Heaters on, windows closed.. It's winter!!

It's winter.. achchooooo....Bless you!!

Winter is fast approaching. You should now be ready to turn the heaters on to high, close and seal all the doors and windows(especially if you are in a cold region like Minnesota). Even then, your family tend to get sick often during the winter with frequent cold, cough and headache and what not! Chances are.. its not the cold weather, but it could be the way you handle the weather which is making you sick. Here is something you need to know.

Cold and dry weather in the harsh winter time can result in one or many of the following symptoms.

• Cold
• Cough
• Headache
• Rough, dry and itchy skin
• Slight bleeding from the nose
• Cracked lips
• Dry throat
• Itchy eyes
• Nose Bleed

All the above could be because of the dry air trapped inside the house. 

What could be the link between cold air and our health? The cold air lacks moisture and when inhaled, makes the lungs dry out and this dryness makes it more susceptible to cold, cough etc. 

How do you know that the air is dry? Well, there is a quick way to find it out. Answer a simple question. Do you get static shocks whenever you touch anything in your house, especially in your bedspreads? If yes, this is an indication that the air surrounding you is very dry and you are now vulnerable to sickness. Isn't it scary? Here are a few things you could do.

Use a humidifier

Running a humidifier in your home will add moisture to dry, heated air. Wait, it sounds simple. But, there is a catch.

• Change the humidifier water each day
• Every third day clean the tank according to the manufacturer’s instructions
• Take care when cleaning your humidifier if using chemicals; they can be inhaled if the tank is not thoroughly rinsed
• Do not let water stand in the tank. Empty it when not in use, clean, and dry. If your humidifier calls for filters or demineralization cartridges, be sure to use them. Always clean before storing the humidifier for the summer unless you use it all year.

In case you use stagnant old water, the contaminants in the water finds a easy way to reach you through the humidifier. Also, make sure that The humidity level in your home is the amount of water vapor in the indoor air. The humidity should be below 60% in the summer and 30%-50% in the winter. Most common mistake people do is to set the humidifier to a high. This will lead to mold, fungi formation in the ceilings because of the excess moisture throughout the night.

Avoid chemical air fresheners

I can understand that in a sealed place, there is more need for freshening. But, if you are concerned about your health, you need to do this. The air already trapped inside will be more polluted with these chemicals and will become an overload for our health. Instead, you can get help from some fresh orange peels, baking powder or other natural fresheners.

Open some windows during the day

Yes, this will help circulate the air. Rather than recycling the used up air again and again inside the sealed house, let the free air come in and replace the stuffy air once in a while. This does not require you to fully open the doors. Just a few minutes of opening up the windows a little bit can help you out a lot.

Drink adequate water

You might not be feeling thirsty during winters. Still, you will be losing the moisture from the skin due to the cold air around you. Drinking adequate water will help you to keep hydrated. This is needed to compensate the moisture you lose through your skin and will help to prevent your skin from drying. You can even apply good natural products like coconut oil, olive oil or almond oil rather than choosing for harsh chemicals for moisturizing.

Hey, there are some extra benefits too.. 
Consumer energy center says, "For every degree you lower your heat in the 60-degree to 70-degree range, you'll save up to 5 percent on heating costs. Wear warm clothing like a sweater and set your thermostat to 68 degrees or lower during the day and evening, health permitting."Also, Turning down the thermostat may shed pounds as cold activates calorie-burning fat. Ain't that good.Now you know how to handle the winter season, right? Hope you have a more enjoyable winter this time.

If you find this article useful, and if you think your near and dear needs to know about this, please care to share.

Sources:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2588424/Your-central-heating-reason-feel-ill.html
http://wellnessappliances.com/mistakes-to-avoid-when-using-a-humidifier/

Radon - No this is not chemistry lesson.. its about our life

Get to know about Radon

Trust me... This is not a chemistry lesson. This is something which we all need to know. Have you ever heard of Radon? Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that seeps up from the earth. When inhaled, it gives off radioactive particles that can cause lung cancer. In fact, over 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the US each year are from radon, making it the second leading cause of cancer in the world.
While radon is present everywhere, in outdoors, radon quickly dilutes to very low concentrations and is generally not a problem. Your greatest exposure is where it can concentrate-indoors and where you spend most time-at home. Your home can have radon whether it be old or new, well-sealed or drafty, and with or without a basement.

