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Health Benefits of Infrared Sauna

Oh I love a sauna! But it has to be of the infrared variety!

I am not a fan of the steam sauna as I find them hard to breathe in. An infrared sauna gives you the heat without all the steam and humidity. It warms you up from the inside out and therein lies all the health benefits. Let me explain!

Infrared saunas use light waves to create heat. A traditional sauna uses heat (usually steam) to warm the air which then warms your body.

An Infrared sauna warms the body without warming the air around you.

It's amazing and oh so relaxing. The infrared waves are perfectly safe (they are not like microwaves or anything!) and in fact, they are more than just safe, they are extremely beneficial to all the cells in your body.

  

me getting my sweat on!

The appeal for me is a 'relaxing heat' that doesn't leave me breathless and I look forward to my sauna time every day as part of my health regime. Want to hear what a 30 minute session does for my health? Read on.  

1) Detoxification.

The greatest benefit for me is the sweating! I don't sweat much at all, not even in Summer and have never had to even wear a deodorant. This is not a good thing. Sweating out toxins is crucial to the health of your lymphatic system, immune system and basically the health of every cell in your body.

We accumulate waste and toxins on a daily basis and we release via our bowel movements, urine, breath and skin. So to get a good sweat going is always like a mini cleanse. Yes, exercise is another great way to get that sweat up but sometimes a deeper sweat/cleanse is needed and this is what a sauna will give you.

This is where the Infrared sauna goes above and beyond in the art of sweating because the Far Infrared frequency actually matches the frequency of the water in our cells. This causes toxins to be released into the blood stream and excreted through the sweat.

"Studies have shown that the sweat of people using a conventional sauna was found to be 95-97% water while the sweat of people using infrared saunas was 80-85% water with the 15-20% non-water component being fat soluble toxins, heavy metals such as mercury, aluminium, sulphuric acid, ammonia and uric acid. These sorts of toxins are not found in the seat from normal exercise."

2) Relaxation.

Oh my goodness, this type of heat totally relaxes me! Because infrared heat is also known as a 'soft heat', the most immediate benefit is a feeling of extreme relaxation. As a mum to two little ones that runs a business and household, that is quite amazing for me to achieve in such a short time. The health benefits of relaxing the nervous system and lowering adrenaline and cortisol levels is extreme. Every single part of your body benefits from relaxation.  

3) Weight Loss.

Not everyone will need this benefit but I certainly do! You actually burn 600 calories in a 30 minute session by sitting and relaxing! Not bad hey? This is because the heat is causing your core body temperature to rise and the body's natural response is to lower that core temperature and heart rate (just like it does when you exercise).

The calories being burnt are just due to this effect of the body working harder - this is how we raise our metabolism which is another reason why exercise is so important. But yep, this is like passive exercise!

4) Increased Circulation and Pain relief.

My neck, back and shoulders get quite tight and sore sitting at a computer for a lot of the day and the increased blood flow and warmth to all areas of my body during a 30 minute session keeps me pain free with much more relaxed muscles.

Areas of my body that might have been a bit stagnant with blood flow, get a good increase which again helps with toxin removal. It will also help with muscle recovery or any pain and inflammation after exercise or injuries. 

5) It is so wonderful for your skin!

You are unblocking pores and sweating surface toxins and bacteria from your skin so your skin gets softer, smoother, clearer and has a bit of a glow for days afterwards. Infrared helps with collagen production too so it's basically part of your beauty regime!

Bye bye wrinkles! ;)

 

My preferred settings but it can be set to any desired temperature or time (up to 1 hour) depending on your comfort levels

6) Immune Boosting.

This type of heat is also fabulous for boosting your immunity as the raising of your core temperature simulates a fever or what is known as an 'artificial fever'. This produces more white blood cells, particularly the ones that are in charge of mopping up any virus, bacteria and toxins in our system and removing them into our lymph fluid so they can then be excreted from the body.

You can buy home saunas (as well as find Infrared saunas in places like natural therapy clinics, salt caves, yoga studios, gyms, massage clinics etc) and I have recently made the jump to purchase my own sauna and am absolutely LOVING having one at home. I used to try and get to my local infrared sauna place 2-3 times a week but as I prefer having them at night before shower and bed, it wasn't something that I could easily keep up or really get the benefits that a daily sauna could give me.

I did a lot of research before making my decision of who to go with because it is an investment and it is something I am doing for mine and my families health so I needed the best one out there and I found it in Clearlight Sauna who are made by the company Jacuzzi.

The reason I chose this brand over others was because:

1. Lifetime Warranty (no one else offers this!)

2. Lowest EMF (electromagnetic frequency) emission out there

3. Chromatherapy lights (so you get the chakra light therapy as you sauna)

4. Lowtox wood used

5. Amazing bluetooth speakers so you can zen out to your own playlists and relaxation music

6. The ability to set your own time and degree from outside or inside (there are panels out and in!) and you can even set your sauna to come on at a particular time so it's all warmed up for you just when you need it to be (can be set 36 hours in advance)

7. Built in ergonomic back rests

8. Clearlight use a heater that is a patented hybrid of carbon and ceramic heating (they call it TrueWave) which allows the infrared to be more effective and higher quality infrared waves penetrating deeper into your body.

My beautiful new sauna!

So yes, I had already done all my research and knew which one I wanted so I contacted Clearlight and asked them if they would have me as an affiliate and grab a discount code for my followers and they said yes! SO if you would like to make the jump to owning your own sauna at home, then first do your research and if you land on Clearlight like I did, use the discount code NNMsauna at the checkout or mention it to anyone you speak with and this will give you $100 off.

Now it is an investment but this is something that I will save money on because I used to pay anywhere between $35 and $45 per visit and now my husband I are having saunas together every night in our own home! Ours will be paid off in no time because we have made it a daily ritual to connect and chat in our sauna every night once the kids are asleep.

That means we now have 30 minutes where we actually are together and talking instead of on the couch on front of the TV! We are already sleeping better, my dodgy left shoulder is feeling stronger (hello increased collagen benefits!) and it's great to jump in as soon as you feel any fist sign of a cold or sniffle as the sauna can head it off at the pass!

And my kids love it too! Rules for kids using sauna are less time and less heat so my two (who are 7 and 8) do about 15 at a heat of 45 degrees. Hubby and I do 30 mins at 60 degrees, but you can work up to that heat or stay at a lower heat if desired!.

They absolutely LOVE it and beg me for sauna time before their bath which is perfect as it gets them so relaxed for bedtime. I play them stories from my phone so they sit in there relaxing and listening through the bluetooth speakers. My son, who isn't the best sleeper, is already sleeping better too and it says it make him feel 'super light' inside! Winning!

my kids relaxing in the sauna

So they are the main reasons why I rave about Infrared Therapy and encourage anyone to give it a go, as I know you will be hooked! Most disease states will benefit from this type of therapy so anyone who suffers from poor liver health, digestive disturbance, diabetes, hormonal imbalance, thyroid disease, Candida overgrowth, arthritis, any inflammation, lowered immunity, eczema, psoriasis, depression, insomnia, anxiety and high stress levels will find they feel the benefits.

Be careful if you have extremely high blood pressure (although infrared is shown to lower blood pressure over time) and I wouldn't advise infrared sauna or any extreme heat during pregnancy as the body's temperature needs to be very carefully regulated.

And make sure you hydrate properly before and after your sauna as you will sweat a lot. Also rinse off as soon as you can as you don't want to reabsorb those toxins that you have sweated out.

And if anyone wants to know which one I got, it's the 3-4 person corner sauna in the basswood option which gives me and hubby lots of room to put our legs up ;) You can find that model and many others (they range from 1 person to 5 person and even have outdoor options!) HERE and don't forget to use the code NNMsauna to get $100 off if you make the leap!

Let me know if you end up trialling infrared somewhere or even if you have decided to invest in one!

