We are All about Options

 

 

Every moment of every day we are presented with Options. What to wear, what we eat, shall we exercise, when to  rest. Who shall we be, who shall we be with.  Will we choose a still moment today or will we “do” every moment into the ground. Each and every Option can and will bring us closer to our Health and abundance goals OR, can and will drift us off on some long lost path we’ve been down before. You remember that path. I know I do. Came to a fork in the road, and one on the plate, and decided to go the road most traveled. The one that brought unnecessary struggles.  The road that brought me to added pounds as a child and teenager that took me to mid-life to claim my rightful body. The road that so many decide to take and then look at life and propose “that’s just the way life is”.  I’m here to tell you “that’s not just the way life is” it’s the way We have Each Optioned to Create it. Yep. I’m saying that what you see is what you got, because you (and I) chose it this way. OK, I know that you’re sitting there going, “Wait one minute, I didn’t choose for my partner to leave me, I didn’t choose for my child to have a debilitating health condition and I surly didn’t choose for my body to revolt on me”. You’re right. None of us chose for any of these opportunities to show up in our lives (yes, opportunities). However, we each had Options of how to respond. How would we respond to these opportunities?  We alone give these opportunities meaning in our lives, or not.  We alone give these opportunities a place to help us grow into better persons, more loving, giving, sharing, or not. We alone Option our lives.  So you are now here, right here on this web page of Options in Health, and you can take this opportunity to Option your life into Health, or not. I encourage you to give yourself moments to cruse the site. Check out the possibilities here that can change your life, and that of your family, or not. Whether you stay or go, I’ll still be here, Optioning others to Health, and Abundance.  I’m pretty sure that if you leave, you’ll be back. Cause’ we are all about Options.

Blessings to you in Health and Abundance.

Safe Summer Cleaning

Feeling the need to freshen up your home now we are mid summer?  Looking to clear out clutter and germs?  Before you grab your household cleaners, take a look at what is hiding in those containers.

 Chlorine Bleach, is registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a pesticide. In 2007, the American Association of Poison Control Centers recorded over 50,000 calls regarding chlorine bleach poisonings: 1/3 for children. Chlorine bleach is one of the most common household substances resulting in poison control calls.

Hanging out in hand and dish soaps are Triclosan and Triclocarban.  Commonly found in a broad range of products as “antibacterial.”  Both are registered as pesticides by the EPA. Note these chemicals do not destroy viruses, the real causes of colds and the flu.  I sure don’t want to be washing my children’s hands or my own with pesticides. Do you?

Drain cleaners are made from lye and hydrochloric acid. Both caustic irritants and will cause burns to the skin with contact and poisonous if swallowed.

 Toilet bowl cleaner is made from Sodium acid sulfate, oxalate or hydrochloric acid.  All are corrosive and can burn skin on contact and may be fatal if swallowed. Ever notice the sweet smell to these cleaners? There are many reports of children drinking this every year.

What about those windows?  Window cleaners contain Diethylene-glycol and ammonia.  These can be toxic to the central nervous system and cause irritation to eyes, lungs, and skin.

Furthermore, none of these chemicals are rendered safe when rinsed down the drains.  They all go on into our sewers, into the environment, our ground water and waterways.

How to clean safely?

With all the products on the market today one wonders where to begin.  You can find safe alternatives to these harsh, unhealthy chemical.  Create your own safe cleaning products that you can feel good about having your children help.  You can also save money making your own simple inexpensive cleaning products; Products so safe that you can actually eat them.

What will you need? 

 You will need various containers for your products. Have your children help you check your home for what you have on hand.  Have some fun: Make it a scavenger hunt to see who can find the best containers in your home; such as…

• Plastic spray bottles of various sizes
• Cotton cloths and rags (to use instead of paper towels).
• Newspaper

Cleaning Agents from food products?

                It’s as simple as vinegar and baking soda!

                Vinegar is a known disinfectant.  The Good Housekeeping Institute reported on “48 Hours” (on CBS) in 2000; “A straight 5% solution of vinegar kills 99 percent of bacteria, 82 percent of mold, and 80 percent of viruses”. You won’t see this on the vinegar bottle as the companies have not registered their vinegar with the EPA as a chemical.

 Grab your kids and have a contest, see who can get their area the cleanest.  A sponge with full strength vinegar will shine the tub and sinks. For tile and grout, a solution of ¼ cup vinegar in 1 gallon of warm water will do the trick.  An old tooth brush, dipped in full strength vinegar, will get that grout clean and mildew free.

  Have a science experiment!  Know that buildup at the base of your faucets?  Wrap rags, soaked in vinegar, around faucet bases and leave for one hour. Come back and see what has happened!  Clogged drains can be freed with 1 cup baking soda followed with 1 cup vinegar. Kids love to see the foaming action. Follow with a hot water flush for several minutes and your drain will be running slick.

