I’m doing some health treatments right now and in the need of detox while doing the treatments.  One of the things I came across in my research is hydrotherapy or the concept of hyperthermia.  Essentially you force your body to have a fever which raises your body temperature to a level that kills bacteria and other nasties in your system.  Also it allows you to detox and extricate the gunk through your sweat glands and skin.  I don’t have easy access to a gym or spa with a sauna nor the funds to install one in my tiny city house.  I considered going to Hot Springs, Arkansas or even a health spa in California with natural hot spring water.  But as that’s not something I can do immediately nor on a weekly or daily basis that doesn’t really help me much.  Then I read about a technique of taking a hot bath, when it starts to cool empty some of the water and refill with hotter water, and repeat until you’ve been in the hot water for at least forty minutes.  Then when you get out of the tub wrap yourself in a sheet and then in a blanket.  Then sweat it out for a bit.

So I tried this technique today and it was great.  I watched 50 minutes of a movie while keeping my bath water hot, I drank a mug of hot tea, and I made sure to keep my hands and feet under the water.  I did not put my head under until the very end when I washed it.  After I drank the tea I was really struggling with the heat and I was drenched in sweat.  I was really ready to be done by the time I passed the forty minute mark.  I got out, did not dry off my body with a towel, but I wrapped my head up in a towel and immediately wrapped up in a sheet, and then cocooned myself into my blanket and finished my movie.  I sweated like crazy.  When I finally unrolled myself my sheet and blanket were drenched and it even went through to my bed.  My face was beat red like I worked out, which doesn’t surprise me because my heart rate was up for quite a bit of it.  I’m not sure why that is but I read that was normal too.  My skin is super soft and looks healthier.  Even my husband commented on it and my three-year-old kept rubbing the soft skin on my leg. I drank a tall glass of water when I got out and will keep drinking to help continue the detox.

So if you don’t have access or funds for a sauna or spa treatment and need to detox, try out the Poor Man’s Sauna.  All it takes is a tub, hot water, a sheet, and a blanket.  And I highly suggest a distraction from the heat.  I watched Hitch with Will Smith and was pretty entertained for the most part.  It wasn’t as relaxing as a warm bath normally is for me since the water temp was hotter than my comfort level but it worked great and my skin looks healthier.  I also put Epsom Salt in the water to help with the detox.