Lower Toxic Burden & Improve Healthspan

Hello. Hello. Welcome back to Mastering the Menopause Transition Summit. I am your host, doctor Sharon Stills. This is so fun. I love bringing you all these experts and education about all the important knowledge you need and tools you need to really master your menopause transition.

And today we're going to combine the two. We're going to have some knowledge and we're going to have a tool that can help you. And that is going to be the infrared sauna, which in my over 20 years of practice has always been a huge tool that I have used personally, that I use with patients that I, I constantly find myself prescribing because it has so many far reaching benefits.

And so today we're going to really dive in and talk about what does this mean for you, what does this have to do with hormones and learn all there is about sauna therapy.

And so my very special guest today is Tess Harris, and she is a sauna specialist at High Tech Health International, who happened to be one of the sponsors of our summit.

And I invited them to sponsor the summit because I personally have been working with them. I had their sauna in my clinic when I had my clinic open, and I've been referring patients to them for 20 plus years.

I've been working with them since the beginning of my practice, and so I'm thrilled that they came to sponsor that. They're here to share their knowledge and let you know about the sauna and how you can use it.

So we really appreciate you sponsoring and being here in spreading sauna love and so like I said, this is Tess Harris. She has a B. S. in biochemistry.

She has previously worked in laboratory research on the development of antimony, aerial drugs and then in pesticides and analytics, and most recently with high tech health.

She has gained a deep understanding of sauna therapy and developed a great passion for environmental medicine. She loves learning and sharing about how environmental factors affect your health, and how saunas can positively impact your health, and how to live a cleaner lifestyle.

So welcome Tess, I, I'm so excited for this conversation because I am sauna obsessed. Thank you so much. I am thrilled to be here today so how did you get into before we even start diving in?

How did you how did you find yourself getting in the sauna business with your your background in science? Sure. Hi. So I've always loved science and research in biochemistry.

And really that scientific aspect of medicine. I've also been a, I was a professional athlete for a while, and so I was into fitness and recovery. Utilizing saunas.

My husband is also in fitness, so, had used saunas and started to learn a little bit about them, through him and just through, you know, going to Sundays at gyms and, I found high tech health.

Really? When I was just looking for some other avenues to share my scientific experience, but, working more with people and, outside of the laboratory setting and, it just, it seemed like such a great fit.

And I have, hit the ground running in terms of learning about the science behind science on therapy and really delving into the environmental medicine aspect of it, which has always been an interest.

But, that's really sparked a lot of my knowledge in this direction. I love it. So, you know, we talk about we hear a lot of the speakers when we're talking about how toxins affect your hormones and how you need to detox and use a sauna.

And so that's why I'm so excited that today we're really gonna dive in. So you listening at home can really understand. I think knowledge is such power and we really understand.

And we're more apt to get naked and go sweat. And I always say sweating is one of my favorite, favorite activities for good health. And if you're not sweating, you're not healthy.

And so inducing a sweat every day is so crucial. So let's let's dive in. So first off, most of us are familiar with saunas. And as you mentioned, there's the sauna at the gym.

But what's the difference? What? Why can't I just go to the gym? Why do I have to have that little house? Looks like a little playhouse. What is an infrared sauna?

Sure. So an infrared sauna. We're using infrared light or infrared energy, which is actually part of the energy we get from the sun. And it has a direct heating effect on our body.

So a good example. It's the same reason the sun feels warm on our skin, even on a cold day. So we're experiencing this direct heating from infrared. Typically an infrared sauna operates will max out somewhere between 120 and 140°F.

And that really depends on the user and your comfort level. But, you know, the hot air isn't the only mechanism for heating. We're getting this direct heating from the infrared as well.

And the way it directly heats our body can actually help mobilize toxins. And there are even some non thermal effects. So effects we get from infrared.

In addition to the heating. So there's a lot that's unique about infrared. So on this. So what you're saying is you can go to the gym and sweat but it's not going to mobilize the toxins like an infrared sauna will correct.

The sweat as a whole is a really effective pathway out of the body for certain toxins. And I can go more into that. But infrared saunas in particular are uniquely well suited for detoxing.

And some studies do show that infrared saunas, in particular, help our bodies excrete certain toxins and yeah, go, go more into it. So tell us, what are the toxins?

