Toxic Homes

Another news report on toxic homes, asthma, and other health problems related to household cleaners and chemicals in our indoor environments...

Toxic Brew

Anyone want to go green with their cleaners yet? Tell me what you think! Contact me if you want more info.

Tanning Beds?

Umm... ever used a tanning bed? Ever used one a lot? And love the beautiful dark skin that accompanies its use?

Unfortunately, those of us who love tanning need to reconsider the safety (or lack thereof) of this seemingly harmless habit, because:

"The IARC, a part of the World Health Organization (WHO), has now re-classified UV tanning beds to the highest possible cancer risk category known as "carcinogenic to humans."

Ok. Alright. That's interesting.

"The analysis reviewed about 20 studies to reach the conclusion that the risk of skin cancer is increased by 75 percent when individuals use tanning beds prior to reaching the age of 30."

Tanning in a bed is now known to be just as detrimental to health as "tobacco, the hepatitis B virus and chimney sweeping, which are all known to be definite causes of cancer."

Read the full article HERE. At the end, they curiously recommend using bronzing or self-tanning creams. Umm... don't know that I like that suggestion, either. What happened to just going out in the sun and soaking up some rays? Sunshine is a phenomenal source of Vitamin D, which we all need for healthy bodies. Look it up. The sun is friendlier than some would have us think.

I think... when in doubt, go the most natural route...

Walking your way to health!

How many times have we heard, you have to exercise in order to be healthy and maintain a healthy body weight? (If I only had a dollar for every time I heard that one, huh?) Exercise is the heart of health, it seems. But so many of us let it slide because we are too busy, don't have enough time, or quite honestly just can't get motivated enough to do it. But then, how many times have you heard a very active person say they HAVE to exercise - that they are addicted to it and love it? Yeah, have to admit I've never been one of those people, but I aspire to be one! ;-D

I'm not so good at a strict routine. I get bored with it, and want to have the spontaneous excitement of not knowing what I'm going to do from day to day. And I've never been loyal to a treadmill or even walking outside, let alone pay and commit to a gym membership. But I also know the tremendous benefits of physical activity, and love what I feel like after I've exercised. I have more energy and more flexibility - and am proud that I 'worked out' today.

So, I love coming across articles like THIS one, where they rave about the benefits simply of walking. Not even lifting or running or swimming (though I love to swim!). Simply walking. And it doesn't have to be at a gym or work out facility. Just go out in the sunshine and fresh air and take advantage of your neighborhood and local parks! And it's free!

Listen to an iPod, music, talks, or contemplate the glory of God's creation and listen to the birds serenade you as you walk by. Turning your 30 minutes of walking into quiet/meditation time is also very calming and healthy.

"Walking is a wonder exercise. Not only can it can help control weight, it also reduces the risk of developing diabetes, certain cancers, and heart disease. Walking bestows benefits to the brain too, by relieving stress and improving mood. Best of all, walking is free: You don't need fancy equipment or a gym membership to reap the benefits. Here's how to make every step count, no matter how often you hit the pavement."

Drinking Pesticides?

Wells in some schools, nationwide, are so contaminated with residue from pesticides that posted warnings tell people not to drink water from the tap.

Along with raising a whole host of other questions and concerns, my number one question was, "WHAT? How is the water contaminated again?"

It seems that it's a super common problem. Chemicals, pesticides, and run-off from farms, gardens, land-fills and other such places sink into the ground, and get caught in our well systems, which are meant to capture rain water. So these chemicals get mixed in with our water supply, and get pumped up along with our 'pure and clean' water. What happens then? We, unknowingly, consume varied amounts of the contaminated water, and reap the consequences of accumulating these toxins in our body systems.

See the news video HERE.

I guess my next question would be - if it's in our school's water system, wouldn't that same problem affect homes as well? Wells should be the safest and most reliable source of clean water - we are poisoning ourselves! What has happened?

