Some weeks ago I switched the warm water off in my house. I now shower cold, and more generally wash myself only with cold water. Here's why.
I think that we humans, especially in the western culture, have gotten way too soft and weak. We hide in heated houses, use cars instead of walking, cover ourselves in huge amounts of clothes, whine around and swallow pills as soon as something hurts a tiny little bit, and get a cold or a flu each time we have the opportunity to. What a shame. We're such wimps.
Even though I don't get sick anymore since I went raw, I have decided to toughen up. To begin with, I want to get used to cold. I can already deal with high temperatures, even if I hate them, but when it gets too cold I think I'm going to die. This is intolerable!
So the first obvious step is to ban warm water from my house, which is what I did. Doing the dishes with cold water is no problem on a raw diet, since you don't have any greasy pots and pans to wash. Showering cold also is no problem. We don't need warm water to get clean. Green clay or organic shower gels together with cold water are enough. Particularly on a raw diet you're less dirty and don't need any warm water & loads of soap in order not to stink obnoxiously.
On a practical note, moving from South France, which is damn fucking hot for my taste, to Norway, which I imagine to be damn fucking cold, will probably be quite a shock! Getting used to tolerating more cold already now is a good preparation. Especially since my intention is to make it through the Norwegian winter barefoot. I love walking barefoot so much, I'd hate to have to wear shoes again.
I'm also thinking about the environmental impact. Heating all this water costs lots of energy. How unnecessary. Using less water and less energy to heat it seems to be a respectful thing to do to me. Warm showers are a luxury that I can easily live without.
Actually, I don't consider warm showers to be a luxury anymore. How can something unhealthy be called a luxury?
We're just not meant to use warm water. Except for very few places on Earth, there's none naturally available to us out there. Especially our skin isn't made for dealing with it. I've known for a long time now that warm water harms my skin. I have a very sensitive skin, and obviously it's much better off when it doesn't get in contact with warm water.
When I was eating mostly cooked foods, my legs used to hurt, probably because of invisible varices. This always was much worse after showering (warm) and a bit better after putting some cold water on my legs. Since I switched to raw food, my legs don't hurt anymore. However, I have learned from it that cold water is better for my blood circulation.
Showering cold betters the skin, boosts the blood circulation and strengthens the immune system. It's just healthier!
I had to get used to it. It was quite a shock when I switched. At first I was screaming, laughing hysterically and cursing under the shower (French is such a great language to curse in!). But adapting was doable.
Last week I showered warm a few times. I was having PMS, and I thought "Come on, let's have a nice warm shower as a way of "taking special care of myself" during PMS...". Well, after two or three nice warm showers, I naturally went back to showering cold, 'cause that just felt so much better! From now on, "taking special care of myself" involves showering cold.
What do you think?
I like your natural lifestyle posts. :) They're inspiring.
ResponderEliminarI really don't think Norway is so cold that you have to adapt by showering cold showers... It don't sound healthy to me... :s
ResponderEliminarBut your thoughts about manipulation was surely something to make use of. =)
To me, in the long run, showering cold didn't feel as well-cleaning as hot showering.
ResponderEliminarAußerdem glaub ich nicht, dass wir Schlappschwänze sind, bloß weil wir in beheizten Unterkünften wohnen. Im Winter würden wir doch ohne Heizung erfrieren, einfach wegen nicht-Angepasstheit.
ResponderEliminar(Edit by Rose: Very loose translation: "Moreover, I don't think we are wimps just because we live in heated houses. Without heating we would die in winter, simply because we're not adapted to such climates.")
Tom: that's because you eat crap! :þ
ResponderEliminarI didn't say we are wimps for the only reason that we live in heated houses. It's the whole thing, all this lifestyle full of comfort and protection that we surround ourselves with. I don't think it is healthy. It might feel cozy, but in the long run, it weakens us.
I love your perspective on this topic!
ResponderEliminarI'm also trying to walk barefoot as long as possible. I'm excited to see whether I can make it through the winter. You certainly encourage me not to give up too soon.
I'm excited about it too. I remember the rude German winters... I always had cold feet. But then again, they were stuck in shoes that prevented them from moving. I bet when the feet can move freely, they're less cold. We'll see!
ResponderEliminarYou are an inspiration for me too, you know. :)
Is it true that they do naked skiing in Norway?
ResponderEliminar@Tom: Only on comedy shows, I think… but I'm sure some people do it in secret as well. ;)
ResponderEliminarRose: Wow! Now I want to try it. You are a bad influence you know. ;)
ResponderEliminarTom: I've heard in scandinavian countries they like to enjoy a nice sauna, then run outside nakid and jump into a freezing lake. :o
You've inspired me to try showering cold. I think I'll ease
ResponderEliminarinto it by lowering my shower temperature slowly until it
matches something close to the temperature of the nearby
lake.
@Eric: I am 0% responsible for your actions. :þ
ResponderEliminarBtw, you forgot to mention the group sex that they regularly have in the nice sauna before running outside and jumping in a freezing lake. But they have to be careful not to step on a polar bear on the way to the lake. Polar bears are everywhere in Norway, and since they're white, you can't see them very well in the snow!
XD :þ XD
@Ken: :) For me the progressive method didn't work well, I guess I'm a bit extreme at times so I tend to prefer shocking changes. But I'm sure your approach is smarter. :)
HAHA xD
ResponderEliminarI have also heard that Norwegians are born with skis on their legs.. (Be aware of that if you are planning to make a child with a Norwegian!) Ouch!
Is cold showering making people silly? ;)
ResponderEliminar@Rudolff: haha! :D :þ
ResponderEliminar@Tom: showering cold reveals what is hidden inside of us, and allows us to eventually express what was there all along. ;)