Yours in Health,

 Alisha


Health Benefits of Infrared Sauna

Oh I love a sauna! But it has to be of the infrared variety!

I am not a fan of the steam sauna as I find them hard to breathe in. An infrared sauna gives you the heat without all the steam and humidity. It warms you up from the inside out and therein lies all the health benefits. Let me explain!

Infrared saunas use light waves to create heat. A traditional sauna uses heat (usually steam) to warm the air which then warms your body.

An Infrared sauna warms the body without warming the air around you.

It's amazing and oh so relaxing. The infrared waves are perfectly safe (they are not like microwaves or anything!) and in fact, they are more than just safe, they are extremely beneficial to all the cells in your body.

  

me getting my sweat on!

The appeal for me is a 'relaxing heat' that doesn't leave me breathless and I look forward to my sauna time every day as part of my health regime. Want to hear what a 30 minute session does for my health? Read on.  

1) Detoxification.

The greatest benefit for me is the sweating! I don't sweat much at all, not even in Summer and have never had to even wear a deodorant. This is not a good thing. Sweating out toxins is crucial to the health of your lymphatic system, immune system and basically the health of every cell in your body.

We accumulate waste and toxins on a daily basis and we release via our bowel movements, urine, breath and skin. So to get a good sweat going is always like a mini cleanse. Yes, exercise is another great way to get that sweat up but sometimes a deeper sweat/cleanse is needed and this is what a sauna will give you.

This is where the Infrared sauna goes above and beyond in the art of sweating because the Far Infrared frequency actually matches the frequency of the water in our cells. This causes toxins to be released into the blood stream and excreted through the sweat.

"Studies have shown that the sweat of people using a conventional sauna was found to be 95-97% water while the sweat of people using infrared saunas was 80-85% water with the 15-20% non-water component being fat soluble toxins, heavy metals such as mercury, aluminium, sulphuric acid, ammonia and uric acid. These sorts of toxins are not found in the seat from normal exercise."

2) Relaxation.

Oh my goodness, this type of heat totally relaxes me! Because infrared heat is also known as a 'soft heat', the most immediate benefit is a feeling of extreme relaxation. As a mum to two little ones that runs a business and household, that is quite amazing for me to achieve in such a short time. The health benefits of relaxing the nervous system and lowering adrenaline and cortisol levels is extreme. Every single part of your body benefits from relaxation.  

3) Weight Loss.

Not everyone will need this benefit but I certainly do! You actually burn 600 calories in a 30 minute session by sitting and relaxing! Not bad hey? This is because the heat is causing your core body temperature to rise and the body's natural response is to lower that core temperature and heart rate (just like it does when you exercise).

The calories being burnt are just due to this effect of the body working harder - this is how we raise our metabolism which is another reason why exercise is so important. But yep, this is like passive exercise!

4) Increased Circulation and Pain relief.

My neck, back and shoulders get quite tight and sore sitting at a computer for a lot of the day and the increased blood flow and warmth to all areas of my body during a 30 minute session keeps me pain free with much more relaxed muscles.

Areas of my body that might have been a bit stagnant with blood flow, get a good increase which again helps with toxin removal. It will also help with muscle recovery or any pain and inflammation after exercise or injuries. 

5) It is so wonderful for your skin!

You are unblocking pores and sweating surface toxins and bacteria from your skin so your skin gets softer, smoother, clearer and has a bit of a glow for days afterwards. Infrared helps with collagen production too so it's basically part of your beauty regime!

Bye bye wrinkles! ;)

 

My preferred settings but it can be set to any desired temperature or time (up to 1 hour) depending on your comfort levels

6) Immune Boosting.

This type of heat is also fabulous for boosting your immunity as the raising of your core temperature simulates a fever or what is known as an 'artificial fever'. This produces more white blood cells, particularly the ones that are in charge of mopping up any virus, bacteria and toxins in our system and removing them into our lymph fluid so they can then be excreted from the body.

