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Seeds for Change Wellness
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Detoxing Using a Far Infrared Sauna
Detoxing Using a Far Infrared Sauna
Author: Dr. Sarah Myhill Source: The Environmental Illness Resource
Recently we have seen a flurry of extremely well done medical studies which have looked
at the chemical burden in our environment and also our bodies. We are being increasingly exposed
to a whole range of new chemicals - indeed in the last fifty years it has been estimated that 5 million
new chemicals have been created by man, of which 75,000 are in regular everyday use, of which
less than 10% have had any sort of toxicity testing.
These chemicals are now ubiquitously present in the environment, they are well absorbed
through food, water, by inhalation and through our skins. Many of them are very fat soluble and
bio-accumulate in our bodies. It is now becoming very clear that internal environment of our bodies
reflects our external environment. Furthermore, because we are at the top of the food chain and
because we live for many years, chemical burden is increasing each year.
Studies done by the World Wildlife Fund and other such scientific bodies show that we all carry
a heavy burden of chemicals, they are present in our fat in mg/kg (this would be similar to the sort
of levels in blood if we were taking a therapeutic drug), they persist for many years and their effects
are unpredictable. Most of these chemicals are known toxins, cause cancer, birth defects, damage
to nerves and the immune system, to the liver and bone marrow, etc. Furthermore, we now know
that cocktails of chemicals have much more serious effects than chemicals in isolation.
Furthermore, low dose chemicals may be very much more toxic than we ever anticipated, partly
because many of them mimic our own hormones and thereby disrupt the delicate hormonal balance
within all of us.
In multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), chemical reactions are often triggered by overwhelming
exposures to chemicals such as pesticides, volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, toxic gases
(carbon monoxide, NOX, SOX) etc. I now suspect that many patients with MCS not only react to
chemicals outside the body, but may also be reacting to chemicals within their own fat. I am coming
to the view, therefore, that we all need to do regular detox to keep our body load as low as
possible. But for patients with MCS this is an essential part of treatment. If they can unload their
bodies sufficiently, they can reduce their own sensitivity and tolerate inadvertent exposures to
chemicals when they stray outside their own safe environment.
Chemicals are detoxified through the liver (and this is helped by good micronutrient status -
see my nutritional supplements page - link below), they can also be excreted directly through the
skin and by exhalation. This occurs when the body gets hot when chemicals are literally boiled off
and passed out through the sweat. The most physiological way of doing this is exercise, but many
of my patients are not well enough to exercise. For those that can exercise, I recommend putting
one too many layers of clothing including a cotton layer next to the skin, on so you sweat freely into
the cotton layer which can be taken off and washed. The toxins are lost into the washing machine!
For those who cannot sweat through exercise (or who are poor sweaters - interestingly many
of my MCS and CFS patients are not good at sweating and this may be a risk factor in acquiring
these problems), I recommend using the time honoured methods of detox including saunas, Turkish
baths and spa therapies. However, the problem with these treatments is not only do they warm up
the skin and subcutaneous tissues, but the whole body is warmed up. This means that chemicals
are mobilised from the fat (which largely speaking lies underneath the skin), they get into the blood
stream and may cause acute poisoning. Furthermore, many people with CFS do not tolerate heat
at all well (for reasons of poor cardiac output - see page on mitochondrial failure). As a result,
many of my patients are unable to tolerate these sweating therapies.
So this is why I became particularly interested in a new technique described in Dr Sherry
Rogers' book "Detoxify or Die" (available from Amazon). She advocates a technique of far infra red
saunaing. Far infra red is the main energy source that comes from the sun and is responsible for
warming our skin when we sit in direct sunshine. The rays penetrate several centimetres through
the skin and heat up subcutaneous tissues. With enough sun on the skin the skin will warm up and
sweat, and chemicals from subcutaneous tissues will be mobilised and pass out through sweat. The
sunshine does this without heating up the core temperature (although if you lie in the sun for long
enough then the core temperature will eventually rise) therefore chemicals can be mobilised and
excreted without causing the core temperature to rise. Indeed Dr Rogers describes many case
histories in her book of patients who, for example, have severe heart disease who would certainly
not tolerate a conventional sauna, but who can tolerate FIRS very comfortably.
Far infra red does not damage the skin (it is the sun's ultra-violet which is at the other end of
the spectrum which does that), so have no fears on this count. Indeed primitive man evolved
running naked under the African sun and so to have far infra red playing on the skin and warming it
is an entirely natural process.
The joy of sweating is that is gets rid of most toxins. This is because sweat is blood but
without the cellular and protein content. So sweat contains everything - a range of all toxins
including pesticides, volatile organic compounds and heavy metals. It is a very natural and
physiological way of detoxing. Indeed it is very likely that many of the health benefits of sweating
arise form the fact that one is also detoxing. It is never too late to start sweating. I often find
organophosphates in fat biopsies decades after the last exposure, but levels will come down after a
few weeks of sweating.
