From this week forward, every Wednesday I’ll post a unique and/or inspirational piece of writing. I figure by this point in the the week we could all use some inspiration 
These beautiful days must enrich all my life. They do not exist as mere pictures – maps hung upon the walls of memory – but they saturate themselves into every part of my body and live always.
-John Muir
Many of the cleaning products we use today can be extremely harmful to us. A home that is cleaned using harsh chemical cleaners could be very unhealthy to you and your family members. Here are some simple tips for greener cleaning:
Use Fewer Products: Whenever possible, use an all-purpose cleaner. This will generally work for almost any cleaning need including bathroom, kitchen, glass, furniture, etc. All-purpose green cleaners are not harsh on surfaces and can be used in lieu of multiple products.
Avoid Air Fresheners: Air fresheners may smell nice, but they are also releasing chemicals into the air. Some even contain known carcinogens or Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). If you burn candles, burn soy. If an area is in need of a freshening, try simply airing it out using fresh air from a nearby window. A fresh breeze will air out an area and kill most germs and bacteria naturally.
Cut Down on Disinfectants: Anti-bacterial products are overused in the home today. For almost any cleaning job, simple soap and water or an all-purpose cleaner are more than adequate. Anti-bacterial soaps kill off all bacteria, including those that are healthy and necessary for your natural body functions. They have also given rise to “superbugs”, which are antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.
Make Your Own Nontoxic Cleaning Products: You can quickly and easily make your own cleaning products that are cheaper and healthier for you. Check out my previous post on making your own cleaners here.
Here are some ideas that will help protect the planet (and your health).
All of these ideas are simple changes that you can make to improve your health and that of the planet.
One of the supplements I take when I’m sick is Black Elderberry. You can buy the extract in many forms, but I prefer the tablets from Solaray, called SambuActin. The directions say to take two of them up to four times daily, and I generally stick to that schedule. I can carry this small tin around with me all day and take them periodically throughout the day.
Elderberry Extract works by inhibiting several variants of the flu virus from replicating. A study done during a flu outbreak in Panama had a 90% success ratio. 90% of the patients treated with elderberry showed improvement within a day or two, and were completely cured within 3 days. Patients given a placebo took 6 days or longer to be completely rid of the virus.
Black Elderberry Extract has been a part of my cold and flu treatment now for about a year. It works great by itself, or in combination with tea and a neti pot.
I’ve been fighting a head cold this past week. I usually don’t get sick when everyone else does, but it seems there is something going around, as many people I know have come down with a sore throat, stuffy head, and cough.
In the past, I’ve tried to stay away from most medications (especially strong over-the-counter and prescription cold drugs). In their place, I’ve tried to cure the cold using common knowledge (lots of fluids, sleep, etc) or with natural remedies (teas, supplements, etc). I also tried some of the less toxic over-the-counter cold remedies like Airborne (contains lots of vitamins and herbs) and Zicam (which uses Zinc as a cold remedy).
First off, the Airborne doesn’t work. This product is popular simply because of a great marketing campaign and an Oprah endorsement. The extremely high levels of Vitamins in Airborne are useless. A human body can only absorb so much of any particular vitamin at a time…the rest is just passed out in urine. As for the herbs, a lot of the herbs present in Airborne have never been tested. There’s no reason to think these are safe or effective.
As for Zicam, I used to be a huge supporter. About two years ago, I was the best man in a wedding and had been stressing out about giving the best man speech for weeks. I came down with a terrible head cold a week before the wedding. Zicam, which essentially uses high levels or zinc to inhibit the flu virus from reproducing, actually worked for me. I started using it every few hours as directed and my cold cleared up in a few days. This same result has been backed up by studies, including one done by the Cleveland Clinic. The problem is that the levels of Zinc in Zicam are extremely high, and can lead to permanent loss of taste and smell. That’s simply not a risk that I am comfortable taking.
Instead, check out my post about safe, natural cold remedies that really do work.