Well, let's learn about lots of, factors. Right. So it's estimated in production. There are over 85,000 chemicals in production in the US right now. And but they can range from, you know, having not even just things in production like metals.

Right. So things in our water lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, can have effects on our bodies and a lot of organic pollutants, things like that. So pesticides, plasticizers, PDV, which is used in flame retardants and poly fluorinated alcohol substances or PFAs, those can all, have effects on our body.

And so there's, there are numerous toxins and, some organic things like, or sort of naturally occurring, like mold is another, toxin that can affect our body.

And that's one that specifically infrared sauna studies show, there's a big increase in mold excretion, plus Sony's. That's interesting because often when you're hearing about mold detoxification, you just hear take some binders and and so that's another unique cause I think at least in, in the natural Catholic world, it's kind of well known that if you want to get heavy metals out, infrared sauna is a good way to do it.

But I don't think we talk about the mold aspect of detoxification, as well. So can you talk about why infrared? Why is it different? What is it doing that's mobilizing the toxins rather than just going in the gym? Right.

So go ahead. So some of it we know well, and some of it is more observational in terms of these are the results we see and the difference, in terms of the actual, biochemical mechanisms or what's actually happening.

But in terms of so the sort of the, the biggest body of studies that we know about, saunas, look at, how we can compare. Well, let me go back. Let me backtrack a little bit.

So the way they directly heat our body, can actually change, like intracellular fluids and things like that, and that can actually support it. But also we see, through studies comparing blood, urine and sweat and concentrations of heavy metals.

And, you know, pesticides and various compounds in our sweat. We see higher levels in sweat and blood and urine. And so those are that's really showing that sweat is a very effective pathway out of the body.

And then in terms of the infrared saunas, we've seen in some of the studies the biggest spikes in, detoxification in urine and in sweat post infrared versus other types of soreness, which is why it's important to stay hydrated.

Yes. And and so the infrared is penetrating the skin differently deeper. Like I said, a lot of it is more observational in terms of how we see the results versus understanding all the mechanisms.

There is some research in Washington, being conducted looking at how that intracellular fluid can change to a different structure and that can actually help with, excreting certain toxins and especially fat soluble toxins.

But, mechanism is not as well known as we would like, but it's more observational in terms of how we see the results. Gotcha. So menopause hormones, environmental toxins, how does that all play together.

And then what's the role of the sauna? Sure, absolutely. So, like I said, we have, a lot of exposure to toxins throughout our life. In particular, a lot of toxins will affect brain and the endocrine system.

Many are called endocrine disruptors, right. So they can either bind to hormone sites and increase or block normal hormonal activity. And a lot of these are chemicals that we can't naturally metabolize and excrete from our body.

There when when looking at, menopause, there have been there's actually a very recent review looking at many studies, looking at how endocrine endocrine disrupting chemicals affect menopause.

And across the board, it shows earlier onset menopause and earlier onset of these, certain symptoms like hot flashes. And also looking at how, you know, early onset menopause can actually contribute to increased risk of cardiovascular ocular disease, decreased lifespan, increased depression risk.

So there are a lot of factors. And of course these chemicals are all playing a role in sort of our normal aging. And and, you know, our endocrine system and how that changes throughout our life in aging. So, and so the therapy can be very powerful as a tool for helping us eliminate these toxins.

And, there's a really interesting group of studies. Like I said, the blood, urine, sweat studies that show this active transport. So, compounds that aren't even detectable in blood, we see high levels of excreted in, Well, what I find interesting is I do a lot of toxicity testing on patients and, I do the GPL tox test from Great Plains Laboratory frequently, which looks at organophosphates and plastics and it's, oh, no matter what the toxin is, the solution is always an infant son.

And I started I would, I would call a lab and be like, because there's about 22 different toxins we're testing. We don't have the ability to test the large amount.

You mentioned yet, but I, I would call the lab because I'd be like, okay, well they have number one, five and seven. Do I need to do something different for detox? No.

Infrared, sauna, Bluetooth. I own an infrared sauna and that is going to be the solution. And so in a world where as we're learning, throughout this summit, where toxicity and especially environmental toxicity is rampant and unfortunately unavoidable to me in including and having the sauna therapy, whether you have high levels or you don't, it's it's either a treatment, it's a prevention.

It's I always say it's not a matter. Maybe it's some point. We used to ask, are you toxic now it's just a question of how toxic are you? And are you eliminating your toxins that you're being exposed to?

