Last week I enjoyed being a guest on Lifestyle Mom Radio Cafe for LA talk radio. Interviewed by the lovely host Dana Hilmer. [Read more...]
Dr. Andrew Weil’s Education Partner WeilBaby
2010
For me, when something in my life happens by chance in a beneficial way: it validates for me that I am in my groove– living in a way that feels peaceful and contented. Serendipity feels like magic.
My new job
Recently I accepted the new role as Andrew Weil’s educational partner for Weil Baby. This direction for my work felt completely right. I had literally just finished the manuscripts for my two new books, Healthy Mother Healthy Child: Creating Whole Families from the Inside Out and A Moment’s Peace: A Mom’s Guide to Creating Calm Amidst Chaos ( Bright Sky Press April 2010) when I received the invitation to work with Weil Baby.
Allergy-Proof Your Home
2009
Understanding and Managing Allergies
Part Two of Two: Allergy-Proof Your Home
As a little girl growing up in a small midwestern town, I can still hear my mother saying, “Open the windows, and let’s bring some fresh air into the house.” Now I am the mom, living in a large metropolis, tagged as one of the most challenging places to live with allergies. Yet, as bad as that outside air might be, surprisingly, it’s the indoor air that is much worse. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), our indoor air quality is 4-5 times worse than our polluted outdoor air. What’s a mother to do?
Why do we care?
It’s estimated 15 million Americans have asthma (including 1 in 13 school-aged children), 35 million suffer from upper respiratory symptoms that are allergic reactions to airborne allergens and allergies are the 6th leading cause of chronic disease– costing our health care system $18 billion annually.
Weighing in
With 25 years of experience as a health care professional, an advocate for healthy living and as a mother of an allergic child– my passion lies in helping others help themselves. And, when it comes to allergies, one of my favorite topics is how to put our bodies (or our children’s) in a place of strength, allowing it to perform as nature intended, allowing it to self-heal from a place of prevention.
Our body is like a reservoir
In understanding the way allergic triggers can affect us, I like to use the example of comparing our body to a reservoir. In regards to our environment, life presents us many different scenarios. Sometimes our environmental conditions are controllable (such as our home) and sometimes they are not (school or work). For an allergy sensitive person, our environment affects the “reservoir.” Different factors can affect the reservoir: high pollen, grass or mold count and pet dander to name a few. Exposure to these factors fills the reservoir, and when the reservoir is full, it causes the dam to break. The allergy sufferer’s body is able to handle one trigger perhaps, but the combination of too many factors — several triggers in the environment, stress, or a period of poor eating habits — tips it over the edge. When the dam breaks, the symptoms of an allergic response appear: running nose, itchy watery-eyes, eczema, wheezing and asthma. This analogy may help explain why it’s hard to predict your body’s allergic reaction and why it can sometimes be more severe than others.
Allergy-proofing your home is do-able
Creating the best possible environment in our home is one positive step we can take to help our families lower their “reservoir” and manage their allergies from a place of prevention. Decreasing the exposure of these pesky allergy-triggers can make a significant, sometimes almost magical difference in your allergy “reservoir.” The good news; allergy-proofing your home is within everyone’s reach and do-able.
Where do I start?
There are numerous ideas when it comes to allergy-proofing your home. In this article I focus on eliminating the top three allergic triggers: dust and dust mites, pet dander and mold. The following three suggestions come from my research and personal experience in creating the best “allergy-trigger-free” environment for my family. Here are some of my favorites:
• Whole-House Air Filtration System
According to the results of a health impact study completed by scientists at Environmental Health & Engineering Inc., in collaboration with professors from the Harvard School of Public Health, Trane CleanEffectsTM, a whole-house air filtration system removes up to 99.98 percent of particles and allergens from the filtered air and more than 99 percent of the common flu virus, or Influenza A. This whole-house air filtration system removes things like, pollen, dust, mold and pet dander to name a few. The cost comes in at approximately $800-$1,100 installed. If you think this is pricey, weigh-out the cost of putting multiple portable units in your home to cover the space a whole-house air cleaner covers, in addition to regularly replacing expensive HEPA filters. The good thing about the Trane CleanEffects system is that it’s 8 times more effective than a HEPA filter and when it comes to cleaning it, all you have to do is either vacuum it or hose it down. You don’t have to replace the filter. The unit simply tells you when it’s time to clean it out.
