All About Ozone Therapy

What is Ozone?

To put it simply: Ozone is Oxygen. More specifically, naturally occurring oxygen is made of two molecules (O2) and ozone is made of three (O3). Ozone is naturally occurring in the environment, but only at levels much higher in the atmosphere than earth level. This is because the O3 oxygen absorbs UV light and breaks down and recycles itself as it passes through the atmosphere. This naturally occurring state is recreated by taking a 100% oxygen tank through an ozone generator to bind with another molecule to make Ozone/O3.

What does Oxygen do in the body?

The two main roles of oxygen in the body are as a signaling molecule and as an oxidizer. As a signaling molecule, oxygen helps tell our body how to respond to the environment both inside the body as well as outside the body. In this role, oxygen modulates the immune system and increases or decreases oxygen delivery to our cells. As an oxidizer, oxygen accepts electrons. There are so many chemical reactions within our body that rely on the transfer of electrons, the most important of which is the way our body uses oxygen to burn fuel for energy.

In addition to playing a vital role in balancing the body’s chemistry, our tissues, organs and cells all love (and thrive!) on oxygen. The crucial role of oxygen in our overall health led to the implementation of Ozone Therapy during WWI due to its antibacterial and health promoting properties. Ozone Therapy targets inflammation, assists in reduction of toxins in the body, promotes mitochondrial health, stimulates overall oxygenation, improves immune system function and more.

How does Ozone Therapy work?

At R+R, we offer two of the most effective ways to administer Ozone Therapy through Ozone IV as well as through nasal, ear, rectal and vaginal insufflations. When administered intravenously through Ozone IV, one of our highly trained RNs first draws a sample of your own blood, then ozonates it, and returns it intravenously. The oxygen attaches itself to our red blood cells and as blood circulates throughout the body, oxygen leaves your blood and moves into organs and tissues providing necessary fuel and healing promotion. In its 3 molecule state, oxygen is highly reactive and thus creates a therapeutic response in the body by both stimulating blood flow and by oxidizing harmful substances. By oxygenating the blood at this cellular level, the body receives the oxygen it craves to thrive in an incredibly specific and beneficial way.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Insufflation is a fancy word for putting ozone gas into a specific body cavity, which in this case means the ear, nose, rectum or vagina. When administered through ear and nose insufflations, the ozone is simply placed into your nose or ears through a needle-less syringe. With vaginal or rectal insufflations, one of our nurses will fill a syringe with ozone and attach a catheter. Detailed instruction will be given on proper administration. Lubricant and a private bathroom are provided.

What are the benefits of Ozone Therapy?

With Ozone IV, the full amount of ozone infusion enters the bloodstream to maximize availability to tissues. This is shown to increase oxygen utilization, decrease inflammation, destroy germs, improve mitochondrial function, help stimulate the immune system and more. When given intravenously, the Ozone Therapy is not affected by stomach or intestinal disease or malabsorption. It is systemic and can be viewed as a special type of immunotherapy. With insufflations, the localized therapy allows the ozone to target a specific tissue directly, and it is non-invasive.

Who should do an Ozone IV?

Ozone IV therapy is great for anyone with circulatory conditions, viral/bacterial infections (Lyme, Epstein Barr, etc.), autoimmunity and/or inflammation, respiratory issues, joint pain, anti-aging needs, or anyone suffering from heavy metal toxicity and/or mold toxicity.

Who should do Ear Insufflations?

Ear insufflations are great for anyone suffering from ear infections, sinus infections, brain fog, tinnitus, vertigo, ear pain, disease or tumors in head or neck.

Who should do Nose Insufflations?

Nose insufflations are great for anyone suffering from nasal infection, allergies, eye infections or symptoms related to inflammation, or brain fog.

Who should do rectal insufflations?

Rectal ozone can be used for virtually any condition, chronic or acute disease. It is the second best way to receive ozone systemically, after IV therapy. Indications for rectal insufflation include tumors, inflammation to any nearby tissues, parasites, maintenance therapy for chronic inflammatory disease, and for those who have too poor vein access to receive Ozone IV. 

Who should do vaginal insufflations?

Vaginal ozone is a great way to administer ozone to a localized area. Indications for vaginal ozone include lymphatic detox, vaginosis, yeast infections, inflammation to local tissues, tumors, reproductive organ disease, UTIs, and postpartum healing. 

Ready to get started?

Click here to book your first Ozone IV or an Ear/Nose Insufflation! In order to maximize your Ozone experience, we always recommend arriving fully hydrated and well-rested. To further the circulatory and detoxification process, we encourage you to consider a detox foot soak or an infrared sauna afterward to further the benefits.

Be sure to check out our list of FAQs on this page, and do not hesitate to reach out to us with any unaddressed questions!

