Living with Asthma & Allergies

Go to any grade school or high school sporting event. Take a peek at the sideline bench and note how many inhalers you see. Did you know that the number one reason children miss school is asthma? Why the explosion of asthma and respiratory problems in children?

These are the four reasons respiratory problems are on the rise!

1) 'Couch Potato Generation' - kids weigh more, exercise less and spend more time indoors.
2) Too much antibiotic use - Immune systems never get much opportunity to fight infections, and then react abnormally to airborne contaminants.
3) Air Pollution -Pollution does not cause asthma but can be a trigger for an attack. Cars and factories now have stricter controls on emissions but the problem is still there.
4) Indoor Air Pollution - 20 years ago no one ever heard of Indoor Pollution!

Since the Energy Crisis in the 70's, buildings became more energy efficient. This meant all pollutants became trapped inside. Many of the items we furnish our home and school with are outgassing contaminants continually. Carpeting, curtains, cleaning products, particle board furniture and more! With people spending 90-% of their days indoors, this becomes a problem!

What can you do to protect your kids from asthma or allergy reactions? Here are seven allergy proofing tips!

1) Watch for days when pollen counts are high and restrictvigorous exercise on hot days.
2) Avoid Wood Stoves and fireplaces in the home and NEVER allow smoking in the home of an asthmatic.
3) Keep pets out of the bedrooms.
4) Make sure kitchen, bathrooms, and basement are well ventilated to cut down on mold in humidity.
5) Put pillows and mattresses in allergen-impermeable covers to cut down exposure to dust mites.
6) Use non-toxic cleaning products and avoid perfumes and scented products.
7) A filter-less air purifier is highly recommended since a filter can only capture a small portion of allergens.

Deborah Mumm is an Indoor Air Specialist in northern IL. She has been working in this industry since 1996. Claim your FREE booklet, Six Dozen Healthy Home Tips, at http://www.healthy-environments.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Debbie_Mumm

Other Recent EzineArticles

7 Tips for Staying Healthy while Traveling

Traveling to new destinations can be exciting and fun. However, if you don't prepare yourself for the differences you will encounter you may end up feeling tired and achy. Here are the top seven tips for staying healthy and feeling good, no matter where your traveling adventures take you.

#1:

Forget About Jet Lag: Here are some great pointers for beating jet lag. First, don't drink alcohol or caffeinated beverages on the plane. Drink plenty of water, and eat whole grain carbohydrates which may help calm your nerves. Then, after getting to your destination, take a ten-to twenty-minute walk as soon as possible, and eat a light snack. If you think you'd like a little nap, you will want to keep it to less than an hour-so you'll still be able to get to sleep at night.

Go to my article to learn the other SIX Travel Tips so you don't get sick during or after your trip!

7 Travel Tips for Staying Healthy on the Road

Have a Healthy Day!

Deborah Mumm, The Allergy Queen

Healthy Environments

Drink Water---maybe you don't need all those Meds!

My friend, Fred Brown, sent me this little video. He has been sharing Kangen Water with his friend for several months and was so excited that he doesn't need most of his medications anymore. Who wants to get old and be in a fog all the time because of all the medications you are on? No one...

Watch this little video. Let me know if you want some Kangen water info!

http://video.yahoo.com/watch/3668345/10095442

Debbie Mumm, The AllergyQueen.... http://www.thewetterwater.com/

Dreading that Colonoscopy?

Those of us who have reached that monumental age of 50 know that we get to look forward to the day when we can have a colonoscopy. What joy! What fun! -- Not!
Now that I promote the Kangen Water to drink I have learned a little bit about colons. A clean, healthy colon = a healthy body. A dark, unhealthy colon = an unhealthy body. Everything you eat eventually passes through the colon. So, a good diet would be considered crucial for good health.
I know that it is difficult to eat tons of veggies every day. I also know that avoiding meats, junk foods and desserts is also very hard to do. Most everything in our diet is very acidic...and disease LOVES an acidic body. Cancer thrives in an acidic body.
How can we make our body more alkaline? The easiest way is to drink Kangen Water...a premium alkaline water loaded with antioxidants to slow down the aging process.

Dave Barry, who writes for newspapers around the country recently wrote some funny one liners to be used when having a colonoscopy. Here you go....Enjoy!

On the subject of Colonoscopies...

