Perspiration therapy has been used for thousands of years around the world, from the Roman baths to Native American sweat lodges. The Japanese live longer than any other nation, and they traditionally take a furo, which is a very hot bath, every night for relaxation and health. The Scandinavians take saunas regularly for their health as well. Heat stress detoxification is one of the most widely used and effective methods of detoxification, relaxation and rejuvenation in the world.

Producing one gram of sweat requires 0.586 kcal.
"A moderately conditioned person can easily sweat off 500 grams in a (conventional) sauna, consuming nearly 300 kcal - the equivalent of running 2 - 3 miles. A heat-conditioned person can easily sweat off 600 - 800 kcal with no adverse effects. While the weight of the water loss can be regained by re-hydration with water, the calories consumed will not be."

The article in JAMA continues: "Many of us who run do so to place a demand on our cardiovascular system, not to build big leg muscles. Regular use of a sauna may impart a similar stress on the cardiovascular system, and its regular use may be as effective, as a means of cardiovascular conditioning and burning of calories, as regular exercise."

With two to three times the sweat generated in a far infrared sauna as compared to a conventional hot-air sauna, the caloric consumption is remarkable. TodayÕs far infrared technology makes sauna therapy even more effective and enjoyable. NASA research in the 1980's found that far infrared (FIR) stimulation is the best means of cardiovascular conditioning for long space flights.

The skin is the largest organ of the body, containing millions of sweat glands. Among its many functions is elimination, acting as a third kidney. Perspiration is capable of performing 27% of our total detoxification ability. Sweating eliminates a wide range of toxins efficiently with no stress on your liver or kidneys, while cleansing the skin and the underlying connective tissues for baby-soft, healthy, glowing skin.

Resonant absorption of far infrared energy causes toxins to become soluble and release from storage in the cells and connective tissue into the lymph. Sweat is then produced from this toxic lymph fluid bypassing the other routes of elimination: liver, kidneys, bowels, lungs and sinuses. This is a major advantage for those with stress in any of these areas.

Most Americans are carrying a toxic burden of 400 and 800 toxic substances stored in our fat cells. Extra fat is stored to dilute these chemicals and keep them in storage. Because our environment exposes us to higher levels than we are able to eliminate, bio-accumulation becomes a major contributor to reduced health and chronic degenerative conditions like cancer and cardiovascular disease. Many health practitioners now recognize far infrared saunas as one of the most effective methods of reducing the bodyÕs burden of chemicals and heavy metals with minimum strain on the bodyÕs organs.

People who need to detoxify the most are often very uncomfortable in a conventional high heat sauna. Also, despite the higher temperature in conventional saunas and steam baths, less sweat is produced and it contains fewer toxins. This is because the heat is transmitted by the air to the surface of the skin, in contrast to the radiant FIR, which penetrates deep into the body tissues.

In Japanese research, far infrared radiation, "significantly increased intracellular calcium ion concentration, phagocytosis and the blastogenetic response of lymphocytes to mitogens. The results suggest that materials emitting electromagnetic radiation in the far infrared range, which are widely used in Japan for cosmetic, therapeutic, and preservative purposes, appear capable of potentiating leukocyte functions without promoting oxidative injury."

Many top athletes now use far infrared technology to warm their muscles before and after working out to prevent injuries and promote relaxation. Far infrared is radiant energy which heats objects by direct resonant absorption, without heating the air in between. This means no wait-time for the sauna to heat up and very little cost for electricity. The typical cost of operation is only about 10¢ an hour. And infrared heat is so safe it is used by hospitals to warm premature infants.

Potentially toxic mineral contents of sweat eliminated during FIR sauna:

Nutrient mineral content of sweat:

What is eliminated?

Removal of 10.1% to 65.9% of the fat-soluble-toxins is achievable by the combination of the nutritional and sauna-detoxification.

Elimination of these toxins:

• Acid toxins
• Alcohol
• Aluminum
• Cadmium
• Cellulite
• Cholesterol
• Environmental chemicals (77,000)
• Excessive fluids
• Food additives (3,000)
• Food processing solvents, emulsifiers and preservatives (10,000)
• hexachlorobenzene (HCB): 30% reduction
• Heavy metals
• Lead
• Lipophilic toxins
• Mercury
• Nicotine
• Organic-toxins
• PCBs (polychlorination-biphenyls): 16% to 63% (adipose-tissue) reduction
• Pesticides
• Pharmaceutical-drugs
• Polybromination-biphenyls (PBBs): 58.7% reduction (p < 0.05) at a decade in the body-tissues, with no change at the 5 and 10-year-marks)
• Salt
• Sodium
• Street-drugs
• Subcutaneous-fat

What is stimulated?