7 Types of Rest (And Why You Need Them All!)

Wait… So, you’re telling me there’s more to rest than getting a bit of shut-eye?

Shocking, we know. But yes! That is exactly what we’re saying. We’re even going to let you in on a little secret… 

Simply getting enough sleep is not going to cure your chronic exhaustion. 

Yep! There you have it. And it’s hard to believe, huh? We can’t speak for everyone, but we’ve always been told that a full REM cycle is all we need for a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and under-eye-circle-free morning. 

Of course, that was until we stumbled across a TED Talk by Saundra Dalton-Smith that finally shed some light on why we’re all so sleepy. In it, she explains that there are seven different types of rest and that getting enough sleep each night is just not going to cut it. 

Now, let’s all take a moment to think about that. How many nights have you crawled into bed utterly exhausted, slept a full eight or nine hours, and woken up the next morning still feeling sluggish and fatigued? (Don’t worry, we’ve all been there.) Sure, you slept through a full REM cycle, however, there are other kinds of rest that your body might still be craving. 

In the wise words of Dalton-Smith, “we go through life thinking we’ve rested because we have gotten enough sleep—but in reality, we are missing out on the other types of rest we desperately need.” 

Sounds intriguing, right? Well in today’s post we’re going over the 7 types of rest (and why you need them all!). Stay tuned, and we’ll get to the bottom of why we’re all so sleepy all the time.  

1. Physical Rest

Now we all know what physical exhaustion feels like. It is all those moments where you’ve struggled to keep your eyelids open or simply couldn’t stop the yawns from spewing. These physical indicators tell you that you’re lacking passive physical rest—aka sleep—which is easily remedied by going to bed a few minutes earlier or sneaking in a mid-afternoon catnap. 

However, this traditional, sleepy rest is only one component of physical rest. The other is active physical rest – things like yoga at our Boutique Fitness Studio, stretching, holistic bodywork, and massage work. Although it isn’t technically required for our bodies’ daily functioning, active physical rest helps improve our bodies’ circulation and flexibility. 

2. Mental Rest 

If you’re feeling sluggish, yet are all caught up on physical rest, then you might need a little mental boost. Mental fatigue looks different for all of us, but the easiest way to combat it is by giving yourself a mental break. 

To prevent hitting that inevitable wall, we should all be making a conscious effort to turn our brains off during the day. These breaks include anything from going on a walk to grabbing a quick bite to practicing deep, mindful breathing. Practices like these remind our bodies to slow down, which renews our capacity for productivity later.

3. Sensory Rest

Sensory rest has everything to do with our surroundings. Take a quick moment to scan the room around you. Are there any bright lights? Funky smells? Loud music? Have you been staring into a computer screen? If so, how long?

It doesn’t matter where you are or what you’re doing, external stimuli can quickly overwhelm your senses. To prevent a sensory overload, we recommend conducting a little sensory reboot every so often. 

This can be achieved with something as simple as a 5-minute meditation, or you could take a few moments to close your eyes and regroup. If you’re feeling extra ambitious, you could try taking an “electronic-free” hour, afternoon, day, or weekend. (Crazy idea –we know.) 

4. Creative Rest

Did you know that every one of us uses our creative juices at some point throughout the day? Yes, even those of you who don’t think you’re creative. From pitching meetings to creating content, you honestly might be surprised by just how creative you are. 

To make sure our creativity is in full supply, we all need regular creative resets. However, how you choose to do so is totally up to you! Some of our favorites include taking a stroll through nature or letting ourselves get lost in a fabulous book. Essentially, you’re looking for activities that relieve the pressure to create while offering some inspiration, which of course boosts creativity. 

5. Emotional Rest

Emotional rest is another equally important (yet often overlooked!) component of rest and rejuvenation. If you’re not quite sure what we’re talking about, think about how often you say yes to do something (that—let’s be honest—you would rather not do). 

For people-pleasers especially, it is easy to sacrifice your wellbeing for the sake of others. Therefore, we like to describe emotional rest as taking a “yes-vacation.” (Now truly, doesn’t that sound appealing?) 

Instead of immediately agreeing to something or someone, pause to acknowledge how you are feeling. Tell whoever that you’ll think about it and commit only when you’re feeling up to it. 

If your day-to-day work or life is emotionally heavy, then this type of rest is especially important. It gives your brain that oh-so-needed pause, and it is as simple as taking a few quiet moments for yourself or chatting with someone with whom you are your authentic self. 

6. Social Rest

Social rest is especially important for introverts and people who find socializing exhausting. We’re able to socially rest merely by balancing our exhausting social encounters with rejuvenating ones. 

To start, try making a list of all the people you find stimulating, engaging, and easy to be around. Then, make a list of all the people whose company is more of a challenge. From there, make a conscious effort to maximize time spent with the former group and minimize time spent with the latter. (Trust us, you will quickly start to feel noticeably lighter.) 

