Way that some people can lose weight without exercise....

Today's Post: Friday, 1-7-2011

This is a surprising idea because exercise DOES help to create effective fat loss and weight loss from the fat loss.

It’s simple really.

People who get several kinds of exercise both moderate and vigorous every week can eat more and still lose fat. That enables them to lose fat without being too hungry to continue which produces success.

People who gradually build up to over 2,000 calories a week in particular also find it dramatically easier to avoid gaining the fat and weight back. One study of people who lost over 30 pounds and kept it off found that they averaged something like 2900 calories of exercise a week.

But some people can’t exercise or do it right now.

Wouldn’t it be nice if people recovering from surgery or injuries or who are disabled and unable to exercise had a way to lose fat and weight that worked?

Also, some people have some pollutants in their system that prevent them from losing fat and weight even while eating right and getting at least some exercise.

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a safe, low risk way to overcome that problem?

It’s not for everyone. Some people may not have the time or money for it. And others may not be able to use it safely.

But there IS something that I found out this morning has been tested as doing these things successfully.

Because he actually asks for his email to be passed along, I’m posting Dr Mark Hyman’s email word for word describing it.

I’ll then add some closing comments.

(There are some people who likely haven’t time to use this method. There is one benefit Dr Hyman likely knows that he did not list. There are some people who should not use this method and some important cautions to be able to use it safely. And, there is a way some people can get the benefits without using it!)

“Original Message-----
From: Mark Hyman, MD drhyman@drhyman.com “

Sent: Fri, Jan 7, 2011 3:02 am

Subject: An Easy Way to Lose Weight, Lower Blood Pressure, Detoxify, and Improve Your Brain Function

“Share this email:

NEW SCIENCE IS PROVING that a simple, ancient method of cleansing the body used by Native Americans for centuries has widespread positive effects on health and can help you lose weight, lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation, enhance detoxification, and experience less joint pain. I'm talking about heat therapy-specifically, the use of infrared saunas.

Heat therapy is a significantly underutilized treatment in medicine. However, with the growing movement to find more self-directed, more natural, less invasive ways to overcome health problems and lose weight, it's becoming more popular among the American public. And that's a good thing! As we will see in a moment, the science bears out the use of heat as a treatment modality for a wide variety of health conditions.

Infrared saunas, in particular present an interesting and powerful opportunity for people to take advantage of the latest advances in heat therapy. These saunas, which can be installed in your home, use infrared light instead of conventional heat to bring up your body temperature. The difference is important because infrared saunas can increase your core body temperature by 2-3 degrees-enough to improve the health results you achieve as compared to conventional saunas.

Most infrared saunas on the market produce only far infrared. However, a new development in the field is full-spectrum infrared. These are saunas that provide all the health benefits associated with far- mid- and near infrared rays.

Over the last decade science has finally caught up with what ancient societies have realized for millennia regarding the use of heat therapy, and the evidence that's surfacing about the benefits of regular use of saunas is impressive.

Infrared saunas help you lose weight. In a two-week study of twenty-five obese adults, body weight and body fat were reduced after daily infrared sauna treatments of 15 minutes. Interestingly, the researchers who conducted the study reported on one obese patient who couldn't exercise due to arthritis in the knee yet lost 17.5 kg, and decreased body fat from 46 to 35 percent after 10 weeks of sauna therapy.(i)

Infrared saunas enhance detoxification. We live in a sea of toxins as you know. Luckily there are steps we can take to more effectively remove these toxins, and the use of saunas is one powerful method for doing so. The Environmental Protection Agency has shown that sauna therapy increases excretion of heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium) and fat-soluble chemicals like PCBs, PBBs, and HCBs.

In fact, toxins stored in fat can prevent you from effectively losing weight. I've seen this time and again in my practice: People try everything to lose weight and get healthy, but it isn't until they detoxify their bodies that they can truly heal.

Infrared saunas reduce blood pressure. Several studies have shown that infrared sauna therapy lowers blood pressure significantly. In one study done by the University of Missouri, Kansas City subjects were randomly assigned to either a Solocarbon infrared sauna or a conventional sauna. Systolic blood pressure decreased from an average of 130.5 to 124 in those that underwent infrared sauna treatment. Those who were treated in a conventional sauna showed no statistical improvement in blood pressure.(ii)

Infrared saunas reduce complications and improve cardiac performance in heart disease patients. In addition to lowering blood pressure, infrared saunas also improve heart rate variability(HRV)-one of the key indicators of heart health. Normally, there is a subtle variability between heartbeats. When there is more variability in the beat-to-beat rhythm, your heart and nervous system are healthier. The least healthy heart rhythm has the least variability-a flat line.

However, when the autonomic nervous system is in chronic stress mode, the heartbeat becomes less variable. Infrared saunas relax the body and mind, reduce autonomic nervous stimulation, and thus improve HRV.