You can buy home saunas (as well as find Infrared saunas in places like natural therapy clinics, salt caves, yoga studios, gyms, massage clinics etc) and I have recently made the jump to purchase my own sauna and am absolutely LOVING having one at home. I used to try and get to my local infrared sauna place 2-3 times a week but as I prefer having them at night before shower and bed, it wasn't something that I could easily keep up or really get the benefits that a daily sauna could give me.

I did a lot of research before making my decision of who to go with because it is an investment and it is something I am doing for mine and my families health so I needed the best one out there and I found it in Clearlight Sauna who are made by the company Jacuzzi.

The reason I chose this brand over others was because:

1. Lifetime Warranty (no one else offers this!)

2. Lowest EMF (electromagnetic frequency) emission out there

3. Chromatherapy lights (so you get the chakra light therapy as you sauna)

4. Lowtox wood used

5. Amazing bluetooth speakers so you can zen out to your own playlists and relaxation music

6. The ability to set your own time and degree from outside or inside (there are panels out and in!) and you can even set your sauna to come on at a particular time so it's all warmed up for you just when you need it to be (can be set 36 hours in advance)

7. Built in ergonomic back rests

8. Clearlight use a heater that is a patented hybrid of carbon and ceramic heating (they call it TrueWave) which allows the infrared to be more effective and higher quality infrared waves penetrating deeper into your body.

My beautiful new sauna!

So yes, I had already done all my research and knew which one I wanted so I contacted Clearlight and asked them if they would have me as an affiliate and grab a discount code for my followers and they said yes! SO if you would like to make the jump to owning your own sauna at home, then first do your research and if you land on Clearlight like I did, use the discount code NNMsauna at the checkout or mention it to anyone you speak with and this will give you $100 off.

Now it is an investment but this is something that I will save money on because I used to pay anywhere between $35 and $45 per visit and now my husband I are having saunas together every night in our own home! Ours will be paid off in no time because we have made it a daily ritual to connect and chat in our sauna every night once the kids are asleep.

That means we now have 30 minutes where we actually are together and talking instead of on the couch on front of the TV! We are already sleeping better, my dodgy left shoulder is feeling stronger (hello increased collagen benefits!) and it's great to jump in as soon as you feel any fist sign of a cold or sniffle as the sauna can head it off at the pass!

And my kids love it too! Rules for kids using sauna are less time and less heat so my two (who are 7 and 8) do about 15 at a heat of 45 degrees. Hubby and I do 30 mins at 60 degrees, but you can work up to that heat or stay at a lower heat if desired!.

They absolutely LOVE it and beg me for sauna time before their bath which is perfect as it gets them so relaxed for bedtime. I play them stories from my phone so they sit in there relaxing and listening through the bluetooth speakers. My son, who isn't the best sleeper, is already sleeping better too and it says it make him feel 'super light' inside! Winning!

my kids relaxing in the sauna

So they are the main reasons why I rave about Infrared Therapy and encourage anyone to give it a go, as I know you will be hooked! Most disease states will benefit from this type of therapy so anyone who suffers from poor liver health, digestive disturbance, diabetes, hormonal imbalance, thyroid disease, Candida overgrowth, arthritis, any inflammation, lowered immunity, eczema, psoriasis, depression, insomnia, anxiety and high stress levels will find they feel the benefits.

Be careful if you have extremely high blood pressure (although infrared is shown to lower blood pressure over time) and I wouldn't advise infrared sauna or any extreme heat during pregnancy as the body's temperature needs to be very carefully regulated.

And make sure you hydrate properly before and after your sauna as you will sweat a lot. Also rinse off as soon as you can as you don't want to reabsorb those toxins that you have sweated out.

And if anyone wants to know which one I got, it's the 3-4 person corner sauna in the basswood option which gives me and hubby lots of room to put our legs up ;) You can find that model and many others (they range from 1 person to 5 person and even have outdoor options!) HERE and don't forget to use the code NNMsauna to get $100 off if you make the leap!

Let me know if you end up trialling infrared somewhere or even if you have decided to invest in one!

Yours in Health,

 Alisha