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Archive for the ‘Environment’ Category

Whenever we sleep, especially after a very tiring day, we would really want that relaxing feeling of comfort. Did you know that natural latex mattresses could give you that feeling? Not only would you enjoy comfort and relaxation, but natural latex mattresses also gives our bodies the proper support it needs throughout the entire length of our sleep. When you wake up in the morning no matter how long the duration of our sleep is, if the kind of sleep you have is not quality sleep, you wouldn’t feel so much energized. Natural latex mattress is the type of mattress that could provide us with our much needed quality sleep.

But how is natural latex really made or produced and from which source does naturally made latex come from? For those who do not have that much of an idea about natural latex, the material used to make it comes from rubber trees, “Hevea Brasiliensis” to be exact. This is the type of rubber tree wherein the raw form and the main ingredient of latex is extracted from. This raw form is the saps that come from this rubber tree. The saps are then carefully collected and processed to be made into natural latex.

Dunlop Method and Talalay Method

The two ways into which naturally made latex mattresses are produced are the Dunlop and the Talalay method. Both of these methods uses the principle of making holes or what is known as the core of the mattress, which is responsible for giving the mattresses their softness and firmness. The only difference between the two methods is that the Dunlop method is the more traditional method in making the latex mattresses. The Talalay method is more modernized and provides different variations into which manufacturers could efficiently control the formation of the cores in the mattresses.

The standard property of latex mattresses are as follows: 6×6 inches thickness of the core and a 4lbs / cubic foot of density. There are also many advantages of natural latex mattresses. For health conscious people this is good news to you. Studies have shown that natural latex mattresses are gentle on those certain pressure points in the human body. For people with sensitive, I tell you that you will love the anti-microbial and hypo-allergenic property of natural latex mattresses. And for those people who have very sensitive nose, or may be suffering from allergic rhinitis and the like, you need not worry because the natural odor of latex mattresses are eliminated during the manufacturing process.

Simply Being Natural

But aside from all of those benefits mentioned, the best thing about natural latex mattresses is it is “NATURAL”. Other synthetic mattresses as time passes may emit certain chemical odors that may prove harmful for our health and wellness. An average person sleeps about 8 hours every night. So if that is the case, if you opt to choose synthetic latex, you would inhale the fumes from the chemicals it produces for 8 hours each night that you would sleeping on that mattress.

Just imagine what different health problems you may harbor. Altered sexual development, immuno-suppression, reduction in IQ and brain development, and even cancer are some of the potential health problems it could bring. Natural latex mattresses also does Mother Nature a big favor just by being natural itself.

Certain Drawbacks to Consider

The only drawback about naturally made latex mattresses is that it is harder to find in the market compared to synthetic ones. But thanks to modern day shopping and availability in the internet, finding one would be a lot easier. Also natural latex mattresses are a little more expensive than synthetic. But the extra cost wouldn’t be that much of a difference when you could have better quality of health in exchange.

So if ever you have already decided to purchase your very own natural latex mattress, you could also improve your being environmental-friendly and health conscious attitude by using additional natural materials to pair up and match your naturally made latex mattress. Pillows made of organic cotton are the suggestions of top of the list. Toppers and blankets made of organic and natural materials are also a very good choice.

Using naturally made latex mattresses can never get you wrong (health wise and environmental wise) just by choosing what is natural.

There’s no doubt that the development of hydrogen fuel cells as an alternative fuel is good for the environment, but how does that work?

It’s no longer unusual for people to try to be eco-friendly. Fuel efficient vehicles with low carbon dioxide emissions are being sold in increasing numbers. The production of paper from recycled materials is an example of the extent to which we are becoming accustomed to the practice of recycling. You can also help the environment by making sure your business uses appropriate cleaning products.

Businesses are beginning to make use of different types of cleaning products. People are starting to use more substances that are considered to be “green” cleaning products instead of harsh chemicals to clean and disinfect their working environments. The deleterious effects of harsh chemicals on the environment and the public are becoming increasingly obvious to business owners.

The problems with many commercial products are that even though they may disinfect and kill germs they also can be hazardous to your health. The use of harsh chemicals can give rise to two kinds of danger. The most immediate are burnt skin, breathing difficulties and irritation of the eyes. Less obvious are the other types of danger, ones that can bring about long term health problems like cancer.

By using alternative cleaning products in your business you are making your business a safer place for you, your employees and your customers. As the demand for environmentally friendly cleaning products increases so does the number of new products being released. Green cleaners are not only better for everyone, they actually clean as well as or even better than traditional harmful ones.

