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The Incredible Power of Cold Water

COLD WATER!? Yes I said cold water.

About this time last year I purchased the book Health 2 0 written by Dr. Alexa Fleckenstein. This book focuses on the immense benefits that water brings to us.

Dr. Fleckenstein is a certified medical doctor from Germany. She specializes in natural healing.

Whole and natural healing are very popular in Germany for one reason: When Hitler was in power in the 1930's and 40's he despised highly educated members of society (other than scientists). Therefore the medical field was stripped of its greatest minds and citizens were forced to find methods of healing without the use of medicine.

The practices have continued and natural health thrives there to this day.

One such practice that Dr. Fleckenstein recommends is the regular use of cold water showers.

I know that the use of cold water is completely foreign to a lot of people, especially in the western world. Fortunately for me, The US Food and Drug Administration has actually promoted the use of cold water by saying: “It’s not chicken soup. Believe it or not, a much more unorthodox therapy of warm-and-cold showers has recently been proposed–though not proven–for the prevention of the common cold.”

Cold water also provides many other benefits to the human body besides an improved immune system.

Before you write me off as a lunatic and stop reading, let me explain why I do this on a daily basis .

First, The Process

I have ended my normal hot shower with a cold "shock" shower for over a year now and let me tell you, it is awesome.

First, never take a cold shower when your body is cold. This will only make your body even colder. All the benefits of cold water can only be obtained by pairing a hot body with cold water.

Always use cold water treatment when your body is warm. Either from exercise or by taking a warm shower first.

After a warm shower I immediately turn the knob as far cold as it can possibly go. I then stand under the shower head and wait.

For beginners, start with your feet and work your way up. This is much more gradual and allows you to get used to the intense shock.

* In the dead of a Wisconsin winter, the cold water is almost unbearable

The intensity of the cold water is almost euphoric. This is very difficult for me to explain but the same phenomena happens to others who do this. Having the will power to get through that initial shock is the toughest part, after that it is not as bad as many think.

For most of you, the first couple of experiences with cold water will most likely result in the cursing of my name. If you care about your health, you will keep at it and eventually come to enjoy the practice. And hopefully see results

After showering in cold water for no longer than 30-45 seconds, my body feels completely foreign. This alien feeling is a reflection of the immense benefits that cold water brings to our bodies.

Cold water prompts our blood to leave our skin and cascade down into our organs, leaving our skin looking pasty white. Not to worry, in only a few minutes time the blood comes back and we look "normal" again.

Aren't you cold after you get out?

No, quite the contrary. All of the blood that left my skin comes screaming back to the surface after drying off, leaving me feeling toasty warm.

This immediate warming of the skin happens rather quickly. Dr. Fleckenstein explains why this happens: "Cold is a greater danger to the body (compared to heat)*, so your bodies answer is swift and thorough".

*My parenthesis

She continues as to why cold water is beneficial "The cold response is more like an alarm reaction, so it will activate more regulatory systems in your body...Cold water stimulates your body to create heat by itself--and that is a healthy occurrence."

The Benefits

Their are many health benefits that take place in the process that I just described. Although I can not explain them all, here are the few that I find most beneficial.

Our Immune systems are strengthened. Why? When cold water contacts our bodies, it sends a shock wave throughout. When we mix hot and cold water, we train our blood vessels (and other bodily systems) to become stronger and adapt to sudden changes, such as an illness.

Cold showers improve our mood. About a month ago I partook in a water only fast for three days (read about it here). During that time I was quite depressed to say the least. My savior was a warm shower that ended with cold water. This improved my mood dramatically and took my mind off of wanting to gnaw on my roommates ear.

Warm and Cold water greatly improve skin and hair quality. When we take a warm shower our blood vessels open up. This process also promotes optimal health, as blood rushes to our skin and a hormone is released in our bodies that calms and soothes us.

Also, warm water increases circulation throughout our entire bodies. Unfortunately this "opening" of our blood vessels releases heat, which is why a cold feeling may occur in the minutes following a warm shower.

