The lymphatic system may be one of the most important bodily systems, despite the fact that it rarely gets discussed. The spotlight typically shines on developing immune strength or improving digestive health, but the body can only do these things if the lymphatic system is functioning properly. Establishing healthy lymphatic flow is one of the best ways to ward off illness and disease.

What Is The Lymphatic System?

Even though you may not feel it, the lymphatic system is always there, working to dispose of toxins and waste. The circulatory system delivers nutrients to the organs and tissues in the body, and the lymphatic system is like the body’s highway for drainage, ultimately playing a large role in natural detoxification. The lymphatic system also has a hand in developing new T cells, which help protect the body from illness and disease. And the lymph nodes and lymphatic tissues throughout the body work to initiate immune responses to foreign invaders, antigens, and bacteria.

How Does The Lymphatic System Get Clogged?

If the lymphatic system didn’t get clogged, we wouldn’t need to write this article. The lymphatic system does not have a pump, unlike your blood, meaning that it relies on the contraction and relaxation of joints and muscles to maintain flow. This means that you are the pump, and being inactive or sedentary means your pump is weak and lymphatic fluid isn’t draining properly. The last thing you want is for your lymphatic system to become stagnant, because that means it is constantly working to dispose of toxins. The longer it takes to eliminate toxins, the greater risk you have of developing:

• Chronic pain
• Fatty deposits
• Arthritis
• Edema
• Ear infections
• Bronchitis, pneumonia, or tonsillitis
• Chronic sinusitis
• Cellulite

Now you can see why lymphatic health matters! There’s no need to run and hide because there are easy ways to get your lymphatic system moving again. See below.

Exercise

Since you are the pump that keeps your lymphatic system going, it relies on you to keep it moving. Sedentary people often feel fatigued, achy, stiff, or worn out, but regular movement can get your lymphatic fluid moving. Whether it is walking for 30 minutes per day, jumping rope, swimming, rebounding, or interval workouts, exercise is the best way to improve circulation, increase lymphatic drainage, and get your heart pumping.

Eat Clean

Establishing a clean, healthy eating plan will help you focus on nutrient dense foods that are free of chemicals, antibiotics, and additives, all of which can inhibit proper flow. When you control your external factors, e.g. diet or stress, you can decrease stress in the body. Treat your body right with cruciferous vegetables, leafy greens, berries, omega-3 rich foods, raw nuts and seeds, healthy fats, and beneficial herbs like ginger, turmeric, garlic, and cumin. All of those foods help improve lymphatic flow.

Massage

Who doesn’t love a good massage? Next time you book a massage appointment, try to request a lymphatic massage that specifically targets lymphatic flow. The massage therapist will apply pressure and rhythmic movements in specific areas that stimulate the drainage of fluid and waste. Studies have shown that lymphatic massages can push up to 78% of stagnant lymph back into circulation.

Use Essential Oils

Essential oils have been known to encourage lymphatic drainage, especially when you massage them around the inner and outer thighs, armpits, knees, and abdomen. Do not apply essential oils directly on the skin; rather, mix them with carrier oils like coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, or jojoba oil. Massage in a circular, clockwise motion to move stagnant lymph nodes. The best oils to use include lemon essential oil, oregano essential oil, rosemary essential oil, helichrysum essential oil, or lemongrass essential oil.

Dry Brushing

Dry brushing benefits both the circulatory and lymphatic systems. It is a practice that is very easy to do, so long as you have a brush with stiff bristles. Always brush towards your chest, starting from your hands and ankles. Be sure not to dry brush too hard, especially if you have sensitive skin. The reason you brush toward your chest is because that is where the lymphatic system drains. Click here for a more in depth article about dry brushing.

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Throat problems often result from problems with the lymphatic system, mucous membranes, and/or inflammation (mucus), especially mucus.

Physically, a swollen throat means that certain things in your body are taxed, particularly your spleen (which correlates to your tonsils), lymph system (especially in the mouth area), and mucous membranes, with the culprit being mucus.

Itchy, Irritated Throat, and Hoarseness

An itchy and irritated throat suggests mucus accumulation. Hoarseness (of a person’s voice) is sounding rough and harsh, typically as the result of a sore throat or shouting.

Even when singers develop hoarseness (a symptom of laryngitis), it’s a sign that the voice needs to be given a rest.

Itchiness, scratchiness, and irritation of the throat may also denote presence of the physical manifestation of a sexually transmitted disease. Usually, when there is STD-related itchiness and irritation of the throat, it is due to performance of oral sex on a partner infected with a venereal disease or sexually transmitted disease (i.e. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, or trichomoniasis). It is also a sign that the defense or immune system is taxed or debilitated.