And so to me personally, infrared sauna is this this powerful medical tool that we really need. It's just detoxifying is not a five day cleanse. It's not something we do for a month.

It's not something we don't have to think about. It's something that needs to be part of our life. So I see it as a daily event, a weekly event, a monthly event, a quarterly event, a yearly event.

And the sauna is just so key in that it's we have to really be sweating. And you can you can take a hot bath, you can get a good workout. But it's not the same.

You're not getting the medicinal, results from actually utilizing and harnessing the power of infrared. So let's talk about because there are other benefits other than detoxing like burning calories and increasing your cardiovascular system.

And so let's talk about some of the other benefits as well. So so one of the one of my favorite topics is the cardiovascular health. There are numerous studies and benefits linked to cardiovascular health with infrared saunas and saunas as a whole.

Everything from lowering blood pressure, lowering your risk of cardiovascular disease, improving the, cardio, endothelial lining, the elasticity of the endothelial lining, it sauna therapy is also shown to mimic cardiovascular exercise.

So I'll go into that in a moment. One of my absolute favorite, and this is a very well known study that was, conducted over 20 years. So a long term study looking at regular sauna users and then broken into categories of people who use sauna once a week, 2 to 3 times a week or 4 to 7 times a week.

And looking at their long term health outcomes. And across the board, all of this on a users saw lowered risk of sudden cardiac death, fatal cardio vascular disease, fatal coronary heart disease and lowered risk of all cause mortality, meaning deaths from any cause.

So across the board, regular sauna users saw a reduction of risk in all of these categories, and the most frequent sauna users saw the biggest reduction in risk.

So, basically, regular sauna users have a better longevity outcomes and, lowered risk of all types of cardio vascular disease. So which is prevalent in, you know, in our country, in the world for aging women, it's huge.

When we talk about bioidentical hormone replacement as prevention for cardiovascular disease, but which also lowers the overall mortality. But coupling it with sauna, you're just like, oh, we're going to live to 130.

So so it's got a benefit of. So we talked about detoxification. It's got a benefit of cardiovascular health. What else you mentioned. Exercise. That's one of my favorite exercises weight loss.

So like I said mimicking cardiovascular exercise regular sauna use also improves our exercise tolerance. Meaning how much exercise can we do? Lowering our, you know, delay onset muscle soreness so that soreness we can get after a hard workout and, in terms of weight loss, there's a really interesting study looking at, sauna compared to exercise and then the combination.

So, a group of subjects were subjected to heat therapy, sauna therapy. Another group subjected or was doing, treadmill running. And then a third group was combining the heat therapy and the treadmill running.

So similar about, 40% reduction in body fat mass for both the, the heat therapy group and the exercise group. And then the combined group was 72% reduction in body fat and.

Wow. Yes. Yeah. Had improvement, or a significant finding. Right. In terms of, you know, we're all trying to lose weight and, you know, that gets harder as we age.

And, now, I mean, that's just remarkable, that different that the combination makes. But even one on the, you know, pretty remarkable that sauna is on par with exercise in terms of the and it's all fun while you're sitting on your book.

I mean, I mean, hello, I mean, I'm reading my books. I'm like catching up fun, you know, all sorts of things in this manner. Meditating like it's a great time to just like, have some, you know, time to decompress or, you know, put your phone away or, like, there's so many reasons I look forward to using the sauna beyond the, you know, the sweating and like all the benefits I know I'm getting, like, it's just such a nice retreat.

So absolutely, at the end of the day, I'm like in my sauna and after seeing patients and I'm decompress, I just what you said, it's like, oh, it's the end of the day.

And I think a lot of us are like, oh, it's the end of the day. I'm going to go to the couch and watch TV and I'm like, not that I don't like to watch like a Netflix series, because trust me, I do.

Yeah, but I'm like, before that I'm like, the sauna and just the, the stress reduction of just sweating and sitting and feeling the heat and breathe. I have done everything from pay bills in the sun.

I'm, I'm dating myself back because when I used to have the sauna in the actual clinic, when I was had a brick and mortar, I would take the big checkbook.

And this is before, like, computers and paying online, and I pay my bills at the end of the day. And my younger son, he's struggling with heavy metal toxicity when he was younger.