Key points about saunaing and sweating
Firstly not only are toxins excreted in sweat, but so are the beneficial minerals. So after a
sweat it is vital to re-hydrate with a physiological mix of minerals containing all essential minerals
(i.e. one scoop of MMMs) in water and take a small supplement of salt (say an eighth of a teaspoon
salt on food). This phenomenon explains why serious athletes sometimes drop dead inexplicably.
They sweat so much that they deplete themselves of essential elements, in particular magnesium.
They only rehydrate with "electrolytes", namely sodium and potassium. Magnesium is necessary for
muscles to relax and if levels are very low, cardiac muscle cannot relax, and so the heart just stops
in systole. At post mortem the heart appears normal.
Secondly, it is important to shower immediately after a sweat in order to wash away toxins
which may otherwise be reabsorbed back through skin.
Thirdly, the most excretion of toxins occurs in the first few minutes of sweating as they
move onto the surface of the skin - so the best results come from many short sessions (e.g. one
daily just to the point of sweating) rather than protracted sweating which may make the patient feel
ill. My experience of measuring levels of pesticides and VOCs in fat biopsies, or by measuring
mercury excretion, is that 50 sweating sessions reduce the toxic burden reliably well. One could
expect levels to come down exponentially so more toxins are shifted in the earlier than in the later
sessions. However, we are all inevitably exposed to toxins in the environment and there is an
equilibrium between us and our environment so sweating regimes should be a regular part of
keeping well.
Note from Susan: What Type of Far Infrared Sauna I Use
I have purchased a portable far infrared sauna for the purpose of daily detoxing. I researched the
various products and was looking for a sauna that was within my budget and had a good rating for
being effective. As I began my research, I did not realize that you could purchase a portable
sauna. This appealed to me for several reasons: it didn't take up much space, it could be moved
to different locations, it was easy to set up and then put away, and the price was unbelievable: I
spent a little over $200 for my sauna but since investigating further, the same product could be had
on Ebay for about $50 less.
This has been a great investment for me. As soon as I get up in the morning, I immediately get into
the sauna for 30 minutes, and then I end my day the same way. Since using this sauna on a daily
basis I have felt wonderful- life's little aches and pains that always seem to be there but you brush
them aside as tolerable have basically disappeared. If by chance, I do have some aches
somewhere they are very minor and short lived. The real determining factor about effectiveness
will come in a few months when I retake a heavy metals test to see if those metals that tested high
in my system have been drastically reduced and/or now fall within the normal range. I had started
out with a daily chelation tablet but have since decided to move in this direction to detoxify because
it feels better and it is more cost effective for the overall program.
Here is the link for the sauna I purchased. I do not have any connection to the company, I just really
like and believe in this product. I would search around after you read up on their information,
because you can get this same product for a lower price than is listed at this link.
Happy Detoxing! :) Susan
Author: Dr. Sarah Myhill Source: The Environmental Illness Resource
Recently we have seen a flurry of extremely well done medical studies which have looked
at the chemical burden in our environment and also our bodies. We are being increasingly exposed
to a whole range of new chemicals - indeed in the last fifty years it has been estimated that 5 million
new chemicals have been created by man, of which 75,000 are in regular everyday use, of which
less than 10% have had any sort of toxicity testing.
These chemicals are now ubiquitously present in the environment, they are well absorbed
through food, water, by inhalation and through our skins. Many of them are very fat soluble and
bio-accumulate in our bodies. It is now becoming very clear that internal environment of our bodies
reflects our external environment. Furthermore, because we are at the top of the food chain and
because we live for many years, chemical burden is increasing each year.
Studies done by the World Wildlife Fund and other such scientific bodies show that we all carry
a heavy burden of chemicals, they are present in our fat in mg/kg (this would be similar to the sort
of levels in blood if we were taking a therapeutic drug), they persist for many years and their effects
are unpredictable. Most of these chemicals are known toxins, cause cancer, birth defects, damage
to nerves and the immune system, to the liver and bone marrow, etc. Furthermore, we now know
that cocktails of chemicals have much more serious effects than chemicals in isolation.
Furthermore, low dose chemicals may be very much more toxic than we ever anticipated, partly
because many of them mimic our own hormones and thereby disrupt the delicate hormonal balance
within all of us.
In multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), chemical reactions are often triggered by overwhelming
exposures to chemicals such as pesticides, volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, toxic gases
(carbon monoxide, NOX, SOX) etc. I now suspect that many patients with MCS not only react to
chemicals outside the body, but may also be reacting to chemicals within their own fat. I am coming
to the view, therefore, that we all need to do regular detox to keep our body load as low as
possible. But for patients with MCS this is an essential part of treatment. If they can unload their
bodies sufficiently, they can reduce their own sensitivity and tolerate inadvertent exposures to
chemicals when they stray outside their own safe environment.
Chemicals are detoxified through the liver (and this is helped by good micronutrient status -
see my nutritional supplements page - link below), they can also be excreted directly through the
skin and by exhalation. This occurs when the body gets hot when chemicals are literally boiled off
and passed out through the sweat. The most physiological way of doing this is exercise, but many
of my patients are not well enough to exercise. For those that can exercise, I recommend putting
one too many layers of clothing including a cotton layer next to the skin, on so you sweat freely into
the cotton layer which can be taken off and washed. The toxins are lost into the washing machine!
