Depressed? Research Shows An Infrared Sauna Can Lift Your Gloom!

Infrared Saunas as a Treatment for Depression?

It’s obvious to regular sauna users that it’s a relaxing escape from the stresses of day-to-day life. Infrared sauna enthusiasts report mood elevation as well as stress relief. Researchers asked the question: could sauna use be effective for treating depression? In some cases, the answer was “yes”:

In 2005, a study was published in Psychosomatic Medicine in which a group of 28 mildly depressed patients with appetite loss and subjective symptoms were studied. Twenty-eight mildly depressed inpatients with general fatigue, appetite loss, and somatic and mental complaints were randomly assigned to thermal therapy group (n = 14) or non-thermal therapy group (n = 14). Patients in the thermal therapy group were treated with 60 degrees C far-infrared dry sauna for 15 minutes and were then kept at bed rest with a blanket for 30 minutes once a day, 5 days a week for a total of 20 sessions in 4 weeks.

Patients given sauna treatment showed significant improvement in bodily complaints, as well as hunger and relaxation scores compared with the control group. As well, the ghrelin hormone (that’s an appetite stimulant secreted by your gastrointestinal system) as well as daily caloric intake improved in the sauna group significantly more than in the control group.

These findings suggest that repeated thermal therapy may be useful for mildly depressed patients with appetite loss and subjective complaints.

As with many of the benefits of  infrared saunas, science proves what regular users know.  Taking a sauna is a mood elevator. Better than pills!

Sauna bathing has profound effects on overall health. Interested in long term health maintenance and taking control of your own health?  Sauna enthusiasts consider a sauna as a low-cost, non-drug approach to wellness using the body’s own properties to strengthen health.  Adding sauna bathing to your daily routine is a great way to get healthy and stay healthy! Find out more.

Study: Masuda A, et al. Repeated thermal therapy diminishes appetite loss and subjective complaints in mildly depressed patients. Psychosomatic Medicine. 2005 67 (4): 643-47.

The good sweat starts with a Finnleo Infrared Sauna from Olympic Hot Tub Company.

 

 

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Hot Tub to Beat Jet Lag. 6 Tips To Avoid Jet Lag Before It Gets You Down

Rx FOR JET LAG: TWO SOAKS A DAY

Health through Water, or as the Romans said: Sanum per Aqua

The travel season is here.  Be prepared before you fly.  Try these tips to overcome jet lag before it zaps your energy, gets you down and upsets your whole system.

Most people don’t recognize the role dehydration plays in jet lag. Your internal clock gets out of sync not only because you flew over several time zones of ocean to Asia or Europe but also because you were breathing air drier than a desert for most of that time – sometimes less than 10% humidity. That has a lot to do with why you’re so tired, your body feels so sluggish and your skin is dry and itchy.

Your hot tub can help you re-hydrate and recover fast. I know this is true. Two years ago on a trip to Rome, my husband and I checked into our hotel and then grabbed a cab to the only hammam in Rome-AquaMadre, a wonderful Turkish bath with thermal pools. We soaked for a couple of hours alternating between the hot and cool pools.  And, to our surprise had almost no jet lag symptoms the next day.  Last year, our plane landed too late for the hammam and we paid the price for not soaking. The jet lag persisted for days. A bathtub did not help us overcome that sluggish, tired feeling nor did it reset our body clocks to Roman time.

1. SOAK TO RE-HYDRATE. Of course you want to drink plenty of water too, but surrounding yourself with soothing water in the hot tub can start the healing, especially for your parched skin. Get in as quick as you can after landing, and relax for at least 20 minutes in the balm of  your Hot Spring Spas’ hydro-massage jets.

2. LOCK IN MOISTURE. When you leave the tub, lock in the moisture with a high-quality body lotion all over. Don’t forget your back.

3. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER. You can head off some of the problems by drinking bottled water throughout the flight and avoiding drinks such as alcohol and coffee that make the dehydration worse. Keep up the extra water for at least two days after you reach home.

4. EAT LIGHTLY. Avoid salt and fat as much as you can, so eat little airline food and focus on fresh fruit, fruit juice and other high-carb choices.

 5. TAKE TWO SOAKS A DAY FOR A WEEK. For fast relief, soak 10-15 minutes every morning and 20-24 minutes every night the week following your trip.

6. TURN YOUR HOT TUB INTO A THERAPY POOL FOR DEEPER RELAXATION. Turn you hot tub into a therapy pool with Spazazz. Colorful and fragrant Spazazz Therapy Crystals are especially helpful for jet lag. set the mood because they relax your state of mind and body.   Add a few capsules of Spazazz Crystals to your spa or hot tub before you soak.  These fantastic fragrances will enhance your spa experience by transporting you to a deeper relaxation.

