THE IMPORTANCE OF KIDNEY HEALTH

Approximately 26 million Americans have kidney disease, and most don’t even realize they have it! The reason is because many people aren’t aware they are ill until the symptoms have progressed significantly. Unfortunately, kidney disease is one of those silent ailments which can wreak havoc on your body unbeknownst to you.

Some symptoms of kidney disease include the following:

nausea
vomiting
decreased appetite
weakness and fatigue
changes in urination
swelling of feet and ankles
high blood pressure
muscle twitching
trouble sleeping
shortness of breath (if fluid builds around the lining of the heart)
chest pain

There are certain things which can exasperate the symptoms and increase your chances of kidney disease including smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and/or obesity. Luckily, there are several things you can do to start taking care of your kidneys now.

The National Kidney Foundation is the leading organization in the U.S. dedicated to the awareness, prevention and treatment of kidney disease for tens of millions of Americans at risk, and March is national kidney month! It is important to take care of your body, and your kidneys are no exception. Your kidneys are pretty powerful if you think about it – they work 24 hours a day, seven days a week and never get a break!

Interesting Facts About Your Kidneys:

They filter approximately 200 liters of blood a day.
They direct red blood cell production.
They help regulate blood pressure.
They are responsible for filtering waste from your blood.
They balance your body’s fluids.
They produce an active form of Vitamin D which promotes strong, healthy bones.
They regulate the body’s salt, potassium and acid content.
People often don’t realize they have kidney disease until the symptoms and disease has progressed.

Preventing Kidney Disease and Promoting Kidney Health

As the nation’s 9th most deadly killer, kidney disease can be prevented by educating yourself and by taking easy, daily steps that promote kidney health.

The risk for this disease can be reduced by controlling blood pressure and blood sugar, maintaining proper weight, stopping smoking, exercising regularly and avoiding excessive use of medications that can harm the kidneys, such as ibuprofen and naproxen.

One interesting fact is the skin and the kidneys both help detox the body. Traditional Chinese medicine often refers to the skin as the third kidney. Modern research is discovering new insights into the value of skin detoxification for those with kidney disease. Dr. Jenna Henderson writes about one German study evaluated the benefit of sweating for Stage 4 chronic kidney disease patients. Patients sweated into towels, and the towels were then chemically analyzed for content of uremic waste (this waste can build up in the blood and can cause kidney damage). Not only were uremic waste products found, but the researchers noted that the more often the patients experienced these sweating sessions, the more uremia came out in each session. The body learns to push this pathway through repeated stimulation.

This is where we mention our favorite topic: the benefits of sweating via infrared saunas! However, it is also important you talk to your doctor should you have kidney disease before partaking several sweating sessions in one of our Clearlight saunas.

Foods Which Keep Your Kidneys Happy & Healthy

In addition to using infrared saunas for happy and healthy kidneys, and to support them in their never-ending job of filtering waste out of the blood, there are other things you can do to support kidney health. Naturally, exercise and a good diet are a couple of those things, but there are foods which also support your kidneys. They are as follows:

Grapes
Cranberries
Blueberries
Fennel
Onions
Celery
Beets
Spinach
Asparagus
String beans
Apples
Eggplants
Rice
Pears
Peas
Peppers
Zucchini to name a few.

All in all, kidney disease is a silent killer which doesn’t make itself known until it has developed into advanced stages. Our recommendation is to make a healthy lifestyle a habit NOW so it doesn’t afflict you later on.

QUICK TIPS TO HELP YOU DETOXIFY YOUR BODY AND LOSE WEIGHT

The weather is warming up, trees are budding and it’s time to get a jump-start on that summer body. At Clearlight Saunas®, we believe in sustainability. Because of our passion, we have come to realize many exercise routines and diets and efforts to detox your body, regardless of how awesome they are, don’t work for everyone. First of all, many of us don’t have an additional two hours a day to work out – and if we did we would probably want to collapse on the couch! Our suggestion is to find what works for and is sustainable for you.

