"There is no better way to start the day than an early morning sea swim. It's physical, mental, spiritual, communal - all wrapped up in a simple dip in the sea."
Group of women bravely dip in the icy ocean along with the coastline of the Faroe Islands. They go in every day of the year, sunshine or snow. For them, it is as much about connection and friendship as it is about exercise and invigoration.
Old traditions use a method of exposing cold all over the world. The method is useful, simple and everyone can learn it. The best part of it completely free. The most popular man who carries this method on another level is Wim Hof aka IceMan. After a very dramatic event, he recovered a new life with cold therapy. Cold can treat or help alleviate symptoms of illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, arthritis, diabetes, clinical depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and cancer.
Scientists have found evidence that exposure to cold speeds up metabolism, reduces inflammation, swelling, and sore muscles.
Life in the modern age.
Bombarded with information, constant managing emails, notifications, multitasking. Longer work hours. Supermarkets sell, dead food, poisoned with heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides. Processed with ingredients which are not supposed to ingest. And our body is an accumulation of all we eat. Fluoride and chloride in the water. (Two gases which were used in World war II to kill people.)
Feeling low in energy can have many causes, ranging from sleep deprivation to depression. The habits which served you good in the past transforming into a burden. For teaching your mind, shifting to new ways constantly need attention. Awareness is the key. Focus on the things that matter auto-magically don't have time to waste on the things you don't like. Letting out the stress consumption of your energy.
In recent years, cold body therapy has gained serious popularity, because it is linked to numerous health benefits. You can practice the method with a cold shower within the comforts of your home. You can already start reaping the benefits of cold body therapy.
Reduced stress levels.
Regularly taking cold showers imposes a small amount of stress on your body, which leads to a process called hardening. This means that your nervous system gradually gets used to handling moderate levels of stress. The hardening process helps you to keep a cool head, the next time you find yourself in a stressful situation.
A higher level of alertness.
Cold showers wake your body up, inducing a higher state of alertness. The cold also stimulates you to take deeper breaths, decreasing the level of CO2 throughout the body, helping you concentrate. Cold showers thus keep you ready and focused throughout the day.
More powerfull immune response.
Scientific studies have found that taking a cold shower increases the number of white blood cells in your body. These blood cells protect your body against diseases. Researchers believe that this process is related to an increased metabolic rate, which stimulates the immune response.
Increased willpower.
It takes a strong mind to endure the cold for extended periods of time. By incorporating cold showers into your daily routine, you are strengthening your willpower, which benefits many aspects of (your) daily life.
Weight loss.
Research has shown that cold showers (and exposure to cold in general), in addition to improving metabolic rate directly, stimulate the generation of brown fat. Brown fat is a specific type of fat tissue that in turn generates energy by burning calories. Cold showers, then, are an effective tool for people who are looking to lose a few pounds.
Boost your immune system
Scientific research has provided us with evidence, that practitioners have a stronger immune response to pathogens.
The immune system is an important defense mechanism that protects our bodies against viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens that cause disease. It is a complex system that is comprised of multiple different structures and processes. When your immune system is weak or overactive, you get ill. Therefore, a healthy immune system is essential to fight off diseases.
Because the immune system is connected to many different aspects of your body, it can be manipulated by taking care of your body in certain ways. If you want to strengthen your immune response, there are a number of different ways to naturally boost your immune system. For example, a strong immune response is related to a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, getting enough exercise, certain vitamins, and certain hormones. Boost your immune system in a natural manner because nothing is better than NATURE itself.
Optimize your circadian rhythm
You will get the most out of your time sleeping if your sleep is synchronized with your body’s sleep-wake cycle. There are a few things that you can do to establish this. For example, you can prime your body for sleep by going to sleep and waking up around the same time every day. When you lose sleep during the week, it is tempting to catch up by sleeping in on the weekends. However, it is better to stick to your normal circadian rhythm and make up for your lost time with short naps during the day.
Exposure to light has a profound effect on the production of melatonin, a hormone that controls your circadian rhythm. It is best to get as much exposure to bright light as possible during the day. In the evening it’s the other way around. Limit your exposure to bright light (blue) during evening hours and be careful with devices that produce light such as smartphones and tablets. You can also use dimming the screens by reducing brightness and with a red filter.
Android phones have these filter installed in OS (Operating System). On the PC you can use free program f.lux https://justgetflux.com/
A healthy diet.
Low in processed, pre-prepared foods, refined sugar is related to a healthier immune system. Try to eat foods that are seasonable, fresh and high nutrition in omega-3 fatty acids, notably fatty fish.
Exercise
Getting enough exercise lowers your blood pressure, balances your body weight, and improves your cardiovascular health. The key is consistency and commitment. When you exercise, your body creates endorphin; a stress-reducing and mood-boosting hormone. That is why exercising is such a powerful tool to improve mental health.
Recovery
During workouts, muscle tissue gets damaged and energy stores are depleted. Recovery from a workout is as important as the workout itself. Without proper recovery, your body accumulates stress. Over time, this results in overtraining, which in turn leads to sore muscles, inflammation, and ultimately injury. Faster recovery allows for more training.
You will need to rest your body, so it can recover. During sleep, the pituitary gland increases production of HGH (Human Growth Hormone), and testosterone levels increase during REM sleep.
Staying hydrated.
Water is an essential part of workout recovery, as it supports metabolic function. By staying properly hydrated, you promote the transfer of nutrients throughout your body. Make sure that you also stay properly hydrated during your workouts, as exercising while dehydrated can damage your muscles.
Avoid chronic stress.
Stress hormones suppress your immune system. Therefore, being under emotional stress for a prolonged period of time should be avoided.
Vitamin D
Low levels of vitamin D are related to a higher susceptibility to infection and autoimmune diseases. Our body produces vitamin D via exposure to sunlight. Supplementing vitamin D is advised in autumn and winter when relatively little sunshine reaches our skin.
Supply good bacteria.
Many important processes that are related to your immune system take place in your gut. There are about 100 trillion bacteria in or around your body right now. Over 500 millions of bacteria living in your gut alone. So be a good host and keep them alive and happy. By consuming probiotic foods, you can stimulate the digestion of nutrients that support your immune system.
Improve mental health.
Your mental health can be determined as your overall psychological wellbeing. The importance of looking after your mental health can’t be stressed enough, because it influences how you feel about yourself and others.
