The sad truth is that Indy has some of the dirtiest water in the country according to the Environmental Working Group.  We discussed this in more detail in our Dirty Water post. There isn’t a lot we can do about the water that comes into our house, but there are a number of options to clean the water once in your home.

Over the next few posts we will share about the different water filtering options available including: carafe filters, faucet mount, counter-top, under-sink and reverse osmosis.

The most common type of water filter is the carafe filter.  These filters have a cartridge that sits in a pitcher which filters the water as it drains into a storage compartment.   An example of a carafe filter is the Brita Filter.  These filters are cheap and require no instillation, but are they the best option for cleaning your water.   The most obvious down side to the carafe filter is the small capacity for holding water.  These types of filters also take a considerable amount of time to filter water so you have to plan ahead.  If you have a busy household you will most likely find yourself drinking regular tap water because the filter is empty.

Prices range significantly in this category from $15 to over $200.  The top of the line, and number 1 ranked by Consumer Reports (CR), is the Tersano Lotus LWT100 that sells for $229 from Amazon.  At the bottom of the CR rankings is the Crystal Quest CQE-PI-00600 which is available for $30 on Amazon.  There are four main criteria that Consumer Reports uses to determine the ranking of these filters: Lead removal, chloroform removal, flow rate and clogging.  The only category that may not be straight forward is the chloroform removal which Consumer Reports describes as “Chloroform removal rates the percentage of chloroform removed. A filter’s ability to remove chloroform predicts how well it will remove organic compounds as well as byproducts created by disinfectants used by water systems.”

The Tersano is a great filter with the highest rating in all of the aforementioned categories, but it is not without problems.  It is much larger and complex than some of the less expensive models.  It is also a two-stage filter that uses ozone to clean the water during stage 1.  Ozone is used in many of the large water treatment and bottling plants.  Some people have experienced leaking of ozone from this unit, which is believed to cause problems in people who have respiratory conditions.  The second stage filter is carbon and is expected to last a year producing a gallon/day.

The Clear2O water filter is second on Consumer Reports list and can be purchased for $15 on Amazon.  As far as cleaning the water and flow rate the Clear20 competes nicely with the Tersano. The only category that the Clear2O falls short is in clogging.   The Clear2O does have a faucet hose that will only work on traditional faucets.

The Brita Smart Pitcher is the only other CR recommended carafe filter which can be purchased for $35 on Amazon.  This model was comparable to the Clear2O in all  categories.  Both these type of filters do require disposable filters that the manufacture recommends replacing every two month and the newer Brita filters have an electronic sensor that indicates when the filter needs changed.  Individual filters sell for around 8 dollars.

Personally I’ve been using the same Brita filter for many years and it has worked well for our family.  I should replace the filter more often, but with two small children some things fall through the cracks.  In writing this post I learned about the electronic sensor, which is something I would consider investing in when it’s time to replace our current filter.

The bottom line is that you should be filtering your water, especially here in Indianapolis.  The carafe filter provides inexpensive clean water that doesn’t require any installation.  If you don’t currently filter your water this is a great place to begin.

Now we’ve seen the importance of connecting with our friends and family, we also need to nurture our time with our closest person….our self! When we take time for to invest in our own health we can better pour ourselves out in the various roles we have in life. Yes, it can seem selfish or unproductive to even try to find time for just you, but when we are running on a tank that is less than full, we can become resentful of the responsibilities we have and discouraged. By investing time  into hobbies or other interests is a great way to nurture our points of view and creative parts of our brain.  Activities are as simple as reading, sewing, yoga, crafts, gardening, sports, and dance.  True many of these things can be shared with friends or family but it’s so important that we as individuals have something that is for ourselves.  Give yourself a chance to unwind and think through the day.  It may seem like a luxury to carve time out, but that small investment pays off in dividends in having a more balanced wheel!

Every few months I like to take a personal inventory of how I am doing in varies areas of my life.  Heavy stuff,  I know.  But several years ago I was given a simple tool to make this journey easier… the wheel.  Whenever you go on a road trip of any kind, it’s always best to have your wheels in tip top shape.  The same is true when we look at the big picture of our realistic current state, ideal current state, and long term goals.

How does this wheel work?  The wheel provides opportunity to define eight major areas of our lives, including: money, health, relationships, spirituality, creativity and hobbies, our environment, parenting, and school. To the left is an example of one of these wheels. We can define our eight major areas beyond the basics of financial, health, and alone time.

One visual way to gauge how you are doing at maintaining a balanced wheel is to draw spokes onto your wheel. Begin at the center, draw a spoke out toward the edge in each section. The more time you put toward developing that specific area, the closer to the edge you will draw. If it helps, you can think of it as rating each section on a scale from 1-5 (5 being the edge of the wheel). Ideally, all areas would be somewhat equal. It’s always interesting to identify the areas we put more energy towards and those we neglect.

