Ancient Wellness PDF

Trending Ancient Wellness Tips and Practices
Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola

 Fact Checked
November 24, 2022
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
 A number of ancient wellness practices are now being embraced and promoted, many of
which are rooted in the European wellness tradition
 Spain has a long history of taking a siesta during the hottest time of the afternoon. The
research on napping is mixed, however, with some studies showing benefits while others
have come to the opposite conclusion
 Mud treatments and mud wraps, which have been used therapeutically for 25 centuries,
were popularized by the Italians during the Roman Empire. Mud therapy is often referred
to as fangotherapy, after the Italian word “fango,” which means “mud”
 Contrast therapy — a popular tradition in Finland — typically involves the use of sauna
followed by cold-water immersion, either in a lake, pool, shower or bath. In the winter,
immersing yourself in snow is another option
 Other trending wellness practices include the Nordic diet, forest bathing and uitwaaien, a
Dutch word referring to spending time outdoors in wild and windy weather
As holistic health gains hold, a number of ancient wellness practices are being
embraced and promoted. According to a March 2, 2020, article1 in The Guardian, many
of these practices are rooted in the European wellness culture. Following is a sampling
of ancient holistic health traditions making a comeback. How many of them have you
tried?
The Siesta
Spain has a long history of taking a siesta during the hottest time of the afternoon. To
this day, many Spaniards will take a break from work in the afternoon and work later into
the evening to compensate. The Guardian quotes Paul Joseph, founder of Health and
Fitness Travel:2
"Even just slowing down for a short period of time allows you to disconnect
from the world and subsequently boost energy, focus and creativity."
The research on napping is mixed, however, with some studies showing benefits such as
lowering the prevalence of heart disease (particularly among working men),3 improving
learning,4 boosting emotional stability and lowering blood pressure, while others show it
may actually increase the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes and cognitive decline,
especially in older adults.5
While it's unlikely that naps are directly causing these health problems, the association
exists nonetheless, and more research is needed to determine who benefits from naps,
who doesn't and why.
Mud Treatments
Mud treatments and mud wraps, which have been used therapeutically for 25 centuries,6
were popularized by the Italians during the Roman Empire. Mud therapy is often referred
to as fangotherapy, after the Italian word "fango," which means "mud."
Mud is generally advertised as having cleansing and relaxing, antistress effects, but
science suggests its health benefits may be far-reaching. As reported in the Spanish
journal Anales de Medicina Interna:7
"Mud has a place as a non-pharmacological tool in certain clinical settings,

such as degenerative articular processes, skin disorders, and others …
Fangotherapy in arthritis patients seems to cause variations in amino acid
involved in cartilage homeostasis, and also produce reduction in pain ratings in
gonarthrosis.
Mud modifies nitric oxide, myeloperoxidase and glutathione peroxidase serum

levels in arthritic patients and beta-endorphin and stress hormones in patients
affected by osteoarthritis by reducing inflammation, pain and therefore
diminishes the cause of stress.
[It] has been confirmed that the thermal stress associated with Fangotherapy
activates the pituitary gland … Furthermore, steroids and antimicrobial activity
of certain therapeutic mud has been suggested."
Contrast Therapy
Contrast therapy typically involves the use of sauna followed by cold-water immersion,
either in a lake, pool, shower or bath. In the winter, immersing yourself in snow is
another option. Sauna bathing has a long history in Finland.
To this day, most homes in Finland have a built-in sauna. Sauna bathing has been shown
to strengthen heart health and offer significant protection against cardiovascular
diseases,8 and adding the contrast of a cold dip afterward can further magnify those
effects.
Sauna bathing is one of my favorite therapies as it generates heat shock proteins that
repair protein misfolding, which is a major part of aging and disease. I believe this is
why all-cause mortality is so radically decreased in Finns who sauna more than five
times a week.
Sweating in a sauna will also help eliminate toxins, improve blood circulation, kill
disease-causing microbes and improve your mitochondrial function. Research has even
shown that regular sauna use correlates with a reduced risk of death from any cause,
and may help stave off Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
For example, researchers in Finland found that men who used a sauna four to seven
times a week for an average of 15 minutes had a 66% lower risk of developing dementia,
and 65% lower risk of Alzheimer's, compared to men who used the sauna just once a
week.9,10
Recent research11 has also demonstrated that sauna bathing helps modulate your
autonomic nervous system, which governs your stress responses.12 This helps explain
why most people feel "nice and mellow" afterward.
There is a compelling body of evidence showing exposure to harsh conditions can be