Warm water also leaves our pores and hair follicles open. Moisture found in the skin and hair is then released and all to often leaves skin and hair dry and clammy.

Ending a shower with cold water does the complete opposite. Blood immediately leaves the skin and engulfs the heart, lungs, brain and almost all other organs. And in doing so our pores are zapped shut. Moisture is sealed inside our skin and hair leaving them both tight and smooth.

*Never let scalding hot water touch your face. And for that matter never use scalding hot water to bathe. It greatly damages our skin. Don't forget that the skin is our largest organ. Hot water can rupture blood vessels and result in redness of the skin (especially on the facial area).

Cold water can normalize blood pressure. How? The shock of cold water awakens our bodies and throws us completely out of our natural comfort zones (similar to that of exercise). We must then find our balance once again. Cold water has been known to lower high blood pressure and raise low blood pressure.

This of course can take a long time to occur, but done on a regular basis it has the power to alter our blood pressure.

Cures cold hands and feet. Before I started doing this my feet used to be cold all the time (especially in the Wisconsin winter). Cold water promotes circulation as it lowers our core body temperature and in response we must heat ourselves in order to raise it.

Cold water forces us to open our lungs and breath deeply. If you try this you will know exactly what I am talking about. The initial shock of cold water prompts in us an instinctive reaction to take a massive breathe.

Dr. Fleckenstein calls cold water "the master harmonizer."

A Brief History Lesson

In Bolivia, during 1849 Sebastian Kneipps fell under a dreadful disease called tuberculosis. At the time TB was incurable and almost always ended in death. After doctors gave up on him, he randomly came across a cold water treatment program. He then proceeded to follow this program and jumped into the icy Danube River on a regular basis.

This unorthodox method of treatment cured him of TB. He then went on to become a doctor. And eventually brought his uses of cold water to the United States.

In the early 1900's when Dr. Sebastian Kneipps's use of cold water remedies to heal first came to the United States, cold water spas were created in the Mid-West and down as far as Louisiana!

Unfortunately when World War 1 started, all German ideas were shunned. Never to be heard of again. Until NOW!

Final Thoughts

Like all great change, time is needed for cold water treatments to actually have an impact on our health. Doing this one or two times a week will not bear any benefits.

*A little note to all of you who feel like you NEED to shower everyday. If you do not perform manual labor or any other activity where sweat is involved on a daily basis, how dirty can you honestly get? Sitting behind a desk, watching TV and eating does not put anybody in a situation where dirt and grim cake your skin. I know this is a foreign concept, but honestly cleanliness is vastly exaggerated in this country. We are not that important. Most people could give a shit what you look like. Stop trying to live like Mr. Clean and Danny Tanner.

During the winter months I take brief hot to cold showers almost daily. My only motivation is to strengthen my immune system. When the whether is warmer (more time outside), showers are pretty rare.

Cold shower remedies cost pennies to implement. Although it may take time, start when you are healthy and the occurrence of colds and overall sickness will dissipate.

Quick Side Notes

If you decide to give cold water treatments a shot, ease into it. For those who are older, the initial shock of a complete cold water treatment may be more than your body can handle. Start with your feet and work your way up.*

* If you are bold and adventurous, then feel free to start with your upper body.

Also, do not over do it. All of the benefits of cold water are wasted if you subject yourself to too long of a cold water session. You will know you over did it if you feel cold in the minutes that follow a shower.

The opposite is also true. We cannot simply touch the cold water and immediately turn it off. You must stay in contact for at least 15 seconds.

One last personal note: I have found that when I have a headache (i.e. hung over) a cold shower does wonders for my throbbing cranium.

-Ryan

I tried very hard to do this topic justice.  If you would like to learn more about cold water treatments please visit Dr. Fleckenstein's blog at Own Your Health.com

PS. Cold water treatments have also been shown to reduce wrinkles and gray hair. Check out Dr. F's blog and read the comments. Many people explain their experiences with cold water there.