This little boundary will also equip you to love the harder-to-love people in your life with more grace and energy!

7. Spiritual Rest

Last, but not least, is spiritual rest. Now regardless of your spiritual beliefs, all human beings need to feel connected to something larger than themselves. 

We feel spiritually rested when we are connected beyond the physical and mental realms. And instead of feeling disconnected from the world, we feel a deep sense of love, belonging, and purpose. 

If you practice a certain religion, this could mean devoting a few, quiet moments to prayer. Or you could try a morning meditation. If neither sounds particularly appealing to you, a spiritual reboot could also be achieved by volunteering in your local community or participating in something that forces you to look beyond yourself. 

So, What Next?

Here at R+R, we are all about full-body healing that is tailored to your personal needs. Regardless of whichever kind of rest your body is craving, we’d love to help you achieve it. 

If you’re ready to begin your wellness journey, browse our Where to Start page. All our offerings are synergistic in nature, so there is truly no wrong place to start. Honor whatever your body needs today, and our team will help you navigate from there. 

6 Reasons YOU Should Join The R+R Farm Co-Op

First things first: What is a Co-Op?

Quite simply, a Farming Cooperative (Co-Op for short) is a system where like-minded, hard-working farmers can pool the fruits of their labor to offer a larger variety to consumers. In doing so, they also split expenses such as supplies, materials and production costs while simultaneously side-stepping supermarket red tape and lag times in order to offer you the freshest foods possible… straight from the farm to your table.

This centuries-old concept caught our attention when we met Robert D. Copeland (aka Bob) last summer while planning for our Fall Market. Bob owns and operates Sunflower Farms, a local farm offering delicious grass-fed, pasture-raised beef and organically grown produce to The R+R Farm Co-Op. His passion for (and knowledge of!) cooperative farming and regenerative agriculture had us smitten from the get-go.

Back up – regenerative what?

Keeping simplicity top of mind, regenerative agriculture can be defined as the farming practices that nurture the land and animals to allow nature to work as intended. 

Digging a little deeper (and at the risk of sounding like Negative Nancy), one learns the methods of regenerative farming are counter-culture to the conventional food system’s goal of pumping the life out of the land, stuffing livestock into abysmal living conditions (feedlots and feedbarns), and feeding the livestock GMO grains they are not designed to eat – all in the name of the bottom line. The harm-reduction approach of regenerative farming nurtures the farmland by introducing such practices as adding organic top soil, avoiding chemically-laden pesticides, avoiding tilling, and by implementing fermentation, inoculation, intercropping, crop rotation and composting (to name a few).

According to Bob of Sunflower Farms, "Regenerative agriculture also involves grazing cattle, sheep, goats on pastures of grasses and moving them around from small pasture to small pasture regularly as they graze the grasses about halfway down to the ground. As they graze and move around in the small pastures, they leave behind a well-fertilized and plowed soil. The herds rotate from one pasture to the next on a weekly or more frequent basis depending on herd-size until you're back at the starting point where the grass has had time to regrow."

This more patient, counter-culture approach requires a community aspect in order to thrive, thus the appeal of a farming cooperative.

Now that you’re up to speed and have two new vocabulary words under your belt, let’s dig into why you should join The R+R Farm Co-Op!

Reason #1: The produce and meats are more nutrient-dense.

Pasture-raised meat and regenerative farming practices offer produce and meats packed with more nutrients and antioxidants proven to increase heart health, aid in disease prevention, build and maintain muscle mass, improve exercise, and more.

Larry Goodson, Farmer + Owner of First Earth Farm provides organically grown produce to The R+R Farm Co-Op.

How? You ask.

Remember what we learned about regenerative farming? These methods support the soil and strive to leave the land better than it's ever been. Think of it this way: What does your food eat? If your veggies are consuming high-quality organic nutrients from a solid soil, and if the animals are grazing organic grass grown on said soil - we’d venture to say their diet is pretty top-notch. Ipso facto… yours will be too!

Phys.org reports on the results of a study conducted in January 2022 over 10 farms across the US comparing regenerative soil to conventional soil stating, “The food grown under regenerative practices contained, on average, more magnesium, calcium, potassium and zinc; more vitamins, including B1, B12, C, E and K; and more phytochemicals, compounds not typically tracked for food but that have been shown to reduce inflammation and boost human health. Crops grown in the regenerative farms were also lower in elements broadly detrimental to human health, including sodium, cadmium and nickel, compared with their conventionally grown neighbors.”

Further, pasture-raised meats - especially beef - are full of Omega-3 fatty acids and Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA). Both Omega-3s and CLA greatly enhance your nutritional intake, and as it turns out, both are sorely lacking in grain-fed meats. 

There’s something to be said about slow and steady. It really does win the race, especially when it comes to nutrition. 

