Saunas are an everyday part of many cultures. Variations of the DRY or WET (STEAM) saunas, as well as the newest technology INFRARED SAUNAS, all offer incredible, clinically proven health benefits. Even after using them for only a few minutes a day, frequent healthy sweating generally relieves STRESS, reduces muscle TENSION and delivers an overall sense of RELAXATION and well-being. Here we will discuss 9 remarkable benefits of regular sauna use.
HEAT THERAPIES have long been used for healing, dating all the way back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. The SAUNA is simply an enclosed space designed specifically to help you SWEAT. What’s more, science has shown the great health benefits of saunas that may inspire you to use one consistently.
But exactly what are the different types of saunas, and why might you want to consider giving them a try, or even investing in one? Read on to discover both the AMAZING BENEFITS and POSSIBLE DRAWBACKS of saunas and what you need to know about this ancient practice applied to modern living.
Which type of SAUNA is best?
There are several types of saunas to consider:
- DRY saunasare heated with fire, hot stones, gas, or electricity
- STEAM saunasgenerate steam by applying water on the heating element
- INFRARED saunasuse infrared heaters to emit light that delivers radiant heat that’s absorbed by the surface of the skin
Infrared saunas are further broken down into the following types:
- Near infrared saunas
- Far infrared saunas (FIR)
- Full spectrum infrared saunas
INFRARED saunas deliver direct heat at LOWER temperatures versus dry and wet saunas that heat the air to increase the room temperature.
Are all SAUNAS created equal?
The biological effects on the body from ANY SAUNA are similar and create a variety of well-documented health benefits, from releasing endorphins to DILATING (widening) the blood vessels to improve CIRCULATION and BLOOD FLOW.
The circulation improvements with regular SAUNA use are similar to the effects of some moderate exercise! SAUNA use can also help improve athletic performance and STAMINA due to that increase in circulation.
In fact, this effect is so powerful that your heart rate may increase to 100 to 150 beats per minute while the growth hormone release increases by as much as 200 to 300%.
Need more convincing? Then let’s explore a few more proven health benefits of sauna use.
9 Proven Clinical Health Benefits of REGULAR SAUNA Use
- POWER UP your CELLS.Heat has been proven to positively impact your MITOCHONDRA, your cells ‘batteries’, helping them produce more energy.
- Age LESS. Cell regeneration means you slow the aging process. A 20 year study of Finnish men demonstrated that two to three sauna sessions per week a 23% decreased risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
- Detoxify HEAVY METALS and ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS. Everyday exposure to potentially toxic heavy metals means that virtually EVERYONE still has TOXINS in their body. Regular sauna bathing helps excrete toxins such as ARSENIC, CADMIUM, LEAD and MERCURY.
- Make your HEART happy and healthy. A 2018 study found that sauna bathing four to seven times per week reduces the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by as much as 58%.
- Reduce blood pressure. Sauna heat helps widen blood vessels and improve circulation, which reduces BLOOD PRESSURE.
- Aids muscle function and recovery. As more blood flow and OXYGEN is delivered throughout the body muscle breakdown is diminished. One study showed that two, one-hour sauna sessions for seven days straight increases production of the HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE (HGH) by two to five times. Blood flow improvements from HEAT conditioning sends more blood to the heart delivering more oxygen throughout the body and fueling ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE.
- Spark WEIGHT LOSS. Regular sauna use is shown to regulate the appetite, increase metabolism, and improve oxygen utilization, helping to fuel weight loss along with a reduction in BODY FAT.
- BOOST BRAIN function. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF increases with regular sauna use, activating the growth of new brain cells and improving NEUROPLASTICITY, the brain’s process for forming new neural connections.
- Ignite your IMMUNE system. Heat exposure from sauna use increases heat shock proteins, thus stimulating the body’s natural immune system.
- BONUS BENEFIT: improve emotional health and MOOD. When your body and brain are healthy, detoxified, and destressed, and you’ve boosted ENDORPHINS (your ‘FEEL GOOD’ hormones, your overall mood and emotional health improves.)
CONTRINDICATIONS TO SAUNA USE
Who Should and Who Shouldn’t…
Due to the extreme heat, certain people should avoid sauna use of any type, including PREGNANT women and those with specific health conditions such as LOW BLOOD PRESSURE and heart conditions. As with anything, it’s always wise to consult your medical practitioner before beginning sauna treatments.
WHAT ARE THE DISADVANTAGES OF A SAUNA?