So groups take water and put it into some kind of collecting pool and 'treat it' - adding chemicals to counteract other chemicals - then put the whole city on a water system that is 'safe.' Tell me, isn't there any way of just getting plain old-fashioned wonderful clean water?

What are our options, if we want any? Buy spring water from the store, get purifier systems in your home/school/work, or invest in water filters/water pitchers to filter your own tap. That's what we've done. There are inexpensive ways to be smart and take better care of yourself.

Stay informed. Check out your area. Then, if you feel you must make a change - do it.

"Ten Things in Your Home that may age You Prematurely"

I found this post HERE. These aren't my words. They are from someone else's report... see what they have to say!

Story courtesy: www.doctoroz.com

There may be products in our closets and cupboards right now that can shave years off our lives. They can penetrate our lungs, cause asthma and allergies, poison our liver, damage our hearts, and irritate our eyes and skin. Before Dr. Oz stages an intervention, grab a trashcan and recycle bin and go from room to room to eliminate these 10 age stealers. In many cases there are healthier alternatives you can use instead.

1. High Fructose Corn Syrup
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a type of sugar that has been processed and combined with corn syrup to produce a cheap, easily dissolvable sweetener. But this sugar is quickly absorbed by the liver where it is converted into fat. Since your brain doesn't recognize HFCS as regular food, it never shuts off the appetite center -- so you keep eating. Blood sugar levels rise, massive amounts of insulin is recruited to metabolize it and then you crash and feel hungry again. It is found in soft drinks, fruit juices, salad dressings and baked goods. Read the food labels of products in your pantry and refrigerator and throw out all products that contain HFCS.

2. Chlorine Bleach
Household bleach contains the chemical sodium hypochlorite and is used to whiten clothes and kill germs like mold, bacteria and virtues. It’s not good for the environment and not good for you; it is that it evaporates quickly to irritate your nose, eyes, throat, skin and lungs. Good non-toxic alternatives are baking soda, white vinegar or alcohol- and peroxide-based products.

3. Insecticides
Mosquitoes can be annoying and carry diseases. But keeping them at bay doesn't mean you need to drench you and your property in carcinogenic pesticides. Instead use a natural repellant that contains essential oils such as lemon eucalyptus and lavender. Burning citronella candles outdoors, staying indoors at high biting times, and removing still water where mosquitoes lay eggs is a healthier strategy.

4. Drinking Hard Alcohol
Not all alcoholic beverages are alike. Beer, wine, and spirits, sometimes referred to as hard alcohol, can be damaging when drunk in excess; they can damage the liver (cirrhosis), cause esophageal cancer, internal bleeding, heart failure, pancreatitis and gastritis. And some breast cancers can be fueled by alcohol. Although one glass of red wine a day can offer health benefits, spirits have a higher alcohol content and contain more synthetic chemicals and sugars.

5. Moth Balls
For generations it has been customary to sprinkle a few mothballs made of naphthalene in a box of sweaters to prevent moths from feasting on the fibers. Today, a better choice would be natural alternatives such as cedar chips and lavender sachets. Remember to clean clothes first then zip them up at the end of the season.

6. Air Fresheners and Fragrance Candles
Everyone likes their home to smell clean and fresh but synthetic fragrances that waif through the air can negatively affect the quality of indoor air, damage lung tissue and airways and irritate the eyes. Keep it real. If your house is clean it shouldn't smell.

7. Trans Fats
Trans fat is a type of unsaturated fat that is made saturated during a manufacturing process that adds a molecule of hydrogen. These hydrogentated oils raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol and cause a host of cardiovascular diseases. They are slowly being removed from commercial recipes but products in your home may still contain them. Look in your cupboard and dump anything with hydrogenated oil on the label.

8. Toluene
Toluene, a solvent found in nail polish, paints and when petroleum-based paraffin candles are burned can cause nervous system damage. Naturally scented beeswax, soy or vegetable candles and natural alternatives to nail products are a better choice.

9. Detergents with NPE
Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPE) are chemicals that help liquid substances such as oil and water mix. They are found in laundry detergents, shampoos, and cleaners. These chemicals can mimic the hormone estrogen to cause early menstruation, low sperm counts and poor reproductive health. Use natural cleansers and consider alternative cleaning tools such as the microfiber mops or steam cleaner that can reduce or eliminate the use of harsh chemicals.

10. Cigarette, pipe, and cigar products
All tobacco products produce harmful chemicals even after you have eliminated the smoker from the house. When you have stopped smoking give your house a clean makeover, washing all fabric curtains and upholstery and think about putting on a fresh coat of paint. Ban smoking in and near your home forever after.

My Journey into the Land of Natural... II.

Toothpaste.

Yeah, call me crazy. I thought I was, too. I was a girl who loved Crest and Colgate, who loved the taste and smell, who never thought twice about the poison control number on the back of the tube. And I had read it, too, but I wasn't under six, so did it matter? It never hit me that kids could get poisoned from swallowing toothpaste. I didn't have any kids, so need I worry? My teeth were clean, and my morning breath was minty. The makings of a good day, right?

Until a lady friend of mine pointed out that, According to research conducted and posted by the National Cancer Prevention Coalition, Crest Tartar Control Toothpaste was the THIRD item on the list of the Top Twelve CANCER – CAUSING Household Products. Nice, right? (If you are curious what other everyday HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS are on this list, click HERE.)

So... what does a person say to that? Honestly! I've been brushing my teeth with that same exact toothpaste for HOW LONG? Years! My whole life! You can bet I was skeptical, and was ready for some real answers... It tasted just fine to me! Though I couldn't get the fact out of my mind that liquids already begin to be absorbed into our bodies through our mouths... Ok. I'd check it out: what ingredient is contained in that tube is so terrible for me? I went digging HERE.

Crest Tartar Control Toothpaste - (Procter & Gamble. Inc.)

Labeled Toxic Ingredients:

FD&C BLUE #1, Carcinogenic.

SACCHARIN, Carcinogenic.

FLUORIDE, Possibly carcinogenic.

Safer Alternative: Tom's of Maine Natural Non-Fluoride Toothpaste

Yeah, But, in case you didn't know, Tom's of Main also contains the poison control warning.

This is gonna be gross, but after learning all this, and without an immediate alternative, I simply stopped brushing my teeth. I rinsed out my mouth with water and ate gum every once in a while. Maybe my dentist wouldn't approve, but, to me, it was better to have stinky breath than cancer breath.

Eventually a real, natural option showed itself, and I took it. My teeth and my peace of mind are grateful for it. Contact me if you'd care to know more.

Project MAHMA

This group seems to be a well-educated, motivated group of ladies who are making a difference in the world, for their families, in their own lives, and in their own homes. They are some active, passionate women! They call themselves "Mothers At Home, Making A Difference"

The following is an excerpt from their website:

"Stay-at-home mothers wear many hats. They're the family CEO, the day care provider, accountant, chauffeur, counselor, chef, nurse, laundress, entertainer, personal stylist, and educator. Based on a 100-hour work week, Salary.com has estimated that a fair wage for the typical stay-at-home mom would be $131,471 for executing all of her daily tasks."

HERE is a 3 minute audio clip explaining who they are and why they do what they do.

HERE is a testimony of a 'corporate mom' got out of the office and happily went home.

HERE is an written explanation of who they are and what they do.

Another excerpt from THIS website:

"Four Reasons Women are Becoming At -Home Mothers:

1.They don't want to have latch-key kids like their parents did.

2.They want to focus on love, marriage and family, because life is too short.

3. They are fearful of the world, and want to be there for their kids.

4. They want more time with their children.
("What Moms Want Now", Redbook, March, 2003)"

To Moms...

How many Moms out there in the world wish they could stay at home with their babies, but are glued to a day/night job because they need the income to make ends meet? How many wish for a simpler, healthier home environment - which would be more possible (probably) if we could stay home? How many wish they could raise their kids themselves, instead of paying someone else to do their dream job?

