Jeanie Taggart is a Nurse Practitioner who has studied functional endocrinology. She also treats diseases related to hormones, which are essential to everyday life. We sat down with her on our podcast to talk about her personal experiences with Contrast Studios and to delve into the science.
"Our hormones are the unsung heroes of our body," she says. Jeanie explains how hormones are much more than just chemicals; they are crucial for the regulation of our body's processes, from waking up to sleeping at night. Understanding these subtle shifts in our bodies can lead to significant improvements in health and wellness.
Taggert went on to explain the changes your body gets through each step of contrast therapy… and the benefits are bountiful.
When you Enter the Sauna
Getting into the sauna begins to calm your body down. Taggart says it’s psychological. You’re in a peaceful setting and bringing your resting heart rate down. Your basal body temperature is rising, so you’re also burning calories as your metabolism rises. She says you’re also detoxing and reducing inflammation, which is important because hormones cannot communicate well if you have a lot of inflammation.
But the saunas at Contrast Studio are different from saunas you’ll see at most places because they’re infrared saunas which heats your body, not the air around you. This is a better way to sweat out toxins by using light to make heat. When removing toxins, this frees up receptors for hormones to make better connections in your body.
When you Step into the Plunge
When getting into the water, your nervous system is trying to regulate and your body goes into fight or flight mode. Now is your opportunity to flip your body into the parasympathetic nervous system. Then, you can start to relax and breathe better.
The most important point to keep in mind is that you have to choose to relax, which creates new neural pathways. Then, the next time you experience stress, your body will be prepared to deal with it. Taggart says stress is good for your body and this is a great way to teach your body to manage it.
When you Exit the Plunge
Taggart says her favorite part of contrast therapy is the end. “The moment you step out of all this, it's kind of like a rush,” she explains. “Your body is producing all this dopamine and adrenaline and the way that it is trying to reregulate… that's where all of all the magic is.”
That’s why you don’t want to shower or go back in the sauna after your plunge. Let your body get back to baseline naturally to see the benefits of burning brown fat during contrast therapy. Some people feel starving after their plunge. Taggart says the insulin is cleaning glucose from storage in cells in your body and your metabolism is rising. That’s why you feel hungry.
Biggest Piece of Advice
Taggart’s biggest recommendation for anyone doing contrast therapy is to take away the distractions.
“When I go to the sauna, it's a time for me to pray. Some people may meditate, some people may do something else. But when I get there, that's my time to talk to God. So it's a moment that I don't have my phone, I can’t wear my watch, patients can’t contact me, and I can be just there,” Taggart says.