Am I at risk?
Here is the link to check which Radon zone you are in USA
https://www.epa.gov/radon/find-information-about-local-radon-zones-and-state-contact-information

Here is the link to check global level of Radon
http://www.fixradon.com/maps/pages/D_01_world_radon_by_country.htm

You can’t see or smell radon. Testing is the only way to know your level of exposure. Radon can have a big impact on indoor air quality.

Radon comes from the natural (radioactive) breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe. Radon can be found all over the U.S. It can get into any type of building—homes, offices, and schools—and result in a high indoor radon level. But you and your family are most likely to get your greatest exposure at home, where you spend most of your time.

Radons may be found in drinking water too. Radon gas can also dissolve and accumulate in water from underground sources (called ground water), such as wells. When water that contains radon is used in the home for showering, washing dishes, and cooking, radon gas escapes from the water and goes into the air. Some radon also stays in the water. Based on a National Academy of Science report, EPA estimates that radon in drinking water causes about 168 cancer deaths per year.Radon is not a concern in water that comes from lakes, rivers, and reservoirs (called surface water), because the radon is released into the air before it ever arrives at your tap.

This is what you need to know. If you’ve tested your private well and have a radon in water problem, it can be fixed. Your home’s water supply can be treated in two ways. Point-of-entry treatment can effectively remove radon from the water before it enters your home.Point-of-use treatment devices remove radon from your water at the tap, but only treat a small portion of the water you use and are not effective in reducing the risk from breathing radon released into the air from all water used in the home.

Here is what you need to do.
The easiest way to reduce radon is to keep all the windows of the home open, especially all of the basement windows. Keeping basement windows open helps to minimize the negative pressure within the lower part of the home and helps to dilute the radon. For this to work though, the windows need to be kept open all the time. If not, radon returns to full strength in as little as 6 hours.

Since radon is drawn into the house from the soil, sealing openings in the basement floors or walls with caulk can help to reduce the amount of radon entering the home. If you have a sump pump, seal the lid airtight. Cracks in the basement floors, walls and other openings can allow radon to come in easier so caulking work can make a big difference.

If you are building a new home, be sure to ask your builder to have a "passive" radon system installed during construction. The most effective way to get rid of radon is to install a removal system that draws the radon out of the soil before it even has an opportunity to enter the house. These systems are called "Sub Slab Depressurization Systems" or "Active Soil Depressurization Systems". These systems operate by using a piping and fan system that depressurizes the soil that surrounds the home.

I would like to thank my friend who brought this to my notice and helped me to share about such a serious issue with you all.
If you find this article useful, and if you think your near and dear needs to know about this, please care to share.

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radon
https://www.epa.gov/radon
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/indoorair/radon/
http://www.radonawareness.org/how-to-fix.php
http://www.fixradon.com/maps/pages/D_01_world_radon_by_country.htm
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/othercarcinogens/pollution/radon

Hot Pipe Water for Cooking?

Hot Water from Pipes

Do you use hot pipe water for cooking or for drinking? Think over again. I am here to share the strongest source of information about this from United States Environmental Protection Agency. 

Lead is a chemical element in the carbon group. It is a soft, malleable and heavy post-transition metal. Lead is used in building construction. Lead can enter drinking water when service pipes that contain lead corrode, especially where the water has high acidity or low mineral content that corrodes pipes and fixtures. The most common problem is with brass or chrome-plated brass faucets and fixtures with lead solder, from which significant amounts of lead can enter into the water, especially hot water. Here is what you need to know. If ingested or inhaled, lead and its compounds are poisonous to animals and humans. Lead is a neurotoxin that accumulates both in soft tissues and the bones, damaging the nervous system and causing brain disorders.

Even low levels of lead in the blood of children can result in:

• Behavior and learning problems
• Lower IQ and hyperactivity
• Slowed growth
• Hearing problems
• Anemia
• In rare cases, ingestion of lead can cause seizures, coma and even death.

For Pregnant women, lead has serious effects including :

• Reduced growth of the fetus
• Premature birth

Lead is also harmful to adults. Adults exposed to lead can suffer from:

• Cardiovascular effects, increased blood pressure and incidence of hypertension
• Decreased kidney function
• Reproductive problems (in both men and women)

Never be careless. Just being in a developed country doesn't mean everything will be perfect. Do you know about the recent Flint water crisis? Here is what you need to do. You can have your water tested for lead. Flush your pipes before drinking by running cold water for a few minutes until it becomes cold. Use only cold water for eating, drinking and cooking. Note that boiling water will NOT get rid of lead contamination. Use proper water filters. Though lead in drinking water is bad for us, EPA states that bathing and showering should be safe for us and our children, even if the water contains lead over EPA’s action level as human skin does not absorb lead in water.