Colonoscopies are no joke, but these comments during the exam were quite humorous..... A physician claimed that the following are actual comments made by his patients (predominately male) while he was performing their colonoscopies:

1. 'Take it easy, Doc. You're boldly going where no man has gone
before!

2. 'Find Amelia Earhart yet?'

3. 'Can you hear me NOW?'

4. 'Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?'

5. 'You know, in Arkansas, we're now legally married.'

6. 'Any sign of the trapped miners, Chief?'

7. 'You put your left hand in, you take your left hand out...'

8. 'Hey! Now I know how a Muppet feels!'

9. 'If your hand doesn't fit, you must quit!

10. 'Hey Doc, let me know if you find my dignity.'

11. 'You used to be an executive at Enron, didn't you?'

12. 'God, now I know why I am not gay.'

And the best one of all--

13. 'Could you write a note for my wife saying that my head is not up
there?
**********************************************************************************************************************

So...on that note....have a great day!

Want to see some Before & After shots of colonoscopies with Kangen Water....

Colon Videos

To Your Health.....Deborah Mumm, The Allergy Queen

Which Country Eats the Best Foods for Healthy Living?

I really wasn't surprised to see how poorly Americans rated in this 'healthy food' contest. But it was very interesting to see how other countries did.

How many whole foods do you eat each day? How many things do you eat that are processed? You might be surprised at how often we reach for a processed food.

I like Natalie and her Nutrition Clips.....Here's this one on how countries on the world compare for weekly purchases of food.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClvLhNUz3X8

Have a healthy day!

Debbie, The Allergy Queen.... http://www.info4juiceplus.com/ (whole foods in capsule form!)

Are Mice smarter than people about 'Junk Food'?

I found this article to be quite interesting.

Lesson of the Week:
School Lab Rats Freak Out on GE Food
Schools in Wisconsin are showing kids the dangers of genetically engineered (GE) junk food with some unique science class experiments. Sister Luigi Frigo repeats the experiment every year in her second grade class in Cudahy. Students feed one group of mice unprocessed whole foods. A second group of mice are given the same junk foods served at most schools. Within a couple of days, the behavior of the second group of mice develop erratic sleeping schedules and become lazy, nervous and even violent. It takes the mice about three weeks on unprocessed foods to return to normal.

According to Frigo, the second graders tried to do the experiment again a few months later with the same mice, but the animals have already learned their lesson and refuse to eat the GE food.

Does this tell you something about the nutritional value found in Junk Food? Basically just makes you feel bad, in the long run. Even mice figured that out!

Need to find a way to include those 7 or more fresh fruits & veggies into your diet???

This is the easiest way I have found!

Have a healthy day...

Debbie Mumm, The Allergy Queen.... www.info4juiceplus.com

If a Hurricane was headed towards your home, what would you do?

Living in the midwest we are used to not always having predictable weather. However, we have never had to face a hurricane here. As Hurricane Ike approaches Texas I can't help but think how it must feel to in the hurricane's path and see this message that the National Weather Service issued yesterday....
"Persons not heeding evacuation orders in single-family one- or two-story homes may face certain death. Many residences of average construction directly on the coast will be destroyed," it said.

That is pretty scary! What would you do? Would you stay in your home and try to ride it out? Or would you take what you could and leave?

I look around my home and know I love the 'stuff' in my home...it is the place our family gathers in. However, I don't think I'd risk my life or my family's lives for 'stuff'. It'd be really hard and I pray I never have to make that choice.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the people effected by Hurricane Ike. I am sure we'll be reading about this for days to come.

I am sure the people there are concerned about their homes surviving the storm, but the rest of us still have to clean, do laundry, etc., in order to keep our homes and family healthy. Have you seen the awesome cleaning products offered by Air Doctors? It is so strong...kills bacteria, viruses, molds and more for up to a week after contact & it is completely non-toxic. They came and cleaned our carpeting...which really needed it. It looks great!

P.S....Until 10/15/08 if you place an order for the cleaning product or the laundry product I will send you a FREE hand sanitizer (valued at 5.95). I love the hand sanitizer since it kills bacteria but does not use alcohol...which can be drying, not to mention, toxic.

Hurry over to Air Doctors to see their great cleaning products.

Let's keep our Texan friends in our thoughts as they handle Hurricane Ike!

Debbie Mumm, The Allergy Queen www.healthy-environments.com/safe-cleaners.asp

Ready for a Healthy School Year?

