Coffee makes you a better, healthier person

Caffeine helps break down glucose and keep people moral, research says

Drinking coffee could help people become more ethical at work, and stave off diabetes, according to two new studies.

Tired workers are less likely to resist unethical influence from senior colleagues, and the equivalent of a large cup of coffee could help stave off tiredness that can lead to immoral behaviour, claims a new study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology.

Sleepy workers are more likely to give into unethical or deceptive requests from their bosses, the study claims. Providing caffeine in the workplace and reducing long hours could help workers avoid ethical lapses, the authors of the study said.

“When you’re sleep deprived at work, it’s much easier to simply go along with unethical suggestions from your boss because resistance takes effort and you’re already worn down,” said David Welsh, one of the authors of the study. “However, we found that caffeine can give sleep-deprived individuals the extra energy needed to resist unethical behavior.”

Measures such as ethical codes of conduct might not be enough to encourage good behaviour if workers are too tired to carry them out, the researchers note.

Another study has found that upping coffee consumption by about 1.5 cups can lower the risk of developing type two diabetes. The ideal amount to stave off the disease is around 3 to 5 cups, researchers said.

The drink contains a number of compounds that improve the body’s ability to break down glucose, which contributes towards diabetes, the study’s authors said.

Scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health examined 20 years of data from more than 100,000 people, and found that those that reduced their coffee habit by 8 or more ounces a day — around a cup — saw a 17% hike in their risk of type two diabetes.

Drinking an extra cup or more decreased the risk by 11%. Those that already drank more 24 ounces or more a day and didn’t reduce their consumption for the study were around 37% less likely to be diagnosed with diabetes. 

by Andrew Griffin 2 May 2014

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/coffee-makes-you-a-better-healthier-person-9317190.html

Make Your Own All Natural Cleaning Products

Homemade and Natural Cleaning Products

One of my earliest memories is of my mother cleaning with what looked to me like cooking ingredients. She would be listening to the radio as she poured baking soda, lemon, and vinegar combinations on the surfaces of our home. Here are a few basic household ingredients and items you can use to clean your home.

Vinegar Uses:

Vinegar actually cleans much like an all-purpose cleaner. All you need is to mix a solution of equal parts of water and vinegar in a spray bottle and you have a solution that will clean most areas of your home. Vinegar is a great natural cleaning product as well as a disinfectant and deodorizer. It's always best to test any cleaner on a hidden area first to make sure no color change or damage occurs. Be aware that improperly diluted vinegar is acidic and can eat away at tile grout. Vinegar isn't a good idea to use on marble surfaces, either. And, don't worry about your home smelling like vinegar. The smell disappears when it dries. Some common uses for vinegar in the rooms of your house are...

Bathroom: Clean the bathtub, toilet, sink, and counter-tops. Use pure vinegar in the toilet bowl to get rid of unsightly rings. Flush the toilet to allow the water level to go down before pouring the undiluted vinegar around the inside of the rim. Scrub down the bowl. You can also mop the floor in the bathroom with a vinegar/water solution. Vinegar will also eat away the soap scum and hard water stains on your fixtures and tile leaving them shiny and beautiful.

Kitchen: Clean the top of the stove with equal parts vinegar and water. Most appliances can be cleaned with this same all purpose mix of vinegar and water. Counter-top surfaces can be cleaned and disinfected with the same spray. Use vinegar to clean floors and be amazed at the fresh shiny results.

 Laundry Room: You can use vinegar as a natural fabric softener. This can be especially helpful for families with sensitive skin issues. Add ½ cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle in place of store bought fabric softener. Vinegar has the added benefit of breaking down laundry detergent more effectively. I like to use vinegar to clean my washing machine as well.

Lemon Juice Uses

Lemon juice is another natural substance that can be used to clean your home. Lemon juice can be used to dissolve soap scum and hard water deposits. Lemon is a great substance to clean and shine brass and copper. Try mixing lemon juice with vinegar or baking soda to make cleaning pastes. Cut a lemon in half and sprinkle baking soda on the cut section of the lemon. Use the lemon to scrub dishes, surfaces, and stains. Be aware that lemon juice can act as a natural bleach. It's a good idea to test it out on a hidden area first. Mix 1 cup olive oil with ½ cup lemon juice and you have a furniture polish for hardwood furniture. One of my favorite uses for the fruit is to put a whole lemon peel through the garbage disposal. It freshens the drain and the kitchen. Orange peels can be used with the same results. Lemon juice can also be used to treat stains because of its natural bleaching qualities.

Baking Soda Uses

Baking soda can be used to scrub surfaces in much the same way as commercial non-abrasive cleansers. Baking soda is great as a deodorizer. Place a box in the refrigerator and freezer to absorb odors. Put it anywhere you need deodorizing action. I've used it in trash cans, laundry, and even my sons super smelly sneakers. Baking soda makes a great addition in the laundry room as well. Baking soda is actually one of the most versatile cleaners on the planet.

Other Natural Cleaners

There are quite a few other options for natural cleaners. You might be surprised to learn that things like ketchup, rice, coffee grounds, and other kitchen ingredients can actually do a fantastic job at cleaning house.

You can also always buy commercially available natural cleaners, but be aware of what you need to look for in a green cleaning product before you buy. Be sure to learn about how to read labels on the products you are shopping for. Many of these commercial products use natural ingredients that you may have in your home, but not all green cleaners are created equal.

By Sarah Aguirre

Housekeeping Expert

http://housekeeping.about.com/

No Such Thing As Chemical Free In Cleaning & Beauty Products. Really. Really really.

