Blog – Sunlighten

How to Embrace Aging, Not Fight It

Sunlighten, Inc. — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 19:49:19 +0000

You have a lot of power over how you age. Stop and think about that for a moment. Do you believe that is true, or do you think you have no control over the process? Healthy aging is possible, and a lot of that depends on your mindset, and your choices. More and more research supports the idea that we can have more influence in the quality of our lives as we grow older, empowering us with information to make choices that can make a difference in our well-being and longevity.

Shifting How You Think About Growing Older

A shift in how we view getting older is an important first step. Brian Vaszily founded a group called The Art of Anti-Aging whose mission is “to end the destructive belief that getting older equals going downhill.” They’ve officially redefined “anti-aging” to mean you’re against the destructive myths of aging, and instead advocate for whatever physical, mental, and emotional changes truly can help you and others look your best, feel your best, and live.

This is not just positive thinking. Various studies over the years have identified a strong relationship between negative perceptions about aging and physical frailty. When someone starts thinking they’re old and frail, it leads to a downward spiral effect on their health and they become old and frail. In contrast, a recent study found that the way we think about, talk about, and write about aging may have a direct effect on health. The 2016 study of 4,100 men and women tracked their perceptions and health changes over time.¹ For example, adults with negative attitudes toward aging walked slower and had decreased cognitive abilities in follow up two years later compared to adults with positive attitudes, regardless of medications, mood, life circumstances, or other health changes. The study also noted aging perception affected how one health condition affected another. A frailty attitude resulted in multiple health problems and decreased cognition.

“Everyone will grow older and if negative attitudes towards aging are carried throughout life, they can have a detrimental, measurable effect on mental, physical, and cognitive health,” said Deirdre Roberston, PhD., lead researcher for the study at Trinity College Dublin.

Empowering Facts: How You Can Impact Aging Healthy

Age is a function of both number of years and biological function. You can’t change how many birthdays you’ve had, but you can change what choices you make that affect how your body handles the years we are given. So we do actually have a “birthday age” and a “biological age.” One is a measure of years we’ve lived, and another is a measure of how well our body handles those years.

The immune system plays a huge role in aging: our immune system declines as we biologically grow older. Board-certified neurologist Dr. David Perlmutter has done extensive study of the brain and aging. He explains that the immune system regulates the fundamental mechanism of aging, which is inflammation.² How well we adapt to challenges to our immune systems holds the key to aging well.

“We’ve got to pay as much attention as possible to keeping our immune systems young because that translates to keeping us young. We can engage in lifestyle choices that can help rejuvenate the immune system,” he encourages. When we embrace the notion that all chronic winding down of our bodies is an immune issue, it enables you to look at lifestyle choices that can make an impact. It is possible to rejuvenate your immune system, be healthier and more resistant to disease and infection, and thus turn back the biological clock.

Perlmutter explains the interplay between the immune system and the brain, and says we have the ability to choose our brain’s destiny based on the choices we make. We can do things now to increase our brain cells. For many years, medical training taught that brain cells could not be regenerated, but the most current brain research has discovered that brain cells can be generated; activating the chemistry of the brain. We can activate chemicals involved in that process. BDNFs (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) stimulate the growth of new brain cells. Perlmutter calls them the “MiracleGro for brain cells.” Some known ways to generate BDNF include aerobic exercise, eating deep water fish, and other things.

Dr. Perlmutter recommends strengthening four basic fundamental things to revitalize your immune system:

Be intentional about when you eat – He says the timing of our food and periodic fasting is the most powerful thing to rejuvenate the immune system and affect biological age. The process called “hormesis” tells our bodies that conditions are not ideal and the body responds by getting stronger as it responds. When we are in a process of burning body fat, the brain sends signals to the genetic code that rejuvenates the immune system by activating BDNFs. These chemicals stimulate the growth of new brain cells (neurogenesis) and help brain cells build connections (synaptogenesis) which are fundamental for memory.
Get quality sleep – We should spend about a third of our lives sleeping, an indicator of how important it is to our health. Good sleep balances the immune system and can bring inflammation under control. Lack of sleep compromises the immune system and invites inflammation and other problems. It is important to get enough restorative, quality sleep to maintain a strong immune system. He recommends using a wearable device to have the facts about how much REM sleep you’re getting so that you can determine how you are sleeping and find sleep solutions such as sleeping in a dark, cool room, bedtime routines, and other small changes that make a big impact. Sleep also affects decision making. Lack of sleep makes us fall back on our amygdala where impulse and self-protection reigns. Sleep deprivation activates the amygdala by 60% more. Well rested brains can engage the prefrontal cortex, where complex information is processed.
Exercise – Find your “sweet spot,” the amount of aerobic exercise that is just right for you. He recommends a basic routine, starting with 20 minutes a day, and try to get a heart rate goal with this equation: 180 beats per minute – your age = ideal heart rate.
Practice a sense of awe – Find things that give you a sense of awe and inspire wonder; in nature, the arts, movies, books or concerts. It increases our sense of connectedness to others and that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. It is hugely valuable to health and will keep you feeling young longer. Research has shown that when humans experience awe, parts of the brain light up similarly to when meditating. He calls this the “homerun” that we have the ability to choose our brain’s destiny based on our choices.

Seeing aging as a new stage of strength and possibility empowers you to make choices at any age about how you are going to go through the transitions of aging. We encourage you to learn more about this perspective. Request to join The Art of Anti-Aging’s group on Facebook, or purchase the content from their recent Younger, Longer Summit to hear much more about what you can do to help make the most of your health and well-being as you age.

References

1 Barber, Sarah J et al. “The effects of stereotype threat on older adults’ walking performance as a function of task difficulty and resource evaluations.” Psychology and aging vol. 35,2 (2020): 250-266. doi:10.1037/pag0000440

2 Perlmutter MD, David. Interview with Dr. David Perlmutter. Younger, Longer: The Insider’s Health Summit, Aug 2021. Webinar.

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Habit Stacking in Your Sauna

Sunlighten, Inc. — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 17:56:45 +0000

An Easy Way to Build Healthy Habits

Habit stacking offers an easy way to build a healthy lifestyle, maximize your health, and use time efficiently. It’s a simple practice that many of our favorite wellness partners and experts like Dave Asprey, Ashley Black, and Wellness Mama incorporate into their lives and inspired us to share with you.

The Behavioral Science Behind Habit Stacking

Creating new habits involves a bit of psychology, doesn’t it? Habit stacking is a practice that allows you to take advantage of the way your brain works, instead of fighting with yourself to bootstrap or willpower your way to a new habit.

