Detoxification in a Toxic World

The Problem:
We are exposed to hundreds of man-made toxins and pollutants in our environment as a result of modern lifestyles and technologies. Every day we are surrounded by chemicals, no matter where we live or how well we take care of ourselves and our families. These chemicals enter our bodies by the air we breath, the food we eat, the water we drink, and by the things we touch. We can't escape nearly constant chemical exposure, whether from the pesticides sprayed on our neighbor's lawn, new carpeting at the office, heavy metals in our tap water, or in the hair styling products we use, just to name but a few examples. Many of us are reaching maximum body burden. We suffer from a wide range of idiopathic (unknown cause) health conditions. Is it any wonder? Avoidance and nutritional intervention are necessary, but may not be enough. There are new classes of xenobiotics (foreign chemicals) in our everyday environment that cannot be processed and removed by our body's natural detoxification pathways. The body just doesn't "know" what to do with them. It simply sequesters them, hiding them in tissues such as fat. Forgotten, but certainly not gone! The only way to remove these toxins may be by "thermal depuration" - taking saunas!

The Solution:
Sauna or "sweat" therapy has evolved through the centuries to "purify" the body. Ancient people understood the benefits (read more). Today the electrically powered sauna is the preferred way to heat the body for therapeutic purposes. Patients used to have only two sauna options: buying an in-home sauna costing thousands of dollars, or finding public saunas. Using public saunas such as at a gym is not recommended for detox. Why? Public saunas rarely use the proper dry far infrared technologies and settings that are best for detox. Patients are exposed to the toxic vapors from other people, and fungal skin infections are rampant. An in-home solution is needed.

How it works:
Obviously saunas make you sweat. Most, but not all, of the therapeutic benefits of sauna comes from copious sweating. The skin must be viewed as a major organ of elimination. The body excretes unwanted waste products via sweat. In many modern cultures, we live increasingly sedentary lifestyles, largely indoors. We don't sweat very much; in fact we often view sweating as socially inappropriate and non-hygienic. We avoid the healing rays of the sun too much of the time. Our exposure to this most natural source of infrared is limited, sometimes out of fear of ultraviolet exposure and risk of skin cancer. But ultraviolet and infrared are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Infrared has nothing at all to do with skin cancer. We need, and we miss, the healthy deep warming rays of the sun.

When the body is heated, the heart rate increases and the skin blushes, bringing blood closer to the surface. Small increase in core body temperature cause metabolic processes to speed up. The beneficial processes of inflammation are set in motion. Detoxification processes accelerate.

Adipose or fat tissues, where so many toxins are sequestered, begin to "loosen up". A natural process called lipolysis accelerates, where fat tissues are broken down by the body. Toxins that were locked in are released into the blood stream in a process called mobilization. Some of these toxins are sweated out through the skin. Some are delivered by the bloodstream to the liver and kidneys, and even to the colon, for elimination. So not only can sauna therapy increase toxin removal by sweating, but it also mobilizes toxins, and increases elimination by the urine and feces.

Especially in the early phases of sauna therapy, some patients will notice reactions such as burning urine or feces, skin rashes and unusual odors. A physician should be involved to monitor and moderate these processes of detoxification to avoid excessive suffering and stress. Nutritional support and ample hydration will help the body handle the detoxification processes.

From a larger perspective, these reactions are the hopeful signs of detoxification beginning at a new, higher level. In the beginning, patients may feel weak and tired after a sauna session. Liberated toxins are still in the blood stream. Not everything can be eliminated all at once. Over time, after repeated sauna sessions, the concentrations of toxins reduce, so that saunas become much more comfortable, and even can seem welcoming and pleasant.