Waking up tired and expecting to be revived in minutes does not seem realistic; especially for those who aren't addicted to the most common drug: caffeine.

Want to wake up without caffeine? Or just wake up in general?

Take a Contrast Shower. That will do it. Not only will it wake you up, but it will wake others in the house as you let out a wail once the cold water hits you.

It's not that bad.

How did I stumble across this crazy natural treatment for fatigue and lethary? It was prescribed to me by my naturopathic medical doctor years ago. I did it and it worked amazingly.

Who cannot take a contrast shower? If you are asthmatic, have active autoimmune disease, inflammation, cardiovascular issues, pregnant, temperature insensitive, weak feeling or otherwise do not feel that you should, do not take a contrast shower. Seek the advice of your physician if you have any questions about the safety of this procedure.

How does one take a contrast shower:

• Drag out of bed
• Get into the shower and turn the water as hot as you like. Hotter the better as the blood flow is stronger - obviously don't burn yourself. Hot water for about 3 minutes.
• You may wash during this time - may as well as you're likely late to work.
• At the 3 minute mark, I turn the water up higher for a brief moment until I'm just begging for a cool down. Then turn the nob.
• Turn the shower all the way to cold for 30 seconds
• Then turn it back to as hot as you can for another 3 minutes.
• Then repeat cold for 30 seconds
• Then hot for 3 minutes
• Then end with cold for 30 seconds.
• Basically 3 sets of 3 minutes hot and 30 seconds cold.

That's it! You're done! How do you think it sounds? You going to do it?!

Let me say a bit more.

When you get really hot water on you for 3 minutes, you do crave cold. I recommend that you have something colorful in the shower to stare at while you're getting blasted with cold water. Reminds me of the tropics. Or close your eyes while in the cold water part and imagine you're walking down the beach gazing at palm trees.

An easy way to ease into the cold part is to only put your head into the water. Once your head has adjusted, let the water go down your back. Ease into it. You'll get it.

When you finish with cold for the last time, you end up extremely hot and sweating. This is a good sign that you did the procedure correctly. Why do you sweat? Your body does not want you cold. When ending with cold for 30 seconds, your surface temperature gets cold because the blood rushes away. As soon as you stop the cold, your blood comes screaming back in to warm you. This sudden rush of blood makes you hot.

The trick is not keeping the cold on for too long and making sure you have the hot water on long enough. If you have the cold water on for say 1 minute and hot water on for 1 minute, you're going to be cold. So make sure you do the 3 sets of 3 minutes hot and 30 seconds cold.

If you want, do what I do - just do one set. I don't have time every day for a 10 minute procedure so I cut it short. I still feel super charged afterwards.

Enjoy it! It really does make you feel refreshed, full of energy and hot as heck after you are done.

I'll get into the mechanics of hot cold showers and also why they are beneficial - besides just feeling good afterwards.

An important note that needs to be addressed is what hot water does to chlorine. Chlorine is a gas and when hot becomes very volatile. Chlorine is a lung-irritant and destroys proteins. Proteins are everywhere - your hair, eyes, skin, inside you. I say inside you as one typical shower in chlorinated water is equivalent to drinking 8 cups of chlorinated water. If you are asthmatic, have acne, winter skin, dry eyes, dandruff, eczema or other skin conditions, I highly recommend getting a shower chlorine filter.

Questions, ask the med student!

In health,

Ben

(c) 2005 Benjamin Lynch of HealthE Goods