For most of us, doing housework can be very tedious. It’s something that most of us do not like doing, but doing housework brings great results, such as a nice clean and comfortable house. Housework can be something we need to do to maintain our health. For example, housework can come in handy for people who suffer from allergies. Having the right vacuum cleaner can help someone maintain their health.

In today’s time we are exposed to more allergens than ever, allergens or substances can cause a lot of irritation to people with predisposed sensitivity to them. Allergies are listed as a non-life threatening condition. However allergies can become potentially lethal, particularly in the very young and elder. So anything that can help people who suffer from allergies overcome it should be looked at.
A great vacuum cleaner can work wonders and make a difference in the fight against allergens that may be present in the home. It can be anything from dust mites or pet hairs that cause an allergic reaction in you or other people that live in your home. Picking out a vacuum cleaner with this in mind can help you maintain your environment and greatly reduce the symptoms of allergies.

Vacuum cleaners that mostly and effectively control allergies have technology known as high efficiency particulate arresting, or HEPA. It was developed by the government in the 1950’s to protect people in the services against radioactive particles. The promoters of the technology claim that it can remove 99.7% of particles from the air when used in air purifiers. Transformed into the vacuum cleaner, the technology assists in removing the entire allergy causing substances that resides on carpets and upholstery. It creates a safer home environment for allergy sufferers in the home.
If you suffer from allergies, try investing in an allergy fighting vacuum cleaner. Do some housework with the vacuum cleaner and whoever benefits from it will thank you for improved health.

Top photo credit: I shouldn’t have to vacuum twice a day, but I do. by Kristin Brenemen

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In text photo credit: Day 260 Allergies by Parrchristy

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Can you believe it that dogs provide health benefits. Owning a dog or other pet in general can help you in different ways. Owning a pet can reduce doctor visits, improve mental wellness, improve cardiovascular health, and increase faster recovery from surgery in addition to higher survival rates. Recent studies state that dogs may be capable of identifying cancer on a person’s breath. Let’s look more into the health benefits of pet ownership.

Dog owners have lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure than people without dogs, which in return reduce the chance of developing cardiovascular diseases. Just patting a pet can reduce blood pressure. According to a University study, the benefits remain without your pet being around. Studies done by hospitals show that seniors and recent post-op people react better to treatment and recover quicker while in the presence of dogs or other therapy animals. Dog owners have a higher chance to survive a serious illness than people without dogs. Studies have shown that a pet affected a person’s survival rate more than the company of family members or friends. According to studies at Cambridge and UCLA there is a direct correlation between owning a pet and improved health that leads to less visits to your doctor. According to The Journal of American Geriatrics Society, pet ownership has a positive effect on a senior, emotionally and physically.
People that own pets have better health mentally and emotionally than people who do not own a pet. Pets offer affection and unconditional love and their presence assists in reducing loneliness. A pet can offer friendship and some safety for disabled or handicapped people. Dogs are used as companions for the blind and disabled. Dogs are also used as a form of therapy in nursing homes and hospices. Studies state that people suffering from a major illness fight the stress from having the sickness much better by having a pet dog.

Studies state that certain cancers may be identified through people breaths by using dogs. Researchers presented the dogs to samples of the breath from people with cancer of the lungs and breast and samples from healthy people. The researchers mentioned that the dogs identified cancer with accuracy and good results. The dogs identified 99 percent lung cancer breath samples, which included early stage cancer patients and 88 percent breast cancer samples. Experts state this has promise, but further research must be done.
Owning a pet or having a dog has many benefits. A pet reduce stress levels, increase self-confidence and self-esteem, inspires social interaction and exercise. You should invest in a pet because of the health benefits and joy a pet can bring into your life.

Top photo credit: Dog Fun by Garden State Hiker

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In text photo credit: Pets of Patriots by The U.S. Army

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Carpet is one of the main causes of indoor air pollution. A common health problem in a home is allergies. Carpets are a great environment for molds, mildew, and dust mites. In addition, the modern carpet in houses today are made of synthetic fibers dyed and treated with chemicals such as soil repellants, pesticides, and fungicides and fused to synthetic backing with chemical glues. These materials release hundreds of volatile organic compounds as it age in a process known as outgassing. Volatile organic compounds can be irritants, mutagens, and carcinogens. This is not the thing to have in your house.

Carpet retains what you and your family or guest has tracked into the house. It can be outside dirt from off the ground, lead dust found in flaking house exterior paint, bacteria, insects, garden and lawn chemicals, and other unhealthy debris. Also carpet can attract and retain hair, food crumbs, and dead skin.
Cleaning a wall to wall carpet to 100% clean is almost impossible. Have you ever tried one of those steam cleaners to clean your carpet and tried to clean the same spot over and over, only to see more dirt come out. Trying to clean the carpet can come with problems. Vacuuming carpets can cause mold spores and dust to stir up. Shampooing carpets can leave the carpet damp which can cause more mold growth. The shampoo may even have toxic or irritating chemicals added.