Any other tips for overcoming jet lag faster?  Do share in the comment section below!

SANUM PER AQUA. Latin for Health through Water.

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Answers to the Top 5 Hot Tub Service Questions

Answering  Service

You’ve got questions. We’ve got answers.

Here are answers to the five top questions our service center team receives everyday.  Olympic Hot Tub’s  Service Manager, Dennis Blair-a 15 year hot tub industry veteran, weighs in on the answers:

1. Why isn’t the heat working?

Probably the most common reason you spa might stop heating involves the filters. If they’re clogged, dirty or need replacing, they’ll interfere with the heating system, because every drop of water in your Hot Springs Spa passes through the filters before it returns to the spa. You can confirm that the filters are causing the heat loss by removing them and checking to see if you have heat in an hour. If the filters haven’t been cleaned in a month or more, they need attention – even if they look clean, body oils and other small particles could be clogging them. Hose off the loose debris, spray on SeaKlear filter cleaner, let it work for 10 or 15 minutes, then hose it off. If the filters are more than two years old, replace them. For a complete explanation of the importance of filters in your hot tub, read “Hot Tub Filters Everything You Need to Know”.

If you’re sure the filters are not causing the heat loss, hit the reset button if your tub has one, or turn off the power off for 10 or 15 minutes and see if heat returns when you turn it on.  As a last resort, call the service center for help 206 431-2876 and we’ll send a technician if you need one.

2. Should I drain the hot tub if I’m not going to be using it for a while?

Draining the hot tub is not recommended – in the winter you risk freeze damage, in the summer you risk biofilm buildup. Better to leave the tub full and running on its lowest setting, with plenty of chlorine to keep it sanitized while you’re not using it.

If you must drain the tub, vacuum as many lines as you can with a shop vac against the jets and leave the drain caps off. In the winter, leave a light on in the equipment compartment to keep the pipes from freezing.

3. What’s wrong with my ozone bubbles?

If you don’t have any bubbles at all, the air is blocked somewhere along the line. That tubing should be cleaned once a year at least, and you might have to replace a check valve or tubing if a blockage has built up.

If you have bubbles but your water is still musty or cloudy, you may be getting air without ozone. The unit is designed to last two or three years. You can buy a simple 30-second test to check for ozone. The hot tub doesn’t require ozone, but if you don’t have it, you’ll need to add chlorine more often and the water quality will not be easy to maintain. Without a working ozonator, you’ll have to work much harder to keep the water clear, clean and safe.

If you’re not clear what an ozonator does or why it’s essential. check out our blog post: “The Secret to Easy Hot Tub Water Care: Ozone”.

4. Why do I need to drain and refill my spa every four months?

We recommend the four-month cycle in order to get rid of the old chemicals, called Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) that accumulate in your water over time. The chemicals stop working after a while, but they’re still in the water and make it harder to keep clean and clear.

5. Why should I use special chemicals in my spa?

First of all, it’s important to use water care products made for spas instead of the much stronger pool chemicals that can damage your hot tub and even make the water unsafe for bathing. Among the choices for spa chemicals, remember – you get what you pay for. Cut-rate products from big-box stores might include more fillers and cheaper chemicals, making them much less of a bargain. They also are likely to be from a foreign country and made without the strict standards we have in the US.  We’re talking about water you bathe in. Olympic Hot Tub Company uses SeaKlear Spa Products, made locally in Washington State with only the highest-grade ingredients – so you can relax.

Thank you, Dennis, for giving us the straight scoop.  You must have hot tub questions of your own.  We’ll be happy to answer them, so send us your questions via the comment section below.

RES EST SERVAS VOLUPTAS. Latin for Pleasure is Serious Business

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The Secret to Easy Water Care: Ozone

Hot Tub Filters Everything You Need to Know

Hot Tub Chemistry Made Easy

 

The Secret to Easy Hot Tub Water Care: Ozone

The Secret to Easy Hot Tub Water Care: Ozone.

It’s no secret that ozone is the key to easy hot tub care. Most hot tubs built in the last 10 years have a built-in ozone generator or are set up so you can add one easily. So, what is ozone and why is it the best thing for sanitizing your hot tub?

 Why Ozone?

Spa ozone is the most powerful oxidizer and disinfectant that can be safely used in spas. It kills all known bacteria, viruses, yeasts and a lot of other things you don’t want to know about.

1. Ozone offers an alternative to heavy doses of traditional chemicals such as bromine and chlorine. Ozone can’t completely eliminate these chemicals, but it drastically reduces the required amounts.

