Most mood interventions are subtle. Maybe they're working. Maybe they're placebo. Maybe you need to track them for six weeks before you notice a difference. These four modalities are different. You feel them immediately. Not because they're aggressive—because they work with your biology instead of against it.
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Welcome to Catalyst for Healing. I am here today with Tony Ananag. Hi. She's a good friend of mine and also is a wife, a mother, and grandmother and has an online course called Healthy Boundaries for Women. She also works at a wellness clinic and she's here to talk with us today about some really unique treatment options for mood that maybe you've heard about, maybe you haven't or you've kind of heard about it and we just want to go into more detail because we think some of these ways of, you know, practicing wellness have a huge impact on mood and energy. So, why don't you introduce yourself and then we'll go ahead and talk about some of these things that we're going to talk about. All right. Well, thank you for having me. I'm so excited. Like you said, we're friends. So we and we met at the wellness center which is cool. I have had a very long wellness journey and
had a very long wellness journey and it's you know I have I was raised by a single mom who struggled a lot and I had a lot of anxiety growing up and became a mom myself and obviously wanted to do it totally better and different and put myself totally into it and then lost myself and then I had postpartum with my second child which was super hard postpartum depression and that lasted for a good two years or so and it took a long time to recover from that but as a mom again I just lost myself. I was a great mom, but I wasn't great to me. And then as the kids got older, I realized something's got to give. Like, I'm exhausted and I need to take care of myself. So, I think that's when the wellness journey began. And I started searching for things to make me feel better, to boost my mood, to to give me more energy, to just longevity. And then, I mean, fast forward to now, I have grandkids. So, the last thing I want to do is die early. So, I've been taking way better care of myself. But through that, I learned how to I've always had a heart for women. I love helping women. So, I created that online course, you know, healthy boundaries for moms, helping
healthy boundaries for moms, helping moms just create and maintain healthy boundaries, maximize their mental, physical, and emotional well-being so that they can be better mom, a better wife, a better friend, all the things, but take care of themselves first. And I always say it's like the airplane thing, right? That analogy of like put your mask on first so that you can take care of everybody else. That's what moms need to do. And that's what I finally did. And I feel great. I have like boundless energy. I I just feel amazing. So, but that happened with a lot of these therapies we're about to talk about today. They really helped in my journey and that's why I'm so excited to talk about them. I know. And I'm so excited to have you because you and I really connected. So, you were working at it's called Restore Hyperw Wellness. Um there's one here locally, but they are all across the country in the US. Um there's a lot of different places that have similar things set up, but in particular, this one had everything in one place, which I really loved. Yeah. And so anyway, I was learning about all this biohacking and just like mood and
this biohacking and just like mood and energy stuff that I was trying to practice to see, you know, if it could help cuz my medication wasn't working. Again, this was like a couple years ago. So that's how I met you more than she did therapies. We ended up connecting. We got so much in common. we were at like the same stage of life, you know, our kids getting older. Yeah. And um you were so inspiring because you would share like the benefits for you and then that helped me realize like what to notice like look for because sometimes it's hard to evaluate these things like are they working? Are they not? Yeah. So anyway, we're going to start today talking about red light therapy. Yeah. One of my faves. It's one of your favorites. Um and so why don't we go ahead and explain tell us a little bit about red light therapy? So red light therapy is to me one of the easiest non-invasive snuggly it feels good when you do it therapies and they're all over. You could go lay in red light therapy beds. You can stand in red light panels. You can buy countertop red light therapy for your just your