Working from home has its pros and cons, but if you are interested, the opportunity is out there! There are so many ways, but think about this one: THIS company offers an incentive program that, if accomplished, would pay out $100,000 in the next fifteen months. It starts whenever you sign up. Does this sound crazy to anyone else?! How many other companies could offer that kind of money - that fast? Especially with the economy the way it is? People are getting laid off all over the country, yet this incentive and possibility is within your grasp. You can see what an exciting offer this is HERE. On top of the money, it offers vacations and the potential to continue growth! There is no ceiling - and no one is stopping you. Making this kind of money, from home, could continue for the rest of your life!

Sound too good to be true? That's what I thought, too. But they're serious. Check it out, and contact me if you want to know more.

Living Well...

There are so many people out there who are looking into a more natural way of life - green living, using natural products, etc. (Facebook is proving to be an incredible tool for finding those people!) I met one lady who has THIS website, with so much fantastic information. From home to business to food to cleaning. Check it out, when you can~

Social Media

Watch this unbelievable video on the rise in popularity of social media. Wow.

What would you do, if you could do anything in the world?

What would you do, if you could do anything in the world? If you weren't limited by time, by money, by age, by education - ANYTHING. What would you do? Who would you be? What would you say?

Run for president? Meet the president? Adopt a child? Travel? Hang out with your family? Open a business? Build a house? Race a racecar? Climb a mountain? Discover a new creature? Cure cancer? Start an orphanage? Make someone smile?

Just something to think about. Getting out of the box and learning that there is so much more to ourselves than we even know. Coming to see how much potential, and how many good ideas, and how capable YOU are.

What would you do, if you could do anything? What is the passion in your heart?

What is your lifelong goal? Your dream? Your greatest love?

I'm answering these questions myself. They kind of change and are fashioned day to day, but it's fun to think about, and fun to dream about. And it's gonna be even more fun to see these dreams and ideas become realities.

Anything is possible. You've got to dream big dreams, then be crazy enough to think they could come true.

With God, all things are possible.

Don't limit yourself. Don't say you can't. You can. Don't stop yourself.

From the mouth of Dr. Shaklee!

History, reasons, and explanations. This is a cool one I'd never seen before. It's straight from the mouth of Dr. Shaklee!

My Journey into the Land of Natural... Part I.

Part I: Deodorant.

Yeah, this might sound like a very strange place to start. But it happened. The switch from a popular good-smelling antiperspirant was an easy one, once I learned about the process by which typical antiperspirants go about making you 'unsmelly.'

Maybe this isn't news to you, but in general what it does is clog your pores, which keeps them from sweating. Simple enough. But sweating is actually a very natural and necessary part of life. Before the days of sweet-smelling underarm concoctions, this is the process that cooled our ancestors down and regulated body temperature. "But" - you may be thinking - "we don't put it all over our bodies. We simply put it under our arms. Let the rest of the body sweat things out." Well, that's all fine and good til your sweat glands get clogged up to the point that they start forming little lumps... Clogged pores and sweat glands don't stop producing sweat, remember... they just don't have any way to get rid of it now, because we've plugged ourselves up.

Keep in mind that no matter how strong the antiperspirant is, it probably can't control the sweat completely. Eventually it wears off, and sweating happens. Odor happens. We try to cover it up, and at times, are successful. Sometimes not so successful. Anyone remember the 'sure... unsure...' commercials?

There are also groups out there raising questions about the use and consequences of the active ingredient, which are usually either aluminium chloride or aluminium chlorohydrate. Some link it with Alzheimer's, others say there is no evidence for that at all. I don't know. All I know is that the purpose of antiperspirants is to stop a natural body function - which usually I am grateful for - but it did make me stop and wonder.

