the 20-something’s guide to a body detox part 1 (aka:: how to apply “spring cleaning” to your body!)
it is april! which means spring cleaning is allll the rage. a new month, a new season, a fresh start… what better way to go into it than with a fresh space, mind, &... body? you guys know i love my deep dives & combining trending topics with actual science, so this month we are going to talk all things spring cleaning:: body style. this means the lymphatic system (hellloooo detox), creating more emotional resilience, dopamine detoxes for our brains, & so much more! this blog post will be jam packed with science, fun, & actionable takeaways to not only apply spring cleaning to your home, but to your body, too!
let’s start with the physical detox:: enter, our lymphatic system
oftentimes this body system can become so forgotten. we hear all the hype on our gut health, muscular system, cardiovascular system, etc. without really acknowledging the system that helps to really clear out the clutter so we can perform at our best! well forgotten no more. let’s invite the lymphatic system to pull up a seat to the cool girl lunch table.
so what is our lymphatic system?
the lymphatic system helps in the body’s immune response, detoxification & removal of foreign invaders & pathogens, while also helping to maintain fluid balance.
so let’s start at a micro level. our lymphatic system consists of lymph, which is created by the fluid that is lost during the transfer of blood from your arteries to your veins & the absorption of interstitial fluid, or the fluid around our cells. as we transfer blood from our arteries to our veins at the level of the capillary, we absorb oxygen to deliver to other tissues & organs & get rid of carbon dioxide in order to eventually be exhaled. this process is pretty efficient, but there is additional fluid that does not get completely transferred from our arteries to our veins, so our lymphatic system picks this fluid back up to eventually be returned to the heart (so we don’t lose too much fluid!). similarly, at the cellular level, we go through various processes that produce waste that gets excreted from the cells into the interstitial fluid. our lymphatic system picks up this fluid & the waste products to be carried as lymph, filtered out, & eventually returned back to the heart (again, so we don’t lose too much fluid!).
as lymph travels through the lymphatic system, there are a series of checkpoints that help to clear out the waste called lymph nodes. you can actually feel some of these structures as clusters, like in the groin region or armpit. lymph nodes consist of additional immune cells that help to break down & dispose of all of the pathogens, debris, & waste that they catch. after this detoxification process, lymph can return back to the bloodstream.
we have organs throughout our body that also contribute to our lymphatic system. our primary lymphatic organs consist of the thymus & bone marrow. both serve as regions where various immune cells mature & are weeded out so that when our body has to create an immune response to fight, we have the best of the best working for us! additionally, we have our spleen, tonsils, adenoids, & mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) that all help in the detoxification process & immune response.
speaking of the body’s immune response, our lymphatic system does some pretty cool things! i mentioned that lymph carries pathogens & foreign invaders, right? & our lymph nodes act as a checkpoint site to monitor these pathogens, right? well we have specialized immune cells that travel with the pathogens & foreign invaders to signal to our lymphocytes (the ones that help get the job done) that they need to be taken care of! we can think of them like the “tattle tales”, but helpful ones! we also have “signaling proteins” that help guide our lymphocytes & immune cells to foreign invaders in our tissues. it truly is a team effort!
so when do problems with this system occur?
problems occur when our lymph fluid builds up & is backed up. we can sense when our lymph fluid is backed up with swelling & what we call pitting edema. if you are able to leave a sustained imprint in an area with your finger, you might have pitting edema! our lymph nodes take care of a lot of junk, so if they’re too busy or injured in some way, our lymph fluid can back up, creating swelling. our lymphatic vessels also have 1 way valves helping to move the fluid upstream, but gravity is still definitely a factor, & if there is a back-up further up the system, then there can be a build up of fluid further away. (for example, a back up in the groin can create swelling in the calf!)