Oxford University researchers discovered in a 2007 study that as we age, our brains reduce the synapses for behavior we don’t use and strengthens those we do.¹ This is called “synaptic pruning.” Practicing piano is an example of the brain building connections that make doing something easier. If you don’t practice, the brain doesn’t learn to play. Synaptic pruning happens with our habits. Your brain builds a strong network of neurons that support behaviors. The more you do something, the stronger and more efficient the connection becomes.²

What is Habit Stacking & How Do I Do It?

One Routine + Multiple Habits = Habit Stacking

Habit stacking is a fairly new idea that is gaining momentum. Wall Street Journal bestselling author S.J. Scott introduced the idea of habit stacking (also “habit chaining”) to the world in 2014 with his book, Habit Stacking: 97 Small Life Changes That Take Five Minutes or Less, and it’s been expanded on by others in books such as Atomic Habits by James Clear and Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg.

The basic idea is to build a new habit by attaching it to one you’ve already established. James Clear created this habit stacking formula:

After/before I [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].

For example, “After I pour my cup of coffee each morning, I will meditate for one minute.” Or, “After I sit down to dinner, I will say one thing I’m grateful for that happened today.”

You can apply this simple formula to forming healthy habits and add ‘while‘ I [CURRENT HABIT] to the equation:

“After I take off my work shoes, I will immediately change into my workout clothes.”

“Before I leave for work, I will fill my water bottle.”

“While I sauna, I will drink 16 ounces of water.”

5 Ideas for Habit Stacking in Your Sauna

When you already love your sauna time, it provides the foundational good habit you can add another to. The benefits of stacking healthy habits in your sauna mean you can take advantage of what your sauna session does for your body and exponentially increase the healthy benefits in a variety of ways.

For example, studies have shown that saunas help increase flexibility³, so it’s the perfect place to pair stretching or yoga. “While I am in my sauna, I will stretch for 15 minutes.”

We also know that infrared sauna helps your mind and body relax and destress, so it’s a great time to add meditation practices. “While I am in my sauna, I will listen to a guided meditation app.”

We asked our Sunlighten Facebook Community to share their successes and favorite habit stacks and they provided so many great ideas. Here are some of the most popular things our sauna community is doing:

Fascia Work – Myofascial tissue is connective tissue that helps your body move and is associated with pain and cellulite. Fascia work is a type of massage that loosens fascia and helps the body in many ways and our customers say they love using a FasciaBlaster during or after. Fascia work is better when the body is warmed up, so using a sauna and doing deep work in the fascia layer goes so perfectly together and is part of the reason many customers have purchased a Sunlighten. Sauna users say they’ve seen improvements in cellulite and dimpling.
Meditate – Ongoing research continues to support meditation for health. Some of the favorite meditation apps used by our community include Headspace because it’s so easy to follow and has a fun, cheerful aesthetic; Balance because it creates personalized experiences; Insight Timer because it’s comprehensive and flexible; Neurocycle is a new app by our partner Dr. Caroline Leaf that teaches you how to detox your brain by managing your thoughts in 5 steps.
Dry Brush – Dry brushing unclogs pores by exfoliating and helps detoxify your skin by increasing blood circulation and promoting lymp drainage. With routine use, members said they notice smoother skin texture without dryness, and noticed more “dirt” when they showered, making them feel the detoxification was working.
Skin Care – Some members incorporated derma rolling for skin care and using rose hip essential oil helped smooth skin.
Exercising – Yoga, crunches, planks, and stretching can all be added during or after a sauna session to stack the benefits of sweating and heat.

References

¹ Excess of Neurons in the Human Newborn Mediodorsal Thalamus Compared with That of the Adult by Maja Abitz, Rune Damgaard Nielsen, Edward G. Jones, Henning Laursen, Niels Graem and Bente Pakkenberg

² Clear, James Atomic Habits: an Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones, Penguin Random House USA, October 2019

³ Auburn Flexibility Study

Saunaing as a “Passive Cardio Workout”: An Explanation

Sunlighten, Inc. — Fri, 30 Jul 2021 20:56:43 +0000

Be encouraged: the cardio benefits of infrared saunas are real and offer a valid and effective form of heart exercise.

Making yourself exercise can be one of the hardest steps to take toward getting healthier.

When you’re not an athlete, exercising can be difficult for many reasons. Sometimes it’s a mental block: even though you know you need to and even want to, the thought of starting an exercise program overwhelms you, and it’s easier to just go back to sleep or sit back on the couch and watch another show.

For others it may be more serious. A debilitating health issue can make it impossible. The hallmark of heart disease is a reduced ability to exercise. Injury or fatigue can make the thought of pushing yourself to the gym or even going for a walk feel like climbing Mount Everest. Maybe you’re struggling to get out of bed because the gray cloud of depression or anxiety has dulled your desire and minimized your motivation.

Saunaing actually offers a real solution to getting your heart working without demanding physical strain. Studies support the value of a sauna session as a form of cardiovascular exercise that we call “passive cardio” because it allows you to sit back and relax while your heart gets pumping.

To understand this, let’s first explore WHY exercise helps the body in the first place.

How Cardio Exercise Helps the Body

The heart is literally at the heart, or core, of our health and wellbeing. The heart pumps blood throughout our bodies, delivering every vital thing we need to live: oxygen, nutrients, hormones, cells, proteins, sugars, and other body chemistry. When blood flow is blocked in diseases like arteriosclerosis and peripheral artery disease, our organs begin to die and our bodies can’t function. That is why doctors recommend cardiovascular exercise to get the heart pumping. As explained in a Harvard Health Publishing article¹, when you are physically active, your heart learns to beat slower and stronger, which in turn means it requires less oxygen to function well. Your arteries get more pliable, so they push your blood along better. And, your good HDL cholesterol levels go up.

Cardio exercise creates good circulation, providing healthy blood and oxygen flowing through the body resulting in positive effects:

lungs, heart, organs, and muscles work the way they’re supposed to
white blood cells are transported around the body and help your immune system protect your body
waste from your body is removed more effectively

Physical activity also helps prevent diabetes because regular exercise makes muscles more insulin-receptive, which means your body manages blood sugar levels better. And, moving your body also helps your brain. Exercise can reduce depression symptoms because it affects the brain in the same ways antidepressants do to produce serotonin, and many studies have explored a variety of other benefits.²

How Saunaing Creates Cardio Exercise

In a sauna, your body responds to the heat by increasing heart rate, which in turn increases the amount of blood the heart pumps through your body. As we saw above, the benefits to circulation are absolutely essential to a healthy life.

