The Vegan Lifestyle

Have you heard about far infrared sauna? Do you know that far infrared sauna is very good for health?

We might have read about the Greeks and the Romans of the olden days  bathing in hot springs and hot spas. Or we could have heard doctors and other health practitioners recommending steam bath for their patients. We might have tried it ourselves, and found it comfortable.

This is due to the good blood circulation made possible by the heat from  hot spring, spa, or steam bath. When warm, our skin pores open up to perspire, unclogging it of the many dirt and pollutants, and allowing it to “breath” freely, thus the feeling of comfort and well being.

But hot springs are rare and hard to find. They are usually found in places near volcanoes, or at the foot of volcanoes. Though its good nature sightseeing experience, it takes time, effort and money to be in hot springs. Steam bath is good, but it is crude and cumbersome.

Nowadays, modern inventions in technology have brought to many homes the health benefits of hot springs and steam bath through far infrared saunas. There is no more need to go to far places to experience the warm and comfort of hot springs. You can do it in the privacy of your home at your most convenient time.

Far infrared sauna is very good for our health. Among its many health benefits is  good blood circulation in the body through its vasodilating effect on the  peripheral blood vessels. The heat energy of far infrared sauna penetrates   deep under the skin to dissolve  excess fats and toxins, and flushes them out through the skin pores.

Infrared sauna reduces muscle spasms, joint stiffness and body aches from rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and other body pains. It effectively rids our body of awkward cellulite and other excess fats. It increases heart rate, cardiac output and metabolic rate that provide a good workout for the heart.

Far infrared sauna  is a powerful stress reliever too. The special Carbon 360 far infrared rays of East Coast Sauna increase blood circulation and  this triggers the release of endorphins to loosen tight muscles to make you feel better. With Carbon Wave 360 heating panels, the heat energy of far infrared sauna is evenly and properly distributed to eliminate “hot spots” and to prevent getting red marks on your back. These panels, made of mixed materials from 20 organic minerals and elements, bring the maximum health benefits of far infrared sauna at a conducive  minimum temperature of 60 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit.

Indeed far infrared sauna is very good for health. Its many health benefits, especially on blood circulation can prevent a host of ailments and diseases.

Some people are not aware of the many health benefits of far infrared sauna. This could be probably due to the wrong notion that saunas are for the rich and the famous only. In the past, only the emperors, kings and their close friends could afford the pleasure of sauna baths, and only the rich and the affluent in our modern time.

Latest inventions in technology have greatly changed our  time. Nowadays, we can have portable saunas at home. There is no more need to go to hot springs, or to sauna baths to enjoy the healthful benefits of steam bath to our body.

To be healthy, we need to have a good blood circulation. Sluggish blood circulation can cause a lot of diseases that can bring sufferings and afflictions. For maximum health, blood must be circulated without obstruction to all organs and other parts of our body.

There is a best way to have our blood circulating perfectly in our body. The heat energy of infrared saunas has a vasodilation effect on the peripheral blood vessels that improves blood circulation very effectively. By this heat energy, our skin pores open up to flush out toxins from our body through perspiration. Muscle spasms are reduced and joint stiffness and body aches from rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and other body pains disappear.

Far infrared sauna is also good for slimming down. It effectively rids our body of awkward cellulite and other excess fats. Far infrared saunas are good for cardiovascular health. The vasodilation of peripheral blood vessels increases heart rate, cardiac output and metabolic rate that provide a good workout for the heart. And it is a powerful stress reliever too. The special Carbon 360 far infrared rays of East Coast Sauna increase blood circulation and  this triggers the release of endorphins to loosen tight muscles to make you feel better.

Indeed far infrared sauna has many health benefits. It is better than going to hot springs healthwise, and costwise in the long run. And the best of all, you do it at your most convenient time in the comfort and privacy at your home.

The harmful effects of caffeine are many. Among the harmful effects of caffeine are forgetfulness, nervousness, and addiction.