School has started and the kids have mixed feelings about going back to school. I can tell you honestly that I had no mixed feelings...they were ready to return to a school schedule & I was ready to let them go! Ha!

However, after sleeping late all summer, eating lots of fresh fruits and getting plenty of sunshine, my kids stayed healthy all summer. Now that they are back in school it only took one week for Tania to get a cold. Her middle school is freezing inside...and I truly think it is suffering from 'sick building syndrome' as Tania gets frequent headaches when in that building. Otherwise, she rarely gets them. Especially with middle school kids and older, it seems they still don't get to bed early enough and have to be out at the bus stop by 7 am. Then they don't eat much that is healthy all day...except for maybe at supper, if you are lucky.

I am very glad I found out about Juice Plus. It is a whole food supplement, in capsule or gummy form, that contains 17 fruits and veggies. So, even if my kids are trying to eat healthy....the recommended amounts of fruits & veggies is 7 servings per day. That is a lot of most people to try to eat.

So the Juice Plus is a nice supplement to add to our diet. It helps keep everyone regular also...a definite plus! I sent Kellen (our 18 yr. old) off to college with Juice Plus in the hopes he'll add it to his diet while away from home. It sounds like he remembers it most of the time.

I am preparing for my first Wellness Presentation in my home on Wed., Sept. 10th to show people the importance of adding fruits & veggies to your diet. Should be interesting.

Check it out.... Juice Plus Info

Have a Healthy Day!

Debbie Mumm, The Allergy Queen.... www.info4juiceplus.com

Why Drink a 'Wetter Water'?

A Wetter Water?

What's that?

Kangen Water is a wonderfully healthy water...ionized, microclustered and high in antioxidants!

By drinking 2 quarts a day of this water you will begin to notice terrific health benefits.

Our body is over 80% water and when you replenish your body with Kangen water it super-hydrates the muscles and tissues...unlike any other water can do.

The health benefits are amazing! People are scrambling to try this water...and if you are interested, let me know so I can see if we can get you some water to drink.

Kangen Water

Have a Healthy Day...

Deborah Mumm
The Allergy Queen
http://www.thewetterwater.net/

Why Use an Air Purifier in your home?

Why would anyone want an air purifier in their home?

I don't know about you, but I love having my home smell fresh & clean. We don't have to suffer from pet dander or pollen so our allergies are less. Isn't that a good thing? Try an Air Oasis today....60 day money back guarantee!

Deborah Mumm, The Allergy Queen.... Air Oasis Purifiers

Remembering 'The Last Lecture'

I watched 'The Last Lecture' again by Randy Pausch and found it moving and inspirational. If you haven't seen it, you should. It is in my list of 'favorites' on YouTube and you can get there by clicking on the above title to this post!

He gave another talk several months later on Time Management which was equally as good. And from someone who had very little time left he did somehow master how to manage his time wisely. For someone like me, a mom with 5 kids, husband, several health products in my Healthy Environments business, and trying to help out in the Adoption World...I find it admirable for someone to know how to make the most of his time.

In the Time Management talk, Randy Pausch had a Gatorade he was sipping on. It made my heart fall to see it. Gatorade...one of the world's worst drinks because it is so high in acid. And disease thrives in an acidic body. To see someone who is holding onto life like Randy and is fighting his cancer everyway he can...and then add acid into his body with Gatorade...made me realize how little most of us know about the importance of alkaline water in our diets.

If you watch this movie about PH levels you'll see how bad soda & gatorade are for a healthy body. Testing Gatorade & Soda for PH

I know that once I saw this demonstration I have never again bought a Gatorade or soda for my children (willingly). I hope you will see how those companies are supporting our medical communities!

Until next time...

Deborah Mumm, The Allergy Queen, http://www.thewetterwater.com

The Aftermath of Cedar Rapids Flooding!

We went to a wedding in Cedar Rapids, IA last weekend. It was a wonderful day. However, as we drove down the main streets of Cedar Rapids we were in awe of the destruction that the flooding had on it from last month. There was garbage on every corner. There were buildings and houses that at first glance looked ok. Then as you got closer you saw the broken out windows, and everything that had been in them were now in a horrible pile on the street. There were garbage trucks everywhere. FEMA was present in several locations.
After the wedding, we drove back through the city at night. Now it was extremely eerie to see block after block, mile after mile, of complete darkness. No lights on at the hotels, churches, gas stations and thousands of homes. Complete darkness.... No electricity still ...a month later.

