br br br Stress br br About 80 of diseases are caused by stress. Learning to stress less, and taking time to meditate and think positive thoughts will help de-congest your lymph system. br br Iodine Deficiency br br Congestion of the lymphatic system is also commonly caused by an iodine deficiency. Iodine helps protect us from the toxic environment we live in (with radiation and other pollutants), and supports our lymphatic system at a cellular level. br br Pesticides & Food Additives br br Preservatives, pesticides, herbicides, and food additives like refined sugar, chemicals, and colourings all put strain on the lymphatic system. Consuming non-organic, highly-processed sugary and fatty foods simply creates an even larger workload for your lymph system and prevents it from properly filtering toxins and bacteria which will eventually lead to chronic disease. br br Smoking & Second-Hand Smoke br br This relates back to the toxin concept. Smoking increases your body’s receptivity to developing fungal or viral infections, parasites, ulcers, cancer, bronchitis, high blood pressure and many more issues. Why? Because smoking depresses the body’s immune response, and our immune system is essentially comprised of our lymphatic system, which houses our white blood cells (in the lymph nodes), and which scavenge any intruders. br br Prescription Drugs br br Prescription drugs are toxic to the body. They contain harmful chemicals and dyes and these compounds suppress the immune system. Instead, using food as our medicine and weaning ourselves off prescription drugs will help clear the lymphatic system. br br Animal Products (Meat, Dairy & Eggs) br br Animal products are incredibly acidic to the body, and our lymphatic system does not function as properly in an acidic environment. The flow of the lymph system is more smooth when it is presented with a more alkaline body. In addition, meat, dairy and eggs contain hormones which are either naturally occurring or not (via injection while the animal is still alive), and these hormones interrupt the processing of our own hormones (in which the lymphatic system is largely involved).