What is the lymphatic system?

The lymphatic system is a system in our body that fights foreign bacteria, maintains body fluid levels and absorbs fat. This system is composed of lymphs, lymphatic nodes, lymph vessels and subclavian veins. All these working parts have one goal and that is to clean and guide these excess fluids back into the blood circulatory system. 

Here’s a little breakdown of each part. 

Lymphs: These are the excess fluid that are drained from our tissues and cells. 

Lymph nodes: These are the cleaners of the lymph fluids. They filter out bad cells like cancer causing cells and produce white blood cells to combat bad bacteria. 

Lymph vessels: The vessels transport the filtered lymphs from the lymph nodes and move it towards the ducts

Subclavian veins: There are 2 subclavian veins and they are differentiated by its position of being on the left and ride side of your neck. This is where the lymph re-enters the circulatory system. 

When lymph nodes have collected an excess amount of bacteria inside, white blood cells enter the nodes to fight off the bacteria. The node will swell up because there are a large amount of white blood cells in the node. This swelling is the first sign of foreign invaders in our body that could lead to potential more serious health concerns down the line. 

What can you do to keep your lymphatic system healthy?

1. Drink more water. 

Water helps the movement of the lymph move smoothly through the system. The easier it is for the lymph to move, the less built-up there will be in the entire system.

Just going for a 30 minute walk every day can help stimulate the movement in your body. The more you get your body moving, the less toxins build up 

3. Balance the diet. 

This goes without saying that a healthier lifestyle starts with what you eat. 

Our favorite quote sums it up very well: “You can’t feel like a million bucks if you eat from the dollar menu.”

4. Get a Lymphatic Drainage Massage