A Direct Exercise Comparison

A recent study published in 2019, in Complementary Therapies in Medicine journal, compared participants’ cardiovascular effects in a sauna and on an exercise bike. Researchers concluded the increase in heart rate and blood pressure were similar for a 25-minute sauna session and a dynamic exercise test (a short, moderate workout).³

“A sauna session is a physical strain. Its long-term positive effects are comparable to sports activities,” states the report. The study focused on the benefits to the heart and cardiovascular system rather than on weight loss or muscle development types of exercise.

The study included 19 healthy adult volunteers and examined the reaction of blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) after one intense traditional sauna application. Comparing BP and HR in a sauna session with a dynamic exercise test, sauna bathing was equivalent to a moderate physical exercise load of about 60-100 watts.

Other Research

Research about the benefits of sauna therapy for the heart began in Japan, where a type of therapy called “waon” was having a known positive effect.⁴ In fact, according to renowned integrative cardiologist Dr. Joel Kahn, the data suggests that saunaing may be one of the most important health habits to prevent and reverse heart disease. After treatments with waon therapy, people demonstrate a greater ability to walk⁴, whether limited by heart or leg vascular issues.

In waon therapy (from the Japanese words “wa” for “soothing” and “on” for “warmth”), heart patients sit in an infrared sauna set at 60° C (140° F) for 15 minutes, followed by resting outside the sauna for 30 minutes, wrapped in towels.

Research studies of heart patients who receive this soothing warmth therapy have measured healthier arteries. Dr. Kahn explains that waon therapy has been shown to improve function of endothelial cells that line every artery in the body resulting in better health and functionality.

According to Dr. Kahn, this type of infrared therapy may save lives. In a compelling study of 129 patients with bad heart problems, patients treated with waon therapy at least two times a week were compared to similar patients who did not get the therapy. Over five years of follow-up, the rates of re-hospitalization and death were half  in the waon-treated patients compared to the others.⁵

In a 2015 study published in the International Heart Journal, waon infrared sauna therapy improved exercise capacity, quality of life, and mental capacity in patients with advanced heart failure.⁶

Sit Yourself Down in a Sauna and Get Your Heart Moving

It sounds too good to be true, but it isn’t. Research overwhelmingly supports the fact that passive cardio workouts are possible in a sauna and offer hope for getting the benefits of cardio exercise your body needs.

Sit back and relax while your heart gets pumping. Take the next step toward your health goals, no matter where you’re starting. You can feel better!

References

1 https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/why-we-should-exercise-and-why-we-dont

2 Lin TW, Kuo YM. Exercise benefits brain function: the monoamine connection. Brain Sci. 2013;3(1):39-53. Published 2013 Jan 11. doi:10.3390/brainsci3010039 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4061837/

3 Ketelhut S, Ketelhut RG. The blood pressure and heart rate during sauna bath correspond to cardiac responses during submaximal dynamic exercise. Complement Ther Med. 2019 Jun;44:218-222. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2019.05.002. Epub 2019 May 2. PMID: 31126559. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31126559/

4 Repeated sauna therapy improves myocardial perfusion in patients with chronically occluded coronary artery-related ischemia – PubMed (nih.gov) Sobajima M, Nozawa T, Ihori H, Shida T, Ohori T, Suzuki T, Matsuki A, Yasumura S, Inoue H. Repeated sauna therapy improves myocardial perfusion in patients with chronically occluded coronary artery-related ischemia. Int J Cardiol. 2013 Jul 15;167(1):237-43. doi:

5 Kihara T, Miyata M, Fukudome T, Ikeda Y, Shinsato T, Kubozono T, Fujita S, Kuwahata S, Hamasaki S, Torii H, Lee S, Toda H, Tei C. Waon therapy improves the prognosis of patients with chronic heart failure. J Cardiol. 2009 Apr;53(2):214-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jjcc.2008.11.005. Epub 2009 Jan 18. PMID: 19304125. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19304125/

6 Sobajima M, Nozawa T, Fukui Y, Ihori H, Ohori T, Fujii N, Inoue H. Waon therapy improves quality of life as well as cardiac function and exercise capacity in patients with chronic heart failure. Int Heart J. 2015;56(2):203-8. doi: 10.1536/ihj.14-266. Epub 2015 Feb 27. PMID: 25740582. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25740582

Saunaing: The easiest habit you’ll love to create

Sunlighten, Inc. — Tue, 27 Jul 2021 12:18:59 +0000

Your health, and the health of the ones you love, depends on the small choices you make to live healthy regularly over time. The way to be successful in developing healthy habits lies in finding a few foundational things that are doable; that you will actually enjoy.

We want to let you in on a secret we don’t want to keep: saunaing is a wonderfully enjoyable habit that has a multitude of health benefits. Our community of Sunlighten sauna owners and users have incorporated regular sauna use as a fundamental part of their wellness rhythm. This “sauna lifestyle” becomes a way of life that helps you feel better, do more of what you love, and live the full active life you desire.

My sauna practice is just as much for mental and emotional well-being as it is for performing as an athlete. I sauna every single night and I preach that saunaing is one of the most important things you can do - right up there with exercise, eating healthy, and getting deep sleep.

Eric Hinman, endurance athlete

1. Saunaing is not a luxury, it’s a lifestyle.

Once you realize the incredible benefits to using a sauna regularly, you’ll see that it isn’t a luxury, it’s an important wellness tool you’ll want to make part of your way of life; just like eating healthy and exercising.

The term “lifestyle” means a way of living that reflects the attitudes and values of a person or group. Our lifestyle affects choices in what we wear, what we own, what we spend our time doing, and how we prioritize our lives.

Living an infrared sauna lifestyle means that feeling good and being healthy is a priority. When you sauna regularly, it reflects an attitude that you take your health seriously, you prioritize taking care of yourself, and that you are committed to investing in a habit that will help you continue to feel good so that you can continue doing what you love as long as you can.

Luxuries are things we want but don’t necessarily need and can do without. Many of our customers and partners feel so good when they sauna regularly that they say they can’t live without their saunas. The health benefits that Sunlighten saunas provide the body and mind make infrared an indispensable wellness tool that also happens in an exceptionally beautiful and enjoyable space.

2. Saunaing is more than just “me time;” it supports complete whole-body well-being.

An infrared sauna is a foundational part of a wellness lifestyle. We know nutrition is important to fuel our bodies properly. We know exercise is important to keep our bodies operating well physically. We know sleep is imperative for our body’s systems to function. We need to know the value of infrared saunas for the health of our bodies.

Infrared sauna therapy helps the body detoxify and increases circulation with such powerful positive effect that cardiologist Dr. Joel Kahn says it would be a multibillion-dollar drug if it were a pill. “The ability to heal endothelium and improve symptoms and prognosis for congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease is remarkable. Sunlighten saunas are the only infrared saunas clinically shown to temporarily lower blood pressure and reduce belly fat, both contributing factors to a healthy heart.”