• Autonomic-nervous-system: balance
• Blood-pressure: regulation (normalization)
• Cardiac-output
• Circulation
• Diastolic-blood-pressure: reduction
• Fitness as an exercise-enhancement (warming for a stretch) or replacement in the case of a trauma, safety, ability or weather-issue.
• Growth-hormone
• Healing-processes, including open-wounds, sprains and strains (elevation of the feet is for the maximum-therapy-effectiveness)
• Heart-rate
• Hyperthermia (artificial 1û to 3ûF fever)
• Killer-T-cell regeneration by the thymus
• Leukocyte regeneration by the bone-marrow
• Longevity
• Metabolism-rate
• Mind-clarity
• Muscle
• Oxygenation
• Pain-relief
• Passive-exercise
• Recovery with the colds and flu, exercise and injuries
• Rejuvenation
• Skin tone and elasticity
• Sweating
• Thermoregulation
• Vascular dilation

What symptoms or conditions can benefit?

• Acne
• Allergies
• Anxiety
• Arthritis
• Autonomic dysregulation
• Back pain
• Balance problems
• Brain fog
• Burning-skin
• Burns (healing and scars)
• Bursitis
• Cellulite (fat, water and waste products trapped in the skin)
• Chronic-disease
• Chronic-fatigue (CFIDS)
• Chemical-sensitivities
• Colds and flu (increase the saunas for the immunity-enhancement)
• Concentration-difficulty
• Cuts
• Depression
• Digestive-disorders
• Dizziness
• Eczema
• Environmental illness
• Enzyme dysfunctions
• Excessive body odor
• Frequent colds or flu
• Feeling sick all over
• Fibromyalgia
• Insomnia
• Headache
• Hormonal imbalances
• Loss of dexterity
• Low body temperature
• Memory loss
• Mood swings
• Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
• Muscle and joint-pain
• Muscle-tension and spasms
• Nutrition-imbalances
• Overweight
• Oxygen-debt (speeding of the recovery)
• Pain
• Peripheral-vascular-disease
• Pleomorphic-organism: imbalances
• Physical-difficulty with any exercising
• Psoriasis
• Rheumatoid-arthritis
• Scars (reduction of the formation; softening of the keloids and scar-tissue)
• Skin-lesions (open-wounds or scars)
• Skin-roughness
• Skin-sagging (rejuvenation of the elasticity)
• Skin-tone (enhancement of the firmness)
• Sprains
• Strains
• Stress
• UV burns (antidote)
• Virus (reduction of the reproduction-rate)
• Vision-disturbances

Imagine relaxing in a Far Infrared Sauna for 20 to 30 minutes as you burn as many calories and perspire as much as you would if you ran 6 miles, yet without any strain on your joints or spine. Your cardiovascular system gets a workout as your nervous system relaxes. Your immune system gets stronger because hyperthermia acts as an artificial fever, helping to eliminate bacterial and other invaders. The profuse perspiration also cleanses and rejuvenates your skin and other tissues.

Far Infrared Sauna technology is effective for burning calories, controlling weight, and even helping remove cellulite according to European beauty specialists. In one 25-minute session you burn up to 600 calories, as many calories as rowing for 30 minutes. At 110 degrees F, your body fat melts and becomes miscible with with the body fluids so you can actually excrete it through the glands of the skin, and pump it out through the lymph by exercising after your sauna warmup. With all these benefits, perhaps the best of all is the relaxation you feel as you read, listen to music, or meditate in a comfortable degree of warmth.

Diet and environmental chemicals cause 95% of cancers. Furthermore, as the first generation of man exposed to such an unprecedented plethora of daily chemicals, we have learned that storedÉchemicals can mimic any disease. "Incurable" chronic diseases that were thought to have no known cause often disappear once toxic chemicals are gone. Since the far infrared sauna is the safest, most efficacious and economical way of depurating stored toxins, this makes it a household necessity.

Calories used by a 150-pound person in 30 minutes:

New-sauna: running-empty for the first-time at the maximum-heat for an hour with the door-open.

Setting-range: 100-140 degrees F at the maximum-level with the comfort.

Warm-up: for the stretching, exercising and injury-reduction is with the wearing of the sports-clothing and with the open-door: staying in the sauna for the first-breaking of a sweat. A 20-minute sauna results in a 10% immediate gain in flexibility.

For maximum stretching benefits, start with a full 40-minute sauna and gain 1/2% permanent increase in your flexibility. 40 minutes or more is necessary for the maximum heating of connective tissues, achieving reduction of the elasticity for lasting changes with the stretching or yoga. Tolerance may fluctuate with some achieving comfortable sessions of up to 90 minutes at times. End your session when your body feels done.

Cooling: opening of the roof-vent, window, and/or door for the fresh-cool-air as you desire. For the setting and leaving of the thermostat at the maximum-position is for the sustaining of the FIR-benefits.