And so we would go in the sauna together. And as such, fond memories of sitting in Lincoln Park with him in the sauna and just rocking out. And you can listen to music or podcast or it's just such a it's such a limited time.

So what other benefits? You had wait. You're there. I am sorry about that. Okay. So in terms of, also boosting metabolism, right. So similar to the study and reduction of fat.

So exercise versus sauna versus the combination. We saw, about a 35% increase in mitochondrial activity. Right. So cellular energy, cellular metabolism, 35% increase with just the heat therapy, 31% increase with just exercise, 62% increase with the combination of an exercise, we've talked about how important mitochondrial health is.

So what about immune system? Yeah, absolutely. Sauna therapy can really help with, robust immune response. I'm not as familiar with all of that research off the top of my head.

But I know a lot of the findings show, like, more robust immune response, lowering inflammation and oxidative stress on a cellular level and throughout the body, which also can help us to fight off infection and increased our immune response.

It might be easier to ask the question, what doesn't? Definitely. Yeah. Even benefits for sleep and mood, right? So lowering cortisol, which is a stress hormone that directly inhibits sleep and then elevating, endorphins, which are, you know, feel good hormones, both clinically shown as therapy.

Like the higher your cortisol, the more of a reduction you see post infrared sauna. So that's fantastic. And what about skin and health? Some really cool benefits with that.

So suppressing the photo, eating aging damage we get from ultraviolet. So really neutralizing some of that, improving skin micro circulation. So just the vascularization throughout our skin to help maintain the health of our skin as a whole.

Improving water holds good water holding capacity and just elasticity of our skin. So those are all findings that are associated with saunas and infrared sauna specifically.

So so we've got detoxification. We've got hormone balance, skin health, weight loss, exercise, cardiovascular immune health and embracing any of the other big ones.

Lowering just like the cardiovascular health, lowering your risk of neurodegenerative diseases. That that's a huge one. So that's a huge one to me. It's such, I always think of health.

It's not I have my favorite hashtag that I create and that all medicine comes in a bottle. And so how we heal is multifactorial, and it has to do with what we put in our mouths.

Bowls, food and liquid food and supplements. And it has to do with the thoughts we think and the lifestyle we live and the channels we use and the actions we take.

And just as we're having this conversation, I'm just seeing how two of the things and I never really thought about it before this, but how bioidentical hormone replacement and sauna therapy are two of the things.

You get my patients in a room and they're like, we. She might have done different things for us, but yes, she has definitely told us we have to get a sauna.

And if we're a woman on a journey, we're on bioidentical hormone replacement. And so and they just have so many similar benefits for the cardiovascular system and for the immune system and for neurodegeneration and brain health.

And so what a beautiful marriage of really taking care of yourself through the menopausal transition I love it. We got a dog excited in the back. Didn't know about that.

Do you do you put your dogs in the sauna? No. Because they don't sweat. Right. So thermoregulation is different, but surprisingly, we hear from folks all their time.

Their pets want to get in the sauna with them. And so, yeah, we don't recommend it. So let's talk about your sauna and why it's important to, to get the right sauna.

Absolutely. Yeah. This is key. There are, a lot of factors that go into obviously making a good sauna that supporting detoxification, the materials, the types of heaters, etc..

So let's start with materials first. Right? Because we've been talking about our environmental exposure, and obviously we don't want to be adding more chemicals to our environment.

And of course with heat, outgassing of certain materials. So for example, plywood is full of formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen that's volatile.

It can outgassing certain types of wood. Also higher high in terms of their, you know, the compounds naturally occurring in the wood that can out gas and and really trigger a lot of sensitivities for folks and sort of contribute to exposures and wood.

So specifically, our saunas, we use a very specific poplar wood from Europe that is known for having almost no wood smell, very, very low outgassing. It is the number one wood for environmental medicine clinics for anybody already experiencing sensitivity.

And even before you're experiencing sensitivity, just having something in your home where you know you're optimizing all the benefits, you're not going to have any, you know, cheap materials there, 100% a single wood.

And they're built with tongue and groove joinery to eliminate, you know, glues and materials that are going to be outgassing. So that's an important part of it.

As you're detoxing, you don't want to be you don't want to be in something that's detoxing you and or taxing you so that it's super, super important, which goes to speak.

