I’m a few months behind on this Healthy Lung Month thing, but breathing healthy is about a lot more than just healthy lungs. We often ignore just how much the air we breathe affects us, and how what we put in that air can have a negative effect on our overall health. Take a look at the below graphic and then keep reading for a few ideas on how you can do small things to improve the air you breath.
- Mold – Get your home checked for mold. There are kits you can buy, that take samples of the air in your home. You then send those kits in to have them checked for mold spores. You can also call a service that will do the same, but it’s a lot more expensive.
- Air Fresheners – Use natural air fresheners. You can easily mix up your own odor eliminating air freshener using essential oils and water. A few drops of tea tree oil mixed with water is a much healthier air freshener and does wonders to eliminate odors. (I had a spot on the arm of a chair where a cat had lost its lunch, I soaked a paper towel in tea tree oil, put that on the chair arm, then covered it with a towel for a couple of days. The odor and stain were completely removed.
- Cleaning Products – Tea tree oil mixed with vinegar is an excellent cleaning product. There are also several great “green” cleaning products on the market and some of these clean even better than the unhealthy alternatives. Recently, I bought a bottle of ADVANTAGE 20X Multi-Purpose Cleaner Green Apple from a sales guy that came to my door. I’m not easily sold but when he showed me how easy this product took a pet stain out of my carpet, I was sold. Within minutes I’d removed several set-in stains from my carpet and had moved on to scouring the bathroom. This product seems to clean anything all without choking odors, chemicals, or risks.
- Home Inspection – When you buy a new home make sure to get your home fully inspected. A full home inspection should also include checking for asbestos. This is especially important in older homes where asbestos was commonly used in flooring, ceilings, and insulation. Left alone, there is no threat from asbestos, but renovations, or house repairs can damage asbestos, causing it to become airborne. If it enters the body, there is a risk for developing mesothelioma cancer. It’s a rare cancer that affects around 3,000 people each year and typically develops in the lining of the lungs. Please practice prevention, and get your house inspected.
There is more to breathing than just the air you breathe, it’s also important to pay attention to how you breathe. Are you breathing short quick breaths or long full ones? Remembering to take a few moments and really breathe in full breaths can make a huge difference in how you feel (as long as you are breathing quality air).
Here are a couple of other great posts on the importance of breathing for your health.
- Deep Breathing for Fibromyalgia
- 8 Tips for Dealing with Stress
- How to Fall Asleep Faster
- 5 Lessons in Pain Management
- 8 tips for Managing Pain Naturally
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