The lymphatic system is a very important part of your body, but is often poorly understood. Poor lymphatic health is associated with many health conditions. Unknown to many, the lymphatic tissue is interconnected to your immune system.
Often known by the acronym GALT (gut-associated lymphoid tissue) it plays a vital position in your main line of defence against common illnesses and diseases because the digestive tract is one of the main paths of entry for foreign substances (bacteria, allergens, heavy metals, molds, fungi, chemicals, trans fats). In short, your main lines of defence are in the gut and your lymphatic system is directly connected to it.
This three-day body detoxification process is derived from ancient practices – designed to help cleanse the lymphatic system of toxins.
Before The Cleanse
This lymphatic cleanse is designed to be implemented for three to six days, depending on how your body reacts to it. We recommend consulting your doctor before starting any cleanse, but this is generally safe.
Start by eliminating any foods that may cause an allergic or inflammatory reaction. Wheat gluten, dairy, soy, and preservatives and food additives are all among potential inflammatory agents, so take care to avoid them – no pasta, cereal, cookies, bread, or crackers; anything that comes in a box is off limits.
Drink plenty of water – 6 to 8 glasses a day – and limit your coffee intake to once a day, always with food (drinking coffee on an empty stomach can cause your body extra stress).
It’s also good to eliminate trans fatty acids from your diet – these are found in baked foods, fast food, and margarine.
Basically, if you know it’s bad for you, don’t eat it! Other foods that can cause inflammatory reactions that you might want to consider eliminating are red meat and alcohol.
Do this for a few days, and then you’re ready to begin your cleanse!
Day One
Gather up as many organic, fresh green vegetables as you can find. Green onions, spinach, bell peppers, celery, broccoli, bok choy, mustard and turnip greens, and cabbage are all good bets – you can also add carrots and red and gold beets.
Boil two gallons of water in a large pot, then wash and chop up the vegetables and add them to the pot. Be sure to use every part of the vegetables – even the stems and roots! Put a tight lid on the pot and cook the vegetable mixture on low heat for two hours.
On the first day, drink three glasses of the resulting broth twice a day, before lunch and dinner.
Day Two
On day two, drink three glasses of the broth three times a day – before breakfast, lunch and dinner. If
you’re running low on broth at this point, you can make more or add more water to the broth you already have.
Day Three
Keep drinking the broth before each meal, but incorporate the vegetables from the broth into your meals as well, until there is nothing left of the broth and the vegetables.
If you choose to do this cleanse for longer than three days, maintain the day-three diet for the remaining days. When you’re done, take a day or two to adjust to your regular eating habits again.
It’s a good idea to eat plenty of cruciferous vegetables – cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, etc – either raw or lightly steamed, and use healthy oils to cook with (such as olive oil and virgin coconut oil) instead of canola oil.
Always drink plenty of water, and repeat this cleanse every fall and spring to keep your lymphatic system functioning as best it possibly can.
Regular Lymphatic System Upkeep and Care
While cleaning is great, you can’t rely on a twice-a-year cleanse to keep your lymphatic system healthy and functioning well at all times.
It’s important to live a healthy lifestyle as well – eliminate fried and processed fatty foods from your diet, eat plenty of whole grains (like quinoa) and vegetables as well as high-quality protein and fruit, exercise regularly, and consider participating in a regular detox and colon cleanse as well.
Pay attention to how your body reacts to specific foods and eliminate potential allergens.
Following these steps can lead you to better lymphatic health, which is key to better overall health, including cancer prevention.