need help, get in touch for a free handout.
Always take a brisk walk in the morning in the fresh air (will benefit no matter how short!)
Dry brushing for a few minutes every morning
Breathing exercises, like the 4-7-8 breath
Saunas & cold plunges
Massages, in particular lymphatic drainage massage
Hydration!! Keeping fluids moving
If you have any questions about the content of this article or how you can test for this, get in touch here to give us a brief background of your health issues…