2. Ozone is a safe, proven technology. It leaves no chemical taste or smell, it’s environmentally sound and it’s gentle on your equipment. In fact, the only by-product of ozone is pure oxygen.

3. Ozone eliminates chloramines, the smelly, irritating, toxic by-product of chlorine.

4. Ozone oxidizes (burns off) problem compounds often found in spas such as hydrogen sulfides and iron manganese.

5. Ozone helps shock your spa to get rid of oils and other organic compounds that combine to make the unsightly “spa scum ring” and when left untreated require more chemicals to make your spa clean.

What kind of Ozone should I get?

There are two kinds of ozone generators. One uses UV (Ultra Violet light energy) and the other uses CD (Corona Discharge electrical energy). UV light mimics sunlight. Unfortunately, UV lamps produce a low output that starts to diminish from the minute its first turned on.  The costly lamps must be replaced frequently. For these reasons we do not recommend and do not sell UV ozone generators. CD energy, however, is more like lightning in a bottle. It “zaps” the water as it passes by the generator killing all germs & bacteria. It is highly concentrated, uses less much energy than UV, is safe and is perfect for producing ozone in spas. Therefore, we recommend and sell corona discharge ozone units only.

Is Ozone all I need to sanitize and keep my spa water clean?

The quick answer is “no” but you can eliminate much of your customary sanitizer and shock with a properly functioning ozonator. The perfect combination with ozone is SilkBalance natural water care for spas and hot tubs. Environmentally safe, SilkBalance works constantly in conjunction with the ozonator to keep spa water pure.

You will still need to add a small amount of sanitizer such chlorine or combined chlorine & shock. The EPA has not approved any sanitary system that does not include at least some amount of chlorine or combined chlorine and shock.

If you already have a hot tub with an ozonator

Did you know that you have to check it periodically to find out if it’s working?

DID YOU KNOW THAT YOUR SPA OZONATOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED EVERY 18-24 MONTHS?

If you don’t replace it, you’re losing the most important part of the sanitation system for keeping your spa clean & pure for bathing. Just because you see bubbles doesn’t mean it’s working. .

Spring Special on Ozonators at Olympic Hot Tub Company! Get set for spring and summer with a new ozonator for the cleanest water.

REPLACE YOUR OZONATOR NOW AND SAVE $150.
Ozone works by injecting millions of tiny, highly concentrated ozone bubbles into the water, neutralizing contaminants on contact for cleaner water and fewer chemicals.  SPRING CLEANING SPECIAL $225.00 with FREE shipping. Full instructions for DIY. OR  $325. includes installation in Puget Sound Area. Call the Service Center to order 206431-2876. Or online at Olympic Hot Tub Company’s online estore.

30 SECOND OZONE DETECTION KIT

DISTURBING FACT: Research indicates that up to 60% of older ozone generators are not producing sufficient levels of ozone for sanitation. The presence of bubbles from the spa’s ozone jet does not indicate adequate production of ozone. Is your ozone generator functioning properly? Find out now!  Regularly $12.95.  Save $2.00 Now only $10.95. Buy the Ozone Detector.

If it shows you don’t have adequate ozone and you buy a new ozonator from Olympic Hot Tub Company, the kit is yours…FREE!

Call the Service Center today to order 206 431-2876  or online.

SANUM PER AQUA. Latin for Health through Water.

 

Hot Tub Weight Loss Secrets

Almost everyone is interested in weight loss at one time or another.  Some of us more often than not.  And, we’re all looking for the easy, no pain way to lose unwanted pounds, right?  A hot tub can help in surprising ways.  Although it’s not a substitute for more exercise and fewer calories, these three tips can help you in your quest for weight loss.

1. Soak in the hot tub before dinner. This tip can really help you avoid calories.  See our post on diminishing your appetite by hot tubbing before a meal from January of last year. How about eating less and getting the benefits of exercise at the same time?  Guaranteed way to eat less: drink an 8oz glass of water then soak in your Hot Spring Spa for 2o minutes before dinner. You will eat far less because your appetite diminishes after hot tub soaking.

2. Lose weight while you sleep! Hot tubbing before bed leads to a better sleep which helps you avoid weight gain! This surprising news was featured in our post on March 11, 2011.  Sleep more and weigh less? Is this true? Sounds like a fairy tale or urban rumor.  But, according to research conducted at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, women who get at least seven hours of shut eye a night are getting beauty rest and more. They’re preventing significant weight gain over time. This study found that the likelihood of major weight gain-33 pounds or more-rose 32% for women who slept only five hours a night. These women were also 15% more likely to become obese than the longer sleepers.

