Should Smartphone Germs Scare You?

Your smartphone may be responsible for germs and viruses that cause respiratory or diarrhea illnesses, says a study out of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Baltimore, reported in the Winnipeg Free Press today.

 Should you be seeing little germs crawling all over your phone?


Smartphones are considered particularly suspect because people touch the screens with their hands.  That's according to Timothy Julian, a post-doctorate environmental health sciences student at the school.  

The next question would then be, whether people are washing their hands enough during the day, whether they are touching toilet seats (a real harbour of germs) public railings, door knobs and kitchen counters.  Do they cough into their hands?

I just wiped my cellphone with an anti-bacterial wipe, and then figured I better wipe the inside and outside of the carrying case as well.  That led to wiping all the phones in the house, and the computer keyboards.  The germ hunt is on!


On the encouraging side, other studies have shown a high percentage of smartphones have a low bacteria count.

The reality, according to John Envil, director of the infection prevention and control unit at the Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre, is we can become paralyzed by the fear of germs on cellphones, but the reality is they are there, they're part of life everywhere - and you can't avoid them.


Whatever the concensus of the various studies, this is a reminder to clean the surfaces of devices you use throughout the day.  Also, build your immune system with healthy eating, exercise and optimal nutritional supplementation.   I choose the USANA supplements, produced by the authors of The Healthy Home book.


Deanna Waters    www.thehealthyhomesite.com
1-888-320-8250  Don't let one more day go by without the protection of the USANA health program!
USANA Global Leader

Canada Has Cleanest Air, but Dirty Air Inside says The Healthy Home book

Good news for Canadians and our visitors who spend time outdoors here.  According to a recent World Health Organization study, Canada's urban air quality ranks among the best in the world.  (They didn't measure the air inside our homes and office though, which would fare much worse.)  Read on.


In fact, 8 of the Top 10 least polluted cities are Canadian (out of 91 countries and 1,100 cities).  That's impressive.  Air pollution levels begin to pose health risks once they exceed 20 micrograms per cubic metre, according to the WHO.


Which Canadian cities will give you the cleanest breath of air? 

Whitehorse in the Yukon was number one with only 2.9 micrograms (compared to the worst city, Ahwaz in Iran with a level of 372).  While the agency blames pollution for an estimated 1.34 million premature deaths each year, the Canadian figure was just 2,400 deaths.


Other clean air cities in Canada:  Nanaimo, Terrace, Nelson, Corner Brook and Fredericton.  The highest pollution level in Canada, was Sarnia at 21.2 while all other urbane cities ranked below that.


But what about the air inside our homes and businesses?  Read about it in The Healthy Home book...


On page 52:  "According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Americans (and we assume Canadians too)  spend 90 percent of their time indoors - at home or in offices.  And while we're there, we're breathing air that is usually two to five times more polluted with organic pollutants than outdoor air.  We don't need to ask how they got in either.  We paint, spritz, and spray these pollutants, also known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) all over our rooms."


On page 54:  "Without substantial airflow through open windows or efficient exhaust vents, the products used in the bathroom - such as perfumes, nail polishes and removers, hairsprays and air fresheners - accumulate in an invisible cloud that floats in over the bed and hangs there."


How do we keep our air clean inside the home and office?  The Healthy Home book gives many suggestions:

1.  Open windows 15 minutes a day throughout the house.
2.  Air your dry cleaning outside before hanging it in the closet, or use PERC free dry cleaners.
3.  Switch to safe products for cleaning.....see the list in the book and the website. 



Deanna Waters   
Contact me for the list of USANA products that detoxify
and provide healthy alternatives for your home and body.
1-888-320-8250

To Live Five Years Shorter, Watch Too Much TV

Television viewing is linked to shorter life spans.  In fact, people who averaged six hours a day in front of the TV lived, on average, nearly five years less than people who watched no TV, according to a recent survey in Australia.  The report was published in the Aug 15, 2011 online edition of the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Of course, this brought much controversy.  Dr. David L. Katx, Director of Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine, suggests there is an indirect link.  "As a rule, the more time we spend watching TV, the more time we spend eating mindlessly in front of the TV, and the less time we spend being physically active."