And, infrared saunaing goes beyond soaking up some heat and detoxing. The health benefits include increased immunity and general wellness, relaxation and mental health, anti-aging and skin rejuvenation, muscle recovery and temporary pain relief, as well as supporting a weight management program.

3. Infrared saunas provide a different experience than traditional saunas.

You can enjoy versus endure your experience. Infrared saunas are not just sweat boxes. Traditional saunas are sweat boxes: they use high heat to increase the temperature of the ambient air to get hot, uncomfortable, and sweat as much as possible, often leaving you feeling drained and exhausted.

Infrared saunas are enjoyable warmth that create a pleasant experience while infrared waves gently warm your body from inside so that you sweat deep and productively from within, without discomfort.

You leave feeling energized and restored. In an infrared sauna, the infrared waves are raising your core body temperature, slightly inducing a state of “hormesis” or putting our body in an elevated “get well” state. The time you spend there is healing for your body. It allows for a cellular level detox, clearing out environmental toxins and hormone disruptors. This helps you increase immunity, improve sleep quality, decrease depression, aid in heart health and healthy aging. The enjoyable experience of an infrared sauna combined with the wide range of benefits to your mind and body make this a tool you can use 2-3 times a week or every day.

How do I create the habit of saunaing?

Believe. The health benefits of saunaing are an essential part of a wellness lifestyle, along with a good night’s rest, a healthy diet and exercise. When you believe in it, you’ll want to do it. Study why infrared is so healthy for the body. Learn the science behind what makes the best infrared. The more you learn about infrared, the more convinced you’ll be.

Enjoy. Give yourself the gift of guilt-free self-care time. Saunaing is good for your mind, body and spirit. The time you spend in a sauna is time well spent.
Schedule it. Putting sauna time on your calendar sets an intention and will help you keep your commitment. It’s a little step that goes a long way. Set a reminder on your phone. Or, if you have a Sunlighten mPulse sauna, you can schedule your sessions in advance, including preheating, so it’s just the right temperature when you are ready.
Be consistent. A rhythm of regular sauna sessions (from 2-3 days a week minimum to a daily routine). Consistency is key. Figure out when you want to do it and are most likely to. There’s no wrong or bad time to sauna – the only “bad” time is never!

Sweat stack. Add a sauna session after your cardio workout. Following a sweaty workout with a sauna session can increase the release of those heavy metals and hormone disrupting chemicals as well as aid in muscle recovery.

Habit stack. One good habit leads to another! Add a series of good habits that fuel your desire to follow your wellness practices. Saunaing makes you drink more water. It can be a great pre-workout stretch or post-workout recovery. Set up a session before bed to create a healthy sleep routine. Stacking good habits leads to more good habits.

Include family. Sauna time can be a great opportunity to catch up with your friends, family or kids. Make sure to follow protocol for children – generally a minute and a half per year of age is a good rule to follow.
Meditate. Help your body and mind while you sauna. (Another good habit stack.)

Ironman Eric Hinman: How I Hydrate

Sunlighten, Inc. — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 22:24:51 +0000

Eric Hinman is an inspiration. An endurance athlete and 5-time Ironman, he pushes himself to be the best he can be daily through rigorous training and a conscious pursuit of well-being. While his days look a lot different than most of ours, including extraordinary workouts and long rides, we can learn a lot about our own self care from experts like Eric. Hydration is imperative to endurance athletes. We asked Eric to share his thoughts and habits around hydration and hope to provide some helpful information for you to gauge your own.

SL: What is your philosophy/approach to hydration?
EH: I don’t have a specific hydration goal other than I just want to feel hydrated all the time. I start the day by drinking 16-20 ounces of water and have water all day long.

SL: How much water do you drink daily?
EH: From start to end, I am hydrating all day. I probably drink about a gallon of water throughout the day, probably a gallon and a half when it’s a big day and I’m doing two workouts and sauna sessions at night. Here’s my hydration routine:

- First thing in the morning: 16-20 oz water
- Homemade cappuccino or latte: 6-8 oz
- After first workout: 32 oz water with electrolytes
- During morning ride 12-16 oz with electrolytes
- Sometimes during evening recovery routine: (3) 32 oz water
- With dinner: 20 oz water
- Before bed: 12-16 oz water
- Bedside throughout the night: 12-16 oz water
- Total: 206 –224 oz

SL: Do you drink water only, or do you add or drink other things to hydrate?
EH: I drink water, and during or after workouts I replenish with electrolyte packets in water. I like using Beam electrolytes and Vital Performance–those are my favorite packets. Sometimes during my evening recovery routine, I do electrolytes, sometimes I don’t.

SL: Do you have any stories or lessons learned about hydration?
When you’re racing in the Ironman World Championships, it’s almost impossible to stay hydrated. You just can’t take in enough water; you’re depleting so much, and your stomach is going to get too full. So, you know, to some degree, on long 3–4-hour bike rides I oftentimes don’t bring much water with me when I want to train my body to perform while still being dehydrated, to recreate that Ironman competition experience and prepare for it. That’s obviously not something I would recommend for a lifestyle athlete! But when I was racing like that it’s just part of the game. You’re gonna be dehydrated if it’s a hot and humid climate. So yeah, especially then I think it’s super important not only to hydrate with water by adding the electrolytes.

SL: Do you have a favorite water bottle?
EH: My favorite water bottle is Ten Thousand. They have an awesome, awesome 32-ounce water bottle that keeps water cold for like a day or two. It’s incredible. Ten Thousand water bottle

SL: On your recovery days, do you do anything specific related to hydration to help recovery?
EH: I don’t really have specific recovery days because I’m usually moving every single day and I’m doing that recovery routine literally every single night. I’ll usually go through probably three 32-ounce bottles while I’m doing my multi round recovery routine, which is 20 minutes in the sauna, five minutes in an ice bath repeating that three times. So, I’m sweating a lot during that time period.

SL: How much water do you drink before you get in your sauna?
EH: I’m usually drinking while I’m in the sauna and not so much before. And it’s usually when I start to get uncomfortable, I’ll start to drink water. And then when I get out and go on the ice, I’ll definitely drink a bunch.