highly beneficial and that extreme temperature variations help optimize many biological
functions. Like exposure to heat, exposure to cold boosts mitochondrial function and
numbers. Cold thermogenesis has also been shown to:13,14,15
Strengthen joint tissue and improve Support weight loss efforts by

increasing metabolism
Increase blood circulation Reduce symptoms of depression and

anxiety by at least 50%16
Speed rate of recovery following joint or Provide temporary relief lasting about 90
muscle injury17 minutes from pain associated with
arthritis18
Reduce pain and swelling following Reduce your risk of developing cognitive
injury decline and dementia by reducing
inflammation and oxidative stress19
Reduce inflammation Improve symptoms of eczema20
Enhance benefits of physical therapy Reduce pain associated with migraines

when applied to the back of the neck for
about 30 minutes21
Improve muscle function and strength Boost mental focus and attention by
increasing production of norepinephrine
in your brain.
Norepinephrine can be increased

twofold just by getting into 40-degree F.
water for 20 seconds, or 57-degree
water for a few minutes
Forest Bathing and Uitwaaien
Forest bathing is the English translation of the Japanese term "shinrin-yoku." As the term
suggests, it refers to the restorative and "cleansing" effects of spending time in forests
and other nature spaces. In Japan, it's a revered and long-standing tradition known to
promote health and well-being.
The benefits of forest bathing go beyond the obvious. As explained in the film, "Call of
the Forest," trees have medicinal properties.22 For example, limonene, produced by trees,
is an anticancer compound used in chemotherapy.
Linolenic acids aid brain functioning and pinenes have antibiotic properties. Inhaling
these and other compounds emitted by trees can provide a mildly narcotic effect while
boosting immune function and relaxing your body. The soil of the forest also has healing
powers, including soil bacteria shown to improve mood, so don't be afraid to get your
hands dirty.
The Dutch word "uitwaaien" is a similar term, but refers more specifically to spending
time outdoors in "wild, windy weather." According to The Guardian:23
"By replacing 'bad air' with 'good air,' it is believed to leave you feeling clear-
headed and refreshed. 'It feels exhilarating — wind is distracting, so it's sort of
meditative, in the sense you cannot think about anything else,' says [Global
Wellness Institute research director, Beth] McGroarty."
Without doubt, spending more time in nature is one of the simplest ways to improve
your general well-being and emotional health.
A massive study24 involving data from more than 140 trials and 290 million people
revealed exposure to greenspace — defined as open, undeveloped land with natural
vegetation — led to significant reductions in diastolic blood pressure, salivary cortisol (a
physiological marker of stress) and heart rate, along with significant decreases in Type
2 diabetes and mortality from all causes and those specifically related to the heart.
Sources and References
1, 2, 23 The Guardian March 2, 2020

3 Arch Intern Med. 2007 Feb 12;167(3):296-301
4
The Guardian February 22, 2010
5 Sleep Med. 2017 Sep; 37: 88–97
6, 7 An Med Interna. 2007 Jul;24(7):352-3
8 JAMA Internal Medicine 2015;175(4):542-548
9 Age and Ageing March 2017; 46(2): 245-249
10 Reuters January 19, 2017
11 Complement Ther Med. 2019 Aug;45:190-197
12 Harvard Health Publishing March 2011, Updated May 1, 2018
13 Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports August 1996, DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-
0838.1996.tb00090.x
14 The Physician and Sports Medicine 2010; 38(3): 38-44
15 Medical News Today October 19, 2017
16 Archivum Immunologiae et Therapie Experimentalis 2008 Feb; 56(1): 63–68
17 International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance March 2017; 12(3): 402-409
18 Rehabilitation 2000 Apr;39(2):93-100
19 Medical Hypotheses 2012 Jul;79(1):56-8
20 JAMA Dermatology June 1, 2008; 144(6): 806-808
21 Hawaii Journal of Medicine and Public Health 2013 Jul; 72(7): 237–241
22 Call of the Forest
24 Environmental Research October 2018, Volume 166, Pages 628-637

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Trending Ancient Wellness Tips and Practices

Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola

"Mud has a place as a non-pharmacological tool in certain clinical settings,

Mud modifies nitric oxide, myeloperoxidase and glutathione peroxidase serum

There is a compelling body of evidence showing exposure to harsh conditions can be

Strengthen joint tissue and improve Support weight loss efforts by

Increase blood circulation Reduce symptoms of depression and

Reduce inflammation Improve symptoms of eczema20

Enhance benefits of physical therapy Reduce pain associated with migraines

Norepinephrine can be increased

Forest Bathing and Uitwaaien

Sources and References

1, 2, 23 The Guardian March 2, 2020

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