• Allergy-Free Bedroom: Use allergy-free bedding, remove curtains/carpets, eliminate stuffed toys
You will spend one-third of your life in bed. Therefore, it makes sense to create a sleeping environment that is as allergy-free as possible. Dust mites lurk in bedding, soft furnishings and high pile carpet. Invest in allergy-free bedding which encases your pillow and mattress. Wash your bedding and one chosen stuffed toy once a week in hot water (160 degrees F) or use special laundry detergent that allows you to wash at any temperature. Remove carpets and curtains and replace with wood, tile or elements that don’t hold dust and mites.
• Pets live outside, or at a minimum, out of the bedroom
Dander from your dog or cat can float around in the air and be a trigger for allergies. 36 percent of Americans have dogs and 31 percent have cats. Cat allergens especially are “sticky” and adhere to clothing and other surfaces. If you’re going to have pets, at a minimum, keep your pets out of the allergy sufferer’s bedroom.
The bottom line
If the above suggestions appear drastic, just keep in mind the benefit ratio of incorporating some of these changes in exchange for living a potentially healthier, allergy-free life. Creating the best, allergy-trigger-free environment, contributes to keeping your environmental “reservoir” low. Prevention is the key. Be aware of your surroundings. Factors that may have previously “tipped you over the edge,” now removed, create a healthier environment, giving your body a chance to respond as it’s capable–naturally, beautifully and allergy-free.
For more information about allergies and how to “Allergy-Proof Your Home”, see Article: Allergy 101. and my book, 2nd edition coming spring 2010 Bright Sky Press, Healthy Mother Healthy Child For more information on cleaner, healthier living, go to Trane.com
Allergies 101
2009
Taking a deep breath in, and out, not only relaxes me, it allows me to be mindful of the air I breathe–the interdependence, the relationship I hold with my environment. As a nurse and mother of an allergic child, teaching my son to be respectfully aware of his environment and his relationship to it, as well as to be diligently alert to his allergic triggers, keeps him in the best possible place of prevention to manage his sensitivity.
Understanding allergies
Grass, food, dust, pets — common allergy triggers hide innocently around us everyday. Why is it some of us suffer while others remain completely immune? For severe allergy sufferers, like my son Sam, these type of substances affect his every action and his total health and well-being. For Sam, this ordinarily harmless “stuff” becomes silent, secret, and perhaps even deadly invaders. When these “invaders” come into contact with my son, they are capable of triggering a dangerous explosion within his immune system, which can produce an outbreak of uncomfortable, potentially severe, symptoms. These blameless culprits, often hidden from view, are a mine field of triggers for Sam to walk through every day.
Our body’s intricate and complex defense system
The word allergy means “an altered reactivity”, and the antibody known as IgE (one of many our bodies produce) was discovered to be the main culprit in classic allergic conditions. An antibody is literally a personal bodyguard, a soldier cell produced naturally by the body to protect it from diseases or allergens. When these antibodies band together and attack, this is referred to as an “immune cell response.” When the response is activated, the IgE antibody (fighter cell) attaches itself to a mast cell. A mast cell’s job is to act like a bomb, causing an explosion. The newly produced IgE antibody becomes the “trip-wire” attached to the bomb, and when it is disturbed, it explodes.
Histamine bomb
The explosion releases histamine into the bloodstream, which is what causes the sneezing, post-nasal drip, itchy, watering eyes. In asthma, it is the histamine’s effect on the smooth muscles of the bronchi (vital tubes that carry air to the lungs) that go into spasm, causing the classic “wheezing.”
False Alarm
Most of us have walked past a blaring car alarm; when we do, we know that most likely the triggered alarm was set off by an innocent event, such as a strong wind or an accidental bump. This same scenario is often true with an allergic response. The mast cell, acting as the alarm, is triggered by an innocent substance (such as pollen, grass, or dust) yet nevertheless trips the alarm to sound. The malfunctioning gene of an allergy-sensitive body thinks the harmless substance is an unwanted invader. Though it’s misinformation, our body is trying only to protect us. Unfortunately, our system is activated and our body responds to the false alarm, releasing its histamine explosion along with its annoying repercussions that we experience as allergy symptoms.