It would be a lie to tell you that I continued using my normal deodorant/antiperspirant after I started looking into its ingredients. And despite my consequential smell for the next week or so, I put it away and did some digging. I found a more natural solution. And though I may stink a little quicker in my day, I am at peace about the whole thing. The clogged areas are no longer there. I sweat, but I'm ok with that. I can handle it. I just hope the people around me can, too. ;-D

Cell phones and Cancer?

Below is the actual report I wrote about in the previous post. You can hit the button in the top right corner to enlarge the text to full screen.


EWG's Cell Phone Radiation Report

Do cell phones cause cancer?

I've been wondering this for a long time. Every once in a while you hear reports that warn you should limit your cell phone exposure or buy better phones, but there has been little proof or evidence for the consequences or any real proof for serious alarm. Most of what I've heard has come from small groups without much authority or power.

But today I got an email from this group - when you get a chance, read this article, put out by the EWG, the Environmental Working Group. They have just completed a ten-month study and their findings have been featured in the New York Times, the USA Today, NBC, ABC, and MSN.

HERE you can read the report, download the top 10 lowest radiation phones, and learn how to reduce exposure to cell phone radiation...

Has anyone seen this movie?

Interview with Roger Barnett

Go HERE to read an in-depth interview with Shaklee CEO, Roger Barnett. He bought the company a few years ago, and done so much great work, and is pushing the company to such great progress.

Shaklee TV

Cool LINK to Shaklee Videos...

100% Money Back Guarantee

Believe it or not (and most of us don’t in the beginning), today the Shaklee Company is committed to the best possible product. Every product that goes into every Shaklee bottle is designed to improve health, work without compromise, and be gentle on the planet. If you don’t see satisfactory results after 30 days, you can receive a full refund, no questions asked. Even if the bottle is empty...

Proven Absorption!

The critique of many supplement companies is that they claim that there is a certain amount of vitamin contained within their product. But what they don’t tell you, is how much of that product is actually absorbed and utilized by your body systems. Shaklee provides proof with test after test that the amount of vitamin they tell you is going into your body, is the amount you are actually getting… quite a promise when you realize how rare that actually is. These products are proven to get the right nutrients to the right places at the right time! This picture offers an explanation of how their stuff works.

Using Dawn or Joy?

HERE is a really interesting post about a lady's mom who had some bad reactions to using dishsoap. Who would have guessed? We really need to pay more attention to what we bring into our homes, and what we do with them.

Bleach and Ammonia?

On a question and answer site, a consumer asks, "Is it safe to mix ammonia and bleach together?"

"Uh-no," comes the reply, followed by some great posts and explanations. Check them out HERE.

There are many warnings about doing this - but so many people are hospitalized, because they don't realize they are mixing the two chemicals. Be sure to read the ingredients on the bottles of your cleaning supplies. You won't regret it if you follow all the warnings...

"In case your mom didn't tell you, mixing bleach and ammonia can kill you. The nitty-gritty details of the chemical reaction aren't important, but the end result is a release of chlorine gas. Chlorine gas is so dangerous, it was used as a chemical warfare agent in World War I." About.com

"When washing floors, or any really soiled surface, don't think of combining ammonia and bleach. Even diluted in water, the fumes from this combination are very toxic. It can cause swelling of eyes, burns in nasal passages, and worse." - A Nurse.

If you are curious to understand the science behind what happens, go to the BBC Home website.

What to do if there really is a problem? If you have mixed these together and are suffering because of it? First, it is recommended you call 911... find a step by step list HERE.

And if you'd like to avoid this catastrophe all together, think about switching your cleaning products... for some samples of alternatives, click HERE.

Explanations and exposures...

I never knew that we were supposed to be EXTRA careful when it came to cleaning with multiple products. I never knew that I could be making a dangerous cloud of air simply by scrubbing my toilets, mirrors, and floors. I never learned that at home, or from school, or in science class... and of course I never read the bottle, because I never guessed anything like that could actually be harmful.

Come to think of it, I never really understood that simply breathing in bad substances could cause so much damage. That education came late to me, but better late than never!