Detox smoothie drink and running footwear close up. City outdoor workout and fitness healthy nutrition concept. Female athlete tying sport shoes laces before training.

Quick Tips To Help You Detox Your Body and Feel Great:

There is a simple rule when it comes to your body: if it is performing optimally, keeping the weight off is effortless. This is where setting up a plan to detox your body can support you in achieving your health goals.

Participate in some sort of daily physical activity.

The best exercise regime is one you will actually do! If you can only commit to 15 minutes of walking, stretching or weight lifting a day, this is better than doing nothing at all! The point is to do something to utilize your muscles and get that lymphatic system moving!

Detoxify your body via infrared sauna use.

There are many health benefits of using Infrared Saunas which has helped countless people in ridding their bodies of harmful toxins. Some of the other benefits include rejuvenation of the skin, pain relief, faster recovery (after working out) and relaxation. All of these benefits are vital to helping your body function optimally.

Aside from penetrating an inch and a half into your skin to revitalize your cells, daily Clearlight Infrared Sauna™ use pulls toxins out of your body through perspiration.

Toxins are usually stored in excess fat cells underneath the skin and, not surprisingly, one of the functions of this excess fat is to keep toxins away from your vital organs. When toxins are not eliminated fast enough through natural means (such as urination and defecation), the body has to do something with them so they don’t harm our vital organs. Into the excess fat cells they go to be stored until a later time where they can be released through natural means.

Participate in a juice cleanse.

Contrary to popular belief, we have found juice cleanses to not only benefit the body, but it doesn’t take a great deal of time either. In fact, for many people juicing leaves us with MORE time because we are spending LESS time in the kitchen!

As with any meal-planning, creating and executing your juice-diet will require you sit down and create a plan – we even draw out the steps for you here. Whether you opt for a three day, seven day or some other x-amount-of-day juice cleanse, stay focused and committed! Your body will thank you later!

Take time to relax.

Relaxation is vital to keeping your mind focused and can improve your health. I found a quote which read, “Don’t just do something. Sit there!” While it made me laugh, there is something profound about this – many of us fill our schedule with endless to-dos and goals to achieve but how often do we schedule “blank time” where we literally do nothing?

When you are rested and centered, your body reaps the benefits of it. In an article posted on the Harvard Medical School website, a study was conducted and revealed those who practiced mindfulness had less insomnia, fatigue and depression than those who simply tried improving their sleep. Rest doesn’t necessarily mean “sleep.” It is simply getting your body out of an active “fight-or-flight” stress response many of us are used to being in throughout the day. And when your mind is stressed, your body feels it.

In summary, your body is a detox machine. If you have experienced a little “personal growth” around the midsection, it can be remedied through some of the above-mentioned methods.

Toxins do tend to build up over time, and it is our job to support our body in functioning optimally so it can expel these unwanted toxins effortlessly. Start now and you will be enjoying a fitter body AND additional health benefits before summer starts!

RELAXATION TECHNIQUES THAT CAN IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH

It is 7:00 AM and the kids aren’t up yet. The dog must be let out. Your work clothes somehow never made it back from the dry cleaner, and you have a conference call you need to prepare for in less than an hour. Oh, and it’s your day for carpool. Have you ever had a day start out like this?

By 9:00 AM, you’re on your third cup of coffee and all you can think about is that beach vacation that is only…what, seven months away? In the meantime, life seems to only get busier with each passing day. Most of us live a quite stressful existence with little time to decompress before we’re thrown back into the high-octane world we live in. Living a stressful life like this for too long can contribute to chronic fatigue, debilitating stress, and even the early onset of disease. Finding a way to relax and manage stress is not only important – it can be a lifesaver. Here are seven relaxation techniques that can add years to your life:

Relaxation Technique 1: Visualization Therapy

Find quiet and visualize taking a journey to a calm, peaceful location. Try to imagine what it smells like there, what objects feel like, and what you may expect to hear. A serene day at the beach is a simple idea – as the sounds of crashing waves and squawking seagulls, the sensation of the sun’s rays, and the feel of the sand under your feet can be readily imagined. Whatever your “peaceful” place is, think of it for three to four minutes, close your eyes, and enjoy the mental vacation. Do this once or twice a day to calm your mind and reduce stress.