Caustic soda, ammonia and bleach are among the corrosive cleaning products that can cause harm. The fumes given off by ammonia and bleach can cause respiratory problems as well as nose and eye irritation. These two products should not be mixed – the result can be extremely toxic. The damage caused by these powerful cleaners is not confined to people; our water supply and the environment suffer as well.

Nowadays it’s possible to choose products that contain naturally occurring and biodegradable components. Such products cause no damage to the environment or to people. Amongst common household substances that are used for cleaning are vinegar, baking powder and citrus. The first step to using green cleaning products effectively in your business is to find out what options are available for your particular needs.

There are many products available today that can handle your business’s cleaning needs and still be eco-friendly. The abandonment of harmful traditional products in favour of greener ones should not be sudden, but should, instead, take place gradually. Only by experimenting will you be able to select the product that’s most appropriate for your specific needs. When you have discovered the most suitable product you will have the added satisfaction of knowing that you have made your contribution to the well-being of the environment.

There are many benefits of using eco friendly cleaning products in your business, besides just being better for the environment. A safer and more pleasant working environment will be created for your employees. Harsh chemicals can result in far more accidents and injuries than would be the case if green products were used. As a result your business will not lose as much time nor incur as much in medical costs. Both your business and the environment will benefit when you choose to use eco-friendly cleaning products.

Although we pride over the fact that human is the most developed of all species, we have to admit that we are also very lazy. Most of the time we blame our working environment for making our lifestyle so hectic, but in reality most of us are just too lazy to walk that extra mile or exercise. We have bad food habits, relying mostly on junk food. It is true that the job situation demands such a lifestyle, but can’t we be more responsible towards our own health?

People often find it impossible to jog or run outside in the parks. Maybe the lack of empty spaces and time constraints are the reasons for this. Therefore, the next option is to perform the same exercises in the closed doors. Bicycles are known not only as a means to travel but also for its good effect on health.

This feature, that bicycles are good for health is used in exercise bikes. Exercise bikes are used for workout of the whole body. They resemble an ordinary bicycle and perform the same function, only difference being that they are stationary. Even normal bicycles can be used as a stationary machine if they are placed on rollers or trainers.

How it works?

An exercise bike is provided with a seat where you can sit jus as in a normal bicycle. There are two pedals provided with a chain. You have to keep your feet on the pedals and start the circular motion. You can increase or decrease the resistance of the pedals at your will. The resistance is the key to developing muscle strength in the hips, calf and legs. Magnets, as well as friction are used to increase the resistance. Different people are advised to use different levels of resistance based on the training they need.

Benefits

In most multi-gyms, exercise bikes are must. They are very good for body “warm-up” or toning the body before one starts hardcore fitness training.

Exercise bikes help to tone up the muscles in the hips and in the calf region of the legs. Changing resistance levels help to build a better impact on the muscles. People who are suffering from obesity are generally advised to use exercise bikes. It helps to increase body metabolism and thus excess calories and fats are used up.

Exercise bikes also give a very good cardiovascular workout. In medical clinics and rehabilitation centers, patients are advised to workout on these bikes.

These are also low-impact machines. Low impact means that using these machines will not affect the bones of the body. Unlike in a treadmill where you have to run, jog or brisk walk, here you do not have to exert that much pressure on your feet. As a result, there is little possibility of your bones being jarred and in turn sustain damage.

Balancing is also easier in exercise bikes. It is very unlikely that a person on an exercise bike will lose balance. Even if he does, he will not be injured, unlike in a treadmill The new generation bikes provide recumbent seats. Prolong use in normal seats can damage the bones in the spinal chord. Besides, it can cause neck pain. Recumbent seats are thus more comfortable to be used.

So, what are you waiting for? Stop complaining about busy work schedule, stop cribbing over lack of parks, hit an exercise bike now and get a completely toned up body.

Back in school in our Chemistry classes, we all learned about pH: acids had low numbers, alkalines had high numbers, and a pH of 7.0 was neutral. Who would have ever thought that this lesson could be a life-saver.

Back then, for me at least, it all meant absolutely nothing in terms of my day-to-day life. I never thought it really mattered…until now. Turns out that we have a better chance for good long-term health if our body’s pH is neutral or slightly more alkaline.

When our bodies tend toward greater acidity, which can be measured easily using simple and cheaply priced pH Test Strips, we have a greater risk of developing osteoporosis, weak muscles, heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and a host of other health problems, including cancer.

The reason this happens is that the body tries to compensate for the acidity produced by our diets in several ways. The kidneys are responsible for fluid balance and maintaining a relatively neutral pH in the body so they have to work harder to do this when the body turns acidic.

