INfrared sauna
Your skin is the largest organ of your body. Infrared sauna emits rays that penetrate into the tissues to a depth of 1.5 inches. The subcutaneous fatty layer is located just below the skin. This heat stimulates our fat cells to release the accumulated debris that they have been holding on to infrared sauna also stimulates the sebaceous glands to release harmful toxins like mercury and other heavy metals. Since humans are bio-accumulators, toxins that cannot be expelled immediately after entry are stored in our bodies. One of the reasons infrared saunas are so beneficial with a variety of different illnesses is the ability of the FAR waves to accelerate the removal of toxins that are often at the core of many different health challenges.
The specific wave range of a the FAR infrared sauna is 7-14 microns, the frequency that H²0 resonates with. When toxic substances encounter large H²0 molecules in our body, they are encapsulated by water clusters. This accumulation of toxins blocks blood circulation, oxygenation, nutrient supply and waste removal. When the FAR emitted by an infrared sauna hits these water molecules, they begin to vibrate. As the bonds which hold clusters of H²0 molecules together are dissolved, the toxins they are holding are released.
The specific wave range of a the FAR infrared sauna is 7-14 microns, the frequency that H²0 resonates with. This resonance releases all manner of toxins such as sulphur, formaldehyde, heavy metals and more. The increased depth of penetration provides pain-relief, detoxification and increased circulation.
Weight Loss
Weight loss from sweating is ineffective and always regained quickly as it was lost, however, It is possible to burn upwards to 600 calories in a single session in an infrared sauna and a 30 minute sauna session is proposed to be equivalent to jogging for thirty minutes. Heavy metals contribute to metabolic and hormonal imbalance and weight gain. Infrared Saunas helps eliminate these toxins and can also improve the basal metabolic rate and normalize body weight. The decrease of toxins stored in a person's fat dramatically helps one to feel more energy, lightness and which in turn could nudge the body to exercise. Also increasing circulation and oxygenation to the body improves their health and their ability to keep the body balanced.
Sports Recovery
Infrared heat can greatly benefit the sore, damaged or tired muscles of an athlete. The heat penetrates the muscles, increasing blood circulation and assisting muscle repair. Infrared heat will also help in the reduction of lactic acids, so tight and overworked muscles relax. The penetrating heat of the infrared sauna can also help ease the pain of a muscle sprain. Infrared saunas can also help ease joint pain in athletes. The relaxation of the muscles controlling the joints and the increased circulation to the joints enhances healing and recovery.
Psoriasis & Other Skin Conditions
Holistic Practitioners believe it is a necessary tool to aid in balancing the skin. When certain toxins are ingested, the liver does not have the ability to break down, metabolize and excrete the toxins. The toxins are sent to the skin for elimination via sweat. When the toxins hit the cells just below the skin, the body overproduces skin cells by a factor of 10,000. The toxins come out on the dead skin cells. By sweating regularly and profusely, the toxins are eliminated via the sweat and sebaceous glands as opposed to through the shedding of skin. The dramatic increase in circulation to the skin that comes with infrared sauna use is also a major factor in toning, tightening and rejuvenating the skin.
Heart Disease
Studies done at the Mayo Clinic in the 1990′s were performed on 37 congestive heart failure patients. All 37 displayed improvement and some even got off their medications after 6 weeks of low heat infrared sauna therapy.
Arthritis
The heat generated from the infrared waves, penetrate deeply into the joints and muscles to break up lactic acid deposits and to increase circulation to the joint capsules which accelerates soft tissue repair and increases the suppleness, flexibility and pliability of the connective tissue.
Asthma
During the 1980′s infrared sauna therapy studies demonstreated that industrial chemical exposure was alleviated in about 4 weeks. Some regular infrared sauna aficionados claim that inhaler use dropped from 3x / week to 3x / year.
Fibromyalgia (Chronic Pain Disorder)
Many holistic doctors and more and more traditional medical doctors are beginning to believe that these types of patients have a very large toxic burden. It is also the case that for many of them, the liver (the major detoxification organ) and the kidneys (the major organ of filtration and excretion) are not functioning optimally. Oftentimes when toxic load begins to lighten up, many symptoms begin to decrease. The infrared sauna is invaluable for accelerating heavy metal and petrochemical excretion.
Aging
Common problems associated with lifestyle and aging, such as hypertension and osteoporosis, headaches and digestive problems, are attributed by some scientists to be the result of excess acidity in our system. The American Medical Journal found that in patients with bone loss, alkalizing their system caused a decrease in bone loss. Their conclusion was that our typical American diet is acid producing. The acids deposited in our blood are often stored by the body in forms of cholesterol, fatty acid, uric acid, and other villains that cause havoc in our system. Sang Whang, the author of “Reverse Aging” claims that these excess acids can be eliminated with the use of far infrared products, along with consuming certain alkaline minerals and foods. The far infrared resonance heats up the internal temperature of the body, increasing circulation, thus enabling the blood to melt out the acidic toxins that have been deposited for years in one’s arteries.
