Detoxing Method Experience- Ionic Foot Baths, Do They Work?

Yep, I’ve been a little more than busy these days with racing again. Here is the newsletter I was meaning to send out a few weeks ago.  If you have ever been wondering if those ionic footbaths work, keep reading. I have some neat information to share (plus pictures).

Since I know that many people with Lyme have serious detoxing issues and that part of my Lyme-Free maintenance (or you can say Lifestyle) includes detoxing, I decided to try ionic footbaths. I did some sessions months ago and I liked it so much that I knew I was going to write about it…so here’s the scoop.

A lot of toxins in the body (if they can’t be eliminated) can sometimes drop down into the feet. Every time I go on vacation or travel somewhere and I’m in cities where I’m breathing more polluted air or drinking city water I get red spots all around the bottom of my feet. They are usually nickel size to quarter size and sometimes they are “puffy” and filled with liquid, but these aren’t blisters.  They only way I can get rid of them quickly when I do get back home is to grab bentonite clay and smother my feet in it, let the clay dry and wash it off. It works, but sometimes takes multiple applications to get the spots to go away completely. 

Part of staying healthy is helping your body out by removing the burden of having toxins sitting around in your system. This “frees” up your system to take care of other issues and to maintain homeostasis on a cellular level. I had read about ionic foot baths and wanted to try them out. The science behind it made sense to me.

The process on which footbaths work on is called Electrolysis, in which negative hydrogen ions are created. Negative Hydrogen Ions are supposed to be released during this detox process and the ions are absorbed into your body through your feet (it is true that anything you put on your skin will be absorbed and I wrote about going chemical-free for lotions, makeup, shampoo, etc.).  These ions act as a high powered antioxidant (of which I wrote about the importance in my last newsletter, so read it if you haven’t already) and neutralize stored toxins, acids and metals (which we all have, just sick people have WAY more than healthy people).

The footbath water becomes highly alkaline and interacts with the newly soluble items which are acidic in nature (the bad stuff like germs, bacteria and funguses) and “neutralizes” them in the bath. A more complex explanation can be researched, but I’m not diving into all of that and confusing everyone.

 From my experience I actually felt quite “freed up” which is probably a strange way to explain my feelings, but “freed up” as in better than refreshed.  My overall feeling is that this is a better way then putting clay on you feet and better than those detox patches (I’m not saying that they don’t work; I’m just saying this is way better).  

Here is a picture of my first treatment with an ionic footbath. Since at the time I didn’t have one, I paid for a single session from a massage therapist who also gave footbath treatments.  My session lasted 30 minutes and below is a picture of the end of the session.

I know there are color charts to correlate to what your problem or toxin issue may be, but the tap water you use could be contaminated and make the water change different colors. I think you can use those color charts as a guide, but nothing more.  As you can see my bath water turned orange which indicates on the color chart that I might have some lymphatic blockages. I actually know this is probably true as I had some testing to indicate this was an issue. It takes some time to work through serious issues and while I keep detoxing, I know I MUST so I can continue to do what I do. I address my lymphatic system everyday.

The lady who was giving me the session told me that her cancer patients always had bath water that was black and filled with solid particles.  She used the same water as she did with me (same machine, same water, same process). And this makes sense to me as well because people with cancer are overloaded with everything AWFUL…but let’s face it, so are people with Lyme.

I was so intrigued with the footbath I have decided to purchase one myself and give my family treatments.  Sessions are usually between $30-50 dollars and I think it’s so useful that purchasing the equipment and giving yourself treatments can be done for less than 60 cents a session. I think that’s a pretty good deal since MOST people need it like their life depended on it…because it actually does.  The correlation between toxins and illness is absolutely critical to acknowledge.

I purchased an IonSpa.  I like the company because the people are very well educated, but also they are an American company. I know many footbaths can be purchased dirt cheap from China, but these machines can be complex and the plates break down with use. I rather pay a little more and get a good solid machine (that works well) that I can repurchase parts for and that my parts have a warranty.  So I do not suggest getting a machine made from China. You just don’t know what you’re getting.

But take a look at the treatment pictures below of my IonSpa Portable in action, compared to the picture of my first treatment (which was done with cheaper model in comparison).

 *This was taken right at the beginning. Notice the plates have a nice flat surface area. Easy to clean and easy to remove once they wear down.

*This is 10 minutes into the treatment

*This is 20 minutes into treatment

*And this is 30 minutes into treatment

Now part of this deep dark color could be the water. So I tested the water and ran a treatment without my feet in the bath. The bath color turned orange and had specks of red, probably because it was reacting the minerals/contamination already in the water.  Then I tested pure spring water from a bottled source and got the same result as I did with my own tap water.

But by adding my feet in there, I got the mud!  Am I shocked? Not really. If the color chart is really a good indication and is a valid thing, then it could be right. I have had my metals tested already and know that it’s something I will have to address in the near future. I get loads of black specks, which the color chart says “in theory” means I’m detoxing metals.