If you find this article useful, and if you think your near and dear needs to know about this, please care to share.

Sources:
www.wikipedia.org
https://www3.epa.gov/
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/136119893@N07

Facial Hair is normal for ladies!!

Yessss... Minney mouse too has body hair .. just like Mickey mouse...!! Its perfectly normal!!!

There have been a deep routed obsession towards hairless face and hairless body. The fashion industry and the glamorous Hollywood has a big role. Long back there were so many believes about beauty and living.

Nowadays, awareness is growing among people about all those misconceptions and believes. Say for example,once upon a time, only fair skin was believed to be beautiful. All those dark skins were being thought inferior and were even bullied. So lots of women started using fairness creams, bleaching and loaded the skin with tons of chemicals and what not to attain fair skin. But, after so many people raising voices and after so many debates and so many awareness articles, now the way our society insists even the kids to treat all skin color equal is a very welcoming thought. The fashion world also encourages the same and has done its share by giving many famous black models to the world and now its a known fact that every skin color is beautiful. This teaches to "Be Yourself".

Another such example is "Size Zero". Once, only being skinny was considered beauty and every girl dreamt of being zero size. But, nowadays the myth has been busted and a lot of girls stopped running after the "Size Zero" by severe dieting, heavy exercising and what not. Being the normal size is normal. This teaches to "Be Yourself".

A study shows every year in the UK around £25million is spent on hair removal products, with 6-8 per cent of women removing excessive facial hair once a week.If a male wants to live as a female, it is being accepted. If a female wants to live as a male, it is being accepted. Gay marriages and lesbian marriages are now being accepted legal in many states in USA. Its totally acceptable if a man grows a mustache, or a beard or a clean shave. Anyone in the world can live the way they want as long as it does not harm others. So.. my question is whats the big deal in women having facial hair and body hair. We all know that its very common and normal that women, just like men are humans and it is very normal to have body hair. Then why is it considered a shame to have facial hair? So many young adolescent girls are being bullied for this reason and they start shaving up or burn their skin.. just like the efforts once made to have fair skin and zero size.

Mankind being a mammal, is a type of animal that feeds milk to its young and that usually has hair or fur covering most of its skin. Though its known by all, why should we think it as a shame to have facial hair or body hair. Waxing can tug on, pull, stretch, and can peel off a layer of skin. Such harsh treatment can facilitate the development of wrinkles. Almost all hair removal creams are loaded with chemicals which are dangerous and harmful. We are indirectly ill-treating our own skin. Ultimately what do we get? Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Change the way you think and you can change the way you see. Its just not the money and effort that is being spent for removing the hair, its the pain we undergo in removing it, and the pain we undergo(in the name of bully) when it is not being removed. Lets stop this stereotyping. We can change this if we start thinking. Lets make this happen. Have guts to show your natural facial hair and body hair. The person with facial hair shows that she has love and respect for her skin and she dares not to damage the skin.

Nowadays, a few famous personalities come up flaunting their facial and body hair. Eva Longoria, Madonna, Kate Upton are seen with their mustaches and  Emma Watson is even proudly showing her arm hair. It was interesting to read Liz Jone's article 'My lifelong battle with body hair': Liz Jones breaks the great beauty taboo" in Dailymail. I would like to talk about Armpits4August, a campaign with collective of hirsute, polycystic and body-hair-positive women who are tired of the pressure to pluck and preen to perfection, and are setting the challenge to simply stop one practice on one area, for one month.  Its not abnormal to have facial and body hair. Break the rules. Lets bring things back to normal. When a few of us take effort to be ourselves and walk with confidence, many others will follow. This will surely bring the change, if not for us, at least for the future generation of kids. Yes, its in our hands.

If you find this article useful, and if you think your near and dear needs to know about this, please care to share.

Sources:
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/136119893@N07

Dryer sheets - The perfumed poison

Dryer sheets - The perfumed poison

In countries like India, clothes get dried thoroughly in Sun light as they still will be slightly wet even after getting through the dryer cycle in the washing machine. But here in USA, the dryers are powerful enough to dry the clothes completely. Though they end up with static clings and hard wrinkles on the clothes. Every time we launder, we remember to add dryer sheets and fabric softeners to take away these static clings and to reduce the wrinkles.

Ever wondered what these dryer sheets are? These dryer sheets are loaded with tons of chemicals and then tons of fragrances to suppress the odor of these chemicals. Chemicals that infiltrate the clothes we wear, which in turn get on our skin and absorbed into our body. They cause the worst effects on the younger kids as their skin is soft and more vulnerable to external damages.

