Black pepper should not be sneezed at as a health food. New research suggests that it has a wide range of benefits, from lowering cholesterol to fighting infections. According to a report from the central Food technological Research Institute in India, it also helps with digestion, speeds up the natural processing of food by the body and helps keep the liver healthy. One of its main beneficial effects is that it works as an antioxidant, protecting healthy tissue from damage. The researchers say it may also offer some protection against cancer through its active ingredient, piperine.

Your lymphatic system is your body’s second circulatory system and forms a network through your body. Its job is to clean up the mess made by other systems and to return excess tissue fluid to the blood.

From the natural viewpoint, it is understood that a healthy lymphatic function supports every other system in your body, including the immune, digestive, detoxification and nervous systems. If your lymphatic system isn’t working efficiently it gets over loaded with toxins and increases the risk of poor health. In fact many believe that poor lymphatic function underlies many health conditions from acne to cancer.

Lymph is a clear, alkaline fluid containing proteins, substances like urea and glucose, and particularly water. It’s formed in tissue spaces all over the body and gathered into small vessels that carry it around. These lymph vessels look like small veins and have a one way valve system, which unlike blood can only flow in the direction of your thorax – the area below your neck and above your waist. The lymph drains through a number of nodes before returning to the blood. These filter out bacteria preventing it entering the bloodstream. When lymph does enter the blood, it is thought that it can cause serious health problems. The reality is that you have twice as much lymph fluid in your body as blood. The lymph continuously bathes each cell and drains away the detritus in a circulatory system powered only by your breathing and movement. If the movement of the lymph stopped entirely you would die in a matter of hours.

Most of us don’t think much about our lymph function until something goes wrong – usually when an infection causes a swollen lymph node – but there are things you can do to avoid this and ensure your lymphatic system stays healthy. The following natural ways to support your lymph function should be a part of every woman’s health habits:

Clean up your diet: Reduce your body’s toxic burden by avoiding processed food, eating organic when possible, and eliminating simple sugars, saturated fats found in dairy, pastries and red meat. The idea here is that the less waste your lymph has to deal with, the more easily it will flow.

 

Drink plenty of filtered or mineral water: At least six to eight glasses per day. Your body needs hydration to keep the fluids running!

 

Consider regular visits to a lymph drainage massage therapist: This is a wonderful and healthy way to pamper yourself (and your internal organs).

 

Practice deep breathing:  Breathing deeply from the diaphragm, not shallowly from the chest, and through the nose rather than the mouth, is one of the best ways to move lymph fluid through your body.

 

Get regular physical exercise: Unlike your heart, your lymphatic system doesn’t have a pump action and depends on your body’s musculature movement (the lungs, muscles etc) to shift lymph around your body, which is why regular exercise is so crucial. As well as exercise in general, specific activities such as trampolining and shaking your body as in dancing are beneficial. Jumping on a rebounder, or mini-trampoline, just five minutes a day is a great way to get your lymph system pumping. Walking, stretching, t’ai chi, yoga, Pilates, and other activities are helpful, too — especially if you do them every day. Or find an activity that suits you. Some women prefer ballroom dancing, others swimming. What’s important is that you make it a regular part of your life.

 

Don’t be afraid to sweat! A weekly sauna or steam bath is a pleasant way to facilitate a healthy sweat, and sweating helps detoxify the body and so supports lymphatic function. Avoid aluminium-based antiperspirants (they block sweating and add to your toxic load) and choose natural deodorants instead.

 

Avoid restrictive clothing that press on your lymph nodes: Under wires and over tight bras, jeans, and skirts can impede lymph flow. Try to go bra-free for at least 12 hours a day, and don’t sleep in one. If this is uncomfortable for you, consider buying a camisole.

 

Skin brush: A five minute skin brush before a bath or shower will reduce congestion. Always brush towards the heart – the direction of lymph flow.

 

Consider acupuncture: Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine are far ahead of their Western counterparts when it comes to ‘unsticking’ the lymph system. As a treatment or preventative, acupuncture can be a great way to keep things moving. It can also help alleviate discomfort that may arise while you are detoxing.

More than likely you will either have experienced a yeast infection first hand or know someone who has. This is because a whopping 75% of women at some point in their lives will have suffered a yeast infection. About half of these women will have it on a recurring basis.

 Yeast infection is caused by a fungus known as Candida Albicans which can occur naturally on the skin and other parts of the body. When the balance in the vagina changes the natural yeast begins to grow. Despite being referred to as an infection it is actually just an overgrowth of something that is usually there. Luckily yeast is not dangerous but the symptoms can be painful, uncomfortable and unpleasant. If you are or have been a sufferer you will know this first hand. In some instances, the itching may become so painful that walking is difficult. Typical symptoms include:

• Burning, itching and irritation-
•  White cheesy discharge that may have an odour similar to baking yeast
• Swelling, and redness on the external
• Painful and/or frequent urination

Before discussing some natural ways to treat a vaginal yeast infection, here are some ways to prevent them happening in the first place:

• Avoid tight fitting clothing
• Wear cotton underwear
• Avoid tights that do not have a cotton crotch panel
• Avoid wearing a damp bathing suit for too long
• Do not use perfumed vaginal sprays or products-your natural scent is healthy and normal!
• Use organic cotton sanitary towels when you menstruate rather than tampons and if you use tampons change them frequently
• After a bowel movement wipe from front to back to ensure nothing is transmitted from the bowels to the vagina
• Avoid non-organic soaps or douches (except for the natural douche treatments that we will go over next)

 

How to treat a yeast infection naturally

First, it needs to be understood that the infection has occurred because the balance of the vagina has become out of whack. Therefore restoring the balance simply requires the reintroduction of ‘good’ bacteria. The following natural remedies can all help restore this balance:

 

Healthy eating: It goes without saying that a healthy diet is essential because it boosts your immune system but it is especially important to avoid alcohol, a source of sugar and yeast which can feed the infection, and other sources of sugar and refined carbohydrates.

 

Plain live organic yogurt: Yogurt contains a lot of good bacteria so try to eat one a day. You may also want to insert the yogurt in your vagina using a tampon. Take the tampon and dip it into the yogurt before placing it in the vagina. Yogurt helps restore the balance of good bacteria and also helps sooth the area.  (There is also a product called IntraFresh – see the Resources Page which is a vaginal pessary containing an active strain of Lactobacillus acidophilus and is much more convenient than using yogurt and contains a more therapeutic level of beneficial bacteria).

 

Garlic: Garlic is important when you have an infection because it has strong anti-bacterial qualities.  (A good garlic supplement is called Aged Garlic which is a concentrated form of organic garlic see the Resources Page)

 

Supplements: Extra vitamins and minerals are recommended to boost your immune system so it can more effectively fight off infection. Make sure your daily multivitamin and mineral contains enough vitamin C, B vitamins, beta-carotene and zinc. Vitamin E is also important but as well as taking it orally as a supplement try openly up a capsule and applying it to the inflamed area.

Herbs that can be taken to increase the infectiveness of your immune system include barberry root bark, myrrh resin, calendula and echinacea. Tea tree oil is also a highly antibacterial and has been used for centuries to deal with many ailments. Simply place a small amount of oil in the vagina.  (See the Resources Page for details of some of these supplements).

 

Note: If you do try natural remedies and they don’t work, make sure you go to see a doctor. Do not attempt to self –treat with over the counter

medications. Treating an infection with the wrong drug can lead to further problems. It can also be dangerous. It may be that you have another condition unrelated to a yeast infection. Also left untreated some infections can lead to PID, pelvic inflammatory disease, which is a serious health risk.