Love is in the Air….but does that air hurt your Heart?

Posted in Healthy-n-Green Tip

Love is in the Air…..but does that air hurt YOUR heart?

February, the month of love – hearts, candy and romance. When I think of the heart – and the health of the heart, never did I wonder about how the air can affect it. Yet, studies show that it CAN affect the heart. A recent U.S. study found that there is a very strong link with heart disease and strokes in women who have been breathing small particles in air pollution. In 2007, the New England Journal of Medicine used information involving 65,893 women from 36 U.S. cities.

The researchers believe that women may be more susceptible than men to heart problems because of biological differences such as smaller blood vessels. When polluted air is inhaled, pollutants become embedded in the lungs. This may cause inflammation and hardening of the arteries which could lead to stroke or heart disease.

The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) states that our indoor air is 2 to 5 times more polluted than the outside air – and is in the top five environmental health risks to public health! Wow! But the good news is, you CAN control the indoor air quality by the products you use and the behaviors you perform within your home. With the health studies that are consistently linking our health to our interior environment – doesn’t it make sense to take precautionary steps?

Is it love or candles in the Air?

One of my hardest “sells” to people who truly want healthy indoor air is getting them to stop burning candles. I am guessing it may be the magical ambience it creates, along with the fragrance and “mood” it puts on in. But it is obvious from the study above it would not be prudent to burn candles because they release particles into the air. Many times after a discussion about this subject, I will have someone chime in “yeah…my boyfriend just had sinus surgery – and we burn candles every night”. Or, “I know my daughter has asthma, but we really love to burn candles”. I really don’t understand that mentality – but, hey, I am just the messenger!

How long do YOU want to wait?

Did you know it took thirty years for the Surgeon General to report that smoking was the chief cause of the rise in lung cancer? (June 12, 1957)  How long do you think it took for the Surgeon General to state that there is NO risk-free level of breathing second hand smoke, and it is a major health concern?  Most of us figured this out soon after it was established that smoking was bad.  But, it took forty-nine years for the govenment! That is longer than it took to prove cigarettes are harmful. Who knows how long it will take to have the scientific proof many are waiting for on the many issues of indoor air pollution. Why not use an ounce of precaution?

Tuesday:  Can you clean your floors with YOUR personal care products?

February Healthy-n-Green® Tip:    Health - Personal Care Products

Add comment | February 8, 2010 - 10:39 am | DR

Can a smell really make your sheets “fresh”?

Posted in Healthy-n-Green design principle

Can a smell really make your sheets “fresh”??

We are creatures of habit. Did you know it takes 21 days of focus to change a habit? And then, it is many more days/months of deliberate focus so we don’t go back. It is really hard to change.

I had to make some changes when my son was diagnosed with asthma, about thirteen years ago. One of the hardest was changing the products I used to clean with and make my house “smell” good. We are pretty much addicted to smells – which has a very strong emotional connection to our childhood. When these scents have good memories, you are much more likely to purchase a product.

I started with my son’s bedroom, since he spent the most time there. It was overwhelming to focus on the entire house, so I took baby steps and made sure his sleeping environment was a healthy as it could be. Many of the changes were easy – such as choosing a different product or opening the window weekly to flush out the toxins and allergens that had built up over the week. The harder changes were in things I had an emotional connection to – which is a little weird, because you don’t realize it until you go to actually “change” something.

Some my habits came from the daily marketing advertisements on the concepts that “their” product would help you to be a “good mom”. Having a clean “fresh” smelling house was a big misconception that I was lured into as “new mom”. Little did I know that clean does not have a smell – and you don’t have to put a scent on something for it to be “fresh”. And, over time, my habits became my behavior.

When I learned that there are three ways a child is exposed to a chemical: inhalation, skin absorption and ingestion; I realized that he was sleeping on sheets which were bounced around in my dryer with scented perfumes. He was being exposed in two ways – through the inhalation and while his body lay upon the clean sheets! That was one of the easiest, yet hardest things I had to do – get rid of those toxic dryer sheets. Since then (thirteen years later) there have been many studies showing the toxic chemical exposure we receive throughout the night. And since we learned in my first blog for February, that our skin is our largest organ – it only makes sense to make sure it is exposed to natural and non-toxic products.

Luckily, there are many alternatives to the traditional dryer sheet loaded with synthetic fragrances. Health food stores and
using 100% pure essential oils is a safer way to give your clothes a natural smell.