He notes this leads to a greater risk for obesity, and the chronic diseases it tends to anticipate, notably diabetes, heart disease and cancer.  As well, people who watch excessive amounts of TV may be lonely or isolated, or depressed, and these conditions, in turn, may be the real causes of premature mortality.

Bottom line:  Minimize television viewing in favor of physical activity.  Avoid eating junk food and nibbling while watching television.  Spend time with happy people.  

This study lines up nicely with information in The Healthy Home by Dr. Myron Wentz and Dave Wentz.  Too much television viewing at night can affect your sleep, and the electomagnetic fields can affect your health as well.


Deanna Waters
Promoting The Healthy Home and Healthier Lifestyles
www.thehealthyhomesite.com 
1-888-320-8250

To Shorten Your Lifespan, Watch Too Much TV

Researchers in Australia have discovered in a new study that people who averaged six hours a day of TV lived, on average, nearly five years less than people who watch no TV.


In affect, for every hour of television watched after age 25, lifespan fell by 22 minutes, according to the research led by Dr. J. Lennert Veerman of the University of Queensland.   

Is television viewing really worth the risk of a shortened lifespan?


There is controversy about this study of course, as there are many variables.  Dr. David L. Katz, Director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine said, "As a rule, the more time we spend watching TV, the more time we spend eating mindlessly in front of the TV, and the less time we spend being physically active.  More eating and less physical activity, in turn, mean greater risk for obesity, and the chronic diseases it tends to anticipate, notably diabetes, heart disease and cancer."


Then, in the The Healthy Home book, we're cautioned that watching TV at night can affect the quality of our sleep.  Also sitting too close to the television set can affect our health due to the electromagnetic fields.


The networks make it pretty appealing to watch the various reality and talent shows.  It's up to us to practice avoidance for our health, as pointed out again and again in The Healthy Home book.


More exercise, wise eating and limited television viewing seems to be the word for the day.


Deanna Waters
1-888-320-8250 
Promoting Healthy Homes, Healthy and Happy Lives
Let's hear from you!

Asthma in Babies: Don't Stand Near the Microwave

How does exposure to low frequency magnetic fields affect babies still in the womb?

Time magazine, August 15, 2011, reports that in the first study of its kind, scientists strapped monitors to pregnant women to measure their exposure to low frequency magnetic fields - those generated by power lines and electricity-using devices like microwave ovens, hair dryers and vacuum cleaners.

The researchers followed up with the women's children over their first 13 years and found that those born to mothers with the highest levels of exposure were three times as likely to have asthma as kids whose moms had the lowest exposure.

This doesn't surprise me.   Dr. Myron Wentz, PhD, author of The Healthy Home, warned us in a seminar several years ago, to step away from microwaves when using them.  This New York Times best selling book also warns to remove all electrical appliances possible from the head of your bed, including lamps, cell phone chargers, baby monitors, alarm clocks etc.   This is especially important for pregnant mothers. 

Read page 43 to see the research on the association of childhood cancer, adult melanoma, neurodegenerative disease and miscarriage, to higher exposure to ELF fields.

Dr. Wentz says, "Why expose yourself to a potential risk if you don't have to?"  Clear away the electrical devices from the head of your bed and step back from your microwave.  Protect yourself and your baby!

Pregnant women can purchase products called The Belly Band and The Belly Blanket, which shield the baby by 99% in the womb from harmful ELF fields.  I'm going to buy a stock and give them to young friends who are pregnant.  Now, that's a very powerful gift!

Contact us to receive a copy of The Healthy Home
Deanna and Dave Waters
1-888-320-8250  
Dedicated to Healthy Homes, Healthy Bodies and Healthy Bank Accounts

#Organic Produce. Do you know the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15?

There is a groundswell towards buying pretty well everything organic.  Organic veggies.  Organic fruit.  Organic clothing.  Organic mattresses. 

But is it really necessary?  For instance, apparently some fruit and veggies are more prone to carry pesticide residue than others.

Richard Burr, co-owner at First Choice Fitness gym in Winnipeg, gave me some great information on the topic, from "need to know" on PBS, by Jackie Pou.