SL: Researchers are telling us that many of us walk around mildly dehydrated and don’t even realize it. You are so in tune with your body and conscious of being hydrated, will you explain what it feels like to you to be well hydrated?
EH: It’s a lot easier to know if you’re dehydrated. If your mouth is dry, if your energy levels are low, if you’re feeling lethargic, those are likely indications that you are dehydrated. For me dry mouth is probably the biggest sign and then just feeling lethargic is probably the second. I think a lot of times also we mistake being hungry for just being thirsty. So oftentimes, if I’m feeling hungry, I’ll drink water before I eat anything just to see if that’s really what I needed. I would encourage people that when they’re feeling a little bit of hunger to drink water, and that might be a sign that they’re dehydrated and not just hungry.

On the other end of the spectrum, feeling hydrated is just feeling good. It’s not that full stomach feeling with water sloshing around your stomach. It’s when you feel like the best version of yourself. You feel like you can exercise, and you have mental clarity. Those are all signs that you are well hydrated.

How To Create Your Own Personal Hydration Plan

Sunlighten, Inc. — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 13:52:36 +0000

In your journey to take care of yourself and feel better, you’ve likely been hearing about the importance of drinking enough water during the day. This may lead you to wonder how much water you should drink before and after you sauna. Knowing your sweat rate for an activity helps you be more accurately educated about how your body works by giving you some numbers to work with rather than guessing. It’s important to remember there are many factors affecting your sweat rate, and it will change based on the variation of those factors.

Each of us has a unique rate at which we sweat. Many factors affect your sweat rate: body weight, fitness level, pace and intensity of activity, temperature, humidity, clothing, and hydration level. Taking inspiration from athletes in training, you can discover and manage your hydration levels and create a plan that helps you feel good about how much water you’re drinking. Athletes training hard drink an average of 400-600 ml (12-20 oz) two hours before intense exercise, or 5-7 ml/kg (16-20 oz/pound) of weight. Based on your own activity level and sweat rate, you can see how you might adjust your plan to fit your body and wellness goals.

Determining your baseline sweat rate for a specific activity is a simple formula:

Pre-activity weight – Post-activity weight + Ounces consumed during activity = Sweat rate

You can use this equation for any activity you do during the day and get an idea of how much water you need to replace the fluids you use when you’re exerting energy and sweating. For your sauna sessions, here’s how to use the equation:

Find Your Sauna Sweat Rate

Weight Method

Weigh yourself without clothes right before you step into the sauna. The more exact weight you can measure the better – you need to know specific ounces.
Enjoy your sauna session and write down the temperature, time, what you wore, and what you did (relax, stretch, yoga, meditate), and how much water you drank (or didn’t drink) during your session in ounces.
Weigh yourself without clothes immediately after you step out of the sauna.
Your weight loss is the measure of your sweat rate. (1 pound lost = 16 oz of fluid)
If you drank water during your session, add in the number of ounces you consumed to the weight you lost.
The resulting measure of ounces is your sweat rate for that activity and is a baseline for you to use going forward. You now have an idea of how much you want to hydrate to prepare for your session and rehydrate after.

Sweat Patch Method
Try a New Sweat Tracking Technology: Gx Sweat Patch

You may enjoy trying out a new tool just released this spring that makes measuring your sweat rate for an activity super easy and simple. It’s another way to get a benchmark idea of how much you sweat in a sauna session. Two companies recently collaborated to create a patch that measures sweat rate and sodium loss. It’s great information to have about your body to help you manage your water intake and electrolyte needs.

The Gx Sweat Patch comes in a package of two patches for $24 and connects to an app that tracks your bio data. You simply stick the patch on the inside of your forearm while you perform an activity and watch as it changes color. After you complete your activity, you scan the patch and the app translates what happened with your body into data: milliliters of fluid sweat out and amount of sodium lost (low, medium or high). The reason to watch sodium loss is to know if you need to replace electrolytes.

Create Your Personal Hydration Plan

Either of these sweat rate calculation methods give you more information about your body to make customized decisions about how much to drink and whether you need to replace electrolytes or not. Once you have an idea of your sweat rate from either the weight method or sweat patch, the next step is to pay attention to how you feel over several sessions and drink more or less as needed.

The goal for optimal health is to make sure you do not lose more than 2-3% of your total body weight.

Keep in mind, the most recent research supports that thirst is the best guide for determining fluid intake; so always listen to your body and drink when you feel thirsty. Your sweat rate simply tells you how much fluid your body loses. In an earlier article, we explored how our bodies all have different “sweat fingerprints,” or unique make up of sweat pores. So naturally, this is why you may sweat more or less than someone else.

Helpful Real-Life Sauna Sweat Rate Examples

Barbara & mPulse Believe

Barbara has a condition that makes regular exercise difficult, so she uses her sauna especially for its passive cardio benefits. She tracked her sweat rate during the Weight Loss program for 20 minutes:

Barbara’s Data Collection

Barbara’s pre-sauna weight: 260 lbs
Barbara’s post-sauna weight: 258.6 lbs
She drank 8 ounces of water during the session

Barbara’s Calculation

260 – 258.6 = 1.4 lbs/22.4 ounces + 8 ounces consumed in session = 30.4 ounces sweat rate for her Weight Loss program session

Barbara’s Hydration Plan:

Knowing how much she sweat in the Weight Loss program session, she will plan to drink 32 ounces of water before she saunas so she knows she is well hydrated before she gets in.

James & Amplify III
James sweats a lot in his Amplify sauna. He is focused on living a healthy lifestyle and uses it every day to optimize his health in addition to eating clean and exercising. James calculated his sweat rate for a 30-minute session at 153 degrees:

James’ Data Collection

James’ pre-sauna weight: 198 lbs
James’ post-sauna weight: 197.4
No water consumed during the session

James’ Calculation

198 – 197.4 = .6 lbs/9.6 oz. + 0 oz consumed in session = 9.6 oz sweat rate for that sauna session

James’ Hydration Plan

With this data, James knows he needs to drink at least 9.6 ounces of water before his session, and after.

Emily & mPulse Conquer

Emily is a runner and uses her sauna to keep her body healthy so she can keep doing what she loves and have a little “me time.” She tracked her sweat rate over five sessions using the Detox program and found she sweat an average of 8 ounces in that session, though it ranged from 3.2 to 11 ounces.

Emily’s Data Collection

Emily’s pre-sauna weight: 134.5 lbs
Emily’s post-sauna weight: 134 lbs
No water consumed during session

Emily’s Calculation

134.5 – 134 = .5 lbs/8 ounces + 0 ounces consumed during session = 8 ounces sweat rate for that Detox program session

Emily’s Hydration Plan:

She’ll plan to drink 8 ounces of water before and after her next Detox program sauna session.

