10 Worst Foods For The Lymphatic System

The lymphatic system is much more important than you might think. It’s a huge, complex network that supports the body’s immunity and regulates the balance of fluids.

Therefore, many of the concerns your clients face can be traced back to issues with the lymphatic system and lymphatic drainage. Symptoms that arise from poor lymphatic drainage include: swelling, poor immunity, infections, skin problems, joint pain, migraines, and fatigue.

Fortunately, there are lots of ways you can help clients achieve lymphatic health. Some of these can be done by you, while many other clients can do at home.

At Artemis, we believe that everyone should be empowered to look and feel beautiful in their own bodies. We’ve worked with thousands of beauticians to help people achieve their goals.

In this “10 worst foods for the lymphatic system” article, we will focus on how to help the lymphatic system through diet.

We’ll explore what the lymphatic system is and signs that it’s not working well. Then, we’ll look at how diet affects the lymphatic system and the foods you should avoid to protect it. Finally, we’ll show you how you can guide your clients as they navigate lymphatic health.

Before we look at the worst foods for the lymphatic system, let’s explore what the lymphatic system is.

What is the lymphatic system?

To begin with, it’s important to understand what the lymphatic system does for our bodies.

The lymphatic system is a network of tissues, organs, and lymph nodes which rids the body of toxins and waste materials. It transports lymph, a bodily fluid that contains infection-fighting white blood cells throughout the body.

The lymphatic system is also the body’s second vascular system. It regulates the body’s overall immunity, maintaining tissue pressure, as well as helping the intestines absorb dietary fats.

When this clever system stops working quite as well as it should, people can suffer from all kinds of difficult symptoms. For example, poor immunity, infections, skin problems, joint pain, migraines, and fatigue.

It can cause symptoms that affect someone’s looks, as well as their well-being. For instance, cellulite, swelling, and bloating are all signs of poor lymphatic drainage.

You’ll often have clients coming to your practice to resolve these issues with non-invasive beauty services. Whenever they do, you can also talk to them about their health, in addition to offering professional services. This might include sharing the worst foods for the lymphatic system.

Your role in promoting lymphatic health

It must be remembered that the beauty industry and beauty professionals have a huge role to play in promoting lymphatic health. Clients will often come to you with lymphatic issues long before they visit a doctor.

In addition to the worst foods for the lymphatic system, there are a wide range of both at-home and professional treatments that you can share, to transform both their well-being. Whether your clients’ budget is big or small, there’ll be an approach that works for them.

Here are some examples.

Cleanse lymphatic system at home

Drink water
Dehydration is a common cause of lymph congestion. Lymph becomes thicker and less mobile when you are dehydrated, but flows well when hydrated. Further, drinking water is one of the least expensive ways to cleanse.
Dry brushing
Brushes are cheap and easy to find, and dry brushing is easy to incorporate into your shower routine. Since the lymphatic system runs close to the skin, stimulation from the brush keeps it flowing well.
Hydrotherapy
When you take hot and cold showers, the hot water helps dilate the blood vessels, while the cold water shrivels them. This creates a “pump” action that forces fluids out of the body.

Cleanse your lymphatic system professionally

Manual massage
Massages push fluid through the lymphatic system and improve lymph flow through the entire system. People can lose several pounds of water weight after just one massage.
Far infrared sauna
Far infrared saunas keep the surrounding air cool while sending heat into the body to raise its core temperature. The heat increases your heart rate and encourages deeper breathing, which boosts drainage.
Endospheres
Endospheres is an FDA-registered beauty device that uses compression micro-vibration technology to massage body tissue. It’s non-invasive and clinically proven to reduce cellulite and improve lymphatic circulation.

How food influences the lymphatic system

Before you look at the worst foods for the lymphatic system, it’s helpful to understand why diet is important.

Diet has a significant influence on the lymphatic system. Eating certain foods can lead to high levels of inflammation in the body, which can put increased stress on the lymphatic system. Over time, this can lead to dysfunction and impairment.

Further, clinical studies show that diet is connected to diseases of the lymphatic system such as lymphedema.

Therefore, it’s most important to drink plenty of water and foods with anti-inflammatory properties to support the drainage and filtering power of the lymphatic system. It’s also good to limit the foods that can increase inflammation in the body, especially the worst foods for the lymphatic system.

Later in this “worst foods for lymphatic system” article, we’ll look at what these foods are. We’ll take you through the 10 worst foods for the lymphatic system and explain how they cause inflammation. This will put you in a great position to advise clients about how to improve their lymphatic health.

But firstly, let’s look at the signs that someone’s lymphatic system isn’t working well.

Signs of a poorly functioning lymphatic system

As shown above, the lymphatic system serves a huge range of important functions in the body. Therefore, when it starts to work poorly, the effects can seriously affect someone’s well-being.

Some of the signs of a poorly functioning lymphatic system include:

Swelling in extremities – the lymphatic system moves lymph through the body. When it fails, this lymph fluid can build up, causing swelling.
Poor immunity – the lymphatic system makes antibodies to help fight bacteria, infection, and viruses. So getting ill frequently may be a sign that your lymphatic system is struggling.
Skin problems (acne, eczema, etc.) – because the lymphatic system clears out bacteria and toxins from the skin, a poorly functioning lymphatic system can result in skin issues.
Migraines and other headaches – poor lymphatic flow in the brain can cause inflamed nerves in the tissue that surrounds the brain, leading to migraines.
10 worst foods for the lymphatic system

Now that we’ve explored the signs of a poorly functioning lymphatic system, let’s turn to the worst foods for the lymphatic system.

