Healthy News

Hidden Pollutants Inside Your Home

February 27, 2013 by Betty

“AHHH…For Real…Are you kidding me?” “I’m shock.” “I can not believe this.” “Is this a propaganda?” These and many other terms were going through my mind as I was researching on the toxins and pollutants in a typical home. Can you believe that? I would never believe that my home is a toxic place. If there’s a safe place, it’s my home. A place where I can relax, feel safe, and raise my kids. I am a stay-at-home-mom and I homeschool my kids, so we spend the majority of our time indoors. Not to mention, we live in Oregon where it rains 9 months out of the year, so that does not help either. I am totally bummed and scared about it!

My Findings:
Researchers suggest that indoor air is five times more polluted than outdoor air. In fact, they also suspect that indoor pollution is partly to blame for the rise in asthma, allergies, headaches and respiratory diseases to name a few.

Toxins are lurking around in even seemingly clean houses. I recently learned that indoor pollution can be caused by the furniture made with pressed wood products which gives off formaldehyde from the gluing process. Then there’s also VOC’s in carpets and paint. The list goes on.

How about the cleaning products and air fresheners that you use in your home? Air fresheners contain high levels of chemicals that can accumulate in your lungs. Cleaning products also give off chemicals that are labeled as carcinogenic air pollutants by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

There is Hope:

After reading about all the toxins, I came across an article by Dr. Mercola that gave me tips on how to improve the air quality in my home. Here are his recommendations:

1. Increase ventilation by opening a few windows every day for 5 to 10 minutes, preferably on opposite sides of the house.

2. Get some houseplants. Even NASA has found that plants markedly improve the air! Click here for the 10 best pollution-busting houseplants.

3. Take your shoes off as soon as you enter the house, and leave them by the door to prevent tracking in of toxic particles.

4. Discourage tobacco smoking in or around your home.

5. Switch to non-toxic cleaning products (such as baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and vinegar) and safer personal care products. Avoid aerosols. Look for VOC-free cleaners. Avoid commercial air fresheners and scented candles, which can degass literally thousands of different chemicals into your breathing space.

6. Don’t hang dry cleaned clothing in your closet immediately. Hang them outside for a day or two. Better yet, see if there’s an eco-friendly dry cleaner in your city that uses some of the newer dry cleaning technologies, such as liquid CO₂.

7. Vacuum and shampoo/mop carpets, rugs, and floors regularly. Every time a person walks across the floor, a whirlwind of irritants is stirred up.

8. Upgrade your furnace filters. Today, there are more elaborate filters that trap more of the particulates. Have your furnace and air conditioning ductwork and chimney cleaned regularly.

9. Avoid storing paints, adhesives, solvents, and other harsh chemicals in your house or in an attached garage.

10. Avoid using nonstick cookware. I now carry my favorite alternative, ceramic cookware, in my store.

11. Ensure your combustion appliances are properly vented.

12. When building or remodeling, opt for safer and more eco-friendly materials. VOC-free paints are becoming easier to find.

13. Opt for sustainable hardwood flooring instead of carpet. Carpet traps a multitude of particles such as pet dander, heavy metals, and all sorts of allergens. If you choose to install carpet, look for one labeled “VOC-free” to avoid toxic outgassing.

14. Make sure your house has proper drainage and its foundation is sealed properly.

15. The same principles apply to ventilation inside your car—especially if your car is new—and chemicals from plastics, solvents, carpet and audio equipment add to the toxic mix in your car’s cabin. That “new car smell” can contain up to 35 times the health limit for VOCs, “making its enjoyment akin to glue-sniffing,” as this article reports.

By no means is this an all-inclusive article on the toxins and pollutants in your home. I hope this gives you the curiosity to find out more and spur you on to making your home a better place. A place where you can feel and breathe safely.

Produce Guide Part 2: The Dirty Dozen Plus

September 5, 2012 by Betty

If you have a choice, eat organic. But not all of us can afford to eat everything organic. The chart below gave a list of produce that are in the dirty dozen plus. They are on this list due to the fact that they have high pesticide levels. On the contrary, the Clean 15 indicated a list that has lowest levels of pesticide. These two lists helped me to know when to buy organic vs. conventional. Hopefully this produce guide will be helpful to you too.

The above information’s taken from the EWG’s 2012 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticide in Produce.

Filed Under: Healthy News Tagged With: How to shop organic, Organic vs. Conventional, Shopping for organics vs. conventional

Delicious Green Smoothies

August 30, 2012 by Betty

As a mom of three young kids, I’m always looking for delicious and healthy ways to pack in those green veggies. About a year and a half ago, I decided to give green smoothies a try after my friend, Heidi, raved about her green smoothies and her VitaMix. After a few combos, I was surprised that they tasted pretty good. Since then, we love our green smoothies and here are some of the reasons:

Blending breaks down the veggies so your body could absorb the nutrients faster than eating veggies whole cooked or raw.
Not very many of us eat the recommended 6-8 servings of fruits and vegetables in a day. Blending veggies in smoothies allows your body to intake greater quantity of veggies more efficiently.
Many of us tend to eat the same vegetables in our salads. In smoothies, on the other hand, it’s easy to put in a variety of veggies, especially vegetables that you wouldn’t normally eat.
Blending raw fruits and vegetables provides your body with live enzymes and all kinds of needed nutrients for optimal health.

Our whole family, including my five, four and three-year-old love green smoothies. It’s a great way to sneak in some fruits and vegetables into their diet.

Look for my post on the VitaMix and why you should own one vs. other blenders.

Filed Under: Healthy News Tagged With: Health Benefits of Green Smoothies

Produce Guide Part 1: Buying Local

August 29, 2012 by admin

I’ve never thought of buying locally grown fruits and vegetables until three years ago.My views changed when I learned the benefits of foods that are grown locally vs. foods that are flown in from other countries. I am thankful for the invention of our modern transportation system, you and I can enjoy foods that don’t thrive in our climate, like papayas, coconuts, and Goji berries just to name a few. But there’s a cost. You’ve probably guessed it; the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables is comprised. A lot of fruits are picked before they are fully ripe so they don’t go bad when they reach the stores. These “green” fruits are ripened in the transportation process and in the distribution centers. What’s more, fresh fruits and vegetables don’t normally keep that long unless chemicals are applied to help them stay and appear fresh.

So what are your options? Like me, I choose local farmers. A lot of farmer’s markets have popped up in recent years. In the area where I live, there are three farmer’s market all within a few miles. I would advice you to visit and ask them about their farming practices. Some farmers use pesticides while some choose to grow their produce free of chemicals. I mainly choose to buy from the organic farmers.

As a result of buying local, you will enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables that are naturally ripened which contain great flavors at their optimal nutritional values.

Filed Under: Healthy News

Produce Guide Part 1: Buying Local

August 29, 2012 by Betty

I’ve never thought of buying locally grown fruits and vegetables until three years ago. My views changed when I learned the benefits of foods that are grown locally vs. foods that are flown in from other countries. I am thankful for the invention of our modern transportation system, you and I can enjoy foods that don’t thrive in our climate, like papayas, coconuts, and Goji berries just to name a few. But there’s a cost. You’ve probably guessed it; the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables is comprised. A lot of fruits are picked before they are fully ripe so they don’t go bad when they reach the stores. These “green” fruits are ripened in the transportation process and in the distribution centers. What’s more, fresh fruits and vegetables don’t normally keep that long unless chemicals are applied to help them stay and appear fresh.

As a result of buying local, you will enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables that are naturally ripened which contain great flavors at their optimal nutritional values.