Fearless in the Face of Cancer

Alison Gannett — Fri, 11 Jun 2021 15:14:07 +0000

Note from Sunlighten: We’re grateful to Alison Gannett for sharing her amazing story and hope to bring light and hope to others battling cancer of all kinds. An extreme ski pro, Alison Gannett spent much of her life speeding down steep mountainsides on two skis with alertness and skill to adjust to every surprise nature put in her path as she blazed her own trail down the snow-covered slopes. She went where others had not gone; she did things no one else had done. When an unexpected diagnosis forced an abrupt stop to save her life, of course she harnessed that same spirit to surmount a health obstacle, and turn it into a way to help others overcome theirs, too. We are so thankful for her story and honored to be part of her journey to feel better, do more, and live fully.

In 2013 I was diagnosed with terminal malignant brain cancer with an average survival time of 6.8 months. I was devastated. I was a world champion skier, organic farmer, happily married, with a dream job of traveling the world teaching women extreme skiing. I couldn’t believe I was hearing the C word. In a nanosecond, my entire life changed. 

In reality, my “check engine light” had been on for years. I had blamed it on getting older. Little did I know that my knee arthritis, my bladder, yeast and bronchial infections, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, shingles, HPV/EBV/CMV viruses, sleep problems, carb cravings, mind fog, hypoglycemia, fibroids, PMS – these were all signs that I had dis-ease in my body and had created a perfect storm for cancer. 

Luckily, I found Dr. Nasha Winters and attended her four-day retreat just after a partially successful surgery in July of 2013. She taught me to “look under the hood” at the root causes of my illness. It was daunting to change my entire life–food and body/mind/spirit. But my terminal diagnosis scared me into channeling all my fearless nature from sports into saving myself. I quit my job and devoted my life to this new “project.” It made sense to me that there was a reason I got sick, and if I could dig deeper with testing, I could reveal and reverse what was causing my dis-ease. 

I began training with Dr. Nasha to be a customized nutrition coach in 2014, and then graduated from the American Nutrition Association’s Certified Ketogenic Nutrition Specialist in 2020. I love being a detective to help other people to support preventing and conquering cancer thru diet and lifestyle changes. This can undermine cancer and make the body more resilient. More about that at AlisonGannett.com.

My new acronym to make it simple for people is to look at S.I.T.:
S=stress, I=insulin, T=toxins. Almost all of dis-ease can be divided into these categories. 

In 2018 I had a recurrence and was just floored. I cried for a few days, then dusted myself off, and dug further into my root causes. I had failed to buy a sauna to detox, failed to do toxin and heavy metal testing, failed to do a radon test, failed to get an old tooth pulled, and had basically just skimmed meditation. 

The first thing I did was research and buy a sauna. Sunlighten had the near and far infrared options I needed – far infrared for my detoxing, near to repair my mitochondria/DNA, and a combo to work on my insulin resistance. Plus, I loved the size and color to match my renovations!

I have been sauna-ing daily for 2.5 years and my heavy metals, toxins, pesticides, and herbicides have dropped in half. Dr. Nasha says it is key to use a binder to pull the toxins out of our body so I use either charcoal/clay combo, GI Detox, or Cytodetox a half hour before my sauna on an empty stomach. 

The unsung blessing is my 2018 commitment to daily meditation. I use the sauna as my quiet place and shrine, with my prayer beads, statue of goddess of compassionate lovingkindness Quan (Kwan) Yin, and books from my meditation teacher. 

Every day, I get into my very preheated sauna, take my big pile of anti-cancer customized supplements (for my lab results, tumor pathology and DNA), then meditate for 30-45 minutes, and finish with a liter of filtered water with 1 teaspoon of baking soda and one teaspoon of Redmond’s Real Salt. I then read Alan Cohen’s book “Daily Dose of Sanity” to see what the gratitude lesson is for the day. 

I will confess…all these diet and lifestyle changes have been very hard at times. Things like my sauna/supplement routine seemed like a curse but have now turned into my sanctuary. 

I never would have believed that I could turn my life around the way that I have. I am happier and healthier than I have ever been in my whole life. I want you to join me on this journey because this is possible for you, too.

What’s Your Sweat Fingerprint?

Sunlighten, Inc. — Thu, 27 May 2021 13:59:05 +0000

Everyone sweats differently. We all have our own unique way of sweating. That’s why when you start using a sauna, it can feel confusing. You may find yourself wondering, “How much should I expect to sweat?” “Why am I not sweating much?” “Why am I sweating so much?” “How do I know it’s working?” “Why do I sweat differently than my friend or family member?”

Sweat Genetics

Just like we all have a unique pattern of lines and ridges that create our fingerprints, every person has a different arrangement of sweat glands throughout their skin. This unique pattern creates your very own “sweat fingerprint.”

Your body has two primary types of sweat glands. Your sweat fingerprint is your own special combination of those types, plus the size, shape, location, and frequency of each varies from person to person. Your unique genetic sweat gland formatting affects the look, feel, amount, content, and even smell of your own sweat. The more sweat glands you have, the more you sweat. The average number of sweat glands in the human body is 3 million.

Tastebuds are another example of how genetics impact the unique way our bodies experience the physical environment. We all have a different number and type of tastebuds, which is why we all have such different responses to food we eat. The average person has 2-4,000 tastebuds, and as we age that number decreases along with our ability to taste. About ¼ of us are “supertasters” with an abundance of tastebuds that increase sensitivity and the ability to discern distinct flavors and seasoning.¹ “Nontasters” have fewer and of course don’t notice taste as intensely. So, the same way food tastes different to each of us, so also do we experience saunas differently because of our unique cellular make up!

And isn’t it interesting that even your actual fingerprint itself sweats!? Yes, it’s one way that drug tests are performed.² Small openings in the ridges that form your fingerprints are actually sweat pores connected to ducts of sweat glands under the skin. The science of poroscopy examines the characteristics of sweat pores on fingerprints to make a personal identification. (So, it’s not just our palms that get sweaty when we’re nervous!)

Different Glands = Different Sweat

Isn’t all sweat the same? Well, actually, no it isn’t. Two different sweat glands produce two different kinds of sweat in your body. And, two other types of glands contribute to your unique sweat composition as well. Different conditions trigger different kinds of sweat.

“Normal” Sweat Comes from the Eccrine Glands
When the body gets hot, sweat releases from the eccrine glands to help cool the body. This is the sweat that comes to mind when we think about exercise and regulating our body temperature. The eccrine glands open directly onto the surface of your skin and produce non-smelly, watery sweat with a bit of salt and a few lipids.³ Our bodies contain anywhere from 2 to 4 million sweat glands–the majority are eccrine glands. They cover our entire body, and we tend to have more of them in our palms, soles, forehead and armpits.

