Benefits of steam and sauna bathing

Steam Room Benefits - effects on skin, muscle and joint pain, stress, and more...


Most people associate steam baths with relaxation or skin look-and-feel improvements, but steam room benefits may also include:

# relief from muscle tension and stiff joints

# boosting the immune system

# lymph detoxification

# blood circulation improvement

# sinus congestion relief

Regular use of a steam room can possibly improve your health and appearance. Read on to understand why...

What benefits do you enjoy most from steam baths? Take a second to click here and share with other readers of this site (opens a separate new window).

Unique Steam Room Benefits

Both sauna and steam baths are therapeutic, but the high moisture content in a steam room is especially good for respiratory problems.

For generations, doctors have recommended breathing steam for all kinds of respiratory issues.

Do you have any respiratory ailments? Give steam bathing a try. You just might like the results.

Of course if you have high blood pressure or other conditions, make sure you consult your doctor first!

Steam baths have been proven to be effective for conditions such as...

* asthma,
* bronchitis,
* sinusitis, and
* allergies.

Steam can help clear allergens and mucus from your lungs.

Vaporizers don't compare. Why?

Because a steam room exposes you to a higher concentration of steam, making it more effective for providing relief from breathing problems.

Breathing passages are soothed because of increased moisture content in your lungs, throat and nose.

Dr. Darrell L. Wolfe, Ac, Ph.D, wrote a good article about the therapeutic health benefits of steam rooms.

A visitor of this site named Dustin swears by the benefits of steam bathing. He says it helps him stay well during the winter season. Take a second to read Dustin's message and leave a comment (opens a new window).

Skin Benefits

Nothing is better for your skin than a heavy sweat.

Dermatologists recognize the value of steam in creating a beautiful, healthy glow.

Heavy sweating cleanses your skin more thoroughly than soap and water. How?

Because it opens your pores and allows deep-seated grime (yuck) and dead cells to be flushed out.

This is one reason steam baths can be helpful for acne treatment and some other skin conditions.

Also, the heat causes an increase in blood circulation, bringing more oxygen and nutrients to your skin surface. Over time, this can help contribute to a healthy, glowing appearance.

To better understand why a steam room benefits your skin, skim my short article --> Steam Rooms for Skin Care (opens a new window).

Pain Relief

Heat has been known to be effective against joint and muscular pain.

It causes your blood vessels to expand, which increases blood circulation.

As a result, more oxygen and nutrients can reach damaged parts of your body.

This has the double effect of temporarily reducing or stopping pain and increasing your body's healing rate.

Spend 10 or 15 minutes in a steam room after you exercise for example, and you'll help speed up healing of damaged muscle tissue.

Goodbye Stress!

Many peoples lives are filled with stress, and we all know what stress can lead to...

* high blood pressure,
* cardiovascular disease,
* migraine headaches,
* muscle tension,

...and the list goes on.

Relaxing in a steam room is a great way to unwind and relieve stress.

The heat tells your muscles to relax, and the cloud of steam provides the perfect soothing atmosphere for calming your mind.

I can't sit more than two minutes in a steam room and not feel completely relaxed.

High stress levels is probably one of the reasons more and more people are installing home steam rooms.

Have you ever taken a steam bath before bed? If so, you already know that it promotes deep, restful sleep which is so important for recharging your batteries and healing your body.

Spending time in a steam room regularly can quite possibly have a noticeable impact on your health, appearance, and your state of mind.

If you haven't already, please take a minute to share why you enjoy taking steam baths.

Benefits of the Sauna


As we mentioned earlier, the skin is a major eliminative organ. Our modern lifestyle makes most people's skin inactive. Many of us don't sweat, especially during the winter months. Modern synthetic fibres or tight clothing that doesn't allow the skin to breathe, can damage our skin and our natural ability for elimination, as does excessive prolonged sun exposure. A sedentary lifestyle also inactivates the skin.

Our skin is exposed to hundreds of chemicals during the course of our life, and is affected by them. From innocent bath products such as shampoos, shower gels, lotions and soaps to deodorants. Household cleaning solvents, detergent residues on clothes and chemicals from the bath or shower water also affect the skin.

Regular use of the sauna gradually restores the skin's elimination ability. Sweating removes toxic chemicals and metals faster than other detox method. It is a good habit that pays many health dividends.

The sauna's benefits are numerous. Not least because it is so relaxing and leaves your body soothed and your mind serene. It's main advantage lies in the fact that it promotes sweating, helping the body to rid itself of toxins. It is also believed that exposure of the skin to heat stimulates the production of white blood cells and strengthens the immune system.

Other benefits of the sauna include:

* Improved blood circulation: The sauna increases and improves the rate of blood circulation and breathing.
* Weight loss: Sauna is similar to mild exercise, it burns about 300 calories per average session. Regular sauna treatments combined with a healthy diet and moderate exercise will help you lose weight and stay fit and healthy.
* Skin cleansing: A profuse sauna-induced sweat followed by a shower cleanses your skin far more thoroughly than just taking a shower. It makes it soft and healthy with immediately noticeable effects.
* Body relaxation: Stress build-up creates tension in the body manifesting in various aches and pains. The heat and humidity of the sauna diffuses the pain and relaxes tired muscles. A sauna in the evening will leave tense muscles and sore limbs totally relaxed. Sauna also temporarily relieves arthritic pain.
* Mind relaxation: The sauna is essentially a place to relax. Regular sauna adepts all agree that it effectively helps relieve physical and mental fatigue and stress.

The sauna enhances circulation and oxygenates the cells, tissues and organs. It increases the body's ability to produce energy, which promotes healing. At the same time, heating the tissues speeds up the metabolism. Your cells are gradually capable of eliminating toxins much more effectively.

Benefits of BANANA

a useful piece of information..

Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!!
This is interesting.
After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again .

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit.

It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.


Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest
ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking & Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassiu! m and ma gnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine, 'eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time! I will add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit.

Kontrolin ang galit

This is a very good reminder for all of us.

HOW TO CONTROL EMOTIONS

This would give you guides on how to control your emotions towards your better-half, friends, officemates and all the people around you, especially your "boss" . The rules of practicing "ugaling langit, ugaling kaaya-aya" :

#1 Ang naunang magalit ang may karapatang magalit. Pag naunahan ka na ng galit niya, tumahimik ka na lang muna.

#2 Walang taong nag-aaway mag-isa. Pag hindi kayo sumagot o pumatol, titigil din daw ang taong nakikipag- away sa inyo.

#3 Ang taong galit, 'bingi.' If someone is angry, wala raw pinakikinggan, so, don't try to explain and fight back. Hindi ka niya iintindihin dahil wala siyang naririnig kundi ang sarili nya.

#4 Ang taong galit, 'abnoy.' Ayon sa pastor, Biblical daw ito? because the Lord said when He was crucified, "Father, patawarin mo sila dahil hindi nila alam ang kanilang ginagawa." Modern term for these kinds of people are abnoys, so you better not get angry para huwag kang matawag na abnoy. You should also know and realize that the persons who make your day bad are jewels, because you need them for you to mature.

Hangga't andyan daw sila at kinaiinisan mo, ibig sabihin, immature ka pa. God will not take away those people; it's for you to take away your bad feelings towards them. You'll know na mature ka na pag dumating 'yung time na hindi ka na naiinis sa mga taong ito because you have learned to accept them and to have patience with them.

#5 Finally, the best part of this is to tell yourself na, because of this person, "I will grow mature," and that DAHIL SA CONTRIBUTION NIYA SA MATURITY MO, KUKUNIN DIN SYA NI LORD lolz!