Benefits of Chinese Foot Baths

Foot Baths are an Ancient Chinese practice of soaking your feet in hot water and herbs before bed each night. It is believed to have many health benefits, that of which change with the seasons. In Spring, foot baths tone the Yang (energy), and prevent the depletion of Qi (life force).

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) teaches that if the human body were a tree, the head is the branches, the body is the trunk, and the feet are the roots, so in order to treat our illnesses, we must water our roots. Seeing as how one quarter of the body’s bones are in the feet, as well as 72,000 nerve endings and 6 meridians, it is important to consider and take care of our feet for overall well being.

Foot baths also increase circulation, which is highly beneficial in colder regions. Soaking your feet increases the heart rate the same way as exercising, which is helpful for those who are physically inhibited. Cardiovascular activity is essential for our body to process efficiently, so foot baths are highly effective for those with more sedentary lifestyles.

How to do at home:

There are several stages to the foot bath process, and the real healing begins after several baths. If one struggles with poor circulation, the first few baths might only warm the feet. After several baths, if circulation improves, one will feel the heat from the bath rising up the legs, through the body where one might feel an increase in heart rate, to the head. At this point, one may start sweating, and this signals the end of the bath session. To do this at home, follow the steps below.

1. Boil water to 104℉, or a comfortable temperature, with desired herbs

2. Pour liquid into foot bath- use any container that holds water and that your feet can fit in

3. Soak feet before bed for 20 minutes, or until you break a sweat

4. After soak, dry your feet and keep them warm

Common foot bath herbs:

Herbs, salts, and oils enter the bloodstream through the skin and affect our systems with their terpenes, alkaloids, and volatile oils. Their medicinal properties are only effective if there is significant blood circulation, which comes from the warmth of the bath opening the pores. Below is a list of herbs and salts to use for a soothing Spring bath soak:

• Epsom Salt: alleviates constipation, relieves pain, reduces fatigue, improves sleep

• Himalayan Salt: relieves pain

• Ginger and Dandelion: good for flu relief

• Mugwort: promotes blood circulation, relieves pain, soothes menstrual cramps, regulates qi

• Chrysanthemum: anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial, relieves stress, sadness, anger

• Skullcap: relieves tension headaches

Conditions foot baths can treat:

• Insomnia

• Bunions and athlete’s foot

• Colds

• Eczema and other skin allergies

• Joint pain

• Heart disease

• Menstruation

• Alzheimer’s

• Gastrointestinal disease

• Kidney disease

• Constipation

• Sexual appetite

Long-term health benefits:

• Reduce fatigue

• Calm the mind and improve sleep quality

• Lower blood pressure

• Improve skin condition and beauty

• Strengthen muscles and bones

• Increase blood circulation

Do NOT do foot baths if:

• You are pregnant

• Have metastatic cancer

• Have an active infection

• Have a disease made worse with increasing circulation

• Have had recent surgery/have an open wound

References:

“Benefits of a TCM Foot Bath”. Retrieved from https://www.susannekaufmann.com/blogs/journal/benefits-of-a-tcm-foot-bath.

“DIY Chinese herbal foot soak”. Retrieved from https://acupuncturefitzroy.com/2019/06/02/herbal-foot-soak/.

“History of the Foot Soak”. Retrieved from https://naturallylondon.com/blogs/from-feet-to-face/92107590-first-post.

“How Chinese Foot Baths Can Improve Your Health”. Retrieved from https://daoistgate.com/how-chinese-foot-baths-can-improve-your-health/.

“Treating Chronic Pain with Tibetan Foot Soaks”. Retrieved from https://valleyhealthclinic.com/tibetan-herbal-foot-soaks/.

“Why do Chinese people love foot bath?” Retrieved from https://wuhealing.com/blog/2020/9/16/why-do-chinese-people-love-foot-bath.

Why is Good Tea So Expensive?

With hundreds of varieties to choose from, tea is the most consumed beverage in the world. There are varying costs to tea as well, and it is important to understand how the difference in cost indicates the quality of the tea.

What makes a high quality tea?