Other sources to check:
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/dinged-by-dryer-sheets.html#
http://www.naturalnews.com/002693.html

February: Healthy-n-Green®Interior Design Principle – Safe Sleeping Zone

Add comment | February 5, 2010 - 12:34 pm | DR

Scents make NO Sense

Posted in Healthy-n-Green Tip

Scents make NO Sense

Have you ever stood next to someone and could barely breathe because of the perfume or cologne they are wearing? Guess what, they don’t even smell it! Our bodies have a process called olfactory adaption which means a temporary, normal inability to distinguish a particular smell or odor after a PROLONGED exposure to it. Our bodies become DESENSITIZED to stimuli in order to prevent the overloading on our nervous system. The reason is – our body wants to be able to allow it to respond to “new” a stimulus that is out of the ordinary. In other words……….our bodies are ignoring the fact that you have showered yourself in that overpowering smell of perfume or cologne. PEEEWW!!

Our bodies do try to give us warning signs that we may be in danger. When we ignore them, our body retreats. A good example of this is when someone first smokes a cigarette. He may choke and fight to resist the smokes irritation to his lungs. The next time, it may not be as bad and soon the smoky air is tolerated by the body. We all know that smoking is very toxic and has many harmful effects which are not usually immediate. Lung cancer, heart disease and emphysema are some that takes years to form. Damage happens over time with little awareness of any harm initially. Fragrances have many of the same chemicals found in cigarette smoke.

Do you ever sneeze or get a headache then you use a personal care product? Maybe you never noticed your eyes itching or nose running after you put on lotion, used hairspray or dabbed on some perfume. I know my children with asthma are the first to show signs of being exposed to toxins….they are hypersensitive to a lot of the sprays and scents that don’t seem to affect most of us.

Wait till you learn just what is IN your personal care products…..you can clean your face, or clean the floor with some of them.

Tuesday: Can you clean your floors with YOUR personal care products?

February Healthy-n-Green® Tip: Health - Personal Care Products

Add comment | February 4, 2010 - 10:17 am | DR

Lights OUT for a Healthy Sleep

Posted in Healthy-n-Green design principle

Lights OUT for a Healthy Sleep

The bedroom is our most important interior living space. Creating a space which promotes wellness physically and psychologically only makes sense since we spend 1/3rd of our lives there.

Studies have shown how lack of sleep increases risk to heart disease, diabetes, being overweight and depression. Studies showing women who regularly get less than 7 hours of sleep a night have a higher risk of developing high blood pressure while other studies show without enough regular sleep, you will gain weight. Researchers found that an extra 20 minutes of sleep a night might solve the added weight issue.

Lights Out for Sea Turtles – Lights out for Humans! Sea turtles have been negatively affected by man’s light pollution. I live near a beach where the loggerhead sea turtles nest yearly. There are now laws regarding lighting for the condos along the beach, because the light was confusing the sea turtles mistaking it for the moonlight.

Artificial light also negatively affects our health. A 2001 study showed nurses working 30 or more years on night shifts had a 36% higher rate of breast cancer, compared to those who’s worked exclusively days. These studies proved that light will snuff out one of our body’s most powerful anticancer crusaders, a hormone called melatonin. During the day, breast tumors are “awake”. Melatonin, the hormone of darkness, only works in the darkness where it puts breast tumors “to sleep”. When artificial light is added to our night living environments, cancer cells become “insomniacs”.

It is vitally important to create a space in which there is complete darkness while you sleep. If you can “see” your hand after the lights are out, there is too much light. This light “re-sets” your biological clock, disrupting your sleep pattern. Remove all devices which may cause illumination, avoid turning on any lights once you have retired and install black-out blinds made from natural materials on windows to shield any outside lighting entering the room.

Thursday: Scents Make NO SENSE

February: Healthy-n-Green®Interior Design Principle – Safe Sleeping Zone

Add comment | February 3, 2010 - 10:17 am | DR

Where do YOU spend 1/3 of your LIFE?

Posted in Healthy-n-Green design principle

Where do YOU spend 1/3 of your LIFE?

Your bedroom, of course! Wow - If you are a mere 30 years old, you have spent 10 years in your bedroom, and by the time you are 75 years old, you have spent 25 years there!

