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How Cleaning Products Are Messing With Your Mental Health

Interview with Marilee Nelson from Branch Basics

When it comes to our mental and physical health, we often focus on what we should eat, how much we should exercise, and how much we should meditate –  and forget to take a good look at where we spend most of our time: our homes.

Be Kind To Yourself - Nasty Chemicals In Many Cleaning Products Are Worse Than You Think.

In this week’s blog and podcast, I speak with Marilee Nelson, founder of Branch Basicsabout how the hidden toxins in our home can affect our mental and physical wellbeing, how to keep our living spaces free of toxic chemicals and products, how to protect our brains and bodies outside of the home and more!

As Marilee points out, products with harmful chemicals like pesticides and artificial fragrances in our homes can harm our health. Even small amounts can affect us, including many of the ingredients in supposedly non-toxic products! There is little regulation regarding cleaning supplies, and many do not even have a full ingredient list. We do not even understand how many of these chemicals affect our health over the short and long term (Marilee describes the impact of these chemicals in detail on the Branch Basics YouTube channel, if you are interested in learning more).   …

By Uzma Muneer, D.O.

I WAS BROUGHT UP IN A COUNTRY TOWNSHIP NOT FAR FROM THE BEACH AND PLAYED OUTSIDE A LOT. MANY KIDS ARE BROUGHT UP HAVING CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE SOIL BECAUSE THEIR FAMILY HAS A VEGGIE GARDEN OR THEY LIVE ON A FARM. HEALTH SCIENTISTS ARE SAYING THIS GIVES CHILDREN A GOOD HEALTHY START IN LIFE AND BENEFITS THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEM. THEY’RE ALSO SAYING THAT KEEPING YOUR CHILDREN AND HOUSE SO CLEAN AND OVERUSE OF DISINFECTANTS IS NOT GOOD FOR THEIR HEALTH.

Are You Overly Careful How Your Kids Play?

Some Thoughtful Considerations.

Dr. Muneer specializes in Pediatrics, lets see what she has to say.

Picture this: A baby’s pacifier falls to the ground. A first-time mom sterilizes it thoroughly before giving it back. With her second baby, she quickly runs it under some water first. By her third child, the mom brushes it off and pops it right back into her baby’s mouth. Was her third child any worse for the wear?

We spend a lot of time and energy protecting our babies and kids from germs. But some germs could actually help protect them.

Our health is influenced by all the microorganisms inside our bodies and the surrounding environment.…

By Divina Ramirez

Some hand sanitizers made to meet the surge in demand amid the coronavirus pandemic contain high levels of a cancer-causing chemical known as benzene, according to a study conducted by the online pharmacy, Valisure.

Valisure analyzed 260 bottles of hand sanitizer across 168 brands in its laboratory in New Haven, Connecticut. The analysis showed that 44 bottles had detectable levels of benzene, while 21 bottles contained levels of benzene above the approved limit of two parts per million (ppm).

Valisure also detected “unacceptably high levels” of methanol and acetaldehyde. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies acetaldehyde as a Group 2B carcinogen, meaning it is possibly carcinogenic to humans. Methanol is a highly toxic alcohol that can cause death if ingested.

On March 24, the pharmacy filed a citizen petition with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asking the agency to recall the products identified in the analysis. Valisure also asked the FDA to conduct its own analysis of hand sanitizers and to develop documents defining the limit of benzene for all hand sanitizers.

Valisure’s analysis was verified by the Chemical and Biophysical Instrumentation Center at Yale University and Boston Analytics.…

I'VE PLACED AN ARTICLE IN MY BLOG ABOUT THE MICROBIOME WE HAVE IN OUR BODY THAT RELATES VERY CLOSELY TO GUT HEALTH RECENTLY, AND THIS IS SOMETHING ALTOGETHER DIFFERENT YOU WOULD NEVER GUESS. DID YOU KNOW THAT HAVING A HEALTHY GUT HELPS YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM AND OVERALL HEALTH? YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE A MISSING PART TO THE HEALTH PUZZLE FOR MANY - EVEN SOME PEOPLE WHO GO TO GYMS AND TAKE SUPPLEMENTS - SOMETHING THAT IS VERY UNDERATED BY MOST PEOPLE AND EASILY MISSED. IT STRENGTHENS YOUR GUT AND IT'S GREAT FOR YOUR HEALTH...... IT'S ALSO FREE...... CAN YOU GUESS NOW?

The One Thing You Should Do For A Healthier Gut

By Dr. Mahmoud Ghannoum – CleanPlates.Com

Stopping to admire a bed of flowers, strolling alongside a river, or sitting on a park bench — chances are, at least one of those scenarios, if not all of them, sounds peaceful and uplifting to you. But time spent in nature benefits more than just your spirits: It can lower stress levelsboost your immune systemimprove your heart health, alleviate depression and anxiety, and lead to a healthier gut.…

POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY WAS INTRODUCED EARLY THIS CENTUARY (2000 and 2005) AND SOME OF IT'S PRINCIPLES CAN BE PRACTICED PERSONALLY - YOU WOULD NOT NEED A PSYCHOLOGIST. IN SOME RESPECTS, THIS KIND OF PRACTICE IS HEALTHIER THAN OTHERS, IF YOU DON'T OVER-DO IT (like most things). IT CERTAINLY HAS IT'S MERITS, YOU WILL SEE IN THIS POST. THESE DAYS, YOU CAN EVEN PRACTICE SOME BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION TECHNIQUES WITHOUT THE NEED FOR A THERAPIST. SOME PSYCHOLOGISTS WRITE BOOKS AND VIDEOS SHOWING YOU HOW TO APPLY THE TECHNIQUES FOR YOURSELVES. THEY'RE GOOD FOR MAKING AND BREAKING HABITS. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY IS INTERESTING TOO. FOR NOW, LET'S SEE WHAT POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY HAS TO OFFER, HEY?

WHAT IS POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

Traditionally in psychology, the focus has been on identifying and treating mental health problems such as depression. This is critically important for those facing mental illness however, it provides an incomplete picture of mental health. Positive psychology is a relatively new branch of psychology that shifts the focus from what is clinically wrong, to the promotion of wellbeing and the creation of a satisfying life filled with meaning, pleasure, engagement, positive relationships and accomplishment.

Positive psychology is not about putting on a happy face all the time.…

THIS POST WILL ADDRESS PLASTIC FOOD CONTAINERS AND OTHER PLASTICS, STYROFOAM/POLYSTYRENE, BPA BISPHENOLS AND SIMILAR. I KNOW THE CONCERNS AND ALERTS ABOUT OUR EXPOSURE TO CHEMICALS ETC GETS A BIT MUCH, TO THE POINT WHERE IT IS SOMEWHAT TAXING OR EVEN EXHAUSTING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT ALL, YET WE NEED TO BE KIND TO OURELVES AND FAMILY. WITH THE WORLD BEING LIKE IT IS, IGNORANCE IS NOT BLISS. WE CAN ONLY BE THANKFUL THERE ARE STILL GOOD MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE BEACONS OF TRUTH AND TIRELESS IN THEIR EFFORTS TO REACH US WITH THE VITAL KNOWLEGE WE NEED. SOME OF THESE PEOPLE ARE FLAWLESS IN THEIR JUDGEMENTS AND THEIR INTEGRITY IS IMPECKABLE. WE NEED TO HEAR FROM DEDICATED SCIENTISTS AND RESEARCHERS WHO ARE NOT BOUGHT OUT BY CERTAIN FOOD INDUSTRIES AND PLASTIC INDUSTRIES TO LIE FOR THEM. I HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THESE THINGS FOR MANY YEARS.

Are Plastic Containers Safe For Our food?

From TheGuardian.Com

The industry says its containers are safe but some experts point to a lack of data and warn that plastic and heat are not a good mix.

Many of us have an overflowing kitchen cupboard of plastic containers to store our leftovers.…

By Janet Vargas - Owner Of This Website

Things You Can Do With Difficult Friendships

These are stressful days we are living in – there’s no doubt about that – and many people are becoming “Needs-Orientated” because they don’t have managing skills. These are Life Skills we all need to develop and some mistakenly expect others to have these Life Skills for them. Or worse still, they want to constantly Off-Load their problems on others as their way of coping or complaining about life and that is SIMPLY UNFAIR.

