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We spend up to 90% of our time indoors, and one-third of that time in our bedrooms sleeping. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the air inside our home is more polluted than on a road or in an industrial area. Moreover, exposure to indoor allergens, chemicals and irritants cause asthma and some forms of cancer. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like formaldehyde used in permanent press sheets, mattresses, foam, plastics and building materials cause insomnia, coughing, headaches, nausea, nosebleeds and skin rashes. They are neurotoxins and carcinogens.

Toluene, Xylene, and petroleum distillates used in paints and stain removers are also suspected carcinogens. Carpet pads, foam for mattresses, chairs, and couches all contain harmful chemicals which have known to cause problems in prenatal and infant brain development and wreak havoc with thyroid hormones.

Now is the time to get started and create a healthier sleeping environment. It’s time to take control of your bedroom. These 10 steps will tame the toxic monsters in your bedroom so you can enjoy peaceful rest in an organic bedroom. (continue reading…)

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Last week, GreenDivaMom discussed saline solutions for seasonal allergies. Now, we turn to nutritional and herbal methods for relieving seasonal allergies.

Nettle. Also called Stinging Nettle, this leaf is terribly irritating to the skin when encountered in the woods. The leaves have serrated edges that can cause abrasions. The leaves and stems are covered with both non-stinging and stinging hairs. The tips of these hairs come off when touched, transforming the hair into a needle that will inject several chemicals such as acetylcholine and histamine. (continue reading…)

The northern hemisphere is slowly being dusted yellow, rendering many of us sniffling, sneezing, and searching for relief. Fortunately, pollen allergy symptoms can be lessened or avoided altogether by cleaning pollen from the mucous membranes. Our bodies naturally try to wash away the contaminants by secreting more mucous, hence the runny nose and watery eyes.

Saline solutions can help wash away more pollen faster. These can be made at home or purchased in a ready-to-use bottle. There are also a variety of applications or washing methods for you to try. (continue reading…)

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Fasting has a long religious and spiritual history. It has been undertaken to clear the mind, free the soul from the bondage of Earthly temptation, and to prove inner strength and resolve. It is a discipline, and like many others depends on an individual’s choices, their resolve. Modern versions are popular as juice fasts, where healthy drinks are regularly consumed over the course of a day or two. The practice may vary, but the basic ideas remain.

A Few Pros and Cons
Fasting can provide an opportunity to begin again; like a birthday or a new year, it is a cleansing and a renewal. Depending on the school of expert opinion you follow, to fast may trigger the body to want to hold on to calories or it may help rest your system and flush out toxins. There are larger reasons to participate than concern about weight, and whether our systems require rest or detox is arguable. (continue reading…)

©iStockphoto.com - Sebastien Kaulitzki

Even if you live out in the pristine country where the only stink is the sustainable dairy farm at the bottom of your mountain, you’ve been exposed to bad air at some time. People tend to think that cities are the only place where smog is a problem and air quality is low.

Remember, indoor air quality problems present a much greater risk. The EPA estimates the air inside your home to be anywhere from 5 to 100 times more polluted than the air in an industrial city. You’ve read the article on cleaning out the house, now it’s time to clean out those lungs! (continue reading…)

There is no respite or escape anywhere on earth from the toxins that stifle our planet and overwhelm our bodies. Even our best efforts to eliminate or restrict exposure are often not adequate to the task, and as our toxic load increases so does our chance of developing chronic illness and disease.

As explored in the first three parts of this series there are several methods for releasing the stockpile of chemicals and other toxins from the body in order to maintain or regain health. An alkaline diet devoid of processed foods isn’t always enough, and sometimes extreme measures are necessary to provide the level of cleansing required to keep up with the toxic onslaught. (continue reading…)