Your gut plays a bigger role in your health than you think....
The lymphatic system is a really important aspect of our body that frankly most of us don’t learn very much about. I remember some aspects in anatomy and physiology, but honestly very little. It wasn’t talked about nearly as much as it should have been (although I suppose it could be an entire semester + long class lol)
In terms of gut health there are many different factors related to the lymphatic system 👇
✨ Immune Response in the Gut:
Lymphatic vessels in the gut, known as lacteals, absorb dietary fats, fat-soluble vitamins, and other nutrients. This process is essential for nutrient absorption and overall health.
✨Transport of Immune Cells:
The gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) is a significant component of the lymphatic system in the gastrointestinal tract. It includes lymph nodes, tonsils, and Peyer's patches, which are crucial for the immune response in the gut. Immune cells within the GALT help monitor and respond to potential threats, such as pathogens in the digestive system.
✨Drainage of Interstitial Fluid:
Lymphatic vessels in the gut play a role in draining excess interstitial fluid from the tissues. This helps maintain fluid balance and prevent swelling or edema in the gut and surrounding areas.
✨Absorption of Dietary Fats:
Lacteals in the gut's lymphatic system are responsible for absorbing dietary fats and fat-soluble vitamins from the intestines. This process is essential for lipid metabolism and overall nutritional health.
Keeping your gut happy and healthy is crucial in allowing your lymphatic system to do its job properly. Everything in our body works together to serve its purpose and help us feel our best. Whenever a client is feeling out of alignment, the first thing we talk about is their gut health!
Grab my Gut Healthy Made Easy guide here for some info on how to start taking care of your gut!
Do you know the importance your lymphatic system plays on your health?
To be a little 'medical', the lymphatic system is integral to maintaining the body's immune response, fluid balance, and overall health. It is an interconnected network of vessels, nodes, and organs that ensures a coordinated and effective defense against infections and supports various physiological processes.
I know it sounds overwhelming, but basically it helps your body process fluid, protect your immune system, balance your hormones and can even have an impact on joint health. It’s safe to say it’s pretty important!
To support my lymphatic system I love massaging my body with a blend from Young Living.
The oils in the Cel-Lite Magic blend (from Young Living that I love!) are seriously amazing at supporting your lymphatic system and your body! You can also add more cypress to this for some extra “ooomph.”
✨Grapefruit essential oil has a fresh, uplifting aroma and provides cleansing properties.
✨Cypress essential oil has a clean, evergreen aroma that can be used aromatically to create an ambience of security and grounding. Applied topically, it has benefits for skin, hair, and scalp.
✨Juniper essential oil beautifies and tones the skin when applied topically, making it a great addition to lymphatic and post-workout massage oil blends.
✨Cedarwood essential oil has a calming and soothing aroma, and it promotes the appearance of healthy skin, hair, and scalp when applied topically.
How do I recommend using this blend? Glad you asked! Apply Cel-Lite Magic following a shower, bath, or dry-brushing to replenish dry skin for a youthful glow (I’m all about dry brushing and I talk more about it here!). Use it as part of a pampering massage to soothe fatigued muscles, everyday aches, and general discomfort too!
Interested in getting more essential oils recipes and uses? Click here to join my waitlist to grab my guide!
A few months ago when I was last meeting with a client she asked if the Autoimmune Protocol or AIP as it's known would be a good idea for her-she wasn’t sure on the details of it and I figured a lot of other people might not be either!
There are many different parts of this protocol, but to keep it simple and obviously focused on food since that's what I do, here they are:
Usually people starting the AIP start by the "Elimination Phase". During the elimination phase, individuals remove a wide range of foods known to be common triggers for inflammation and autoimmune reactions like:
✨Grains (including gluten-containing grains)
✨Legumes (beans, lentils, peanuts)
✨Dairy products
✨Nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, potatoes)
✨Eggs
✨Nuts and seeds
✨Processed and refined sugars
✨Processed foods and additives
The Elimination phase can last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months depending upon the person. It’s important to note that this should be done over a period of time to see how your body reacts. I don’t recommend dropping everything all at once!
