I wanted to write something on how to detox chorine after swimming as I love swimming and always have but my auto immune illness stopped me doing this as regularly as I would have liked. I have recently gotten back into it however, and I am loving it all over again! I find that I can exercise so much more in water than I can on land and easily clock up a few miles each week, which is great.
Swimming works the whole body.
Swimming gives the whole body a decent work-out and it will also give you a good stretch too, so it’s like you are getting a 2 for 1! I also personally find it extremely relaxing; it helps me wind down and lower my stress hormones so I’m getting several benefits all rolled into one activity!
Beware the dreaded Chlorine (and other chemicals!)
I recently ran into a bit of a glitch in my “swimming love” however which had me itchy, wheezy and my hair turning a worrying shade of green! Enter Chlorine, Bromide and Ammonia all present in most commercial swimming pools. These chemicals are not harmonious to the human body and can cause all sorts of problems even in small doses especially to those more susceptible.
Chlorine, Bromide, and Iodine
Chlorine, Bromide, and Iodine are all chemicals that are referred to as halite’s meaning they are similar in molecular structure to one and other. Iodine which is necessary for all sorts of bodily functions including the smooth functioning of the Thyroid is also a halite. If the body is deficient in Iodine it will take up another halite i.e. Chlorine, or Bromide thinking that is Iodine! With the above in mind, you can see that this is another potential issue that could be caused by regular swimming in a chlorinated pool.
Kinesiology to the rescue!
As a Kinesiolgist I am more than aware that we are surrounded by chemicals in our environment, and these will often need to be used in “corrections” to rebalance the body. This helps the body become less reactive and bothered by the chemical essentially recognising it. This is something we kinesiologists call an energy mismatch. The same principle applies to moulds, toxins, pollens, dust, pet hair, foods and even emotions! Anything can cause an imbalance in the body and these things can mostly be corrected so they no longer cause a problem.
My corrective Chlorine protocol
Luckily for me the swimming pool that I use is often incredibly quiet, so I could surreptitiously take my sample bottle and fill it with swimming pool water for my Kinesiology correction! Later that day I used the water along with some other bits of my Kinesiology kit to perform the “correction” on myself. Thankfully, this has worked and has helped my body, no more itchy skin, green hair and wheezy breathing and I can continue swimming!
I also take a decent dose of sea kelp daily, so my body has good iodine levels thus preventing it taking up and storing any unwanted chlorine or bromide.
I like to think that with Kinesiology there is always a way to restore and rebalance heath and wellness and I am so grateful to have the skills and knowledge that I have, to help myself, my family, and my clients.
I am updating this post with another couple of additions to my regime for helping with the chlorine detoxification as follows:
So my Kinesiology correction helped but I also needed a little more help. My immune system is a little wonky and can get thrown off balance really easily. I started being reactive and noticing things like candida overgrowth kicking off so I have re-visited all my protocols and one thing that was screaming at me was the chlorine in the swimming pool. It was basically disabling my immune system!
The more I have researched this topic the more I realise how incredibly toxic regularly swimming in chlorine is. It is something I have done on and off most of my life and I have recently started doing it again regularly. Been able to do more exercise in the pool is my driver and I find swimming incredibly relaxing and it helps lower my cortisol. However I have reacted quite badly to the chlorine this time round so I needed to find some solutions. I believe I now have a really comprehensive protocol to follow so I can carry on exercising this way safely.
My Chlorine detox protocol:
Have a cool shower before you get into the pool and wet all of you, then shower off after your swim in cool / lukewarm water so the pores in your skin don’t open too much. If you shower in warm water they will open and be more permeable to letting the chlorine in. If you need to shower again when you get home before bed do, don’t skip it!
I already take sea kelp but I have also started adding 1 drop of Lugols iodine to water on the days I swim.
I have started to use a vitamin c spray all over my body after I have showered, this helps the chlorine get detoxed from your skin asap. I also dry brush when I shower again at home in the evening then spray again with vitamin c. I make the vitamin c spray myself by adding some vitamin c powder (if you have capsules just break one or two open) add this to some water, put in a spray bottle, shake well and you are good to go.
If you don’t already take a daily dose of vitamin c, this is also a good thing to do to boost the immune system and help the body detox.
I have also added an amino acid called Taurine into my routine, this helps detoxify chlorine really effectively. Taurine also has several other amazing benefits. It is essential to heart health, eye health, muscular health, brain function, fat metabolism, immune function, nervous system and it helps you train harder if that’s your goal, and much more. You can take it the morning before you swim as it stays in your body for 48 hours.
Having a bath in Epsom salts is another helpful way of pulling chemicals out of the skin and body, if you can’t face getting into water again after your swim, you could try a foot soak.
I have also recently ordered some Chlorum 6c a homeopathic version of chlorine which I will use for myself and in corrections I do for clients. I take 1 pill before swimming and 1 afterwards, only on the days I swim.
Contact me for more information.
If you are struggling with any chemical sensitivities Health Kinesiology will most likely be able to help you, do get in touch. I offer a free 15-minute telephone consultation so you can find out more.
Contact me on M: 07904 457 075, or via email on E: helen@complete-balance.co.uk
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