Manufacturers are only required to list the ingredients that are active disinfectants (because these are technically pesticides) or known to be acutely hazardous (which to them includes ingredients that cause fires or explosions but not those that cause cancer or developmental diseases). People have shared their pathetic experiences of developing neurological disorders because of the use of such dryer sheets and fabric softeners.

Here is a list of just some of the chemicals found in fabric softeners and dryer sheets(Found by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EPA):

• Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer
• Benzyl Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant
• Ethanol: On the EPA's Hazardous Waste list and can cause central nervous system disorders
• Limonene: Known carcinogen
• A-Terpineol: Can cause respiratory problems, including fatal edema and central nervous system damage
• Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA's Hazardous Waste list
• Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders
• Chloroform: Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic
• Linalool: A narcotic that causes central nervous system disorders
• Pentane: A chemical known to be harmful if inhaled

Moreover, these sheets are linked with early puberty in kids(both boys and girls) disrupting their hormonal balance. As you might be knowing, the earlier the kids enter puberty, the longer they are exposed to elevated levels of the hormone, which is a risk factor for certain cancers.

You need to know this.. Even if you are not using dryer sheets for laundering the kids clothes, they may be exposed to these chemicals from bed spreads, towels and your clothes constantly rubbing their skin. Worse is the case of those living closer to the apartment common laundry room vents. They continuously inhale loads of the chemicals even others use. Worst to all, these dryer sheets and softeners play a role in ozone depletion and pollution. Does the fragrance worth it?

Here is what you need to do. There are healthier options available for handling the static cling and to soften clothes. The kitchen rescuer vinegar serves best for softening the clothes. If perfume is your concern, essential oils come handy. Dryer ball is the other alternative. The makers of these rubber balls claim that apart from reducing static cling and softening clothes, these balls reduce the drying time. That's not it.. Even tennis balls do the trick. You can wrap those tennis balls in aluminium foil to get the most out of it. Switching on to these options makes us free from those harsh chemicals and put us back on track.

If you find this article useful, and if you think your near and dear needs to know about this, please care to share.

Sources:

http://www.immuneweb.org/articles/fabricsoftener.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-gavigan/5-secrets-conventional-cl_b_191845.html
http://healthylivinghowto.com/1/post/2013/04/healthy-body-7-toxic-reasons-to-ditch-dryer-sheets.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/scented-laundry-products-release-carcinogens-study-finds/
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/136119893@N07

Sunscreens - Hidden Truth

Summer is the best time for outside play, tour, travel and many other activities without worrying about jackets and umbrellas. As the ozone layer gets depleted gradually, the harmful rays of the sun too seem to be rising. Sunscreens come handy when dealing with the scorching sunlight throughout the day without getting a sunburn. Sunscreens have many chemicals which can effectively block the harmful UV rays. Sunscreens do a good work in helping to prevent skin cancer associated with UV radiation from the sun.

The effectiveness of these sunscreens are judged by the Sun Protection Factor (SPF) level indicated. So, to protect ourselves we go for sunscreens with high, and sometimes very high SPF. If it takes 20 minutes for your unprotected skin to start turning red, using an SPF 15 sunscreen theoretically prevents reddening 15 times longer – about five hours. Now, YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS.

A report suggested that under certain conditions, sunscreens with estrogenic chemicals like Oxybenzone, Retinyl palmitate, Methoxycinnamate and Para amino benzoic acid(PABA) and other ultraviolet filters could lead to free-radical damage to the skin, a process that in theory could lead to skin cancer.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) published their guide to safe sunscreens. They reviewed over 2000 sunscreens and over 257 brands. They found more than 75% of the sunscreens contained toxic chemicals that can increase your risk of cancer and other health issues. Experts pity that  people are poisoning themselves by putting ounce-quantities of chemical sunscreens on their bodies, especially kids and pregnant or breastfeeding ladies. Studies show the reaction of these sunscreens on the hormones and are linked with early puberty of the kids.

Sunscreens are generally two types:

• Non mineral based sunscreen
• with chemicals like oxybenzone 
• thin in consistency with less stickiness
• gets absorbed by the skin and then gets into the blood very easily
• Mineral based sunscreen
• with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, 
• gooey texture
• does not get easily absorbed by the skin

Many studies have found that people are misled by the claims on high SPF sunscreen bottles.SPF values above 50+ try to trick you into believing they’ll prevent sun damage. Don’t trust them. Useful SPF protection tops out at 30 to 50. Nowadays, there are lots of spray sunscreens coming into the market. These spray sunscreens can be inhaled and causes lung damages, and they don’t cover skin completely.

