Sweat It!

Given all the challenges of child-rearing, moms—even savvy ones—find plenty of reasons to break out in a sweat. So if you’re going to stay sane, “don’t sweat it” is often good advice.
But not at Finlandia Natural Pharmacy, where sweating is not only allowed, but encouraged. And sweat you will if you try out their new infrared sauna, a therapy that is said to alleviate pain, promote weight loss, and carry your deep cell-bound toxins out on a river of perspiration.

We’re no doctors, but we gave it a try and at the very least the immediate, stress-busting effect of having 30 minutes in your own sauna (no toddlers banging on the door!) is almost worth the price of admission in itself. Even if you aren’t a fan of traditional saunas, you will likely be won over by this infrared cousin, which is able to heat the body and elicit a deep sweat at a much lower temperature than steam or electric coil saunas.

After a quick shower, you’ll pop into the bright, glass-doored sauna with a book, an MP3 player or just your thoughts to keep you company. Within 15 minutes, you’ll be trickling sweat at an alarming rate, a sign that your body’s ‘self-cleaning’ cycle is up and running. If you are carrying a heavy toxin load, you are warned that you might experience temporary flu-like symptoms for a few hours after your first treatment, but you are just as likely to spring out of the sauna feeling fantastic. A quick shower to scrub down (bring two towels with you, and lots of water for rehydration!) and you’re good to go.