Root Cause, Detox

15 September 2023

I’ve used an infrared sauna 3-5 days a week for over 17 years, and I will continue to for the rest of my life.  There are many reasons for this, which I will dive into later in this blog, but even beyond the science, in my opinion, it’s by far one of the best investments I’ve ever made, not just in my health but in my life.

I can’t stress enough how important it was in helping me turn my health around, helping me feel better when I wasn’t doing so well, and now in helping me maintain the health I worked so hard for.

Many people purchase saunas and don’t use them, or lose motivation because they struggle to sweat.  If this is you, you have a tool in your home that if used 3-5 times a week, can reduce all risk mortality by 50+%.  A tool that can improve pretty much every aspect of health.  To me, that would be a VERY good reason to create a new habit and figure out how to improve your ability to sweat.

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In this blog, I’m going to walk you through several key things.

1. Why infrared saunas are so beneficial to your health (hopefully this encourages you to make it part of your routine)
2. The sauna I use and why
3. How to get started with an infrared sauna
4. Tips and tricks for sauna use
5. What to do if you have trouble sweating
6. Tips for after your sauna session

The purpose of the infrared sauna is to increase the core temperature of the body and get you sweating. Sweating on a daily basis is one of the most important things you can do long-term to lower your toxic load and improve your health.

• Detoxification & Improved Liver Health: Infrared saunas promote detoxification by using infrared waves that penetrate deep into the skin. By increasing the body's core temperature and stimulating sweating, the body can eliminate toxins, heavy metals, and other impurities through the skin.  The more toxins you can remove from your body through sweating, the happier your liver will become!

• Improved circulation: The heat from infrared saunas enhances blood flow and circulation by dilating blood vessels. The blood vessels near the skin's surface expand, allowing more blood, oxygen and nutrients to travel to the tissues.

• Pain relief: Infrared heat penetrates deep into tissues, relieving muscle aches and joint pain. The sauna can help relieve pain by promoting vasodilation, which helps reduce inflammation. Increased blood flow also improves the supply of oxygen and nutrients, which speeds up the healing process and provides relief from pain.

• Stress reduction: Sauna sessions can help reduce stress and promote relaxation by triggering the release of endorphins, the body's natural “happiness” hormones. The warmth of infrared sauna sessions can also reduce the production of stress hormones, leading to a calmer state of mind.

• Weight loss: Infrared saunas can promote weight loss by increasing the body's core temperature. This raises the heart rate and induces sweating, causing the body to burn calories. As the body cools down, it releases toxins and excess water weight.

• Reduced inflammation: Heat from a sauna can reduce inflammation by increasing blood flow to inflamed areas, delivering more oxygen and nutrients to promote healing. The infrared rays can also trigger the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines, which help to modulate the immune response and reduce inflammation.

• Improved sleep: Infrared saunas can improve sleep quality because they promote relaxation and reduce stress levels. Heat also helps relax the muscles and reduce physical tension, which allows for more restorative sleep.

• Immune support: Infrared saunas support the immune system by slightly raising body temperature, which mimics a fever. This rise in body temperature activates the immune system to produce white blood cells and antibodies, enhancing the body's ability to fight infections and illnesses. Plus, the more toxins you remove, the more STRESS you’re taking off your immune system!

• Muscle recovery: I love using my sauna to recover from muscle soreness after a long workout. Infrared saunas allow more blood to travel to the muscle tissue, delivering more oxygen and nutrients for repair. 

• Cardiovascular health: Infrared saunas can improve cardiovascular function by promoting vasodilation and increasing heart rate. Saunas offer the benefits of passive cardiovascular exercise because they induce a response similar to a moderate-intensity workout. Regular sauna use has been associated with lower blood pressure levels, which can benefit individuals with hypertension.

• Increased flexibility: Regular sauna use can improve flexibility because it increases blood flow to the muscles and joints, helping to reduce muscle stiffness and promoting more range of motion. The heat from the infrared rays aids in relaxing the muscles, which improves flexibility over time.

• Mental clarity: Infrared sauna sessions can improve focus by relaxing the body and clearing the mind. Increased blood flow and oxygenation to the brain can also enhance cognitive function and alertness.

