okay, let’s start with this “healthy reflection” article i got from sparkpeople.com:
Are You Neglecting Your Body?
If you crave chocolate as much as Aunt Marge does, you know that nothing else could possibly come first. Her tastes aside, food can actually be more of a foundation than a passion. To have an enriching & healthy life, fitness is a must. Good eating can be part of that fitness springboard that makes bigger things possible. The next months and years are filled with hard work that takes energy and action. If you’re starving your body, depriving it of what it needs, you’re handicapping yourself in the race for your dreams. And if you’re filling it with garbage, don’t expect much in return. This all may seem obvious, but too many people sabotage themselves by ignoring that simple fact. For so long, we’ve been hearing so many bad things about different foods, it’s almost as if food is our enemy, one that can kill us or ruin our lives. Truth is, food—good food—is the thing that makes everything else possible.
i believe in this whole-heartedly. the longer i struggle with my weight and minor health issues, the more i am convinced that what this says is true.
for example, today my allergies are acting up so badly, and it’s really frustrating me. i’ve done a little reading on natural allergy remedies and prevention in the past because i’m one of those kinds of ppl who doesnt think taking a drug to block the histamines is the answer. its a temporary fix—expensive—and unnatural, usually causing other unpleasant side-effects.
in addition, many of these drugs are fairly new; what will they say about them a century from now? i dont care if the drug companies claim they are safe—they are just out to make money IMHO (that’s another subject! hehe). we dont REALLY know the long-term effects. i mean, if poor health/diet and environment is part of the reason why my immune system is whacking out, shouldnt i be able to reverse that without drugs?
now before i go on, please dont think im totally against the medical and drug community. obviously, there are hundreds of prescription drugs out there that drastically improve peoples’ quality of life and save lives. i’m just talking about my minor allergy problem here *hehe*
however—me, like millions of other people, deal with these annoying allergies and wouldnt we all like a simple, healthy solution? honestly, deep down, i believe much of it can be reversed by adopting a healthier lifestyle, diet, and a little more attention to our environment.
and not only would this improve our allergies, but being healthier inside and out protects us from cancer, diabetes, and many other diseases. it makes so much sense!
what got me on a roll about this subject today is i decided i was going to look into getting one of those “ionic breeze” air purifiers. i figured bettering the environment i spend the most time in would be one of the quickest and easiest changes i can make toward clearing up my allergies.
(we have 4 cats and a dog, and i dont think im just allergic to them per se, but i know their hair and dander have added to my immune system overload. i never used to be allergic to ANYTHING…until about 5 years or so ago…at my unhealthiest weight and lifestyle. HMmmmm, interesting! oh, and I LOVE MY PETS so there is no way now how i would get rid of them!)
anyhoo, its much like me to just want to jump into buying something like that cause it seems like it could help out a lot and of course i want relief ASAP!
so, i went to the Sharper Image website and read up. wow! sounds like the one with the “OzoneGuard” was the best bet. the product itself gives off ozone as a by-product (which, ironically, irritates your lungs and is bad for ppl with asthma or respiratory probs), BUT the “OzoneGuard” converts the ozone into oxygen. WOW COOL!
well okay, so before i go to ebay and buy a cheap one, i figured i’d see what Consumer Reports says. im SO GLAD i did! here’s a blurb of what they say in Dec ‘05:
“Our latest tests show that the Sharper Image Ionic Breeze Professional with OzoneGuard is as ineffective as earlier versions and, unlike most room air cleaners, emits ozone as a byproduct. Based on its poor performance, we do not recommend it.”
“The bottom line: The Sharper Image Ionic Breeze Professional with OzoneGuard does little to clean the air. If you own one, try returning it for a refund. Also remember that even the best air cleaner may be a questionable investment, since there’s little medical evidence that air cleaners alone reduce the effects of indoor pollutants for those with asthma and allergies.”
they had a few lengthy articles explaining their tests, and to tell ya the truth, i was disappointed to realize that most likely “air purifers” or whatever other name you wanna call them, might do a LITTLE bit to help in some cases, but in the end will clean out your checkbook more than your living room air!! :-O i almost got duped like thousands of other desperate people out there.
SOOOO im going to continue “detoxing” our home like i have been for the last year or so. currently, we have no harsh detergents in the whole house. our traditional laundry soap, dish soap, dishwasher detergent, kitchen and bathroom cleaners, shampoos, soaps, shower gels, shave cream, toothpaste, deodorant, facial cleansers, lotions…all have been thrown out and i only have a few bottles of cleaners for surfaces and floors—my preferred brand is Method from Target. i also use their brand of laundry and dishwasher detergent. not only are their products awesome with no harsh detergents, they are eco-friendly (as is the company) which is important to me.
all the other stuff mentioned has been replaced with products that are paraben and sodium laurel/laureth sulfate free. Burt’s Bees and Tom’s of Maine are excellent and affordable brands for that stuff. i can now even get my Tom’s of Maine toothpaste at Walmart for cheap! yay!
once the holidays are over, i’m gonna focus on my diet. right now im actually putting into play a good plan for healthier eating in general—and in doing so, i lost about 5lb so far this month! YAY!!!
but, i dont want to stress myself out during the holidays trying to eliminate all refined sugars or something *hehe* that would just be insane! *LOL* im sure i will update you on all that once i devise my plan of action :D
whew okay!! enough of the babbling! its lunchtime *hehe* if anyone out there has their own natural allergy solutions or you just have an opinion to share, id love to hear it :)
enjoy the weekend!
~jos~
p.s. i guess i kinda got off-track from that mini-article at the beginning of the blog—but i have more to say on that so im sure i will eventually! hehe!
