***Have You Poked Your Lymph System Today?

I tell you true, our bodies are a wonder. Leading the parade of wonder is our endocrine system, a model of intricate cooperation.

Part of the endocrine system, the immune system, is a complex mystery all on its own.

And a part of the immune system, the lymphatic system, raises mind-boggling to a whole new level.

So you'll probably be happy to hear that I'm not going to try to march you through the swamp of how it all works.

But we do need to know a few things.

Lymph, a semi-clear liquid, circulates through the lymphatic system, passes through nodes, to get any gunk cleared out, then continues its journey of health.

While the heart pumps blood along, the poor lymphatic system has no pump to keep things moving. And if it slows down, it drags the entire immune system down a notch. Unless we do something wonderful, lymph in the slow lane is the beginning of the end.

And we may be the ones causing the mess.

How? Diet is huge. Or I should say HUGE! And everything we read about diet in magazines, see on TV, etc. is wrong.

Also, having fluoride in your life sends the message that your lymphatic system is available for whacking.

And swamping the liver with, say, high fructose corn syrup for one example, can slow lymph movement to a crawl. HFCA causes fatty liver, which is epidemic nowadays, and means your lymph is dragging.

You can be bumping along to rack and ruin without a clue that all is not wall in lymph-land. One early-warning sign, though, is cellulite; dimples in all the wrong places are yelling out a warning.

So, let's talk about what we can do to make things better.

Since the endocrine system is the leader of the entire band, we have to strengthen it with a well-thought-out program of supplementation. What with all the toxins we have to fight--in the water, in the air we breathe, in government-mandates such as fire retardant fabrics, rugs, etc., in antibacterial soaps, in bogus estrogen that's just about everywhere, in grocery store meats, packaged foods, etc.--our bodies need plenty of ammunition to fight back.

And muscles in motion keep the lymph flowing, so move them every day. Stretching. 3-minute bursts of exercise several times a day. Walking. Dancing. Playing catch. Etc.

Much of the lymph circulates in the torso, so breathing correctly, by expanding your diaphragm, moves some very helpful muscles to cheer lymph on its way.

Massage is good, too. (Lymph or not, as a matter of fact.) If you can find a massage therapist who specializes i-n the lymph system, even better.

Sweating helps reduce our load of toxins. An electric, infrared sauna does great things. But if a sauna isn't in the cards, even wearing extra clothing or piling on extra blankets to force a sweat can help.

Staying healthy shouldn't have to be this hard, but it is. And dealing with it gives better results than just letting toxins have their way.

Go forth and prosper.

God is good,
Bette Dowdell