With the AIP the focus is on Nutrient-Dense Foods like:
✨Vegetables (except nightshades during the elimination phase)
✨Fruits
✨Quality meats (grass-fed, pasture-raised)
✨Fish and seafood
✨Healthy fats (olive oil, coconut oil, avocados)
✨Fermented foods (probiotic-rich foods like sauerkraut)
Again, this is just a quick overview of the AIP and as usual the focus here is a lot of gut healing! The goal of AIP is to find how your body reacts to different foods and what serves your body versus what doesn’t.
If you're interesting in learning more, grab my Gut Health Made Easy Guide here!
Did you know that you have more bacteria living in your gut than cells in your body!? No but really; isn’t that crazy!? That’s why it’s so important that we talk about gut health today because it’s not talked about enough and it plays a HUGE part in your overall health! Not to mention if you have an autoimmune.
The key is, we need to care for our gut bacteria especially with the level of toxins, diseased soil and stress that is present in our world. Our body is constantly taking in toxins and its our job to do what we can to minimize the levels. So how do we do that?
Well there are a lot of different ways to do that; let’s dive into two here!
Probiotics are a great place to start. Foods such as tempeh, kombucha, miso, kefir, and yogurt, as well as in powdered forms – probiotics are one sure-fire way to kick-start your gut health. I use non-dairy kefir and yogurt as conventional dairy does not do well for most people, including myself.
Probiotics help regulate the amount of bacteria in your gut and support immunity. They inhibit pathogens from adhering to the intestinal surface and effecting your immune system.
Together with a healthy diet and reducing your toxic load (such as the substances found in fillers, food dyes, processed foods, and sweeteners), you can reduce the toxic build up in your body.
Believe it or not, but breath work can do wonders as well! Deep breathing, can assist our body to re-energize and revitalize our organs from our brain down to our stomach. Adding deep breathing to your daily routine can aid in increased concentration, blood flow, and improved muscle circulation which aids in relaxing your digestive system. I highly recommend adding breathing techniques to your routine for 10-minutes every day and you will start to see the health benefits associated!
Grab my gut health freebie here to learn more about ways to improve your gut health!
Someone asked me why I don't talk as much about autoimmune conditions compared to motherhood and frankly there are a lot of reasons. The first one that came to mind though was the thoughts around whether or not these types of diagnoses are what they say they are.
In fact for many people, when we believe our own body is attacking us we not only hinder our healing process, but often feel our body betrayed us and we become the scapegoat for this 'disease'.
That's not to say that what those with autoimmune conditions don't experience big symptoms, in fact that's kind of the point. When you're experiencing some of the big symptoms that can show up, finding a diagnosis can be a sense of relief and yet there is the question-is my body really attacking itself?
Some say yes, some say no. Either way, I choose to focus more on feeling good and healing whatever may or may not be going on.
Here's a list of some of the top foods that I incorporate and a little bit about why:
🥦Sulfur containing veggies: onions, garlic and cruciferous veggies like cauliflower, broccoli and brussel sprouts.
✨Sulfur-rich foods nourish cells and mitochondria, helps the body remove toxins, and synthesizes protein to produce collagen (which helps with connective tissues). Sulfur also helps with hair, skin and nails as well as joint health.
🥒Greens: Leafy greens have many different vitamins and minerals that can be helpful like Folate, (pre-formed) Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin K1 just to name a few. So each of these nutrients do things like support your immune system, increasing elasticity of your skin, eye health, and nerve insolation.
🍓Colors: Similarly to leafy greens, consuming fruits and vegetables of varying colors throughout your day or week can have many benefits like; healthier brain cells, immune system health, reproductive health, skin health, better cognition, eye health (another big one!), DNA protection, healthier overall cells, anticancer properties and anti-inflammatory properties.
(this is based on the Wahls Protocol for Autoimmune)
If eating good foods is something you struggle with, click here to grab my meal plans!