For those who cannot sweat through exercise (or who are poor sweaters - interestingly many
of my MCS and CFS patients are not good at sweating and this may be a risk factor in acquiring
these problems), I recommend using the time honoured methods of detox including saunas, Turkish
baths and spa therapies. However, the problem with these treatments is not only do they warm up
the skin and subcutaneous tissues, but the whole body is warmed up. This means that chemicals
are mobilised from the fat (which largely speaking lies underneath the skin), they get into the blood
stream and may cause acute poisoning. Furthermore, many people with CFS do not tolerate heat
at all well (for reasons of poor cardiac output - see page on mitochondrial failure). As a result,
many of my patients are unable to tolerate these sweating therapies.
So this is why I became particularly interested in a new technique described in Dr Sherry
Rogers' book "Detoxify or Die" (available from Amazon). She advocates a technique of far infra red
saunaing. Far infra red is the main energy source that comes from the sun and is responsible for
warming our skin when we sit in direct sunshine. The rays penetrate several centimetres through
the skin and heat up subcutaneous tissues. With enough sun on the skin the skin will warm up and
sweat, and chemicals from subcutaneous tissues will be mobilised and pass out through sweat. The
sunshine does this without heating up the core temperature (although if you lie in the sun for long
enough then the core temperature will eventually rise) therefore chemicals can be mobilised and
excreted without causing the core temperature to rise. Indeed Dr Rogers describes many case
histories in her book of patients who, for example, have severe heart disease who would certainly
not tolerate a conventional sauna, but who can tolerate FIRS very comfortably.
Far infra red does not damage the skin (it is the sun's ultra-violet which is at the other end of
the spectrum which does that), so have no fears on this count. Indeed primitive man evolved
running naked under the African sun and so to have far infra red playing on the skin and warming it
is an entirely natural process.
The joy of sweating is that is gets rid of most toxins. This is because sweat is blood but
without the cellular and protein content. So sweat contains everything - a range of all toxins
including pesticides, volatile organic compounds and heavy metals. It is a very natural and
physiological way of detoxing. Indeed it is very likely that many of the health benefits of sweating
arise form the fact that one is also detoxing. It is never too late to start sweating. I often find
organophosphates in fat biopsies decades after the last exposure, but levels will come down after a
few weeks of sweating.
Key points about saunaing and sweating
Firstly not only are toxins excreted in sweat, but so are the beneficial minerals. So after a
sweat it is vital to re-hydrate with a physiological mix of minerals containing all essential minerals
(i.e. one scoop of MMMs) in water and take a small supplement of salt (say an eighth of a teaspoon
salt on food). This phenomenon explains why serious athletes sometimes drop dead inexplicably.
They sweat so much that they deplete themselves of essential elements, in particular magnesium.
They only rehydrate with "electrolytes", namely sodium and potassium. Magnesium is necessary for
muscles to relax and if levels are very low, cardiac muscle cannot relax, and so the heart just stops
in systole. At post mortem the heart appears normal.
Secondly, it is important to shower immediately after a sweat in order to wash away toxins
which may otherwise be reabsorbed back through skin.
Thirdly, the most excretion of toxins occurs in the first few minutes of sweating as they
move onto the surface of the skin - so the best results come from many short sessions (e.g. one
daily just to the point of sweating) rather than protracted sweating which may make the patient feel
ill. My experience of measuring levels of pesticides and VOCs in fat biopsies, or by measuring
mercury excretion, is that 50 sweating sessions reduce the toxic burden reliably well. One could
expect levels to come down exponentially so more toxins are shifted in the earlier than in the later
sessions. However, we are all inevitably exposed to toxins in the environment and there is an
equilibrium between us and our environment so sweating regimes should be a regular part of
keeping well.
Note from Susan: What Type of Far Infrared Sauna I Use
I have purchased a portable far infrared sauna for the purpose of daily detoxing. I researched the
various products and was looking for a sauna that was within my budget and had a good rating for
being effective. As I began my research, I did not realize that you could purchase a portable
sauna. This appealed to me for several reasons: it didn't take up much space, it could be moved
to different locations, it was easy to set up and then put away, and the price was unbelievable: I
spent a little over $200 for my sauna but since investigating further, the same product could be had
on Ebay for about $50 less.
This has been a great investment for me. As soon as I get up in the morning, I immediately get into
the sauna for 30 minutes, and then I end my day the same way. Since using this sauna on a daily
basis I have felt wonderful- life's little aches and pains that always seem to be there but you brush
them aside as tolerable have basically disappeared. If by chance, I do have some aches
somewhere they are very minor and short lived. The real determining factor about effectiveness
will come in a few months when I retake a heavy metals test to see if those metals that tested high
in my system have been drastically reduced and/or now fall within the normal range. I had started
out with a daily chelation tablet but have since decided to move in this direction to detoxify because
it feels better and it is more cost effective for the overall program.
Here is the link for the sauna I purchased. I do not have any connection to the company, I just really
like and believe in this product. I would search around after you read up on their information,
because you can get this same product for a lower price than is listed at this link.
Happy Detoxing! :) Susan