Detox Yourself!

Can knowing about the health benefits of hot yoga help individuals decide if it is right for them?

Hot Yoga

The body has a system for ridding itself of what it can't use or doesn't need, called toxins. Individuals may have heard that they can sweat out toxins by doing various hot yoga styles. Hot yoga, practiced in a heated room, has become popular. The standard room temperature is around 105 degrees Fahrenheit with 40% humidity. (Mayo Clinic 2020) Because of the temperatures, hot yoga is not for everyone, and those with heart problems or dizziness are recommended to stick with regular classes. However, the detoxification medical benefits may not be there, or there is still insufficient research to confirm.

Body Detoxification

Broken down by the liver, the toxins in the blood or bile are filtered in the kidneys or intestines and removed in urine or stool. (Boyer J. L. 2013) Sweat is not part of the removal equation. The function of sweat is to cool the body down when it becomes overheated. This can happen during strenuous activity, when overdressed, or in summer. Sweat comprises primarily water with trace amounts of urea, lactic acid, and minerals. (Baker L. B. 2019) Except for water, none of the products in sweat are excreted in large enough quantities to alter or improve metabolic function. The sodium excreted in sweat is quickly re-absorbed through the skin's epithelial sodium channels, which does little to alter the sodium levels in the blood. (Hanukoglu I. et al., 2017)

Environmental Toxins

The body is exposed to all sorts of toxins daily, including pollution and pesticides in the air, preservatives in our foods, and detergents and cosmetics on our skin. (Hunt P. 2011) Sweat-based exercise to remove these toxins is still unfounded.

Sweating In Hot Yoga

Many think that sweating in a hot yoga class will cleanse the alcohol or unhealthy foods. Yoga won't help sweat these things out, but the practice still provides benefits that help burn some fat from the calories consumed. Exercising helps burn fat regardless of the temperature of the surroundings. (Swift, D. L. et al., 2014) The benefits include:

• Increased circulation to deliver more oxygenated blood to the muscles.
• Improved muscle tone and flexibility.
• Stress relief.

Instead of sweating out the toxins, minimize exposure by eating a healthy, balanced diet, using natural products, and reading the labels of products placed on or in the body.

Injury Medical Chiropractic and Functional Medicine Clinic works with primary healthcare providers and specialists to develop an optimal health and wellness program that fully benefits the individual to get back to normal. Using an integrated approach to treat injuries and chronic pain syndromes, the ability to relieve pain is improved through flexibility, mobility, and agility programs. Our providers create personalized care plans for each patient, including Functional Medicine, Acupuncture, Electro-Acupuncture, and Sports Medicine. If other treatment is needed, Dr. Jimenez has teamed up with top surgeons, clinical specialists, medical researchers, and rehabilitation providers to provide the most effective treatments.

Body Signals Decoded

General Disclaimer *

The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified healthcare professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from various disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and directly or indirectly support our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has reasonably attempted to provide supportive citations and identified the relevant research studies or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.

We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please get in touch with Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

Licensed in: Texas & New Mexico*

References

Mayo Clinic. (2020). What is hot yoga? Mayo Clinic Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. https://sportsmedicine.mayoclinic.org/news/what-is-hot-yoga/

Boyer J. L. (2013). Bile formation and secretion. Comprehensive Physiology, 3(3), 1035–1078. https://doi.org/10.1002/cphy.c120027

Baker L. B. (2019). Physiology of sweat gland function: The roles of sweating and sweat composition in human health. Temperature (Austin, Tex.), 6(3), 211–259. https://doi.org/10.1080/23328940.2019.1632145

Hanukoglu, I., Boggula, V. R., Vaknine, H., Sharma, S., Kleyman, T., & Hanukoglu, A. (2017). Expression of epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) and CFTR in the human epidermis and epidermal appendages. Histochemistry and cell biology, 147(6), 733–748. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418-016-1535-3

Hunt P. (2011). Toxins all around us. Exposure to the chemicals in everyday objects poses a hidden health threat. Scientific American, 305(4), 14.

Swift, D. L., Johannsen, N. M., Lavie, C. J., Earnest, C. P., & Church, T. S. (2014). The role of exercise and physical activity in weight loss and maintenance. Progress in cardiovascular diseases, 56(4), 441–447. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcad.2013.09.012

Water is an essential element in the human body and keeping hydrated is crucial towards ensuring all of the systems in our body are functioning properly. While it’s importance is commonly known among the general population, drinking water early in the morning can significantly improve the quality of your day.

Drinking water early in the morning can help hydrate the cells. By hydrating the body, and in turn hydrating the cells, first thing in the morning, the rate in which new muscle and blood cells are produced increases. 

Drinking plenty of water in general can help flush out those harmful toxins and impurities that are stored within the body. Water helps keep you regular by preventing constipation, additionally, drinking water early in the morning helps stimulate bowel movements. In doing so, water helps purify the colon, allowing for a proper absorption of nutrients. Water is actually a natural detox and adding lemon can also help increase the rate of urination in the body to augment enzyme function and encourage detoxification to occur within the liver. 

While drinking water early in the morning and continuing to drink water throughout the day can ensure the body remains hydrated, it’s often difficult for individuals to know what the proper amounts of water to take in are. The body loses approximately 2 liters or 66 ounces of water a day through sweat, urine, and bowel movements. The most basic water requirements suggest drinking enough water to replace the amount of water lost through our day. Although these are the general drinking water requirements for the majority of individuals, the necessary amount of water to maintain hydration can also differ for each person. A good way of determining how much water each person must drink individually to remain hydrated throughout their day is by measuring your bodyweight, dividing it by two, and the end result actually equals the amount of ounces each person must drink. 

Drink more water. Water is good for you, so stay hydrated. These are the messages that we hear over and over while we pursue a healthy lifestyle, strive to lose weight, or overcome many chronic conditions. It seems that water is a vital part of life – and it’s the truth.

The problem is, that there are different opinions of just what is the best way to get this life-sustaining substance. What is the best water, the best source – what’s the healthy water and which isn’t. How do we cut through all the hype and get to the truth?

Importance of staying well hydrated

Water is essential for our very survival. It keeps the functions of our organs properly, is a vital component of digestion, and it even helps us have a healthy spine. It helps to regulate body temperature and lubricates the joints. In fact, you may not realize it, but most of your body is composed of water:

• Lungs – 83%
• Kidneys and muscles – 79%
• Heart and brain – 73%
• Skin – 64%
• Bones – 31%

The average adult female requires around 2.2 liters of water per day, while the average adult male requires around 3 liters. Most of this comes from drinking fluids, but some come from food that is consumed. Dehydration is a serious condition and can cause serious damage to the body. Severe and prolonged (about 3 days) dehydration can be deadly.

The truth about bottled water

There has been a lot of debate about bottled water in the past few years. At the center of the controversy are two main issues: much of the bottled water is said to be nothing more than tap water, and in the US alone, more than 60 million water bottles find their way to landfills every single day. Those are some pretty serious issues.

The truth is, studies show that almost half (around 40%) of bottled water is just tap water. So, what’s the big deal about tap water? It is largely known to contain chemicals that are not only toxic to humans, but many are also linked to certain cancers. Chlorine, arsenic, and fluoride are some of the more common chemicals found in tap water. Things aren’t looking good for tap water, but if so much bottled water is tap, then what can you do?

All the plastic bottles

Before we explore the safer water options, it is worth taking a look at the plastic bottles that are used. The materials used to make water bottles are widely known to contain deadly, cancer-causing carcinogens like Bisphenol A (BPA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and phthalates. Each of these poses significant risks to your health.

Even if you choose a bottle that is BPA free (like PET bottles) you could be exposing yourself to other hazardous substances. For instance, PET bottles are made of a soft plastic that is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to clean. This can leave some unsavory residue like food, saliva, and even fecal matter to contaminate your water. The more the bottles are reused, the greater the risk of these and other contaminants making their way into your water.

There has to be a safer, healthier alternative to bottled water

Actually, tap water is the safer, healthier alternative to bottled water – but not straight out of the tap. All tap water should be run through a high-quality water filtration system before you use it. Without filtration, you run the risk of consuming contaminants like harmful chemicals, bacteria, and even heavy metals. So, what should you do?

Ditch the plastic bottles and choose glass or stainless steel instead. Next, filter your tap water using a high-quality carbon filter. Store your water in a ceramic or glass container. Do not heat or cook food or water in anything made of plastic or Styrofoam. In fact, avoid drinking or eating from plastic altogether. If you must though, do not cut into the plastic while you are eating or drinking and do not expose the food or water to a microwave, high heat, or the sun.

Drink your water, but make sure you are doing it in the healthiest way possible – on tap and filtered!

El Paso, TX Rehabilitation & Integrative Chiropractor 79936