AVOIDING ALLERGY-CAUSING SUBSTANCES

Common sensitivities are caused by tobacco smoke, perfume and sponge rubber.

Avoid sprays. Try baking soda for deodorant.

Check children's toys for odours. Their markers, Playdough, etc. may be creating problems for them.

The following are found to be used safely by many sensitive individuals: Baking soda: 2% solution can be used as an air freshener, chrome cleaner, windshield and windshield wiper cleaner, plastic pants for babies, sole plates of irons. It can be used in place of toothpaste. For very sensitive, use 2 tablespoons as a replacement for detergent for washing clothes.

Vinegar: Use for washing tile; cuts mold, cleans brass, chrome and steel. To unplug drains, pour a handful of baking soda and 1/2 glass of vinegar down drain and cover it tightly [may have to repeat], 1/2-cup vinegar in rinse cycle will neutralize odor of cleaning agents in laundry.

Soap: Ivory, Bon Ami cake soap. For clothing, grate or flake Ivory.

Bleach: Miracle White, Borax, Arm and Hammer Washing Soda.

TSP: Effective for washing walls. Use 1/2 cup per laundry load. Wear gloves when using. KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN.

Adding 1-teaspon of sodium thiosulphate in your bath water precipitates chlorine.

To avoid molds, check baths, showers, basements and furnace humidifiers. Mold can also grow on cotton clothing overnight so change after wearing.

If you suspect chemical sensitivities, try setting up a dust-free room: Remove synthetic rugs and underlay. Use cotton curtains and avoid sponge rubber mattresses or pillows. A cotton blanket or flannel blanket should be used...no electric blankets. Clean room using water. Avoid permanent-press sheets.

With foods, read labels! Use organically grown fruit and vegetables whenever possible. Fresh is preferable to frozen - and canned foods should be avoided as much as possible.

Use spring water stored in glass containers with cork tops. Sterilize bottles regularly to prevent mold growth. Wash food with regular water but do final rinse in spring water. Use spring water for drinking and brushing your teeth.

Use salt or a mixture of salt and baking soda as a toothpaste. Avoid commercially prepared mouthwashes and toothpastes.

It is preferable to use sea salt in place of regular salt, which may contain chemicals acquired during processing and to prevent lumping.

Nuts should be stored in refrigerator to prevent rancidity. This would include peanut or other nut butters.

Use cold-pressed vegetable and nut oils. Once bottle is opened, store in refrigerator.

Don’t expect immediate results. Keep a diary of all foods eaten and all medications taken. Keep a record of all symptoms and when they begin and end. If your child cheats, don’t get discouraged, just note it and watch for symptoms. The symptoms may last up to three days and are exacerbated by infection, exertion and chill.

Many of us make New Year’s resolutions few; of us keep them. In their article “If at First Your Don’t Succeed”, Polivy and Herman cite statistics that:

· 25% of New Year’s resolutions will be abandon in first 15 weeks

· The average number of time’s a New Years resolution is made is 10

· Those who manage to make a resolution that lasts for 6 months or more have often tried 5 or 6 times before finally succeeding

· Many New Year’s resolutions are for health related goals

***************************************************** Three most important elements of a good resolution: Goals, Goals, Goals! *****************************************************

------------------------------ Have appropriate expectations. ------------------------------

Setting right goal is everything. Too often we set our expectations too high. The result is it is harder to meet them. This in turn can lead to increased discouragement, which can lead to less motivation in future. One area people often set

unrealistic goals for is weight loss.

As Polivy and Herman point out, people either have too high expectations for how much they lose, or they expect too much from losing it. Genetics accounts for approximately 70% of our weight. There is a limit to how much we can expect to lose. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try if it is in interest of our health. What it does mean is we will be much more successful with more modest goals.

Just starting a program for healthier living can have results. According to research of Roberts and Barnard, people can experience significant improvements in their health status after three weeks of making dietary changes, even before they have any weight loss.

There is also issue of what we expect from weight loss. Many of us expect weight loss to result in success in relationships, work and improved health. Yes, having a better diet can improve health, even with modest weight loss. However, losing weight is no guarantee of success in other areas of life. If we tie all our hopes for a better life to something like weight loss, we set ourselves up for potential failure. It is unlikely we will achieve these rewards from weight loss alone. If we want to be more successful in relationships or work, we should make those separate goals.

-------------------- Set a learning goal --------------------