Cleaning is crucial when it comes to protecting our health. We’re exposed to toxins, bacteria, and other harmful invaders in our homes, schools, and workplaces. However, household and cleaning products—including soaps, polishes, and grooming supplies—often include harmful chemicals. The good news is that you can limit your exposure to these harsh chemicals. Not to mention that a movement of “green” and “natural” cleaning products is occurring now!
It’s everyone’s favorite time of year. Spring has been teasing us with bursts of warm weather. With melting temperatures comes the promise of brighter days. Our motivation to come out of our winter hibernation states is growing. Many of us participate in this time of rebirth, especially when it comes to cleaning our homes. If you are looking to give your house a deep clean without sketchy ingredients and chemicals, keep reading to learn about the benefits of cleaning with essential oils!
Organic foods are becoming increasingly popular. Most grocery stores now have separate organic sections. And there are others who only sell organic items. People choose to consume organic food for a number of different reasons. But what truly is the difference between organic and non-organic foods?
A few weeks ago, we began the discussion of “Resetting our Health”. “To put it simply, we have become a culture of pill pushing and band-aid adhering. We take notice of our symptoms, rush to treat them and move onto the next thing without any more thought. We have stopped asking “Why?” and we have stopped looking into the root causes of our illnesses. Instead, we have turned to treat surface symptoms, hoping for the best. Natural, alternative medicines aren’t any better, as there seems to be an herb or supplement for everything these days.” Today, we want to jump into the specifics of what resetting our health actually means under the category of nutrition.
“CSA” stands for “Community Supported Agriculture” and for over 25 years, CSA’s have been connecting consumers to local, seasonal food from farmers in their community. While technically you can support community agriculture through things like farmer’s and local markets, CSA’s of today has become synonymous with a once-a-week or biweekly box full of local, seasonal produce delivered right to your door (or close to it!).
Resetting Our Health. According to research done by Mayo Clinic, it has been found that nearly 70 percent of Americans are at least on one prescription drug. Nearly 50% take two. And close to 25% are on five or more prescription medications. I’ll let you swallow that pill again…close to 25% of Americans are taking five or more prescription medications every single day. We live in a time where health is continually talked about. Celebrities sponsor teas, resistance bands, magic diet pills, and recipe books. YouTube fitness influencers take us through extreme challenges and live workouts. Doctors have their own talk shows, are guests on podcasts, and some even have successful social media accounts in which they share their tips and tricks to getting healthy. In this 21st century so focused on health, I want to raise one question. Why is it that we are the unhealthiest we have ever been? And why is our life expectancy starting to decline (as suggested by The British Medical Journal, ABC News, Reuters Health, and The Washington Post)?
Toxic is a word that continues to pop up in our culture. Toxic chemicals, toxic waste. Even toxic relationships. We are becoming exposed to more and more toxins in our everyday life. Once meant to be helpful and not intentionally dangerous, we are now learning of the alarming effects these chemicals cause. We are continually exposed to chemicals in our food, the air we breathe, and a plethora of common items we all use every single day. To combat these toxins, another word has become popular as of late – detoxification. Ranging from detox teas to charcoal towels, companies rely on this trigger word as a means of advertising to a scared consumer market. But did you know that our bodies naturally detoxify our body? Today, we’re going to jump into the science and begin destigmatizing detox.
It’s coming to the end of February, and with that, so too comes a close on heart focused health. We’ve talked about the effects of fish oil supplementation as well as menopause and heart disease. But before we conclude this heartfelt journey, we wanted to talk about one final aspect of heart health, our sleep. This isn’t the first time we’ve covered the importance of sleep. But today, we’re going to discuss the heart health specifics.
Heart disease is something that all of us face. As we age, our risk naturally increases. However, symptoms are becoming more apparent in postmenopausal women. To be clear, menopause does not cause cardiovascular diseases. Yet, a combination of lifestyle choices, family history, and unhealthy habits paired with menopause can cause certain risk factors to increase.
Many people follow low-carb diets for certain benefits such as weight-loss and the improvement of certain conditions such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease. Lately, there have been a lot of health and nutrition articles about the effects of low-carb diets during pregnancy. A recent study showed a suggested correlation between low-carb diets and the risk of birth defects. And health journalists took those findings and ran with them. But is it the lack of carbs increasing these risks or something else entirely? How many carbs do women actually need during pregnancy?