I'm reading a book now, called Green Goes with Everything. In it, the author, Sloan Barnett,

gives fantastic explanations on the ingredients in cleaners, cosmetics, sprays, nail polishes... it is really an eye-opening book. It is highly researched and easy to read. She exposes a ton of information that really surprised me. I highly recommend it, if you are interested in these kinds of things. She also has a GREAT website: GreenGoesWithEverything.com where you can take a quiz to see how your house rates on a toxic level... the green lifestyle is looking and feeling and smelling better and better!

The Shaklee Difference

Scour Off!

This is an amazing product. I use in place of Comet - when you need a deep cleanse - for example, in the shower, or in sinks. It's tough, it's effective, and it smells like cherries! (Others describe the smell more like bubble gum...) You only need a small amount, and it scrubs the 'nasties' easily off of the usually hard to clean (tub/tile) areas. There are no harmful ingredients, no poisons, no fumes. It's amazing. I love using it!

I love a clean house!

Especially when I'm not dying of the fumes of the cleaners! ;-D That used to be the part that I HATED... working in a small bathroom with hardly any ventilation, and using all sorts of scrubs and cleaners to make that place sanitary. I would have to leave every few minutes, just to get some 'fresh' air. Even opening windows and turning on fans offered little relief from the potent smells and fumes. Wow. I'm glad those days are over! I really hated that...

Switching to non-toxic cleaners has eliminated this problem, and many more, come to find out. I don't have those nasty chemicals all over my floors and counters - or on my dishes and clothes. So many women have told me they can't imagine switching out their products, because to them, the smell of those products equals cleanliness... well, to me those smells were overbearing and come to find out... actually poisonous. Especially if certain ones are mixed together - even on accident.

Any comments on toxins, chemicals, or poisons in popular every-day household cleaners? Do you believe it or not believe it? I love to hear your thoughts.

My new water pitcher is known to contain chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects, and other reproductive harm.

So, today I went shopping for some random home supplies, and when I got home and started removing tags, I found this warning on my new water pitcher:

"WARNING: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. Wash hands after use."

WHAT?! I've seen these signs posted elsewhere, but usually in parking garages and in large buildings. This time it was on my new water pitcher - so I'm supposed to drink water/juice/lemonade out of a chemically-laden container which is linked to serious health problems, but be sure to wash my hands off after I touch it? (The "wash hands after use" actually almost made me laugh... really? Is that going to keep me safe even after I consume the contents within the pitcher??) Are these companies serious? How can they make these products, KNOWING the harm that their products cause to consumers? After I packed those supplies back into a bag to return to the store, I started looking around my house. How many more products/plastics have or should have that same warning? Is it seriously everywhere? How do I protect myself from that? And more importantly, how do I protect my husband and family from that kind of exposure? We think we are safe within our own homes, when low and behold our water pitcher is poisoning us... WHAT?!

California seems to be more 'public conscious' about these things than other states. I guess that's why this is the first time I've seen these kinds of warnings and postings. It turns out that in 1986 they decided it was time to make the public aware of what was going into consumer products, so they passed Prop 65. The website for the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment states,

"The Proposition was intended by its authors to protect California citizens and the State's drinking water sources from chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm, and to inform citizens about exposures to such chemicals.

Proposition 65 requires the Governor to publish, at least annually, a list of chemicals known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity.

If you are curious what is contained in that list, look HERE. All this is frightening to me. What else is out there - if we aren't excempt from these things in our own homes, what about at restaurants, shopping stores, grocery stores? As a matter of fact, most car dealerships here also display the warning... And the bad news in my house doesn't stop there: we assembled new kitchen chairs last week, and on the bottom cushion there was a sticker that read, "This product contains a known carcinogen." Which means my new chairs could cause CANCER? Is this for real? If I take those back and find some different ones, are there chairs out there made without cancer-causing materials? What do I do? How much exposure is too much? According to the websites I've found, there are certain levels of these materials that are allowed, which supposedly do not cause harm. But if a product is made with chemicals over that allowable amount, the company has to provide the warning on the product...Nice, huh? It's not illegal to use more than the "safe" amount of these chemicals, no. All companies are required to do is provide a warning. Once again, where does that leave me as the consumer?

