9 Benefits of Beach Therapy for Chronic Illness

I think going to the beach is the best natural anti-depressant, sedative, pain and stress reliever on the planet. There is nothing better or more healing to me than a day at the beach with my family or friends. These beautiful souls you see in my picture are all very special to me. They have all seen me at my sickest and now at my best.  We have shared deeply, cried at times, but mostly laughed till our sides ached. My beach chums have all reported how well they feel when they can spend some weeks or months here by the sea. This picture was taken in beautiful Tulum, Mexico.  I believe that this is one of the easiest and least expensive natural therapies for healing. The beach is a great place to heal and convalesce.

 Benefits of Beaching!

1. Boost your Vitamin D
There is a reason that Vitamin D is called the “sunshine vitamin”.  Only 20 minutes of direct sunshine stimulates the body to produce anywhere from 15,000 to 20,000 International Units (IUs) of Vitamin D. We need Vitamin D for regulating the absorption of calcium and phosporous and for the maintenance of healthy bones and teeth.  Vitamin D is also an important infection-fighter and key ingredient for a healthy functioning immune system.  Note:  Those of us with chronic infections do not have healthy immune systems, and typically have very low stores of Vitamin D.  Consequences of Vitamin D deficiency include skeletal diseases, metabolic disorders, various forms of cancer, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune diseases, infections, cognitive disorders, and/or death.

Our most natural way to get Vitamin D is still the sun – despite the fact that it has been demonized over the years.   While some sunscreen may be necessary at times, it is largely overused out of fear.  The fact is that most sunscreens block the body’s ability to produce Vitamin D.  They often contain toxic chemicals which are absorbed through the skin.  These in turn need to be detoxified by the liver, which may already be burdened by illness.   I was once told that if I wasn’t prepared to eat what I was putting on my skin, then I needed to think twice about using it – a good rule of thumb.  Better to cover up or sit in the shade.

2. Barefooting
Direct contact of skin with the earth has many healing benefits for anyone who is sick.  Illness tends to cause our bodies to gain an excessive positive charge, which interferes with our ability to function at the cellular level.  This can be compounded when we are surrounded by appliances and household wiring that produce their own electromagnetic fields (EMFs).  “Grounding out” the body’s positive charge helps to restore it’s natural electrical state, ability to detoxify and withstand pathogens.  The effects of grounding have been widely studied; it has been found to reduce pain and lower stress. (See Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever! by Clinton Ober, Stephen T. Sinatra M.D. and Martin Zucker.  Basic Health Publications, 2014)

3. Exercise
Being by the sea offers the perfect chance to get moving. Gentle movement in the water is the perfect place to start. When I was very sick, I was too weak to swim without a snorkeling vest to hold me up in the water.  Now I love snorkeling, swimming or just going for a nice stroll along the beach.  Walking produces pumping action in the leg muscles that help with lymph circulation; it boosts metabolism and aids in weight loss.

4. Fresh sea air

Sea air is negatively charged, which helps neutralize free radicals and improves our ability to absorb oxygen.  The crashing of waves tends to produce ozone, which quickly dissociates and creates high levels of oxygen in the air – a bonus for persons with low energy or chronic infections.

5. Swimming in mineral rich water –  Thalassotherapy
Thalassotherapy – from the Greek word thalassa, meaning “sea”, involves “the medical use of seawater as a form of therapy.”^[1] It is based on the systematic use of seawater, sea products, and shore climate.^[2]

In thalassotherapy, trace elements of magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium, and iodide found in seawater are believed to be absorbed through the skin. The effectiveness of this method of therapy is not widely accepted within the mainstream medical establishment, as it has not been proven scientifically. This is more of a historical tradition, practiced by many Europeans for generations.

Ocean water is mineral-rich and an excellent treatment for skin sores, bug bites and cuts. Each time I go to the beach, I spend at least 30 minutes soaking in the sea. It is calming, its magnesium soothes aching muscles, it hydrates the skin and allows us to absorb much-needed minerals.

6. Socializing and laughing
These are good for the spirit and soul. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins (feel good chemicals), boosts the immune system, releases stress and induces relaxation.

7. Rest and relaxation
There is nothing like taking a nap under a palapa.  A great chance to rest while listening to the gentle sound of the waves.

8. Sweating
 This is one of the best ways to eliminate toxins and heavy metals. Those of us with Lyme Disease tend to have great difficulty sweating.
When spending time in a hot climate, I begin to perspire again; I feel this has been helped me greatly to expel toxins and heavy metals. Sauna treatment is good but can’t compare to living in an environment where the body is sweating for many, many hours per day.

9. Raising body temperature
 Here is what Dr. David Jernigan has to say about the importance of raising body temperature when dealing with viruses:

“Viruses prefer and promote a cold environment and replicate at a much more rapid rate when the body is cold. Viruses are killed and further replication is impeded by maintaining a warm body. Some bacteria such as Lyme spirochetes also prefer and promote a cold environment and can remain in a chronic state as long as their cold environment is maintained. Therefore, in the interest of the prevention and treatment of any viral, bacterial, or chronic illness, this topic must be understood.

The ultimate body coldness is seen in death. When observing a corpse many clinical gems can be gleaned and correlated to degenerative states of human suffering. In death, the blood and lymph fluid of the body solidify and the body becomes stiff and cold. In the same way many chronic cold illnesses such as, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, cancer, Lyme disease, Multiple Sclerosis, diabetes, and heart disease, we see that the body becomes progressively colder. As the body cools, the electrical oscillations of the fluids in the body slow down and there is a shift in the body’s polarity which promotes infectious microbes and cancer.”

Mexico, my second home

In my own recovery from chronic illness, I have always felt that my healing time here in Mexico was very powerful. It is hot here and this naturally raises the core body temperature. When I lie in the sun, my body temperature can go quite high. This is really helpful to kill unwanted pathogens. Most days, I swim in the Caribbean, sunbathe , walk  barefoot, sweat, exercise, socialize, eat my green smoothies and enjoy the Wahls Paleo Diet.  I usually stay 4 – 5 months of each winter. When I was sick, I developed such a cold intolerance that during the cold Canadian winters I was unable to leave the house. This lack of movement, combined with my low body temperature and inability to perspire constantly raised the level of toxicity in my body, and I became sicker with each passing week. When I did venture out, it would take me the better part of the day, and usually a long hot bath to begin to feel warm again. This was the result of my hypothyroid condition brought on by the Lyme.

I have been in complete remission since November, 2014. My health just continues to improve as the weeks, months and years go by. My mineral levels are all rising and I am so much stronger than I was even six months ago. I have decided to come back each winter to Mexico  for about 6 months, even though I am now in remission. I want to give my body that extra boost of sunshine, sweating, exercise,fresh fruits , vegetables  and everything else that a tropical climate has to offer. You can read my article on living in Playa del Carmen on $1200 per month here.

Obviously, we are all different and there are those of you who are sick and unable to tolerate the heat. I would suggest that you try and find a place that is more temperate but that will offer you some of the same benefits. Go where your heart and soul are the happiest.

Blessings and Best of Health!

Brenda♥

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