Sweat it Out
A healthy and effective detoxification program involves many supportive strategies from nutrition and supplementation to stress management and reducing our environmental exposures. One area that is sometimes overlooked is the importance and benefit of sweating.
Sweating helps to support the function of our nervous system, lowers stress, helps to remove harmful chemicals such as pesticides and even heavy metals through the skin, can support healthy blood sugar levels and can of course help us burn more calories and support metabolic rate.
The best ways to support healthy detoxification through sweating should include exercise, saunas or steam bath as well as infrared sauna. These are safe and convenient ways to support healthy elimination of toxins. They can also be very relaxing!
Far infrared Saunas: This space age-sounding technology was introduced to the US in the 1980s, but it feels as modern as ever today due to a growing presence in spas, gyms, hotels, medical offices and even homes. What makes a session in the far infrared sauna a unique experience? Rather than electric or wood-fired heat, far infrared saunas emit light waves, similar to the sun’s rays (no harmful UV light is used), that penetrate skin, muscles and even organs more than an inch and a half beneath the skin to encourage deep tissue detoxification—without directly heating the air around your body. These saunas operate at 100 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit, a much more manageable temperature that allows for longer, more comfortable time spent reaping the therapeutic benefits inside. An average session in a far infrared sauna lasts 30 minutes, compared to less than 20 in a high-heat sauna.
In addition to detoxification, what positive effects can your body experience from a far infrared sauna session? One of the most profound reported benefits is relief of chronic pain, making the far infrared sauna a hot topic among those who seek alternative pain management. Many compare the effect of a far infrared sauna to that of a fever in its ability to speed up the healing process and stimulate the body’s immune response. Infrared sauna heat has been shown to improve a broad spectrum of conditions, while relaxing muscles and improving lymph flow.
