There are loads of articles on the benefits of infrared (IR) sauna use, but this ain’t one of them.
If you want evidence-based research on these things, then I recommend checking out the articles I link below.
THIS ARTICLE is simply about the changes I saw in my own body.
Our modern culture and obsession with “scientism” (research considered science that may or not be repeatable, scientific method-proof or without bias, aka-funded by the people that stand to make money off of the “results”.
Yes I made up that definition.
In the quest for regular folks to ONLY post “scientifically- sound” information on social media or even share it in conversation with friends, we have done something very silly and unscientific and that is we have lost an appreciation for anecdotal evidence.
A friend’s or trusted person’s testimony about their own person experience can in many cases be MORE relevant and helpful to regular folks like you and me, than a peer-reviewed journal articles conducted by strangers, on strangers.
YES we have to be discerning and responsible about what we believe, what we are willing to try with our own bodies and pocketbooks, but the idea that something ISN’T valid if it doesn’t have citations and footnotes from articles that let’s face it, most of the general public can’t even read and comprehend, is silly.
I’m not saying we should ignore science and or jump on every fad that comes down the pike, BUT I do believe that people’s personal stories can actually lead us to scientific discovery.
After all, all science is is people making observations about responses to changes in variable.
We are PEOPLE and we can make observations too!
In fact we regular people and our observations can drive scientific exploration and funding because science is a business.
It costs money to do science so then science needs to make money and if the public show that they are willing to pay for things, then the science will follow.
But I digress…
Ok, so SAUNA!
I have an IR sauna.
I purchased it in 2018 from High Tech Health because of their VERY low EMFs and VOCs.
I love it.
I typically sauna 3-4 times a week for 30-40 minutes.
The temperature reaches 145.
I TRY to mostly just read in the sauna, since it seems silly to buy a low EMF sauna and then BRING emfs in the sauna with you (i.e. my iPad) but I’m a human and sometimes I just want to. zone out and watch a show OR I need to do some work while I sauna and I just “kiss it up to God”-is that a thing for EMF’s? I don’t know, but I do it.
I do not plan my meals around the sauna-I MOST often sauna after dinner once the kids are in bed because that’s what I can do consistently.
And I typically drink an entire mason jar glass of water while I’m in there.
Ok, now lets get to the good part!
Why did I get an IR Sauna?
Most of you know me here as someone that values strength training, has worked hard to rehab my own pelvic floor ( I have pelvic organ prolapse ) as well as others and I LOVE supporting the gut.
I’ve learned over the years that BOTH pelvic health and gut health are tied strongly to LIVER decongestion.
A congested liver is bad for the gut and proper tissue growth.
It drains the entire system which creates a sinking of energy, organs and mood.
AND so after trying various other strategies to improve my overall health, I decided that an IR sauna was in order.
I had talked with multiple people that had explained to me how the routine gentle detox caused by an infrared sauna was just the ticket to getting their bodies to slowly release toxins in return to homeostasis.
”It has been known for decades that sweating is a wonderful way to get rid of stored chemicals, including heavy metals. In fact, a sauna is one of the detoxification procedures used in the Environmental Units in Dallas (Dr. William Rea) and North Charleston (Dr. Allan Lieberman) where the sickest of folks go to heal.” Dr. Sherry Rogers, Total Wellness, May 2000.”
What changes have I noticed from using the sauna?
The most noticeable change is my sensitivity to food and digestive distress
When I purchased the sauna, despite having worked with TWO different functional medicine doctors that supposedly helped me clear out Candida and multiple parasite infections, I was still having random stomach aches, digestive issues and sensitive to various foods with no clear pattern.
Just BAM for no reason I was struggling.
After about 4 months of using the sauna routinely, I noticed that stopped.
Stomach aches and digestive challenges no longer just appeared for no reason.
I would get them, but for very specific reasons-more on that another time.
I also noticed that I just wasn’t nearly as food sensitive.
I could be less militant about avoiding certain grains and dairy because my body was cool with it.
I didn’t go off the rails or anything, but feeling LESS fearful or stressed about food triggers relaxed me which also contributed to my reduced digestive issues.My skin
Before the sauna I had noticed that my back was more susceptible to breakouts. I wasn’t getting them on my face so much, but my back, so annoying!
My acupuncturist explained to me that it’s excess heat or dampness in the body, which is ALSO associated with Candida.
Using the sauna seemed to resolve this in about 2 months.
