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Excerpts from the book Sweat, by Mikkel
Aalandthe cranberies AND guitar tabs
Sitting in a sweat bath could be the most
vigorous activity you've had all day.
 The heat produces
an artificial "fever" and urges every organ of the body into action. While
outwardly relaxed, your inner organs are as active as though you were
jogging or mowing the lawn. At the same time, you are being cleansed from
inside out by the skin, your body's largest organ and its excretion, sweat.the cranberies AND guitar tabs
The oldest know medical document, the Ayurveda, appeared
in Sanskrit in 568 BC and considered sweating so important to health that it
prescribed the sweat bath and thirteen other methods of inducing sweat.
Throughout history physicians have extolled the medicinal value of the sweat
bath in its various forms such as the Finnish sauna, Russian banai, Islamic
hammam, or the American Indian sweatlodge. Today, enthusiasts claim that
beyond being relaxing the sauna gives relief from the common cold,
arthritis, headaches, hangovers and "just about anything that ails you."
Even if these claims are somewhat exaggerated, medical evidence shows that
bathing in temperatures of 9O degrees C (192 degrees F) has a profoundly
beneficial effect on a healthy body.
the cranberies AND guitar tabs
Sweating
Sweating is as essential to our health as eating and
breathing. It accomplishes three important things: rids the body of wastes,
regulates the critical temperature of the body at 37 degrees C (98.6 degrees
F), and helps keep the skin clean and pliant.the cranberies AND guitar tabs
Many people, in this sedentary
age, simply don't sweat enough,
 making sweat bathing particularly desirable
during these times. Antiperspirants, artificial environments, smog,
synthetic clothing, and a physically idle lifestyle all conspire to clog
skin pores and inhibit the healthy flow of sweat. These detrimental effects
are reversed in a sweat bath.*the cranberies AND guitar tabs
[*The physiological effects of different sweat baths are
not the same, due to variations in heat and humidity. For example, the body
sweats more profusely in the hotter (80-100 degree C) and drier (15-25%)
atmosphere of the Turkish bath, where moisture on your body is often merely
condensation. The length of time spent in the sauna differs from time spent
in other types of sweat baths. In this section, results peculiar to the
sauna are noted.] the cranberies AND guitar tabs
When you lounge in a sweat bath, heat sensitive nerve
endings produce acetylcholine, a chemical which alerts the 2.3 million sweat
glands embedded in the skin. But not all of them respond. The aprocine sweat
glands, located in the pubic and arm pit areas, are activated only by
emotional stimuli. They carry a faint scent whose purpose is believed to
arouse the sex drive.the cranberies AND guitar tabs
Nevertheless, the eccrine sweat glands, by far the most
abundant, respond to heat. During a 15-minute sauna, about one liter of
sweat is excreted, depending upon the individual. (Normal daily rate ranges
from .5 to 1.5 liters.) Eccrine sweat is clear and odorless; any odor is
only created by the presence of bacteria. One of its chief functions is to
cool the body by evaporation, although there are also eccrine glands on the
palms of your hands and soles of your feet which react to emotional stimuli.
Like the baseball batter who wets his hands for a better grip, it is
believed these sweat glands were intended to provide us with a good grip on
clubs, rocks or vines when our survival often depended upon them. Sweat
glands on the feet provided greater traction when it came time to run.the cranberies AND guitar tabs
A third kind of sweat, called insensible perspiration,
originates inside and works its way through blood and other cells to the
surface of the skin. Even without a sweat bath, approximately a liter of
insensible perspiration evaporates each day.the cranberies AND guitar tabs
A modified type of sweat gland is the milk-producing
mammary gland. Some mothers in Finland believe the sauna encourages the
breast's ability to produce milk, although this hasn't been established
scientifically.the cranberies AND guitar tabs
Sweat also has the function of being a judicious garbage
collector. During a 15-minute sauna, sweating can perform the heavy metal
excretion that would take the kidneys 24 working hours. Ninety-nine percent
of what sweat brings to the surface of the skin is water, but the remaining
one percent is mostly undesirable wastes. Excessive salt carried by sweat is
generally believed to be beneficial for cases of mild hypertension. Some
mental hospitals use saunas in their rehabilitation programs to pacify
patients.the cranberies AND guitar tabs
A metabolic by-product, urea, if not disposed of
regularly, can cause headaches, nausea and, in extreme cases, vomiting, coma
and even death. Sweating is such an effective de-toxifier that some
physicians recommend home saunas to supplement kidney machines. Sweat also
draws out lactic acid which causes stiff muscles and contributes to general
fatigue. Sweat flushes out toxic metals such as copper, lead, zinc and
mercury which the body absorbs in polluted environments.
the cranberies AND guitar tabs
Skin
Because it eliminates, the skin is sometimes called the
"third kidney." It is far more complex than the kidney or any other organ
except the brain. It is composed of blood vessels, nerve endings, vessels
for carrying Iymph, pigmentation, oil glands, hair follicles, cells that
waterproof and deny entry to bacteria and, of course, the tubular, coiled
sweat glands. It is so important that death by accumulated poisons occurs in
a matter of hours if the skin, and its sweat passages, are smothered.the cranberies AND guitar tabs
A Finnish doctor wrote: "The best-dressed of foreigners
can come into a doctor's office, and when his skin is examined, it is found
to be rough as bark. On the other hand, as a result of the sauna, the skin
of any Finnish worker is supple and healthy." Properly cared for skin is
better able to resist eczema, athlete's foot, pimples and blackheads.