So...if you know of groups working to raise funds for Cedar Rapids, it is still needed! We don't hear about it nearly as much as we did with New Orleans...and these are our midwestern neighbors!

Hang in there, Cedar Rapids! http://www.corridorrecovery.org/CedarRapidsArea.asp
(Check it out...)

Debbie Mumm
The Allergy Queen
http://www.healthy-environments.com/

How can I get my Family to eat Fruits & Veggies every day?

As a mom of 5 kids, I know how difficult it is to always have a good, healthy meal every day. Football practice, school projects, errands to run...all make it hard to plan a meal that everyone can sit down to and enjoy.

Did you know that we are supposed to eat 7 fruits and vegetables each day? That doesn't mean 7 bites either. Even 7 is a low number with pesticides, pollution and early picking of produce affecting the nutritional value of our fruits & veggies.

We recently started using Juice Plus. It is a natural whole-food supplement with 17 fruits & veggies. They are easy to take and my kids don't mind getting some of their nutrition this way. The gummy type chewables are a real hit! They taste so good I have to hide them so Alex won't eat the whole jar. Even my teenagers want to eat them!

Do you want to read a little more about Juice Plus?

If you are a parent like me, you'll be glad to have a supplement like this available for families.

http://www.info4juiceplus.com/

So...go have a nectarine or something and take a look at the studies backing these supplements. It is impressive!

Have a healthy day!

Deborah Mumm

The Allergy Queen

http://www.info4juiceplus.com/

Make Your Own Mosquito Repellent

Ouch! Slap! Ouch!
Is that the sound you'll be hearing this summer as you swat big fat mosquitos that have just been waiting and breeding in all that extra rain water this year? Yes...it looks like we may have a bumper crop of those pesky mosquitos this summer due to all the rainfall we've had.

As a parent, I am not too thrilled about using repellents containing DEET on my kids. This is considered a poison...why do you think mosquitos hate the stuff?

I have found a great little recipe for a natural mosquito repellent that I want to try this summer. Here it is.... Natural Mosquito Repellent

I'd love to hear from you if you try it...let me know if you think it works or not! Thanks.

Have a happy & healthy summer....

Debbie Mumm, The Allergy Queen at http://www.healthy-environments.com/

Rain, Rain, Go Away--A Mold Issue

We used to live in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. My husband & I went to Coe College there just a few years ago! In no way did we ever think that the Cedar River would be a danger to that city. But with all the rain lately things have gotten bad there and the whole downtown is now underwater. Most to the major roads are closed due to flooding. My sister in law claims it is a real mess.
I heard the water is starting to receed there now and people are beginning to go back to their homes (if they are still there) to view the damages. Most people do not have flood insurance because they do not live in a flood plain. It is sad because all these people will have water damage and the beginnings of mold issues in their homes. Mold is tricky to get rid of. You have to do it right or you will make it worse.
Here are the 5 Things to Know About Mold.

Questions about Mold????

Let me know.....

Deborah Mumm
The Allergy Queen
http://www.healthy-environments.com/

Where is the Cheapest Gas in My Area?

I usually am happy to hear when Chicago is #1 at something. Once it was the Bulls...we all wish & hope the Cubs will be #1....however, when Chicago earned the #1 rank for the highest price of gas ini the US I was far from happy.

I did, however, find a site that is updated each day with the gas stations in each zip code that have the lowest prices in the area.

Now...who wouldn't want to see the lowest gas prices in their area???

Pass this onto friends and help them save money on gas!!

Where's Cheap Gas in My Area?

Have a healthy day!

Deborah Mumm, The Allergy Queen at www.healthy-environments.com/cheap-gas.asp

5 Minute Spring Cleaning Tips

Ahhh...Springtime! It makes you think of flowers, birds chirping, picnics and baseball. On the other hand, you can't help thinking of that dreaded term, 'spring cleaning'.



If you think you don't have time to spring clean this year, try to take a few minutes here and there to spruce up your house.



If you have FIVE minutes....

• Clean kitchen countertops.


• Clean the backsplash.


• Wipe out refrigerator crisper drawers. Line drawers with paper towels so next time you can just toss the dirty paper towel with a clean one.


• Clean out one or two shelves in your refrigerator or freezer.


• Disinfect the trash can.


• Clean the microwave. Spritz the inside with water then turn on high for a few seconds. Allow to sit for a minute, then wipe with a clean cloth.


• Wipe woodwork in your kitchen.


