FarmaCOPEia: Health Help via Earthing

Image via Pruzi of Pixabay

​Bare feet...

Walk them on grass, sand, stones, moss, clover... No spa needed.

It’s one of those simple pleasures loads of folks enjoy. Until a couple years ago, I wasn’t aware that there was more to it than the feeling of freedom and the natural bit of accupressure it provided.

I’ve developed a habit of taking some time as often as I can to stroll through the front lawn in bare feet. It’s usually free of rocks and sand burrs, making it very comfy place to walk.

​My sister, is a reflexology therapist. She often encourages her clients to engage in an activity called earthing to help them feel better. She says folks would feel better in several ways if they’d make it a point to spend a bit of time each day with their skin against the ground, or against some organic object connected to the ground, like a tree trunk. 
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Seems this is an ages-old practice that got tossed out with lots of the other homeopathic therapies when modern medicine pushed its way into the scheme of things.

What good can it do you?

Before I go further in sharing an answer to that question, I wanna ensure you've got a least a layman's understanding of free radicals (the bad guys) and antioxidants (the good guys).

The following is an excerpt from Rice University's Sports MD Web page that will explains it in a blonde-friendly fashion even I can understand. ?

Free radicals are atoms or groups of atoms with an odd (unpaired) number of electrons and can be formed when oxygen interacts with certain molecules. Once formed these highly reactive radicals can start a chain reaction, like dominoes. Their chief danger comes from the damage they can do when they react with important cellular components such as DNA, or the cell membrane. Cells may function poorly or die if this occurs. To prevent free radical damage the body has a defense system of antioxidants.

Antioxidants are molecules which can safely interact with free radicals and terminate the chain reaction before vital molecules are damaged. Although there are several enzyme systems within the body that scavenge free radicals, the principle micronutrient (vitamin) antioxidants are vitamin E, beta-carotene, and vitamin C. Additionally, selenium, a trace metal that is required for proper function of one of the body's antioxidant enzyme systems, is sometimes included in this category. The body cannot manufacture these micronutrients so they must be supplied in the diet.

For the homeopathic medicine tribe, earthing involves connecting to the earth through the soles of your feet. Per Dr. Steven Sinatra, MD, one of America's most respected cardiologists and founder of the MD Heart Institute, insists that time with our bare feet against the earth is incredibly good for us and serves as excellent intervention for life threatening diseases and disorders.

Here's what Dr. Sinatra says about it, paraphrased into lingo by yours truly...

?When you walk on the ground in bare feet, free electrons transfer from the earth to your body. It's one of the most potent antioxidants known of.

? Often folks with inflammation have thickened blood, free radical stress and positive charges in their bodies. Studies show grounding to be effective as a natural blood thinner (remarkably effective) by eliminating the charged ions through the soles of their feet.

? Grounding improves the energy between our red blood cells, starting in about 80 minute after connecting our bare feet with the earth.

? Grounding is so effective, that if a person is already taking a blood thinning agent, it may thin their blood too much. So, if you qualify for that please abstain from running around barefooted until you consult your doctor.

Grounding alternatives or gimmicks?

For folks that have a hard time finding an easy-to-get-to place to play in the dirt, there's stuff available to buy that helps with that problem.

Are they products that are effective, or gimmicks? I’m pretty sure there’s a mix of both.

On the bright side, in researching the possibilities, I’ve spoken with friends and colleagues in the medical field who’ve invested in at least a few types of earthing products that they report are working for them.

Here are a few examples of the types of  products they’ve verified...

• Earthing mats
• Earthing bed sheets
• Earthing pillows​

​This is a picture Nee took, in which the color hasn't been manipulated, other than brightened. She spends a lot of time outdoors in bare feet. While walking in the field adjacent to our yard, she came across an old horseshoe.

Just 'cause she thought it made for an interesting photo op, she snapped a shot with her mobile. 

​Later she noticed the reddish tinge on her feet and the ground near where she stood, that had not been visible to the naked eye.

The glow is Intriguing, at least to the two of us. For tribal folk, red is the color associated with healing. It’s the same for Christian folk.

​It causes me think of a blending of energies that normally aren't visible to our eyes but the camera was able to make visible for us. When it comes to colors, our eyes are limited. (If you're curious about what color blends we can't see, click here.)

Image via Alicia Jaye Phillips

Maybe all of us could feel a striking difference after spending some time grounding. Maybe most of us never noticed it before because we haven’t paid attention enough to notice a change in how we feel when against the earth in bare feet, or climbing a tree, or walking over rocks.

Your opinion or personal experience with any of this is encouraged and welcome in the comments section. My opinion is that grounding for good health is and preventative medicine easily makes sense. How 'bout you? I

I encourage you to leave any information about your own thoughts or experiences on grounding. Knowledge is power and info-sharing is a great way to help other individuals. 

​Thanks for your visit today and I pray you found the information interesting and useful!

'Til next time,

​Shalom