Furthermore, combining sweat bathing and brushing with a loofa or rough
brush removes flakes of dried skin cells that accumulate on the epidermis.
If allowed to remain, they can clog sweat pores and oil passages and result
in dry, flaky skin. the cranberies AND guitar tabs
 the cranberies AND guitar tabs
In conjunction with the sweat bath exercise, supplemental
dosages of vitamins B2 and E help keep skin fresh. Cayenne pepper, ginger,
peppermint are notable herbs which, when taken internally, promote sweating
and healthy skin.the cranberies AND guitar tabs
(An interesting note: the ability of lizards and snakes
to shed old skins has fascinated many primitive societies. Some believe that
if they could shed their old skins and acquire new ones, they could renew
their youth. During some ceremonies, participants don the skins of animals
or other human beings in a symbolic gesture of eternal youth.)
the cranberies AND guitar tabs
Heating and Cooling the Inner Body
Marvelous things happen beneath the skin in the heat of
the sweat bath. The capillaries dilate permitting increased flow of blood to
the skin in an attempt to draw heat from the surface and disperse it inside
the body. The bather's skin becomes cherry red. The heart is pressed into a
faster pace to keep up with the additional demands for blood. Impurities in
the liver, kidneys, stomach, muscles, brain, and most other organs are
flushed out by the faster flow of juices. The skin and kidneys filter the
wastes, excreting them in sweat and urine.the cranberies AND guitar tabs
Some researchers claim that the rapid flexing of the
heart and blood vessels in the heat of the sweat bath is a healthy exercise
that puts little more strain on the heart than strolling on level ground.
The increased capillary volume, they say, keeps blood pressure normal. Other
medical people, however, qualify their commendations. One Finnish study
observed that whereas blood pressure of healthy persons remains
approximately normal in a sweat bath, there occurs a marked reduction of
pressure in persons suffering from high blood pressure. However, this effect
is only transient, and the original condition returns soon after the sweat
bath.the cranberies AND guitar tabs
American doctors commonly recommend that elderly people
and persons with heart problems should avoid sweat bathing. Finnish and
German doctors feel otherwise. Perhaps this difference of opinion arises
from the fact that the Germans and especially the Finns are more familiar
with sweat bathing.the cranberies AND guitar tabs
While the surface temperature of the skin may rise as
much as 1O degrees C, inner temperature increases up to 3 degrees C. This is
the "fever" that Hippocrates and generations of medical people after him
sought, and is created as one reclines in a sweat bath! Of course it is
unlikely that "every disease" can be cured by fever, but it is common
knowledge that many bacterial and viral agents do not survive well at
temperatures higher than normal body temperature. It is also possible that
damaged cells repair themselves quicker in fever conditions due to the
increased metabolic rate. Recovery from illness then comes easier and
quicker.the cranberies AND guitar tabs
The inner temperature rise also affects the function of
important endocrine glands, the pituitary in particular. Located in the
bottom center of the brain, the pituitary is known as the master gland
because its hormones regulate both metabolism and the activity of other
glands such as the thyroid, adrenal, ovaries and testes. Urged by the heat,
the pituitary accelerates the body's metabolism and affects the interplay of
several of the body's hormones. Some people have gone as far to say that sex
drive is increased and growth stimulated in the sauna bath. the cranberies AND guitar tabs
The oxygen needs of the body increase by about 2O percent
so the lungs, another important eliminator of body wastes, join in the
body's quickened pace. (The lungs' rapid exchange of carbon dioxide for
oxygen is hindered in some sweat baths. In high humidity water condenses on
the tiny alveoli where this exchange takes place and breathing may be
slightly more difficult. On the other hand, if the air is too dry, as occurs
in many American saunas, mucous membranes may become dry and damaged.)