I mean, why it's important to get an infrared sauna and not rely on your gym sauna, which I know may be a bummer. And I hear patients say, well, I don't have room for a sauna.

And I'm like, yes, you do. It's just like you can't find a place. It's just like a playhouse. It's, you know, there's always a place. Look, yours is right there in the corner there.

Really. Well, you can put it close to a wall. Really versatile. It can go in any type of flooring. They're extraordinarily efficient to run. At least with the technology.

High tech health. We have a very unique type of heater really designed to optimize the benefits. So they're very ultra power efficient to run. We estimate it's about $2 a month to use our two person sauna every single day.

So so talk about what is special about the high tech with the heaters. And do we need to be worrying about emfs and speak to that please? EMF is probably the it's a really important part of this.

Right. So, our heaters are all designed by High Tech Health, have been since the, the beginning of the company. And I know you've known for a long time, but EMF or electromagnetic fields which happen with anything is running on electricity.

They can read from the source of, of, you know, where the electric current is coming and high EMF can cause a lot of cellular stress. In particular, it affects the heart and brain cells, but it affects all of our cells.

And unfortunately, a lot of infrared sun is out there and known for very, very high EMF, sometimes thousands of times higher than these thresholds for causing biologic effects.

The high tech health centers have our own patented technology, and how we mitigate all types of the EMF, and that's all independently tested. And thorough lab testing.

And so our saunas, as a whole are lower in EMF in most household appliances. And that is a big factor in terms of getting the most benefit, not adding stress to your body, really allowing yourself to detox.

And, in our experience, a lot of folks in experiencing environmental sensitivity, whether it's chemical sensitivity, mold sensitivity or, you know, have some sort of this hyper reactions may also be experiencing electro hypersensitivity or EMF sensitivity.

So it is a really big piece of what makes a good infrared sauna that you can really benefit from. Is this low EMF technology huge piece. So we've got the popular non formaldehyde, non off gassing wood.

We've got low EMF. Anything else that stands out to you that you want to share. You know some numerous things about our sauna. So the EMF mitigation is of course part of that.

We had a fresh air fan in our sauna which keeps some fresh air flowing through the sauna. That really makes it a lot more comfortable for a lot of folks.

Right. So sitting in this chamber, yes, it's designed to allow some airflow so you don't get like this stuffy feeling and you just build up of CO2. And that makes a much more comfortable experience.

You can breathe deeply. You can really enjoy the sauna experience. So that's another really important feature. Barcelona's Now do you have tips for sauna use?

Any country country pushpins you think you should do before and after hydrate. That is certainly key. I drink before, hydrate after, maybe hydrate during the sauna if you're comfortable with it.

That is a key. Replenishing minerals as well, right? We sweat out a lot of minerals as well. So you know replacing magnesium calcium, sodium, potassium that's important.

You know, in terms of is there, is there one right way to use the sauna? Not necessarily because everybody's different and everybody's tolerance levels is, can be different, right?

We you know, I would say average 30 minute session. We actually do provide protocols for use to get people started pretty slowly because you can detox too quickly with the sauna and that can, you know, feel uncomfortable.

You can feel a little lousy if you're going too fast. So you start slow and then you basically work your way up in terms of duration. And as you go, you learn what feels right for you.

And so it may be daily sessions for one person and twice a week for another person or somewhere in between. But we, you know, we guide you through all of that.

And, you know, the product specialists, we're all sauna experts. We all use saunas and, you know, understand the research, and we guide our, we guide our customers through that process as well in terms of, like, helping you learn as a new user and a new owner, what's right for you and answering all of those questions.

Right? Yeah. I'll just reiterate hydration. And I have patients utilize blue to iron before their sauna sessions. Certainly replenishing the minerals electrolytes.

So so important. You want to be not draining yourself. You want the sauna to be supporting you. And so it's really important that you take care of yourself.

And so when you are partaking of sauna therapy, it's like you have hydration is so important in this kind of gets you in that, oh, I'm going to stay hydrated.

Because if I don't, I'm not going to feel good when I use my sauna. And I want to use my sauna because I want to burn calories while sitting on my butt.

And the strength of your vascular system and all these wonderful things. And so and even just sitting in the sauna as the, panels are heating up, you get benefit fit.