red light therapy for your just your face. We have in Restore we have the wellness center that I work at. We have two large panels and you stand between them. You get undressed till you're comfortable. Some people like to wear their undergarments. I take off everything. It's been very therapeutic. they've shown in men to expose the male parts to that red light. So, you stand between the two red light panels, we turn them on, you stand there, you're in there for like 10 to 15 minutes. You don't need longer than that. It's shown that that is optimal. And then it turns off and you're done. And in that 10 to 15 minutes, the red, it's a red and near infrared light and it penetrates to mitochondrial level. So, the thought behind that is to regenerate cells so that you have better like skin appearance. It helps with muscle recovery. So, if you're sore from workouts or you are planning to do a big something or other, come in beforehand, come in afterwards. Um, it helps boost your mood. Definitely, it's just one of the easiest therapies that we have in Restore to do quick, easy, painf free,
Restore to do quick, easy, painf free, which is great. Nobody wants to do anything that's hurts, right? So, it's amazing. I love it. And I think some of the ways all of these work is reducing inflammation. I meant Yes. And that's why I brought these notes. You should always know inflammation is the big one and I think that for me personally, I don't know how I missed that. Inflammation is the big one. I had a torn tendon in my foot when I was with the client there and I kept going in and I would literally just put my foot on the red light cuz I was like, it's got to work, right? So, I put it directly on the red light, which you don't have to do, but that was my crazy crazy way of doing it. And it literally pushed off my surgery for about 2 years. I was just didn't want to have surgery, but it just kept the inflammation down enough. And then I ended up in all transparency getting my own red light panels at the house, which I love. I use twice a day and it's changed my skin appearance. I like But anyways, yeah, the inflammation is a big one. And if you feel better, you're not inflamed, you're going to feel better, right? And inflammation is so connected to mood. I mean, that's what we've, you know, learned in terms of any inflammation in your body, in your brain
inflammation in your body, in your brain is going to impact your mood. So that's a huge huge benefit. What are there any stories? Cuz I love to hear stories that you of working in this area. So many stories. So we have a lot of people that use it in the similar way that I started with pain, you know, just coming in for sore muscles, torn shoulders, torn knees, whatever it is. But I just have a little story. And it's also good for skin health. I wasn't bit by a dog when I was a client there. The dog kind of came after my dog. I got in the way. It bit me here in the chest. I had three puncture wounds and a large scrape from a tooth. And I was like, "Oh, great. Right here in my chest. I'm going to have a scar, blah, whatever." And at the time, again, I was a client, so they're like, "Oh, go in the red light. That'll be the best. Cryo and red light. Go in the cryo red light." So, I did the red light. And I have nothing. And I would go in two, three times a week. I was wasn't going every day, you know, I didn't have it in my house. And I have no scar, no marks, no nothing. And I'm at the time was 53. So, I thought for sure there's no way it's going to heal. It's a great. So,
it's going to heal. It's a great. So, just a little testimony of like wound healing. Doctors are recommending now that people go in after surgeries for wound healing as far as we'll put in the show notes, but there's places like Restore. We'll put that in the show notes, but there's that that you can go and drop in a couple times a week to use it. Yeah. Or there's, you know, varying levels of panels that you could buy and purchase to have your home. Yeah, if you can afford the medical grade ones like they have there like I purchased, I mean, I would say honestly it's probably you're going to spend two grand for the panels if you want the good ones. If not, you can get a countertop one for a couple hundred. You can get the mask if you're just worried about your face and neck. Those are great, too. It depends on what you're looking for. Well, let's move into talking about the So, at Restore, they have a cryotherapy, but a lot of people are also doing cold plunge. Basically, the concept is, you know, the light and the heat and the cold are all contrasting ways of kind of shocking the body into these different states that benefit
