Posts filed under 'Health & Vitality'
By Bob Bencivenga
Throughout the day, in the air we breathe, the water we drink, food we eat, even the clothes we wear, we are exposed to thousands of chemicals. These chemicals don’t effect us at once. Instead, they act like water filling a glass. Once a certain level is reached, the glass (the body) overflows, and a reaction occurs. Over-exposure to chemicals is hard to diagnose. Sometimes symptoms look like the flu, others symptoms include sleeplessness, depression, diarrhea, or general muscle and body aches. The affliction is known as MCS, or Multiple Chemical Sensitivities.
Aside from moving into the woods, it’s hard to avoid chemicals outside the home, but our home should be a haven, and it makes sense to protect ourselves as much as possible.
Our homes are full of sources for chemicals and pollutants, making our indoor air toxic. The biggest indoor pollutant is formaldehyde. Yes, a chemical used to preserve the dead is used in our homes, and we wind up breathing it in. The most common sources include, flooring, particle board, and insulation. Formaldehyde is especially prevalent in mobile homes. Vapor barriers meant to stop the transfer of moisture actually trap moisture in the walls and cause mold and rot. Paints covering your walls contain formaldehyde and toluene. New carpets, the finish on your cabinets, and the spackle in your wall joints can contain chemicals including formaldehyde, alkylphenols, brominated flame retardants, organotins and perfluorinated compounds, which can make you sick. The way you heat your home can also have an effect on how you feel in it. Most systems, including forced air and radiators increase dust and dry air. Ductwork can harbor mold and mildew, while electric baseboards create electromagnetic fields.
Not all is lost, though. There are plenty of things you can do to increase the indoor air quality of your home. The market for chemical free products and building practices is growing every year, and you can take advantage of the great amounts of information available. One of the most important and easiest things you can do is to read the warning labels of products you buy. Avoid known carcinogens, and if possible, purchase products with less chemicals than others. There are paints, woods, insulations, and building methods that take indoor air quality very seriously. Robert Laporte and his wife Paula, run the company EcoNest, (www.econest.com) based in the Southwest, and specialize in healthy homes using mud and straw insulation to build homes as beautiful as they are livable. Visit www.bioshieldpaints.com for great resources on healthy paints and stains, www.healthyhome.com is a site for all your home concerns, and visit, www.usgbc.org for the United States Green Building Council.
If you’re building a new home you can get healthy from the start. Orient the home to take advantage of southern exposure. Put most of your windows at the south end of the home, to take advantage of low, winter sun, and install overhangs to block out high, hot, summer sun. Using east and west air currents you’ll also be able to cool your home more efficiently. Make sure there is plenty of ventilation, and considered using a gas-powered, hot-water, radiant heating system which runs under the floors, eliminating ductwork and forced air problems. If you already have ductwork in place, you can install ultra-violet lights to kill mold and pathogens. Consider putting a humidifier unit right on your furnace to keep the air moist in drier climates. Using stone, tiles (with the proper sealants), cork, bamboo, and recycled-glass carpet all cut down drastically on pollutants.
It is estimated that 80% of the pesticides we’re exposed to occur indoors. Changing building practices to increase indoor air quality is a start, but you can do more by making healthy choices in other areas. Clothes and bedding are treated with chemicals, in addition to the more obvious culprits such as cleaning products, deodorants and deodorizers. Visit your local health food store, and you may be surprised by the number and effectiveness of the products available to make your everyday life healthier. The final link to increase your health is in the food you eat. Buying organic can drastically effect your overall health. Most of the food a person buys on a daily basis is loaded with pesticides, buying organic ensure you’ll have food which was processed less, grown closer to your home, and has a higher nutritional content. Start with one of these areas and work on the rest. Changing just one thing can have a great impact on your quality of life. To your health!
Visit http://www.PlacesOfValue.com for more articles on best places in North Carolina and South Carolina, relocation made easy, top retirement communities, cost of living, and designing and building your Dream Home.
I’ve spent over 30 years finding the best real estate locations for major corporations. These companies have made hundreds of millions of dollars based on the locations I’ve selected.