Relaxation Technique 2: Yoga

There is a reason yoga has been around for thousands of years – it truly works! Work with an instructor to create a series of relaxing yoga poses, as not all moves are designed equally. Some can actually create stress, and may not be ideally suited to your ultimate goal of better stress management. The Three-Part Breath, Reclined Bound Angle Pose, Knees-to-Chest Pose, Legs-up-on-a-Wall Pose, and Supported Corpse are five uniquely relaxing yoga poses.

Relaxation Technique 3: Tai Chi

Practicing Tai Chi, or the ancient Chinese tradition of graceful exercise, forces the participant to focus intensely on body movements and deep breathing. This system of exercise is a meditative form of movement that is low impact, basically no-cost, and non-competitive. The gentle physical exercise and positive mental health benefits of Tai Chi are perfectly suited to those who are simply stressed out and need a mental break.

Relaxation Technique 4: Sauna Time

One of the best ways to minimize stress, improve overall heart health, and detoxify the body is by spending time in a sauna. An infrared sauna is the best option for most users today, as reports indicate that not only are they generally more comfortable to use (less steam and far less intense heat settings), but they also detoxify the body much more effectively than traditional saunas. The stress reducing benefits are real, as saunas encourage deep breathing, better circulation, and can even encourage social connections if you have sauna sessions with others.

Relaxation Technique 5: Massage

This form of therapy is incredibly accessible today, as massage clubs seem to quickly spring up in strip malls across the nation daily. You no longer need to belong to a trendy club to access massage services, so work with your preferred masseuse to decide whether you could benefit from a Swedish massage, a deep tissue massage, a sports massage, or a trigger point massage that helps repair muscular injuries. Reducing stress and muscle pain are real-world benefits of this type of therapy.

Relaxation Technique 6: Mindfulness Exercises

Mindfulness refers to deliberately creating awareness of your immediate feelings and sensations throughout various moments of the day. The benefits are reduced anxiety, stress, and depression, less negative self-thought, and enhanced mood. Completing mindful activities is as simple as paying better attention to the people you interact with, looking at familiar situations and objects from a new angle, focusing on relaxed breathing techniques, and reawakening your senses to sights, sounds, and sensations that you’ve taken for granted over the years. Try to specifically focus on mindfulness exercises at least 15-20 minutes per day.

Relaxation Technique 7: Schedule “Blank Time”

We’re good at creating calendars full of important activities and reminders, but when is the last time you blocked out a chunk of time on a random day to set aside to do nothing? In other words, do you carve out time to sit on the couch for 20 minutes, and simply focus on your breathing? Or, do you allocate an hour to sitting on the back deck with a cup of tea – then just take in your surroundings? One of the best ways to minimize stress and relax your mind and body is by deliberately setting aside time for yourself.

Relaxation techniques can improve your physical, emotional, and mental health. By including stress management techniques into your daily routine, you’ll feel better, perform at a higher level, and even add years to your life.

CELEBRATING AMERICAN HEART MONTH FOR HEART HEALTH

Each February we celebrate the American Heart Association’s American Heart Month, a time that reminds us to focus on heart health and overall wellness. It’s the perfect time to kick off a new, healthier lifestyle. Did you know that in the early 1960s, more than 50% of U.S. deaths were the result of cardiovascular disease? It seems that the meat-and-potatoes diet and high rates of tobacco use led to some staggering heart health issues and mortality figures for the average American – with the life expectancy in the United States in 1960 equating to an average of just 66 years for a male, and 73 years for a female.

Today, we see average life expediencies in the 76 and 81 years range for men and women, respectively. Part of this boost in lifespan can be attributed to better awareness of a variety of health factors – cardiovascular health being a big one.

