Hi Everyone

In my recent readings, I’ve come across the importance of a well-functioning lymphatic system for cellulite reduction. At a high level, I know that it is a circulating cellular waste removal system, but other than that I don’t really know what the lymphatic system is or what it does, so I decided to do some research.

In Mme. Ronsards book, Beyond Cellulite: Nicole Ronsard’s Ultimate Strategy to Slim, Firm and Reshape Your Lower Body she stresses the importance of well-circulated clean lymph for cellulite reduction. The lymph is responsible for removing excess fluid from cellular tissue and the removal of as much excess fluid as possible promotes cellulite reduciton. She states that since the lymphatic system doesn’t have a pump, the lymph fluid circulates through movement, massage and deep breathing.

Bearing out her research are some articles that I found on the internet. Below are some excerpts from the first link, which I find corroborates Mme. Ronsard’s writings.

• [The lymphatic system provides] maintenance of fluid balance in the internal environment.
• Lymph–clear, watery fluid found in the lymphatic vessels.
• Interstitial fluid–fluid that fills the spaces around cells.
• Lymphatic vessels act as “drains” to collect excess fluid
• Although there is no muscular pumping organ connected with the lymphatic vessels to force lymph onward as the heart forces blood, still lymph moves slowly and steadily along its vessels.
• The movement is due to breathing movements and skeletal muscle contractions.
• The total volume of lymph that enters the central veins during a given time period depends on both the depth of inspiration and the overall breathing rate.
• Contracting skeletal muscles also exert pressure on the lymphatics to push the lymph forward.
• During exercise, lymph flow may increase as much as 10-15x.
• Another pressure generating factor is passive compression (massage) of the body soft tissues.

Links:

http://www.cayuga-cc.edu/people/web_pages/greer/biol204/lymphatic1/lymphatic1.html

http://www.lymphomation.org/lymphatic.htm

Another book that I found which focuses exclusively on the health of the lymphatic system for promoting weight loss and cellulite reduction is The Fat Flush Fitness Plan. As I do a search on ‘fat flush’ on Amazon.com, I see that there are many books written on the ‘Fat Flush’ system which I assume all have to do with promoting a healthy lymphatic system.

I should say that in other articles I’ve read, there are just as many experts who think that cellulite is just fat and is not the result of a sluggish lymphatic system and that stating such is just a way for quacks to make money.

From my perspective, doing the things that promote a healthy lymphatic system, seem to be things that are good for you anyway, so it doesn’t really matter if the ‘quacks’ are right or wrong, I’ll be in better health anyway if I take their advice to clean my lymph. So, here are the things that one must do to promote a well-circulating clean lymphatic system:

• Deep breathing. Meditation is a good way to accomplish this.
• Exercise to get the lymph moving.
• Dry brushing and massage to circulate the lymph.
• Eating sea vegetables to detoxify the lymph and the liver.

In any case, these will be added to my list of things to do. My list is growing rather long and I’ll need to figure out a way to fit it all in without creating massive upheaval.

Until next time…

Thanks for reading!