this leads us to how to help optimize our detoxification systems! one thing i haven’t mentioned that will become very important in the actionable steps that follow:: our lymphatic system is generally close to the surface of the skin. this means that in order to target our lymphatic system externally, we need to apply gentle pressure. if we apply too deep of pressure (like a sports massage), we are not targeting our lymphatic system & can potentially harm some compromised structures (especially if we are having increased swelling!). this is why the fingerprint test works. if you are able to leave a finger imprint & it stays, it can mean your lymphatic system is affected in some way!
this also allows us to keep a watchful eye on products marketed for the lymphatic system, detoxification, & swelling. if the person is demoing too much pressure with a certain device, then you know to be weary of what that person is promoting, as it’s likely not being utilized in the best way to optimize our lymphatic systems.
what can i do to help? spring cleaning & detoxification!
from a physical therapist’s perspective, there are a lot of free things we can do to help our lymphatic system & the body’s ability to properly balance fluid, fight foreign invaders, & help mount an immune response!
lymphatic massage:: one of my absolute favorites! take a look at this video to see how to do it yourself! there are a few important things to note:
light pressure! remember:: this system is close to the skin!
since lymph flows back to the heart & oftentimes against gravity, it is important to start proximally, meaning close to the trunk. this way we can “clear out” the lymph nodes & vessels that are at the top of the chain so it can better filter the lymph flowing from the bottom of the chain (more distally). so we don’t start at the feet; we actually start at the neck & armpits & then move out & down.
dry brushing is another possibility when it comes to lymphatic massage. perform in the same order as above & with the same light pressure.
as always, drink water! staying hydrated is super important when it comes to our lymphatic system. dehydration can prevent appropriate lymph flow, waste transfer, & filtration. dehydration can also contribute to swelling, as without appropriate fluid, larger waste particles can accumulate, increasing their concentration per unit of fluid & reducing their ability to be transferred & filtered.
exercise:: arguably one of the most important things for our lymphatic system! since lymph is most often moving against gravity, the pumping motion our muscles make during contraction & relaxation helps to pump the fluid along the lymphatic vessels rather than allowing it to get stagnant. exercise is also hugely important in our circulatory system which is closely related to our lymphatic system to maintain fluid balance, nutrient delivery, & waste management!
compression:: have you ever noticed your legs & calves getting super swollen on a plane or a change in pressure? compression can help! since most lymphatic vessels have to pass fluid against gravity, compression can help to apply external pressure to the vessels to increase pressure within the vessels so fluid can move against gravity in a more efficient way. think about it this way:: if you have a super large toothpaste tube, you’ll have to work really hard & from a variety of angles to get the contents in the tube out through the opening. however, if the tube was smaller (like rolling up the edges when you get to the bottom of a tube of toothpaste), you won’t have to work or press as hard to get toothpaste out! compression works in a similar way. it can help improve the pressure within the lymphatic vessels due to travel, increased swelling, etc. so that the vessels can have some help pushing fluid along its path & clearing it out more efficiently!
additional spring cleaning:: body style!
of course there are other ways we can think about “spring cleaning” for our body. let’s start off with one of my faves:: a body scan. a body scan involves checking-in on various joints, motions, & what i like to call “crankiness” throughout the body. we flow joint by joint, region by region to just take a general consensus on what feels tight, stiff, or immobile. check out this meditation/mindfulness session related to body scanning on the sisterhood where i guide you through what to think about, various motions, etc.!
another one of my favorite ways to “spring clean:: body style” is through journaling. it is such a wonderful time to check in on the physical goals we may have set for ourselves at the beginning of the year. how are our goals progressing? are there things we need to change or re-prioritize in order to align our daily habits & routines with our goals? do these goals require alterations at all given life circumstances, injuries, etc.? are you finding it hard to implement some of the routines to reach your goals, & if so, how can you adapt your day or routines to best support you in reaching your goals?
our april spring cleaning challenge!
super simple, but let’s focus on performing one self-lymphatic massage & one body scan mindfulness session to truly check in on our physical selves! bonus if you can also take some time to check-in on some goals that you set for yourself & modify/motivate yourself accordingly!
