A Seasonal 3-Day Lymphatic Cleanse To Keep You Healthy All Year Long

A Seasonal 3-Day Lymphatic Cleanse To Keep You Healthy All Year Long Understanding how your lymphatic system supports every other system in the body – including the immune, digestive, detoxification and nervous systems – can be an extremely beneficial

Understanding how your lymphatic system supports every other system in the body – including the immune, digestive, detoxification and nervous systems – can be an extremely beneficial and often missed component to true health. In fact, many believe that poor lymph health underlies a host of conditions, from cellulite to cancer.

Much of the lymph tissue is associated with the gut; often known by the acronym: GALT (gut-associated lymphoid tissue). Lymphatic tissue is where much of your immunity starts and because the digestive tract is a main path of entry for offensive substances (bacteria, allergens, heavy metals, molds, fungi, chemicals, trans fats), your main lines of defense are in the gut.

Natural body detoxification has been practiced as far back as the Native Americans. And the use of sweat lodges and the Indian Ayurveda practice goes back even further. Supporting your body’s natural ability to detox effectively every day not only helps maintain wellness, but it also helps prevent illness later in life. Cleansing the lymphatic system is recognized by doctors in Europe and the Far East for its importance in preventive health care.

3 Day Lymphatic Cleanse

Here is a Lymphatic Cleanse that I use with my clients. Of course, I suggest speaking with your doctor before implementing any new health regimen.

Note: You may continue the Lymph Cleanse for an extra 3 days for additional benefit.

Where to start:

• It is important to eliminate all potential food allergens, including: dairy, wheat (gluten), corn, soy, preservatives and food additives.
• Avoid all refined and processed food and drink. That means no bread, pasta, crackers, cereal, cookies or anything that comes in a box and/or contains added sugar.
• Eliminate trans fatty acids found in margarine, commercially baked goods and fast food, like french fries, onion rings and donuts.
• Limit coffee to breakfast, not on an empty stomach because this will cause stress to your body (especially to the adrenal glands) during the cleanse. Avoid other stimulants as well, such as alcohol, soda and tobacco.
• Drink 6 – 8 glasses of pure, filtered water daily (room temp or warm).
• Exercise, breathe and absorb the sun daily.
• For added benefit, get an herbal tincture for Lymph cleansing. One of my favorites is by Herbs-Etc’s. Suggested usage is 30 drops (about a dropper full), 3 times a day. You can put it in filtered water, fresh juice or tea.

Day 1
Gather plenty of fresh – organic if possible – green vegetables:

green onions 
zucchini
celery
parsley
mustard greens
turnip greens
cabbage
green peppers
spinach
lettuce
broccoli 
carrots
red and/or gold beets

 

*Although carrots and beets are not green vegetables, the vitamins and minerals found in them aid in cleansing. Beets contain antioxidants such as, beta-carotene, other carotenoids and healing flavonoids. Antioxidants help to limit the damage caused by free radicals, thus they have a healing and cleansing effect on the liver; beets also have folic acid which is necessary for the first phase of detoxification.

Directions:

1. Wash all vegetables thoroughly, cleaning away any wilted or dead parts. Do not cut or scrape the vegetables. Use all parts, including roots and stems.
2. In a large canning or stock pot, put a couple gallons of filtered water. This can also be distilled water or spring water.  Add all the vegetables to the pot and cook on low heat for 2 hours. Be sure to keep a lid on the pot during cooking so that vitamins and minerals can recycle with condensation. Remove pot from heat and allow liquid to cool. Drain the liquid from the vegetables and store in the vegetables in the fridge to use later.
3. Drink three 8 oz. glasses of the vegetable broth twice a day – once before lunch and a second time before dinner.

Day 2  
Drink three 8 oz. glasses of the broth before breakfast, lunch and dinner. If the broth is getting low, you can add more bottled or distilled water at this time.

Day 3
Repeat the three 8 oz. glasses of broth before each meal, but eat the vegetables from the broth for your meals as well.

After the third day, take a day or two to slowly ease back into your healthy eating and lifestyle habits.

Eat plenty of:

• Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and watercress (steam them lightly).
• Use healthy oils, such as olive oil (raw or low-medium heat only) and unrefined virgin coconut oil (low-high heat okay).
• Drink 6 – 8 glasses of pure, filtered water daily (room temp or warm).
• Exercise, breathe, laugh and absorb the sun daily.

Repeat this every Fall and Spring as desired.

Daily Maintenance

1. Start each day with warm water, adding ½ a lime or lemon to the water.
2. Clean up your diet, focusing on whole foods with plenty of veggies, quality protein, healthy fat and some fruit.
3. Partake in a regular nutritional detox and colon cleanse. Regular colon-hydrotherapy sessions are a great way to keep your digestive tract in tip-top shape, thus contributing to optimal health and well-being (that’s another article though).
4. Investigate any food sensitivities or allergies and remove them for good.
5. Consider regular visits to a lymph drainage massage therapist.
6. Don’t be afraid to sweat! Exercise and infrared saunas are great options!
7. And finally, examine your emotional issues and deal with them head on.