Does anyone in your family suffer with allergies? Removing triggers from your environment—dust mites, mold, pollen, animal dander, can lead to big improvements. Ordinary substances you may not realize—body care items, cleaning products, and some of the food you eat–are some of the culprits that hold chemicals and can set off an allergic alarm.
Swine Flu: Protect Yourself
2009
I can’t even count how many people have recently asked me, “What can I do to protect myself against the swine flu?” In a nutshell, it comes down to incorporating simple but ever-challenging lifestyle habits of prevention so that you create the physical and emotional capacity you need to cope with stress and stay healthy. Think of prevention as your fortress, allowing you a defense against potential invaders —be that the swine flu or the emotional and physical stress that day-to-day life can bring. How do we do build up our own fortress?
Here are my best tips for creating a healthy lifestyle with lasting effects:
- FOOD Back to basics with nutrition: eat whole, fresh foods and avoid any foods with ingredients that you cannot pronounce.
- SLEEP 8 hours is the average amount needed. Ultimately, you know you have enough sleep when you wake without an alarm clock. Set a goal of turning in a little earlier.
- EXERCISE Get your body moving. Maybe it’s a quick walk around the block after dinner or taking the flight of stairs instead of the elevator. Incorporating even a little exercise into your daily routine ultimately creates an effortless habit towards well being.
- LOVE Enjoy who you are with, and what you do. We all need to give and receive more love in our life!
- RELAX Learn to intentionally relax, and watching TV isn’t what I mean. Relaxing is prayer, meditation, running, yoga, or any such activity with the conscious intention of letting go of stress and balancing our emotions. Try out my free weekly 15-minute guided relaxation to get you started.
The good news? The swine flu virus is currently running through homes, schools, and communities and so many people are motivated to put healthy practices into play. In turn, this can lead to create lasting healthy habits to protect you long after this virus has gone away.
Recycle: It’s an Everyday Habit
2009
Recycle: It’s an Everyday Habit
A few years ago on a summer trip to Canada, I am literally stopped in my tracks with the realization of how my family isn’t up to par with our efforts in contributing to such an essential way of living. I open my friend’s kitchen cupboard to look for the trashcan. In my amazement I find something that hardly resembles the double wide I have at my home.
Their trashcan is the size of a child’s small plastic pail– the kind of pail a child might use when collecting shells at the beach. My first feeling was one of surprise and then came a rush of guilt. The pail under their sink was so small, so cute. The trash can(s) at my home were four times this size. Our Canadian friends recycle. I thought we did to? The difference being–they recycle absolutely everything–plastic, paper, glass and they have a compost pile. That tiny bucket in their cupboard held their un-recyclable items. They made their everyday recycling habit appear so effortless. A family of five—fit their week’s trash into this adorable little pail.
Fell off the wagon
Moving to Houston, Texas has brought many opportunities and friendships– however, it initially wasn’t very good for my family’s recycling habits. Our neighborhood didn’t promote recycling and we initially fell off the wagon and only recycled paper. It seemed so easy to not recycle— we somehow just slipped out of the habit. Even though I come from a strong lineage of recyclers (my dad had us crushing aluminum cans and rolling newspapers logs for the fireplace ever since I was a little girl.) And, during the fifteen years we lived in England we joined in with a dedicated nation of fierce recyclers—as it was very convenient, easy and everyone did it.
Why should we bother?
That summer trip shook me into the realization of needing to get back on the recycling track for my home I refer to as planet Earth and to teach my children (as I had been taught) through example—to create another generation of recyclers. Two important benefits of recycling are:
1. It saves energy. To create everyday products such as papers, cans and plastics, a great deal of fossil fuel is used and therefore emissions, which of course creates pollution. Recycling allows a more efficient use of resources. The more products we can recycle, the more energy we save for the planet and society as a whole.
2. It prevents hazardous materials and chemicals, such as lead and mercury, from ending up in landfill. There are hazardous risks associated with our trash– including those you may not initially think of recycling. Things like batteries, electronics, motor oil, paint and any product that has “Caution” or “Warning” on the label.