Many people ask me “where do I start to make my home healthy-n-green?” You can guess my answer! The bedroom should be a place of retreat from the days hustle bustle – a place to rejuvenate the spirit and relax. It is also a place where your body is filtering out the bombardment of daily toxic exposures. So, this is the first room that I advise clients to concentrate on.
What is the first thing a new parent wants to do? Decorate and make their baby’s room beautiful and healthy. We all know how important it is – but sometimes we forget to do this for ourselves! This month, my blogs will be focusing on the healthy-n-green interior design principle: Safe Sleeping Zone. I will talk about what you can do to make your bedroom a place where your body, mind and soul will get the rest you need.

I will give you some tips on:
- Eliminating toxic exposures while you sleep
- Creating a room where your nocturnal clock stays in balance
- De-cluttering - Less is MORE
- Removing noise and distractions
- Eliminating or minimizing electronic exposure
- Creating a space of peace and harmony

You deserve to retreat to a place that is your safe-haven. I will give you the fundamental principles of creating a healthy-n-green bedroom – YOU DESERVE IT!!

Wednesday: Creating a room where YOUR nocturnal clock stays in balance

February: Healthy-n-Green®Interior Design Principle – Safe Sleeping Zone

Add comment | February 2, 2010 - 11:33 am | DR

What’s YOUR largest organ?

Posted in Healthy-n-Green Tip

What is YOUR largest organ?

Body Burden: Find out how chemicals burden your health

Did you know that your skin is your largest organ, absorbing 60% of any substance applied to it?

Think about it. Our skin is our shield of armor, the first line of defense by absorbing and excreting toxins through its pores. When a substance is applied to the skin, it enters your bloodstream and your body tissues. This is much different than eating toxins. When you eat toxins, your digestive systems can produce specific enzymes to excrete and break them down.

“Petrochemical cleaning products in the home are easily absorbed in the skin.. Once absorbed, the toxins travel to the blood stream and are deposited in the fatty tissues where they may exist indefinitely.” (”In Harm’s Way,” a study by “The Clean Water Fund” and “Physicians for Social Responsibility” May 11, 2000)

The FDA (Food & Drug Administration) does NOT regulate the health and beauty industry. Manufacturers use potentially harmful ingredients because they are cheap and readily available. No wonder it is a 160 billion dollar business. They are not looking out for your best interest.

Some chemicals stay in our bodies for a short time before being excreted. Continuous exposure can create a “persistent” burden on our bodies. And get this; some chemicals remain for YEARS in our blood, fat tissue, muscles, bone, brain tissue or other organs.   SCARY STUFF

The month of February, we will discuss how personal care products affect YOUR indoor air quality. We will talk about the health effects and how you can check to see how your personal care product rates with others. You will learn who is at a higher health risk. And, we will give you solutions and reputable sites to further educate yourself.

Thursday: Scents make NO Sense

February Healthy-n-Green® Tip: Health - Personal Care Products

Add comment | February 1, 2010 - 9:36 am | DR

ARE YOU SITTING IN THE SHADE?

Posted in Healthy-n-Green Tip

ARE YOU SITTING IN THE SHADE??

“The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” Nelson Henderson

Do you enjoy sitting under the shade of a tree on a hot summer day? Have you ever thought of who was so kind to plant the tree whose shade you enjoy?

I believe that most people are unaware of their surroundings because we are so busy with living and surviving. But, in order to make true change, we must become aware – and realize that we all CAN make a difference. Some make a difference in one person’s life, while others affect more.

I became very aware of how our interiors can affect our health after having two children with asthma. When the doctor told me I needed to get “environmental controls” in our home, I thought she was talking about some type of machine. Through this journey of research – detective work and using common sense, I realized that there was not a lot of information about how to make an interior Healthy-n-Green. (a term which I have coined) I spent my time doing this because I wanted to make sure my children did not get sick from their own home.

This is an example of how becoming aware to a problem can bring positive change. Change happens one choice at a time. And as I become more aware, I realize there are a lot more questions out there. What manufacturers and products do I trust are truly green? Why doesn’t the government have regulations over toxins which are used in our every day products – and are known carcinogenic? At times there seems to be many more questions than there are answers. The good news is, society is becoming more aware of public health and how prevention is vital to staying healthy.

The Native American’s refer to an oath they call the 7th Generation Law:
“In our every thought and deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.”

What decisions are you contemplating? What legacy are you leaving your children?

When was the last time you planted a tree, under whose shade you do not expect to sit?

