Easy Tips for Reducing Inflammation and Improving Digestion

You’ve only got one body. Why not love it from the inside out? Enter lymphatic massage: a wellness technique that literally flushes out your body from the inside. This often overlooked practice helps reduce inflammation and swelling through lymphatic drainage. 

Rebecca Faria, founder of Detox by Rebecca, is a leading lymphatic drainage expert with more than 12 years of experience. She’s on a mission to help clients achieve their wellness goals by educating them about  lymphatic health. Faria is also the first person to bring the technique from her native Brazil to the U.S.

After years of research, she developed her own method—which she believes is more effective than any existing holistic treatment.: “I don’t like using anything besides my hands. I like simple. I like easy. It’s less stressful. The results are better. You can feel the points and where you need more or less pressure.” 

In this week’s episode of Wellness Her Way, Faria details her lymphatic massage method and the techniques that help reduce inflammation and bloating. Faria shares easy at-home tips to improve lymphatic flow and digestion daily. If you struggle with inflammation and are looking for simple habits to add into your routine, then this episode is essential listening.

What Is Lymphatic Drainage

Faria describes lymphatic drainage as “basically the garbage of the body.” She explains: “It’s where our immune system sends toxins, bacteria, and viruses—everything we are not supposed to have in us. From our lymphatic system, all that garbage goes away through our pee and poop.

Unfortunately, the lymphatic system can become clogged and unable to flush things out properly. There are a number of culprits: lack of sleep, overwhelming lifestyles, lack of water intake, too much stress, and processed food. This is where a lymphatic massage comes in handy. “With your hands, you can move those toxic fluids toward the lymph nodes—which is like the drainage of the body,” Faria explains.

The Benefits of a Lymphatic Massage 

Many people only focus on the external benefits of a lymphatic massage, viewing it as a weight loss method Faria stresses that its value extends beyond appearance and has many long-term benefits. 

Faria says that one of her biggest challenges is to educate people about the real benefits of a lymphatic massage. “You are almost taking a shower from the inside. You are cleaning the garbage from your body. The benefits are so much more than looking skinnier.”

She says that a lymphatic massage doesn’t target fat: “You are removing toxic water rotation. You will have less water, so you will look smaller. After having lymphatic massages regularly in the long-term, your body and your organs will work better.”

The Digestive System and Lymphatic Massages

Your stomach is filled with lymph nodes that absorb fat from the intestine. If they are working poorly, your metabolism will slow down. Regular lymphatic massages can optimize their performance, leading to improved metabolism over time. In the beginning, you’ll notice reduced water retention and enhanced digestive function as you clear those clogged points.

“You will have better digestion. You will look better. You’ll feel better. You’ll poop better,” Faria laughs.

Unlike your circulatory system that has the heart to pump blood, your lymphatic system does not have a central pump keeping a flow of fluids. Faria explains, “Your lymphatic system flows based on your daily movement, your lifestyle, your routine, but we live an overwhelming lifestyle. When we massage with our hands, we are doing the heart’s movement for the lymphatic system. We are pushing the water towards the drain.”

Simple At-Home Tips for Lymphatic Massages

The more often you get lymphatic massages or do them on yourself, “you clean your body often enough, then you won’t have as many toxins ever again,” Faria says.

She suggests weekly lymphatic massages. You don’t have to necessarily pay for someone to do it, but you can perform one on yourself at home. There are morning routines, massage tips, and things to drink to help support this system.

“A lot of things can help your lymphatic system besides the massage. When you keep supporting your lymphatic system by doing daily habits, you feel the full benefits of a clean lymphatic system. When you have toxins inside of you, none of your systems can work properly,” Faria says. 

Since lymphatic fluid actually comes from blood, more blood flow means better lymphatic flow. Faria advises against sitting or standing all day. “Taking a break to go on a walk or putting your legs up on the walls helps because it gets your blood flowing. All of these things are simple to do.”

Stress and Lymphatic Health

Whether its toxic relationships or your living situation, stress impacts your lymphatic system more than you think. Ninety percent of dopamine, our happiness hormone, is produced in the gut. Many of your lymphatic points are also in the gut. 

Faria explains how stress creates a damaging cycle: “If you are too stressed, then you will have too much cortisol, and your body won’t produce enough dopamine. So your brain will start to crave sugar and processed foods to get its dopamine fill. Once this cycle starts, your cortisol goes higher, and your lymphatic points in your gut cannot handle the sugars and become clogged. This will even inhibit your body’s ability to produce melatonin at night and your ability to sleep.”

In addition to stress, travel is another common cause of inflammation. To drain your lymphatic system after air travel, Faria suggests putting your legs up in the airplane, wearing compression socks, not eating food on the plane (because your digestive system does not work as well), and try to go for a walk after you land.