And so we, like you were saying, I often work patients up and everyone is different. And ultimately I like to get patients to a half hour at 120 or higher if they can tolerate it where they're getting a good sweat, a a big sign of toxicity to me is when a patient says I don't sweat, and when they come in for an intake, if that comes up in the intake.

Because I ask every patient, that becomes a priority for me. If someone's not sweating, that jumps to the top of something we need to handle and get happening.

When we're sweating, we're allowing our lymph to move. And there's just so many benefits, as we were talking about not only with the infrared, but the actual act of sweating.

And so it's crucial. And, I always tell patients I'm like, all right, you got the sauna. Now you got to use it. That is key. Yeah, you got to use it. If you have it in your house.

It's hard to make excuses. If it's at the gym and you're not even getting the same benefits at the gym, but it's like, oh, I didn't make it there. I'm tired.

I don't want to leave my body when it's in your house. And I have some patients who set up TVs outside of it, and they there's so many ways you can incorporated into your evening or afternoon or morning routine that it can just be a part of your part of your, your detox life.

It's so easy to incorporate. And, you know, I utilize there's a delay start function so I can set a timer. So like if I'm going to a yoga class it's on.

It's ready for me to get right in and I get home. So, there are lots of ways to work it in and, and really make it your own, you know, have a TV outside or, you know, have it be your quiet time or the time where you and your spouse just sit and talk like they're lots of fun.

I hear lots of great stories from folks on how they how they love to use their sauna. That's awesome. We would have patients column on my way. Turn on the sun. Coming for my session.

And I want to emphasize that it's, birthday suit. And, obviously when I was in the sauna with my son, we would where we'd be covered a little. But if you're with your partner or you're alone, you you don't want to be wearing anything.

You want to get full, full exposure to your whole body. And can you talk about should you shower right after? Should you be wiping the sweat? Can you just speak to that?

Absolutely. Yeah. So dry brushing or, you know, brushing your skin either with a brush or even just take a towel and wipe off sweat as you go will actually help your body to sweat more.

So that is absolutely recommend. I always, you know, I'm sitting on a towel in my sauna, and I've always got an extra towel or two so I can be, you know, wiping off sweat as I go.

And then obviously wash those towels right away. And, yes, you should shower after the sauna. We know there are a lot of toxins and metals, and there's all sorts of things coming out in our sweat.

So obviously we want to wash our towels and we want to wash ourselves as well. Right? You don't want to reabsorbed, right? You're you're sweating it out.

Exactly. Anything else that we didn't touch upon that's important for the list. So, you know, I talked a lot about the, you know, importance of sauna therapy and far into therapy.

It is important to note that, this is specifically far infrared, which is long wavelengths of infrared. There is no clinical foundation for near infrared in a sauna.

Sometimes. You see, that's kind of a trend out there these days to have, you know, the full spectrum of infrared. There are risks with near infrared. So in the sauna where we're not, you know, we're we're spending more time and we're using it regularly.

Far infrared is where all of the clinical research and it's extremely well established and safe. And so I was going to ask you about near infrared. So what are the risks? I'm curious.

Cataracts can cause cataracts, damage to both the cornea and the retina. It can actually accelerate skin aging just like ultraviolet. Right. So the opposite of what far infrared can do.

It, activates certain proteins that, can break down collagen. And it can actually, increase other risks from ultraviolet. So it can actually increase risks in certain cancers.

So near infrared really has a place in targeted localized therapies. Right. So devices that are, you know, lasers and LEDs that are very specialized in terms of how they are, you know, calibrated and the, the wavelength and the intensity of the light.

And they're very focal treatments, long term regular use in a sauna. We cross over to where these risk factors come into play. And any research showing those benefits with the focal therapies is also a benefit we already get with foreign for it.

So interesting. And I was just thinking of one other what about pain reduction. Huge. I'm sorry I missed that earlier. That's a huge topic. Lots of studies showing, a reduction in chronic inflammation and acute inflammation, reducing oxidative stress.

There's even a is far infrared study looking at, lowering pain or, pain management for folks with fibromyalgia and, rheumatoid arthritis and showing really good outcomes for both of those groups.

So, they're really effective for so many, so many health factors. I just thought of it because I was thinking about I just I have this dream and this mission, of transforming health and transforming all of you who are listening, your experience of your hormonal journey and your lives.

And I was thinking, wouldn't it be amazing if every house had a sauna? And rather than reaching for the Advil when you have pain, you just strip and get naked in sauna.

