Posts tagged #detox

Warm Up, Relax + Detox your Body all at Once with THIS Powerful Tool


It's that time of year where things start to cool down and I sometimes find myself longing for some heat. The days are shorter, which means a lot less sunshine to boost our spirits (and our vitamin D!). We're also moving into "sick season", and I'm all about finding ways to avoid coming down with anything nasty. This is where my love for the infrared sauna comes in!

Infrared saunas are a healing modality I often recommend to my clients. You can find many claims of health benefits, like these outlined by Sunlighten, a maker of infrared saunas. There hasn't been in-depth research on many of the benefits though, so some may be skeptical. I can say from personal experience, and the experience of my clients', that I definitely notice some of the benefits when I use the infrared sauna throughout the winter months.

Besides warming my body up when it's -20 below, I experience a boost in my mood and my immunity. And it feels so good to sweat out all the junk in my system! Whenever I feel something coming on, or if I have a stuffy nose, the infrared sauna provides relief. It's also a great place to disconnect and catch up on some reading or meditation.

How does an infrared sauna work?

The temp in an infrared sauna is much lower than a traditional sauna. It's usually adjusted between 110-150 degrees and your session is 15-40 minutes. If you've been in a sauna in the past, know that an infrared sauna will feel very different.

These types of saunas use heat and light to create the warmth that penetrates your body and helps you to detox. It's similar to the infrared rays of the sun, which are the healthiest rays. There are near, mid, and far infrared rays and each have different benefits. It can be most beneficial to get the full spectrum, which many infrared saunas have available. Fun fact: these rays are the same type used in neonatal units for premature babies.

Some of the immediate effects you'll notice:

  • Lots of sweating:  This is how your body detoxes. It can sometimes feel like you're doing a super intense workout even though you're just sitting there. Definitely bring a couple towels with you and water to replenish.
  • Increased heart rate: Your body is heating up and your circulation and blood flow are improving, so your heart rate increases slightly as well. It can truly feel like a little workout even though you're not moving.
  • Relaxation & decreased stress: This is similar to effects you may get from exercising, but you're relaxing in an infrared sauna instead.

What are a few of the potential benefits?

  • Detoxification: All that sweating you'll be doing? It's helping move the toxins stored in your body out through your sweat.
  • Pain relief: The heat penetrates your muscles and can provide relief from chronic pain.
  • Stress reduction: It's easy for your stress to reduce when you're in a relaxed state. The gentle heat relaxes you and can also improve your sleep.
  • Lower blood pressure: Your heart rate and blood flow increase while your blood pressure lowers.
  • Skin purification: You can notice glowing skin immediately after detoxing in an infrared sauna because the impurities are pushed out.
  • and so much more!

For more info on infrared saunas, benefits, and even some research, check out this article from Dr. Axe or this article on 23 Health Benefits of Saunas, According to Science. And if you want to read about someone's experience in an infrared sauna, you can read this article from the HuffPost.

Feeling enticed? Awaken for Wellness in St. Paul is my favorite place to go for infrared sauna if you're in the Twin Cities area. If you're not, there's likely a holistic practice, yoga studio or spa near you that offers it.

As always, I'm here if you need support for detoxification. It's so important that it's built into many of my healing programs here at Thrive Nutrition.

Posted on October 19, 2017 .

Show Some Love to Your Liver


I'm excited to share some great info about the liver with you today. It's an organ that is responsible for so much, but we talk about it so little. Let's show it some love!

What the liver does for your body

The liver is quite incredible. It has responsibilities for both detoxification and digestion. Anything you eat, breathe, or absorb goes through your liver for processing and is either circulated through your blood, stored for future use, or detoxified and flushed from your body through urine or stool. When your body needs the nutrients your liver has stored, your liver knows to release them. An example of this is regulation of your blood sugar levels. If your levels get too low, your liver will break down glycogen and release the sugar into your blood.  Your liver also knows when to release stored vitamins and minerals to keep your body functioning optimally. It's truly incredible what the liver can do, and we've barely scratched the surface! It's also incredible what can happen if your liver is overburdened.

Signs your liver may not be functioning optimally

There are many symptoms that can indicate if your liver is overburdened. This list is not exhaustive, but includes some of the common indicators that we need to do more to support our livers. When you begin to support your liver, other organs improve their function as well. There's definitely a domino effect when your liver is taxed and also when it's functioning well. In fact, a lot of healing diets and protocols include phases, foods, or supplements that support your liver because it's just that important to your overall health.

Here are a few of the common signs of poor liver function:

  • Digestive disorders & bloating

  • Brain fog

  • Pain/discomfort under your right-side ribcage

  • Headaches

  • Hormonal imbalance/irregular menstrual cycle

  • Unexplained weight gain

  • Acid reflux/heartburn

  • Dark spots on the skin

  • Acne or other skin rashes

How to detox your liver

  1. Change up your diet: Some of the best foods for your liver include sour foods, leafy greens, cruciferous veggies, and fresh herbs. Buying organic when you can will reduce the pesticides you consume through produce. You can also add in some apple cider vinegar to help stimulate digestion. Eliminate alcohol, sugars, a diet with multiple servings of grains and grain products (bread, pasta, etc.), and processed foods including high fructose corn syrup and agave, which can all lead to an excessive toxic load on your liver.

  2. Reduce the toxins in your life: From cleaning chemicals to beauty products, we're subjected to chemicals that we often don't know about hundreds of times each day. There are many non-toxic options out there these days that are worth checking out. I've started to replace things with safer options as I run out of what I already have on hand. It's not always financially feasible to replace everything at once. You can also easily make your own home cleaners with vinegar, baking soda. lemon and essential oils

  3. Use herbs & teas to boost your liver function: Milk thistle and tumeric herbs are great for liver function. Dandelion root and green teas are great as well! I love roasted dandelion root tea in the morning. It's dark and has a lovely nutty flavor.

  4. Exercise: Moving your body is a great way to expel toxins from your liver and your body as a whole via breath and sweat. Another option to get your body sweating without strenuous activity is the infrared sauna and there are several in the local Twin Cities area! This is one of my favorite things to do in the winter, which will sadly be here in a mere few months!

Need a little help with your liver health? Schedule a free 30 minute consultation to see if Thrive Nutrition is a good fit for you.

Posted on October 19, 2017 .