Reason #2: Our farming practices are better for the animals.

It is said a picture is worth a thousand words, and this one is no exception. Factory Farms, mostly owned by multinational corporations, throughout the country shove chickens, cows, pigs, goats and more into concrete blocks to sit in their own feces where they are pumped with goodness knows what to fatten them up… all in the name of making a buck.

The regenerative farming practices incorporated into The R+R Farm Co-Op treat the animals with the dignity and respect they deserve by giving them room to roam as they were created to do. Many of the animals even become pets and are befriended by the farmers! As we believe you’ll soon agree, happier, stress-free animals produce tastier food.

Reason #3: Our farming practices are better for the environment too.

Regenerative farming practices incorporated into our Co-Op are better for the environment by limiting chemical run-off. When you don’t spray the produce with pesticides and other harmful chemicals, there’s no residue seeping into the soil, into the food, and into your body. Period. This also means it’s not floating into the air we breathe! As mentioned above, the care taken to bring the soil to its optimal state with the goal of leaving it better than it was found benefits the environment for generations to come.

Reason #4: You’re directly supporting the local economy by supporting local farmers.

You may be wondering why we need a farming cooperative when we've got supermarkets packed with produce and meat on every major corner, but did you know USDA stats show that farmers who sell through conventional grocery stores only receive 14% of the profit from their hard work? 14%!

“Sure, the local supermarket has tomatoes in February, but they’re not coming from anywhere within 5000 miles of where you’re sitting. People want what they want, but they don’t understand what it takes to get it,” laments Bob.

By equipping local farmers to bring their in-season bounty to your table via the Co-Op, you’re not only doing your part to improve the broken food system, you’re putting money right back into the local economy.

Reason #5: You’re supporting sustainable farming practices.

The focus on sustainability to accompany regenerative farming ensures the land is never worked beyond what it can healthfully produce. This gentler practice allows for generations to come to reap the benefits of the rich farmland… just as God intended! We are instructed to be stewards and shepherds of the land and animals we get to enjoy.

As poignantly stated by Annemarie Sullivan, owner of Sullifarm + Kitchen providing all pasture-raised pork to the Co-Op, “Remember, every time you eat a meal, you are either enforcing a positive or negative effect. Not just to your body, but to our animals, our communities, our future generations, our air, water, and soil.”

By joining The R+R Farm Co-Op, you can rest assured that while you might not be the one digging in the dirt, you’re enforcing the positive effect of the most sustainable farming practices in the industry.

Reason #6: Organically grown produce and pasture-raised meats & eggs are best.

In a world of marketing mumbo jumbo with virtually no regulation on what the creative team at AB&C Marketing Company throws on the package of hot dogs to make them sound like they’re straight from heaven, even the savviest of shoppers can be misguided. Further, the red-tape and expensive hoop jumping required to obtain a USDA Organic stamp would make your head spin.

Organically grown produce and pasture-raised meats are the terms colloquially used by regenerative farmers to describe the most nutrient-dense food for your health as well as the most humane and nurturing practices for the animals and for the land.

Bob sums it all up perfectly saying, “Come for the nutrition and flavor. Stay for the Farm Share increase!”

Ready to join The R+R Farm Co-Op? Let’s do it!

How It Works:

Step 1: An annual Co-Op Membership of $89 must be secured to join and order from the Co-Op (spots are limited - so don't delay). Memberships go toward supporting the farmer’s supplies, inclement weather issues, production as well as the operational costs to run The Co-Op. Note: Your Co-Op Membership does not include the cost of food you choose to order. Secure your Membership here.

Step 2: After a Membership is purchased, customers can shop produce, meats, eggs, and more provided by our local farmers during shopping windows open every other Friday thru Monday. Check out this calendar for ordering and pick-up dates.

Step 3: Customers will then pick up their conveniently bundled goods the Thursday following the order window at R+R 11am-5pm. Ordering opens March 21st-28th & first pickup is March 31st.

The following amazing farmers will be providing directly to your table:

Sunflower Farms provides all of the delicious pasture-raised, grass-fed beef.

Little Foot Farm provides free-range, organic, pasture-raised eggs to the Co-Op.

Sullifarm + Kitchen provides all of the pasture-raised pork products.

Hollow Trace Market Farm provides all of the organically grown produce, specialty herbs and canned goods sold.

Armagh Creamery provides all of the dairy products.

Icon Bread provides all of the sourdough bread to The R+R Farm Co-Op.

Prairie Oasis Farm provides the pasture-raised chicken and lamb to the R+R Farm Co-Op.

Head to therrfarmcoop.com to learn more about the Co-Op, our amazing farmers, available products and to join the Co-Op! Stay tuned for more from The R+R Farm Co-Op including recipes and pro-tips from our knowledgeable farmers.