What is the Lymphatic System?

The lymphatic system is one of the two largest circulatory systems in the body.

What does the Lymphatic System Consist of?

According to innerbody.com the lymphatic system consists of:

Lymph
Lymph Capillaries
Lymph Nodes
Lymphatic Vessels
Lymphatic Ducts
Lymphatic Nodules
- Tonsils
- Peyer’s Patches
- Spleen
- Thymus

What Does the Lymphatic System do?

According to an article written by Kim Ann Zimmermann “The Primary Function of the lymphatic system is to transport lymph, a clear, colorless fluid containing white blood cells that helps rid the body of toxins, waste and other unwanted materials.” (livescience.com)

What Exactly is Lymph?

We learned from the article by Zimmermann that lymph is a clear and colorless fluid that contains white blood cells. An artcle on innerbody.com continues to explain that the lymph is a mixture of aproxamitly 90% water and 10% solutes (proteins, cellular waste products, dissolved gases and hormones.)

Lymphatic Diseases:

Lymphedema:

According to an article by Inho Choi, Sunju Lee and Young-Kwon Hong published on www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

“Lymphedema” refers to chronic tissue swelling in the face, arms, legs, or abdominal walls caused by accumulation of interstitial fluids mainly due to lymphatic dysfunction caused by lymphatic dysplasia, malformation, misconnection, and obstruction, as well as absence of functional lymphatic valves. Lymphedema is classified as primary (genetic) or secondary (acquired) lymphedema.

Congenital lymphedema includes all forms of lymphedema that are clinically evident at birth and accounts for 10%–25% of all primary lymphedema. Congenital lymphedema manifests more often with females than males, in lower than upper extremities, and in single than both legs.

Secondary or acquired lymphedema is caused by functionally compromised lymphatics owing to infection, surgery, radiation, or compression. In the advanced countries, the majority of secondary lymphedema is observed among cancer patients who undergo various radiation therapies following lymphadenectomy. Lymphadenectomy is a surgical lymph node dissection and a common procedure for assessing the stages of tumors. Although it is an essential practice, it inevitably destroys and obstructs lymphatic flows and thus renders patients at a high increased risk of lymphedema. Studies report that 25%–56% of breast cancer patients develop mild-to-severe lymphedema after cancer treatment

Ways to Support the Lymphatic System:

Essential Oils
Footbaths
Dry Brushing
Deep Breathing
Drinking Water
Exercise

6 Indoor Exercises to Keep our Lymphatic System Working

Why does exercise help the lymphatic system?

Few of us learned about our bodies lymphatic system when we were taught the bodies circulatory system in biology. A healthy lymphatic system is critical. Unlike our circulatory system which has a major pumping system, the heart, to push the blood throughout the body, the lymphatic system functions when we stimulate it. The best stimulation for the lymphatic system is exercising. Just taking the stairs versus the elevator will provide enormous benefits to the lymphatic system.

With cold temperatures outside here are a few ideas to help you keep up on exercising while staying warm indoors.

1. Use the Exercise ball

A very popular workout includes an exercise ball. These work outs can have a large range, from very mild to very intensive. Check out some popular exercises, safety precautions and techniques, here.

2. Walk up and down the stairs.

Though not the funnest way to exercise, it’s better than going out for a walk in the freezing temperatures.

3. Jump on a small trampoline

Jumping on a small trampoline is very good for the lymphatic system.

4. Dancing

Turn on some up beat music and have a dance party. If you have children, they will love joining in the fun and you will use quite a few calories while your at it.

5. Jumping Jacks

If you live in an apartment make sure you do this exercise at an hour that your neighbors won’t hate you if they hear loud thumping overhead.

6. Yoga

Use Yoga to burn calories and build flexibility.

What indoor exercises do you like to do?

5 Tips for Weight Loss

Below is a list of 5 tips to help you achieve your weight loss goal.

