Naturopathy regularly emphasises the importance of detoxification – and for good reason. If you think about it, we currently live in very toxic conditions. Nevertheless, our bodies struggle to eliminate that heavy toxic load. From increasing your water intake to supporting your liver health, there are several internal methods you can use for detoxification. However, a number of external detoxification methods also exist and researchers believe those external methods are necessary for complete detoxification.

So, what exactly is your body up against?

Unfortunately, your environment serves as a breeding ground for toxins. Therefore, toxins can constantly invade your body from the air you breathe, the water you drink, the food you eat, and even the clothes you wear. Some examples of these toxins include:

• Calcium
• Drugs
• Environmental chemicals
• Lead
• Mercury

Calcium may surprise you as a possible toxin, but toxic calcium is the form added to many processed foods. Often derived from oyster shells or chalk (yes, carcinogenic chalk!), toxic calcium is highly indigestible by the body. Depending on the toxic load on your liver and kidneys, drugs and environmental chemicals may easily accumulate within the tissues of your body. That accumulation can induce inflammation and other serious medical conditions. Lead and mercury are known heavy metal toxins that contribute to the development of cancer as well as other chronic neurological diseases. As a matter of fact, just 17 micrograms of lead in your body have been shown to lower your IQ by 10 points!

Infrared Saunas—The magic wands of Detox?

Considering all the factors that contribute to your toxic load, you should definitely know and understand all the tools available for complete and effective detoxification. And the infrared sauna is one of those tools. Not to be confused with traditional, Finnish-style saunas, infrared saunas are quite different. Traditional saunas promote toxin elimination through your GI tract by heating you up from the outside in. Infrared saunas promote toxin elimination through your skin by heating you up from the inside out. In this manner, infrared saunas are comparable to steam baths. However, infrared saunas remove more toxins than steam baths and traditional saunas. In other words, just 15 to 30 minutes in an infrared sauna heated from 71 to 82 degrees Celsius will rid your body of all the harmful toxins listed above.

How you can boost your Detox

Studies show that supplementing your infrared sauna visits with massage or exercise can boost your overall detoxification. Getting a massage while in the infrared sauna physically stimulates your tissues to release toxins. And prior to entering the infrared sauna, intense exercise fires up your digestive and excretory systems while making you sweat. Sweating is the key ingredient of infrared saunas, because it carries toxins from inside your tissues to outside through your skin. Look to your diet to further maximise your detox, as calcium, magnesium, and potassium specialise in capturing and escorting toxins out of the body. So, ‘Ask a Naturopath’ for a list of whole foods high in calcium, magnesium, and potassium to further boost your detox.