health

The average person should drink about three quarts of water a day.  Most Americans assume that it is safe to drink tap water unless they have been specifically told not to drink it.  But evidence is growing that drinking and bathing in tap water is not as safe as it seems.

The Environmental Protection Agency regulates drinking water quality and has established maximum allowable levels of about 90 contaminants in water.  Contamination can result from manufacturing processes, the use of fertilizers and pesticides, and sewer overflows.  Water contamination can lead to gastrointestinal problems, fertility issues, and neurological disorders.

Tap water contamination can affect you even when you are bathing.  The chlorine compounds found in tap water are toxic when consumed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin.  Research has shown that cancer risks associated with chlorinated water may be due more to bathing in it than drinking it.

The best thing you can do to protect yourself and your family is to buy reverse osmosis water filter or reverse osmosis with deionization water system.  The filter and water system remove contaminants, including lead, asbestos, nitrates, heavy metals, prescription medications, and volatile organic chemicals.  You could also buy a vitamin C shower filter, which removes 99% of chlorine from the water.  Another way to avoid tap water contamination during bathing is to take shorter showers and avoid super-hot showers.  The cooler temperature will decrease the steam that can transport harmful, chlorinated vapor into your system.

Learn more here.

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As our parents grow older, many of us have found ourselves in the role of a caregiver for our aging parents.  Approximately 19% of all American adults are serving as a caregiver for people over the age of 50.  While you might be responsible for caring for your parents, you also have to remember to look out for your own wellbeing.

Caregiving can be extremely stressful, which makes good nutrition even more critical to maintaining your health and wellbeing.  But when you are busy taking care of someone, your own nutrition often becomes an afterthought and the temptation to eat processed food or sugary, junk food often wins.  Eating foods with high levels of sugar or trans fats desensitizes neurotransmitter receptors, leading to heartburn and low moods. 

Stress from caregiving can also have a detrimental effect on your immune system, causing frequent colds, cold sores, or other viral infections.  If you don’t eat healthy enough to rebuild your immune system, you make yourself more vulnerable to illnesses such as cancer, chronic fatigue, or other immune problems.

Here are a couple of ideas to help you care for yourself at the same time as you care for others:

The health of a person’s hair and nail say volumes about the person’s overall health.  In fact, poor hair and nail health are typically signs of a nutritional deficiency. 

While a top-of-the-line hair product might turn your dull and thinning locks shiny and thick for a little while, you’ll see the most improvement if you make the following basic nutritional adjustments:

Certain hair and nail problems can indicate issues that may require other recommendations.  Consult with a nutritionist to develop a plan to help you combat these nutritional deficiencies.

Learn more here.