Clean your oven without the caustic smell that we all know and hate!  Mix one-cup vinegar and 1/4 cup powdered laundry detergent. Heat your oven for 5-minutes at 350 degrees and turn it off. Spread the paste around the oven, applying it more heavily to very greasy areas. Leave on for an hour, then use a plastic spatula to gently scrape the dirt away. Even the kids can clean this oven!

 Make your own “blue” window cleaner.  Mix 1 cup vinegar with 5 cups water, add a few drops of blue food coloring.  Using newspaper, no color pages, will add to the “green” action.  I like to wear gloves to keep my hands from getting covered in newsprint.

Never Mix Vinegar and Bleach!!! The Results Are Toxic

Moving on to all that Clutter

 Summer can result in huge collections of personal “stuff” that each family member can participate in clearing. Have your children create a fashion show of clothes that no longer fit.   Help them fill bags and take to the nearest shelter.  Decorate the bags even!  Encourage them to review their toys and help to make an evaluation of what they still play with. Remind them how grown up they are.  Time to pass on toys to children who have less.  Helping kids be givers at an early age creates a “giving” environment.  Let them know they are recycling.  Sending on gently used articles to a new home fosters flow within the universe.

Parents too need to release what no longer fits, either their bodies or their life styles. Have clothes you haven’t worn for the past year?  Really, does one need 5 purses?  That painting from your high school days could also go. Do you really need to continue to keep every paper your children have produced?  Sort through and select the “best of the best” for keeping. Have an art show with family members as the jury and each “artist” wins 1-2 selections for safe keeping and then toss the rest.  Clearing out clutter opens up space in your home and heart.  Ready for spring!

Resources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics; http://www.epa.gov

Children’s Health Environmental Coalition; http://www.checnet.org

Children’s Environmental Health Network; http://www.cehn.org

What’s all the “Buzz” About Food Colors and Hyperactivity

Free Radicals, the latest Rock Band?

Free Radicals!

The latest rock bands – or something happening in your cells?

By now I’m pretty sure most people have heard the words “antioxidants” and a few more have heard “inflammation” and maybe a few less have heard about “free radicals” and most are wondering what the heck do all these terms mean and why should we be of concern. First off let me say that they are not the latest rock bands and yes they are happening in the deepest parts of our bodies, yep even in yours. They are occurring in our cells. Free radicals are what are released when the cells experience “oxidative stress”. Ever notice a piece of metal that has been left outside in the rain and moisture? OK maybe not so much in Colorado but back in the Midwest, where I come from, cars are basically melted down day by day from the process of oxidative stress = RUST! That is happening in our bodies also. We are rusting from the inside out! How does this occur in our bodies you might ask? Or maybe you don’t ask but you can be sure I’m going to tell you anyway. Any and all stress causes our cells to have oxidative reactions. The reactions cause a release of electrons, (remember your chemistry class back in college or high school.) Those electrons are looking for a new home and are then noted as free radicals. The free radicals can and will latch onto other cells causing changes in the cells. The changes can and often do result in “inflammation”. Free radicals cause cellular damage and even cellular death. So, what! What’s the big deal about inflammation? A little inflammation can’t hurt you. Can it? Well, a very little can be a good thing. Like when you cut yourself and the area becomes a bit inflamed as all the body’s defenses come to heal the cut. That’s a little. However over time, if you kept repeating this process in the same place, your skin would create big scars, have less elasticity and overall are less healthy. Think of that going on 24/7 in your cells.Well, then what do “antioxidants” have to do with all this. Think of antioxidants as the equalizer of the cellular world. Antioxidants inhibit the oxidation from occurring in the first place. Our bodies and the bodies of all living beings, including plants, have internal antioxidants. The problem occurs for us humans when we live and eat in such manners that our lifestyles over power our internal systems. Also when we do not eat enough foods that are rich in antioxidants. What over powers our internal systems? What causes “oxidative stress”? STRESS!! Life is filled with stress even good stress is stress. The polluted air we breathe, the times we over exercise (not me here bur some of you will relate), the processed foods we eat, inadequate sleep, working at jobs that do not fulfill us, relationships that are less than supportive and overall a lack of loving ourselves all result in stress to our minds, bodies and terminally to our cells.OK, so what does all this mean in the big scheme of life? The bottom line is that this entire process results in inflammation at the cellular level. Inflammation results in a host of chronic degenerative diseases of which 70-80% is preventable. Some of these conditions are cancer, heart disease,osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, depression, Parkinson’s, stroke, premature aging, and digestive disease.Next month we’ll talk about how to better your chances of preventing these diseases through god nutrition and better life style choices. For now think of eating as many colors of fruits and vegetables as you can. The brighter the better. Fresh, colorful fruits and vegetables are our primary source of antioxidants. Have a great month and check back here for more on this exciting adventure into your cells. 