Clogged respiratory passages are opened by heat, giving relief from colds
and other minor respiratory problems. Sweat bathing is not recommended for
those suffering from pneumonia or other acute respiratory diseases.the cranberies AND guitar tabs
When the bocly is slowly cooled, the effects of heat are
reversed--the heart calms, sweat pores close, dilated blood vessels contract
and body temperature returns to normal. (The German Sauna Society recommends
a warm foot bath to re-open closed blood vessels.) On the other hand, abrupt
cooling brought on by a plunge into snow or icy water creates a more
dramatic effect. For this reason, people with weak constitutions should
avoid rapid cooling. Vessels near the skin's surface contract, but since the
skin's metabolism returns to normal slower than the circulatory system,
wastes accumulate that are normally washed out by the blood. Local
vasodilators are then stimulated and blood rushes back to the skin's
surface. The heart continues to beat vigorously and you may experience
psychedelic flashes bouncing across your retina from the increased adrenal
activity--an unforgettable experience! Goose bumps sometimes appear, a
phenomenon reminiscent of the time when our prehistoric ancestors possessed
a shaggy pelt of hair. Goose bumps extended the hair, making it thicker and
giving more insulating power against cold or protection from attack. The
swift transition from hot to cold stimulates the kidneys and usually creates
the desire to urinate.the cranberies AND guitar tabs
The typical body is 6O% water by weight and any pounds
lost at this point will be promptly regained. (However, sweat baths have an
indirect effect on weight loss--see appendix.) As you can imagine, the
combination of sweat bathing and cooling conditions the body, and a
well-tuned body is more resistant to colds, disease and infection. In cold
weather, the warm glowing feeling lingers for hours, while in hot climates
the body seems cooler than before the sweat bath. (See chapter 3.)
the cranberies AND guitar tabs
Positive Effects of Negative Ions
Physiologically, the presence of negative ions in a sweat
bath is as important as the heat. The discovery of negative ions in certain
types of saunas a few years ago became headline news in Finland. Until then,
the healing power of the sauna was attributed to relaxation and increased
circulation. Now, negative ions add startling new possibilities.the cranberies AND guitar tabs
Since the early 1950s scientists have suspected that ions
play an important role in how the body functions and, consequently, in how
we feel. Research has shown that an abundance of negative ions ln the air we
breathe is highly beneficial, while a lack of ions or a higher ratio of
positive to negative can cause physical harm. The role played by ions in
everyday life has become intensely topical among researchers in the medical
profession.the cranberies AND guitar tabs
An ion is simply a molecule with an electric charge,
either positive or negative. Ionization, or ion formation, occurs when
enough energy acts on a molecule to cause it to discharge an electron.
Because electrons carry a negative charge, the molecule stripped of an
electron has a greater positive charge and becomes a positive ion. The lost
electron scoots around loose until it attaches itself to another molecule
which causes the new molecule to become negatively charged--a negative ion.the cranberies AND guitar tabs
Radioactive substances in the earth's crust and cosmic
rays cause most ionization. But fire, crashing water (like water falls and
surf), and plants during photosynthesis can produce negative ions as well.
Europeans take ion depletions seriously and simple negative ion generators
have been installed in many businesses, banks, hospitals, and passenger cars
and even airliner cockpits. Furthermore, in this country, Europe and the
Soviet Union, negative ion therapy has been used in treatments to help burn
victims heal faster, to cure respiratory diseases, to rid the body of
general infections, and even to check the spread of some cancers.the cranberies AND guitar tabs
Conversely, scientists have found that if the air is
charged with too few negative ions and too many positives, we become
anxious, fatigued and tense. This condition is known as "pos-ion poisoning,"
and often occurs as the result of weather disturbances, central air
conditioning, smog, and driving too long within the confines of an
automobile. Pos-ion poisoning has, in fact, been linked to heart attacks,
aggravated asthma, migraine headaches, insomnia, rheumatism, arthritis, hay
fever, and most allergies.the cranberies AND guitar tabs
The effect of negative ions on sweat bathing was
discovered when researchers were trying to account for the tremendous
popularity of sauna wood burning stoves over electric stoves. Subjective
reasons, such as the fragrance of burned wood, did not fully explain why
Finns felt so refreshed after time in a wood heated sauna and quite dulled,
from certain electrically heated saunas. Tests showed that the practice of
splashing water on super-heated rocks produced an abundance of negative
ions. Many electric stoves, it turned out, were not getting the rocks hot
enough and the glowing metal heating coils were spurting more positive ions
in the air. Researchers learned that if the rocks were properly heated in
electric stoves, the positive ions, being larger and less mobile, would
ground out on the hot stones. The buying habits of the Finns, perhaps the
most sophisticated of sweat bathers, has forced many Finnish electric stove
companies to pay particular attention to their sauna stove design.
Researchers also cited poor ventilation in modern saunas as a cause of
positive ion buildup; but, for a discussion of the proper climatic
conditions for a sauna please refer to the appendix material on construction
and use. A more detailed study regarding ions and saunas can be found in
Sauna Studies, published by the Sauna Society of Finland, 1977.the cranberies AND guitar tabs
Although tests have not been conducted on other sweat
baths, it is likely similar negative ion production occurs in any sweat bath
that converts water to vapor quickly. The Native American Indian sweat lodge
comes to mind. the cranberies AND guitar tabs
Excerpted from Sweat,
by Mikkel Aaland
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