3. Do as the Japanese Do. There’s nothing like yu (hot water) to combat the blues and keep the body warm and supple say the Japanese. It’s a daily custom whose pleasure never dims with time.  But after learning about the Japanese concept of yu  in our post from November 2008 and the concept of considering hot water bathing as a full meal, I’m adding weight loss to my thoughts about hot tubbing! Thinking of hot tubbing as the equivalent of a full meal is a great way to avoid calorie overload.

Any readers have other hot tub weight loss tips? Do share in the comment section!

SANUM PER AQUA. Latin for Health through Water.

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Hot Tub Seating. We Answer the Question: “Lounge or No Lounge?”

SHORT ANSWERS TO THE LOUNGE QUESTION

Olympic Hot Tub Staff Wades into Hot Tub Seating Options.

So should you get straight-up open seating or laid-back lounge in your hot tub? Our Olympic Hot Tub sales staff has watched people decide for years, including first-time buyers and repeat customers.

Here’s what our sales staff reports:

You need to test soak first before you decide whether to go with the lounge or the open-seated spa. For one thing, you have to make sure the lounge fits your body comfortably. Also, stretching out on the lounge is going to make you feel like you’re floating because of buoyancy, so if you’re more relaxed without the water’s lift, don’t go horizontal. I like the lighter feeling, so I have a lounge at home.

– Linda, Fife store

I started out with a lounge tub at home and decided the open seating was more comfortable. I always recommend taking a test soak in both styles and figuring out which feels more comfortable for you.

– Robert, Lacey store

Most of my customers prefer open seating, even if they bought a lounge the first time around. They say it’s hard to relax when you feel like you’re floating off the chair.

– Karen, Fife store

In my experience, men tend to like the lounge, women are more likely to feel like they’re fighting to stay seated in the water. Personally, I like the variety of seating options you get with the lounge.

–Rick, Lacey store.

First-time buyers usually expect they’ll like the lounge, but after a test soak with all the family members, more than half of them wind up buying the open seating tub.

--Patty, Olympic Hot Tub Sales Manager

So, if you want to try a lounge, pick one that will fit your height, torso length and inseam comfortably – they’re not one-size-fits-all – and take a nice test soak to compare the lounge and the open seating. Then choose what’s more comfortable for you, and relax.

Your tub is an investment that you will have for a long time! It’s worth it to schedule a FREE test soak and to find the perfect tub for your body! At Olympic, we’ve had hot tubs set-up to try since our very first day in business 35 years ago. That’s how important we think test soaking is~!

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Hot Spring Spa Grandee and the Feral Cat

This is a story about a feral cat who was fortunate enough to meet a patient cat lover.  A Hot Spring Grandee is part of the story, too.

Dick Slyfield lives over in Eastern Washington on a ranch as you can see from the photo. 
He sent this heartwarming story to Jon Hutter, manager of the Issaquah Olympic Hot Tub store:

 

” Tigra is a tabby feral cat that showed up behind our home in the country in the spring of 2008.  We were unable to get within thirty feet of her when off she would run to hide under our covered farm equipment.

 

I started feeding her and about two weeks later she showed up with her new family of nine kittens.  After the little ones were old enough, I trapped the entire family and took then to the “Friends of The Animals” to have them spayed/neutered, shots and examined by a local vet.
We kept Mama cat and we were able to place all the kittens on farms in our area.  All the cats were still untouchable including Tigra who now resided back at our place.  We fixed a cat house for her and fed her daily.

 

Three weeks after her return from the vet, we had a pack of coyotes come into our pasture in the middle of the night.  We have never heard such howling and yipping as we did that night.  The next morning we discovered that they had killed a small deer in our north pasture.  That morning I was working outside the shop when I felt something rubbing on my pant leg.  What a surprise…here was my feral untouchable Mama cat walking around my leg, purring, and acting like my long lost friend.

 

We believe and the vet agreed that she was probably out in the pasture when the coyotes came through, and she got religion overnight.  Since they missed her, she decided that her home in the shop was a pretty good place to sleep and eat after all.

 

As a follow up to this episode, Tigra now rides on a rug attached to the back of the four wheeler as we travel around the pasture.  She comes to me when I call her.  Actually she responds more like a dog than a cat.  Tigra is now as tame as any cat I have ever seen.  Whenever we are outside she is there to help us one way or another.  We refer to her as the supervisor.

