Detoxification with A Far Infrared Sauna
Our level of toxic exposure far outstrips our body’s natural elimination mechanisms. To stay healthy and strong in this chemical-ridden world, it is essential to help the body with its removal of harmful waste products.
The solution: regular, effective, whole-body detoxification. Far infrared sauna therapy boosts the body’s ability to detoxify, leading to significant and lasting health benefits.
In fact, use of an infrared sauna is recognized worldwide by medical doctors and health practitioners as perhaps the most effective method of removing both chemical and heavy metal toxins from the body. Physical therapists and professional athletes use it to treat muscle injuries and strains.
What Is Far Infrared Heat?
Far infrared heat is radiant heat and radiant heat is simply a form of energy that heats objects directly, without having to heat the surrounding air. It is a section of the natural band of light that is not visible to the human eye, but can be felt as heat. The sun is the principle source of radiant energy. Never confuse it with ultraviolet energy. Remember the last time you were tanning with sunscreen? Were you hot? Of course you were, because sunscreen stops only the UV (ultraviolet) light from hitting your skin. Far infrared penetrates your skin to a depth of 1.5 to 2 inches, giving you a natural warmth feeling.
You can be exposed to far infrared heat for hours and it will never burn your skin. Far infrared heat is completely healthy and safe. In fact, it is so safe that it is used in hospitals to warm newborn infants.
How Does Far Infrared Work?
Our body’s tissues normally produce infrared energy, which is used by the body for a number of healing processes. By delivering penetrating warmth to the body, the far infrared in a sauna increases the body’s own infrared energy levels, encouraging a slight rise in body temperature that boosts natural detoxification systems. Our palms emit infrared energy too, from 8 to 14 microns. Palm healing, an ancient tradition in China, has used the healing properties of infrared rays for 3,000 years. Yogis in India also employ palm healing and recommend it especially for relieving eyestrain.
A far infrared sauna duplicates these healthy far infrared frequencies. The tissues selectively absorb these rays as the water in the cell reacts in a process called “resonant absorption.” This resonant absorption occurs when the frequency of the far infrared matches the frequency of the water in the cell causing toxins to be dropped off into the blood stream and excreted in sweat, feces, and urine.
What Makes Infrared Saunas So Unique Compared to Conventional Saunas?
A conventional sauna must rely only on indirect means of heat: First on convection (air currents) and then conduction (direct contact of hot air with the skin) to produce its healing effect on us. A Far Infrared sauna uses less than 20% of the infrared energy that heats the air, leaving over 80% available to be directly converted to heat within our bodies. Thus an infrared based system can warm its user(s) to a much greater depth and much more efficiently than a conventional sauna, as its energy output is primarily used to convert energy directly to heat in us and not create excessively hot air which only heats the skin superficially. This crucial difference explains many of the unprecedented benefits reported to be available through a Far Infrared sauna and not attainable through the use of a conventional sauna.
The infrared energy may induce up to 2-3 times the sweat volume of a traditional hot-air sauna while operating at a significantly cooler air temperature range of 110 degrees to 130 degrees F vs. 180 degrees to 235 degrees F for hot-air saunas. The lower heat range is safer for those concerned about cardiovascular risk factors that might be adversely affected by the higher temperatures encountered in old-style hot-air saunas. German researchers report beneficial effects from an hour-long whole-body infrared exposure in two groups of hypertension patient that they studied in 1989, including a 24 hour-long increase in peripheral blood flow and a decrease in high blood pressure.
It is also more pleasant to breathe in Far Infrared Saunas with air temperatures about 50-125 degrees cooler than in traditional hot-air saunas. Due to its user-friendly nature, people naturally prefer to use the Far Infrared saunas and will continue to do so on a regular basis because of the ease of breathing the much cooler air while feeling as warm as they choose, and the distinctive feeling of well-being reported by users as an after-effect. These Far Infrared Sauna Systems may even be used with the door fully open if the only effect desires is infrared penetration, or if a very cool, minimal-sweating experience is desired as a pre-activity warm-up while fully clothed. This approach might be used in warming up prior to stretching, working out, running or exposure to cold weather.
Discover the Extraordinary Health Benefits Attributed to a Far Infrared Sauna
Improves the immune system
An infrared sauna’s deep penetrating heat raises your body temperature inducing an artificial fever. As your body works to fight the fever, your body’s immune system is strengthened. Combined with the elimination of toxins and waste, your body’s resistance to disease is increased.
