Turn Up the Heat

Hyperthermic therapy aids your body in cleansing and healing itself. Heat helps clean clogged pores, draws out toxins, and kills harmful bacteria and viruses. It increases metabolism, circulation, and stimulates cellular activity.

The basic goal of heat therapy is to sweat. This can be accomplished in the comfort of your own home by soaking in a tub of hot water (as hot as you can stand it) or by wrapping yourself in blankets with a hot water bottle for 20 to 30 minutes. Taking a quick shower after each treatment will prevent expelled toxins from getting reabsorbed.

Other alternatives for heat therapy include using a hot tub or spa. If you're planning to use a public hot tub, look for one that uses an ozone generator to clean the water. This type of cleansing does not produce byproducts such as tri-halomethanes (THMs), but rather kills bacteria in the water and better neutralizes toxins that may have been expelled by previous users.

Sauna treatments are also highly beneficial in supporting detoxification. For those who find breathing difficult in traditional saunas because of the hypersteam produced, there is the option of infrared saunas. The infrared rays heat the body directly, providing a milder environment. If you've never been in a sauna, you might want to try them both to determine your personal preference.

Practising slow, long, deep breathing while in the sauna aids liver detoxification and improves lymphatic circulation. Sauna therapy can be more effective if coordinated with liver, kidney, and intestinal cleansers such as milk thistle and dandelion.