“Stress Sweat” Comes from the Apocrine Glands
When our bodies react to emotion like stress, anxiety or excitement, sweat releases from the apocrine glands. (Your underarms secrete about 30 times more sweat when you’re stressed.) These glands open into the hair follicle, then flow up to the skin’s surface and they excrete thicker, milky sweat that doesn’t evaporate as quickly and can get stinky.³ It’s richer in proteins, lipids, fats, and nutrients that feed the bacteria that live on our skin, which is what causes body odor. The apocrine glands are larger than eccrine glands and develop in areas dense with hair follicles like your scalp, underarms and private parts.

Other Factors Affecting Sweat

Genetics isn’t the only thing affecting how you sweat. It’s a complex equation that also includes gender, age, environment, weight, hydration, nutrition, health, and fitness level. All these factors have variables, too. For instance, a study in the Journal of Applied Physiology found sweat rates depend on heat production based on factors like body size and environment, not cardiac fitness. In other words, a bigger body has to work harder, so likely sweats more.⁴ And a recent small Australian study agreed with that, saying that body mass rather than sex is a stronger factor in how much we sweat.⁵ Another study found that heat acclimation improves sweating functions.⁶ Another variable is physical fitness: the more fit you are, the more efficiently you sweat because the body sweats earlier in a workout at a lower body temperature, cooling the body faster.

So, as you evaluate the way your own body is sweating, know that it is possible you may or may not have 2 million or 4 million sweat glands, and your body has its own unique blend of eccrine and apocrine glands of varying sizes. It’s important not to compare yourself to others but rather listen to your own body. Be curious about the way you sweat, when you sweat, how much you sweat, and what it looks like on your skin. What parts of your body perspire more? With so many factors to consider, remember the amount you sweat is not a measure of how effectively you sweat; it may be more a measure of the number, size, and place of sweat glands you have—it’s your very own sweat fingerprint.

References

Hayes JE, Keast RS. Two decades of supertasting: where do we stand?. Physiol Behav. 2011;104(5):1072-1074. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.08.003
Drug screening using the sweat of a fingerprint: lateral flow detection of Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol, cocaine, opiates and amphetamine, Journal of Analytical Toxicology, Volume 43, Issue 2, March 2019, Pages 88–95, https://doi.org/10.1093/jat/bky068
Baker LB. Physiology of sweat gland function: The roles of sweating and sweat composition in human health. Temperature (Austin). 2019;6(3):211-259. Published 2019 Jul 17. doi:10.1080/23328940.2019.1632145
Cramer MN, Jay O. Explained variance in the thermoregulatory responses to exercise: the independent roles of biophysical and fitness/fatness-related factors. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2015 Nov 1;119(9):982-9. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00281.2015. Epub 2015 Aug 27. PMID: 26316511; PMCID: PMC4628991.
Sean R. Notley, Joonhee Park, Kyoko Tagami, Norikazu Ohnishi, Nigel A. S. Taylor. Variations in body morphology explain gender differences in thermoeffector function during compensable heat stress. Experimental Physiology, 2017; DOI: 1113/EP086112
Foster J, Hodder SG, Lloyd AB, Havenith G. Individual Responses to Heat Stress: Implications for Hyperthermia and Physical Work Capacity. Front Physiol. 2020;11:541483. Published 2020 Sep 11. doi:10.3389/fphys.2020.541483

Feeling Better from the Ground Up: Natural Relief from Pain, Inflammation and Stress

Sunlighten, Inc. — Mon, 24 May 2021 14:21:37 +0000

As adults, going barefoot may feel counterintuitive and maybe even silly at first. But a solution, or at least help, to reduce some of our modern health concerns can be found for free in nature!

What if simply kicking off your shoes could offer some relief from pain and stress? Going barefoot feels like childhood…playing in the backyard, running through sprinklers, catching fireflies. As adults, going barefoot may feel counterintuitive and maybe even silly at first. But a solution, or at least help, to reduce some of our modern health concerns can be found for free in nature! Grounding, also known as “earthing,” is a therapeutic technique using our bare feet or hands to electrically reconnect our body with the earth by “grounding,” just like we provide grounding wire for the buildup of electrical charges in our homes.

Can’t Shake Those Aches and Pains?

Chances are high that at one point you’ve experienced back pain, a headache, acne, fatigue, swelling, or possibly chronic pain. A staggering 66% of Americans report experiencing some level of pain,¹ and in 2020, 20.4% of Americans reported experiencing chronic pain (pain every day for at least 3 months). There is an increased prevalence in women, with nearly 22% of women in the United States suffering from inescapable pain.² Pain inhibits our ability to live the lives we desire. What is creating so much pain, illness and discomfort?

The answers can be complicated, but one culprit is inflammation.

You may be surprised to learn that the inflammatory response is NORMAL. The immune system is designed to respond to variants in our environment and fend off illness with a rush of white blood cells, stirring up brief cellular inflammation. This necessary inflammatory process produces free radicals, which are then neutralized by free electrons. Free electrons are emitted in abundance by the earth and can be absorbed by contact with its surface.³ The advent of modern footwear and the concrete nature of our world insulates us from that natural flow of electrons. Without a neutralizing force, inflammation continues to build until it runs rampant.

The Power of Grounding

The earth is naturally negatively charged and offers an abundance of free electrons that can be absorbed through our skin when in direct contact with, you guessed it, the ground! Our modern disconnection from nature may be affecting our well-being and scientific research suggests grounding as a simple fix.³

Americans experienced an uptick in chronic pain in 2020, no doubt due to sacrifices made in our stay at home orders through COVID⁴. Each day, hours and hours are spent sitting in a conference room, car, or at your desk. Pain and inflammation have the capacity to syphon energy and diminish our drive to do the things we love and enjoy. And just like you might take a multivitamin as a power pack of vitamins and minerals, squishing your toes in the grass is actually a powerhouse against inflammation.

Grounding can have a number of surprisingly beneficial impacts on health:

Reduced inflammation and decreased pain through the absorptions of free electrons³.
Improved circadian rhythm and sleep by decreasing cortisol and tuning into the earth’s natural cadence³. Better sleep is the number one recommendation for improved health.
Foster a strong immune system. Contact with the ground and organic microorganisms is vital in the integrity of our gut-lining and immune system.
Relieves stress. One study showed grounding to reduce cortisol (the stress hormone) and shift the nervous system from sympathetic (fight or flight) toward parasympathetic (balanced), evoking a distinct and nearly instantaneous calming effect³.
Promote general well-being by exposing the body not only to new organisms but also a breath of fresh air. Subjects who were grounded experienced astounding shifts in the body³.
The best part: IT’S FREE! Not only is the act of grounding free, it could actually help save on medical expenses and time away from those you love.