Removes toxins and mineral waste
Increased blood circulation stimulates the sweat glands, releasing built-up toxins and waste. Daily sweating can help detoxify your body as it rids itself of an accumulation of potentially carcinogenic heavy metals (lead, mercury, zinc, alcohol, nicotine, sodium, sulfuric acid and cholesterol.
Burns calories and controls weight
As you relax in the sauna, your body is producing sweat, pumping blood, and burning up to 600 calories in a 30-minute session. In Guyton’s Textbook of Medical Physiology, we find that producing one gram of sweat requires 0.568kcal. The Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) states; “A moderately conditioned person can easily sweat off 500 grams in a sauna, consuming nearly 300kcal – the equivalent of running two to three miles. A heat-conditioned person can easily sweat off 600 to 800 kcal with no adverse effect. While the weight of water loss can be regained by rehydration, the calories consumed will not be.” Since an infrared sauna helps generate two to three times the sweat produced in a conventional hot-air sauna, the implications for increased caloric consumption are quite impressive.
Helps diminish cellulite
The infrared energy breaks down the lumps of fat, water, and toxins trapped in pockets beneath the skin. It is best to combine good nutrition and massage along with it.
Strengthens the cardiovascular system
As your body produces sweat to cool itself, your heart rate increases to boost circulation, giving your cardiovascular system a continuous work out. Heart rate, cardiac output and metabolic rate increase, while diastolic blood pressure drops for improved cardiovascular fitness. As a confirmation of the validity of this form of cardiovascular conditioning, extensive research by NASA in the early 1980s led to the conclusion that far infrared stimulation of cardiovascular function would be the ideal way to maintain cardiovascular conditioning in American astronauts during long space flights.
Relieves pain from arthritis, rheumatism bursitis, sprains, strains, and over worked muscles
A far infrared sauna’s deep penetrating infrared heat dilates blood vessels, bringing relief and healing to muscles and soft tissue injuries. Increased blood circulation, delivers oxygen-rich blood to joints and muscles. Muscles and joints relax more readily for greater flexibility and range of motion and heal faster when they are warm.
Improves skin tone
The infrared heat stimulates your body to produce 3 times more perspiration and increases blood circulation that expels deeply imbedded impurities, and dead skin cells, while drawing out nutrients to the skins surface for improved skin tone, elasticity, texture and color. It also has been shown to relieve acne, eczema, psoriasis, burns, lesions, and cuts.
Stress relief
High daily stress levels put constant strain on the body’s nervous system and can contribute to chronic disease. The far infrared sauna helps to reduce physical stress by boosting circulation and triggering the production of endorphins, the “feel good” hormones.
Precautions and Contraindications of a Far Infrared Sauna
Excessive temperatures have a potential for fetal damage during early months of pregnancy. Pregnant or possibly pregnant women should consult their physician before using the sauna.
Use of alcohol, drugs, or some medications before or during use of the sauna may be harmful or cause drowsiness. Please consult your health care professional.
Certain Ailments: According to some authorities, it is considered inadvisable to raise the core temperature of someone with Adrenal Suppression, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Multiple Sclerosis and pregnant women.
Joint Problems: If a person has a recent (acute) joint injury, it should not be heated for the first 48 hours or until the hot and swollen symptoms subside. Joints that are chronically hot and swollen may respond poorly to vigorous heating of any kind. (Vigorous heating is in cases of enclosed infections as in dental, in joints, or in any other tissues is not advisable.)
Surgical Implants: Metal pins, rods, artificial joints, or any other surgical implants generally reflect infrared rays and are not heated by an infrared heat system. Nevertheless, a person should consult their surgeon before receiving such therapy. Certainly infrared therapy must be discontinued if a person experiences pain near any implants.
Silicone: Silicone does absorb infrared energy. Infrared rays may warm implants, silicone or silicone prostheses for nose or ear replacement. Since silicone melts at over 200 degrees Celsius, it should not be adversely affected by an infrared heat system.
Menstruation: Heating of the lower back area of women during their cycle increases menstrual flow. She can choose to allow herself to experience this short-term effect without worry or she may simply avoid using an infrared heat source at that time of her cycle.
Hemorrhage: Hemophiliacs and anyone predisposed to hemorrhage should avoid infrared usage or any type of heating that would induce vasodilatation that can lead to the tendency to bleed.
Persons suffering from heart disease, low or high blood pressure, circulatory problems, or diabetes should use the sauna cautiously at first because they may be very toxic. Toxic people who have trouble sweating should use the sauna at lower temperatures and never stay in the sauna at temperatures that are not comfortable for them. Teach your body to sweat gradually.