Cross my heart – there is no such thing as “chemical free” when it comes to cleaning and beauty products. Unless you bought a product that just contains a vacuum – nothingness. Because if it was just air, it would still have chemicals.

Really.

Really really.

A “chemical” is a material with a specific chemical composition. Like water, whether it is found in nature or manufactured in a laboratory, is always 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom, or H20. Now, there are some refinements to that. For example, in organic chemistry, there can be more than one chemical compound with the same composition and molecular weight. These chemicals are known as isomers. You actually know this. Really. Glucose and fructose are isomers. Both have the same molecular formula but differ structurally.

Okay, enough chemistry. Basically, all you need to know is that a chemical is a material with a specific chemical composition.

So, if a product contains water, it contains a chemical. If it contains propylene glycol, it contains a chemical.

But, lately, I have seen a TON of products claiming to be chemical free. Take Blue Lizard’s Baby Sunscreen. It claims it is chemical free and fragrance free. Yet, here are the ingredients:

Active Ingredients: Zinc Oxide (10%), Titanium Dioxide (5%)

Inactive Ingredients: Water Purified, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, C12 15 Alkyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Polyglyceryl 4 Isostearate, Cetyl PEG/PPG 10/1 Dimethicone, Hexyl Laurate, Propylene Glycol, Cetyl Dimethicone, Trimethylated Silica/Dimethicone, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, VP/Hexadecene Copolymer, Methyl Glucose Dioleate, PEG 7 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sorbitol Oleate, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Beeswax (Apis Mellifera), Stearic Acid, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Ethylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Diazolidinyl Urea, Tocopheryl Acetate

Take a close look at the ingredients. Does that really seem chemical free to you? So the two active ingredients – although naturally occurring minerals – they are chemicals. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are both chemicals. (Although in sunscreens, they work by providing a barrier, as opposed to chemical sunscreens.)

The first inactive ingredient – water – is a chemical. Water is H20. Always. So it is a chemical.

Then we can pick on all the other synthetic ingredients too.

It has skin penetrants – the PEG/PPG ingredients. It has lots and lots of petroleum based ingredients, such as propylene glycol. And it has 2 parabens, something many individuals are avoiding.

So if you see a beauty or household cleaning product claiming to be chemical free, be wary. If the company is going to make that blatantly false a claim, then what else is it doing?

If the company is claiming all natural ingredients, or no harsh chemicals or something similar, that is a different issue. It may well be true – it all depends on your definition since “all natural” and “no harsh chemicals” are not legal or regulated terms.

But chemical free? That is just a lie. Unless the company is selling you absolutely nothing. Because even water is a chemical.

Don’t be fooled. Even natural products must contain chemicals.

And, by the way, natural doesn’t mean safer by any stretch of the imagination. Arsenic and lead both are natural.

http://www.thesmartmama.com/

Toxic Top 10 - Top Ten Toxins to Avoid and Replace at Home, Food, Coesme...

Creating a Fruit and Veggie Culture in the Home

What we surround ourselves with makes a huge difference in the habits that we fall into.  If you want your kids to eat fruits and vegetables one important thing to do is to create an environment that encourages this goal. How do you go about doing this? Stock your kitchen full of colourful fruits and vegetables, be sure to have some washed and ready to eat! Set a habit of making produce a part of every meal and every snack.  The earlier you set this habit with your children the better! The goal is to make eating fruits and vegetables a normal and expected part of their meals and snacks. This will help avoid some of the typical struggles with picky eating! This isn’t to say that the cause of all picky eating is habits! I know firsthand that there are multiple reasons for picky eating.  However I do believe that the eating habits that are established at a young age play a big part!

I was curious about the eating habits of children that are raised Vegan and Vegetarian…where eating fruits and vegetables is a big part of every meal not a side dish…are there less issues with picky eating?  I asked Ruby Roth, a Vegan Mom, teacher and children’s book author what her thoughts were on this subject.  She said “As far as picky eaters go,  it seems like parents who raise their  children vegetarian or vegan from birth actually have an easier time than omnivorous families do incorporating greens and vegetables into their family’s  daily diet. Our little one, born and raised vegan and mostly raw, was sucking  on sprigs of chives when she was two! Chives are the kind of thing that most  parents think a kid would pick off their food, but my experience is that what a kid likes to eat depends on what has been normalized in the household.”(...) Author: Kia Robertson

http://healthyhomemagazine.com/

A healthy lifestyle - more than just dieting

Reasons for wanting to lead a healthy lifestyle may include:

• feeling stressed, anxious or depressed
• feeling overweight and sluggish
• lacking energy and motivation
• lacking confidence and self-esteem
• feeling tired and bored
• wanting to get active and improve your fitness
• wanting a more positive outlook and to feel more ‘alive’
• feeling unable to concentrate or focus.

The most common tips for improving your health include:

• drink more water
• more fruit and vegetables
• reduce sugar and salt intake
• more fish
• reduce convenience foods
• reduce alcohol intake
• eight hours of sleep a night
• wholemeal instead of white bread
• more seeds and nuts
• more fibre
• quit smoking
• get fit and use your body to the best of your ability.

Your emotional and mental health needs taking care of too:

• quit faddy dieting regimes and adopt a balanced diet
• get outside and do something you enjoy
• take up a hobby or sport you like
• focus your energy on achieving a healthy lifestyle
• take care of your spiritual wellbeing
• recognise and accept your emotional needs
• help others and give freely to them.                                                                                  

http://www.lifecoach-directory.org.uk/articles/health.html