The History of American Heart Month

American Heart Month was enacted in December of 1963 and first celebrated in February 1964. President Lyndon B. Johnson made it so via proclamation #3566, and the Congress issued a joint resolution that requested the standing President issue an annual proclamation designating February of each year as American Heart Month. As mentioned earlier, the rate of death from heart disease was more than 50% in the early 1960s – it is now less than 25%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

How to Celebrate American Heart Month

Year-round, but in February especially, consider the following ways to boost awareness of the importance of heart health by making a difference in your community, within your family, or in your own health-related choices. Here are some great ways to celebrate American Heart Month:

1. Schedule an appointment with your doctor

Instead of only reacting to health concerns when they arise, take a preemptive approach and schedule a full check-up with your general practitioner. Ask for a cholesterol test, a full blood panel, and ask your healthcare professional to check you out for any signs of disease or heart-related health concerns.

2. Quit unhealthy habits

If you smoke or use other forms of tobacco, make this the year you kick the habit. The CDC reports that 480,000 people die each year in the US from cigarette smoking, including those who die from secondhand smoke exposure. That accounts for about 1 in every 5 deaths. Even if you don’t smoke yourself, a family member may be slowly reducing your life expectancy potential. In addition to tobacco, the CDC reports 88,000 deaths are linked to excessive alcohol consumption each year in the US. This represents a staggering 2.5 million years of potential life lost. The bottom line? Use this month as a catalyst to put those destructive habits in check.

3. Focus on healthy eating

Heart healthy meals, or those that are nutrient-rich, low in sodium, and contain only moderate amounts of fat and saturated fat, can add years to your life. Try to reduce the number of times you go out to eat each month, pack healthy snacks to carry with you, and minimize the temptation to stop at a fast food drive-thru for a quick bite to eat. Make it a point to cook at home more using fresh ingredients and minimal sodium or fatty additives.

4. Take prescribed medications

One contributor of higher mortality rates in those aged 50 and older is not taking prescribed medications as indicated by the doctor and pharmacist. In fact, the National Library of Medicine reports that approximately 50% of patients do not take their medications as prescribed. This can lead to serious health ramifications, especially in patients with heart-related health concerns, and the adverse effects can be irreversible, if patients don’t begin to adhere to their medicinal regimens.

5. National Wear Red Day

One woman in the U.S. dies every 80 seconds from heart disease, so do all you can to boost awareness of this tragic statistic by wearing red as often as you can in February. National Wear Red Day is usually the first Friday in February, but by incorporating more red into your wardrobe you may be able to spark conversations with others all month long.

6. Exercise is key

If there is one thing that can help improve your overall heart health virtually overnight, it is exercise. First consult with your doctor, then create an exercise plan that includes a few key steps. Step one, make sure you involve plenty of moderate-intensity cardiovascular work in your fitness regimen. Then, add in some weight training to improve your strength and mobility. The better you feel the more you’ll be encouraged to work out and stay healthy.

7. Use a sauna

Saunas are a terrific choice for this part of the exercise equation. Let’s look at infrared sauna health benefits and discover why it can be instrumental in helping you maintain better heart health.

First and foremost, saunas effectively detoxify the body with infrared saunas proving to be the most effective solution for internal cleansing. A Medical News Today report delivered some staggering information, including:

52% reduction in sudden cardiac death among those who spend at least 19 minutes in a sauna versus another group who spent just 11 minutes in the heat, on average
Men who used a sauna at least four times per week had a 48% lower risk of dying from coronary artery disease
Men who used a sauna at least four times per week were 63% less likely to experience sudden cardiac death when compared to those who only used a sauna four times per month

Keep in mind that saunas stimulate the heart rate during use, yet encourage lower blood pressure when resting. The relaxing environment in a sauna is good for the heart, and the social connections made in a sauna room can improve mental health and the overall sense of well-being.

As American Heart Month rolls on, consider all the ways you can support this important observance – it’ll benefit you and those you care about. From National Wear Red Day to working on your own diet, exercise, and wellness ideas, you’ll add years to your life and have more time to spend with the important people in your life when your heart health is in top shape.