Detox Your Home Air on a Dime

How many hours a day do you spend at home? If you’re a stay-at-home mom like myself, you probably spend more time at home than anywhere else. Even if you’re not a stay-at-home mom, there’s a good chance you spend the majority of your day indoors. In fact, studies show that on average Americans spend about 90% of their time indoors. However, many of us have thought very little about the quality of the air we are breathing in during these hours spent indoors. After all, it’s the outdoor air we need to be worried about with all the pollutants from factories, cars, smoke, etc., RIGHT? This may be far from the truth.

Studies conducted on in home air quality show harmful pollutants coming from just about everything found in the average home. This includes formaldehyde and other VOC’s, radon, lead, carbon monoxide, solvents, disinfectants, and pesticides. These pollutants are found in everything from building materials, to carpets, to cabinets, and cleaning products. Even your couches and other furniture are likely to be emitting toxins. It seems as though just having a good filter on your air conditioning unit is far from enough.

So if you’re a health enthusiast like myself, your first reaction is going to be to Google search air filters that remove toxins. That was my first reaction, as we just remodeled and moved into a new house and had noticed some mild sinus issues since we moved in. I had heard about some really powerful air filters, but I quickly became overwhelmed with the choices as well as the prices! Then it occurred to me that maybe all I needed to clean my air was something natural. Maybe something God created as a natural air filter? You guessed it; plants.

NASA conducted a study on the most effective plants in detoxifying the air, and released a list of the best plants for indoor air quality. Here is the list:

1. Aloe Vera– Removes formaldehyde and benzene
2. Spider Plant– Removes formaldehyde, benzene, carbon monoxide, and xylene
3. Gerber Daisy– Removes trichloroethylene and benzene
4. Snake Plant– Removes formaldehyde, benzene, and toluene
5. English Ivy– Removes benzene, xylene, and toulene
6. Devil’s Ivy– Removes benzene, formaldehyde, xylene, and toulene
7. Peace Lily– Removes benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, ammonia, and toulene
8. Heartleaf Philodendron– Removes formaldehyde
9. Selloum Philodendron– Removes formaldehyde
10. Elephant Ear Philodendron– Removes formaldehyde
11. Weeping Fig– Removes xylene and toulene
12. Cornstalk Dracaena– Removes benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene
13. Red-edged Dracaena– Removes benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, and toulene
14. Janet Craig Dracaena– Removes formaldehyde and trichloroethylene
15. Warneck Dracaena– Removes formaldehyde and trichloroethylene

There are few things you’ll definitely want to take into consideration when choosing which plants to purchase for your home.

First, if you have small children or pets, check here to make sure the plant you choose is not toxic for consumption. That was a big one for me! I needed to find a plant that was non-toxic for both children and cats. You just never know what those little guys are going to put in their mouths! This will probably cross a lot of the potential new house plants off your list, but it’s definitely not a risk worth taking. 

Second, check to see what air pollutants each plant filters out. You may need to choose a variety of plants to achieve the maximum result. But don’t stress and try and buy everything at once, especially if you are new to caring for plants. Just buy one at a time, and see what suits you best. Which brings me to my last suggestion. 

Lastly, make sure the maintenance level of the plant you choose fits your experience level, lifestyle, and time schedule. For me, I knew I needed something that was low-maintenance and that could handle being accidentally forgotten about for a couple of days! In this stage of life, any other non-human additions to the household need to be 99% self-sufficient! Do you moms feel me on that?!

After searching through my options, I went with the Spider Plants. They are excellent air purifiers, removing benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and xylene, require little attention, and can handle not being watered for a few days. Perfect!

So far I just have a few baby plants getting started in my kitchen, but I plan on putting a couple in each room of the house. I have to say I am very pleased at not only the cost difference, but also the aesthetic quality they bring. Having a little nature indoors brightens up the room and makes it feel more rounded. Don’t you agree?

Have you given any thought to the Air Quality in your home? Are plants something you’d considering adding? Let me hear your thoughts!

Also, remember to “LIKE” The Well Nourished Nest on facebook!