On the other hand you can you use ceramic tile to put on your floors instead of carpet. Ceramic tile is made of clay materials fired in a kiln. You can get tile sealed with non-leaded glaze, which is impermeable to mold and bacteria and is tolerated by chemically sensitive people. Ceramic tile is fused to the floor base with low toxicity thin set mortar and can be grouted with home-made free grout. 2/3 parts dry and clean sand mixed with 1/3 part Portland cement can be prepared and added to water to form a damp slow curing grout.
Ceramic tiles can be expensive due to the installation. They last long if maintained properly and can be affordable in the long run.

Top photo credit: tiles 006 by eclipse_etc

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In text photo credit: Carpet Stain That Looks Like A Dog? By justj0000lie

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Wonderful things will begin to happen to your body and mind when you begin to consume high quality food and nutrition for your body. When the nutrients you consume have a better nutritional value than the nutrients already in your body, then the body begins to eliminate the lesser quality materials and begin to rebuild cells and tissue with higher quality nutrients that’s now being consumed by the body.
Your body will naturally start a detoxification process when you start eating higher quality food. You may notice symptoms when the detoxification process begins. For example if you stop drinking caffeinated drinks you may experience headaches, which is a symptom indicating the body is eliminating caffeine from the body tissues and sending it through the blood stream. Eliminating toxins and detoxifying the body is a wonderful process that helps the body rejuvenate.

In since our environment is full of toxins, detoxification is good for the body. There are different ways to detox the body and rid it of toxins. Simple detoxification starts with your diet. When you change your diet to a healthier one you will notice the body detoxifying itself. Your body knows what to do to rejuvenate itself. Your body depends on your organs to detoxify the body. Organs such as the colon, kidneys, lungs, and liver are the main detoxification organs. The kidneys clean out waste from the blood and into urine, the lungs remove unstable gases as we breathe, and the liver cleans out wastes and foreign substances from the blood.

How long the detoxification process symptoms takes depends on how much toxins are in your body. Symptoms can be diarrhea, headaches, dizziness, nausea, constipation, and fatigue and can last for up to 3 weeks before slowing down. This is a natural process and it takes a lot of energy to detox the body. Once your body gets rid of the toxins, your energy levels will increase.
You can rejuvenate your health with a detoxification routine. When your body eliminates toxins your health and energy will be revitalized.

Top photo credit: drinking my detox juice by ausdruckslus

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In text photo credit: Detox Tips by Livin’ Spoonful

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Swami Kuvalyanand mentioned that “Yoga is for the human body, mind and spirit.” This is a saying that a healthy body is the main requirement for a happy and successful life. More people now believe that not only does yoga cause good health, but it is one of the reasons for a happy and stress free life. It is not just an exercise routine.
We will talk about Anuloma-Viloma (alternate breathing) pranayama. Pranayama means the management of the vital force-prana. The principle remains the same, but however different types of pranayama have been created, with each having its own technique. Anuloma-Viloma or nadi shuddhi pranayama (nerve purifying pranayama) is one type and is considered one of the basic types.
Practicing Anuloma Viloma is just like the crew that regulates traffic on roads, looks after their cleanliness, and keeps traffic moving efficiently. The method consists of breathing in through one nostril and vice versa. This pranayama has the name anuloma viloma (alternate breathing). To perform this, you have to sit in a yogic sitting posture; to start, breathe normally while applying comfortable anal contraction. Breathe in and breathe out completely. Make sure the anal contraction is not loosened during the process. Pause for a moment between inhaling and exhaling. Inhale deeply through the left nostril and exhale through the right one; then breathe in through the right one and out through the left. Keep breathing this way for one to three minutes.

After reaching a comfort level, you can move on to the next stage. Put the right thumb over the right nostril to close it, while keeping the other four fingers away. Slowly inhale through the left nostril at an even speed. Repeat with other nostril. While inhaling lift the shoulders and expand the chest pushing the ribs up. The lower stomach area must be held in.
Benefits: a cleaned respiratory passage, which prepares you for other pranayamas. Breathing becomes more controlled and easy. The heartbeat is more rhythmic. It helps in enhancing memory, concentration, and other mental capabilities.
Contraindications: enlargement of liver, severe stomach pain, appendicitis, gentle intestines, lung disorders, growth in the nose, blockage of nasal passage due to cold, and severe throat infection, etc.
Caution: If you are reading this article follow all precautions before performing any of the asanas from this article. To avoid complications while performing the asanas, it is highly recommended that you consult with a yoga instructor and doctor. Responsibility lies only on the reader and not with the article, writer or this website.

Top photo credit: Moments of calm and inner peace by Bindaas Madhavi

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Great health is based on flexibility, strength, and fitness. All three are important. Any Aerobic exercise is good for a healthy heart. Usually it needs continued movement over a period of time that uses your arms and legs. This type of workout makes the heart work harder. Aerobics allows your body to burn fat for energy and use oxygen. Cycling is good aerobic activity.