Difficulty in Swallowing

When there is painful swallowing, it’s usually because the throat is inflamed, called tonsillitis. It is a sign that you should abstain from eating solid foods and consider fasting to give the throat a break or rest, especially from talking.

Individuals born under the astrological sign of ‘Taurus’ (between April 20 and May 20) are greatly prone to throat problems as the throat is located in the neck (upper region) and the sign Taurus governs the neck, so Taureans are prone to neck problems, thyroid problems, and throat problems.

A swollen throat means that certain things in your body were taxed, particularly your spleen (correlates to your tonsils), lymph system (especially in the mouth area), and mucous membranes.

Tonsillitis

It may not appear or seem like it, but your tonsils have a specific purpose. They are part of your lymphatic system and corresponds to your defense or immune system.

The greatest health challenge of the tonsil is ‘tonsillitis,’ which basically means ‘inflammation of the tonsil.’ When there is tonsillitis, it only means the tonsil is inflamed due to unhealthy mucus accumulation.

Tonsillitis is a condition of mucus trapped in the tonsil and thus obstructing the mucous membranes of the tonsils. There is healthy mucus (clear in nature) and there is unhealthy mucus (thick and green-yellowish in nature).

Tonsillitis is greatly reversible. All you have to do is remove the mucus obstructing the tonsil as well as the mucus in the entire body.

If you suffer from tonsillitis, there are alternatives to surgery. Take herbs and change your diet in accordance with maxim of the Order of Hippocrates: “let your food be your medicine and your medicine your food.”

Strep Throat

Strep Throat is another adverse condition of the throat and is basically ‘tonsillitis’ or a symptom of it.

In both ‘tonsillitis’ and ‘strep throat’ we have the presence of a form of parasite (Streptococcus) that travels in the blood and clearly houses itself in an unhealthy mucus environment in a localized area of the body, in the case of strep throat, the throat.

In both tonsillitis and strep throat, the throat is diffusely red (due to inflammation), and tonsils often are covered with a yellow or white exudate (due to mucus).

Laryngitis

Laryngitis is medically defined as: “Inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the larynx, accompanied by edema of the vocal cords with hoarseness or loss of voice, occurring as an acute disorder caused by a cold, by irritating fumes, by sudden temperature changes, or as a chronic condition resulting from excessive use of the voice, heavy smoking, or exposure to irritating fumes. In acute laryngitis, there may be a cough, and the throat usually feels scratchy and painful.” – Mosby’s supra, pg. 677

Throat Cancer

Throat cancer can result from various circumstances and for various reasons. Habits (bad habits) are perhaps the biggest cause of the physical manifestation of throat cancer.

Smoking is a leading cause of throat cancer. The 700+ dangerous ingredients, especially the coal tar, in cigarettes does great harm and damage to the throat, causing cellular degeneration and necrosis in throat.

Drink Devil’s Brew (alcohol) also does great damage to the throat. Like coffee, it too burns the tissues of the throat despite not being hot like coffee. Alcohol greatly burns the tissues of the body and enhances necrosis (degeneration of the tissues).

Coffee burns everything in the body (unless it is drank at room temperature). It can damage the esophagus (and is actually reported to be the number one cause of cancer of the esophagus).

Using chemical-grade oral hygiene products (i.e. mouthwash, oral rinse) can be harmful due to their containing of alcohol and artificial sweeteners such as saccharin and aspartame as well as containing petroleum-based dyes (i.e. Blue Lake, Green Lake, etc.).

Healing Throat Problems Naturally

Gargling

A sore throat can be healed by gargling with warm water (1 cup), lime or lemon juice (1 tablespoon) and sea salt (a pinch). Just add the water, juice, and salt in a cup, stir, and pour into mouth and gargle (do not swallow). This can be performed throughout the day. Though optional, you can add one drop of essential oil of Eucalyptus to this solution.

Herbs

Demulcent herbs are also ideal in healing throat and tonsil problems. Demulcent herbs are soothing, coating, and mucilaginous in nature and that protect irritated and inflamed tissue. These herbs include Mullein Leaf, Marshmallow, Slippery Elm Bark, Irish Moss, and Plantain.

Other herbs for throat and tonsil conditions include Lobelia, Licorice Root, Eucalyptus, White Pine Bark, and Wild Cherry Bark.

Echinacea Root and Goldenseal Root are always helpful in healing situations and can be consumed as well.

These herbs supra are best consumed in tea or extract (tincture) form. Licorice Root and Mullein Leaf tea are the best herbal teas to drink throughout the day.

Natural cough syrup

A natural cough syrup (which utilizes natural ingredients such as herbs, glycerin, honey, etc.) is far better to use than any commercial-grade cough syrup, some of which contains alcohol.

