Why Gwyneth Paltrow thinks going barefoot can improve your health and fight depression
How often do you walk around barefoot outside? In Canada, probably not all that often. Well, Gwyneth Paltrow would tell you that your lack of connection with the earth is the reason behind your insomnia, arthritis, depression or one of many other ailments you might be plagued with. Paltrow, the actress and mind behind the blog Goop, is a proponent of Earthing and recently featured an interview with Dr. Clint Ober, a leader in the movement, on her site.
If you've never heard of Earthing, it's basically the idea that a physical connection with the earth can make you healthier and happier. According to Ober, Earthing is based on the theory that in walking barefoot outdoors allows us to pick up negatively charged particles or electrons from the earth.
Electrons help fight free radicals, making us healthier, thinning our blood and fighting diseases. Free radicals are atoms which are missing an electron, so they steal them from our bodies (this part is actually science). Pollution, fried food, smoke, pesticides and even the sun's rays cause free radical damage to our bodies, health and skin. Free radicals are often blamed for premature aging, causing collagen to break down, creating more wrinkles and less elasticity.
There's another side to Earthing, called Grounding. This takes the same principles of connecting to the earth indoors with devices, including mattresses, sheets and foot pads, that include a wire that is plugged into the grounding port on any electrical outlet. The grounding port is the round hole at the bottom of an outlet and literally connects to the ground, preventing electrical shock.
These Grounding devices are supposed to give you the same experience as Earthing without having to sleep outside or wander around barefoot in the winter. The problem? The idea that you're not grounded indoors seems misleading. We are rarely ever not grounded — even when wearing shoes indoors. Neither our mattresses, nor our sheets are very well insulated, meaning that while you may see sparks between the sheets once in awhile (make of that what you will), your bed isn't exactly an electrical outlet. All it would take is touching a doorknob, wetting your fingers or putting your foot to the floor to disperse the extra electricity.
Even Dr. Andrew Weil, a celebrity physician and fan of alternative medicine calls Earthing and Grounding into question. "Earthing enthusiasts claim that throughout history, our ancestors walked barefoot or wore shoes made from animal skins, which gave them direct contact with the Earth. Of course, for the most part those ancestors, grounded or not, lived short, hard lives for a variety of reasons, so it is difficult to draw conclusions about the effect of grounding, if any, on their overall health," he says on his website.
He does say that going barefoot when possible can be relaxing and stimulating for the feet. Being outdoors, getting fresh air and exercise is obviously beneficial. Plus, Dr. Ober suggests walking barefoot for at least thirty minutes a day—the same amount of time recommended for daily exercise. Coincidence? We think not. Your move, Gwyneth.