EXCUSE # 1: BAREFOOT WALKING LOOKS PAINFUL

It's true that barefoot walking can be painful at times in the beginning. But thirty(30) minutes in high heels is way more painful. When you commit to barefoot walking, your skin strengthens quickly and quite dramatically. For the first few weeks the feet skin is really tender and soft, and that's a good thing: it acts as your coach and keeps you from doing too much , too soon. 

  After only a few short weeks the sole skin grows strong and the fat pads on your feet, lost after you began to wear shoes as a kid, begin to return. In only a few short months, in addition to developing strong skin, you feet become spongy, cushioned naturally and springlike. They do not become callused and crusty, which is a common misconception, but rather strong and quite smooth. If you live in a warmer climate, this occurs even faster, no matter your age. 

Can Earthing Really Help With Jet Lag?

People have a built in body cycle which works on what is called a circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm is your 24 hour internal biological clock that runs in the background of your brain. It cycles between sleepiness and alertness at regular time intervals which is also known as your sleep/wake cycle. Lightness, darkness, temperature change, sleep patterns and rapid long distance traveling (that crosses east-west or west-east) are all external clues from our environment that can disrupt our inner circadian rhythm.



Your circadian rhythm works best when you have regular sleep habits such as those who don't have chronic pain, young children to get up with in the night or do shift work. For example, those who go to bed at night and wake up in the morning around the same time from day to day have the best working circadian rhythm. When external stimuli change your internal clock such as daylight savings, a late night movie or dreaded jet lag, you can disrupt your circadian rhythm, which makes you feel tired, grumpy, and perhaps have difficulty paying attention or just plain out of sorts.

So the question is, can Earthing really help regulate your circadian rhythm and lessen the effects of jet lag? For some people the condition of jet lag can last several days until your system is fully adjusted to the new time zone. However when being in direct contact with the Earth, the effects and adjustment period to your new local time zone can be significantly reduced. Why is this so?


Grounding leads us to believe that it's much more than the light/dark cycle that effects our diverse bodily circadian rhythm, but a much greater physiological stability that has to do with the natural rhythms of the environment that are easily influenced by taking some time to touch the Earth. The Earth's energy coordinates our biological clock which regulates hormone flow in our bodies. When in contact with the Ground, the slow and gentle rhythm of the Earth's field of energy is essential for maintaining our circadian rhythm. The day/night or wake/sleep cortisol levels are normalized when touching the Earth. The Earth's energy potential fluctuates according to the position of the sun and moon so at any point on its surface, the circadian cycle will be different. The best way to normalize yourself to the area and time zone you are in, is to practice Earthing as soon as you arrive at your new destination or even if it's arriving back home after a trip. By immediately practicing Grounding you can get your biological cycle in sync with the new place you are in, reset yourself to local time and reduce or eliminate the various symptoms many experience from jet lag.

At The Earthing Store our easiest advice to practice Earthing once you arrive at your destination is to wear Earthing shoes while traveling. All you need is a quick 20 minutes to touch the Earth while wearing a pair of Grounding footwear and you can do this without any extra effort on your part. Find some grass or a sidewalk to walk to your parked car or to catch a bus as both will help reset your circadian rhythm even if only for a few minutes. If you are traveling in the night and plan to immediately go to your hotel you can always opt to sleep Grounded. Pack along a travel Earthing sleep aid such as a pillow case, recovery bag or throw. All of which will help you sleep better and reset your biological clock without taking up to much room in your suitcase.

What Materials Are Conductive?

What materials are conductive? It’s a good question to ask if you want to know how to practice earthing besides walking around outside in your bare feet. Take a look below at a list of both conductive and non-conductive materials to help you better plan how you will maximize your grounding time. It is our hope that after reviewing this list, you will better know what to wear, what to touch and where to stand to help you practice earthing throughout your day.

YES Conductive!

Leather
Leather is conductive so it is good to wear leather soled shoes. It is even more conductive when moist so if your feet sweat a little in your shoes, it’s a good thing. Leather shoes allow grounding after they have been worn long enough to absorb moisture from the environment. Conductivity of the leather increases with wear, as the shoes absorb more moisture over time.

Copper
Copper is conductive which is why some earthing shoes have copper dots or plates, in the soles, to allow you to connect to the earth while wearing them.

Skin
Skin is especially conductive, right in the middle of the ball of your foot, as it connects to your whole body. This is why earthing is most effective by electron transfer through your feet.

Metal
Metal materials will allow electron transfer to flow. Earthing devices often use silver or carbon as a conductive agent because they are strong and last over time.

Concrete
Concrete is moist and if poured directly onto the earth, can be used as a reasonable substitute to walking directly on the earth.

Beaches
Beaches are great for conductivity because everyone walks barefoot on the beach!

Water
Water is conductive and works quite well as our bodies are made up primarily of water, so it makes for a good connection.

Clothing
Clothing made of cotton, wool or any natural fibre is conductive. Make sure it’s not too thick and your skin will still be able to connect to the earth.

Socks
Socks are conductive as feet naturally sweat. Silver lined socks are especially great for connectivity.

Blankets
Blankets made of cotton, wool or any natural fibre will also allow earthing to take place.

Trees
Trees are living and connected to the earth so if you are touching a tree grounding can occur.

Vehicles
Vehicles can be considered conductive because they are made of metal so by using a conductive auto pad you can achieve earthing while driving.

Grass
Grass is especially conductive when it’s moist.

