Table 1.

The-Optimal-Lymph-Flow: self-care strategies, rationales, and actions (Fu et al., 2014a, Fu et al., 2014b).

	Strategies	Rationales	Actions
Promote lymph flow	➢Muscle-tightening deep breathing	✓The whole body lymph fluid has to be drained through the lymphatic ducts above the heart. Muscle-tightening-deep-breathing stimulates lymphatic ducts and help lymph fluid drain. ✓Lymph fluid drains when muscles move. Muscle-tightening-deep-breathing creates the whole body muscle movements that create muscle milking and pumping action and help to drain lymph fluid.	✓At least twice a day in the morning & at night before brushing teeth or as much as the patient wants throughout the day. ✓Air-Travel: before take-off and after landing ✓Sedentary life-style: at least every 4 h
	➢Muscle-tightening pumping	✓Muscle-tightening pumping exercises create arm muscle pumping. This helps lymph fluid flow and decreases the fluid build-up in the arms. ✓Muscle-tightening pumping exercises build the arm muscle that helps lymph fluid flow and drain.	✓At least twice a day in the morning & at night before brushing teeth or as much as the patient wants throughout the day. ✓Air-Travel: before take-off and after landing ✓Sedentary life-style: at least every 4 h
	➢Shoulder exercises	✓Improved limb mobility after surgery facilitates local muscle movements that create muscle milking and pumping to promote local limb lymph fluid flow and drain.	✓One week after surgery if there is no surgical drains or after the surgical drains are removed. ✓At least twice a day until limb functions are returned to normal. ✓Whenever limb mobility is limited throughout the recovery.
	➢Large muscle exercises	✓Large muscle exercises (e.g. walking, marching at home, Dancing, Swimming, Yoga, Tai Chi) create muscle milking and pumping to promote overall body lymph fluid flow and drain.	✓At least 10-minutes daily. ✓Air-Travel: get up and walk around for flight over 4 h. ✓Sedentary life-style: Get up and walk at least every 4 h.
Keep a healthy weight	➢Eat nutrition-balanced diet (i.e. more vegetables and fruits as well as quality proteins); ➢Maintain portion -appropriate diet (feeling 75% full for each meal).	✓Overweight or obesity is an important risk factor for lymph fluid accumulation. ✓Having extra weight makes it difficult for lymph flow and drain. This can lead to extra lymph fluid build-up. ✓There are numerous weight management programs available to assist with weight loss. ✓The core actions for keeping a healthy weight are to eat a nutrition-balanced, portion-appropriate diet, to stay hydrated, exercise, and get adequate sleep.	✓Each meal daily ✓It is important to talk to the nutritionist who can help to find a proper weight reduction programs.
	➢Stay hydrated	✓People may actually be thirsty, not hungry.	✓Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water daily; in the morning, before and during meals, and throughout the day. ✓Avoid drinks with calories (e.g. juices). ✓Drink green tea to boost metabolism.
	➢Large muscle exercises	✓Daily large muscle exercises (e.g. walking, running, swimming, Yoga) help to burn more calories. ✓Daily large muscle exercises also promote lymph flow by creating muscle pumps.	✓At least 30-minutes 3 times a week or daily
	➢Get enough sleep	✓Lack of sleep increases the production of the stress hormone cortisol, creates hunger, and leads to overeating. ✓Getting just one more hour of sleep per night reduces belly fat accumulation.	✓At least 7–8 h of sleep per night.