Some websites offer opinions that say that these warnings go overboard, and that it's just crazy stupid California legislation that requires this. Others say to not take it seriously. They laugh at the warnings, and make fun of them... but if the warnings are there, shouldn't we pay attention? A company isn't going to state that their product is harmful if it's not...

Basically, I've resigned myself to the fact that I can't freak out about it. I can't become so consumed by fear that I can't function in the 'real' world. But I do know that I need to be an AWARE consumer. I need to ask questions and I need to take action with making whatever I can (including my home and my family) as safe and natural as possible. Now I know to look for those warnings before I buy a product. It's not smart to simply just trust and accept that what our suppliers and marketers are making for us is actually SAFE for us and our health. And that's unfortunate, if you ask me.

I'm not sure how many states require these same type of warnings. But I encourage you to look at THIS website, which explains Proposition 65, and can answer some practical questions, if you want them answered. They have sections on air, water, children's health, pesticides, and more. And then, do your own research. Be AWARE. Be conscious of these things out there. Ignorance is bliss, at times. But at other times it's costing us much more than we know. This kind of stuff is worth knowing, I think.

Air quality reports in the News...

In regards to the recent California fires, take a look at the air quality in southern California. MILLIONS of people are feeling the effects. This article reports which areas are unhealthy and even hazardous to inhabitants. Schools have been closed due to the smoke problem.

Click HERE if you want to see regularly updated air information. Plus, authorities offer residents TIPS on how to be safe in this kind of environment.

See previous blog post for ways to improve your air quality at home...

When fires rage in California, we begin to wonder about air quality...

When fires rage in California, the air is FULL of smoke and ash. Turn on the news today and hear the reports. Look in a paper and see the stories. There are pictures and videos available online - you will be surprised at how vast and damaging these fires are. And not just for the people in close proximity to the flames - these fires are affecting millions...

Why? Because officials warn people to not breathe in the air. It's dangerous. It's bad to breathe. One of the reasons is, because the fires have consumed so many homes, the air now carries in it toxins and chemicals from the houses: the pesticides, the construction elements, the plastics... the list goes on and on. So, people are staying indoors, using masks outdoors, driving with car windows up, and keeping animals inside, just waiting for the fires to stop, and the air to clear.

But this brings up a SUPER interesting point. Air can actually be bad for you - it can be harmful, in and of itself - for anyone who is breathing it. And even without fires, how much of our air is polluted to the point of being harmful for us? Outside of the realm of California fires, where else does this threat lie? Yeah... pretty much everywhere.

I would wager those who live in places like Los Angeles, Mexico City, and New York City value clean air more than people who always have it, in wide-open places elsewhere. They can feel, and oftentimes So the question is, where can we get it? How can we protect ourselves? We NEED air. We can't just stop breathing for awhile and wait for cleaner air. Not exactly an option.

The simplest answer (besides pick up your whole life and move to an area with cleaner, less polluted air) is to invest in an air purifier. It might seem simplistic and not good enough, but consider it. They can be found at many big stores, like Sam's or Costco, or probably even at Wal-Mart. They will purify the air in your homes, so that you have a refuge to return to, and a safer place to sleep. Do some research to find out which air purifiers would be the best for your home environment. They do essentially the same thing, but use different technologies. Some are better for dust mites or mold or smoke or small/large areas... The ones that I've done some research on are the Shaklee air purifiers, and I know they are effective. They have much science behind them, and work amazingly well. They will even go a long way to cleaning up from cleaning products, paints, furniture... all sorts of smells and chemicals, etc.

So, while some people are no where near concerned about their air quality, there are plenty of people who wish there was something they could do about it. And while we can't purify the whole earth (at least not yet!) we can start at home, and do what we can there...