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Cleanse Your Body of Toxins Naturally

by Dr. Stephen Sinatra

Published 04/30/09

Our environment is becoming more toxic every day. Thousands of toxins infiltrate our soils, waters, and air. These chemicals can have a negative impact on metabolism, enzyme function, hormonal balances, and our immune system. They're also creating health conditions you might not even suspect: allergies, skin problems, insomnia, brain fog, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety, memory loss, poor concentration, joint and muscle pain, mouth sores, and frequent colds and flu. The list goes on and on.

Detoxifying ourselves is one of the biggest personal challenges of the 21st century, and I'm here to talk about a simple way to start ridding your body of toxins.

Work Up Some Sweat

Breaking a fever is usually a sign that your body has won the battle: Some viruses and microbes subjected to high temperatures have been rid from your body through your skin. There is another way to encourage your skin to expel toxins.

Your lungs, skin, colon, liver, and kidneys are the major organs that help rid your body of toxic waste. But when body temperature rises and we start to perspire, toxins, pesticides, and petrochemicals that have been stored in subcutaneous fat for years come to the surface and are excreted through our pores via sweat. A sauna is the perfect instrument for opening sweat pores. Saunas also dilate blood vessels to cause flushing, which mobilizes our blood supply.

Perspiration has long been believed to be a sound approach to remove mercury from the bloodstream. For years this technique was employed in Spain on miners who showed clinical signs of mercury toxicity, such as mental confusion and tremor. In one study of mercury-toxic industrial workers, investigators placed some of them in sweat-inducing suits while others wore regular uniforms. Those who wore the sweat suits were less mercury-toxic.

Those of you who exercise regularly are eliminating toxins through your sweat. But remember that if you are distance running through areas of high environmental air pollution, you're breathing in noxious elements as you sweat out toxins. Try to avoid running in heavily trafficked areas. If you follow an intense exercise program for 30 minutes or more a day in a pollution-free environment, you are probably losing sufficient toxins through the skin. However, for some, including those who have mild heart disease, the far infrared sauna is an alternative worth considering.

The Far Infrared Sauna

Any type of sauna will make you sweat. Traditional saunas involve a fire pot or a bed of hot coals that release high heat in a cabin. Steam is released when water is splashed onto the coals to prevent dry lungs and mucous membranes. Many of these saunas were built outdoors because they presented a fire hazard. They were made of strong cedar or red wood because these woods contained a volatile oil called cedrene, which repelled insects and withstood moisture. However, cedrene also contains unsaturated, aliphatic cyclic hydrocarbons that are local irritants that can present a minor toxic burden to the user. Be aware of this when choosing a sauna.

The Far Infrared Sauna is a great alternative. It is a portable unit that can be placed outdoors but is safe to use indoors as well. When I decided to install a sauna in my home, I selected a poplar wood model because it does not contain cedrene and is recommended for people with allergies, multiple chemical sensitivities, or health problems related to chemical or heavy metal toxicities. Because they are dry saunas, the far infrared units require no plumbing. The two-person sauna runs on a regular 110-volt electrical line. Larger units run on a 220-volt electrical line, the same voltage your clothes dryer requires.

Far infrared energy heats objects by direct, molecular excitation, without heating the air between the spaces. Far infrared rays penetrate body tissue much deeper than near infrared rays do. It's like sitting in a car on a cold day and feeling the sunlight through the window. Although the band of light is not visible, you feel the heat. The body absorbs far infrared heat waves that promote the transfer of water across cellular membranes. In my experience, far infrared saunas won't dry eye corneas the way a traditional high-temperature Swedish sauna will. As cellular membranes are hydrated, blood flow improves and facilitates healing. (Actually the original use of far infrared saunas was for pain relief, and they have been shown to be effective against rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.)

As beneficial far infrared rays are absorbed, the body perspires and accelerates the removal of toxins. Penetration by this radiant heat also supports tendons, ligaments, and muscle structures, which is why many physicians are now using far infrared saunas to treat musculoskeletal problems like TMJ, bursitis, low back pain, shoulder pain, soft tissue injuries, and more.