into these different states that benefit wellness in many different ways. So, why don't you share a little bit about cryotherapy and then I actually have a cold plunge so I can I have never done a cold plunge but I love Okay. I love hate relationship with cryotherapy to be totally honest. I hate it but I love the benefits so I do it. Everyone hates it. It's like certain things. Nobody likes being that cold. It's awful. But it is one of my f I always say that it's one of my favorite things, but it's just it's amazing. The results are amazing. It is a size of an outhouse at Restore Hyper Wellness. There's two different types that we have actually at our wellness centers. We have some at like in Mission VJO, they have a walk-in where multiple people can go in at the same time. It's powered by fans and it's cold that way. It is not as cold as the nitrogen gas one that we have at Laguna and Niguel. So, we have one that's shaped like an outhouse. It has a magnetic door that you open. You walk in and you start at first of all, let me back up. You go in a room and you undress and you leave your undergarments on. You can wear a robe cuz, you know,
on. You can wear a robe cuz, you know, starting out it is pretty cold, but you have to wear gloves, slippers, and socks to protect your limbs. Yeah. Because it does get very cold. Um, and then you step into this chamber and you're in there starting at 2 minutes. Beginner level starting 2 minutes. It starts at 165 degrees Fahrenheit, which seems absolutely insane. It's pretty cold, but you know, you can do anything for two minutes. You're fine. And you guys have this music that you play. Oh, you can play any song you want. So helpful because Oh, yeah. I dance in there. They say it's optimal to sit still and hold still, but you get benefits either way. Oh, yeah. Um, some people go in there with no music and just zen breathe the entire time, which is amazing. You do whatever you need to do, boo, to get through it. Picking the song is actually the hardest part of cryo for me personally. Anyway, so you stand in there and I'm at a level now where I do the top cold, which is - 220 ° F, but I only do 2 minutes and 30 seconds cuz your goal when you go into cryotherapy is we take your temp, your outside skin temp, and let's say it's 88 °. When you come out, you want to drop
88 °. When you come out, you want to drop minimal 30. So when we take your outside skin temp, when you get out, you want to be minimal 58. Optimally, you'd love to be in the 40s because that's when you're getting the maximum benefits. If you start to drop below that, then it's almost reverse trauma to your body. So, they say you want to stay mid-40s or above to get in that sweet spot. Yeah. So that you reduce inflammation, you have total mood booster. Like if you want to jolt in the afternoon instead of coffee, jump in cryo. Yeah. Um I don't do it late at night for that reason because it does give me a lot of energy. The feelgood benefit is just amazing. Let me just make sure in my notes that I'm not missing anything for the cryo. Oh, athletic recovery. We have a lot of athletes that come in. Yes. Pre or post. And the studies are finding now that doing it pre-workout is better. Interesting. Than post-workout because you're prepping the muscles instead of trying to fix what was damaged. Okay. I mean, in the short, right? I know a lot of sports teams are using it now. I mean, it's kind of a common It's totally Yeah. boosting energy,
It's totally Yeah. boosting energy, mood, and sleep um is great, but again, I wouldn't do it too late in the afternoon. I did, so you're always asking about my own personal things. So, last April, I did a 30-day challenge for myself for cryo because not last, it was actually 2024. I did a 30-day challenge and I was like, I want to see what it would be like to go in every day for 30 days. So, I can tell people honestly like you don't have to do it every day, but if you did, this is what you can do. By day nine, I was like, "Wow, getting out of bed, I felt great." And I it just felt better. The inflammation was nearly gone. Of course, day 30, it was I felt incredible. But realistically, nobody's going to go every day. That's that's insane, right? That's insanity. But if you can go two to three times a week, super beneficial. And that's one thing that if they ever started doing home versions of cryotherapy, I would buy that, too. Yes. I love it cuz cold plunge is just not my thing. I don't want to get all this hair wet. It's a lot to do, right? So, okay. You don't have to go all the way under anyways. Yeah. I mean, the cryo I started with when I