A family affair: start small and build, it’s contagious
Initially when we moved into our neighborhood it wasn’t recycling —and so we started small. We faithfully kept our paper products in bags by the back door and dropped them at the children’s school. Gradually we moved back into being full-fledged recyclers in which the whole family contributes. Our teenage daughters, Allie and Sarah take turns delivering our recycling each week to our nearby recycling center, our son Sam is in charge of crushing aluminum cans and breaking down boxes, and my husband Ron and I rinse and sort. We have a nice little recycling station made simply out of a few bins in our garage where we sort our plastic, glass and paper. It’s a family project that I honestly never imagined would work so seamlessly. Everyone enjoys participating. Amazing.
Serendipity Creates Ease With Life
2009
I believe serendipitous events guide us in going with the flow, creating ease with life, helping us find our way.
A few months ago I crossed paths with someone who made me think, “Wow, I am so blessed to have met her.” My new friend Karen is one of those people, and I do believe our meeting was serendipitous.
We literally bumped into each other entering the door to our mutual publisher’s office, Bright Sky Press. We were introduced and I instantly liked her. I asked to see Karen’s portfolio– it was stunning. The next day I phoned Karen and asked if she would be a contributing photographer for my book series–and to my delight she agreed. For me, this chance meeting created an effortless ease and a beautiful dimension to my project that could have easily gone unnoticed.
Check out Karen’s blog, including the post Creating Everyday Peace including some photos she took at my home yesterday for my upcoming books.
In one of my new books to be released Spring 2010, A Moment’s Peace I talk about serendipity and how to utilize it in your life. Think about some of your own serendipitous events? I encourage you to use these occurrences as signposts to guide you in creating a life you love. Who knows how many I have let slip away?
Two roads diverged in a wood–I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference”
Robert Frost
Swine Flu-”Tread Lightly and Carry a Big Stick”
2009
I am going to weigh in on this swine flu situation from a PREVENTATIVE health advantage.
Tread lightly and carry a big stick
The Swine flu is a threat, however perhaps more from it’s highly contagious capacity than a deadly virus. My motto is “Tread lightly and carry a big stick”.
What I mean is…
In metaphorical terms, treading lightly means dealing with a painful subject delicately (so as not to upset the subject of the questioning)– pay attention to what is happening in our world, BUT without contributing to a fear-based collective frenzy.
Immune system is a very powerful defense matrix
Carry a big stick means- be proactive in your approach to preventative health. Use this current circumstance as an opportunity to care for yourself. Your immune system is a very powerful defense matrix. It is capable of protecting you, much like a highly trained army. Nourished and strengthened it is amazing. It is like a magical guardian- warding off any potential lurking viruses or bacteria waiting to attack your body.
What to Do: Be Responsible
- Frequent hand washing with soap and water. Teach your children to wash their hands with an adequate amount of soap and water, and use a favorite tune as your clock. Ten seconds is a good amount of time to briskly rub your hands together, about the length of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star ….
- Stay Home if you or your child is sick. Remember that a pain reliever only masks your body’s fever, aches or pains. You or your child need to feel better without using any pain relievers to return to work or school.
- Take good care of yourself. Prevention is how we stay well. Start with the basics. Eat right, get enough sleep, exercise.
Teach your children through your example. Learn from this current swine flu virus situation. Take the upper hand and stay healthy. Read my blog Just a Little Kiss for ways to keep your immune system up and running.
One last thing, remember to smile frequently….. happiness is contagious too!
“Ah Ha” Moment: using a guided relaxation as your tool
2009
Every Tuesday morning for the last year and a half, I carve out time to record a new weekly guided relaxation podcast. Every now and then I get a message ( like the one below) that sends a signal to a place deep inside me– kind of like a strong and powerful voice that says, “Keep on doing– what you are doing!”
This note arrived last week from a lovely mother describing her experience in using the guided relaxation podcasts…
Finding Balance and Joy in our Everyday – healthy habits to get you started
2009
Last week Oprah shared her weight struggle story with millions. She said, “I let the well run dry. That’s what happened when I started to get unbalanced, when I started to not take time for myself, when I started to go unconscious.”
When Oprah gains weight, she says it means her life is out of balance. “It’s not about the food. It’s about using food—abusing food,” she says. “Too much work. Not enough play. Not enough time to come down. Not enough time to really relax.”