Firm & Healthy Arteries
When the normally smooth, firm lining of the arteries becomes thickened and roughened by deposits of fat, fibrin, calcium and cellular debris, it lessens the arteries ability to expand and contract, and slows the blood movement through narrowed channels. These conditions make it easier for blood clots to form, blocking the arteries and stopping blood flow completely. FIR is able to neutralize blood toxicity and smooth the walls of arteries, capillaries and veins.
WHat is the DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FAR INFRARED SAUNA & CONVECTIONAL HEATED SAUNAS?
A FAR Infrared Sauna is a sauna that employs FAR infrared light to heat you up, instead of using convection (heated air or steam) or conduction (through the hot wood.) Infrared light is part of the sun’s invisible spectrum. Our visible spectrum goes from red up through violet, the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Infra-red means “below-red” just like ultraviolet (UV) means “above-violet.” A FAR Infrared Sauna uses the far part of the infrared spectrum.
These two parts of the spectrum, are both invisible, yet they still have a very different effects on the body. Ultraviolet (UV) light has been associated with many health risks whether it is from laying out in the sun too much or from going to tanning salons. Infrared light is the exact opposite end of the light spectrum and is associated with many positive and healthful effects. Infrared is that deep inner warmth you feel when standing in the sun.
HAS THERE BEEN ANY RESEARCH OR STUDIES ABOUT FAR INFRARED SAUNAS?
For years, the average consumer’s familiarity with FAR-infrared came from the use of infrared heat lamps – which produce radiant heat. In the mid 1960′s NASA discovered that a number of mineral oxides were also capable of generating FAR waves. NASA began utilizing FAR in the 1980′s as an effective way to maintain cardiovascular conditioning for astronauts during long space flights.
Over the past 25 years, Japanese and Chinese researchers and clinicians have conducted extensive research on infrared treatments and report numerous benefits. An infrared society has been established in Japan, composed of medical doctors and physical therapists, to further research and support the health benefits of radiant infrared therapy as a method of healing.
For more information about the results of these studies:
HOW IS A FAR INFRARED SAUNA DIFFERENT FROM OTHER SAUNAS?
Regular saunas heat the skin superficially with a high wattage heater, causing opening of the sweat glands and allowing excess water to escape. The 180-degree-plus heat of the air in the sauna room heats up your lungs very quickly and shocks the body. The extreme heat of regular saunas can dry out your skin and mucous membranes (nasal passages, throat and eyes.)
Because the FAR penetrates to a depth of 1.5-2 inches, your sweat glands are pouring out water even before the core body increases to the point of discomfort. At this debth our fat cells are stimulated which causes a release of toxins to the surface. This deep tissue sweat actually raises the core temperature of the body 2-3 degrees, creating a mild fever. Fevers are the bodies ultimate way of defense.
There is a saying “Give your body a good fever, and there is no disease that can survive.”
HOW DO PEOPLE BECOME TOXIC? HOW DO TOXINS ESPECIALLY IMPACT MEN OR WOMEN?
Modern food production, processing, farming, and dental procedures can contain and contribute to our exposure of all sorts of toxins such as pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, industrial chemicals, petrochemicals, preservatives, heavy metals such as mercury and more. When you ingest food products that contain multiple different toxins and do so on a regular basis, your body does not have the time or resources and gradually becomes overwhelmed by the burden. The infrared sauna can really accelerate your body’s ability to get rid of these poisons.
Men tend to be exposed to more industrial chemicals via working on their car or other gadgets. There can also be pesticide exposure from taking care of the lawn and garden. Historically, men have a much higher rate of smoke inhalation and alcohol ingestion than women.
Women can be exposed via makeup, nail polish, nail polish removers, other beauty products and household cleaning agents. Though the average person, man or woman, is exposed to 60-70 chemicals every day by diet alone, women have a higher BMI (body mass index – the ratio of lean tissue to fat) than men and because of this can store more toxins. Some people estimate that as much as 50 percent of women have an overloaded liver and lymph system, the systems of the body responsible for processing fats, fluids and toxins. In some cases this can lead to weight gain, brain fog and fatigue. Many of these symptoms can be substantially improved by a series of infrared sauna treatments.
Toxic overload has been implicated in many health conditions, from fibrocystic breast disease (FBD) in women to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. Symptoms of toxic overload include fatigue, headaches, joint or muscle pain, frequent colds and flu, signs of allergy and hormonal imbalance, chemical sensitivity, sinus congestion, psoriasis and other skin conditions, loss of dexterity, insomnia and more. Psychological symptoms include poor concentration, memory loss, mood changes, mental confusion and changes in behavior.