If there is an imbalance in your wheel, I would love to develop a clearer picture of how to develop some of your “lower” spokes. I’ll be writing two posts in September and two additional ones in October as we bring in the often stressful holiday season (I can’t believe another holiday season is almost here!), so keep your eye out for those articles with tips and ideas of how to increase and combine our “spokes” to get back on track with our lives and goals!

We’re sailing right through Spring and on our way to Summer!! I’m so thankful for the shining sun, green grass, beautiful flowers, warm temperatures, and cool breezes. As we all begin spending more time outside, I wanted to share info on sunscreens.

Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a company that works to protect kids from toxic chemicals in our food, water, air and the products we use every day.

EWG asked a great and simple question “Does your sunscreen work?” and after researching available sunscreens, I was shocked to find out that only 20% of available sunscreens are trustworthy! You wouldn’t think that ingredients in certain sunscreens would have that much of an effect on your body, but some ingredients have somehow slipped past the Food and Drug Administration and can potentially put you at risk for endocrine disruption and even speed skin tumor developments. While we don’t have a say in what ingredients are put in sunscreen, we do have a choice in which we will buy.

EWG’s website offers a comprehensive list of available sunscreens, each with a score from 1-10, 1 being the least hazardous, and 10 being the most. Their website also offers great tips for shopping for sunscreens. All information can be found at Environmental Working Group .

It can be hard to remember which one of these sunscreens are more or less toxic so EWG has created an app with an extensive database of sunscreens.  You can find more about the app by going to the EWG sunscreen app page.

I’m not talking about how much it costs to get your clothes cleaned, but the health risks associated with the chemicals used in dry cleaning.

It is estimated that 85% of cleaners in the US use a chemical called perchloroethylene (or PERC, for short) as a solvent in the dry cleaning process.  PERC has been shown to cause a number of health concerns.  According to the EPA breathing PERC for a short periods of time can adversely affect the human nervous system.  Effects range from dizziness, fatigue, headaches and sweating to in-coordination and unconsciousness.  Also, nursing mothers exposed to PERC may excrete it in their milk, placing their infants at risk.

What are your options?

For the busy person who needs their clothes cleaned in a timely fashion, hand washing may not be practical.  Luckily there are cleaners that do not use PERC during the cleaning process.  Be careful, there are a number of cleaners who advertise that they are “green” or “eco-friendly,” that doesn’t mean that they are not use PERC.  You have to ask your cleaners specifically if they use PERC.

When I first moved to Indy I found some information on EPAs website stating that Curley’s Cleaners on Illinois was a PERC free cleaners.  I learned this was not the case after speaking to them.  Luckily,  I recently found out that Meridian Heights cleaners in Meridian Kessler (49th and Penn) is a PERC-free facility.  At this point Meridian Heights is the only PERC-free cleaners in the Indianapolis area that I’m aware of and lucky for me it is  right between my house and my office.

We’ve all been in a confined space with someone who is talking entirely to loud on their cell phone, and if you’re anything like me you get extremely annoyed in these situations.  I like to think that I follow a live and let live philosophy, but this is one situation where I’m not the bigger person.  Well, according to a new study from Cornell University I’m no the only one and there is a good reason for my inability to ignore these conversations.

Researchers asked subjects to listen to two types of conversations: one where they could hear both people talking and another where they could only hear one side of the conversation.  They found that listening to half of a conversation required much more concentration and therefore was more distracting.  Listening to the one-sided conversation took more concentration because the brain  attempts to figure out what the other person is saying.

Personally I would be happy if cell phone conversations were treated like smoking; not inside especially if people are eating.  Next time your phone rings in a crowded room, think of all the brain power you will be draining from the room with you one-sided conversation and maybe let it go to voicemail.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been sensitive to certain scents.  These are typically artificial scents that are found in perfumes and cleaning supplies.  One whiff of a perfume could cause a headache, cause a “foggy head” feeling or make breathing more difficult.  I’ve never been able to wear colognes and I’ve had to ask my poor wife to refrain from wearing perfumes and scented lotions.  I’ve been familiar with a condition called multiple chemical sensitivities for a number of years, but there seemed to be little science to support the legitimacy of this condition.

You start to wonder if you’re the only one who experiences this when you walk through the perfume section of a department store covering your mouth while other seem to have no problems covering themselves with these substances.

Lately I’ve been coming across more and more research that shows a correlation between exposure to some of these scents and serious health conditions.  A new report by The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics in partnership with the Environmental Working Group (EWG) looked at 17 fragranced products and found 38 chemicals that were not listed in the packaging of these products.  Some of these chemicals found in fragrances may be hazardous to your health, but  makers of popular colognes, perfumes, and body sprays often don’t disclose all the ingredients found in their products.

Of the 38 “secret” chemicals that were found, 10 have been linked to headaches, asthma and wheezing.  These are exactly the symptoms that I had been experiencing when exposed to these products.

How can the companies who make these products get away with not listing these potentially harmful chemicals?  According to the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act of 1973, companies are not required to list the individual chemicals in fragrance, instead they can simply list “fragrance.”