I mean, the cryo I started with when I was there just trying it out and it was the same thing where it was I mean, honestly, it was really hard to adapt to. Like, it's freezing and very uncomfortable, but like you said, the energy boost is so incredible. Yeah. And so, I ended up buying a cold plunge and I'll put the the type that I got. And um you can either add ice, which is obviously a lot to do. So I ended up getting a temperature cooler and so that actually helped a lot too. So I mean it goes down I don't know actually how low it goes but I mean so for men it's recommended I mean can go down to 32. Yeah, they can go a lot colder. So for women they they're recommending like 42 °. Okay. So that's what I put it at and I but for me like first thing in the morning after I work out is when I go in and it does just like set my energy for the day. And you know again like not everybody can afford a cryo or a cold plunch in their home. So if you can't let me just give you a quick little like
give you a quick little like if you can just first thing in the morning no get a big bowl fill it with ice water put your hair back if you're a woman put your face in it for as long as you can and come out your mood will be boosted. That's a great way to do that. So, it's a great and it the other thing people recommend is doing the like cold shower at the end of a hot shower. That actually is very difficult. I would find the cold punch easier because you're already adapted to the heat. So, then the cold is kind of a shock. But the whole point is that you're shocking your nervous system and it's waking you up to an extent. But also, like you said, it's going to increase mood, energy, and then it's going to improve your sleep, which is huge. and the lowering of inflammation. So, the one thing for me, I had a lot of back pain and doing the cryo and doing the cold plunge, it's it's non-existent. That's awesome. And so, anyway, it's Yeah, it's amazing. Are there any stories with clients with that one? Oh, yeah. So, I was going to tell you about this one gal. So, she's originally from New Jersey and her doctor back
from New Jersey and her doctor back there, she was a rheumatoid arthritis. She suffered severely from rheumatoid arthritis and she was probably about my age and she was almost wheelchair bound at this point. It just had affected her so hard and her inflammation was just through the roof. And he prescribed her, he goes, "I don't have one, but I really think you should go do cryotherapy every day. Do it for 3 months. Let's see how you're feeling after that." She did it for the 3 months and saw huge improvements. But by month four, she went every day. She was out of the wheelchair, walking, hiking, like not playing tennis or anything crazy or balance, but she was out of the wheelchair. That is incredible. So I mean that's lifechanging. Yeah. And so she moved here. The way I met her is that she had moved to Orange County. She started coming to our studio. Yeah. And she was telling me the story and I was in tears. I was like I mean these things work. Right. So I think depending on what you're trying to fix, how acute it is or how big it is is all the difference in the world for your recovery. Yes.
the world for your recovery. Yes. So she still comes twice a week just to maintain sometimes three times a week and she's she's doing amazing. I don't know that that's amazing. That's incredible. I mean that is a big story. Why is it that again traditional health doctors are not recommending this but the alternative medicine people like really get the benefits of all these things and what do you think that is? They should know by now that hey they all of a sudden go into this but it's just frustrating to me. It's so frustrating. But I think the thing is that more and more people are talking about it. More and more podcasts are talking about it. So, I'm hoping there'll be more of a blend of western and alternative medicine eventually, but if there's not, people just need to be their own advocates and search out. I mean, chhat GPT lately. You can just search what can I do for back pain and it will give you western to alternative to rai mushrooms. I mean, it'll give you every option. So, people just have to search. It's out there. Yeah. Right. But some people don't know. So, and that's why you and I are here. And that's why we were excited to do this just to educate again like Yeah.