After the footbaths I do have that sense of well being and being “freed” up.  I’ve been using my IonSpa once a week now. I think those who are ready to detox fast should think about purchasing their own footbath as the treatments you can give yourself is quite the deal when it boils down to as cheap as 60 cents a treatment (based on the lifespan of the plates), which is the calculation of the IonSpa. I can’t make that cost analysis for the other machines out there, that are more expensive.

Well there are several big companies that are competing with high end, good quality machines.

Aqua-Chi, IonCleanse and IonSpa.  They use pretty much the same technology, but some apparatuses are just easier to maintain, higher quality and reasonably priced.

So with that said, I think middle of the road from a reputable company like IonSpa would be the winner. I have no doubts that Aqua-Chi is good, but I think it’s just slighty expensive, when the technology is pretty much the same across the board; however there could be benefits of using the Aqua-Chi not found in the others! I’ve heard a good things from people who have this brand. Lastly, IonCleanse is the most expensive and I have yet to make up my mind that the effectiveness is worth the cost (as of now).

On the flipside, I think you could get in trouble if you’re trying to buy this type of product that’s MADE IN CHINA- ALL SALES FINAL. A reputable company will make a good product and have customer service in case something breaks down and this IS a machine!

I’ve seen some generic models from China, advertised as low as 300 bucks, but COME ON! If the high priced version is 1800 bucks, I doubt you’ll get a similar quality product for $300…unless it fell off the back of a truck or was sold off the back of a truck.

While detoxing is always a good thing, you have to be smart about it. I believe something like a ionic footbath can also pull out “the good stuff” as well. It’s like getting into a sauna. Yes, you sweat out the toxins, but you also sweat out minerals and vital electrolytes. If you aren’t replacing them in an advanced way, don’t think about trying to detox very hard…it’s only for people who are replacing “the good stuff” on a daily basis.

That’s why I say get on the Complete Health Kit first! Get your body chemistry balanced before you detox hard. Doing things in a particular order is just as important as what you actually do to get better. Timing is just a part of the fight against Lyme.

Information on the Complete Health Kit Here

Bottom Line

I’m very happy with my purchase of the IonSpa Portable and I’ve given treatments to my family already. I think it’s a good decision for anyone who has Lyme Disease or is just wanting to increase their health by “freeing up their system.”  At 60 cents a treatment, it’s a deal.  So far, I think I’ve used it roughly 40 times and it’s easy to do.

Question and Answer  (Got questions? Email Me)

Q: “I have severe neuropathy from my Lyme Disease. I also have shaking hands, pain in my joints and I feel dizzy everyday. What can I do about this?”

A:  These are just classic symptoms that almost everyone I’ve met with Lyme has.  Symptoms are a good thing, because to me they are better than actual test results. Pain lets us know there are problems.  The only thing you can do is focus on your overall health.  I’ve had many of the same symptoms in the past, but none of them went away until I started addressing my entire health issues…not just taking a pill or even focusing on just killing the Lyme is going to get rid of these types of stubborn symptoms. It doesn’t mean that you should get frustrated because you can’t pop a pill and get results. It means you start looking at the bigger picture.

What problems did you have BEFORE you had Lyme Disease?  Did you have back pain? Do you urinate frequently at night?  Did you ever have surgery?   This unfortunately is not something doctors and most LLMDs even ask you about, but fixing prior problems means your health won’t deteriorate  further. Once addressed properly you can shift the focus to Lyme. In strong bodies, many people are starting to find that just a little treatment for the actual bacteria goes a LONG WAY, as it was with me, Lyme is about 10-30% of the problem for most people…even those who are chronically ill with what they think is just Lyme.  Now imagine that!

Q: “ I’m frusturated with my doctor. I’ve been seeing my LLMD for 4 years now and I feel like I’m on this terrible roller coaster. Symptoms come and then go and then come again. I’m ready to give up! I don’t know what to do anymore!”

A:  This is the situation that many people are in.  Like other professionals in different fields, they have their own way to treating the problem. If they are not comfortable with giving certain treatments, then they won’t use them. I believe most LLMDs are truly trying hard to understand the situation with Lyme Disease, but those who are very conventional in their thoughts are usually doing a disservice to their patients.   The best doctors are the ones who go to these Lyme conferences and share ideas with each other.  The last conference I went to, I wasn’t surprised that my first (and only) LLMD that I used (for less 30 days), who is supposedly renown for what he does, was not there.

If you want to find a good doctor and good treatment, it’s up to you. Don’t put your problems on your doctors. If your doctor is not making the grade, fire him. There is no rule that you have to stick with taking pills for 4 years. Get KUNG FU like and start taking care of your health business.  Getting my newsletter shows me that you’re going in the right direction. So you can at least feel good about that!

 See Ya Later, Tick Slayer!