Worsened Condition: Should any condition worsen with the use of an infrared heat system, the use of the system should be discontinued.
Infrared Protocol
Here are some beginning protocol recommendations. Please remember they are intended only as broad guidelines to follow and NOT a prescription or rules set in stone. You must listen to your body and pay attention to the information that it gives you. Also, please remember that you should always speak with your primary care physician before implementing any changes to your health-care regimen.
- Begin your first sauna session by setting the temperature to 110 degrees, get in at 98 degrees and leave the door open. Stay in for 10 minutes. (By leaving the door open, you will keep the heating elements engaged and working while not allowing the sauna to heat up too fast or too hot.)
- Assuming you feel good for the next 24 hours, the next day do the same thing with the door closed.
- Assuming you feel good for the next 24 hours, add 2 minutes the next day.
- Assuming you feel good for the next 24 hours, add 2 degrees the next day.
- Assuming you feel good for the next 24 hours, add 2 minutes the next day.
- Alternate each day adding a few minutes and then a few degrees until your sauna session is a setting of 30 minutes climbing to a top temperature of 130 degrees. You will always get in at 98 degrees. It is always best to adjust the time before adjusting the temperature.
~If you feel light headed, nauseous or in any way uncomfortable while using the sauna, or anytime in the following 24 hours, it can be a sign of detoxifying too quickly. If you are in the sauna you should come out immediately and either lower the settings the following day or take the day off. Resume when able at the time and temperature last comfortably used.
Never use the sauna over 130 degrees or for more than 30 minutes!
For your best results, you must allow yourself to warm-up with the unit through the varying temperatures until you reach your desired hottest temperature, the temperature that you set for the session. Meaning, if you are setting the Sauna at 130 degrees for 30 minutes, you still need to get in at 98 degrees. You also need to count this warm up period as part of your 30 minute session! Please don’t forget how important it is to stay hydrated during this healing process! It is recommended to avoid both distilled and reverse-osmosis waters during this process as these acidic waters lead to issues of mineral depletion and metabolic acidosis. It is very important to focus on your minerals! You should be especially mindful of your magnesium intake. Also, concentrate on your calcium and potassium; often called the trisalts…you can’t live without them! They are essential to a healthy detoxification.
Again, I urge you to double check this information with your primary care practitioner. These are meant as general guidelines that will benefit the majority of us.
It is also important to replenish your electrolytes and minerals. At a minimum, it is suggested to take a package of EmergenC after your treatment and supplement with 1 tablet of Trace minerals, by Standard Process, daily.
If you can commit 90 days straight, you will be amazed with the changes in your energy, moods, sleep patterns, mental acuity and complexion, just to name a few improvements. Then go to a maintenance protocol, using the sauna every other day for continued balanced health and happy living!
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Recommended Health and Safety Tips
- Wear loose-fitting gym attire. Cotton shorts and a t-shirt or a bathing suit will be suitable.
- For optimal benefits, set your controls to maintain a sauna temperature of 110F-130F. Please remember that infrared heat is simply radiant energy in the form of a band of light that radiates heat penetrating the skin to a depth of 1.5 inches or more. This radiant heat is efficient because it warms the body internally, not the air. Setting higher temperatures may add to personal discomfort with very little therapeutic value. The sauna should never be set over 150F. To regulate the temperature in your sauna during use open the overhead vent for cooling.
- Do not immediately shower after your session due to eliminated toxins on the body’s surface. Toxins may be inhaled through water vapor mist causing nausea. If a shower is required, simply wipe your body with a cool moistened wash cloth. A hot shower before a sauna session may enhance sweat volume by heat conditioning your body.
- For optimal results refrain from using the sauna on a full stomach.
- It is important to remain hydrated. For best results drink water before, during, and after your sauna session.
- Do not apply excess body lotion to your body prior to a sauna session.
- Use at least 2-3 towels: Sit on one folded towel for perspiration absorption and cushioning. Use another towel on the floor to absorb extra sweat. Use a third towel to wipe off your body surface sweat.
- At the first sign of a cold or flu, increasing sauna sessions may be beneficial in boosting the immune system and decreasing the reproductive rate of viruses and bacteria.
- To treat your ankles and feet more effectively, elevate them while in the sauna. Any area you wish to achieve a specific deep heating effect should be placed as close to the Infrared emitters as feels comfortable.
- Please make the time to stretch after a sauna treatment for approximately 10 minutes. Since your muscles are warm, it would improve your flexibility immensely.