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_air-filtering_plants

http://www.mnn.com/health/healthy-spaces/photos/15-houseplants-for-improving-indoor-air-quality/a-breath-of-fresh-air

Blueberries: Why you can’t afford not to eat them!

Blueberries have gotten a lot of positive publicity lately in the health world, and for good reason! Not only are they delicious, convenient, and a delightfully, sweet treat, but their health benefits make them a true “super food”. With all of their significant health benefits, you really can’t afford to skip them! Here’s your quick guide to these powerhouse berries!

Blueberries

Health Benefits-

1. Antioxidant power! You’ve probably heard antioxidants mentioned a lot, as it tends to be a buzzword in the health community and is often used when marketing foods containing them. But what are they, and what does that mean for you? Think of antioxidants as little ninjas in your system. They help fight off free radicals which are naturally occurring in your body, but will cause damage to your tissues and cell DNA overtime, which will then lead to disease. Smoking, drinking, exposure to toxins, and sunbathing all increase these free radicals in your body. Because of their ability to fight these free radicals, the antioxidants in blueberries help prevent diseases, including certain cancers, strengthen your immune system, and help delay signs of aging. Blueberries are especially high in antioxidants. In fact, they are ranked among the highest in fruits and vegetables.
2. Brain Power!  With Alzheimer’s and dementia on the rise, when it comes to your mental health, there’s no time to play around. Blueberries just may be the most effective weapon against cognitive decline. A recent study showed that by consuming 2 1/2 cups of fresh blueberry juice a day, individuals over 76 years of age, showed memory improvement on two different memory tests. Researchers are suggesting that blueberries can be used to slow down the onset of memory loss and cognitive decline.
3. Blood Sugar Regulation! Blueberries, which are low on the glycemic index, have been found to positively impact the blood sugar levels of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. A recent study showed that individuals who daily consumed 3 or more servings of berries low on the glycemic index for 3 months, showed major improvement in their blood sugar regulation.
4. Helps Lower Cholesterol and Blood Pressure! In a study, individuals who consumed 1-2 cups of blueberries daily for a 1-3 month period, showed reduced overall cholesterol, an increase in HDL cholesterol (the healthy cholesterol), and also a reduction in triglycerides. In similar research, consistent blueberry intake has been linked to lowering blood pressure.
5. Protects Your Eyesight! The antioxidants in blueberries have been shown to protect the retina from oxidative stress. In fact, a study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology, linked eating 3 or more servings of fruit a day to a 36% lower chance of developing age related macular degeneration.
6. Vitamin Content– Blueberries are high in vitamin K, manganese, vitamin c, and fiber.

How to Eat Them-

The antioxidants in blueberries are quickly destroyed when they are heated, so don’t waste them by throwing them into baked goods. Instead, try them in your smoothies, whip them up with some easy and healthy coconut milk whipped cream, or eat them plain as a quick, delicious snack.

What kind to buy-

Blueberries can be expensive to buy fresh, especially out of season. The good news is that studies show that freezing blueberries does not compromise the nutritional value or destroy the antioxidants! So feel free to buy them frozen! Be sure to choose organic though, as the antioxidant levels had been proven to be higher in organic than non-organic. (We find ours at Costco. They have bulk bags of frozen, organic blueberries for a great price!)

Sources:

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=8 (This is an excellent source for even more information on the benefits of blueberries!)

http://www.womenfitness.net/blueberries.htm

Photo Credit: rsseattle; license (The photo has been modified.)

Do you eat blueberries daily? What are your favorite ways to eat them?

Remember to “Like” The Well Nourished Nest on Facebook to stay up to date on posts for your health!

The Busy Mom’s Guide to Healthy Sweeteners

With the smell of freshly baked pumpkin pies, sugar cookies, and fruitcake just around the corner, I thought it was only fitting to write about sweeteners. These days, the choices are more complex than brown sugar or white. The grocery aisle for sweeteners can be overwhelming if you’re not prepared. Here is your holiday decoder for sweeteners that will help you make an informed decision when choosing what sweeteners are healthiest and best suited for your family.

