Improve your health with Far Infrared Saunas
Far Infrared Saunas and the Detoxification process
Detoxification has also become a prominent treatment as people have become more aware of environmental pollution. It is estimated that one in every four Americans suffers from some level of heavy metal poisoning. Heavy metals, such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic, are by-products of industry. Synthetic agriculture chemicals, many of which are known to cause health problems, are also found in food, air, and water. American agriculture uses nearly 10 lb (4.5 kg) of pesticides per person on the food supply each year. These toxins have become almost unavoidable.
The problem of toxins in the environment is compounded because humans are at the top of the food chain and are more likely to be exposed to an accumulation of toxic substances in the food supply. For instance, pesticides and herbicides are sprayed on grains that are then fed to farm animals. Toxic substances are stored in the fatty tissue of those animals. In addition, those animals are often injected with synthetic hormones, antibiotics, and other chemicals. When people eat meat products, they are exposed to the full range of chemicals and additives used along the entire agricultural chain. Detoxification specialists call this build up of toxins bioaccumulation. They assert that the bioaccumulation of toxic substances over time is responsible for many physical and mental disorders, especially ones that are increasing rapidly (like asthma, cancer, and mental illness). As a result, detoxification therapies are increasing in importance and popularity.
Toxins in the body include heavy metals and various chemicals such as pesticides, pollutants, and food additives. Drugs and alcohol have toxic effects in the body. Toxins are produced as normal by-products in the intestines by the bacteria that break down food.
The body has natural methods of detoxification. Individual cells get detoxified in the lymph and circulatory system. The liver is the principle organ of detoxification, assisted by the kidneys and intestines. Toxins can be excreted from the body by the kidneys, bowels, skin, and lungs. Detoxification treatments become necessary when the body's natural detoxification systems become overwhelmed. Generally this instance can be caused by long-term effects of improper diet, stress, overeating, sedentary lifestyles, illness, and poor health habits. When a build up of toxic substances in the body creates illness, it's called toxemia. Some people's digestive tracts become unable to digest food properly, due to years of overeating and diets that are high in fat and processed foods and low in fiber (the average American diet). When this happens, food cannot pass through the digestive tract efficiently. Instead of being digested properly or eliminated from the bowel, food can literally rot inside the digestive tract and produce toxic by-products. This state is known as toxic colon syndrome or intestinal toxemia.
Detoxification therapies try to activate and assist the bodies own detoxification processes. They also try to eliminate additional exposure to toxins and strengthen the body and immune system so that toxic imbalances won't occur in the future.
Body Detoxification Defined
Detoxification is defined in The Rebellious Body as “activities involved in assisting the body in the mobilization and excretion of toxins, with the net effect of reducing the burden to the immune system, thereby allowing greater health.” Body detoxification is simply the process of clearing toxins from the body.
Symptoms of Toxic Overload
There are many symptoms of toxicity however Dr. Elson Haas states that headaches, fatigue, mucus problems, aches and pains, digestive problems, “allergy” symptoms, and sensitivity to environmental agents such as chemicals, perfumes, and synthetics are the most common. He further states that general bodily detoxification systems are as follows:
Respiratory – lungs, bronchial tubes, throat, sinuses, and nose
Gastrointestinal – liver, gallbladder, colon, and whole GI tract
Urinary – kidneys, bladder and urethra
Skin and dermal – sweat and sebaceous glands and tears
Lymphatic (Immune System) – lymph channels and lymph nodes
Detoxification isn’t an all or nothing proposition. There are many levels. Simply drinking additional good fresh water will aid in the detoxification process. So will eating more fruits; enjoying bananas and cantaloupe (potassium), and vegetables.
They are cleansing foods.
Saunas can aid in the removal of toxins
An effective detox secret is to sauna on a regular basis. There are two types of saunas to choose from; first is the conventional sauna which heats the air electrically or by burning wood. Your skin perspires as a result of direct contact with the hot air, which is heated to 180 – 235 degrees Fahrenheit. The second type is the more advanced far infrared sauna, which heats the body directly without heating the air in between. This means that your body perspires more quickly at lower temperatures (120 – 150 degrees) and the heat penetrates more deeply without the discomfort and draining effect often experienced in the conventional sauna.
Additionally, an infrared sauna session produces two to three times more sweat than conventional saunas thereby enhancing the detoxification process. Saunas work by accelerating the removal of toxins that are stored in the fatty tissues of the body. It is recognized that a sauna program is one of the only known ways of getting rid of twentieth century man-made chemicals such as PCB’s, dioxins, pesticides, and phthalates (plastisizers). Additional benefits of regular sauna sessions include: improved skin tone and elasticity, reduced cellulite deposits and weight loss!
