Do you joke about heartburn? Perhaps it started off as an occasional, nagging burning in your chest and you blamed Grandma’s cooking. Is it still occasional, or has it crept into regular discomfort? Are you wondering if heartburn is caused by lack of acid instead of too much?
What does summer mean for you – beach, camping, backyard cookouts? I love a good BBQ, but must admit that it doesn’t always mean the healthiest meal. Today let’s talk about some healthy grilling tips!
The common BBQ menu can be part of the trouble. Besides an oversized portion of meat, the majority of BBQs seem to include a heavy helping of high-glycemic carbs (think potatoes, baked beans, etc).
Are you in full spring-cleaning mode, yet? Tidying up your home and cleaning its surfaces can breathe such a breath of fresh air into your life. Provided your cleaning products are not adding more toxins in the process. I’d like you to try some eco-friendly cleaning products to shine up your home.
The majority of the household cleaners we see in the store and advertised in media contain chemicals that can make it hard for us to breathe, cause our eyes to water, or even lead to health concerns we certainly want to bypass. These damaging chemicals are found in everything from your fabric softener that gets clothes feeling snuggly to your soap-scum remover, and everything in between.
Our hair is an integral part of our style, personality, and sense of attractiveness. It is one of the first things we notice about someone when they enter a room. But thinning hair, bald spots and hair loss can undermine our self-confidence and cause great frustration.
How many products have you used to remedy the situation? The root cause can be elusive. These can involve unique hormonal imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, and environmental factors. Hormones are generally a prime suspect, so let’s explore them.
Whether you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanza, the holidays can be a great time of joy for many. But for others, they are filled with anxiety and stress. Sometimes, even for those that love the family get-togethers, the stress of holiday shopping, finances, and hosting relatives can tear them apart. Let’s talk about ways to stop stress eating during the holidays and enjoy the happy activities and time with your family.
When stress hits at this time of year, it’s easy to turn to that tray of cookies for moral support. After all, cookies won’t criticize you about your life choices the way your family will.
But that’s not healthful … and you know it. Plus, you’ll feel even less joy when you realize you’ve undone this year’s hard work toward wellness. If you find the holidays cause you to gobble down more than you should as a way to cope with the stress, I am offering you these tips for curbing the stress eating before the first tray of cookies is introduced.
It happens throughout the day in all sorts of settings. Hand sanitizer is squirted and spread on the hands, creating a cooling sensation and the feeling of clean.
You have no doubt found this product convenient when you did not have running water available, but have you ever wondered what long-term effect it would have on your body? Given that the majority of chemicals used in the vast number of personal care products have not been tested for safety in humans, it would benefit you to explore what you are using and its potential side-effects.
Hand sanitizers can be made with alcohol (usually ethyl alcohol) or an antibiotic compound called triclosan, which can also be found in antibacterial soaps and even toothpaste. There are a wide variety of potential hazards involved in these ingredients:
Toxic Chemicals – personal care products often have ingredients such as synthetic “fragrance” which is made of phthalates, a hormone disrupter that interferes with the proper function of your hormones, and parabens, which have been demonstrated to age your skin and are linked to breast cancer.
Weaker Immune System – researchers have found that triclosan may negatively affect the human immune system, can make people more susceptible to allergies and more vulnerable to the BPA found in plastics.
Alcohol Poisoning – while using the alcohol-based santizers avoids exposure to chemicals, remember that what you put on your skin is absorbed, and repeated use of the product exposes you (and your children’s smaller bodies) to alcohol.
Hormone Disruption – animal studies have shown that triclosan can change the way hormones work in the body, and mice exposed to just one dose of triclosan experienced a 25% reduction in heart function.
Antibiotic Resistance – researchers found that health care employees who were most likely to use hand sanitizers over soap and water for routine hand washing were nearly 6 times more at risk for illness.
Are there better options? Thankfully, yes.
Remember good ol’ soap and water? That’s a good place to start. While you may think of soap as the star in this mix, it merely removes debris that may harbor bacteria. It is actually the friction of the washing motion that removes the microbes. In fact, a 2007 study found that routine handwashing with regular soap and water is more effective than the use of antibacterial soap.
So skip the antibacterial products and reach for castile soap or other varieties with simple ingredients. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds and then rinse well under running water.
If you are frequently in settings where running water and soap are not available, consider making your own sanitizer using the recipe I have provided or one that is similar. These ingredients don’t put your hormones at risk, but will still control the bacteria on your hands and the essential oils provide natural scents.
With the start of the school year, your children will once again be exposed to more “bugs” and it is important to teach them how to protect themselves. Providing them with their own “‘safe” sanitizer will protect them from the “bugs” now and the effect of questionable ingredients in the future.
What first step will you take to keep your family’s hands clean?
There are many parts of our body that we think of and consciously support, but I’m pretty sure you liver isn’t on that list. Poor liver! It has a high demand job, but get’s little respect or active support.
Just what does your liver do for you? Read more
Men and women have searched for the secrets for delaying the aging process for centuries. Have you joined the hunt?
How many products have you purchased to reduce wrinkles, improve skin tone, increase energy? You know the drill. I’ve been there and I recently cleaned out several jars and bottles from the bathroom cabinet that I realize aren’t going to be a magic fix. Read more