There is an infrared sauna on the market, the mPulse Series from Sunlighten, with built in biofeedback capabilities for monitoring heart rate during a sauna session. This series has intelligent technology delivering customized programs to personalize your sauna therapy.

Infrared saunas improve brain function. As I point out in The UltraMind Solution, the health and resilience of your brain function are directly related to the complexity and variability of your heart rate. What is good for your heart is good for your brain.

And since infrared saunas increase the variability and health of your nervous system, that means they are a great way to improve brain function. Interestingly, one study has also shown that infrared saunas can actually improve the function of neurons that have been damaged by toxins.(iii)

This is to say nothing of the relaxing effects noted above, the improvement sauna has on autonomic nervous function, and the overall increased sense of peace and well-being you experience when regularly taking saunas.

In addition to the benefits above, infrared saunas have also been shown to help blood sugar, reduce joint pain, improve your skin, and more. It's a treatment I highly recommend and one I prescribe to patients often. I suggest you consider regular sauna therapy as well.

To take an infrared sauna, use the following guidelines:

Find a local sauna to use.

Start slowly, with 5 to 10 minutes per session.

Build up to 40 minutes with cool-down periods in between.

Keep well hydrated during the sessions-bring a glass bottle of water into the sauna with you.

Be sure to take a good multi-mineral while doing the sauna treatments (if you are not doing so already) to replace the minerals lost through sweating.

Wash thoroughly with soap to remove the toxins from your skin.

Consider purchasing an infrared sauna for home use. I highly recommend Sunlighten Saunas. They are high-quality, full spectrum infrared saunas and their customer service team specializes in helping you locate the best sauna for your needs.

Whether overweight, suffering from chronic illness, burdened by constant stress, or simply want to optimize your body and protect your health for the long terms, infrared saunas are an excellent way to do it.

To order your infrared sauna now, go to the link below:
www.Sunlighten.com

To your good health,
Mark Hyman, MD

References

(i) Biro, S., Masuda, A., Kihara, T., Tei, C. 2003. Clinical implications of thermal therapy in lifestyle-related diseases. Exp Biol Med. 228(10): 1245-1249. Review

(ii) Edwards, B., Kort, H., and John Foxworthy. A study of the healthy benefits of far-infared sauna therapy. University of Missouri, Kansas City.

(iii) Wong-Riley, M.T., Liang H.L., Eells J.T. et al. 2005. Photobiomodulation directly benefits primary neurons functionally inactivated by toxins: Role of cytochrome c oxidase. J Biol Chem. 280(6):4761-71.”

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My comments:

1. There are some people who likely haven’t time to use this method. Many people who are pressed for time and CAN exercise would get better fat loss and health benefits from using the 15 minutes or more a day to exercise.

But if you have access to a local sauna or the money and space to have one at home AND you either cannot exercise or have enough time to do both, it sounds worth doing!

2. There is one benefit Dr Hyman likely knows that he did not list.

When you “increase your core body temperature by 2-3 degrees” – just like when you get a fever, your body jump starts and starts using its immune cells to find and destroy viruses and bacteria that would otherwise make you sick. In fact, it is likely because regular exercise does this that it tends to prevent colds or send them away faster by giving your body this immune system boost on a regular basis.

3. There are some people who should not use this method.

People who take diuretics, particularly at the higher doses might need medical supervision to use saunas safely. And, some diseases and conditions impair your body’s ability to deal with excess heat. Also, some people live in climates that already achieve this effect from the heat of the day. Adding a sauna on a hot day or after losing a good bit of sweat by doing exercise on a hot day might well cause heat stroke or heat exhaustion and even cause death.

4. Saunas are much safer if you do them when you are neither sleepy nor drunk! And, they are far safer if you do them when a family member or sauna attendant will check on you if you stay too long.

5. And, there is a way some people can get the benefits without using it!

If you do vigorous exercise continuously for 8 minutes, you do heat up a bit but only sweat if it’s a bit on the warm or hot side. But, particularly for men, if you keep going after that, you will begin to sweat even if it’s cool in the room or outside where you are doing the exercise.

Sweating that much does provides virtually the same benefits as using a sauna.

There was a time when I’d likely not have gotten much extra benefit from using a sauna because then I sweat heavily for about 17 minutes for the last 17 minutes of my 26 minute sessions on my NordicTrack. And, I did this three times every week.

I now do three 10 sessions of cardio each week. One 10 minute session of NordicTrack and two of jump rope. Because my body will no longer put up with the wear of the three 26 minute Nordic Track sessions I do those and quite a bit of strength training. But I no longer do all that sweating. So, when I can afford the money and time, I may well begin to use a sauna to get that benefit.

I’d love to lose some extra fat and get rid of some of the pollutants that modern life has loaded up my in my body that may harm my health. It looks like in my current case, using a sauna might well do just that.