No matter if you’re an hombre or a chica, nobody ever got hurt by freeing the nipple and letting the ladies loose. By ladies and nipples I mean boobs, if that wasn’t clear enough.
I think all females remember the story about how they got their first bra. Mine was awkwardly asking my mom about it when we were out shopping. I remember that I had prepped the whole day to lay out the question. It was a nerve wracking mission, but I managed to throw out the question as we were passing the lingerie section at H&M. Having an Indian mother, topics like bras, periods and sex didn’t come up at the dinner table that often (never), so I was pretty nervous. A few awkward try-ons later and I was walking home with a bunch of Snoopy bras, feeling very accomplished with myself and my tiny, barely A-cups. Was Snoopy on teenage bras a trend even outside of Sweden? That little sneaky dog was literally bouncing around on every young boob out here.
Going from literally dreaming about my first bra to avoiding wearing one as much as I possibly can. The action of taking off your bra as soon as you get home, is something all females can relate to. It’s a very freeing feeling. Guys, you should try it just to experience the sensation of being able to breath again. Wearing a bra isn’t only uncomfortable, but being stuck in between those straps for hours a day come with health complications. That’s nothing Victoria’s Secret flaunts about.
The lymphatic system
The lymphatic system. What is this weird word and why are you changing the topic from boobs you might ask? Well, boobs, or specifically bras can have a negative impact on this important function. So let’s talk about this mysterious system with a flashy name.
The lymphatic system works together with our circulatory system, and its main functions is to remove toxins, fight infections and transport and supply fat and nutrients to our body. The system is built up of lymph nodes, which pushes around a liquid called lymph. This liquid contains white blood cells which removes any toxins or infections it might encounter. I know, these words sounds like characters of an Elf show, but they are indeed real things.
Wearing tight clothes such as bras, skinny jeans, or even high heels makes it harder for the lymph to pass smoothly through our body. This can lead to water retention, swelling, and in severe cases terrible pain and cancers. Have you ever noticed marks on your body after taking of your bra or skinny jeans? That’s the result of your lymph not being able to pass through your body as efficiently.
How to maintain a healthy lymphatic system
Since clothes are mandatory to wear in society, how can we make sure we keep our lymphatic system healthy? Because if I’m being honest, skinny jeans are my dearest piece of clothing. Bras on the other hand, I could live without.
Switch up your outfits
Sure, I do love my skinny jeans but I’m also a huge fan of loose fitting dress pants. Make sure you wear loose fitting clothing once in a while, and changing into sweats as soon as you get home is a habit the lymphatic system fully supports. Avoid wearing bras as often as possible, push-up bras – totally ditch them! Fashion is changing, we like boobs a la naturale! If you happen to be a female blessed with the boobs of a goddess, not wearing a bra can be uncomfortable. Wear sports bras or loose fitting bustiers instead.
Stay hydrated
As expected, water is showing off yet again. Can we ever go wrong with drinking a lot of water? Probably not! Staying properly hydrated helps our lymphatic system with smooth transportation of the lymph. Getting enough water doesn’t mean that you have to inhale a gallon of water every other second. Eating a lot of plant foods which naturally contains a lot of water will help you a long the way. Cucumbers, zucchini, red bell peppers, melons, berries, lettuce and greens. Basically, make sure to eat a big salad with your lunch. You’re getting nutrients and a free hydration session!
Get your nutrients
Just like water, getting proper nutrition will always be a good thing. Weather it’s to help your lymphatic system or to just feel great, nutrients will always be triumphing bad boys. Since the lymphatic system helps us in passing nutrients through our body it’s pretty important that we give it the right nutrients to flush around. Leafy greens, cranberries, nuts, seeds, and citrus. Fragrant spices such as garlic, ginger and turmeric. Avoid processed foods and a high amount of saturated fats. There’s actually a vein that goes from your intestine straight up to your heart, transporting whatever fat it picks up in the intestine. Think about that the next time you’re eating a highly processed greasy burger…
Get bouncing
Bounce, flounce, jump all around (I know, this can be brutal if you ditched the bra). Okay, you may not need to jump, but move your body. Exercise or take simple walks regularly. Sitting around all day with minimal movement forces the lymphatic system to work harder to push through the lymph and nutrients, and this is where blockage can occur. When you travel on an airplane for example. Ever noticed that you kinda swell up a little? Especially around your feet and ankles? Airplane hack 101, get off your ass and walk around. If you have no shame and don’t give a shit about what people think of you, you can even squeeze in a few squats in the aisle.
Lymphatic massage / drainage
Massages are an every day luxury we should treat ourselves to more often. A lymphatic massage on the other hand… not as pleasurable, but extremely beneficial! What a lymphatic massage, or lymphatic drainage does it, just as the name itself implies, drains our body from excessive fluids which have caused blockage in certain areas of our bodies.
A lymphatic massage can be done by yourself, or with the help of a professional. If you’ve had any of you lymph nodes removed, tonsils for examples, a drainage is to recommend since you’re now missing a lymph node to do the flushing job for you. But even if you have all your nodes in tact, it doesn’t hurt to help the lymphatic system a little bit. A fast way to get the same results of a lymphatic massage at home, is to dry brush your skin as a part of your shower routine. Simple wellness from the comfort of your home!
To sum this up I want to encourage stripping, staying healthy, dry brushing and force Victoria’s Secret out of business, even though they’re already doing pretty fine in that area… (oh snaaap, I went there!!).
Our bodies are amazing, and there’s a ton of functions that we don’t pay that close attention to or might not even know about. The circulatory and respiratory system are systems well known, but the lymphatic system? Not the most popular guy. By taking him out of the shadows we can understand our body better, making it easier for us to incorporate small actions into our lives, like dry brushing and skipping the bra, to feel better. And if I have to say one thing that is good about lingerie, it’s the fact that it usually doesn’t stay on for to long…
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