If you must have a cough syrup and the brand you purchase contains honey, this is far better than what you’d find in a pharmacy or drug store. Just remember that honey is predigested bee food (excrement, regurgitation) and it should never be given to children under the age of two.

Steam therapy

Steam inhalation is also ideal in healing. You can boil a pot of water on the stove top or purchase a small steamer and add 2-3 drops of essential oils of Eucalyptus, Pine Bark, and/or Camphor to the water and simply inhale for a few minutes (10-20 minutes max).

Crystals

Because light blue or sky blue crystals and gemstones emit a soothing and pacifying frequency, these stones are ideal to use in all inflammation conditions. Blue, especially light or sky blue, is soothing in nature so simply place a stone of this color on your lower neck (about an inch or inch and a half under your Adam’s apple) while lying down for approximately 30 minutes.

Blue is the antidote to red and remember, inflammation’s frequency is red, so blue (light/sky blue) counteracts red and is thus healing in all conditions where there is inflammation or burning.

Light or sky blue-colored crystals and gemstones include Turquoise, Blue Calcite, Dolphin Stone (Larimar), Blue Lace Agate, Aqua Aura Quartz, Blue Kyanite, Angelite, Celestite, and Tanzanite.

You can also make a gemstone elixir with these crystals/gemstones above (all of them or simply one of them) by place them in a glass of distilled water and allowing them to sit over night (preferable with exposure to moonlight which has a healing frequency).

You can also wrap a blue or light-blue colored scarf around your neck when there’s a problem with the throat so as to stimulate healing. You can wear the scarf when out in public or while at home lying down on the bed.

Cough drops

Cough drops can be helpful, however, just make sure the brand does not contain harmful ingredients, i.e. man-made menthol, saccharin, aspartame, sugar, etc.

Despite a few minor ingredients, Zand and Riccola brands offer the best cough drops available on the commercial health food market. If you can do without cough drops, by all means do so.

Dietary Intervention

Diet is always important in healing. While healing, abstain from all meat, dairy products, refined grains and starches, boxed/jarred orange juice, coffee, alcoholic beverages, chocolate, junk foods, etc. These are all mucus forming due to being acid-forming.

Drink plenty of good water too. The best waters to drink are alkaline water (available at health food stores), distilled water, and spring water in this order.

Water can also be made more alkaline via alkaline drops (also sold at health food stores).

Chew on licorice sticks if you can find them or have access to them. Licorice sticks are medicine for the throat, especially the vocal cords. Simply suck and chew them throughout the day for as long as you like.

Dherbs Solutions

Dherbs.com compounds or formulas ideal for healing throat and tonsil problems, including:

• Full Body Cleanse
• Lungs & Respiratory
• Mucus Formula
• Alkaline Formula
• Sinus Formula
• Immune Formula
• Immune Booster Kit
• Lungs & Respiratory Tea
• Immune Tea
• Mucus Tea

Thank you for reading!

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How humans, cows and elephants all share one thing in common … they are mammals.

According to milk and dairy (marketing) boards, human mammals, you and I, require a lot of dairy products like milk and cheese to build strong healthy bones.

Yet science clearly shows us that all normal mammals stop producing the enzymes needed to digest their baby food (mothers milk) once they are weaned!

Hummm…

In nature, the only mammal that drinks milk after it’s weaned are humans, and then it is just a small contingent of western Caucasians.  The majority do not drink milk.

Have you ever wondered how the cows and elephants maintain their much larger bone structure and size? Probably not … but it is certainly not by drinking another animal’s milk! 

Cows normally eat foods such as leaves, grass, and other vegetable matter … at least the happy organic cows do, unfortunately, the majority consume excessive, unnatural and man made compounds to accelerate mass-production of cow milk!

“The dairy folks, ever since the 1920s, have been enormously successful in cultivating an environment within virtually all segments of our society-from research and education to public relations and politics-to have us believing that cow’s milk and its products are manna from heaven. … Make no mistake about it; the dairy industry has been virtually in total control of any and all public health information that ever rises to the level of public scrutiny.” Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Professor, Cornell University

Symptoms Disappear In The Absence of Dairy Products

Did you know that a host of common health issues (symptoms) that plague us today tend to clear up when dairy is minimized or removed from the daily diet? 

• Asthma, allergies, strep throat, tonsillitis, ear infections, pimples, acne,
• Low energy, digestive problems (such as gas, diarrhea, bloating, cramps),
• Overweight, cardiovascular problems, hardening of the arteries,
• Calcification of the kidneys, bed wetting, mental retardation, female reproductive problems such as menstrual irregularities, menstrual cramps and heavy flow,
• Ovarian tumors and cysts, vaginal discharges and infections and swelling of the breasts.