Caffeine is a psychoactive substance naturally found in coffee, tea, kola nuts,  and in lesser amount, in cocoa. It is also found in beans, leaves, and fruits of some plants that acts as a natural pesticide to ward off insects.

Caffeine is a common ingredient in soft drinks, such as cola which was originally prepared from kola nuts. Soft drinks usually  contain about 10 to 50 milligrams, and energy drinks, 80 milligrams of caffeine per servings. Guarana, a prime ingredient of energy drinks, contains large amounts of caffeine with small amounts of theobromine and theophylline. It is also found in tea, and in chocolates, in the form of cocoa, in small amount.

Caffeine is an excitotoxin that harms the brain. It stimulates the body in similar manner as cocaine and heroin, and its addiction is gradual and subtle. Like most excitotoxins, caffeine causes brain malfunctions. This substance, like alcohol and nicotine, can easily penetrate the blood-brain barrier and can over excite the brain neurons to death.

Busy people  who want to extend their working hours drink more coffee in order to stay awake all day. Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors in the central nervous system of our brain, and brings a temporary feeling of alertness and wakefulness. Adenosine is a neurotransmitter that is involved in the control of the sleep-wake cycle. It promotes drowsiness and sleep after long hours of work or mental activity.

Caffeine molecule is structurally similar to adenosine. It easily binds to adenosine  receptors on the cell surface without activating them, thus blocking and inhibiting their functions. Cells that are normally slowed down by adenosine are speeded up by caffeine. Sensing that the cells are not slowed down, and suspecting that an emergency has happened, the hypothalamus reacts by releasing a neuro-hormone called dopamine into the bloodstream which triggers the adrenal glands to start pumping. Dopamine  increases heart rate and blood pressure, thus the feeling of wakefulness and alertness when drinking coffee.

The temporary sensation of high energy and alertness after drinking coffee, soft drinks, and energy drinks could be due to the the effects of caffeine’s three by-products during its metabolism.   Paraxanthine increases the lipolysis process, which releases glycerol and fatty acids into the blood as a source of fuel for the muscles. Theobromine dilates the blood vessels to increase the amount of oxygen and the flow of nutrients to the brain and muscles. Theophylline relaxes the smooth muscle of the bronchioles;  changes the time of heart rate, and alters the force of  muscle contractions in the heart.

Caffeine is an excitetotoxin that destroys the brain. Its excitatory effects not only weaken the neurons in the brain but can even over excite them to death. Caffeine, by counteracting adenosine, has inhibitory effects on brain activity. It adversely affects the healthy functioning of the brain, and other learning skills.  Long-term consumption of caffeine even in small doses affects learning and memory by inhibiting the creation of neurons in the hippocampus of the brain.

Other harmful effects of caffeine are the following:

• it causes nervousness, trembling, and abnormal muscle contractions
• it causes dizziness and headaches
• it causes indigestion
• it slows down reaction to auditory and visual stimuli
• it causes forgetfulness  and tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon
• it increases the risk of myocardial infarction
• it increases heart rate
• it causes heart palpitation
• it increases the risk of miscarriage in pregnant women
• it causes lethargy, and irritability
• it causes confusion and inability to focus
• it causes visual hallucinations
• it intensifies and prolongs the effects of psychostimulant drugs such as amphetamine, methamphetamine, and dextroamphetamine
• it causes increased gastric acid secretion in the cells
• it decreases broad-range thinking abilities

Some studies showed that caffeine is good for the heart, and increases mental performance related to focused thought. This may be true as in other contradicting results from studies done on the effects of caffeine. But these are all temporary and transitory. When the stimulating effects are gone, the harmful effects of caffeine appear in the form of illnesses and diseases.

Caffeine is a nerve irritant that does not nourish the system in any way. Its temporary effects of high energy, alertness, wakefulness, increased strength, vivid imagination, and mental arousal are only nervous excitements produce before caffeine is ever digested and assimilated by the body. When the effects of this stimulant are gone, these unnatural euphoric conditions disappear, and only results to debility and langor.