We live in very advanced times but despite all that we know about nature and keeping humans healthy we still seem to keep them locked up n big steel and concrete bunkers where they inhale canned, recycled or rearmed air. Even worse this source of vital oxygen is often polluted by all kinds of carcinogens and toxins in the air that are simply the byproducts of our day-to-day activities.

These sealed up buildings came about as the result of the last energy crisis. The worst are buildings built past 1973.Over the past twenty -five years; buildings have been fortified to keep the cold or warmth out in order to prevent us from using up energy resources.

Unfortunately a lot of the materials that have been use to insulate these buildings also emit particulates and off-gas fumes into the air. These chemical vapors and bits of dust have brought dramatic increases in the number of cases of asthma, allergy, chemical hypersensitive and cancer.

The main culprits are materials such as fiberboard, carpeting and the glue and resins that are used to hold everything together. Here is a break down of the types of chemical emissions that can be found in the various construction materials, furnishings and commonly used items. All of these chemicals cause illness of all kind but especially cancer.

• Acetone – Bioeffluents, cosmetics, nail polish remover, office correction fluid, pre printed-paper forms.

• Alcohols – adhesives, bioeffluents, carpeting, caulking, ceiling tiles, duplicating machines, printers, floor coverings, paints, particle board, stains, varnishes and wall coverings

• Ammonia –bioeffluents, carpeting, cleaning products, printers, microfiches, photocopiers

• Benzene –adhesives, caulking, ceiling tiles, printers, floor coverings, paints, particleboard, photocopiers, stains, varnishes, tobacco smoke and wall coverings

• Chloroform - tap water

• Formaldehyde –adhesives, caulking, ceiling tiles draperies, fabrics, facial tissues, floor coverings, gas stoves, grocery bags, paints, paper towels, particleboard, permanent press clothing, plywood, stains, varnishes and upholstery.

• Trichloroethylene – duplicating machines, printers, photocopiers

• Xlyene –adhesives Bioeffluents, caulking ceiling tiles, computer screens, printers, floor coverings, paints, particle boards, photocopiers, stains, varnishes and wall coverings.

Indoor air pollution is considered by many experts to be one of the main threats to health in the twenty first century. People are getting ill in what are called “sick buildings”. To make matters even worse, statistics show that most North Americans spend 90% of their entire life indoors in buildings that may be off gassing chemicals and particulates.

No wonder are kids are so allergic and suffer from asthma.

Illnesses that are known to be caused by indoor air pollution are –

• Allergies
• Asthma
• Eye problems
• Throat irritations
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Confusion
• Memory Loss
• Irritability
• Lowered immunity
• Joint pain
• Cancer

It is not just the materials that are used to insulate homes that are the problem. Many downtown office buildings in urban cores are very old and have poorly maintained air conditioning systems. This creates environments where the humidity is too high or too low which can cause respiratory problems, the growing of bacteria such as Legionnaire’s disease and other problems.

Just what is Peri- menopause anyway and why does it cause most women so much misery?

Menopause is simply the term used to signify the start of the beginning of menstruation in women. It refers to the time when a woman stops ovulating. Once this happens she ceases to have her period anymore.

In most women this natural occurrence happens between age 37 and 53. However some women have entered this in their mid-twenties. It seems to be more and more common to for today’s woman to get it around 35.

This physical part of perimenopasue is very distressing for most women. Some females going through menopause only have mild symptoms but others are simply overwhelmed by anxiety, pain and mood swings. Just getting through the menopausal phase of life can feel like an uphill battle that must be fought every day.

I feel it is one of the most misunderstood conditions on earth. If you don’t treat the symptoms you can make others absolutely miserable.

The bad moods and anxiety associated with premenopausal symptoms are contagious. It can be a baffling condition. Many women find themselves emotionally confused by the process and at the mercy of many different distressing symptoms at once.

It is just all so overwhelming and also for many women quite frightening. For some it feels like they are losing their beauty or their female identity in general.

Part of winning the battle against the symptoms of menopause is getting over your fear of going through it in the first place. Part of being able to do this is recognizing that this is a process that every woman goes through and being able to identify exactly what is going on in your body.

Normally a condition that causes the following symptoms might have you worried that you are suffering from a serious or even fatal disease–

• The cessation of the menstrual period

• Menstrual spotting

• Irregular or sporadic periods

• Increased incidence of yeast infections

• Increased incidence of bladder infections

• Headaches

• Hair loss

• Wrinkles

• Dry skin

• Vaginal dryness

• Painful intercourse

• Insomnia

• Incontinence

• Itchiness of the genitals

• Hot flashes

• Anxiety

• Disorientation

• Disassociation

• Panic attacks

• Weight gain

• Depression

• Decreased blood circulation

• Bone loss

• Mood swings

• Chest pains

• Lack of sex drive
Normally such a big list of symptoms might have you calling an ambulance!
However in this case it is not necessary because what you have just read above is simply all of the symptoms that can occur when a woman is about to go through menopause!

