24Sep 2020 by Angela Cummings
Where Is BPA Found: Way Beyond Food & Bottles

Where Is BPA Found: Way Beyond Food & Bottles

Blog, Building & Remodeling, Furniture, Health, Household Items
We hear a lot about how BPA is harmful. And that it’s in our food packaging and baby bottles. We see “BPA free” stamped on containers. However, BPA is found in sooo many more places.  Let’s look at what BPA is, where it’s used, and simple ways get rid of it in your home. What is BPA? Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical that is widely used to make polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. You might be wondering what that is….as was I.  Epoxy resins are a strong adhesive used in fiber optics and electrical circuit boards. Polycarbonate plastics are nearly everywhere. It’s a clear plastic that you can see through clearly. It can withstand impacts greater than other plastics. Its properties make it easy to be used for injection molding and…
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04Sep 2020 by Angela Cummings
Yoga for the Brain Word Search

Yoga for the Brain Word Search

Blog, Gift Guide, Health, Household Items
Hello Friends! Looking for ways to incorporate healthy + fun into your life? You'll love this new book that just came out: Yoga for the Brain Word Search! (I'm one of 60 authors in this fun book.) Here's a little bit more info: The official title is, Life Wisdom Word Search: Yoga for the Brain, and it’s available on Amazon now. The book is a collection of motivational thoughts and stories (including one by yours truly!), that are combined with a unique word puzzle for each. The combination has been proven to stimulate brain function while reinforcing the positive message. I invite you now to get your copy – and send copies to your friends or anyone you know who can use a pick-me-up and brain refresher, especially during these challenging times.…
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04Aug 2020 by Angela Cummings

How to Transform Your Bad Indoor Air to Good IAQ

Uncategorized
Our indoor air quality (IAQ) is paramount for good health. Yet, it can be so easy to disregard and excuse away. It’s too expensive. It’s too time consuming. It’s too much work. So, we continue the same cycle of living in IAQ that can lead to chronic illness, cancer, depression and more.  For what? I truly ask you to pause and ask yourself... for.what? We can have good IAQ while staying within our budget and using simple solutions. In this article, we’ll explore some of the deepest reasons people stay stuck in outdated habits that lead to poor IAQ and how you can break the cycle to attain good IAQ. 3 Big Reasons We Get Stuck in Homes with Poor IAQ Reason #1: We think it’s too expensive.  The average…
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30Jul 2020 by Angela Cummings

What Organs May Be Affected by Chemicals in our Homes?

Reference Document (study or article)
Are you wondering what organs can be affected by chemicals in our homes? And how the organs can be affected? Our bodies are made up of 100 trillion cells. Paaah! That’s a lot. Individual cells are organized into tissues; different kinds of tissues form an organ. Each organ is a member of an organ system.[1] Our bodies have 10 major organ systems, many of which can be affected by chemicals in our everyday products in ways that you may not think of. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) mentions a few of the possible effects in their publication, Health Effects of Chemical Exposure. Here’s a quick synopsis of the possible effects from harmful chemicals found in everyday products and an overview of the…
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29Jul 2020 by Angela Cummings

Products That Can Off-Gas VOCs (& harm health)

Reference Document (study or article)
Want to get rid of products that off-gas VOCs? The first step is knowing what they are (or have a Healthy Home Assessment done). The two tables below are partial lists of products where chemicals have been found. These lists were compiled from data resources referenced in this book. It’s not even a complete list; that could be an entire book in and of itself.  The intention of this partial list is to give you an understanding of the widespread use of chemicals in our everyday products.  Table 1: List of Various Products that can Give off VOCs (chemicals harmful to peoples’ health)  adhesive (glue) removersdisinfecting productsadhesivesdoor and window framesaerosol or liquid insect pest productsdownspoutsaerosol penetrating oilsdry cleaned clothesaerosol spray products for some paintsdrywallair freshenerselectrical insulationantimicrobialselectrical wiringartificial flowerselectronicsautomotive parts, tops…
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23Jul 2020 by Angela Cummings

