Have you ever heard of dry skin brushing?
It is an excellent way to expel toxins from your body, through gentle lymphatic drainage.
Your lymphatic system is a network of capillaries and vessels that carry lymph throughout your body, which acts as part of your immune system.
The lymph does not have its own active movement system, so it is only through exercise and movement, that the lymph begins to flow.
It is important to activate the movement of lymph to properly circulate throughout the body, and to allow it to expel the waste products that have been delivered there by your blood circulation.
You can imagine that a properly functioning lymph system is vital to our health, so it is important to keep it at its optimal level.
Tips for Dry Brushing:
1. Use a soft bristled brush. Your lymph system is very delicate, and too much pressure can close the vessels for up to 15 minutes, leaving your dry brushing irrelevant.
2. Start at your feet and work toward your heart! Working against gravity, help to engage the lymph to flow toward its main drainage point – near your collar bones. Don’t forget to start at the bottoms of your feet and gently encourage the flow upwards.
3. Use very small circular motions upward or smooth strokes toward your heart and encourage the lymph to flow.
4. Use creative visualization to imagine toxins being gently expelled from your body.
5. If you have cellulite on certain areas, feel free to spend a little more time there, to bring added blood flow and movement to help release the stored toxins and fats in both the lymph and the skin. Just remember to use gentle motions.
6. It is best to do enjoy this practice before you get in the shower – to then rinse off any toxins that have been released by the skin, so that they are not reabsorbed by the body.
Other Tips to Improve Your Lymphatic Flow:
• Drink lots of water!! Your body needs to be well hydrated to have optimal blood flow and hence, the ability of your lymphatic system to have movement. Aim for at least 8 cups of water per day, and more if you work outside or exercise. Tip: Don’t chug your water! Your kidneys can only filter and actually absorb approximately 800-1000mL spaced out over an hour.1 Try to sip water throughout the day, instead of chugging a whole bottle at once because you have forgotten to drink water all day. This water tends to go right through you, and then you’ll be running off to hit the loo more often than you would like!
• Eat clean! Focus on fresh fruits and vegetables and find recipes that allow you to eat them in their most unprocessed state. A morning shake with pineapple, bananas and strawberries mixed with a bit of almond milk or water, and sprinkled with chia seeds is an amazing way to get essential nutrients into your body!
• Exercise! Aim for some sort of movement every day! Whether it is a yoga class or jumping into a class on YouTube, dancing, hiking or going for a walk, your body is designed to move! Find exercises that you enjoy doing and bring your friends!
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By Jo-Anne Richardson, Registered Holistic Nutritionist & Energy Medicine Practitioner
Jo-Anne works with Fournier disAbility & Health Management Solutions to provide online education for clients and patients. Her interest in healthy, joyful living is demonstrated in her writing, coaching and teaching. Her goal is to improve the health of her community by empowering you with knowledge, support and new ideas.
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Lucie M.H. Fournier RN, COHN(C), BA (Psych)
Founder/Workplace Health Strategist
With over 30 years of experience in disability management, and a return on investment on average of 1:7, Fournier disAbility & Health provides customized and results oriented services in Absenteeism Management including Attendance, Sick Time/Short, Long Term Disability, and WSIB claims for employers across Ontario.
Expertise in 5 distinct niches of disAbility management include:
1. Complex claims management resolution
2. Mental health claim return to work & accommodations
3. Advanced level training for internal claims manager to make a significant impact on the health of the employee and wealth of the organization
4. Transitional Leadership when moving to & from a 3rd party disAbility Management company
5. Sensitive claims & disAbility management of professional staff, such as HR, health team, and/or executives such as supervisors, managers, directors
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With Sources From:
1 – http://www.livestrong.com/article/512347-how-much-water-can-a-human-process-per-hour/
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