this just to educate again like Yeah. But we want to blend the two. I mean, the western and eastern, but also like these types of things are really, really beneficial. And when you have a story like that, it's incredible. But I play a lot of pickle ball. A lot of pickle ball and I'm pretty competitive. So, I'm Isn't everyone that plays? No, I feel like they are. I tried playing and I was like, it's too competitive. There's a difference between playing pickup ball and really playing ball. But um anyway, so I talk to a lot of people and I'm always bringing flyers for Restore because I want people to feel good, you know, and just to be totally honest, these people that I play pickle ball with, they're 70 with knee braces and they're kicking my ass, right? I mean, they're great, but they've got ailments and everybody's got brand, you know, stuff on. And so I'm always passing out flyers and people like, "Oh, I've tried them." Like, have you really though tried this one? Because they've like, "Oh, I bought the little handheld off Amazon." There's a difference. Okay, that's the red light you buy on Amazon for $ 20 and our $ 3, 000 panel grade panels. So,
and our $ 3, 000 panel grade panels. So, just be careful of the scams and the stuff on Tik Tok or Instagram. And yes, some of them do work. I mean, not I mean, the little face ones, they might work a little bit, right? And the worst the best case scenario, you're doing lymph drainage, right? But so, just be careful is all I'm saying about what you're buying. That's a really good point. Okay. Yeah. So, we're going to move into talking about the sauna, which um saunas have been around for thousands of years. I mean, we know there's benefits with sweating for sure for detoxification. And so, I don't know when like the red light sauna got evolved, but we're going to talk about just briefly the differences with the what would you say the main differences are? Yeah. So, we have at our wellness center, we have infrared sauna. Yeah. And the infrared panels that are in the sauna itself, it's a cedar based sauna. The thought behind it is that your skin, the more skin you expose, then you're expecting the red light heats you up on your skin. It's not the heat, the hot in the sauna, it's the heat penetrating your skin. I think they're both great. I think they both have the same result of
think they both have the same result of clearing toxins and heavy metals from your body. And if you're clearing those from your body, you're going to have an increased health overall. You're going to have better mood. You're not going to have the inflammation. not going to get these weird things that are coming up with people I think that are whether it's cancers or whether it's cardiac issues. I just think when you've cleared all those from your body, your body doesn't have to fight so hard. Yes. Which helps your immune. Absolutely. So, well, and the one other difference with the infrared sauna versus just a regular sauna is is you can do lower temperatures. So, it's more between like 120 to 140 whereas traditional dying. Yeah. It you're not dying and they're they're much smaller. And so I bought a infrared one from my garage. I have it in the garage and it's like super small that you just sit in. And um I mean again the benefits for me I I mean it lowered my blood pressure to the point Your skin looks amazing. Oh, thank you. But it lowered my blood pressure to the point where I didn't need my blood pressure medication which is huge. Use it at night. It helps me sleeping. I know. It's amazing. Um, but the reason
I know. It's amazing. Um, but the reason that I got really into it was my son was exposed to mold in college. It fueled this autoimmune disease and the way that he detoxed from mold. Sounds like there's sirens somewhere, but something's going on. There's a fire. But yeah, I mean, the sauna was the main way that he detoxed and it was incredible for him. And I mean, he still swears by it and uses it all the time. Yeah. So, and all these that we're talking about, there's not a lot of contra indications. No. So, most people can use them. I'm not going to go into who can can look it up yourself, but it's pretty safe for everybody. So, with the infrared sauna, it's recommended at least 30 minutes to 45 minutes just to be able to get really detoxed, but also the infrared works at a mitochondrial level. And so, that's going to boost your ATP, which is going to boost your energy and your mood. So, I mean, all these kind of have a lot. I'd say all of them that we're talking about decrease inflammation massively, which is always going to increase mood