Dr. Benjamin Spock, author of the world-famous book Baby and Child Care, wrote in 1998, “Cow’s milk is not recommended for a child when he is sick-or when he is well, for that matter. Dairy products may cause more mucus complications and cause more discomfort with upper respiratory infections.”

The Western Diet And Osteoporosis

Did you know that a diet high in refined carbohydrates, animal proteins, fats and processed foods – which is the typical North American diet – has been linked to a greater incidence of osteoporosis, bone fractures and other bone conditions … why?

• Because such a diet is significantly inadequate in many nutrients
• Because it is excessively high in the mineral phosphorus
• Because large amounts of phosphorus antagonize calcium in the body, in effect pulling the calcium from our bones
• Milk and dairy products, the foods most often recommended for healthy bones are excessively high in phosphorus and may actually promote osteoporosis

In fact, the more dairy products consumed, the higher the rate of osteoporosis.  Bone problems and bone disease are virtually non-existent in those countries where dairy consumption is the lowest. 

“It is hard to turn on the television without hearing commercials suggesting that milk promotes strong bones. The commercials do not point out that only 30 percent of milk’s calcium is absorbed by the body or that osteoporosis is common among milk drinkers. Nor do they help you correct the real causes of bone loss.” Dr. Neal Barnard

Revealing Facts About Dairy Milk

Cow’s milk has 3X more protein and almost 4X more calcium than human milk. This is good for the calf who will grow to be much larger than a human, but is it good for us?

• For humans, it is essential to understand that the ratio of calcium to phosphorus is important to the efficient absorption of calcium. When the ratio of phosphorus is too high, it prevents calcium absorption and actually leaches calcium from the body. The minimum recommended is 2:1, human is 2.3:1 and cows 1.2:1
• While protein and calcium are our building blocks, when we ingest more than we can absorb, the result is waste matter.  Over time, this excess waste puts stress on the liver, intestines, lungs, kidneys and skin thus weakening them. 
• The excess matter that cannot be efficiently excreted remains in the body and turns into mucus, pus, creating a medium for bacteria, parasites and Candida.  
• Other points to consider is that while the fat content of both milks are similar, cows milk has 48% less natural carbohydrates and almost 300% more sodium
• Pasteurization reduces Vitamin C by 50% and Homogenization breaks up milk molecules into smaller pieces to pass through intestinal wall unchanged by digestive process.
• An enzyme called xanthine oxylase or XO found in milk fat which breaks down protein, also passes through the intestinal walls.  As it travels along the bloodstream, it scratches and corrodes the arterial walls, causing lesions. As a defense against this, the body deposits fibrin and cholesterol over lesions to avoid further damage.

The bottom line is a food high in calcium is simply not enough.  Beyond the calcium to phosphorus ratio that aids in calcium absorption, many other naturally occurring nutrients such as magnesium and vitamin D are needed to build strong bones.

Where Can I Get My Calcium If Not from Dairy

Whenever it is suggested that milk and dairy products be avoided, there is always the inevitable question:  “And where will I get my calcium?” 

The first step is to consider a sound alternative to dairy and there are many great foods that contain calcium in a natural, easy-to-assimilate form:

• Beans, nuts, sesame seeds and tahini
• sea vegetables (kelp, kombu, wakame
• Greens – especially broccoli, alfalfa sprouts, bok choy, collards, kale, mustard and turnip tops, parsley, watercress, dandelion
• Parsnips, rutabaga, turnips, etc.

Be Aware Of Foods That Affect Calcium Absorption

There are also some foods that affect negatively our calcium balance in some way.  It is better to avoid them or eat them in small quantities: 

• concentrated sugars, high-protein foods
• nightshades like potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, tobacco
• citrus, wine, vinegar, coffee, alcohol, salt, soda pop and  milk and dairy products.

Nutritional Supplementation For Strong Bones

For many people, it makes sense to take a calcium supplement because they are not able to eat good calcium-rich foods on a daily basis and/or they cannot stay totally away from the items that affect their calcium balance negatively. 

For a calcium supplement to be effective, it has to be well-balanced and contain all the necessary nutrients for the body to assimilate it efficiently and utilize it properly.  I always prefer a well-balanced herbal or natural food-base supplement for even higher assimilation and utilization. 

Dherbs Products For Strong Bones

1. Multi-Vitamins and Minerals
2. Electric Greens Combo
3. Moringa
4. Hair Skin Nails Formula

Article written by: Diane McLaren
Holistic Health Practitioner, Wellness Coach, Trainer and Author specialized in Iridology, Reflexology, Nutrition, Herbal Medicines and Natural Healing since 1994.

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