Sweating and Safe Detox
Discussions about the possible dangers of sweat lodges, steam rooms and saunas have recently popped up all over the blogosphere. As a result some people have started doubting whether or not a good detox can be achieved by sweating. This leaves us wondering if something has changed to make us question the proven track record of saunas?
Confusion regarding the safe use of saunas and sweat lodges has come out of the tragedy at the “Spriritual Warrior” retreat in Arizona last fall. Excessive use of a sweat lodge lead to dehydration and the eventual death of 3 guests as well as 18 people hospitalized.
Most people are able to enjoy the many benefits of their saunas and don’t worry about these easily avoidable problems by drinking water before and after a session. All that is needed to prevent any possible risk is to stay hydrated. Hydration is the single most important factor to sweating out toxins and replenishing the body.
Many people are unaware that using a sauna for a cardio workout, detox or a diet is one of the safest and easiest ways to go about it. Infrared saunas are especially a good sauna for stimulating detox through sweating. The American Medical Association (AMA) explained that “many of us who run do so to place a demand on our cardiovascular system, not to build big leg muscles. Regular use of indoor saunas may impact a similar stress on the cardiovascular system, and its regular use may be as effective, as a means of cardiovascular conditioning and burning of calories, as regular exercise.”
For someone to enjoy the detoxifying benefits of an infrared sauna or any type of steam room etc, the simple practice of drinking a glass of water before and after a 15-30 minute session is all that is needed to prevent dehydration or any other possible adverse reaction. Hydration is the key to sweating out toxins.
Another key aspect of infrared sauna use is to utilize a quality mineral supplement. Sweat detox pushes out toxins and heavy metals, but there is a small amount of good minerals that are invariably lost in the process. It is important to replenish these by adding mineral drops to your water before or after your sauna session.
The effectiveness and ease of use of portable infrared saunas and other methods of sweat detox, make them an excellent way to improve one’s health. The benefits outweigh the slight risk of dehydration, leaving us wonder why there was ever any confusion to begin with.
Benjamin Andrews writes, researches and blogs about detox in addition to various other topics on natural living. To find out more about FIR saunas and sweat detox, go to HEALTHandMEdBlog and read more from Andrews.
