| As your calendar pages fly by, carrying you through | | | | down, install HEPA filters in air and heat systems to |
| October and into November, many of you will | | | | help keep the air clean.Have you been wondering |
| participate in that age-old tradition called fall | | | | how all this work is going to improve your own |
| housecleaning. You'll be packing up the swim toys, | | | | personal health? Well, I'm sure you have heard that |
| summer clothes, picnic baskets, and oscillating fans. | | | | any physical activity that raises and keeps your heart |
| Then you'll dig out the winter coats, boots, comfy | | | | rate in its target zone for at least 20 minutes a day |
| afghans, fireplace tools, and, if you are lucky enough | | | | helps you lose weight and get fit. That includes |
| to live where snow falls, sleds and ice skates.You'll be | | | | serious housecleaning. As you scrub and polish your |
| busy cleaning out the dust and grime tracked in by | | | | home, you can also tone, exercise, and oxygenate |
| kids and dogs and by breezes blowing through open | | | | your muscles. After warming up with light activity like |
| windows all the busy summer long. Before you | | | | dusting and tidying up rooms, build up your work |
| snuggle in for the winter to enjoy family evenings | | | | intensity and speed to raise your heart rate to your |
| around the crackling fireplace or have those holiday | | | | personal workout zone.As you vacuum or mop, |
| gatherings with all their hustle and bustle, you'll | | | | breathe deeply and lunge, switching sides to work |
| probably wax, polish, and clean your house until the | | | | out both arms. Put your whole body into mopping, |
| fireplace glow is reflected throughout the room.Here | | | | scrubbing, or stair climbing. Swing your arms, pump |
| are a few tips to help you make the most of this | | | | your legs, and fill waiting time at the dryer or |
| time-honored tradition. Not only can you make your | | | | microwave with squats, push-ups, or other exercises. |
| home clean, well ordered, and homey, ready for the | | | | Turn on energizing music and dance your way |
| long winter months, but you can actually make it a | | | | through your chores. Stretch your body in every |
| healthier place for your family and improve your own | | | | way possible as you keep your heart rate in the |
| personal health as you work.As you do your fall | | | | zone for 20 minutes. Cool down with lighter chores |
| housecleaning, remember to focus on those areas | | | | and enjoy your workout, knowing that not only will |
| that contribute to allergies. A multitude of things in | | | | your fall housecleaning be done, but you will have |
| your home can trigger allergies, from mold, to dust in | | | | contributed to your own personal wellness and |
| bedding and on furniture, to your family pet. Even | | | | fitness at the same time.There's another very |
| those friendly, burning candles can contribute to toxic | | | | pleasant thing you can do this fall that will contribute |
| air and allergy problems. Let's discuss these | | | | to the humidity balance and oxygen level of your |
| allergy-producing problem areas.You can find mold in | | | | home and quietly clean pollutants, gasses, and toxins |
| damp basements, refrigerator drip pans, air | | | | out of the air. You can decorate your home with |
| conditioners, garbage pails, shower stalls, and closets. | | | | air-cleansing houseplants. Palms, ferns, and ivy are |
| There are non-toxic cleaning products that will get rid | | | | especially good at removing toxic gases from the air. |
| of existing mold. As an extra precaution, use exhaust | | | | A plant for every 10 square yards of floor space will |
| fans in kitchen and bathroom and open windows on | | | | both cleanse and beautify your home.As each room |
| low humidity days to refresh household air. Don't | | | | is completed, you may want to set a homey scene |
| forget to dust and clean heating units and oil burners, | | | | with aromatic candles. Unfortunately, candles, |
| checking for foreign objects in heating elements.As | | | | especially if they are scented, release toxic soot, |
| you attack all that summer dust, remember that it | | | | carcinogens, and even lead (from wire wicks), that |
| contains allergy triggering, microscopic dust mites that | | | | flood the air with enough pollution to ruin computers |
| feast on shed human and animal skin cells. These | | | | and furnishings and affect breathing, especially for |
| fecal-producing dust mites thrive in warm and humid | | | | people with asthma, lung, or heart disease. Fragrance |
| places like beds, furniture, and carpets. After you | | | | oil candles and container candles don't burn cleanly |
| vacuum and dust thoroughly with a vacuum that | | | | and are even more dangerous than open-flame |
| filters dust and does not allow it back into the air, | | | | candles. You can use diffusers for aromatherapy and |
| use hot-water washing and high-heat drying to | | | | choose unscented candles with no petroleum |
| launder all bedding and stuffed toys. For further | | | | products and wire-free wicks for atmosphere.When |
| protection, put anti-allergen covers on bedding, even | | | | your fall housecleaning is finished, sit back, put your |
| box springs and dehumidify the air, including closets | | | | feet up, relax with a cup of herbal tea before the |
| and cabinets.Remember that your family pet also | | | | fire, and know that both you and your family will |
| contributes to toxic air and allergies. Pet dander (skin | | | | enjoy your cleaner, healthier home in the winter |
| flakes) is a nearly invisible pollution that your pet | | | | months ahead.Copyright (c) 2006 Dr. Eileen SilvaEileen |
| releases as it grooms, releasing dander and proteins | | | | Silva, Ph.D., N.D. is a metabolic health balancing expert, |
| from saliva into the air. Bathe pet, using | | | | talk show guest, and lecturer. Dr. Silva is also an |
| dander-reducing shampoo, and follow up with an | | | | individual, group, and corporate weight management |
| anti-dander spray. To help keep pet dander allergies | | | | consultant. Contact Dr. |