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Natural Health News: March 2009
The following articles appeared on Heal With Hope in March 2009:
Spring Cleaning the Natural Way
by Viyahta Robinson
House cleaning can be fun and rewarding! It just takes a “creative” attitude, energy and the right tools. Think of it as a trip to the gym only better. You’re creating a healthier environment for you and your home and the reward is a good sweaty workout. Having the right tools includes non-toxic products and techniques that are not too time consuming or energy draining. After five years in the house cleaning business, I’ve simplified the process and learned some great time saving techniques.
Moving through the house with an attitude of Love, brings Divine energy into the atmosphere and the end result of your work will be a more peaceful atmosphere. Numerous times over the past five years I’ve heard comments like “it feels different in here”, when I’ve completed cleaning a house. This has given me Purpose and a mind that says “it’s not about the toilets”.
Tips to make the job fun:
Our mothers used white distilled vinegar to clean just about everything and it remains a great “green” inexpensive product to keep you and your house healthy. Use un-diluted vinegar on those hard water faucet stains. Just spray vinegar full strength and let it set for a minute or two (depending on how long they’ve been there) then use a scrub sponge to just wipe away. Use about 1 tablespoon of vinegar to a gallon of hot water to keep your tile floorsshiney. You can also use a teaspoon of vinegar in a 16 oz spray bottle to clean off your counter tops.
Wood floors can be cleaned with a teaspoon of vinegar and a half tsp of olive oil in a bucket of water. Other alternatives would be Murphy’s Oil Soap and Bona wood floor cleaner. Whatever your choice you don’t need to have a soaking wet mop. I’ve seen scuffs disappear just by using a little more oil.
The hotter the water the less likely you’ll need any other cleaning products. Hot water is a great sanitizer and removes the sticky stuff easier. Those bathroom mirrors don’t need window spray. Just use hot water and a sponge and it removes those splash spots easily. 100% cotton T shirts make the best drying cloth for mirrors and they also are great for dusting. For the other mirrors use half a teaspoon of vinegar and water in a spray bottle.
For the bathroom and kitchens, Bon Amis a great non-toxic scouring powder that’s inexpensive (89 cents at a local supermarket) and great on tubs , tile and all kinds of tough spots. Bon Ami can also be used with Hydrogen Peroxide to kill mold and mildew. Depending on the depth of the mold, let the two products sit for a while and then rinse. Health food stores carry a variety of mold cleaners but if the mold is tough to remove it may be time for re-grouting. Prevention is key for mold elimination. Keep a squeegee in the shower so moisture doesn’t remain.
Orange cleaners are popular in the grocery stores so experiment and find the one that agrees with you and your family. I have found some to be too sudsy, so start out with a very small amount when diluting the concentrated products.
For the furniture place a couple of drops of lemon juice and olive oil in a dish then dab your cloth as you dust.
Keep those sponges bacteria free by placing them in the microwave for 2 minutes. This kills about 99.9% of all germs and bacteria. Anti-bacterial soaps are toxic and unnecessary. One report states that the chemicals in these soaps “eventually create anti-biotic-resistant germs”. Plain soap and hot water works better than all those chemical.
Keep fresh flowers in the house for more oxygen and to lift your spirits. Keep the cleaning products safe and simple and enjoy the workout!
As the owner of Holistic Home & Body Care, Viyahta works as an herbalist, Health Coach and house cleaner. Her experience as a house cleaner and 10 years in the health food business,
have helped her focus on balancing the home environment and the body for optimum health.
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Can Fat Be Healthy?
You may not think of fat as healthy, but not all fat is bad for us. According to nutritionists the body uses "healthy" or "good" fats to create energy, maintain cells, transport vitamins, and create hormonelike compounds that help regulate blood pressure and heart rate. They can also help to lower bad cholesterol levels.
"Good" fats include:
- Monounsaturated fats are found in foods such as olive oil, fish oil, avocados, olives, and nuts.
- Polyunsaturated fats are in soybeans, whole-grain wheat, and soy, sunflower, saffron and corn oil.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids are polyunsaturated fats that may lower the risk of coronary artery disease and may guard against irregular heartbeats and high blood pressure. Food choices that contain these fats are salmon, herring, flaxseeds, walnuts, and leafy green vegetables.
Fats to Avoid:
Limit trans and saturated fats.
- Trans fats can be found in baked goods such as doughnuts.
- Saturated fats are often found in animal products (full-fat dairy and red meat), partially hydrogenated oils (like Crisco, coconut, palm and other tropical oils.
Tip:
Use moderation no matter what type of fat you eat as all are high in calories.
Information for this article is from a report by Alison Johnson for the Daily Press in Newport New, VA.
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The Health Dangers of Soda
Dr. Ranit Mishor for Parade Magazine reports that the National Kidney Foundation estimates that 26 million Americans have chronic kidney disease (CKD). The kidneys are bean-shaped structures found just below the ribs in your back and are responsible for filtering the blood and excreting harmful chemicals. When damaged the body's ability to get rid of waste is reduced anc anc affect blood pressure, bone strength, and blood production. Even low levels of kidney disease can contribute to heart failure, arterial disease, and strokes.
Diabetes and high blood pressure are leading risk factors for CKD, followed by weight gain and smoking. A recent study done at Loyola University in Chicago finds that women of normal weight who drank two or more cans of soda a day are almost twice as likely to show early signs of CKD. The researchers looked at data from more than 900 adults, and believe the culprit may be the high-fructose corn syrup in many sodas.
Although this same was affect was not found in men or in people who drink diet soda, there are many other reasons to stop drinking soda. According to the Global Healing Center :
- High Fructose Corn Syrup, now used in preference to sugar in sodas, is associated with poor development of collagen in growing animals, especially in the context of copper deficiency. All fructose must be metabolized by the liver. Animals on high-fructose diets develop liver problems similar to those of alcoholics.
- Aspartame, used in diet sodas, is a potent neurotoxin and endocrine disrupter.
- Caffeine stimulates the adrenal gland without providing nourishment. In large amounts, caffeine can lead to adrenal exhaustion, especially in children.
- Phosphoric acid, added to give soft drinks "bite," is associated with calcium loss.
- Citric acid often contains traces of MSG, a neurotoxin.
- Artificial Flavors may also contain traces of MSG.
- Water may contain high amounts of fluoride and other contaminants.
Another problem found in people who drink soda, particularly teenagers, is general gastrointestinal (GI) distress. This includes increased stomach acid levels requiring acid inhibitors and moderate to severe gastric inflammation with possible stomach lining erosion. The common complaint I hear is chronic "stomach ache." In almost every case, when the client successfully abstains from sodas and caffeine, the symptoms will go away.
What causes these symptoms? We know that many soda brands contain caffeine and that caffeine does increase stomach acid levels. What we may not be aware of is that sodas also contain an array of chemical acids as additives, such as acetic, fumaric, gluconic and phosphoric acids, all of them synthetically produced. That is why certain sodas work so well when used to clean car engines. For human consumption, however, the effects are much less satisfying and quite precarious. Drinking sodas, especially on an empty stomach, can upset the fragile acid-alkaline balance of the stomach and other gastric lining, creating a continuous acid environment. This prolonged acid environment can lead to inflammation of the stomach and duodenal lining which becomes quite painful. Over the long term, it can lead to gastric lining erosion.
www.ghchealth.com
www.parade.com