As shown above, diet can have a huge impact on lymphatic function. In particular, there are the worst foods for the lymphatic system – foods that cause inflammation and toxin build up.

Below is a list of ten of the worst foods for the lymphatic system. When you are advising clients on how to heal their lymphatic system, these are the foods you might suggest they try to avoid:

Processed foods
Because processed foods are high in fat, salt, and sugar, they put more pressure on the lymphatic system, which is responsible for cleaning out waste from the body.
Refined sugars
Excess sugar causes fluid retention in the body’s cells, slowing down fluid movement. It also causes insulin resistance, allowing glucose levels to stay high for long periods. This can lead to tissue damage in the lymphatic system.
Alcohol
Alcohol dilates the blood vessels, increasing the fluid in your body’s tissues. It also has a diuretic effect, stimulating the kidneys to excrete more fluid. It can be hard for the lymphatic system to keep up with the removal of excess fluid.
Dairy products
Dairy may also cause problems with your lymphatic flow. This is due to the toxins and hormones fed to the animals. For some people, dairy also activates an immune response which puts additional pressure on the nervous system.
Gluten-containing grains
According to some, eating wheat can trigger powerful immune responses in the gut that can affect other parts of the body, including the lymph nodes.
Fried foods
Just like processed foods, fried foods often contain high levels of fat, which put excess pressure on the lymphatic system.
Artificial sweeteners
Some studies suggest that artificial sweeteners can suppress the immune system. Therefore, they may be worth avoiding.
Non-organic produce
The chemicals and pesticides used in non-organic produce enter the body, and it’s down to the lymphatic system to clear them up. Therefore, to give your lymphatic system respite, they can be good to avoid.
Red meat
Indulging in a diet rich in red meats can disrupt your microbiome, leading to decreased immunity.
Caffeine
Finally, having lots of caffeine can dehydrate your body, which makes it harder for the lymphatic system to clear out the body.
How to support healthy lymphatic systems

We’ve looked at how the lymphatic system can become unhealthy, and the worst foods for the lymphatic system. Now, let’s look at practical ways you can help your clients improve their lymphatic health.

Educate clients on the importance of a healthy lymphatic system

If clients seek treatment for lymphatic concerns such as swelling, talk to them about lymphatic health. Tell them what the lymphatic system is, the common causes of an unhealthy lymphatic system, and what they can do to improve their lymphatic health. You could also mention the worst foods for the lymphatic system.Most clients will really appreciate the fact that you’re going above and beyond to improve their well-being.

Offer lymphatic drainage treatments

There are a huge range of treatments aestheticians, technicians, and beauticians can offer clients to improve their lymphatic health. These might include: manual massage, far infrared sauna, Endospheres, Endermologie, Ballancer Pro, and lymphatic acupuncture.

Collaborate with nutritionists or dietitians

A board-certified nutritionist or dietitian can give you more thorough advice on how to help your clients with their diet. They can tell you more about the worst foods for the lymphatic system.Furthermore, they can help you create resources about lymphatic health that you can give to clients.

Whenever a client needs a more robust intervention than what your practice offers, you can refer them directly to a nutritionist or dietician.

Provide resources on eating habits that support lymphatic drainage
Finally, you can work alongside certified nutritionists and dietitians to create pamphlets, podcasts, website pages, or blog posts about lymphatic health, including the worst foods for the lymphatic system. Share these with clients so they are empowered to take their lymphatic health into their own hands.

Conclusion

Foods can have a huge impact on the health of your clients’ lymphatic system. Fortunately, as a beautician, esthetician, or technician, you can help guide them into a diet that helps them look and feel their best. In order to do this, it’s important that you know about the worst foods for the lymphatic system.

However, lymphatic health doesn’t stop with knowing the worst foods for the lymphatic system. There are many more ways you can support your clients’ immunity and fluid balance.

Delaney Allen-Mills

Delaney, an integral part of Artemis since day one, introduced the first Cryoskin to the U.S. in 2017. Wearing many hats across her tenure, she has specialized in training and education, product development, account management, and is currently our VP of Brand. Her passion is empowering partners with skills to make real-life transformations; inside and out.

What is the lymphatic system?

Your role in promoting lymphatic health

Cleanse lymphatic system at home

Cleanse your lymphatic system professionally

How food influences the lymphatic system

Signs of a poorly functioning lymphatic system

Educate clients on the importance of a healthy lymphatic system

Offer lymphatic drainage treatments

Collaborate with nutritionists or dietitians

Conclusion

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Why Leverage Beauty Technology to Transform Your Business

What is the lymphatic system?

Your role in promoting lymphatic health

Cleanse lymphatic system at home

Cleanse your lymphatic system professionally

How food influences the lymphatic system

Signs of a poorly functioning lymphatic system

Educate clients on the importance of a healthy lymphatic system

Offer lymphatic drainage treatments

Collaborate with nutritionists or dietitians

Conclusion

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