We have the drinking water issue covered in this post here, but what do you like to eat after a long sauna party?  I have experienced folks who dive enthusiastically into a candy bar (very American) and Finn’s traditionally break bread and slice up salty makkara sausage, but for me, I’ve refined my after sauna food to:

1. Pretzels – little sodium replenishment and no oily fats.
2. Cheese – dairy protein jives much better at night than meat protein.
3. Fruit – natural vitamins and fiber via Granny Smith apples or any fresh fruit.

These three foods work well together, without any red dye #5 or poly-splenda-msg-benzoate.

I sleep great after this light snack… Any other suggestions?

I woke up this morning with what initially felt like a major hangover.  Where am I?  What time is it?  For a second I felt like the morning after an Irish or Polish wedding.   As I gained consciousness and took inventory of my continence, no headache phew, that’s a good thing.  I don’t feel queezy, well that’s certainly a major plus… wait!  I took a sauna last night!

I’ll admit, the morning after a long sauna party can be a very groggy experience.  Unlike a hangover, though, after getting out of bed and brushing teeth, etc., it’s amazing how fresh one feels!  It’s important to drink plenty of water during your sauna session, and with anything, don’t overindulge in alcohol.   But there is a thing I call the sauna quotient:

6 hours sleep after a good sauna =  8-9 hours sleep without a sauna.

It makes sense: your body is relaxed, your muscles rested, your mind restored.  It’s like my buddy Clint says: saunas are my reset button.  Everyone deserves their own reset button!

There are so many “threes” relating to saunas:

Three major attributes of saunas.

1. Health and Wellness
2. Escape
3. Green

Three sauna rounds make for a complete sauna.

1. Round 1: heat up and cold rinse
2. Round 2: induce loyly (steam), sweat heavy, and cold rinse
3. Round 3: sweat heavy, muscle stretch, skin cleanse and clean rinse

When you build your own sauna,  consider the three zones for optimal sauna enjoyment

1. sauna room: 7′ high ceiling max.  optimize your cubic footage, consider bench height.
2. changing room: lots of hooks, music and small fridge for cold water and beverages, good flow.
3. outdoor patio: outdoor shower, nice sitting area to chill out and look at the stars, privacy, buffer.

Three beers make for a good sauna party.

Three guests make for a fun sauna party.

Three hours is about how long a good sauna party lasts.

Ever heard the one about fish and guests both start to stink after three days?   3 saunas a week can minimize this.

Here’s a story about Infrared, and losing weight in a sauna.  On second thought, this video is actually more factual and informative:

I accept the fact that an increased body temperature burns fat. I take issue with Infrared and the mechanisms by which infrared technology raises one’s body temperature. A wood sauna is a sauna. An infrared is a microwave.  Wood heat is a much more natural way to heat a sauna room.  Loyly (steam vapor from water tossed on hot sauna rocks) is a key component to any authentic Finnish sauna experience.  With infrared, you can’t toss water on light bulbs.

Go to Scandinavia, where folks have been taking saunas dating back a couple thousand years. Ask any Finlander (or this guy singing in the video) what he thinks of infrared ’saunas’ and he will confirm: infrared is NOT a sauna. Infrared is merely an easy way to market and exploit a great health and wellness tradition:

• Infrared light bulbs are cheap.
• Infrared ‘heaters’ plug into 110v, requiring no chimney’s or special wiring.
• Infrared companies can ship product to any sucker anywhere via flashy websites and trade shows.

Please read my page on free sauna information and become better informed.

Before you buy an infrared, take an authentic Finnish sauna.

1. Drink a big glass of water before you go in the sauna.
2. Bring a full liter plastic jug of water to the sauna, drink most of it during your first round.
3. Finish your water during the second round.

That’s my recipe.  Get ahead of the game, lots of water in your system promotes sweat and diffuses dehydration.

If you go to bed soon after your sauna, you don’t have to navigate to the toilet in the middle of the night, especially if you’ve had a couple of beers during your sauna session.

• Clint tip: sparkling water gets into the system faster.
• Julia tip: stick with still water, ‘carbon bubbles: no good for liver mon!’

Here’s a sister post, about eating after a sauna, cheers~!

My new friend Clint found this article from the NY Times on saunas and cold relief:

The Claim: Sitting in a Sauna Can Relieve Cold Symptoms

THE FACTS

Leif Parsons

Related

Health Guide: Colds

More Really? Columns

Scientists recently confirmed the age-old notion that hot liquids can relieve some cold and flu symptoms. But what about a dose of heat on a much larger scale — say, in a sauna?

With temperatures of 176 Fahrenheit or greater, saunas have been recommended for arthritis, asthma and chronic fatigue, among other things, since they were used by nomads in Finland centuries ago. Some reputed benefits have not been examined, but there is evidence that saunas may speed recovery from colds and reduce their occurrence.