Many overweight people, especially women, eat to comfort themselves. This bad dietary habit is known as emotional overeating. Moms get overwhelmed by so much stress that this definitely becomes a big issue.

We eat certain foods to pacify negative feelings such as anger, grief and disappointment. Emotional overeating can also be classified as a reaction to stress.

Emotional overeating is not a crime but it can make you fat. These a stressful times we live in and when you were a kid your mom probably made you feel better about bad things by feeding something rich and laden with carbs like ice cream, cookies or potato chips. Sometimes I give this sort of thing to my kids and share it with them when I think they are under stress. It is a never ending vicious circle!

A nickname for emotional overeating is “stuffing your anger.” This is form cave men days from a time when we felt very aggressive as we tore into our prey.

Often overeating in women is related to aggression or anger. Women are not allowed to display anger in this society as it is considered unattractive so they express it by biting into food instead. Moms are just expected to put up with everything and shut up.

They feel comforted but guilty for letting themselves down at the same time. Many women are not even really tasting what is in their mouths when they binge eat like this.

It is an act of rebellion that backfires and makes the person feel worse than before. This creates a condition where you can become angry at yourself and you want to eat even more. The worst case scenario is the development of a dangerous disorder such as anorexia or bulimia.

Carbs, fat and sugar can temporarily make you feel better emotionally because they have a way of fueling the feel good chemicals in the brain. The problem is that this is just a quick fix that wears off and has you craving yet more of the same comfort foods to feel good again.
The only way to stop emotional overeating is to figure out what life situations are triggering your bad feelings and then try to get rid of those situations in your life. You literally try to figure out “what’s eating you” so that you will stop eating every time you feel lonely, frustrated, angry or sad.

The good news is that this is a type of behavior that you can control. Once you recognize the situation that drives the emotion that in turn drives you to overeat you can stop emotional overeating just the same way you can stop any other bad habit.

Talk to your doctor if you think you eat too much because of depression or anxiety. You might be prescribed an antidepressant. However keep in mind that although the antidepressant might stop compulsive or obsessive eating, the ironic side effect of almost all of the brands of antidepressants on the market being even more weight gain

Resistance Band Workouts

As a busy mommy I want to stay in shape. However I do not have a lot of time to work out. This is where a resistance band work out has really helped save my life.

As we all know anaerobic exercise helps you keep burning fat long after you stop exercising because the lean muscle keeps burning fat for quite a while after you done exercising and are at rest. Using a resistance band is simply the easiest way to create fat burning muscle. The band is convenient because band is not as bulky as weight lifting equipment and yet after working out with it you still get the same type of results. You can take it anywhere.

Working out with a resistance band is also an effective way to lose weight if you do a resistance band workout along with aerobic exercises such as swimming or running.
The great thing about it is that it is as easy to pack. It is just a band of stretchy cloth. You simply take it to the office or take it with you in your suitcase on a plane.

Here is a simple guide to some resistance band workout exercises-

Curls

Stand on the center of the band and pull the handles upwards until you are holding them with your palms facing outwards. Keep your tummy muscles tucked in and your knees slightly bent. Bend your arms and bring palms forward towards your shoulders to accomplish a bicep curl.

Squats

Stand on the band with your feet at shoulder-width. Pull the band up by the handles and hold tension on the band by holding your arms in a position that is a half-bicep curl. Dip into a squat, keeping knees behind toes, and pulling on the band to add tension. Return to starting point and repeat.

Outer Thigh Criss Cross

Lying on the floor wrap the band around your feet. Raise your legs straight up to create tension. Hold the band on either side in the opposite hand. Squeeze your buttocks and widen your legs out to the sides of your torso as far as you can.

Butt Blaster

On hands and knees, wrap band around right foot, holding onto handles with each hand. Wrap the resistance band around your hand until you feel that it has enough tension. Begin with your right knee bent and flex the foot while extending the right leg straight back. Keep your buttocks as taut as you can while you do this.

Chest Press

Wrap the band around a sturdy object behind you and hold handles in each hand. Be sure that whatever object you choose is completely stable or you could hurt yourself.

Begin this move with your elbows bent and arms parallel to the ground. Squeeze the chest and press the arms in and out. Try to keep your moves smooth and fluid.

Remember to warm up with five to ten minutes of cardio beforehand. You should also cool down with stretches afterwards as well just as you would any other type of exercise!