Our bones start to release more calcium and magnesium to counteract the acidity and our muscles start to produce more ammonia as well. Over an extended period of time you can figure that this acidic environment is going to take a toll on your body in seriously negative ways.

Having said that, does it not then make sense that we can also do good for our bodies by eating a proper and more alkaline diet since this is what our bodies prefer? If eating raw fruit and vegetables makes our bodies more alkaline (which is a highly recommended way to eat for health) then it makes sense why our ancestors who ate exactly that way had much less incidence of disease than we have in our lives today.

In the North American diet, excess calcium is coming primarily from dairy products, and excess sodium is coming from “prepared foods” that are loaded with salt. Largely missing from the diet are magnesium and potassium that would come from eating fruits and vegetables. A diet based on fruits and vegetables, grains and legumes, with a small amount of dairy, would give the body all four of the alkaline minerals in better balance.

People in North America tend to consume too much calcium and sodium and insufficient magnesium and potassium. This is mostly shown in urine tests which show calcium and sodium being excreted while magnesium and potassium are being retained.

Clearly this is why we are not focused on the pH of our urine. An alkaline urine simply tells us that some alkaline minerals are being discarded by the body. Much more important is the pH of your saliva, which tells of your success in creating an alkaline condition within your body…the ultimate goal.

So, the bottom line is to eat more fruits and vegetables and monitor your pH level on a consistent basis to maintain an alkaline environment in your body, for, by doing so, you should be able to prevent disease as diseases love an acidic environment.

Who would have thought that something so simple as eating properly and monitoring our pH level could keep us healthy for the long-term? It can, so do yourself a favor and try it. It certainly couldn’t hurt you. Best of health.

Perhaps you have heard the news stories about how tea is good for you. Did you realize that this means tea of any temperature? In other words, iced is just as healthy for you as hot. This is a good thing, because many people will more readily drink iced than hot, especially in the summertime.

What is it about iced tea that is so good for us? To start with, iced tea is full of more than 700 different chemicals, such as antioxidants, amino acids, and vitamins C, E, and K. Antioxidants can help the body to protect itself against cell damage from molecules that are known as free radicals.

These free radicals can be quite harmful, even though they are all around us in our environment and in fact are even made by our bodies. They can damage our cells for years at at time, and scientists believe that they can lead to the development of such diseases as cancer and heart disease.

Tea will stop cancer cells from growing, and will also stop the blood vessels that the cancerous tumors feed on from developing. Iced tea, when consumed on a regular basis, can reduce our risk of prostate cancer, stomach cancer, breast and colon cancer, and stomach and esophagus cancer.

The antioxidants in iced tea that do so much for us are called flavonoids, and they are also in vegetables and fruits. Eight ounces of iced tea, whether it is green or black, contains anywhere from 145 to 200 mg of these flavonoids.

Iced tea has also been proven to help make our immune systems stronger, protect our teeth from plaque, and is thought to help us to burn more calories each day. Studies have been done in people who smoke. When these people were give four cups of green tea each day, there was less damage to their white blood cells as compared to those people who drank none at all.

The next time you get an insect bite or a small cut, you can see for yourself how tea can make a difference. Green is best for this. Pour a little freshly brewed iced green on a cotton pad, and rub it gently on the bite or cut. You will feel a difference almost at once. Itching will stop immediately, as well as minor soreness.

That is because tea is also a natural antibiotic. Have you noticed that green is being included as an ingredient in many skin care creams and lotions, including sunscreen? That is because it has been proven that green tea will help to block skin cancer that is caused by the sun.

Are you having problems with your blood pressure? Drinking just half a glass of iced green tea a day can help you to control it, and those who have normal blood pressure can keep it that way. Green will also help to prevent Alzheimer’s Disease as well as Parkinson’s Disease.

Drinking three servings of black iced tea has been found to reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and damage to the coronary arteries. Iced tea has even been shown to reduce cholesterol! Green seems to have gotten more press coverage as far as having certain health benefits, but tests and studies have shown that black can definitely do everything for our bodies that green can. Want to stop plaque from building up in your arteries? Drink iced tea! Would you like to have stronger bones? Iced tea will do that for you as well.

A word to the wise – don’t think you can get all of the goodness of tea from drinking the chilled canned and bottled selections from your closest convenience store’s cooler! In order to receive the listed benefits from iced tea, you must make sure to consume freshly brewed iced .

June of each year has been set aside as “National Iced Tea Month”. What better time of year to start the good habit of drinking iced tea every day?