Here's Your "Dirty Dozen" list....when conventionally grown, this list tested positive for at least 47 different chemicals, with some testing positive for as many as 67.  Definitely go organic with these:

celery.....peaches....strawberries....apples....domestic blueberries....nectarines....sweet bell peppers....spinach, kale and collard greens....cherries....potatoes....imported grapes....lettuce.

Why are some types of produce more prone to sucking up pesticides than others?  Richard Wiles, senior vice president of policy for the Environmental Working Groups says, according to the article, "If you eat something like a pineapple or sweet corn, they have a protection defense because of the outer layer of skin.  Not the same for strawberries and berries."

The "Clean 15" bore little to no traces of pesticides and are safe to consumer in non-organic form.

onions....avocados....sweet corn....pineapples....mango....sweet peas....asparagus....kiwi fruit....cabbage....eggplant....cantaloupe....watermelon....grapefruit....sweet potatoes....sweet onions

So, if you just wash all your fruit and vegetables, organic or not, will you eliminate all the chemicals?

The President's Cancer Panel recommends washing conventionally grown product to remove residues.  Wiles adds, "You should do what you can do, but the idea you are going to wash pesticides off is a fantasy.  But you should still wash it because you will reduce pesticide exposure."

Obviously, we should be taking great care of what we buy and how we look after it.  The Healthy Home book by Dr. Myron Wentz and Dave Wentz, covers other important food choices in Chapter Seven "For the Love of Food".

Contact us for a copy of The Healthy Home book
Dave and Deanna Waters
 204-237-8250
Dedicated to Healthy Homes, Bodies and Bank Accounts

Sensé Reverses the Signs of Aging for Both Men and Women

Sensé Gives You Options to Create Your Perfect Skin Care Regimen, to Look Younger and Healthier.

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Remember the skin you were born with? It’s time to get reacquainted with Sensé™.

When you’re using Sensé, you know you’re trusting your skin to the very best products available. When USANA launched the Sensé line, it was to provide an alternative to the harsh chemicals commonly used to preserve other personal care products. That’s why USANA’s scientists developed an innovative way to preserve skin care products using liquid crystals, which carry antioxidants, amino acids, and botanicals that keep the product fresh. This breakthrough—called Self-Preserving Technology—received a U.S. patent, and means you don’t have to worry about added chemical preservatives.
 
Sensé is an advanced collection of facial and body care products. Taking the very best from nature and infusing it with solid science gives you products that help visibly reverse signs of aging for glowing, youthful-looking skin.

It all starts with the basics—an easy, three-step process featuring four Sensé products.

• Cleanse: Gentle Daily Cleanser is a mild, soap-free formula that washes away surface dirt and impurities without drying or irritating your skin.

• Tone: Hydrating Toner refines skin’s appearance and restores the pH balance of your skin.

• Replenish: In the morning, Daytime Protective Emulsion restores moisture and protects against environmental damage. Before bed, Night Renewal Crème uses exclusive hydrating technology and shea butter to help you wake up to younger-looking skin.

The basics give you an easy-to-follow, effective beauty regimen. But if you want to take your skin care to the next level, USANA also offers Sensé enhancers. Each of these five products—Perfecting Essence, Serum Intensive, Eye Nourisher, Rice Bran Polisher, and Nutritious Crème Masque—allows you the freedom to target your specific skin concerns. Your skin is unique to you, so use a combination of the basics and enhancers to create your perfect skin care regimen.

Sensé also utilizes USANA’s nutritional expertise to nourish your skin, making it look healthy and beautiful. Proflavanol-T™ combines whole grape extract, green tea extract, and vitamin E to combat damaging free radicals in the skin. Proteo-C™ includes vitamin C and the amino acids proline and glycine to help renew and moisturize skin.

Two exclusive anti-aging technologies are also used to give you younger-looking skin. DSR™ (Dermal Suface Renewal) Technology uses marine-source ingredients to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and bring balance to uneven skin. Regenisomes™ help boost the skin’s response to environmental damage and mend the look of aging.

With all the exclusive technology and solid science, Sensé give you the basics, and a variety of options to give you beautiful results. Start by learning more about Sensé at www.beautifulscience.com. 

To experience this wonderful skin and body care regime:
Contact Dave and Deanna Waters
Dedicated to Healthy Homes and Lives
1-888-320-8250 toll-free