Family Health & Safety
Making Our Homes Safer
Have you ever wondered how many chemicals and toxins we are exposed to every single day? It would scare you! When I started doing consulting work for a wellness company I began to research some house hold products and personal care products in regards to their chemical composition and found some very scary facts. Makes you wonder what damage we have already done to ourselves but more importantly to our families, children and babies!
There are some alternatives out there to help rid our families of toxins. Some issues remain a bit more challenging like the pesticides used for insect control in public areas but hopefully that will change.
What we can control is what we put in our families' bodies and what we have around our individual homes. There are products out here that are environmentally friendly and non-toxic. Products such as insect repellant and ant killer are possible. If you would like more information on these products just message me and I will help you out.
Now to give you a sample of what is in some of the commercial products in the stores:
- Lip Stick - has lead in it! We arte putting this on our lips which is almost in our mouth.
- Disinfecting Wipes - states to rinse after use! I was guilty of this one. I was cleaning up the chicken residue and leaving behind toxins. Denatured Ethanol (if inhaled or ingested causes Central Nevous Sysytem Depression); alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride (registered pesticd used for disinfecting)
- Glass Cleaners - ammonia (causes kidney, liver damage and tumors); diethylene glycol (attacks the central nervous system, liver and kidneys); glycol ethers (causes reproductive disorders)
- Dishwashing Detergent - phosphates (one 45 ounce bottle has enough phosphates to produce 200 pounds of algae); chlorine bleach (mixes with hot water, toxic volatized chlorine fumes are created, which are then released into the air in your home as a steam mist. Common symptoms are headaches, fatigue, burning eyes and respiratory infection); alkaline (burn skin, mouth and eyes, etches dishes and "clouds" glassware); naptha (cancer, lung damage, lung inflammation, depresses and damages you central nervous system)
These are just a few. We do not need to expose our families to these toxins. I have 3 asthmatics in my family 2 of which was adult onset. I have always wondered if some of this could have been prevented. Just remember toxins enter our bodies through Inhalation (breathing), Absorption (through our skin), and by Ingestion (eating or just putting it in our mouth)! We need to protect ourselves and our families from ALL THREE!
Keeping Our Bodies Healthy
How do we expect to be at the top of our game when we are either starving ourselves or eating junk foods all the time. We wouldn't feed our families the crap that we eat but we all justify t by saying "I didn't have time to make something good". Well I am not going to say that I am perfect and eat everything I should but at least I do feel guilty when I am "bad".
It is not hard to eat more healthy and the benefits are so overwhelming. Firstly you are proud when you make good, tasty, healthy food choices. Next you are not going to be as tired and therefore will have more energy for work and family time.
Here are some tips for eating a bit more healthy:
- Prepare!!! When you go grocery shopping always have a note. And stick to it. Try to decide what you are eating for the next 3 or 4 days for all meals then compile your note according to what ingredients you need. Now also include snacks. I have a small white bulletin board that I tack my meals on so I remember what I am suppose to make for that day.
- Prepare!!! Once again if you can prepare the ingredients ahead of time such as cutting up onions (they can be frozen once cut up), veggies. his will save you time when making meals. Now you don't need to prepare all 4 days worth of ingredients all at one but when preparing a large meal take that time to cut some additional items.
- Snacks!!! Keep healthy snack in your office at all times that way you are not going to get cravings for something unhealthy and get up non stop to the fridge! Nuts, a piece of fruit (or a fruit bowl), and whole wheat crackers are great snacks. Almonds are a great source of calcium!
- Water!!! The one thing that most people do not consume enough of is water. So simple and yet o important. If you do not have enough water you can become tired, have muscle cramps, and think you are hungry so you over eat. You should be drinking around 3 litres of water a day! So keep a reusable water bottle on your desk at all times and keep it filled up as you drink it. You will be going to washroom so every time you "go" you need to fill up the bottle!
Keeping Our Minds Healthy
We have all been there. Balancing work and family and then the dreaded emergency that just knocks us off our "schedule" and then what happens ... we shut down! Now for some this "shut down" can come in the form of just being tired all the time, becoming the "task focused person who stresses over getting that list completed", or it can just be the person who is "sick" all the time. There are as any ways of being stressed out as there are individuals in his world. The key is to reflect! Ask yourself questions such as:
1) Am I stressed out?
2) Am I happy with my job? Don't forget that being a housewife is also a job. I am not saying to abandon your family but maybe you need a hobby or an outside of housework job.
3) Am I happy with my relationship with my family? Do I have time enough with them?
4) What makes me stressed out, finances, being away from family, overwhelmed with trying to balance work and home?
Now that you have answered these questions I want you to answer one last question after I make this statement: "Life is too short and precious to be wasted on something that makes you unhappy."
What would make you happy (and ultimately stress free) if you could change anything about your life?
Now we all have responsibilities and nothing can change those but there are options out there that can help you either de-stress, change your occupation, work from home to be there for you family, hire a student to help around the house (there are grants in some areas that may assist with the cost of this), etc.
Now some fun time! This is often overlooked since we have all developed into Type A personalities and have become work-a-holics. Schedule time for fun whether it is a movie night, walk on the beach, snow ball fight on Saturday night. Remember the old saying: "all work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy".
Take breaks during your work day. Especially when working from home you need to almost schedule your breaks because so often we get caught up on a project that we just keep on going. A break can actually help refresh the mind and may make you more brilliant when you return to that project!
Now in addition to what I have mentioned we all must eat properly to be mentally healthy as well so make sure you eat and I do not mean a cup of coffee with a donut. See the opposite side for some suggestions.