Sugar

• What’s it made of? Sugar, be it brown, white, or powdered, comes from sugar beets or sugar cane.
• What are the benefits? Sugar cane doesn’t have many nutrients to begin with, so unfortunately you can’t count on sugar having any nutritional value. Darn!
• What are the health Risks? Processed sugar in the form of white, brown, or powdered, has been processed multiple times with chemicals to get it to a more “pure” form. You can see this difference when you compare the color of refined white sugar with organic raw sugar.  As seen in a recent study published in the Journal of Natural Medicine, this chemical laden sugar has been linked to the growth of cancer. Also, sugar in any form when used excessively, can put you at a higher risk for obesity.
• How do I choose the best form? With any food item, always go for the purest form. Choose raw, organic cane sugar to avoid sugar heavily processed with chemicals.

Honey

• What’s it made of? Bees draw out the nectar from flowers and break it down into a simple sugar. The nectar is spread in the honeycomb where the water evaporates and it becomes thick and turns into honey.
• What are the benefits? Raw honey, which has not been processed, has shown to have anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral properties. It can be used to treat respiratory infections, seasonal allergies, minor skin burns, and it can also strengthen your immune system. Raw honey is also an antioxidant.
• What are the health risks? Honey should NEVER be given to babies under 1 year, as it may contain a bacteria harmful to their delicate systems.
• How do I choose the best form? Processed honey has been stripped of all vitamins and is usually so heavily filtered that it no longer contains pollen, meaning it’s no longer considered honey. Processed honey may still help to suppress coughs, but lacks the other health benefits raw honey provides. Choose raw, organic honey if you can. If not raw, choose organic over regular as it contains a higher pollen content.

Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet)

• What’s it made of? Aspartame is made of aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. All three of these are dangerous chemicals.
• What are the benefits? There are no nutritional benefits of aspartame.
• What are the health risks? The list of health risks associated with aspartame is long. This list includes headaches, dizziness, nausea, seizures, depression, fatigue, vision problems, hearing loss, memory loss, and vertigo just to name a few. It has also been linked to Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis. It’s scary stuff, and with other healthy sugar alternatives, it’s best to avoid this one like the plague!
• What products contain aspartame? Low-fat yogurts, puddings, fruit cups, gelatin, candies, popsicles, ice cream, syrups, jellies, diet sodas, and chewing gum are all common products where aspartame is used as the sweetener. Anything that says “sugar free” or “low-fat” probably contains this or another artificial sweetener.

Sucralose (Splenda)

• What’s it made of? Splenda is made from sugar, however it is chemically altered so that your body doesn’t recognize it as sugar.
• What are the benefits? Splenda is marketed as having zero-calories. This is true because your body isn’t able to metabolize it.
• What are the health risks? There have been very few studies done on the safety of Splenda, so little is known about the safety of long-term use. However, some have reported gastrointestinal problems, blurred vision, seizures, dizziness, migraines, and blood sugar increases. In my personal opinion, something that had little research done before it was approved by the FDA makes me leery. I have concerns as to what long-term side effects we may see down the road being linked to Splenda. Remember that it’s a chemical, not sugar, and anytime you’re putting foreign substances into your body, there are bound to be side effects.
• What products contain Splenda? Similar to aspartame, this sweetener is often found in diet drinks, low-fat snacks, and candies. You will also want to check baked goods for this as well. Remember to check anything that says “sugar free” or “low-fat”.

Agave Nectar

• What’s it made of? Agave comes from the agave plant.
• What are the benefits? There are no health benefits to agave nectar.
• What are the health risks? Agave is one of the latest “it” sweeteners in the health world, but it seems that the claims of agave being a healthy sweetener alternative have little to back them up. In fact, agave contains more fructose than highly controversial high-fructose corn syrup, making it unsafe for diabetics, those with kidney or heart disease, or for those struggling with obesity. Fructose can be very detrimental to your health, and should only be used in moderation. It has been linked to high-blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and kidney disease.
• How do I choose the best form? Don’t stress about buying the most expensive brand of agave, as it makes little difference in the health content. More importantly, use it in moderation.