which is always going to increase mood and energy. Your body's better when you're inflamed. And not to mention, I have not, and you were saying like, knock on wood, I haven't been sick of the flu. Let me put it out there in the world cuz now I feel like, oh, here I go. I'm going to be No, but since I started these therapies for like the last year and a half. Yeah. I haven't been sick in about two years. Well, because you think about it, it's cleansing all of that. I mean, part of just also being not not having these shocks to our system is our body's kind of a landmine for true to different parasites and different things, but like when we're detoxing that much, we're not going to get as sick. So, there's all these preventative benefits, too. Yeah. The sauna is incredible. Just a little tip is at our wellness center, we have a room that you go into, and it's your own room. It's not like a sauna like a hot works or some of those places where everybody's got whatever sauna, but in your room, you have a shower. So, I get super hot. I love the sauna. I just get overheated sometimes. So, I'll step out and I'll take a cold shower in 10 minutes and then I'll go back into the sauna. So, my heart rate is jing ding up and down,
is jing ding up and down, And that's even better if you can do that. I didn't know that. Oh, yeah. It's almost like run walking. Okay. Right. So, you're getting your heart rate up, you're bringing it down. Again, if you just sit in a sauna at a regular gym with 20 other people, that's awesome for you, too. Yes. So any gyms have saunas now, which is great. I mean, I did buy mine on Craigslist. Like there's tons being resold. So anyway, there's ways to get them, but they also I'm going to put in the show notes. They have these I you Wait, do you have that one where you sit in it and your hands are No. So I have one. It's almost as geeky, but mine is literally PVC pipe structure and then it has a zipped up black thing over it and so it has like a door that you unzip to open and it has a steam unit that comes through a little pipe into it. So I sit in it. I mean it's the size of you know little outhouse and it's in my garage and I sit in there and I do get the steam. I sweat like a crazy woman. I don't get the core heat
crazy woman. I don't get the core heat like I get in a real sauna. Okay. I my core doesn't stay hot. When I walk out, I'll stop sweating in a few minutes where if I'm in the sauna at a studio or somewhere at the gym, I'm dripping sweat for 20 minutes, you know? So, that's the difference. But I'm sweating. It started with saunas was actually Hot Works, which is the fastest growing way to work out. I mean, it they are like expanding rapidly. So, they're all across the country. But I at first thought it was crazy cuz you work out in an infrared sauna. I went and I mean it took me a while to build up to be able to do it, but pairing those two together. Yeah. Don't get in there and start, you know, doing aerobics. No, you definitely have to slowly move. You have to slowly get used to it. But I have to say, like that was kind of incredible to be able to work out at the same time and get those benefits. You're drenching like you're really drenching. And another thing in a sauna that I highly recommend is bring your gouache off, you know, or bring your brush and brush yourself. Dry brushing. I bring a
brush yourself. Dry brushing. I bring a little gouache on when I go in the sauna and I just do my face, I do my arms, I do my chest, I do just a lymph drainage while I'm in there. That's a whole another idea episode. Yeah, but I would recommend multitasking. I listen to meditation. I mean podcast. I'm trying to think. So Oh, yeah. We'll put that one in the show notes. And then there's also a blanket that you can lay under. Yeah, that's a good one, too. So anyway, just so you have options. Everything's at different price points, but I mean just to know like obviously the cheapest way is join a gym that has a sauna. Yeah. 24hour I mean they have a sauna I would say 90% I mean you're not going to get it some of the cheaper gyms but some of the 24-hour fitness is pretty affordable. Have a steam room and they have a sauna and so it's I mean you can do it. Everybody can kind of do it. Yeah. So and that with that is recommended. I would you know two to three times a week is probably two or three times a week is perfect. If you can do it every day amazing right? I don't know anybody can do everything every day, but I definitely can't. I can't even remember to brush my teeth barely every day. So, but if you can do