There are many factors that contribute to the quality of a tea, the first being how the leaves are processed. Whole leaves retain more of their nutritional value and flavor, and the best leaves are hand picked by experienced laborers instead of machines. Machine harvesting may be faster and more affordable, but yields a lower quality product. Bits of stem and less desirable parts of the plant get mixed together, and that changes the quality and flavor of the tea.

Tea sold as loose leaf tends to be more expensive because the leaves are whole, whereas tea sold in bags or sachets tends to be less expensive because they contain the machine harvested, smaller bits that are less desirable. It is possible to purchase high quality tea in sachet form, and to do so, it’s a good idea to purchase from a company that is involved in the sourcing, blending, and packaging of the tea as close to home as possible to ensure high quality standards are being met.

Tea processed and packaged abroad is less reliable because of quality dilution, loss of aroma, and a shortened shelf life. Poor processing—which includes picking, steaming, drying, or roasting—can ruin the flavor of the tea, whereas the best processing comes with better equipment and expertise. Laborers will roast leaves by hand for 8 to 10 hours a day to ensure the best results.

Location and Environment

The flavor of a tea comes not only from the particular plant variety, but also its growing environment. Teas grown at higher elevations cost more than teas grown at sea level because they are less affected by weather, changes in temperature, and pollution. Each of these factors alters the quality of air and soil, which changes the flavor profile of the plants. Farms positioned more remotely have cleaner air and soil than those situated closer to a city.

Tea plantations situated at higher elevations, like up the side of a mountain, as is common in parts of Asia, are also harder to access, and are potentially more dangerous to harvest from. While the remote locations benefit the tea, they also have higher labor costs.

Labor Expenses

Hand picking tea comes at a higher cost because the laborers need to be compensated for their time and expertise. Usually, when tea is less expensive, it means that the leaves are grown on a large plantation with high yield, but harvesting is done cheaply either by machine, or by laborers who do not receive fair compensation.

Higher quality tea tends to come from smaller farms that value higher production standards. Smaller farms means more control over crops, higher labor cost, and more precise processing. Purchasing tea fair trade is a great way to ensure that the tea you are purchasing is high quality because you know you are paying for human expertise and not a machine.

Good Brands and Where To Buy Them

These popular brands are easily accessible at most groceries stores in the United States and are either organic, fair trade certified, or both.

- Rishi Tea

- Mountain Rose Herbs

- Numi

- Equal Exchange

- Guayaki

- Traditional Medicinals

Spring Teas

With the return of Spring comes the promise of new beginnings, and new blooms. Floral flavors like Hibiscus, Rose, Chrysanthemum, and Dandelion, as well as fruity flavors like Blueberry and Elderberry, will delight whether enjoyed warm or cold.

- Rishi Scarlet Loose Leaf

- Equal Exchange Organic Hibiscus

- Numi White Rose

- Guayaki Revel Berry Organic Yerba Mate

- Mountain Rose Herbs Blossoms of Health Tea

- Traditional Medicinals Dandelion Detox Tea

Resources:

Demarest, Abigail. “Is Good Tea Worth It? Experts Explain the Difference”. Retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/difference-between-cheap-and-expensive-tea_l_60087a9cc5b62c0057c29f85.

Falkowitz, Max. “Why Great Tea Doesn’t Come Cheap: Digging into the High Mountain Economy”. Retrieved from https://www.seriouseats.com/tea-economics-pricing.

Stone, Daniel. “The World’s Top Drink”. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/the-worlds-top-drink.

Tea Association USA. “Tea Fact Sheet 2019-2020” Retrieved from http://www.teausa.com/teausa/images/Tea_Fact_Sheet_2019_-_2020._PCI_update_3.12.2020.pdf.

“11 Organic and Fair Trade Teas We’re Sipping On” Retrieved from https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/fair-trade-organic-tea.

“12 Best Organic Tea Brands to Reap the Most Health Benefits”. Retrieved from https://twigscafe.com/10-best-organic-tea-brands-to-try-in-2021/.

“How to Identify Quality Tea”. Retrieved from https://www.pureleaf.com/us/how-to-identify-quality-tea.

Sauna Culture Around the World

Typically a small room, sauna is designed to be a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions. Sauna bathing is a well-loved ritual throughout the world, and its many variances have evolved over time and in different cultures… and we have Finland, the sauna country, to thank.