Severe heat makes your body sweat. When you sweat, you lose water. Therefore, there is a danger of getting DEHYDRATED from being in a sauna. According to Harvard Medical School, the average person loses about one pint of fluid during a quick time in the sauna. However, if you drink sufficient water before, during, and after your time in the sauna you will restore fluids lost by sweating.
Severe dehydration is a medical emergency. It is crucial to pay attention to your body and drink enough water if you use a sauna. Be conscious of these indications of mild to moderate dehydration:
- Dryness in the mouth
- Extreme thirst
- Headache
- Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
- Not urinating as often as normal
People with chronic conditions such as kidney disease, diabetes, heart failure, or those who are pregnant are at an increased risk of becoming dehydrated.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How long to stay in a sauna?
The general rule on how long to stay in a sauna for comes down to whether you’re a beginner, experienced, or using it after a workout. Beginners shouldn’t use a sauna for longer than 5-10 minutes. This is because their body isn’t yet adjusted to heat stress. If you’re experienced using saunas, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends going no longer than 15 minutes although some go to 20-30 minutes.
Easy does it when starting a sauna
We all have to start somewhere. Don’t go in for longer than you need to. You wouldn’t go out onto the gym floor and lift 400 pounds without building up to it slowly over time. You should approach the sauna the same way. Also, the longer you stay in a sauna, the more likely you’re going to be to dehydrate. For this reason, ALWAYS HYDRATE before, during, and after. Over time, you’ll find you can extend your sauna visit but to get going you want to take it EASY.
How does detoxification in a sauna work?
We accumulate toxins through the things we eat, the air we breathe, and the things we touch. Normally, our liver would cycle through these toxins. The liver is the organ which detoxifies our bodies.
Unfortunately, in today’s MODERN-DAY LIFE, we are swamped with so many toxins that we get overwhelmed with them. Some take a long time to leave our bodies and others will sit in our systems, leading to chronic problems. In a sauna, intense sweating brings these TOXINS TO THE SURFACE and gets them out.
Isn’t MORE TIME in a sauna a good thing?
A sauna has been shown to produce some absolutely amazing benefits, including improving heart function, lowering risk of stroke, reducing the risk of dementia, and reducing inflammation and muscle soreness. As you move beyond 30 minutes though, the benefits start to disappear.
How many days to spend in a sauna to detoxify?
People often ask ‘Is it healthy to have a sauna every day?’
Although you shouldn’t spend longer than 20-30 minutes in a sauna, you can enjoy sessions frequently. Many people will use them 2-3 times a week. More committed enthusiasts will use a sauna 4-7 times a week. If you have time, using it more often may produce further benefit.
DETOXIFICATION can help make you feel stronger, healthier, and overall happier. Environmental toxins are a very real thing. A sauna may be your answer.
Should I shower after a sauna?
Sweat brings a lot of garbage to the surface. Toxins, impurities, and all sorts of gunk will sit there on the skin’s surface. Left there, it’ll absorb back into the skin or will simply make you feel unclean. A shower is going to wash away all toxins and impurities remaining on the skin.
Should I drink water in the sauna?
Before you enter a sauna, you want to make sure to drink 8-16 ounces of water. As the sauna heat draws out sweat, out comes TOXIC CHEMICALS and heavy metals. When you aren’t hydrated well enough, your body isn’t going to be able to purge those toxins at the same rate and you run at an increased risk of dehydration.
Continue drinking water after
After you leave a sauna, ensure you’re getting some liquids back in you. Water is ideal though something with electrolytes, like some sea salt. A glass of water can be enough to cue your body into stopping the sweating and to make use of the moisture already present. The water you lose during a sauna is something that needs to be replenished afterwards.
Is sauna good for skin?
The heat in saunas and steam baths enhances collagen generation, rejuvenating and strengthening the tone. The heat also enables the skin to get rid of dead skin cells, facilitating the development of newer and healthier ones.
Does a sauna burn calories?
The sauna may be proficient at helping you burn some additional calories, but don’t bank on sweat schedules alone to lose weight. However, since your body is sweating during your sauna session, you will burn calories.
Is the sauna good for your hair?
Saunas promote blood flow to the scalp and hair follicles. The greater the blood flow, the more adequate will be the hair growth. In addition, blood effectively transmits all the necessary oxygen and nutrients to every part of our body. The outcome is quite apparent in terms of hair growth.
Should you moisturize after a sauna?
It is important to take care of your skin properly after using the sauna, particularly after using the shower and your skin is still moist. Whether you have dry or oily skin, moisturizing as the final step will enable hydrating your skin.