barely every day. So, but if you can do it two, three times a week, that's all. Yeah. So, the last thing we're talking about is something a little more unique that you are more I I've done it a couple times just to try it, but um it's called HBOT. So, why don't you tell us a little bit? Oh my gosh. Okay. So, if I had to pick one thing in our studio in the world to do. Yeah. and I could just do one thing, it would be HBOT, which stands for well, we have a mild HBOT, which is mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy. It's a chamber that you sit in and oxygen is pumped into it at 1. 3 atmospheric pressure. Normally, when we're walking around right now, we're getting 21% oxygen in the air. When you're in HBOT, you get double that. Okay, so this is a portable, not medical grade. the medical grade ones in the doctor's offices for like burn victims and that type of stuff is you're in there for 10 minutes. I mean, it's really high at I don't even know what it is. If ours is 1. 3, I want to say that's like three. Like, it's double, you know? It's a lot more. I don't know what it is, but um but this is something that
is, but um but this is something that everybody can use. If you do have a lot of sinus issues or you have a cold or any chest, anything, you don't want to go in there because of the pressure. If if you're a little claustrophobic, it's tough because they zip you up in this container. It's a port. It blows up. Okay. So, you get in there, it inflates. I do the one that's you set up in. So, I bring a computer. I work in there. It's great. But again, if you have How long do you need to be in it? So, the minimal we start you is 60 minutes to make sure that everything pressurizes. You're good to go. It's almost like being in a pool under the water at 10 ft. That's what 1. 3 atmospheric pressure feels like. So, if you have any issues diving into a pool, don't do it. So, other than that, it's for everybody, for everything. Like, I can't explain how great it is. We have a friend who wanted to store their hyperaric chamber for a while because they had a kid moving home from college and we're like, "Oh, we'll take it, borrow it for you. We'll store it for you." And so we've had it at our home for 4 months, 5 months, and I was using it a couple times a week at Restore. And so was my husband
Restore. And so was my husband and we love it. It was like we were maintaining. It's great. So the thought behind it is you're in there, you wear either a canula or a mask and you and it hooks up to a little thing inside of there that gets the oxygen to you. So you're getting oxygen through the mask and you have oxygen in the chamber. So you're in there for minimal 60 minutes, usually like 90. At home I do it for two hours. You are oxygenating every cell in your body. And just imagine if you can double the oxygen you're getting. You're doubling your healing. You're doubling your your expos you're you're getting rid of all the stuff that's bad in your body. You are the recovery from workouts. I mean was asking for examples like so we had gone to an event and it was a very long event and I'm not a big drinker but I had drinken more drinks than I normally drink. That day prior I had babysat all day and both my granddaughters were over. I had played like three hours of pickle ball. It was in a crazy day. So the next day I was dying. So I was like that's it. I need to go sit in the HBOT and I sat in there
to go sit in the HBOT and I sat in there for a few hours. I came out and I felt like nothing had happened. Wow. Like it's just such a recovery therapy. Yeah. And your mood is better. You feel energized. My husband's a big golfer and he does weight training probably four or five times a week. And he he said to me the other day, he goes, "I cannot believe how not sore I am." Is that a thing? Not sore. How how the lack of soreness that I feel. Um his elbow, his golfer's elbow isn't bugging him as much. It's just a healing thing because they'll put a lot of people in there. We get a lot of clients at Restore that come in pre-surgery to try to avoid like blood clotting and that type of thing that people get in surgery which is super scary and postsurgery and then they come in postsurgery for the healing. They do a lot of it for wound healing postsurgery if you have scars or you know entry wound places they'll put people in HBOT for that healing and you'll see like if you go in there with a scratch or whatever and you're in there and then the next day you're like wow that healed really quick. It's
wow that healed really quick. It's incredible. It's really incredible. So, I mean, if anything, we Oh, I was going to tell you the one guy we had, he had he's 42 and he had a stroke and which is rare at 42, but it affected his motor skills. It affected his speech, everything. And his doctor said, "I want you to do mild hyperdark chamber for a few months straight every day." And he did. And they came in. I mean, it's not cheap. Yeah. You know, but what's your health worth? So, anyways, they came in every day. sweetest couple. His doctor was just shocked at the improvement he had made. He was talking. He was almost back to normal. Wow. So, I'm just saying. I mean, yeah, he's 42, but had he not done that, who knows? Yeah. What the effects would have been, right? So, I don't know. I'm a believer. If I had to choose one thing of all the therapies that we've talked about, it would be hyperaric chamber. But that is the most expensive. It is the most expensive, but and you know, and it's we're blessed to be able to afford it. And I'm I'm bummed that it's not something that every doctor
