Detox Your Body: Contrast Showers

The contrast between hot and cold water increases circulation through body tissues, promotes detoxification, and strengthens the immune system. By improving circulation, this helps bring nutrients, oxygen and immune cells to damaged and stressed tissues and carries away metabolic waste, inflammatory by-products and other toxins. Contrast showers also strengthen the immune system by increasing the number of white blood cells.

Cold water:

• Constricts local blood vessels, decreases inflammation, stimulates the nervous and digestive systems with short applications
• Improves muscle strength, builds resistance to disease and invigorates the body during long applications
• Reduces fever, relieves thirst and pain, soothes burns, reduces constipation, aids in the elimination of toxins, increases energy and reduces fatigue

Hot water:

• Dilates small blood vessels, relaxes muscles and raises body temperature with short applications
• Increases blood flow, induces perspiration to aid in eliminating toxins and stimulates the healing process during long applications
• Aids in relaxation, calms the body and mind and decreases pain
• Should be avoided in acute inflammatory conditions.

Instructions:
• Start with 3 minutes of hot water followed by 30 seconds of cold water.
• Repeat this pattern at three times during every shower, always finishing with cold.
• For example, 3 minutes hot – 30 seconds cold – 3 minutes hot – 30 seconds cold – 3 minutes hot – 30 seconds cold