Last time I visited my grandfather’s homestead
in Subic, I couldn’t help but take off my clothes, except for my underwear, and
jump into the cool waters of this brook that leads to a lagoon. It was around ten in the morning, the sun already
searing, but the waters of this brook remained cool and exhilarating.
Just like in Subic, the weather here in Bohol is cold in
the mornings, but it eventually gets hotter during the course of the day. It would start to
cool off again in the late afternoons and early evenings. Be that as it may, I take a shower early in
the morning without any heated water, and once again in the middle of the day –
to cool off. And how refreshing it is.
Compared that to life in the States
wherein every shower or bath water is tempered with readily available hot water. However, imagine my astonishment when my
brothers came to Manila for a short visit.
Starkly noticeable was their receding hairline and the dry, thinning out
of their hair. It was then I began to wonder if showering daily with steaming hot
water could have caused such dilemma.
But then again, in all honesty, how
many of us can actually take regular cold showers, especially in the morning? If one’s from a colder
climate, such as during the winter months in the Eastern part of the United States, the number is
likely to be even less. However, did you know that cold showers and baths have
a long history in many cultures?. Vincenz Priessnitz, a farmer in the 1920s,
developed and marketed a medical treatment he called Hydrotherapy .
According to greenmedinfo, Mr.
Priessnitz sold the concept of using cold water to cure a long list of
aliments, and achieved almost instant success. Unfortunately, as time passed, the
popularity of hydrotherapy began to decline when medical
professionals began to rely more on drugs to treat illnesses and the luxury of
hot showers began to increase.
The use of hydrotherapy, however, as a
viable medical treatment never completely stopped. Here are 10 of the many
reasons why:
1) Strengthens
Immunity
Cold showers are sometimes touted as a
preventative tonic for colds, flu, and infections. An experiment in Prague
studied the effect of cold water immersions on athletic young men. They
immersed themselves in water at 14°C (57°F), three times a week for six weeks.
Among many changes, they saw increased levels of two types of white blood
cells: monocytes and lymphocytes. While certain lymphocytes are instrumental in
eliminating bacteria, viruses, and toxins, monocytes are indirectly responsible
for the engulfing and consuming of pathogens and foreign materials.
Researchers believe that the increased
metabolic rate, which results from the body’s attempt to warm itself up,
activates the immune system and releases more white blood cells in response.
Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that people who take regular cold showers
are less likely to develop colds, flu’s, and even some forms of cancer.
2. Improves Blood Circulation
Good blood circulation is vital for
overall cardiovascular health. Alternating between hot and cold water while
showering, is an easy way to improve circulation. When exposed to cold water,
our arteries and veins constrict or tighten. This process is called vasoconstriction. The temporary tightening helps blood to flow at a
higher pressure as now there is less space for the blood to flow. This improves circulation.
Vasodilation, the opposite
effect, and is done when we are exposed to heat. The natural tendency of the
body when it is exposed to cold is that your blood rapidly circulates to your
vital organs to keep them warm; hence, increasing your over all blood
circulation.
Why should you be conscious of having good circulation? Well, it
prevents such problems as hypertension, hardening of the arteries, and the
appearance of varicose veins. Good circulation improves the performance of your
system and thus help looking and feeling better.
3. Regulates Temperature
Cold showers provide a gentle form of
stress that leads to thermogenesis (internal generation of body heat), which in
turn activates the body’s adaptive repair systems. If you suffer from
chronically cold hands and feet, or feel that you sweat an abnormal amount, try
a cold shower.
4. Promotes Weight Loss / Increases
Metabolism
Brown fat, as opposed to white fat is
heavily involved in burning energy. Exposure to cold naturally stimulates the
production of these brown fats. These cells burn glucose to try and produce as
much heat energy as possible. Having a higher amount of brown fat leads to more
energy being burned per second and therefore, more weight is lost.
As a result of the increased brown fat
levels, and the increased blood pressure and body temperature, chemical
reactions in the body will happen faster than they would have without regular
cold showers. An increased metabolism is what a lot of people seek for because
it means that any process in the body will become more efficient; meaning more
weight loss will be seen and more growth/repair of muscles and otherwise will
be seen.
