44. Running Hot and Cold with Dr. Stephanie Rimka

On this episode of the podcast, I’m so excited to be joined by Dr. Stephanie Rimka to talk about the science behind sauna, red light, and cold therapy. Dr. Rimka is a holistic brain optimization specialist; she’s been in private practice for twenty years, focusing on using a variety of natural therapies, including bio-hacks, to treat mental health issues including autism, depression, strokes, and Alzheimer’s. Her practice uses technology-based devices focusing on electromagnetic and light frequencies to alter brain structure and function and return normal function to it.   The Finer Details of This Episode:  Dr. Rimka usually starts her patients with red light therapy before moving on to sauna therapy.  Red light is highly stimulating to the vagus nerve, a cranial nerve that comes out of your brain and is the most soothing, calming part of the nervous system.  The fight or flight response is designed to last twenty to thirty seconds optimally and two minutes maximum. Yet many families are in fight or flight all day long, and that input is destroying health and longevity because your body can’t fight threats when it’s constantly in life or death mode.  Dysregulated parents will always struggle to co-regulate with their child, and often the parent will assume the lack of regulation is a problem with the child rather than examining their own issues. It’s critical for parents to accept that they need to take care of themselves in order to take care of their families, even if that means bringing someone in to help.  Dr. Rimka suggests that we have unrealistic expectations of what motherhood is supposed to be because of the information overload and the distractions of the internet and social media.  Sauna therapy is a huge tradition in the Nordic region, which has long had saunas as part of its culture.  Research suggests that saunas can have a beneficial effect on longevity, heart attack risk, and prevention of neurological conditions like dementia.  A sauna is like a cardiovascular workout, equivalent to a two-mile jog but with zero impact on your joints.  Your mitochondrial line comes from women—the male mitochondria get destroyed the moment the sperm goes into the egg.  Unlike human DNA, mitochondria pick up on their environment and adapt by mutating very quickly in response to their surroundings.  A mismatch between your genetics and where you live can create health problems—if you move a naturally warm person to a cold climate, they’re unlikely to flourish, and their health may suffer as a result.  You can help your system adapt to such changes by using therapeutic doses of light, heat, or cold. However, it’s important not to overdo things, remember that what matters is how the body responds after the treatment, and to prioritize sleep because that’s when all your healing is done.  The biohacking world is very male and very aggressive, but women are great at combining strength and softness in a way that really nourishes and nurtures.  Our temperature-controlled homes and lack of exposure to hot and cold are breaking our hormone systems and contributing to massive dysregulation in insulin, blood glucose, cortisol, and testosterone. It’s part of what’s making us fat, depressed, and slow.   Links: Jamie’s Homepage -  www.jamieglowacki.com Oh Crap! Potty Training – https://www.amazon.com/Crap-Potty-Training-Everything-Parenting-ebook/dp/B00V3L8YSU Oh Crap! I Have A Toddler - https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Oh-Crap!-I-Have-a-Toddler/Jamie-Glowacki/Oh-Crap-Parenting/9781982109738 Jamie’s Patreon Page:  www.patreon.com/join/jamieglowacki? Jamie’s Instagram Page: @jamie.glowacki Brain and Body Solutions Dr. Rimka’s Store Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices