Remember the number 333, and you'll always have a quick and easy way to boost your energy level and increase your body's ability to eliminate toxins. This technique is a form of hydrotherapy and can easily be performed every morning or evening when you take a shower. Before I describe the technique, here's a brief history of hydrotherapy:

What is Hydrotherapy? Hydrotherapy is the intelligent use of water, internally or externally, to treat disease or maintain health.

Where did it come from? While it is likely to have started even earlier, hydrotherapy as a medical therapy originated in Europe as early as the 1600's. It spread from England to Germany and around Europe throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. It was John Harvey Kellogg (yes...the same man who invented Corn Flakes) who brought hydrotherapy to the United States in the late 1800's.

What does Hydrotherapy do? Using various methods, the therapist introduces the body to contrasting temperatures of water. Hot and cold water each have different effects. Some of these include: increasing immune system function, modifying blood sugar levels, relaxing the body, or stimulating the body. Hydrotherapy can improve blood circulation and speed up healing.

So...back to the beginning and remembering the number 333 (three-thirty-three). If you want a quick and easy way to try out hydrotherapy, here is something you can do at home in your shower:

The first 3 represents "three minutes." This is how long you should be under the hot water. Get it as hot as you can handle, but don't burn yourself. If you have neuropathy or decreased sensation in your hands or feet, be conservative.
The second 3 represents "thirty seconds." This is how long you should be under the cold water. Switch the faucet from hot to cold, and tough it out. Again, if you have a condition that has decreased sensation, be conservative with the temperature.
The third 3 represents "three times." Repeat this hot-cold cycle three times in a row. Three minutes hot, 30 seconds cold, repeated three times. You always want to end the session on cold.

If you don't have time for a 11.5 minute shower, you can modify this treatment by simply ending your shower with a 30-second spray of cold water. Try the longer version described above whenever you're feeling run-down, or if you feel yourself getting sick. It's an easy (and FREE!) way to boost your immune system and wake up your body!