• Wipe a few drawer and cabinet handles.


• Sort through a favorite junk drawer.

Happy Spring!

Deborah Mumm, The Allergy Queen, http://www.healthy-environments.com/

Kangen Water

Kangen Water! Alkaline Water! Ionized Water!

What exactly is this NEW water that is so Healthy ? Kangen Water is actually a water system developed and sold in Japan for over 30 years...so it is not new. It is relatively new for the USA though. You can find a Kangen Water system in most hospitals and clinics in Japan as it is labeled as a medical device there.

People drinking this water will notice differences in their health almost immediately. It is a Wetter Water which absorbs into your body more effectively than the water we usually drink. People with diabetes, arthritis, and other ailments will notice dramatic differences as they drink this water.

Shouldn't you learn about Kangen water? There are immitators out there but while they make the water more alkaline...this is not all that a Kangen water system does!

I hope to have more information for you in the near future...along with
testimonials, etc.
Enagic Kangen Water

Have a healthy day!!!
Deborah Mumm
The Allergy Queen

The Wetter Water

Good News about Recycled Bikes --

RAGBRAI is a Iowa Gazette sponsored event where about 10,000 bike riders ride their bikes on a designated route across Iowa the last week in July. My husband has been doing this for 5 years or so, and our oldest son has joined him the last 2. They think this is great fun...actually NOT my idea of a vacation.

Anyway...my husband helped someone who had hundreds of old bikes by giving them them the info of a place in Chicago that sends bikes to Third World countries. Because of this hundreds of poor people will have access to transportation. I thought this was worthy enough for you to see.

The Lizard Kings Help Third World Country with Donation of Bikes

The Lizard Kings (name of a Cedar Rapids, IA bike rider group) have been riding RAGBRAI since the mid-90's. One of their members, Karmin McShane, is the Executive Director of the Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency. Karmin sent an email out to her Lizard King team members stating that they had a surplus of old bikes that the agency had collected and asked if any teammates had any ideas to utilize the bikes since the agency was attempting to divert them from the landfill. Dennis Mumm, a Chicago area Lizard King, knew of an agency that was involved in refurbishing old bikes for third world countries.

The Working Bikes Cooperative of Chicago is the agency that had a use for the bikes. They even sent a truck over to Cedar Rapids to pick up the large collection. A small portion of the bikes collected are refurbished and resold locally to cover the cost to ship the remaining bikes overseas to developing countries. The bikes are often re-tooled into other machines. Instead of piling up in landfills, these bikes are helping those in need.

Thanks Lizard Kings!

Click here to read more on the recycled bikes

Oprah--The Horror of Puppy Mills--Rescue a Dog!

After watching The Oprah Show on 'The Dangers of Puppy Mills', I decided it was worth enough to write to you about.

Almost 16 years ago, after our German Shepherd mix dog died, we weakened and decided to get a new dog. This time we opted for a smaller breed and one that didn't irritate my husband's allergies...a bischon frise. These little white dogs are similar to a poodle although they only come in shades of white, have a longer tail and are less 'yappy' than a poodle. Little did I know that this breed is also high on the allergy lists themselves...but it was a great challenge for this 'Allergy Queen' to help this dog with his allergies!
We did find a place through our vet that had bischon pups. Once we got there it appeared to be a type of Puppy Mill with various ages of bischon pups throughout the kennel. We went with a little older pup...4 mo. old...since they were less expensive and they seemed less adoptable than the younger pups. We were told they were healthy and up to date on shots.
Once home with the spunky little male of the litter, he became strangely listless and wouldn't eat. We had him checked at the vet who announced we had a very sick pup, who might not make it. We had to feed him with an eyedropper the first few days and spent several hundred dollars on medications, etc.
We called the place where we got him and they said they'd take him back...as part of the guarantee. When asked what they would do with him, the response was, "Well, we won't be able to sell him." My kids were crying as they were attached to little Bo by now and knew he would be put down if we took him back.
Now 16 years later, Bo is a healthy old dog who had a lot of fun years with my kids growing up. However, this article about how to rescue a dog and know what to look for in a reputable breeder should be looked at.
If you ever loved a dog, you need to check it out.
Puppy Mill Dangers

Just another thing for us HUMANS to step up and take a stand against...abuse towards innocent dogs and puppies at Puppy Mills.

Until next time....
Deborah Mumm, The Allergy Queen
Healthy Environments -- Quality Pet Food