5. Alleviates Depression
Depression is yet another thing that
cold showers can help and prevent. Research at the Department of Radiation
Oncology at Virginia Commonwealth University indicates that cold water has a
stimulating affect on the brains blue spot, the main source of
noradrenaline for our bodies. Noradrenaline is a chemical that might be used to
help alleviate depression.
6. Improves Lymphatic Movement
The lymphatic system is a system of
tubing separate from our blood vessels that is responsible for carrying away
waste from your cells as well as help fight pathogens (disease). Unlike blood
vessels, the lymphatic system does not have blood, it has lymph, which carries
away waste products and white blood cells which handle infection. Also
different from blood vessels is that the heart does not pump lymph around the
body like it does the blood.
The lymph relies on the contraction of
muscles. This contraction squeezes the lymph up to the thoracic duct so that
the lymph can mix with the blood and then be dealt with by organs.
Cold showers
cause whole-body contraction and this works excellently with the lymph system,
squeezing the fluid up through the body. If the lymphatic system is compromised
and not efficient, then the fluid pools at faraway places (usually the feet).
This results in what is known as lymphedema (a type of edema ).
7. Deepens Breathing
What you will notice as an effect of
cold showers is that you begin inhaling very deeply. This is to try and combat the
stress of the shock, the vasoconstriction and the overall need for oxygen to
respire and keep oneself warm. This process opens up the lungs much like
strenuous physical exercise does and results in a higher average intake of
oxygen, which is good for many things like not feeling tired during the day and
doing better at sport or other exercises. Hydrotherapy is also scientifically
proven to improve chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD ).
8. Keeps Skin and Hair Healthy
It is well known that hot water dries
out our skin and hair. On the other hand, cold water can make our hair look
shinier and our skin look healthier by tightening cuticles and pores,
preventing them from getting clogged, thus reducing blemishes like acne. Cold
water also contributes to detoxification which results in the squeezing of
toxins and waste products out of the skin.
This detoxification has a good effect
on the skin which appears more clean and young. Additionally, the cold water
closes the cuticle which makes the hair stronger and prevents dirt from easily
accumulating within our scalp. Stronger hair, of course, prevents hair from
easily falling out and it helps in slowing down overall hair loss.
9. Increases Energy and Well-being
There are plenty of mental benefits to
ending your shower with cold water. The ancient samurai warriors used to pour
buckets of cold river water on their heads every morning in a Shinto practice
called Misogi. This was a purification ritual on a spiritual level. They
believe that it cleansed their spirit and helped start a fresh new day.
A cold shower can definitely leave one
feeling invigorated and energized. The heart starts pumping, and the rush of
blood through the body helps shake off the lethargy of the previous night’s
sleep. Additionally, while there are not many studies to confirm, many people
swear that cold showers are a definite stress reducer.
10. Increases Hormone Production
Cold water showers have the ability to
increase hormone production and activity by giving the body’s glands a boost.
For example, cold showers can be of great benefit to the reproductive system
when trying to conceive a child. A man’s testes are not meant to get too hot;
that’s why they hang outside of a man’s body. Sperm counts decrease when the
temperature of a man’s testes increases. In fact, experiments done in the 1950s
showed that hot baths were an effective contraceptive. Men who took a 30 minute
hot bath every other day for 3 weeks were infertile for the next six months.
More recently, the University of California
at San Francisco did a study with men who were exposed to 30 minutes of
"wet heat" (hot baths, saunas and such) a week. When the men cut this
exposure out, their sperm count went up by 491%, and their sperm’s motility
improved as well. While switching from a hot to cold shower may not have as
dramatic an effect, if you’re trying to reproduce, it surely won’t hurt.
Furthermore, it has been said that cold water therapy helps regulate the
endocrine system (including the adrenals and thyroid).
How to Start
Gradually adjusting from hot to cold
showers is recommended. For many, a drastic change in temperature would be too
much a stress to their body. Push yourself to step outside your comfort zone,
while at the same time listen to what your body can handle. A great way to
implement cold showers into your daily routine is by turning the water to cold
for the last 30 seconds to a minute of your shower.
Give it a try and see what benefits
you experience. Who knows, maybe the secret to the fountain of youth is hidden
within cold showers.
Visit greenmedinfo for more information.
* * *
Please note:
I very much appreciate my articles and
photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local
broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for
permission first.
Thank you!
I am most impressed by this blogs because its very beautiful and gorgeous
ReplyDeletehttp://www.seligconstruction.com/