And so that is. And that's right. But if we don't be honest, that actually was a big transformation for me, having a sauna. You know, in terms of what is my first response when I'm not feeling well, maybe I'm coming down with a cold or I'm a little sore or something.

Sauna. Not the medicine cabinet. And, you really life changing. So. Yeah, that's that's such a good point to when you're first getting sick. What is mama say? She said she got a sweat.

Right. I think some hot tea or hot chicken noodle soup. And so the sun I've seen in the sauna personally and professionally, averred serious illnesses because you just sweat out the toxins, you sweat it out and then you feel better, you get a good night's sleep.

So it really is. There's not many things I always say. There's the myth of the magic bullet, that there really is no magic bullet for healing. It's multifactorial, but if I had to pick a tool that was going to come the closest to being a magic bullet, to me it would totally be the infrared sauna.

Absolutely. Yeah. And I, you know, the more, I learn and the more research comes out, just the more excited I get. You know, every time I read a new paper and a new finding, I'm like, all right, I'm getting in the sauna.

I have another reason to get in the sauna. Not that I need more, but, Yeah, it's just remarkable. And I see it. Clinic weekly. I've seen so many of those things, whether it be weight loss or patients who are injured or have illnesses where they can't exercise.

Yet the sauna helps their cardiovascular system, so they're not missing out on that training or helping with chronic illness or helping to detoxify. It's one of the I.

I work with a lot of patients dealing with cancer. It's one of my other specialties and the sauna is always involved. It's like, if you're going to work with me, you got to be doing infrared sauna therapy because I want you to get better and we need this tool.

So I didn't have a huge clinic and we we carved out a spot and stuck a sauna, like, I'm going to make it work. We didn't have a private place, I. I hung a pole and we had curtains so people could have privacy.

We made it work because that's how important it was for me to be effective with my patients. So. So that's why I wanted to have you here. And that's why I'm so honored you're sponsoring.

Because I feel so passionate about this as a tool. And it really does change when you are a sauna owner. It's like it changes how you how you view health and what you do and how you heal.

And I believe it's one of the greatest prevention tools for aging healthily. We know that toxins are such a huge part of that. There's there's yet to be a cancer that doesn't have a toxicity component.

And so it's just crucial, as I said before, that we we become chronic detox fires, that we become chronically involved in, actively involved and passionately involved in tools to to detox and sweat.

So so thank you. Thank you for being here. Thank you for sharing the the studies. I'm I'm I tend to be I just I'm a clinician I'm in the on the ground I see it with patients.

I see women losing weight. I see them aging backwards. I see their skin just changing in front of my eyes. I see their brain fog going away. I see their sleeping being enhanced.

I just see so many benefits from it. So I appreciate because it makes my job easier. Thank you so much for having me. It's been wonderful. You're welcome.

And for those listening who who are interested, I know we have a special gift for them if they're interested in learning more purchasing asana, what do they need to do and say to get a discount?

Absolutely. You can, visit high tech health.com or give us a call, and, mention doctor Sharon Stills mentioned this Mastering Menopause Summit, and you will be eligible for a special discount.

Thank you for doing that. Thank you for helping me to spread Sana love. It really is. It's so key. So, so key. So I hope you all are like. I kind of sweat, like, I'm going to.

I gotta go hop in my sauna. That's how I'm feeling. Okay. And that's one other thing, too. Yeah. We talk about addictions and we think of addictions as bad, but I think there are some good things to be addicted to.

For me, I'm addicted to the sauna. I'm addicted to sweating. But I think if you're going to, I have overcome many bad addictions and not healthy addictions.

But if you're going to have an addiction, at least let it be a healthy one. And so join my sweat addiction and start to think about how sauna can change your life.

Because trust me, it can. So thanks for being here. Happy to answer any questions. Hi tech health is a wealth of information. I was fortunate enough to meet, the founder when I was still in medical school, and I was traveling around the country teaching at different, health conferences.

I was teaching European biological medicine, and I ran into the sauna, and I was like, ooh. So I got educated very early. So it became part of what? As soon as I like, even before I graduated, I was using it.

And so it just became something that I've used. And I definitely credit sauna therapy to being a big piece of why I have such good success with my patients.

So thank you, thank you, thank you and everyone get your sweat on and we'll see you soon. Be well.