Detoxifying foot pads?

I noticed in the little rectangular ad space on my blog that there was a link to something called "detoxifying foot pads". Curious, I clicked on it to see what it was. They claim that it's a product developed in Asia that contains some natural ingredients that combine to naturally draw toxins out of your feet.

Considering your feet are one of the major sweat outlets, I could see how it might possibly work. They claim that you wear these pads at night, and the next morning you'll find gross, brown, sticky goo on the pads, supposedly the toxins it drew out over the course of the night.

I'm open-minded, but skeptical when products make unscientific claims. So I researched them. Apparently there are many companies selling these things and they all make the same claims. Could they all be wrong?

A couple of forums I found had people de-mystifying some of the "magic" around these foot pads. This one took the fancy names for the foot pad ingredients and basically said that it was sand, sugar and wood vinegar... which will turn brown when wet. Your feet are always sweating, so of course it will turn these pads brown. And the sugar gives the "brown goo" its stickiness.

I came to the conclusion that these pads do nothing other than make your feet sticky and gross. Your naturally occuring foot sweat triggers the pad to turn colors, and that's it. Sounds like a scam to me.

In my next post I'll see if I can find methods for detoxifying your body that actually have a scientific basis behind them. Methods that actually work you can usually do on your own, and not with any kind of fancy product being peddled by shysters.

Giving saunas a try

I decided to give the sauna a chance, since it's so helpful for ridding your body of toxin build-up. I think I lasted about 10 minutes. I wish they had a thermometer in there so I could know how extreme the heat was, but it was slightly more bearable than last time. I would guess around 120 degrees or so, but I don't really know.

After getting out I felt woozy and had to sit down. My friend did too. I guess this is normal? Initial research about saunas and dizziness merely said if you feel dizzy to get out of the sauna immediately. I didn't feel dizzy until after I got out, so...?

After feeling well enough to walk, I then felt extremely tired. I felt like this wasn't normal at all, but then my friend said he always feels tired afterwards too. I later read that saunas help the blood vessels in your muscles dilate and increase blood flow, thus helping to clear out built-up toxins. The muscles are then able to relax, and I guess that's why you feel tired? Whatever the case is, I just wanted to take a nap. Zzzzzzzzzz...

Are saunas good for you?

A friend of mine likes to bake himself in the sauna after working out at the gym. He claimed it helped to cleanse your body of toxins. I had my doubts since neither of us were doctors, so I decided to research it for validity.

It turns out he was right. After a good workout, your circulation is going pretty good and stirring up a lot of toxins. One of the best places for your body to send these toxins is out through your pores in the form of sweat. The high heat of a sauna tells your body to open up the pores and start sweating. Out go the toxins.

Some people claim they feel rejuvenated after a sauna session. Tense muscles will also become more relaxed in a heated environment. I'm a little more encouraged now to try it, provided I can stand the heat levels the gym has it set at.

Different people will have different levels of tolerance in terms of temperature and duration that they can withstand. Always listen to your body and don't push yourself too hard. A word of caution: Saunas are NOT recommended for pregnant women, people with heart conditions, or those under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Replacing a missing tooth

If you've had a tooth removed, it's usually in your best interest to have it replaced, usually with a bridge. If you don't, the tooth above it will start to extend out into the gap, and the neighboring teeth will start to drift into the gap as well. Teeth aren't exactly fixed in their locations. They drift according to the pressure around them, so your perfect smile may start to shift into something a little less perfect.

Most people get bridges done. This is where they file down the two neighboring teeth and put the replacement teeth across them, thus bridging the gap. It's cheaper than implants, but destructive to those two neighboring teeth.

Ideally, if you can afford it, dental implants are a great way to replace missing teeth. There are mutliple steps involved to get one "installed" in your mouth, so you want to make sure you have a dentist who knows what they're doing. There's a directory available to search for Dental Implant Dentists in your area, complete with descriptions of their areas of specialty. Do your homework, then get the procedure done before your teeth start drifting too far.

Disclosure Policy

Returning from a break

I took a little break from posting stuff here. I also took a little time off from the gym as well. I'm sure most people did. I start again today, but in the 1.5 weeks of very little physical activity, here's what I've noticed:

• I get more pinched nerves in my back when I don't exercise. I used to randomly feel sharp pains in various locations due to pinched nerves. After going to the gym on a regular basis (with each visit lasting about an hour or more), I no longer experienced the pinched nerves.
  
• After nearly two weeks on hiatus, I felt a pinched nerve again just this morning.
  
• I feel more tired all the time.

I'm looking forward to renewing my gym routine. I'll feel better, and not just physically. There's the emotional pride that I'm making an effort to take care of myself. There's also the removal of that guilt of paying for membership and not going. Heh, any source of motivation to get your butt into the gym is a good one, right?