Cycling is a great exercise for people with heart disease or high blood pressure. According to research cycling reduces blood pressure better than more intense activities such as jogging. Eventually cycling conditions and strengthens your heart. It is recommended by The American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine that cycling should be used for low-risk cardiac people and healthy individuals.
The benefits of cycling are increased flexibility, reduce stiffness and ache, keeps you in shape, makes you feel good, increased confidence, increased endurance, reduce nervousness, stimulates sexual desire, strengthen the muscles that supports joints, improve sleep, reduce sleep disorders, improved memory and attentiveness, and increase the ability to perform daily tasks.

You can try biking when you are depressed. Go out biking and take a look at the beautiful world. Go into the fresh air and allow your body to experience happy hormones while cycling, which are natural pain killers. Remember the times when you were younger and you played a lot of sports and games and hang with other kids. Remember the times you ride your bike as a kid and fell off it a lot. Well don’t give up on it. Bicycling is a wonderful way to have fun while staying fit and healthy. There are no age restrictions on biking, you can still ride your bike just as much as you were younger, besides you might meet people along the way while riding your bike.

Top photo credit: Monique van de Ree by Wielerpro.nl

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In text photo credit: bike_pink by [dac~]

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Many of us out there in the world are dieting and trying to live a healthy life. Some of us exercise and try to eat only the healthiest foods. Many of us know that white sugar, white flour, and trans-fats are not healthy for the body, especially if you want to maintain your weight. There are foods out there that we think are healthy, when in fact it is actually unhealthy for our bodies and can make us sick. Below are some foods that we think are healthy, but is actually unhealthy.

Artificial sweeteners
People that are on a diet will often choose beverages with artificial sweeteners instead of sugar. Even though sugar is bad for you, artificial sweeteners are actually worse and can be dangerous to your body. All the artificial sweeteners are unhealthy. Some of them are nutrasweet (aspartame, Equal). There are over 90 different health related side effects associated with consuming aspartame, including birth defects, diabetes, brain tumors, epilepsy/seizures, and emotional disorders. There are more negative reports on nutrasweet to the FDA than all foods and additives combined. A better alternative to chemically imitative sweeteners is stevia. Stevia comes from a plant. It’s been used for hundreds of years with no side effects. You can buy it from health food stores and possibly other places.
Some energy and sports bar
Many sports bars are filled with ingredients that are not too good for the body, and are just a little better than candy bars. A lot of them contain artificial sweeteners or sugar, preservatives, chemicals, and synthetic nutrients. When buying an energy bar check the ingredients. Try buying ones that is made of whole foods such as fruits, flax seeds, natural sweeteners, and oats.

Sports drinks
Many people believe that sports drinks are good for the body when doing heavy exercising. Sports drinks are filled with sugar and salt, as well as artificial colorings and flavorings. If you add a little salt to cool aid you will pretty much have about the same thing. You’re better off drinking purified water or diluted juices when you exercise.
Soy products
I know you may be surprised to read this, but soy products are not good for you. Soy has been used for generations in Asia. The way we use soy now is not the same way the Asians traditionally used soy. The Asians knew how hard it was to digest soybean, so they had a fermenting process that broke down most of the indigestible contents, which made it healthier to eat. Examples of this process would be food products like tempeh, soy sauce, and miso. These food products were used as flavorings and condiments in small amounts, but not as a meat replacement. The way we use soy as an alternative to meat can be unhealthy, because soy contains a lot of toxins/anti-nutrients. The anti-nutrients in soy can cause health problems of the pancreas, thyroid complications, and cancer. Soybean can inhibit the body from absorbing essential minerals.
Granola and other unprepared grains
For three to four decades granola has been considered healthy. However eating unprepared grains that have not been soaked, fermented, and sprouted has surfaced for about five to ten decades. People that came before us know that unprepared grains can cause dietary problems. Just like in soybeans there are anti-nutrients in grains, such as phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors, that make it hard to digest. The anti-nutrients can cause problems like colitis, crohn’s disease, and mental disorders. Failure to prepare grains properly is one reason celactic disease is so prevalent.
Just stay away from the granola. Oatmeal is a wonderful food to have in our diets, however use whole rolled oats and not the instant kind. Soak them overnight before boiling them for breakfast. The good breads to eat are the ones that have properly prepared grains, including sprouted grain breads and whole grain sourdough. You can find these in health food stores. If you are trying to eat healthy and or lose weight, there is something you can keep in mind, all because a store markets something as healthy or if a health food store sells it doesn’t mean that it is healthy for you. Do your homework before you go out shopping for healthy food and make sure the food you are buying is really healthy. Your body will be happy you did.

Top photo credit: Artificial Sweetener – Equal by Bukowsky18

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In text photo credit: Munition Energy Bar 4 by TheFoodJunk

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