I’m a professional real estate site locator and location analyst. During the last 5 years, I’ve been researching the growth of towns in North and South Carolina, for the relocation of my family.
I’ve studied hundreds of towns to find those areas which are still affordable, have a high quality lifestyle, and the potential for future growth.
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Technorati Tags: multiple chemical sensitivity, mcs, house, chemicals, home, tips, free, safe, avoid, safer, paint, carpet, heating, cooling, insulation, formaldehyde, biggest, indoor pollutant, electromagnetic fields, carcinogens, organic, chemical free, healthy
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January 3rd, 2008
In Part 1 we discussed dangerous fragrance chemicals in everyday products, and the symptoms of chemical overload called Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, or MCS. In this article, we’ll discuss easy, healthful alternatives to toxic chemicals.
By following these guidelines, you’ll not only feel better and reduce your risk of developing cancer. You’ll also show kindness and courtesy for others, help reduce industrial pollution, and save money while you create a safer home and work place. Interested? Read on…
Switch to natural cosmetics, hair-care and personal products. You want products without parabens, phthalates and synthetic fragrances. You’ll be reducing your exposure to chemicals that cause cancer, lowered sperm counts and birth defects. Your hair and skin will become noticibly healthier. The companies listed in this link have pledged not to use carcinogens and endocrine disruptors in their products: The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.
Switch to natural perfume oils made from genuine essential oils and absolutes. Most perfumes and colognes, no matter how expensive, are loaded with carcinogens, neurotoxins and toxic waste chemicals. Take time to read labels and be cautious of any label that says “fragrances” or “blended fragrances”. While some of those products might be safe, most of them will contain synthetics.
A good store will provide inexpensive perfume samples so that you can test your reactions before buying a full bottle. If you’re switching to natural perfumes because someone around you is sensitive to fragrances, take the samples to that person and let them see how they feel.
Switch to non-toxic laundry and cleaning products. Quality brands include Seventh Generation and Natural Choices. Use baking soda instead of scouring powders. Bronner’s Liquid Soaps from the natural food store are inexpensive and work well for dishes and many other uses. Plain old white vinegar disinfects as well as bleach and makes a wonderful cleaner for floors, countertops and mirrors. It even kills mold!
Stop using fabric softener and dryer sheets altogether! These products are some of the most dangerous of all. They are often the worst trigger for people with MCS, affecting them from several rooms away. They coat your clean, newly washed fabrics with carcinogens, neurotoxins and toxic waste chemicals that have warnings to avoid skin contact and inhalation of their vapors. You will need to clean your dryer with vinegar and wash your clothes repeatedly with Borax to remove the fabric softener residue.
Throw away your paraffin candles- scented or otherwise. Paraffin candles are made from the sludge at the bottom of oil refinery barrels. When they burn, the black smoke they emit is essentially diesel exhaust! Use natural, honey-scented beeswax candles instead. Beeswax candles create healthful negative ions that actually clean the air! While they cost more initially, they burn much longer than paraffin, with a brighter flame.
Replace your air fresheners with Natural Essential Oils. The fragrances in air fresheners come from petrochemicals, not nature. Using them creates a steady cloud of toxic fumes in your home. Real essential oils smell wonderful and also provide aromatherapy benefits. You can use essential oils with lightbulb scent rings, electric diffusers, and candle warmers with beeswax candles.
Use fragrance-free cat litter. Fragrances from cat litters can pervade your entire home and cling to your clothing. Think of how bad they are for your little kitty, with her face so close to the litter. The best alternative (according to this author and her four cats) is a litter by ExquisiCat called Advanced Scoop Paper Formula. Made from recycled paper, it has terrific odor-control, looks and feels like clay, and clumps safely without bentonite. Out of the many they have tried, this one performs the best.
A steady barrage of thousands of fragrance chemicals numbs your sense of smell. Once you stop using those products you will actually regain your ability to smell, and feel more connected to nature. To your health!
