Infrared Saunas… What is all the fuss about?

Sweat… it’s the body’s natural way to detox and in today’s modern and toxic world, we need to detox now more than ever. 

How do you do that?  Well, you have three options…you can pee, poop or sweat the toxins out.  Those are the only options to get stuff out of the body.  Sweating is especially beneficial for helping to remove toxins stored in the tissues.  Sweating supports detoxification and keeps people healthy. 

Saunas have been used for thousands of years and are still found in most cultures in the world today.   This is not a new concept, it’s a tried and true therapy that works great to support the body.

All saunas can induce sweating. However, traditional saunas run at a very high temperature, usually around 180°F to 190°F, making it uncomfortable for some people and just plan unsafe for other, like people with heart issues.  An important point to understand is that blood pressure starts to increase with temperatures over 140°F.

Infrared saunas run at a much lower temperature,  typically maxing out at 130°F, so they are much more comfortable and more people can enjoy the therapeutic benefits.

Infrared energy is all around us…even our bodies radiate infrared energy.  The infrared spectrum is one of the safest spectrums and the most vital to health and healing.  Infrared saunas use infrared energy to heat the body instead of heating the air.  Infrared energy can penetrate up to 1.5 to 2 inches deep within the body, which causes a heating effect in the muscles and organs that trigger mobilization of chemicals from subcutaneous fat storage directly into the sweat.  So it can get things moving to get more toxins out! Infrared energy increases the body’s metabolic rate which results in detoxification, weight loss, relaxation, pain relief, lower blood pressure and improves circulation and skin health.  

Infrared wavelengths penetrate tissues and detoxify cells by vibrating ionic bonds and improving lymphatic flow and blood circulation.  They can help to decrease the size of water clusters in the body, giving them greater mobility and penetration in and out of body tissues, thus carrying toxins out of cells so they can be released.   

When sweating in an infrared sauna, the body is in a calm state since it is stationary and relaxed.  This allows for a parasympathetic state to occur within the body.  This state maximizes the healing process.  This is a very different experience to sweating with heavy exercise.  Although exercise is also a great way to get the sweat going to remove some toxins, and we should all be doing more of it, the amount of toxins released are going to be reduced as the body is in a sympathetic state from all of the movement.  An infrared sauna can achieve 3-4 times the detoxification of exercise induced sweating.   

If someone is in a weakened state or trying to detox from a chronic illness, heavy exercise just isn’t an option.

Some benefits of an infrared sauna:

·         Detoxification

·         Benefit Heart Health & Blood Pressure

·         Promote Parasympathetic Nervous System

·         Increase Cognitive Function

·         Balance Mood (stimulate endorphins)

·         Reduce Stress

·         Support Weight Loss

·         Supports healthy skin function

·         Offer anti-aging benefits

·         Reduce inflammation

·         Improve Sleep patterns

·         Cellulite reduction

I always recommend taking a GI binder before going into the sauna. After the sauna I recommend taking a good mineral supplement to help remineralize the body as well as Vitamin C and glutathione to support a healthy detox.   Don’t forget to keep drinking water!  You will continue to detox even after you get out of the sauna. 

It is very important to select an infrared sauna that is made from untreated wood, that doesn’t off-gas chemicals or glues, and doesn’t emit any EMFs by the sauna.  You are sitting in a closed box for about 30 minutes so the last thing anyone needs is to be exposed to toxins while in the sauna trying to detox.  Make sure to research the sauna you are planning on using before you start sweating.  

An infrared sauna makes detoxing easy! Try one this spring and start the new season out right!

Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Interested in trying a sauna? We offer this service at the clinic as a single session or in a package.

Let me know if you have any questions about it.

DeBritt