In the age of busy schedules and quick showers, not many people take advantage of baths any more.
A bath is a relaxing experience that can help you to de-stress, decompress, think through your day and even detox your body!
Baths have a lot of benefits, especially if you add a few key ingredients.
Baths can
- Relieve headaches
- Help you sleep better
- Raise your body temperature and ward off chills
- Relieve tight, sore or tired muscles
- Prevent a cold & flu bug from taking you down
- Detoxify your body
One of the most important bath ingredients is both inexpensive and easy to find:
Epsom Salt
Virtually every grocery and drug store carries Epsom Salt for just a few dollars per pound, and it contains a very important ingredient:
Magnesium
Studies have shown that a majority of Americans are deficient in Magnesium, which can lead to symptoms ranging from anxiety, headaches, fatigue and insomnia to muscle and bone issues. Poor memory and even seizures have also been linked to low magnesium levels.
Magnesium is a key component to calcium absorption too, so if you are low in magnesium, you probably aren’t absorbing that daily calcium supplement very well either.
There are several types of magnesium supplements, but some can cause digestive complaints. I find the best way to get enough magnesium is trans-dermally–or through the skin.
Magnesium oil is a spray-on solution that a lot of people love, and I like to add it to my homemade deodorant. Epsom salt baths are also an excellent way to absorb Magnesium and have many other benefits.
Epsom salt baths are great for lots of things, including relieving sore or stiff muscles, raising body temperature (thus warding off chills in the winter), and helping you relax. When I get a headache, a nice warm bath usually gets rid of it for me.
Baths are also helpful for bringing on a sweat, which can prevent a cold & flu virus from taking hold, or can help you to break a fever.
If you are feeling under the weather, once you get out of the bath dry off right away, jump under warm covers and go to sleep–if you get another chill that will defeat the purpose!
I like to add a few things to my detox bath:
Epsom salt (about 1 cup)- French green clay (or another clay)–1/4 to 1/2 cup
- Kelp granules (for iodine)
- Essential oils (for scent and relaxation–I love rose geranium and lavender)
- Citric acid (1-2 spoonfuls) I use this because I don’t have a whole-house filter and it helps to neutralize the chlorine in the water
- Bubbles! I usually use a tiny bit of this.
Directions for Your Detox Bath:
- Run the bath water about as hot as you can stand it, or a little hotter (it will cool slightly as it runs)
- Add the Epsom salt and any other ingredients you choose into the hot water and stir.
- When it’s almost full, add bubbles.
- Sit in the bath for 10-20 minutes, ideally until you break a sweat.
- Dry off, bundle up and get some rest!
Of course, it’s also important to get magnesium from your food. Some foods high in magnesium include:
- Dark chocolate (!)
- Nuts & Seeds
- Avocados
- Fish, such as salmon and tuna
- Bananas
- Leafy Greens
- Figs and dates
- Oatmeal
A warm Epsom Salt bath should definitely be added to your arsenal of healthy, all-natural choices for warding off the cold & flu bugs during the fall and winter season.
Watch it! “5 Top Ingredients to Add to Your Detox Bath“
What are your tried-and-true methods of staying well during the cold winter months?
Resources
https://draxe.com/magnesium-supplements/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-proven-magnesium-benefits#section5
Read more about how to boost immunity and stay well during the winter:
Ginger Tea: Your New Best Friend in the Winter (and a Hot Toddy Recipe!)
Make Your Own Elderberry Tincture: Stay Healthy and Ward off Cold & Flu Season!
New to Freedom & Coffee? Start here.
Disclosure: many of the product links in this post are affiliate links, which means I will receive a small commission from any purchase. I only recommend products that I love and this is at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting our mission with your clicks!