KEEP YOUR LYMPH FLOWING
I am prone to water retention and after our very long flight from NYC to Singapore for spring break, we arrived in hot, humid weather. My body felt puffy, my ankles were swollen, and my clothes fit tighter! That’s my lymphatic system struggling to keep up.
I’m really into taking care of my lymphatic system and support it to be efficient as our body’s natural detox system, moving excess fluids and waste out of tissues. But when we sit for too long (like on a plane or at the desk) or deal with heat stress, it slows down—leading to water retention, bloating, and heaviness.
Here is what I did to keep my lymph flowing & feel lighter on vacation:
Move Often: On a plane, stretch your legs, do ankle circles, and take short walks when possible. Once you land, go for a walk or do some stretching.
Hydrate: Drink plenty of electrolyte water (I added LMNT electrolyte powder to my water in the plane), and avoid dehydrating drinks like alcohol and too much coffee.
Dry Brushing & Self-Massage: Once I arrived at our destination, taking a shower, using a dry brush or a gentle lymphatic self-massage (basically light strokes towards the hear) helped flush out fluids.
Cooling Foods: I ate some hydrating, potassium-rich foods like fresh vegetables and fruits to balance fluids.
Herbal Support: Teas like dandelion tea or ginger can naturally help with water retention and circulation. Sipping on ginger tea also helped my digestion.
Legs Up the Wall: After a flight or a long day, lie on your back with legs up against the wall for 5-10 minutes to support lymph flow and reduce swelling. I also massage my legs lightly from feet towards the heart.
Professional Lymphatic Massage: After arriving at our second vacation destination I was fortunate to be able to do a lymphatic massage at the hotel spa and that really made a difference.
Compression Socks: These can be a game-changer for long flights, preventing swelling and supporting circulation. However, I forgot to bring some this time.
Feeling light, energized, and refreshed on vacation starts with caring for your body’s natural detox system. So give it a try next time you feel like a puffer fish after a long flight and apply some of the above mentioned methods. Don’t expect miracles, it can take time, especially when you fly just before the your menstruation (like in my case) when water retention can already be present. For me, I only felt myself again after a couple of days, but these methods helped a lot!