Can I take my phone to the sauna?
You should not bring a phone into a steam room or sauna because they often surpass the approved maximum operating temperature of.
OTHER KEYS to HANDLING ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL OVERLOAD –
Optimize DETOXIFICATION
While SAUNAS are a way to address TOXINS from the OUTSIDE-IN, optimizing WHOLE BODY DETOXIFICATION is essentially an INSIDE-OUT proposition.
Normally, your immune system defends against the daily assault of environmental chemicals and TOXICITY, but ONLY WHEN it is working correctly and NOT being OVERWHELMED by the extremely high TOXIC BURDEN all around us.
Failure of this ability to detoxify toxins results in health issues.
Supporting the body’s ability to bind to and eliminate toxins is a key part of healing from environmental toxicity exposure.
This is where ADVANCED SUPPLEMENTATION can be helpful.
It’s important to work with an experienced practitioner who can recommend the right supplements designed to remove these toxins directly.
So, you MUST support your body’s natural detoxification and drainage systems.
New, emerging technology, designed to help combat TOXIC ACCUMULATION by BINDING TOXINS, increasing oxygen, enhancing your liver and thyroid, and SUPPORTING DRAINAGE systems (your body’s NATURAL ability to eliminate poisons from itself) are necessary to successfully recover from this kind of toxicity.
Let’s examine this more closely…
How do I get rid of these toxins in my body?
Special agents are required for this. They BIND toxins in the gut and in other tissues so they can be more easily excreted.
An excellent, natural REMEDY for BINDING environmental toxins is Carbon Technology
Made of specially-selected and precisely-formulated extracts of fulvic and humic acids, Carbon Technology uses these natural substances to tightly BIND toxins to help remove them from your body via stools.
The fulvic and humic acids in Carbon Technology have advantages to binders like activated charcoal and bentonite clay, two common binders. One big advantage is that Carbon Technology can travel beyond the gut.
Also, fulvic and humic acid extracts are a good source of nutrition, including amino acids, phytochemicals and minerals. This is good since cells damaged by pesticides and environmental chemicals NEED TO SELF-REPAIR.
BOOST energy, oxygen levels, and thyroid function
As you know from other articles about ENVIRONMENTAL POISONS, GLYPHOSATE can GREATLY DAMAGE mitochondria. BROKEN mitochondria result in LESS cellular ENERGY and that definitely hampers your ability to DETOX.
It can also crush OXYGEN levels. Mitochondria need oxygen to generate energy efficiently.
Supplements formulated with fulvic acid extracts designed to enhance ATP production (your body’s ENERGY source) and thyroid metabolism greatly enhance your detoxification potential.
Support the LIVER
Even though the liver is the body’s main detox organ, environmental chemicals and pesticides, especially GLYPHOSATE, often cause damage to liver cells.
Fortunately, a substance called TUDCA— a naturally present bile acid — helps support the liver. Available in supplement form, it helps:
- Enhance liver function and bile flow
- Reduce inflammation
- Increase mitochondrial function
- Provide antioxidant protection
You can see, the correct supplements and botanicals are KEY to solving the ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS and PESTICIDE problem.
Clear out OTHER PATHOGENS
Because pesticides can inhibit the immune system, OTHER chronic infections — such as PARASITES AND VIRUSES — may more easily take hold in your body.
It becomes a vicious cycle because then these PARASITES make the body more vulnerable to chemical and pesticide toxicity.
Either way, removing unwanted PARASITES from the body helps reduce the STRESS on the immune system.
There Is Hope
Now that you’ve read this far you know that ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS ARE ALL AROUND YOU. They are in your food, in the toiletries you use, in your furniture and rugs and in the air that you breathe.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS such as PESTICIDES are hard to avoid!
They impact a whole host of disease and disorders, from heart disease to obesity, from autoimmune disorder to neurological problems.
So, if you’ve ever asked “What is my doctor missing?” and suspect that ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICITY AND PESTICIDES may be a part of YOUR persistent, unresolved health challenges, do NOT give up.
The good news is that there are doctors with specialized knowledge who are ready with a science-backed action plan to DETECT AND CORRECT TOXICITY.
Regular SAUNA use, as well as addressing these ENVIRONMENTAL POISONS from the INSIDE-OUT will take you from TOXICITY to PURITY, and allow you to get back to looking, feeling and functioning at your best.
Dr. Bob was born and raised in Florham Park, New Jersey.
He loved the philosophy of vitalism, which teaches about the incredible, innate intelligence of our bodies and its power to self-heal when given the opportunity.
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