Dirt
Dirt is of course conductive as it is the earth! So go on and get dirty! Play in the mud, work in the garden. The messier the better!


NO Not Conductive!

Pavement
Pavement is not conductive so if you live in the city you’ve got to get to a nearby park!

Wood
Wood, once cut from the living tree, is no longer conductive so living in a stick frame house doesn’t allow you to practice earthing.

Plastic
Plastic is also not a suitable substance for earthing so flip flops, most deck furniture and many other items are not conductive.

Rubber
Rubber boots or soled shoes do not allow electrons to permeate through. There are specially made earthing shoes such as Pluggz that have black carbon and rubber targeted centre which are actually made to be conductive.

Sealer
Sealer or painted concrete are non-conductive as the electrons don’t pass through the sealer or paint very well.

Synthetic Materials
Any synthetic material will not be conductive which rules out most common footwear such as running shoes, dress shoes, work boots etc.

Insulated Materials
Any insulated materials such as foam, glass, porcelain work the complete opposite as conductors. 


With a better idea of what materials are conductive, you can begin to practice earthing on purpose today. Start with a pair of Pluggz shoes or natural earthing moccasins. If you cannot change your footwear try grounding pads, blanket or earthing bedding. The Earthing Store has a complete line of copper dot plated footwear as well as leather soled moccasins that are designed with earthing in mind. We have sandals and shoes for men, women and children so visit one of our product pages today for a great deal on some earthing footwear. You won’t be disappointed as we have great selection, remarkable prices, friendly service and fast shipping. 

Bibliography
• Koniver, Laura MD. The Top 3 Earthing FAQ’s. Intuition Physician, 15 Oct. 2012. Web. 29 Sept. 2014. http://www.intuition-physician.com/grounding-faqs/.

• Mercola, Joseph MD. Caution: Wearing These Can Sabotage Your Health. Mercola.com Take Control of Your Health. 29 Apr. 2012. Web. 29 Sept. 2014. 
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/04/29/james-oschman-on-earthing.aspx. Ober, Clint. Earthing FAQs. Unikey • Heatlh Quality Nutritional Supplements. Web. 29 Sept. 2014. http://www.unikeyhealth.com/Earthing_FAQs. 

• Ober, Clint, Stephen T. Sinatra and Martin Zucker. Earthing. The Most Important Health Discovery Ever? Laguna Beach: Basic Health Publications, Inc., 2010. Print.

For a more traditional Earthing shoes, some choose to wear real leather moccasins as a way of avoiding wearing something with a carbon sole or plug. Want to learn more about how leather sole moccasins can work as Earthing shoes? More specifically, read on to find out how oil tan leather works ideally as a sole for an outdoor Grounding shoe.



When you wear natural leather sole shoes the moisture surrounding the leather from the ground and your feet makes the material conductive. This conductivity allows the Earth's electrons to flow through to your feet and neutralize the free radicals within your body. This phenomenon is known as Earthing. Most moccasins have a synthetic insole which prevents this transfer from occurring. However, genuine leather moccasins feature no synthetic materials, only real leather soles. Therefore natural moccasins are conductive and make the perfect, most comfortable Earthing shoes when walking on the Earth's surface.

Authentic, Grounding moccasins in particular, have an extremely thick, durable and tough, oil tan, chromexcel sole, which makes them more durable than most soft sole moccasin style slippers. Moccasins with an oil tan sole have been custom manufactured specifically for those feet that would like to practice Earthing and also benefit from real leather moccasins that will last a long time. All of our oil tan, Earthing moccasin shoes are made with two layers of leather, the outer layer being the thick and heavy grade, oil tan leather making them extra durable and perfect for enjoying Grounding outdoors. If ever our real leather moccasins seem a little stiff when you first wear them, the leather will soften and become more flexible and mould to your feet as you break them in.


We have a couple styles of oil tan Earthing moccasins for both men and women hand sewn by Canada's top moccasin vendors, Bastien Industries and Laurentian Chief. We carry only the best in Earthing footwear so we aim to offer you the best customer service with an overall exceptional online shopping experience. We have a safe and secure checkout with competitive pricing. Enjoy free shipping this summer on orders over $100. We care about helping you practice Grounding this summer so don't hesitate to try a pair of high quality, naturally oil tan leather moccasins, today.

FREE SHOES FOR EVERYONE

"Why didn't I think of this sooner?" Jessica Lee asked.

How could something we have for free ㅡ our bare feet ㅡ be better than shoes that cost money? After all, shoes are supposedly  designed to protect our feet ㅡ aren't they?

The truth about walking in shoes, especially high heels and rocker-style aerobic shoes, is that they can be downright dangerous to your feet and your overall health.

High heel shoe ⇧

Aerobic shoes ⇧

An Iowa State University (ISU) study evaluated women wearing flats, two-inch heels, and three-and-a half- inch heels. You don't need to be a researcher to figure out how this went. The higher the heel, the greater the forces on the inside of the knee.

These forces, over time, can contribute to osteoarthritis of the knee, leading to a lifetime of pain and a need for knee replacement. And if that isn't painful enough, high heels force women to bend forward at the pelvic bone, causing undue stress on the lower back and the spine. 

  While previous studies have examined the effect of high heels on joints, the ISU researchers found that the higher the heel, the slower women walked, the shorter their strides become, and the more compression they experienced on the inside ㅡ or medial side ㅡ

of the knee.

Perhaps the safest, most comfortable shoe in your closet is your bedroom slipper. Think about it.

What shoes do you put on when your feet hurt?

When you're just hanging out at home?