“A house is more than a roof over your head. The whole idea of a house became skewed when we worried more about resale value than actually living there. It’s time to consider the return on our emotional investment.”
-Jill Butler, author of Create the Space You Deserve: An Artistic Journey to Expressing Yourself Through Your Home
I have lived in the same 1-bedroom apartment since moving to Florida almost 3 years ago. When I first came into town, I went and toured four or five different apartments, and basically just picked one at random. I wasn’t familiar with the neighborhoods in the area, but I ended up really enjoying my place. Well, my current lease is us the end of June, and I have been contemplating the idea of buying a house. I have been watching different economic indicators throughout the recent recession, and it looks as though the housing market has bottomed out. Houses are as cheap as they have been in years. Coupled with record-low interest rates and tax incentives for first-time homebuyers, this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me.
But as I was touring houses, I realized one thing…I was looking at the house from an investment perspective instead of as “my home”. My realtor is a great guy and I enjoy working with him, but I’m sure I’m driving hizm crazy at this point. Besided being extremely indecisive to begin with, I really have no idea what I’m looking for.
I need to discover who I am now, where I am in life, and what I really want.
Here are three easy-to-make alternatives to standard cleaning products:
Furniture Polish
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup white distilled vinegar
20-30 drops of lemon oil
Add ingredients together and shake well before using. Put this on a rag or brush and use it as you would a normal furniture polish.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner
There are two options here:
All-Purpose Cleaner
2 cups white distilled vinegar
2 cups water
20 to 30 drops of a scented oil (eucalyptus is my favorite, but you can use lavender, lemongrass, etc)
Mix all the ingredients together and pour them into a spray bottle. You can use this on hard surfaces like countertops, tile floors, windows, and mirrors.
The last two summers here in Florida, I’ve planted peppers out on my patio. This year I’ve planted green bell peppers and hot hungarian peppers. They have both done extremely well and I’ve enjoyed going outside and picking my own.
Green Bell Pepper. This will gradually turn red if you leave it on the vine.
My favorite pepper, the Hot Hungarian. This will go from yellow to red as it ripens on the vine. FYI, the redder it gets, the hotter it becomes as well.
Besides being a lot of fun to grow and eat, peppers are also really good for you. The active ingredient in hot peppers, capsaicin, has been shown to have several health benefits:
Cancer Fighter: Cultures outside of the U.S. whose diet consists of a lot of peppers, such as India and Mexico, have traditionally had lower cancer rates than we do. Recent studies have used pepper extract to kill up to 80% of cancer cells in lab tests, and reduced the size of active tumors in mice.
Pain Reliever: Several over-the-counter muscle pain relievers use capsaicin as their primary ingredient. The burning sensation initially associated with these cremes and topical applications usually gives way to a relaxed, warm feeling in cramped and sore muscles.
Offset Obesity: Capsaicin is also used in some weight loss supplements due to it’s tendency to increase metabolic activity, and has been shown to reduce appetite to varying degrees. Adding peppers to regular meals could help over-eating, and curb hunger after meals.
There are many potential health benefits of peppers. Growing them is easy and fun, and I usually try to add them to my dinners. Pasta, Pizza, Rice, and Omelets are great candidates. Peppers add spice, color, anbd health benefits to meals!
Besides just matching up rhythms, when two musicians play together their brain waves synchronize as well. A study by German scientists using jazz guitarists suggests the brain waves of each musician were actually syncing and responding to each other as they listened and played.
Another study on music in the U.S. monitored recovering heart patients and found similar results. As patients listened to relaxing guitar music, their hearts gradually began to beat in time with the music. Over the course of several days, this rhythmic healing helped to mend their bodies post-surgery.
Doctors are increasingly looking at music as a way to help mind and body rejuvenate and reconnect. Music is a very important part of our culture, and can help us to reconnect with our bodies and with each other.
This isn’t new, but I just came across it. The video simplifies things some, but does make some really good points about our consumption rates. Hopefully it will get at least a few people to change their ways….(click on the image below to take you to the page)
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