Whether or not you find yourself feeling sensitive to these chemicals, it is likely that they are harming your health.  Even worse these chemicals may be harming you children and pets who are closer to the surfaces where they’re applied.  One way you can limit your exposure to these chemicals is to remove the fragrance containing cleaning supplies from your home. In a previous post I put a link to a “Health Home Checklist” to help you in removing these items from your home.  I am also a big fan of TraceyClean who sells locally made non-toxic cleaning supplies.

Spring cleaning is upon us and it is important to make sure you house is not only clean, but also healthy.  Many of the chemicals in our homes, including cleaning supplies have been shown to cause or contribute to health related conditions. In order to make sure your houses are as healthy as possible download this ewg-hht-checklist and grade your home.

We’ve all heard that lifestyle modifications such as eating better and exercise can improve our health, but Lee Berk, DrPH, MPH, director of the molecular research laboratory at Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, Calif. believes that laughter should be added to that list.

”The parallel between moderate exercise and mirthful laughter is uncanny,” Berk says.  Berk has found that ”mirthful laughter” reduces the stress hormones known as cortisol and catecholamines, much the same way that moderate physical exercise does. It’s also been found to enhance immune system functioning and may lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

Berk’s most recent study looks at the effect laughter pays on appetite.  Subjects had blood drawn to measure appetite regulating hormones before and after watching a funny film.  The study found that there was a decrease in certain hormones that suppress appetite after a subject laughed.

At first glance you might think to yourself, “I’m hungry enough, I’m never laughing again!”  From this research it is thought that laughter doesn’t increase appetite, but rather balance your appetite.  This information is likely to be used with the elderly who have very little appetite and who need to increase their food intake.

Link to the original article: WebMD

For you dose of laughter…

Almost everyday we are told about the wonderful medical breakthroughs on the horizon and how they will change our lives; but do they?  With all the time and money that goes into medical research one would expect that we would be the healthiest we have ever been in history, but we know that this is not the case.  Not only are we at one of our sickest times in history, but many underdeveloped counties without our vast resources remain much healthier than us.

The bottom line is that we’re sick! The good news is that we can fix it without costly medical interventions.  What if I told you that there are four simple things you can do that would almost eliminate the chance of sick?  A study of over 23,000 Germans concluded that the follow diseases could be reduced significantly with four simple lifestyle modifications:diabetes by 93%, myocardial infarction by 81%, stroke by 50% and cancer 36%.

Here is a list of the lifestyle modifications that produced these positive effects: 1) not smoking, 2) keeping your BMI under 30,  3) getting 3.5 hours a week of physical activity, and 4) adopting a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, grains and low in meats.  Doesn’t sound so bad when you consider the benefits.

To determine your BMI (body mass index) visit the NIH website BMI Calculator.

For those of you who are not smokers your a quarter of the way to decreasing your chances of diabetes by 93% and heart attack ny 81%!  Take small steps and remember that physical activity can be performed in many different fashions and doesn’t always require going to the gym.

The following is the original study:

Healthy living is the best revenge: findings from the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition-Potsdam study.

Arch Intern Med. 2009 Aug 10;169(15):1355-62.

Ford ES, Bergmann MM, Kröger J, Schienkiewitz A, Weikert C, Boeing H.
Division of Adult and Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. eford@cdc.gov

BACKGROUND: Our objective was to describe the reduction in relative risk of developing major chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer associated with 4 healthy lifestyle factors among German adults.

METHODS: We used data from 23,153 German participants aged 35 to 65 years from the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition-Potsdam study. End points included confirmed incident type 2 diabetes mellitus, myocardial infarction, stroke, and cancer. The 4 factors were never smoking, having a body mass index lower than 30 (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared), performing 3.5 h/wk or more of physical activity, and adhering to healthy dietary principles (high intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain bread and low meat consumption). The 4 factors (healthy, 1 point; unhealthy, 0 points) were summed to form an index that ranged from 0 to 4.

RESULTS: During a mean follow-up of 7.8 years, 2006 participants developed new-onset diabetes (3.7%), myocardial infarction (0.9%), stroke (0.8%), or cancer (3.8%). Fewer than 4% of participants had zero healthy factors, most had 1 to 3 healthy factors, and approximately 9% had 4 factors. After adjusting for age, sex, educational status, and occupational status, the hazard ratio for developing a chronic disease decreased progressively as the number of healthy factors increased. Participants with all 4 factors at baseline had a 78% (95% confidence interval [CI], 72% to 83%) lower risk of developing a chronic disease (diabetes, 93% [95% CI, 88% to 95%]; myocardial infarction, 81% [95% CI, 47% to 93%]; stroke, 50% [95% CI, -18% to 79%]; and cancer, 36% [95% CI, 5% to 57%]) than participants without a healthy factor.

CONCLUSION: Adhering to 4 simple healthy lifestyle factors can have a strong impact on the prevention of chronic diseases.