Start Today: Easy Tips to Begin Grounding

One more thing you can do to help relieve your body of inflammation is simply stepping into your own backyard, without your shoes! All it takes is a couple minutes, or as long as you like!

Walk or stand barefoot in the grass
Move your workout to your lawn
Read a book against a tree
Go camping and sleep on the ground-no need to go further than your own yard!
Have a picnic lunch
Garden – get your hands dirty
Lay down and watch the stars

Think grounding or earthing seems too good to be true? Have fun and feel better? Studies have shown positive impacts. When you think about the freedom from illness and how quickly you bounced back as a kid, it all makes sense. Our ancestors walked everywhere either barefoot or wearing animal skins. We spend little to no time outdoors and when we do, our shoes allow no contact with nature.

Slip off your shoes and reclaim your health from inflammation and pain. Live your life to the fullest and remember the joy you felt as a child, utilizing the playground called earth!

References

NIH analysis Shows Americans are in pain. (2015, August 11). https://www.nccih.nih.gov/news/press-releases/nih-analysis-shows-americans-are-in-pain
Products – DATA Briefs – NUMBER 390 – NOVEMBER 2020. (2020, November 04). https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db390.htm
Chevalier, G., Sinatra, S., Oschman, J., Sokal, K., & Sokal, P. (2012, January 12). Earthing: Health implications of reconnecting the human body to the Earth’s surface electrons. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3265077/
Puntillo, F., Giglio, M., Brienza, N., Viswanath, O., Urits, I., Kaye, A., Varrassi, G. (2020, September). Impact of covid-19 pandemic on chronic pain management: Looking for the best way to deliver care. Retrieved May 13, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7366114/

5 Ways Infrared Saunas Can Help Ease Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain

Sunlighten AU — Mon, 10 May 2021 15:57:18 +0000

Infrared sauna therapy can be used to assist people living with a range of degenerative diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, which can cause many side effects, including pain, stiffness, fatigue, and joint destruction.

Many people who have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis are told that without strong medications, like disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), systemic corticosteroids, and painkillers, there is no way to ease the signs and symptoms, let alone hope to halt its progress.

However, many of these drugs can cause profound side effects, including weight gain, osteoporosis and fractures, cardiovascular disease, digestive problems, pain and nausea, increased risk of infection, liver problems, nerve damage, and even scalp hair loss.

Add in the fatigue, brain fog, weakness, and general feeling of being unwell… The tender, swollen joints and aching muscles… the relentless pain and insomnia… rheumatoid arthritis can feel like being slapped by fate.

There is Hope

But while the mainstream focuses its attention on pharmaceutical interventions, sufferers and researchers have been looking closely at alternative interventions. Options that provide much-needed relief without the potentially life-threatening side effects. The insights are exciting!

In 2009, a study into the effects of infrared sauna in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis was published. The authors investigated the impact of twice weekly 30-minute sessions over four weeks.

The researchers found that:

Pain and stiffness significantly decreased during and after therapy
Mood, physical comfort, and symptoms improved
Participants said they “felt comfortable during and after the treatment session”
After treatment, 59% felt comfortable and many felt even very comfortable

That’s a far cry from the daily discomfort that readily accompanies this illness!

There were no markers of disease progression; an important indication that infrared sauna treatment is safe in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). And, unlike many remedies, the treatment was well tolerated.

How Does an Infrared Sauna Work?

With such profound potential benefits, it’s important to look at this therapy deeper. How do infrared saunas work? And why is this important in rheumatoid arthritis or, for that matter, any cause of chronic pain?

There are five important factors:

1. Cell Health, Down Regulation of Inflammatory Markers, Muscle Recovery and Immunity

In RA, whether by the condition itself or the pharmaceutical agents used in its care, cells, muscles, and the immune system can be damaged. Near, mid, and far infrared light technology has been shown to aid in improving cellular health, aiding muscle recovery, and boosting immunity.

NIR light therapy has also been suggested by numerous studies as a suitable adjunctive therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. Along with its appeal as a non-invasive, low-risk protocol, it has proven its efficacy in helping to downregulate the production and concentration of inflammatory markers that are known to recruit cytokines which lead to the degradation of synovial joints.¹

This is great news for sufferers!

2. Detoxification

The incredible body has an inbuilt detoxification system but in our modern-day toxic world and through illness it can become overwhelmed. Support is needed. Far infrared saunas aid detoxification by heating the body safely and directly, which gently elevates core temperature.

“Detoxification is important because it strengthens the body’s immune system and helps the body’s biochemical processes function efficiently so that we are better able to digest the nutrients in our foods. Detoxification has also been shown to be helpful with colitis, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, auto-immune disease, immune deficiency states, autism, ADD and ADHD.” – Dr. Rachel West

3. Improved Circulation

By heating muscles with safe infrared rays, blood flow is increased at a similar rate to that seen during exercise. Because being physically active is troublesome when you are stiff, swollen and sore, the benefits are obvious. It’s like a seated, comfortable workout without the exertion.

Research has also shown that infrared light boosts peripheral circulation, reduces inflammation, decreases pain, and speeds healing. This is exactly what tired and tender joints and muscles need.

4. Pain Relief

Ah, the relief! The (maybe surprising) significant pain relief that many people experience from infrared sauna therapy is utter bliss. Infrared light penetrates tissues, joints, and muscles to relieve acute and chronic ails. From aches to muscle discomfort, joint pain to spasms, this therapy can be a life changer.

5. Relaxation

If you’ve experienced an old school sauna before, you know they can be harsh and uncomfortable. Infrared, however, provides a gentle, soothing heat. It’s this therapeutic warmth that promotes relaxation and enhances slumber.

Want More Information?

For more information on the benefits of using infrared saunas for assisting with rheumatoid arthritis, we recommend you listen to the podcast Rheumatoid Solutions. This podcast by Clint Paddison from ‘The Paddison Program’ shares insights and recommendations on how to manage rheumatoid arthritis, including having a healthy diet, regular exercise, and frequent Sunlighten® mPulse® 3 in 1® infrared sauna therapy sessions to assist with stimulating blood flow; helping to improve the overall quality of life to those with RA.

With the evidence-based benefits and its unprecedented safety, infrared sauna therapy is a fantastic option for those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. The ramifications of chronic pain are huge, and a safe source of respite is much needed.

The intended use of a Sunlighten infrared sauna is to promote and maintain a healthy lifestyle and is unrelated to the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, prevention, or treatment of a disease or condition.

References

¹Araki, Imaoka, Kuboyama, & Abiko, 2011; Imaoka, Zhang, Kuboyama, & Abiko, 2014; Shibata, et al., 2005; Yamaura, et al., 2009