 

We use our Hot Spring Grandee Spa daily.  Guess who always resides on top of the filter cover.  She jumps atop the spa and stays there until everyone is out.  Then she jumps down to the stairs and goes about her daily tasks on the ranch.”
Thank you, Dick, for sending this great story about you, Tigra and your Hot Spring Grandee spa.  Wishing Tigra at least 9 more lives! And, happy soaking to you.

 

RES EST SEVERA VOLUPTAS. Latin for pleasure is serious business.

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How To Get Insurance to Pay For Your Hot Tub Therapy

Your Hot Tub Healing Might Be Insured

If you are ill or injured, hot tub therapy might be just what the doctor ordered. And if your doctor orders it, chances are good that insurance will pay for the equipment.

Unless your health insurance policy excludes the purchase of a hot tub, a prescription from your physician to promote better circulation or to treat back, hip, knee, joint or arthritis pain probably means you’re covered.  Check the plan for eligibility requirements.

In addition to the prescription, you should get copies of medical records that show objective evidence of the injury, such as X-ray, MRI or needle EMG reports. Your physician also can provide a statement that summarizes your condition and states his/her opinion that a hot tub would be of therapeutic value, why the tub would be a benefit, and what they expect the treatment to accomplish.

If you were injured in an accident caused by someone else, ask your personal injury lawyer to see if the other person’s insurance will pay for a hot tub for your treatment. If not, the cost could be added to the damages claim. Even in a no-fault insurance state, a properly supported bill should be approved. In addition to the documentation you’d provide your own insurance company, ask your doctor for a written statement that says, “In my professional opinion, the patient’s injury is causally related to the accident.” “Causally related” are the magic words.

Also, if you are not otherwise covered, check your car insurance policy to see if you have medical coverage, called “med pay,” that could help you buy a therapeutic tub.

The insurance company is responsible to pay for a tub only large enough to treat one person, but the money could be enough to help you buy a larger tub that doesn’t cost much more. You deserve the medical benefits that come from hot tub treatments and help restore you to health.

At Olympic Hot Tub we have had many customers purchase hot tubs for therapeutic treatments with insurance money.  There are so many aliments for which a hot tub can be beneficial in recovery including chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, arthritis, Type II diabetes, automobile accidents, stroke recovery, and traumatic brain injury.  It never hurts to ask!

One last caveat:

Can you deduct the cost of a hot tub when you have been reimbursed by an insurance company for the cost?

No. You should note that if you obtain payment from an insurance company to purchase your hot tub, you cannot also deduct the cost of the hot tub on your tax return.  If you deduct the cost of your hot tub on your tax return and in the next year obtain reimbursement from an insurance company, you would then have to declare that reimbursement as income on your next year’s tax return.

All of the information from this post comes from the website Hurt911.org The Center for Accident and Injury Insurance and is used with permission.  The founder of this site,Philip L. Franckel, Esq. of  Roslyn, NY also recommends products for physical therapy including a Hot Spring Spa.  If you’re in the market for a hot tub, read his story.

Disclaimer: This information is not tax advice. Check with your accountant about any hot tub related impact on your tax liability. Nor is it medical advice. Your physician is the one to answer your questions about a hot tub for your disability treatment.

SANUM PER AQUA. Latin for Health through Water

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Kids & Hot Tubs: Don’t Risk Chlorine Exposure. Use SilkBalance Natural Water Care Says Mother of Two

This email made my day!  Barbara W. is a mother of two and an Olympic Hot Tub owner.
Here’s what she says on SilkBalance for hot tub soaking with her children.
Alice ~ We LOVE our Hot Springs Prodigy hot tub even more with the recent addition of  SilkBalance!  Our hot tub is not covered but as you can see, we’ve got that figured out during rainy weather with the Golf Umbrella.

We lower the temperature of the tub and with SilkBalance, we know it’s safe even for the kids to enjoy the benefits of a hot tub.


Our skin is softer and we don’t need to worry about chlorine exposure for the kids. 
As evidenced by these pictures, they really enjoy a dip in the tub before bed! I recommend Hot Springs tubs and the Silk Balance system for the entire family!
Thank you,
Barbara W.
Shelton, WA
Thank you, Barbara for writing. Love the photo with the golf umbrella and your angelic children.
Barbara makes an excellent point about no chlorine exposure for kids.  Keep them safe by using SilkBalance natural water care in your hot tub. Keeps their skin soft, too, and, there’s no risk of red, irritated eyes.  You’ll never have to worry about having a clean hot tub or putting your kids in a vat of harsh chemicals. Try it risk free! I guarantee you’ll feel the difference with SilkBalance from day one.
What’s your experience with SilkBalance?  We’d love to hear from you, too.

SANUM PER AQUA
. Latin for Health through Water.

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