When the body is in its rest and digest, relaxed state, it can bring in the groceries and take out the trash.
This week, let’s focus on the taking out the trash side of the equation by giving some attention to our lymphatic system.
Two-thirds of the water in our body is found in cells. The other third is extra-cellular found in blood, interstitial fluid (the protection and communication medium between cells), and lymph. Lymph is water with stuff in it. Fluid becomes lymph when it crosses the threshold from interstitial fluid into the one-way highway system that sucks up this fluid through tiny anchor filaments.
It travels through a watershed system of one-way valves, directing the fluid.
The circulatory system has a heart, pumping liquid around.
But your lymphatic system?
It moves when you do.
Your lymph nodes are the cleaning stations. Most of them are around the neck and collar bones, arm pits, and groin.
Your spleen is also a giant lymph node and your tonsils, adenoids, bone marrow, thymus, Peyer’s patches in your intestines, and appendix also play a part in taking out the trash.
And here’s the part that blew my mind: when lymph is all clean, it crosses a threshold at the heart and becomes blood.
Your blood isn’t just getting topped up by digesting liquid and filtered by the kidneys and liver. There’s this whole other filtration system that is your lymphatic system, managing the metabolic waste and foreign substances that come into the body.
Foreign substances like dander, dust, lint, and pollution.
It’s easy to forget about the lymphatic system. There’s no pulse, respiration, or daily hunger and urgency to experience and connect us with it.
When Lymph Goes Awry
Surgery, injury, infection, genetics or cancer treatment can create a condition called lymphedema.
Up to 10 million Americans have this condition where fluid collects in the body and parts become swollen and uncomfortable or painful. And of course, waste products aren’t moving through the system.
Lymph for Looks
Most people notice when they are puffy.
Puff is a request for change. The message your body is sending is that the lymph wants to move.
Next week, I’ll share the extra things I do to move my lymph.
For this week, there are two things we can do to work that fluid up that one-way valve highway: walking and taking deep breaths. Both are free and pretty easy ways to return your lymph back to your heart.