You have come to the right place if you have problematic friendships. I’ve had a few and I found what to do. Of necessity, it was a real awakening in recent years.

Because I was far too Caring, I did not “practice the Principles I needed to” for my sanity (so to speak) and Peace of Mind. Looking back now, that so sapped up my energies, I’ve not been able to do some things I had planned to do because my energies were somewhat drained. They called themselves Friends but they needed a good spanking – they did not take responsibility for mistakes they were making and leaned much of their weight on me!…

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Extensive Reading. Recently Updated.

Friends, You Need To Know The True Facts On Monsanto's GMOs And Glyphosates. Misleading Information Abounds And Comes From Surprising Places (you don’t expect). It’s Alright To Be Cautious. We Need To Be These Days. There Are Big Profits And So Much Greed Out There, As Most Of Us Know.

This Post Will Show Pro GMO Supporters And INFO Sources To Be Very Ignorant Or Deliberately Misleading. Some Intelligent People Suspect Big Pharma And The Chemical Industry To Be Close Allies, Due To So Many People Getting Sick From Chemicals And Then They Have Chemical Drugs Prescribed To Them By Their MD/GPs.

That would not surprise me if it is so because concerns I address in Research on damages caused by Medical Drugs and Agricultural Chemicals goes pretty much hand in hand - generally speaking. It is interesting to note here that BAYER Manufactures make Both. If you do a Google search for Bayer Pharmaceuticals and Bayer Agriculture Products, I think you may be surprised what you find.

Can you see the question that comes to mind when researching? It's a possibility that Big Ag and Big Pharma and the Food Giant companies who are so persistent in adding Chemicals to almost everything we but in the Supermarkets have been close Allies for decades.…

“NO, I DON’T WANT SOY WITH THAT”

Diet Shakes With Soy (added) Bread With Soy, Schnitzel With Soy, Burgers With Soy, Quiche With Soy, Chorizo With Soy Etc Get The Picture? And Everyone Says “YES!”……….”We Don’t Want Soy!” It’s In Almost Everything You Can Think Of. Yes Anything You Can Imagine, If You Haven’t Checked The Packets, Cans And Labels. And We Should Tell Them “NO! I’m Not Buying That”……..Your Best Way To Protest is: Speak Up And Leave The Products On The Shelves (this is more effective in numbers, the more of us the better, don’t wait for someone else). Tell The Cafes, Bakeries And Restaurants “NO SOY”……. Give These Manufacturers, Shops And Venues A Hard Time, So They Have To Take Notice Of Us. Enough IS Enough. They’ve Placed Enough Impositions On Us (for convenience, to cut corners) Lets Impose Our Standards On Them – We’re Far Too Passive, We Didn’t Speak Up. Friends, We Need To Do This.

I Will Give You Enough Reasons To In This Post. Is SOY Healthy? NO! One Of The Major Mistakes Made By Professionals And Health Stores Alike And Now We Have This Problem.…

Did You Hear About This Discovery? Our Body Is Home To About 100 Trillion Bacteria And Other Microbes, In And On Our Body Collectively Known As Our Microbiome – 10 Times The Number Of Body Cells And We Have Not Even Known About This In Western Countries Until Recent Times. But Some Countries In Europe Have Been Practicing Healthy Diets Etc To Look After It For Generations. In Doing So, It Confers Many Benefits. This Microbiome Consists Of Healthy And Unhealthy Bacteria And The Ratio Varies From Person To Person. A Healthy Microbiome Is One Of The Reasons Why Some People Are Blessed With Really Good Health. Having A Diet And Sleep And Exercise That Favours Healthy Flora (bacteria) In Your Microbiome Is A Good Way To Ensure Against Things Like Overweight And Cholesterol And Strengthen The Integrity Of Your Immune System.

Looking After Gut Flora (Bacteria)

Have you heard of Kefir and Kombucha, Kimchi and Sauerkraut? They are fermented drinks and food staples you feed and nurture your Microbiome with that favours healthy bacteria over unhealthy bacteria and outnumbers them. So incorporating some practices to multiply them will help them to play a dominant role for you so you enjoy better health.…