Rising Star Integrative Health Services

22/02/2026

20/02/2026

18/02/2026

17/02/2026

17/02/2026

🩸 Artery vs Vein vs Lymph

Understanding Flow in the Body 🌿

Most people talk about “circulation”…

But very few understand that your body actually has three separate fluid highways working together:

🟥 Arteries
🟦 Veins
🟢 Lymphatic vessels

They look similar — but they behave very differently.

Let’s break it down clearly and simply.

🟥 ARTERIES — Built for Pressure

Arteries carry blood AWAY from the heart.

They are:

• Thick and muscular
• Designed for high pressure
• Elastic and strong
• Pulse with every heartbeat
• Oxygen-rich (most of the time)

The heart is a powerful pump.
Every beat pushes blood through arteries with force.

That’s why artery walls are thick — they must withstand pressure.

Arteries are built for power and propulsion.

🟦 VEINS — Built for Return

Veins carry blood BACK to the heart.

They are:

• Thinner than arteries
• Lower pressure
• Contain one-way valves
• Dependent on movement

Unlike arteries, veins do not have a strong pump pushing blood through them.

Instead, they rely on:

• Muscle contraction
• Breathing
• Body movement

Those little valves inside veins prevent blood from falling backward (especially in the legs).

Veins are built for assistance and support.

🟢 LYMPHATIC VESSELS — Built for Rhythm

Now here’s where most people misunderstand things…

The lymphatic system is NOT part of the blood system.

It carries:

• Lymph fluid
• Immune cells
• Inflammatory by-products
• Proteins
• Cellular waste

And here’s the critical difference:

🚫 It has NO central pump.

Lymph vessels are:

• Very thin
• Extremely low pressure
• Highly sensitive
• Dependent on nervous system regulation
• Filled with many one-way valves

Lymph moves because of:

• Breathing (especially diaphragm movement)
• Gentle muscle activity
• Hydration
• Warmth
• A calm nervous system

Not force.
Not pressure.
Not intensity.

Lymph is built for rhythm, not force 🌿

Why This Matters for Swelling & Inflammation

When someone says:
“I’m exercising and still swollen.”
“I’m drinking water but still puffy.”
“I’m doing everything but nothing is draining.”

We must ask:

Are you treating lymph like an artery?

Because lymph does NOT respond to force the way arteries do.

If the nervous system is stressed…
If the liver is overloaded…
If inflammation is high…

The lymphatic system will slow down on purpose.

Not because it’s broken.
But because it’s protective.

Quick Comparison Summary

🟥 Artery
High pressure
Thick walls
Strong pump
Built for propulsion

🟦 Vein
Low pressure
Has valves
Needs movement
Built for return

🟢 Lymph
Very low pressure
No pump
Many valves
Needs safety + rhythm
Built for immune balance

The Big Takeaway 💚

You cannot bully lymph into draining.

You cannot force it like blood flow.

You must:
• Calm the nervous system
• Support the liver
• Hydrate properly
• Move gently
• Reduce inflammation

A calm system drains better than a forced one.

And this is why lymph healing always starts with safety.

15/02/2026

13/02/2026

This!

You’ve heard that methylated folate is critical for MTHFR.

But then you start supplementing…

…and instead of feeling better, you feel worse:

• Racing thoughts
• Panic after taking methylated B’s
• Trouble winding down
• Sleep issues
• Mood swings or emotional reactivity
• Overreaction to normal stress

Why???

Folate Isn’t Just Fuel, It’s a Spark

Folate feeds methylation → and methylation accelerates neurotransmitter processing.

When you suddenly add more fuel to that fire (via 5-MTHF or folinic acid)…
📈You increase the turnover of dopamine, norepinephrine, and estrogen.

If your clearance enzymes are underperforming,
😅 things get messy:

COMT: clears dopamine, epinephrine, and estrogen
MAOA: clears serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine

If either is sluggish due to genetics, stress, or nutrient depletion, methylation support builds pressure without release.

❗ Who’s Most At Risk?
Slow COMT variants (like COMT V158M)
Fast MAOA variants → burn through serotonin quickly
People under chronic stress → high cortisol competes for COMT
Those with low magnesium, riboflavin, or SAMe

It’s not the folate—it’s the traffic jam downstream.

💬 Comment “METHYLATE” to get more information on how to best use methylated folate and avoid methylation overwhelm. Also receive alternatives (Methyl-free) versions of your favorite supplements.

10/02/2026

09/02/2026

| Check out my links to (Rising Star Integrative Health Services: Appointments, Rising Star Apothecary: Supplements & Labs, Troscriptions® Methylene Blue & More: Email me to order!).

08/02/2026

07/02/2026