Stevia

• What’s it made of? Stevia is derived from the stevia leaf.
• What are the benefits? Pure stevia is 200 times sweeter than sugar, but it doesn’t raise your blood insulin levels.
• What are the health risks? Brands such as Truvia and PureVia are made of more ingredients than whole leaf stevia. They are altered chemically and sugar from GMO corn is added into the mix, making it something completely unnatural and foreign to your body. Once again, your body isn’t made for chemicals and putting foreign substances into it is going to cause problems.
• How do I choose the best form? Choose a brand with whole leaf stevia and only whole leaf stevia in the list of ingredients. The more ingredients on the list, the farther it is from it’s natural form.

Hopefully this helped give some insight and direction into the healthiest sweeteners. In order to keep this post brief, I refrained from reviewing every type available. If you have a question about a specific sweetener not listed, I’d love to help! Just ask!

You might also enjoy The Busy Mom’s Guide to Choosing the Right Milk.

Also, remember to follow me for more helpful posts on nutrition!

Photo Credit: Henry Tseng

Sources:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/12/03/sucralose-dangers.aspx

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/07/03/can-this-popular-alternative-sweetener-spike-uric-acid-into-the-danger-zone.aspx

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/04/25/stevia-food-babe-investigates/

Raising Healthy Eaters

“No me like peas!” says the tenacious two-year-old. The exhausted mother replies, “But peas are soo yummy! They’ll make you big and strong! And, did you know that mommy eats peas, daddy eats peas, brother eats peas….” While the mother is completing the list of all humans and animals who eat peas, plus throwing in a threat from Santa Clause, who clearly doesn’t bring non-pea eaters presents, the two-year-old then surmounts the mother’s plea with folded arms, a “this is war” stare, and a firm “No.” Knowing the strength and determination of her pint-sized opponent, the mother sighs, retreats, and goes for the reliable pea substitute, Goldfish. Another battle lost, and another strike against poor old Santa Clause.

Can you relate? If you’re a mother of any age child, chances are good that you’ve fought a few food battles. And because we have a primal instinct to nourish our children, we will go to any length to get them to eat. So how do we encouraged healthy eating but avoid the battles? Here are a few strategies to help cultivate good eating habits in your children.

1) Let Them Grocery Shop

Just like us adults, kids like being a part of decision making. As children, so much is already decided for them like what they wear, where they go, or who they see. So when you give the opportunity to decide something for themselves, they’ll rarely turn you down! Use this to your advantage when picking out produce! Instead of choosing that week’s vegetable for them, ask them what they’d like to have! Try taking them to the frozen vegetables and allowing them to pick two bags they’d like to try. That way when peas show up on their dinner plate that week, it’s no longer a battle between what mom wants me to eat and what I want to eat.

2) Let Them Help Cook

When you allow your children to cook with you, not only are you passing on recipes, techniques, or your joy for cooking, but you’re also introducing them to new flavors and making them feel more involved in their dinner menu. When Paislee and I cook together, it always amazes me how adventurous she is in trying new things. She’ll often ask for a taste of raw garlic, a lick of the lemon slice, or even a sprinkle of cinnamon. If I were to give her a plate of these items on her table, she’d probably turn up her nose and try and feed it to the cat. However, since these items are not being forced on her, but instead just left out on the counter for her to choose to taste, she goes for it! Now she’s inheriting my love for cooking and expanding her palate all at the same time!

3) Play with Their Food

Whoever said that we shouldn’t play with our food, obviously never sat through dinner with a toddler. Some of my favorite memories from mealtimes growing up include Bugs Bunny shaped waffles, sandwiches cut into pinwheel shapes, and ants on a log. It was my mother’s creativity with these foods that made them magical! Simply changing the appearance of dinner also changes the mood of dinner. It becomes fun and inviting! When food at a restaurant comes out perfectly plated and garnished, it entices us and makes our dinner more enjoyable. So think of this as garnishing your child’s plate! Make Mickey Mouse heads out of rice balls, bunny faces with carrots, or whatever your inner-child can think of! Maybe even make a game out of it. We like to pretend broccoli gives us turbo-speed at our house, and will run around the kitchen after eating! Have fun with it!

4) Try, Try Again

I have a rule we use in my house, you must try something 3 times before you can dismiss it. This means that for any food item, you have to allow me to make 3 separate dishes that include that ingredient, before you can say, “No thank you” to that food. This rule started with my husband when we first got married, as he was not fond of my “rabbit food” cooking! However, now I’m using the same rule for myself as I prepare food for Paislee. There are plenty of foods that were a complete bust the first time I tried them with Paislee. You would have thought I gave her gasoline if you saw her face after tasting avocado. I didn’t give up though! I kept trying, and now she LOVES avocado! Make a decision to serve food items AT LEAST 3 different times to your child before giving up! Sometimes they just need to acquire a taste for it.

What about you?! I want to hear your tips for raising great eaters! What crazy things do you do at dinner time that your kids love?

Also, make sure that you click on the follow me button on the top right of this page for more helpful articles regarding the home, children, and motherhood!

5 Ways to Become a Happier Mom

Do you ever have those days where you feel like you’ve been drained of every last ounce of happiness, pep, and caffeine from this morning’s cup of coffee? You know, the day where you find yourself sending text messages to your husband about what HIS children are doing; the day where time-out begins to feel like 2 minutes of pure relief and sanity time for you; and the day where you can’t remember if you brushed your teeth this morning?

Yes you can relax now, you’re normal. We all experience those days and moments.

There will always be points of stress in our day, the key is not allowing them to steal our joy!

Here are a few ideas to help you get your happiness back!

1. Keep a Journal-

Start a two sentence journal. Write down anything that made you happy that day: something that your five-year-old said that made you roll on the floor laughing, an unexpected hug and “I love you mommy”, or maybe something special you did with your kids that day. When you’re having a hard day, being able to look back at those moments of joy will help to refocus your attention. You’ll realize that you’re doing way more right than you are wrong, and you’ll be able to find the beauty in even the most trying day.

2. Dance it off-

Next time your kids want to blare the music in the living room and have a dance party, you may want to join in! According to Psychology Today‘s study on dance as therapy, there are plenty of reasons why we should choose dance as a way to boost our spirits. For starters. the movement in dance actually releases happy endorphins in our brain, promoting a sense of euphoria . Also, when dancing with others, you create a special bond with those people through movement. Natural happy endorphins while bonding with your kids? Sign me up! You can read the full article from Psychology Today here.

3. Walk it off-

There is nothing that will send my mood spiraling downward more than being stuck indoors all day. We aren’t created to live indoors all the time, and this is evident in our makeup. Being outdoors in the sunlight raises our vitamin D levels, and some studies suggest that vitamin D is a mood boosting vitamin. In fact, researches have shown a connection to depression and vitamin D deficiency. Also, there is something magical that happens when you go outside: the dishes disappear! When you take your kids outside to play or walk, you are able to focus on them and only them. You don’t have the laundry, dishes, and to-do list staring at you, and you’re able to just relax. Make an effort to spend time outdoors everyday! Even just 30 minutes will do wonders!

4. Surround yourself with positive people

We’ve all heard the saying, “You are who you hang out with.” It turns out that there is a lot of research to back up this truth. The 2008 Framingham Heart Study shows that happiness is actually contagious, and they’re not just talking about a laugh you share with a friend. Their study found that happiness can spread up to three degrees of separation from the source of happiness, and that this contagiousness resulted in clusters of happy people. There is also an abundance of other research showing a strong correlation between who our close friends are and who we become. We all know that as you spend more time with someone, you become more and more similar, so it only makes sense that if we choose to surround ourselves with optimistic, cheerful friends, we in turn will become optimistic, cheerful people! So the next time you’re having a hard day, remember that we aren’t wired to do this alone! Call up that friend who you know will be a source of encouragement!

5. Pray

According to the Pew Research Center, 58% of Americans report praying at least once daily, and 75% report praying at least once a week. It may come as no surprise when you learn that having a daily prayer routine is also shown to increase “happy” chemicals in your brain, lower your blood pressure, and boost your immune system. When we pray to God, we are looking beyond ourselves and our situation, and are focusing on something greater. Prayer allows us to refocus our attention on the splendor and greatness of God, while releasing our worries and becoming at peace with our faults, knowing we aren’t created to be perfect.

What do you do to get your happiness back? I would love to hear from you! Also, click on the “Follow” button on the top right of this page to receive more helpful posts by email!

Photo Credit: Yiva