Here is what you need to do. Go outdoors in early morning or late afternoon when the sun is lower in the sky. In case you happen to go outside during the peak hours of UV rays, first seek shade, cover up with clothing including a wide-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses or an umbrella. If at all you need to use any sunscreen, consider zinc oxide based sunscreens rather than the ones using the dangerous oxybenzone. Please pay extra caution when applying sunscreens for growing kids.

If you find this article useful, and if you think your near and dear needs to know about this, please care to share.

Source:
http://www.ewg.org/2015sunscreen/
http://www.skincancer.org/
http://www.doctoroz.com/article/your-sunscreen-might-be-poisoning-you
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/136119893@N07

High Fructose Corn Syrup - Sweet killer

Are you health conscious? Good.. You are in the right track. Do you believe that eating 'whole wheat bread' is a healthier option? You are still in the right track. Now, do you believe that you are going to shed those extra pounds just by believing the word 'whole wheat'? Then there's where you slipped. The same happens when you think that all packaged fruit juices are also good for health.

Yeah. There is something You Need to Know. While choosing any of your food, pay close attention in the list of ingredients listed. You might be able to see an ingredient named "High Fructose Corn Syrup" shortly HFCS. This HFCS may not only be in bread or juices, but could be in any food item you can't even imagine of. Some of them are:

•  Cereals
•  Bread
•  Juices
•  Soda
•  Cookies
•  Icecream
•  Chocolate milk
•  Yogurt
•  Peanut butter
•  Ketchup
•  Nuggets
•  Soups
•  Cough syrups 
•  Groundnut chikki(candies)

and what not. I stumbled upon a site containing the list of food items in which HFCS could be possibly added. You can google for lots of websites stating the list of food items containing HFCS and the risk of consuming HFCS.

'High-fructose corn syrup(HFCS)' is a common sweetener in packaged food like sodas and fruit-flavored drinks. As use of high-fructose corn syrup has increased and so have the levels of obesity and related health problems like diabetes, metabolic syndrome, damage to immune system, plaque building up leading to narrowing of blood vessels.

Though there are a few controversies, stating that HFCS are no different than ordinary cane sugar, question arises when our human body reacts differently to both the sugars. While glucose is processed into energy or stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles, fructose is metabolized into fat. Moreover, as there are tons of commercial interests to this product, there is no surprise corporations will come defending this food additive and to convince people.

Sugar, as such is already proven to be the major cause for problems like obesity and diabetes. This High Fructose Corn Syrup has way more complications than normal sugar. HFCS are even linked with the presence of mercury in some parts of the world. In spite of all these facts, do you wonder why this is added to the food. It is very cheap to produce HFCS and therefore is used abundantly. Its all for commercial gain.

We, unknowingly start feeding ourselves and our kids to such food additives and pave our way towards obesity and other disorders. Soda consumption is one of the biggest sources for calories in US and this HFCS plays a major role in it. Real fresh fruits are better than those packaged fruit juices loaded with HFCS. Drinking pure water is far better than consuming soda.

Nowadays, there are lots of sites explaining us about the side effects of consuming food containing HFCS. Because of this huge awareness,nowadays there are many products coming up with the label 'No High Fructose'.

Now you know that you are in the safe zone.. naah.. There is something You Need to Know More..Just the labeling of 'No High Fructose' is not enough. Corporations have now got a new way to deceive the consumers.  A famous brand of cereal have now an updated version of the same cereal sold in most conventional grocery and discount stores for many years. The front of the box clearly states that the product contains “no high fructose corn syrup” (HFCS), but turn it over to read the ingredient list and there it is – the new isolated fructose.

It is also said that Corn Refiners Association (CRA) has explained..
“A third product, HFCS-90, is sometimes used in natural and ‘light’ foods, where very little is needed to provide sweetness. Syrups with 90% fructose will not state high fructose corn syrup on the label [anymore], they will state ‘fructose’ or ‘fructose syrup’".
That is a sneaky name change to make the people believe. Its high time we cared about what we consume.

So, here's what you need to do. Let the fight go on whether HFCS is the same as sugar or not. But let us be in the safer side. The next time you go shopping to get your groceries, please do spend a minute to check the ingredients in the label. Be wary of HFCS and try to avoid it and lets help ourselves from getting any worse.


If you find this article useful, and if you think your near and dear needs to know about this, please care to share.

Sources:
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/136119893@N07