Health Blog

A healthy body and a sound mind

Subjective Vs. Objective Health: A Balanced Viewpoint

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Health is a tricky thing. A person can be objectively healthy and still not feel good. And then another person can be objectively very unhealthy and they can feel amazing about themselves. That’s why it’s important to understand there’s a balanced viewpoint that’s required on an individual basis when getting people to try to understand the best course of action for themselves regarding health.

A few of the tools that you can use to appreciate the difference between subjective and objective health would be wearable technology, internal surveys, the HALT perspective, and stories about science versus cultural anecdotes. Each of these ways of thinking about health can enhance how you view the subject and what you can actively pursue in your own life. [Read more…]

Originally posted on May 18, 2018 @ 2:49 pm

A Healthy Home: Keeping Your Kids Healthy During Renovations

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Renovations are a key part of turning a house into a home, but without proper precautions, children can easily get hurt during the process. As parents, then, it’s our job to make sure we can provide a safe environment for your children to live, eat, and play while the house is undergoing this kind of work.

How separated from the renovations your children need to be depends on how old they are and what kind of work your home is undergoing. As you begin, however, keep these 3 common home renovation risks in mind and guide your children accordingly.

Old Home Problems

Some of the biggest problems found in old homes and often revealed during renovations are lead paint and asbestos in the house. Lead paint was commonly used in homes through the 1970s, and many parents undertake renovations to eliminate this old paint; if small children ingest chipping lead paint, it can build up in their bodies and cause developmental delays. So long as you keep children out of the rooms where this paint is, however, and make sure they’re properly cleaned up, everyone should be fine.

Asbestos is even more dangerous than lead, and has been linked to cancer, but for many years it was used as insulation in homes and public buildings. If workers will be removing asbestos from your home, it’s best to have your kids stay elsewhere. Your home will need to be fully cleaned and the air purified before they come back.

Fresh Paint Problems

Unlike lead paint, most of us assume that modern paint products, beyond smelling a bit unpleasant, is perfectly safe. That’s why parents have no qualms about painting murals in children’s rooms or otherwise accenting the home with paint. Unfortunately, some paints can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can be toxic in large quantities. While an occasional fresh coat of paint won’t hurt your kids, you may want to have them sleep in a different room for a few days until the air clears.

Consider Navigation

Depending on what renovations you’re having done in your home, construction may create navigational barriers where children can get hurt. For example, if a hole is being made in walls or flooring, you can guarantee that children will want to inspect the area. With older children, you can set limits during the construction period, but with young ones, you’ll need to entirely block off any interesting areas to make sure they don’t get hurt.

One way to help your children steer clear of ongoing construction is by setting up alternative spaces to use during the renovations. If you don’t have access to your kitchen, put a few convenient pieces like a toaster, microwave, and kettle in the garage or family room so that there is still a place they associate with eating. This helps them develop new, temporary habits until construction is over.

If you’re struggling to make alternate arrangements for your children during the renovation process, just remember that they’ll be completed soon. For the time being, set up playdates, take a weekend trip, or visit grandma to keep the kids safe. You’ll all be happy to come back to your beautiful home when the work is done.

Originally posted on August 26, 2016 @ 6:15 pm

Include Your Car In Wellness Routine

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What’s typically going to be part of your wellness routine? Basic nutrition. Check. Exercise. Check. Laundry. Housekeeping. But what about – your car? If you have a car, and you do any driving at all, then putting it on your wellness list makes sense, because if you’re not safe in your vehicle, what does all that other stuff matter!

So follow some back to school tips this year for your car, and then add your wheels into your wellness schedule with cleaning, paying attention to recall notices, prepping for bad weather conditions, and keeping a road safety kit handy at all times. Safety and health first, in all aspects of your life!

Back To School Tips

For students, back to school car safety tips are going to be one of your first wellness orders. If you’re on the college warpath, you know that you’re going to be fighting for parking spots, avoiding road rage during athletic events on campus, and keeping away from local security. As much for mental wellness as physical safety, keep that car in perfect working order.

Scheduled Cleaning Advice

Want to avoid getting sick as much as possible? Keep your car in the cleaning mix. Don’t leave food sitting in the back seat. Don’t let cups of soda mold and rot in the cupholders in the back. Seriously, stick to a car cleaning schedule, and not only will you make sure a rotting banana doesn’t gross you out, you’ll look more put together to your friends that op a ride with you to the next event down the road.

Paying Attention To Recall Notices

Want to stay healthy? Then you probably don’t want your airbag malfunctioning in your car. Or breaks to go out. Or other known mechanical issues to pop up. So pay attention to recall notices. They could, quite realistically, save your life. Stuff that cars get recalled for can malfunction even at strange times when you’ve done nothing wrong, so keep up on those lists regularly.

Prepping For Bad Weather Conditions

In lots of different places in the country, different seasons mean different kinds of bad driving weather. And whether than means repairing or replacing windshield wipers, or keeping snow chains handy, the more prepped you are, the better off you’ll be.

Keeping a Safety Kit With You

And in addition to having your bad weather gear handy, it’s not a bad idea to make sure that you have a car safety kit around as well. They aren’t very expensive, but have basic first aid stuff in them typically, as well as jumper cables, and sometimes even road cones in case you have to pull off somewhere and want to make sure people see you there and avoid you.

Originally posted on September 9, 2016 @ 7:21 pm

Why You Should Get A Facial Every Once In Awhile

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If you’ve never gotten a facial, or even given yourself one, you are really missing out on something awesome. Facials are not just good for your skin, but they are good for your soul too. You don’t even have to have a special reason to get one done.

While you may want to get a facial done to help combat wrinkles or age spots, you could also consider getting one done as simply a way to help you relax. Here are some great reasons to get a facial, luxury or not, and how you can achieve the relaxation of a facial from the comfort of your own home.

Fighting Acne

If you are battling with acne in adulthood you already know what a pain it can be. Not only is it annoying, but it can also literally be painful However, there are facials that can help you balance your skin and fight acne. If you go to a salon for a facial let them know you want something that can help with your acne.

If you are doing a facial at home, pick something that has tea tree oil in it, which is great for battling acne. You could also make your own acne blasting facial using tea tree oil with a carrier oil, and maybe even adding something soothing like lavender oil.

Dealing With Dry Skin

If you have dry skin certain times of the year can be painful for you. If you swim a lot in the summer it can make your skin even dryer. And, the winter chill will make it almost unbearable for your skin. Getting a moisturizing facial can help.

If you want to simply do this at home there are a couple things in your kitchen that can really help smooth and hydrate your dry skin. Those things are eggs and honey. Do a little research and find some homemade facial recipes that will let you use natural things in your kitchen to help your face feel better.

If your skin is itchy too you can add some oatmeal to your facial. It will naturally help take the itch away.

Make It Relaxing

Your facial shouldn’t just help your skin. It should also help you relax and feel better about yourself. You can get this added benefit simply from playing some relaxing music while you spend time lying down letting your facial sink into your skin. Most facials will need to be left on for fifteen to twenty minutes.

The essential oils you add to the mix will not only help your skin, but the scents can help you relax as well. Lavender is extremely relaxing. You can also pick scents that make you feel good or remind you of childhood happiness.

Originally posted on September 2, 2016 @ 6:56 pm