Healthy-n-Green® Tip for January: Awareness

Add comment | January 31, 2010 - 8:47 pm | DR

How does your home make you feel? Connected or Disconnected?

Posted in Healthy-n-Green design principle

How does your home make you feel? Connected or Disconnected?

As you know, this month’s series of Healthy-n-Green®design principles focus on a Well-Designed Space.

 As in nature, our living environments are interconnected; so too is an interior.   It must not only be functional and efficient, but have balance and harmony interacting on many levels. As in nature, only the strongest survive; so too in the design of an interior. The best interiors are the ones which show the test of time:
- Does the interior reflect the “feeling” that was intended?
- Is the design dated and trendy, or timeless? How will it look in five to ten years?
- Does the space function as intended with flexibility for future change?
- Do the finishes and selections have a good life-cycle – or will they look worn after a short time?
- Is it easy to maintain? Does it promote health and wellness?                                                                                            
Again, as in nature, there are many elements working in harmony to bring tranquility and balance within a space. By combining natural materials and using a variety of textures and finishes will complement each other. Attention to detail and including unexpected accents will add an element of surprise within an interior. Can you imagine the vast ocean without the beauty of iridescent jewels of the sea? Each element depends on the other to make a symbiotic flow that creates a space that feels right, is efficient and shows the test of time – all the while being healthy, green and beautiful.                                                                                    
Take the time to plan your interior. Look through magazines to see photos that you like. You may not know why you like them, that doesn’t matter right now. As you work with an Interior Designer, she will pull the information out of you and start to dissect what your likes/dislikes and intentions are for your home. After all, that is her job!

Add comment | January 31, 2010 - 4:58 pm | DR

Energy-Sucker or Energy-Booster?

Posted in Healthy-n-Green design principle

 Which one describes YOUR interior? (Part II)

The flow of a space and the intent of the room are as fundamental to the interior as the foundation and roof are to the building. I learned this while attending Florida State University, School of Visual Arts (Interior Design). It wasn’t until I actually started practicing Interior Design that I understood why most of my classes were problem-solving, conceptual design and space-planning. (Kudos to FSU!!)

When baking cupcakes, the icing and sprinkles are the decorations – like the finishes, fabrics and accessories are to an interior. If the cupcake does not have the proper ingredients, it will taste bad and no one will want to eat it – no matter how good the icing and sprinkles look. How many of us are upset when the delicious looking cupcakes taste terrible?

Same concept for an interior –order and function bring a psychological balance to our lives. Everyone wants their home to reflect their personality and lifestyle, while providing a safe-haven from the chaos of our world. And, when our house has balance and is well-designed – it gives us an energy boost and the psychological calmness we all strive for.

Cupcakes anyone?

January Healthy-n-Green® design principles: Well-Designed Space

Add comment | January 29, 2010 - 10:20 am | DR

Energy-Sucker or Energy Booster?

Posted in Healthy-n-Green design principle

 

Energy-Sucker or Energy-Booster?

Which one describes YOUR interior?   (Part I)

How does your home make you feel? Does it flow with ease, or does it feel chaotic, unorganized and cluttered?

Even though my house has a “place for everything” – not everything is always in its place. I call this “clutter. My office = clutter. Seems like I have at least 5 projects going on at a time – each paper in a semi-strategic place to get to ‘in a little while’. When I am in “work-mode” it can’t be pristinely organized. Maybe it is the creative mind – not sure. But, I do know that I can clean it up and everything does have a place to go. (eventually) This usually happens when company is coming over – or I feel that my energy being depleted…..

To make your space flexible, you need to assess what your current needs are, and project what your future needs may be. Example: Your den may change into a playroom which may later be a combination guest room/play-room/den. Designing flexible spaces will guarantee the rooms will actually be used. Have you ever been to a home where there is a guest room used maybe two weeks out of the year? (maybe you were the guest!)

The phrases “less is more” and “form follows function” should be applied to designing your interior. Start by taking a good look at the inventory of your specific needs or function of each space. Do you have an area to keep your “things” organized? Books, hobbies, collectibles, etc. can be concealed in furniture or closets, or proudly displayed. What do you need in the room? A desk, sofa or reading chair?

January Healthy-n-Green® design principles: Well-Designed Space

 

Friday, Read Part II                                                                                   

Energy-Sucker or Energy-Booster? Which one describes YOUR interior?

Add comment | January 27, 2010 - 9:06 am | DR