
As you could read in this blog, Debbie lost her spleen due to a serious motorcycle accident. The spleen contributes to a healthy immune system. After her accident, she has been exploring how to strengthen one’s immune system, and in this regard, a healthy lymphatic system plays a major role.
The lymphatic system is often still overlooked, but fortunately, that is gradually changing.
In this article, we explain how the lymphatic system works and what you can do yourself to strengthen it.
What exactly is the lymphatic system?
It is a large network of small and large vessels that is present throughout our body. These vessels contain a colorless fluid: lymph.
The lymph also transports substances, just like your blood vessels. Not nutrients, but waste products, damaged cells, pathogens, and other intruders that are not welcome in our body. The lymph collects these and neutralizes them before they are transported away. So the lymphatic system is a very important filter. You can think of it as the garbage disposal of the body.
Your lymph vessels are capable of taking up larger particles than your blood vessels. Larger and more difficult to process particles cannot access the bloodstream, but these substances can indeed be taken up by the lymph vessels. And they clean up what needs to be cleaned up.
Nice, isn’t it?
This neutralization takes place among others in the neck, the groin, around the heart, and under the armpits. There are lymph nodes located at these sites and they are the junctions where the lymph vessels come together and through which the tissue fluid with all these substances to be processed flows.
In our lymph nodes, waste substances and potential pathogens are killed or neutralized. After that, they are transferred to the bloodstream so that the waste can be excreted via feces/urine before they can cause any harm. The neutralization of bacteria and viruses is done by the white blood cells, the lymphocytes, which are present in the lymph nodes.
So, the lymphatic system is responsible for a large part of the defense in our body. It is an essential part of your immune system!

Draining fluid
If you thought that was all… no! Because the lymphatic system has another function: it also drains excess fluid from our body. This process takes place by pushing the lymph fluid through the vessels by a valve system in our circulation. These valves ensure that the lymph fluid does not flow back but continues to be pushed forward.
This propulsion is accomplished through relaxing and contracting movements of the muscles in our body. That’s why movement is so important for us. And you can best do this by incorporating a little movement every hour.
Effects on your face
If your lymphatic system is not working optimally, it can often be seen in your face. Then there are still too many waste products in your skin, which can result in dark circles, your skin being less firm, and appearing pale, dull, or puffy.
What you can do yourself to strengthen your lymphatic system:

Move: As we have already written, movement pumps the lymph fluid well through your body. Any movement contributes, but if you want an additional boost, then go for jumping rope or trampolining!
Gua Sha: You can give your face a Gua Sha massage with a BeautyStoneGive yourself a Gua Sha massage, as suggested by Lois Lee. This stimulates your lymphatic system to remove waste products. It also promotes circulation and the production of collagen = beautiful skin!
Drink:the lymphatic system has a lot to do with fluid balance, so having sufficient fluid in the body is of essential importance. Preferably drink filtered water and enjoy a herbal tea.
Sweat:that also helps your body to cleanse and detoxify. In addition to exercise, have regular sauna sessions if you enjoy them.
Dry brushing:This method originates from Ayurveda and is considered a way to prevent diseases. Daily brushing of your body stimulates blood circulation, gently removes dead skin cells, promotes your metabolism, and helps to remove waste by supporting your lymphatic system. We have a BodyBrushBodyBrushand Facebrush in our product line.
Hot and Cold:Take alternating showers, because as we have already written, your lymph system works through contraction and relaxation. Therefore, alternating showers are very good. Warm water causes blood vessels to expand and cold water causes them to contract. This pumping action ensures that fluids in your body flow well.
Last, but not least:
Breathe:A simple method to give the lymphatic system a ‘pumping function’ is deep breathing. You naturally do this all day long.