Grounding, also known as earthing, is actually a very natural thing to do

We have become separated from the Earth in a sense, since the invention of shoes and the practice of covering the ground in concrete for our roads and pathways.

People walking barefoot on the Earth is not something you’ll see every day, especially not in the cities and suburbs; but those who don’t wish to walk around the local park barefoot can do so in their garden, and it’s worth doing. Connecting to the earth in this way (unsurprisingly, when you think about it) has been shown to provide many health benefits.

Keeping your feet connected to the Earth for as little as an hour has helped chronic diseases, pain and inflammation, and it is thought to slow down the ageing process. It’s not a bad way to boost your overall health; it’s free, it’s natural and it’s simple – you don’t even need to walk around, as long as your skin is connected with the earth, sand or grass.

Why grounding works

It’s got a lot to do with the electrons in the earth, which your feet soak up. The Earth’s surface has a negative charge, as does all organic matter. We talked about how negative ions boost health in a recent MediMush article if you would like to know the difference between positive and negative charges in the atmosphere and inside your body.

This negative charge in the earth supplies us with health-boosting antioxidants and keeps us ‘grounded’. While we have a higher balance of negative ions in the body, we will feel better. The health benefits mentioned above happen because the electrons you soak up replace those depleted by things like free radicals, cigarettes and pollution, toxic chemicals, pesticides, synthetic food and electromagnetic radiation.

Inflammation is the foundation for many chronic diseases, but the electrons you get from grounding increase white blood cells and cytokines, which aid your body in tackling the inflammation more easily. Grounding has been shown to benefit (among other conditions):

• Alzheimer’s and heart disease
• Post-exercise DOMS (delayed-onset muscle soreness)
• Immune health and nervous system health
• Ageing process
• Sleep patterns

Where the grounding concept came from

Although in some parts of the world people have been doing it all their lives, even they may not be aware of the health benefits they’re receiving. Sadly in the Western world, society is less likely to embrace those who walk around with bare feet in the more densely-populated areas.

Clint Ober conceptualised grounding for humans after noticing that cables grounded to the Earth prevented interference from signals. As the human body is bioelectrical and can transmit signals, he correctly reasoned that our biological organisms could also be grounded.

Shoes get in the way of this process because they act as synthetic insulation. This serves as a disconnection from the Earth, which is wholly unnatural; we have simply become used to this disconnection without realising the detrimental impact it has on our cellular functions. If you want to get the benefits and grounding, you should avoid shoes with synthetic soles like rubber or plastic, but ideally will connect with just your bare feet.

There are other ways to stay grounded and healthy

Sleeping on the earth is like recharging your batteries and has been shown to have a large number of health benefits. It is also possible to buy products like grounding mats (intended for the bed, and can also be placed under a desk) if you aren’t in the kind of climate that inspires you to give up the comfort of your own bed.

Given our modern, busy lives in combination with built-up environments and cultural conditioning, Earthing may not appeal to everyone as something to be done on a regular basis. If you can find your way to doing so, you’ll surely notice some amazing health benefits. However, there are ways to boost your health and MediMush have made it our business to bring you the best of the best in terms of advice and natural health supplements; we fully recommend the natural approach to life in general, and to avoid synthetic substances and practices as much as possible.

Consistently good health is something that requires at least some level of discipline if you’re a city dweller or somebody with poor dietary habits. With this in mind, MediMush has honed our selection to take the hard work out of your health product searches – we know it can get confusing! Feel free to talk to us any time about how our products can help you.