While I do believe that sweating so much helped me to clean out my pores and clear my skin, I was pretty sure my back breaking out was a toxin/hormone/liver issue brought on my stress and Candida.
I was lifting heavier at the time, which means more testosterone and other hormones, which means the liver has to work harder to clear out old expired hormones.
I also wasn’t resting as much as I needed too, too much life in the sympathetic and not enough parasympathetic.
AND I knew I had tested with some high levels of Candia multiple times.
Since we know that sauna helps to gently detoxify the body especially of heavy metals and toxins associated with liver congestion and Candida, I’m not surprised that using it for a couple of months cleared my skin.
Learning to value the process of resting and detoxifying the body because I saw the value of it via the sauna, ALSO contributed to my shifting my training program and expectations for my body that no doubt helped with toxin load as well!Soreness
I pretty much sauna every day that I train and I’m now rarely very sore from a workout.
Keep in mind that being sore from EVERY workout is not normal.
It can be a sign of over-training, so if you’re reading this and you do experience lots of soreness form every workout, I would recommend getting with a professional that can take a second look at your training program and make sure you are getting adequate rest and recovery-a MUST for good gains and results.
But yeah, there are workouts that I do that challenge my body in a new way and I expect to be sore from it and it’s just not the case if I sauna and I usually do.Sleep
When I first started with the sauna it would knock me out.
I would sauna, shower and get in bed and pass out and sleep the entire night.
And that was mostly the case for months.
I don’t notice that as much any more.
My body has adapted to the sauna and I think I have also caught up on a lot of MUCH needed sleep.
I don't pass out and I may wake up from time to time, but in the beginning when I was probably severely sleep-deprived after a sauna sesh, I was ZONKED!
I typically sleep 10 hours a night now, but if you are someone that struggles to fall asleep and stay asleep, I tell ya, try the IR sauna-just don’t bring your blue light screen in there with you which will wake you up!Sickness
If any of us (my husband or one of my three boys) feel under the weather, run down or like we are fighting something but are neither dehydrated or nauseous, we do the sauna.
My boys (10, 8 and 5) do abbreviated sessions at lower temperatures and MAN it’s remarkable.
They rarely get sick as it is, but when they feel a little run down, we put them in there for about 15-20 minutes and not only do they sleep harder, but they don’t get sick!
Same goes for my husband and I.
Any indication that we are not feeling well or are fighting something off, we get in the sauna and we don’t get sick, Praise the Lord!
**I will say, having this baby over the past year (2020) has been a HUGE blessing.
I totally trust in our immune systems and the decisions we’ve made/work we do in this household to invest in, exercise and protect them and to me having an IR sauna is part of our prevention program at the Smith household!
Ok well, in the words of the great Levar Burton, “Don’t take my word for it, find out for yourself!”
Get in a sauna!
Many cities have IR sauna and cryotherapy spas that you can join and use.
I think the lowed model for the HighTech health sauna is about $4k or so.
Not cheap, I get it, but when I tallied up all the money I was spending on tests and solutions for my gut health issues, I have to say that sauna has paid for itself OVER and OVER again!
We know that parasite infections, Candida (and I had both detected by various tests) are connected to heavy metals in the body.
In fact, some research shows that Candida is PROTECTIVE against heavy metal poisoning because Candida complexes with the metals in the body to render them less harmful.
Using the sauna to GENTLY detox my body seemed to help me with the symptoms associated with high levels of Candida in the body AND improve the overall health of my microbiome and intestinal lining.
Now for some science!
Most of these sources are enjoyable to read and cite peer-reviewed science too!
Resources on IR saunas:
Mercola on sauna use for protection against disease
Detoxify or Die
Ten Scientifically Proven Reasons I’m Addicted To A Daily Sauna
Candida and saunaScience behind heavy metal detox and sauna
Maximize the benefits of sauna detox
Sauna’s are AWESOME, but if you want to maximize the benefit of your sauna time, then take my nervous-system relaxing breath course, Better Than Kegels and literally change your body!
“Having pelvic floor problems for about 16 years, I have tried many, many different methods for treatment and relief. Not until Sarah’s program of diaphragmatic breathing have I begun begun feel better and not had a need for daily medication to relax my pelvic floor. My new breathing practice has helped me to fall back asleep if I awaken in the night — a many years’ struggle for me. I am a convert and true believer in her programs and so thankful to have found her!!!”~Amanda ❤️
”It’s a miracle! I already have less pain and I haven’t been dizzy after just three days of breathing like this!”-R. Boer
Tap into the power of your breath
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