• Better mood: Infrared saunas can improve mood by triggering the release of endorphins, the “feel-good” chemicals in our brains. The warmth experienced during infrared sauna sessions can reduce stress and anxiety and contribute to reduced symptoms of depression.

• Cellular regeneration: Infrared saunas may support cellular regeneration and slow the aging process at a cellular level. Heat stress on the body can trigger the release of growth factors and the production of heat shock proteins,  promoting cellular repair and renewal.

• Better skin: Using a sauna can improve the skin by increasing blood flow, which can enhance skin cell turnover and collagen production, leading to a more radiant complexion. Sweating also helps cleanse the pores and expel toxins, contributing to healthier-looking skin.

There are SO many health benefits of an infrared sauna, and I’ve experienced pretty much all of them!

Keeping my toxic burden low is one of the most important benefits to me, especially as I went through parasite cleanses, Lyme treatment, and other killing protocols that pushed crazy amounts of toxins into my body!

I’ve used several over the years.  Many were large wood saunas, but I’m now in love with my Therasage Portable Sauna. It’s small, portable, cleanable, SUPER low EMF(really important!!!), and combines grounding technology and red light therapy for even more benefits!  

It’s highly recommended and made by a really amazing company that I believe in wholeheartedly!  They also sell my OTHER must use healing tool, the TheraPro PEMF device.  If you haven’t yet downloaded my Transformation Toolkit, where I dive deep into the 35+ life-changing tools, mindsets, and tweaks I made in the last 27 years that were total game-changers, it’s a must read!  I dive into Saunas and PEMF :)

You can use code HLTHCAVE for 10% off anything on their site.

Start out SLOWLY if you are new to being in a sauna. 

Saunas, especially Infrared saunas, push the body to release toxins. These toxins will be moved out via the sweat, urine and bowels.  If the body isn’t ready for this mobilization and circulation of toxins (see my drainage funnel blog here) and your detox pathways aren’t open, you may suffer from some pretty intense detox symptoms.

Starting slowly, say 5 minutes at a time for 1-3 times a week, can ensure that the toxins released during the sauna session leave your body and not recirculate. Recirculation of toxins can cause detox symptoms such as headaches, body aches, and skin rashes. We want to feel better after using the sauna, not worse!

If you have issues with detox or suffer from chronic symptoms, a slow start will be beneficial and increase the time by a few minutes each session as tolerated.

Opening detox pathways can take time, so be patient, don’t push it, and it will happen. I promise!

Sweating is CRUCIAL for moving toxins out of the body, but don’t push it and stay in the sauna very long if you’re not sweating or start experiencing symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, or lightheadedness. An inability to sweat can cause the body to overheat. If symptoms of any kind should occur, stop your sauna session immediately. 

I have a few tips for how to facilitate sweating. 

1. Increase hydration starting the week prior to using the sauna. If you’re dehydrated, you will have nothing to sweat out, and your cells will do everything they can to HOLD ON to the water they do have.  
2. Add plenty of minerals and electrolytes to your water. This is because a lack of minerals or electrolytes can inhibit sweating. 
3. Dry brushing and gentle movement (especially rebounding on a small trampoline!) before getting into the sauna also helps to get the lymph moving and will make sweating easier. 
4. Sauna after exercise – for the same reason as above!

Showering immediately after you get out of the sauna, and after you’ve cooled down is important. You don’t want the toxins you just released to be reabsorbed by your skin, undoing your hard work! 

Continue to stay hydrated by drinking electrolytes or lemon water with sea salt. I also like to consume extra vitamin C because sweating from either sauna use or exercise will cause you to burn through your vitamin C stores. Supplementing with this afterward can help the body recover from the sweat session. And allow you to feel incredible!

Infrared saunas are incredibly powerful and one of the most important tools in my toolkit for getting well and staying well.  I recommend them to EVERYONE.  Remember to start slow, build up, hydrate, and don’t lose hope if you aren’t sweating immediately!

If you don’t yet have a sauna, the Therasage Infrared Portable Sauna is an incredible and affordable option.  You can save 10% with code HLTHCAVE.

Looking for more tips and tricks to finding the health you want?

Dive into my Wellness Hub, where I provide lots of free tools, roadmaps, and have condensed my 27-year health journey into the most important puzzle pieces that everyone should be aware of!

Happy sweating!