Sauna culture in Finland

Did you know that Finland has 5.3 million people and 3.3 million saunas? That’s almost one for every two people. In Finland, sauna is a part of the daily life, and they’ve been used in the Finnish culture for several thousand years. Sauna is seen as not only a bathhouse or winter dwelling in Finland, but also as a place for birth, death, and taking care of the sick — some call it a “poorman’s pharmacy”. It is said that if you don’t experience sauna, then you don’t experience Finland.

The oldest type of Finnish sauna are smoke saunas (no chimneys), which take about five to six hours to heat up. These types of saunas use a stove, where the smoke escapes through a hole in the ceiling. Smoke saunas produce a soot that covers the wood walls and leave a smokey aroma. Nowadays, the most common ones are electric and wooden saunas, which typically use a stove known as a ‘kiuas’ to heat the space. Löyly is the heat and steam that surrounds you in the sauna as water is poured on the hot rocks.

In Finland, it’s typical to warm up in the sauna and then jump in the sea/lake or roll around in snow in the winter to cool off… or even enjoy a chilled beer afterwards. The Finns also like to include a practice called ‘vasta’—or ‘vihta’—where a bundle of birch branches are whipped on the skin. It’s said to increase circulation and soothe sore muscles.

Sauna culture in Turkey /the Middle East

Called a Hammam, this type of treatment is considered a form of public bathing, cleansing, and relaxation. Traditionally, you begin in a room to warm the body. Then, a second room to wash a cleanse the body. Thirdly is a room for cooling down the body since it is set at a lower temperature. After completing the bathing procedure, one can then go to a masseur.

Sauna culture in Mexico/Central America

Held in a stone, igloo-like structure, Temazcal, is a traditional Mexican sweat lodge. This type of steam bath is designed to clear your mind and body of negativities and impurities. While the body benefits from detoxification through sweating, the spirit is also renewed through a ritual and spiritual practice. Traditionally, hot river rocks are on a wood fire then brought inside the lodge. Today, more modern structures are heated with gas. Inside the Temazcal, people are encouraged to participate in a ceremony, rub their bodies with aloe, or hit themselves with herbs. As a post-ritual cool-down, you might be invited to take a dip in the ocean or a pool, or take a cold shower.

Sauna culture in Laos

An herbal steam sauna—‘hom yaa’— is very popular in Laos, especially with women. Various mixtures, such as yogurt and ground coffee, are applied on the skin as a beauty treatment. The sauna is heated by wood fire, and herbs can be added directly to the boiling water or as part of the steam. A steam can be infused with fresh herbs and spices, such as lemongrass, basil, mint, rosemary and eucalyptus. It’s typical that Bael fruit tea—muktam—is served.

Sauna culture in Russia

A Banya is a Russian steam bath with a wood stove, where sauna rocks are used to warm the space. In Russia, public saunas are strictly single-sex. Similar to Finland, Russians use bath brooms—‘venik’—made from a collection of soft tree branches to gently beat and clean the body. The Banya is a special place where people come together to have more conversations about life and share their ideas or beliefs with one another. It’s typical to take a break from the heat and relax by sipping on an aromatic or herbal tea before heading back in.

What are some benefits of regular sauna use?
+ Enhances mood and combats SAD (seasonal affective disorder)
+ Detoxification — drainage and elimination of toxins/waste products
+ Promotes a healthy immune system
+ Assists in fat loss and increases metabolism
+ Promotes heart health
+ Provides chronic joint and muscle pain relief and speeds injury recovery
+ Promotes relaxation, reduces stress, and improves sleep

References:

Barbezat, Suzanne. “Temazcal: Traditional Mexican Sweat Lodge". Retrieved from https://www.tripsavvy.com/temazcal-traditional-mexican-sweat-lodge-1588898

“Finish sauna culture”. Retrieved from https://taigatimes.com/blog/finnish-sauna-culture/.

“Löyly Sauna”. Retrieved from https://www.kinfolk.com/loyly-sauna/.

“Top Countries Using Saunas and Exploring the Cultural Traditions From All Over the World.” Retireved from http://steam-sauna.com/blog/top-countries-using-saunas-and-exploring-the-cultural-traditions-from-all-over-the-world.html.