1.Drink Water

A study by Rebecca Muckelbauer showed that an increase in water consumption, in addition to a weight loss or weight maintenance program, reduced body weight after 3-12 months compared to those that just used a weight loss program. ( http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/98/2/282)

Other studies have shown that switching sugary drinks for water will cause an increase in weight loss. (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1038/oby.2007.359/full)

2.Use Essential Oils

Trim and Tone, Grapefruit and Lemon Essential Oils are all beneficial for weight loss. Diffusing these oils as well as adding a couple drops to your water.

3.Don’t Just Diet

Diets are often short term solutions for people to lose weight. Often diets are not successful, and if the desired results are reached the diet is soon abandoned.

Don’t just diet, make small changes that you can keep as part of your daily life. If you can get into the habit of reaching for a glass of water instead of a can of soda you have made a change that can last not just for the duration of your diet, but for a life time.

4.Support the Lymphatic System

The lymphatic system is one of 2 major circulatory systems in our body. the other being the blood vascular system.

Some ways to help support the lymphatic system are dry skin brushing and exercise on a mini trampoline. (For more ideas and information on supporting the lymphatic system read this article by Gloria Gillbere)

5.Don’t Expect Perfection

Each of us is imperfect. Do the best you can and strive to improve each day.

Use the principle of Good, Better and best to examine each day. Consistently work to make one change from good to better or better to best.

What are some of your weight loss tips?

Essential Oil Scientists

A lot of companies that sell essential oils have a scientist or a team of scientists leading the company’s research and development. When evaluating an essential oil company with which to associate do your homework and research the scientist(s) involved.

Dr. Joshua Plant

Ameo Essential Oil’s lead scientist is Dr. Joshua Plant. Dr. Plant’s studies in his under graduate work led to his invitation to work at the NIH (National Institute of Health). After a short time at the NIH he was invited by Harvard to attend Harvard Medical School where he finished the eight year program, at the top of his class in just over three years.

Dr. Plant continues to be in the forefront of science. Learn more about Dr. Plant in this video.

3 Additional scientists

On December 16,2014 at the Marriott in Provo a meeting was held wherein three additional scientists and essential oil professionals extended their support of Dr. Plant and Ameo Essential Oils.

The First to speak was Michael Scholes with extensive studies and education in essential oils.

Next Pierre Franchomme who introduced in modern times helichrysum and tea tree essential oils among others.

Last Dr. Daniel Penoel with expert experience in medical and pharmaceutical essential oils.

This team of scientists and professionals are invaluable resources for the continued development and education of Ameo Essential Oils.

*All of these men have a wealth of knowledge to share. We haven’t even touched the surface of introducing them properly. Now that you have their names, do some research to learn more about them and their experiences. Feel free to share what you learn about these scientists in the comments below.

Insomnia? Options to Sleep Better

How often do you lay awake in bed with the light off trying to go to sleep? Do your children go to sleep easily? How restful is your sleep?

Have you tried options such as a warm glass of milk, counting sheep, reading, a spoonful of honey, taking a hot bath, etc.

Lavender and Roman Chamomile

We have been using Lavender Essential Oils to help us sleep and there are many companies that have proprietary fragrances including Lavender that claim to help us sleep better.

A study at Wesleyan University in 2005 was shown that “When people sniffed the lavender before bedtime, it increased their amount of deep sleep, or slow-wave sleep.” as per researcher Namni Goel.

Supporting this is a statement by Tiffany Field with the University of Miami School of Medicine, who said the aroma of lavender has been shown in human studies “to slow down heart rate, slow blood pressure and put you in a parasympathetic state, which is a relaxed state.”

Many people also claim that Roman Chamomile essential oil helps to relax and fall asleep.

Using Essential Oils for Insomnia

Here are a few ways we like to use these oils, place a few drops of either individual oil (Lavender or Roman Chamomile) or a few drops of each together in a diffuser to fill the air. Put a few drops into a spray bottle with water and spray the pillow and/or bed covers before retiring.

We also like rubbing lavender on the feet before bed and or mixing some of our favorite essential oils including Lavender or Roman Chamomile with a carrier oil and rubbing it up the spine.