Illnesses that may be Caused by Chemicals in Everyday Products

Reference Document (study or article)
Do you have chronic illness or a growing list of medical conditions? Are any of them listed below? If so, you may want to create an organic, chemical-free (healthy) home environment - one with good indoor air quality. In this article, we'll give you an excerpt from: "Organic Lifestyle Made Easy: How to Create a Chemical-Free Household One Step At A Time," showing where these chemicals are very often found. Table 3: Illnesses that may be Caused by Chemicals in Everyday Products alcoholismedema and fluid retention syndromesallergic skin reactionendocrine diseasesalopecia areata endometriosis in adult womenAlzheimer's diseaseenuresisanginaeosinophilic gastroenteritisangioedemaeye irritationanxietyfatigueaphthous stomatitisfibrocystic breast diseasearrhythmiasfibromyalgiaarthralgiafrequent coldsasthmagastric and duodenal ulcersattention deficit disordergastrointestinal diseasesattention deficit hyperactivity disorderglomerulonephritisautismgranulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener’s)autoimmune hemolytic anemia graves’ disease autoimmune hepatitis Guillain-Barré syndrome behavioral problems in childrengut flora dysbiosisbloody noseheadachescancer (several types)hearing losscardiovascular diseaseshypertensioncentral nervous system…
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02Jul 2020 by Angela Cummings
How to Create Good Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) at Home

How to Create Good Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) at Home

Blog
This study about indoor air quality (IAQ) still blows me away: “… lotions, paints and other products contribute about as much to air pollution as the transportation sector does, said lead author Brian McDonald, a CIRES scientist working in NOAA’s Chemical Sciences Division.” Though not surprising, seeing this info in black and white just hit me different when I read it. We don’t want to be around vehicle exhaust because of health effects. In addition, we don’t want to live in poor indoor air quality (IAQ). Especially, since the volatile organic compound (VOC) levels are almost equal to the VOCs in vehicle exhaust. So, how do we live in a home with good IAQ? In this article, we’ll explain why IAQ is important and how to create good IAQ in your home. Why…
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02Jun 2020 by Angela Cummings
10 Tiny Steps to Know if Your Self-Care Products are Non-toxic

10 Tiny Steps to Know if Your Self-Care Products are Non-toxic

Blog, Personal Care Products
Have thought you were buying non-toxic self-care products and ended up buying toxic products - still? I've been there, too. I was pissed. So frustrated at the wasted time and money. My friends can testify that I spewed (maybe more than) my fair share of swear words. My primary frustration? Cleaners and self-care products that were labeled as healthy (eco-friendly, non-toxic, natural) but STILL had chemicals that were harmful to health. Damn! So, how do you know if your self-care products are non-toxic vs. just being marketed as non-toxic? Keep reading to find out. What Can a Healthy Home Assessment Reveal? A healthy home assessment is an objective assessment of how healthy your home really is. When it’s related to having an organic, chemical-free home, a health home assessment can…
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19May 2020 by Angela Cummings
4 Questions to Ask Yourself: Where to Start When Creating a Healthy Home

4 Questions to Ask Yourself: Where to Start When Creating a Healthy Home

Blog, Lifestyle Change
Are you spinning in overwhelm, unsure of what part of your home to make healthier? You're not alone. It’s hard to know where to start or what to do next. When you consider all that could be changed, the possibility can be overwhelming. Or, it could be exhilarating! In this article, we’ll give you the four questions to ask yourself in order to transform your home into a healthy household in the shortest amount of time. Why Transform Your Home into a Healthy Household? In addition to fulfilling your burning desire (awesome in-and-of-itself), living in a healthy household can have multiple health benefits. Studies show that when the air in our homes is cleaner, health conditions can be reduced or eliminated. Here are two examples of such studies: “…health improvements are associated…
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