it's not something that every doctor goes, "Oh, you're feeling awful. Oh, you're depressed. Oh, you're let me give you hyperbaric chamber the uh right prescription, right?" Going back to Western medicine, I mean, how often would you need to use it to get some of the benefits? I think if you could go in twice a week, you would feel the benefits, but it's it's a consistency. Yeah. Right. Like the first week, you probably be like, I mean, I feel good when I get out of it, right? The third the fourth week, you're probably going to go, "Oh, I feel better. I have more energy." Right. I'm not as sore. I'm not as inflamed. I'm not whatever it is. Yeah. So, I think the more you could do it, the better. Do what you can afford. Okay. Thank you. This is so like I don't know. It's fun to talk about this stuff. I love geeking out. I mean, I'm Everybody says I'm You're my biohacking friend. I'm like, "Okay, totally. You're always sending me this new podcast and I'm like, "Oh, cool. I got to learn about that." It's just incredible. It's incredible what's available. It's unfortunate. It's also expensive, but there are cheaper versions that you that work. Yeah. Good. Well, I think we covered everything. Is there anything else you can think of? No, I think that's it. I'm just so
No, I think that's it. I'm just so grateful to be here and share. I just want to help people. I want people to know. We're going to have you back to talk about the boundaries because Yeah. You're an expert with that. I do think it's so it's such an important topic. Yeah. Talk about mood boosting and mental health. Right. Yeah, for sure. Well, thanks for this was fun. Anyway, hopefully we've given you some good information to think about. do your own research, but I'm going to put in the show notes some of the things we talked about for sure. And we'll see you next week.
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Toni Aninag guides us through red light therapy, cryotherapy, infrared saunas, and hyperbaric oxygen treatments—not as biohacking trends, but as trauma-informed self-care tools. Each addresses a different pathway to nervous system regulation. Together, they create a comprehensive approach to emotional resilience.
660nm Red light wavelength for skin + inflammation 850nm Near-infrared for deep tissue + mitochondria
Red light therapy works at the mitochondrial level. It enhances ATP production—the energy currency of cells. This isn't abstract. More cellular energy means better mood regulation, faster recovery, reduced inflammation. Skin healing is the visible effect. Nervous system support is the deeper benefit.
Cold exposure triggers a massive release of norepinephrine—up to 250% increase. This neurochemical supports focus, mood, and alertness. The effect lasts hours, not minutes. It's not about toughness. It's about giving your nervous system a controlled reset that carries into the rest of your day.
Cryotherapy chambers offer precision. Cold plunges offer simplicity. Both work. Choose based on access and preference, not hype.
Infrared saunas penetrate deeper than traditional Finnish saunas. Lower temperature, longer sessions, profound sweating. Toxins release. Blood flow increases. The nervous system shifts from sympathetic to parasympathetic—from stress to rest.
Consistency matters more than intensity. Three 30-minute sessions per week outperform occasional hour-long marathons. The ritual becomes the medicine.
HBOT delivers concentrated oxygen at increased atmospheric pressure. Oxygen saturates tissues that normally receive minimal circulation. Brain healing accelerates. Inflammation decreases. Cognitive function improves.
This was once reserved for wound healing and decompression sickness. Now it's accessible for recovery, cognitive support, and long-term brain health. Not a daily practice—but a powerful periodic intervention.
These modalities work synergistically. Red light enhances recovery. Cold resets mood. Sauna (read the full breakdown) detoxifies. Oxygen accelerates healing. You don't need all four daily—but having access to each gives you tools for different needs.
Red light: Morning sessions. 10-20 minutes. Face, torso, or targeted areas. Consistency builds results.
Cold plunge: Post-workout or midday reset. 2-3 minutes. Focus on breath, not endurance.
Sauna: Evening ritual. 20-30 minutes. Hydrate, breathe, allow the nervous system to settle.
HBOT: Weekly or bi-weekly. 60-90 minutes. Targeted intervention for recovery or cognitive support.
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