About the Author:
Siri Amrit Kaur Khalsa has Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) and is a cancer survivor. She started Tigerflag Natural Perfumery at http://www.tigerflag.com/ to give people a safe alternative to toxic perfumes, soaps and candles. You can find more information about natural perfumery and MCS by visiting her Info page at http://www.tigerflag.com/info.html.
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January 1st, 2008
You will want to know what treatment methods you can use for Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (or MCS), if you have this condition. Obviously, the best way is to reduce or prevent exposure to your known allergens and irritants. This should allow your body some space to detoxify and heal itself.
However, you would find it a near impossible task to eliminate that many allergens from your life. Not unless you choose to stay in a protective bubble away from all the conveniences of a modern lifestyle. This being the case, you can consider engaging in treatments for MCS to help alleviate the symptoms that you suffer, such as irritated eyes, itchy skin and other bodily reactions.
One such treatment for MCS can be found in a sauna. Saunas are used by many cultures for cleansing and detoxification. Saunas are a powerful way to eliminate environmental chemicals that are stored in your fat cells. Get a sauna that uses dry heat and has not been treated with toxic chemicals.
Do not go hungry, have just eaten or feel weak before going into a sauna. Before you go into the sauna, perform between 20 to 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise. You will then want to sit in the sauna between 10 to 45 minutes. Additionally, you may want to consume niacin supplements. Of course, you should talk to your doctor about using a sauna detoxification treatment for MCS before you get started.
You can also use contrast showers as another treatment for MCS. Contrast showers will increase micro circulation in your body’s tissues, promote cleansing and strengthens your immune system. They can assist in replacing your damaged and stressed tissues with nutrients, oxygen and immune cells. Your body will also expedite the removal of metabolic waste, inflammatory by-products and other toxic substances, with this detoxification treatment. They help strengthen your immune system by increasing your white blood cells.
You will need to alternate hot and cold water as you take a shower. Simply have 3 minutes of hot water followed by 1 minute of cold water. You should repeat this at least once, always ending with cold water.
You should also watch your diet. This means drinking between 8 and 12 glasses of water each day. If you intend to do sauna cleansing, then you will need to drink more water. Liquid mineral supplements can also help. However, if you have heart or kidney disease, then you should talk to your doctor before you start taking these supplements.
Another treatment for MCS is skin brushing. Skin brushing helps to facilitate the cleansing of your skin by stimulating your lymphatic system. As such, toxins will be eliminated through your skin. Skin brushing will also improve your blood circulation and remove the dead skin cells that clog your pores. In order to do this, you are going to need to have a long handled natural bristle brush. You can easily purchase this at your local health food store. If, you cannot find one of these brushes, you can use a loofah sponge instead.
For skin brushing, start at the soles of your feet. Apply light pressure while brushing your skin in small circles up to your stomach, then from the palms of your hands towards your chest and finally with your scalp. You should not however brush your face, breasts or any other sensitive areas. You can do this either in the morning or in the evening. It will work really well with a contrast shower.
While you cannot control factors outside your home, you can always make your home MCS safe. Here are some tips:
1. Remove or seal off the fireplace in your home.
2. Eliminate tobacco smoke.
3. Keep your environment clean.
4. Use area rugs that are made out of natural material and do not have a stain resistant finish.
5. Remove all of the carpeting in your home.
6. Install an air filter or seal off ductwork.
7. Use an air exchanger to filter the air in your home.
8. Use furniture that is made out of solid wood.
9. Remove any man-made textiles in your home.
10. Remove any natural textiles that have chemical finishes on them.
While you are outside, these are some exposure areas that you should avoid:
1. New buildings
2. Clothing that has to be dry clean
3. Stores that sell leather products
4. People who are wearing perfume or cologne
5. Stores that sell seasonal merchandise
6. Moist or damp areas
Need to get rid of toxins? Reap benefits from detoxification cleansing. Sign up to free research and special reports by Sandra Kim Leong on colon and liver cleansing, juice fasting and on detox diets here at http://www.Detox-Cleansing-Diet.com
Technorati Tags: multiple chemical sensitivity, mcs, treatment, tips, safe, home, exposure, avoid, natural
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December 29th, 2007
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