Fluids: Drink anti-oxidant, alkaline-water (Microwater &/or Coral-Calcium) prior and following the sauna, or fresh vegetable (or fruit) juice by an ionization-process (GreenPower). Minimize the fruits and fruit juices with any illness, unless you are doing the grape-cure (mono-diet of the organic-grapes).

Electrolytes:

• Calcium (see combinations: Cal/Mag, Coral-Calcium and Structural-Integrity-Plus)
• Magnesium (glycinate for the maximum-absorption, aspartate for the cell-delivery, taurate for the heart and retina)
• Potassium (vegetables, fruits, Potassium-Aspartate for cell-delivery)
• Sodium (bicarbonate of the soda: NaHCO3 as an alkaline-buffer)
• Sulfur (MSM)

Combinations:

• Cal/Mag-Citrate-powder
• Colloidal-Minerals-liquid (avoid products with the heavy-metals)
• Coral-Calcium-sachets, capsules or ultra-fine powder (electrons, Ca, Mg, CO3, 72 trace minerals including the rare-earth-minerals for the longevity)
• E-lyte (Na, K, Mg, Cl, S, P, HCO3-) liquid ion concentrate with no sugar Structural Integrity Plus tablets (MCHC Ca for the increase of the bone-density, Mg, P, concommitant minerals and proteins)

Remedies:

• Niacin (with the history of the use in the sauna/nutrition-detoxification-programs)
• Chitosan
• Oral chelation (Elation!)
• TMG
• Effective Microbes

Fats & Oils:

Fatty-acid-supplementation is for the support of the skin health, elimination of fats and fat-soluble-toxins. Some of the possibilities for optimum EFA and oil-selection by the testing of the arm and leg-muscle-strength or with the Biofield-Analysis are:

EFA (up to 2-4 Tablespoons/day):

• Black-Currant-oil
• Borage-oil
• DHA (Docosa-Hexaenoic-Acid) for the vision and brain-development
• Evening-Primrose-oil for the reduction of the inflammation
• Fish oil: EPA (Eicosa-Pentaenoic-Acid) or Eskimo-3 for the blood-type-O
• Flax-seed-oil (High-Lignan) or flax-seeds
• GLA (Gamma-Linoleic-Acid)
• Hemp-seed-oil (or raw-hemp-seeds)
• Pumpkin-seed-oil (or raw-pumpkin-seeds)
• Salmon-oil (or Pacific/Alaska-salmon)
• Squalene (Shark-Liver-oil) for the immunity, skin and liver

Combination-EFA:

• Flax/Borage (for the balance of the omega: 3 & 6)
• ChildLife (for the infants and children)
• Efalex (for the enhancement of the learning-abilities)

Carrier-oils:

• Apricot-kernel-oil

• Castor-oil

• Coconut-oil

• Grape-seed-oil

• Jojoba-oil

• Kukui-nut-oil

• MCT (Medium-Chain-Triglycerides)

• Olive-oil (Extra-Virgin)

• Sweet-Almond-oil

Therapeutic and Essential-oils
(must dilute in carrier or EFA and dose with caution; do not use essential oils internally if not on this list; use only with the support of your health practitioner):

• Anise (Pimpinella anisum): Swallowing air, migraine, palpitations

• Bergamot (Citrus bergamia): Intestinal colic & parasites

• Black Pine (Pinus sylvestris): Respiratory tract, urinary tract, infection, gallstone, impotence

• Cinnamon (Cinnamomum ceylanicum): Debility from flu, slow digestion, GI spasm, impotence

• Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea): Exhaustion, dyspepsia, low BP, menopause, thrush, stomatitis, scanty periods, wound healing, night sweats in TB

• Clove (Eugenia caryophyllata) Bud: Toothache, sores, insect repellent, lupus, debility, amnesia, indigestion, before childbirth, scabies, ulcers

• Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) Seed: Hg detox, nerve or GI pain, gas, anorexia nervosa

• Eucalyptus (globulus, radiata or smithii): Congestion, UTI, fever, diabetes, migraine, worms

• Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) bitter: Weight loss, gas, vomiting, urinary stones, frequent urination, scanty periods, slow digestion

• Geranium (maculatum): Hg detox, weak adrenals, urinary stones, gastric ulcer

• Ginger (Zingiber officinalis): Loss of appetite, GI pain/gas/diarrhea, scurvy

• Grapefruit (Citrus paradisii): Obesity, cellulite, cleansing, PMS, headache, stiffness, hair loss, drug/alcohol withdrawal

• Holy Basil: Mental fatigue, GI spasm

• Lavender (Lavendula officinalis or angustifolia): All wounds, burns, insect bites, flu, migraine, vertigo, asthma, spasmodic cough, enteritis, gonorrhea, leucorrhea, paralysis

• Lemon (Citrus limonum): Atherosclerosis, liver, varicose veins, stones, infection, debility, rheumatism, hemorrhage

• Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus): Anxiety, colitis, sympathetic stress, lice, sagging skin

• Lime (Citrus aurantifolia): Deodorant, astringent, antiseptic, antiviral, carminative, diuretic

• Marjoram (Origanum marjorana): General and nervous debility, migraine

• Mountain Savory (Satureia montana): GI pain, mental fatigue/eye strain, impotence, diarrhea, anti-bacterial/fungal

• Neem oil: dysbiosis, parasites

• Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans): Chronic diarrhea, halitosis, toothache, gallstones, rheumatic pain, gas, debility

• Orange (Citrus aurantium): Heart rhythm, chronic diarrhea, insomnia Peppermint (Mentha piperita): Gall bladder, IBS, palpitations, migraine, painful period, debility

• Sandalwood (Santalum album): Urinary tract infection, gonorrhea, bronchitis, diarrhea

• Spearmint (Mentha spicata): Bronchitis, sinusitis, nausea, headache, flu, fatigue

• Sweet Birch (Betula lenta): Rheumatism, wounds, uric acid, muscle cramp, cellulite, hair growth

• Sweet Orange (Citrus aurantium): Heart rhythm, chronic diarrhea, insomnia

• Tangerine (Citrus reticulata or madurensis): Muscle spasm, liver, lymph, emotional trauma, calming

• Thyme (Thymus vulgaris): Debility, any infection, flu after chill, GI parasite, sleep

• Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens): Chronic muscle/joint pain, athletes, fever, cellulite

• Ylang Ylang (Canaga odorata): Hypertension, tachycardia, impotence

Biofield-Analysis is for the optimization of all detoxification-support-remedies.

Sweating: Bathing or showering prior may increase sweating. Use 2 or 3 towels: fold one as a sitting-cushion, place one on the floor for the sweat, and one on your lap for wiping of the sweat.

Therapy-localization: Emphasize the treatment-benefits for any area by holding it as close to one of the heaters as comfort allows, or use a FIR lamp or umbrella instrument.

Optimum Dosage:
Infrared radiation, as with visible light and ultra-violet radiation are normally present in sunlight and our natural biological environment. As with chemical nutrients, we require a certain amount of these energetic nutrients for optimum health. Dosage is the key.

We need water to sustain life. Drink too much all at once, and you drown, because the kidneys cannot eliminate it fast enough to maintain the proper concentration of electrolytes in the blood, so the lungs fill up with fluid.

Too little UV and you don't convert cholesterol into Vitamin D, your Calcium absorption falters and your bones lose density and break. Thus, full spectrum lighting, with a slight, physiologically beneficial level of UV reduces hip fractures by 50%.

The situation with Far Infra-Red (FIR) is similar. Low, physiological amounts stimulate circulation, mineral functions and detoxification, as in sleeping next to a spouse (a source of low level FIR), which increases longevity. Where infrared dosage becomes a concern is with either acute or chronic high levels of exposure, such as looking at the sun or a welder's arc without adequate protection, or working at a pizza oven day after day. Your body is intelligent and will inform you by sensations of comfort when you are exposed to beneficial levels of FIR, and discomfort with damaging levels.

When utilizing FIR saunas for detoxification, weight-loss or other fitness benefits, as with other health programs such as fasting or exercise, it is always wise to stop at the onset of any discomfort. When following this guideline, I believe you will be able to walk the middle path of health benefits that lies between deficiency and excess for beneficial substances and energies such as FIR.

Cautions for sauna use:

• Adrenal suppression or exhaustion
• Auto-Immune conditions
• Lupus
• Multiple Sclerosis

Contraindications for sauna use:

• Hemophilia
• Nursing
• Pregnancy

Endnotes:

Guyton's Textbook of Medical Physiology.

Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), August 7, 1981.

Niwa Y., Iizawa O., Ishimoto K.
Electromagnetic Wave Emitting Products - Potentiate Human Leukocyte Functions. Int. J. Biometeorol. 1993 Sept; 37(3):133-8.

Sherry A. Rogers, M.D.,
Northeast Center for Environmental Medicine, Author of Tired Or Toxic? and Total Wellness

Dave Maggard,
Managing Director of Sports, Atlanta, Georgia, Canada Olympic Park, Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games

Brian Armour,
Technical Coordinator, Calgary, Alberta. American Health & Racquet

Tim Conner,
President, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Gold's Gym

Floyd Pittman,
Manager/Co-Owner Gold's Gym, Spartanburg, South Carolina, January 1995

Michael Smith,
Canadian Gold Medal Decathlete, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Mr. & Mrs. Robert J.,
Cleveland, Naugatuck, Connecticut

Betty Ostendorf,
Southington, Connecticut

Mavoretta McLeod,
Burbank, California

Barb Bakke,
Weight management specialist, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada