8 reasons parents should play with their kids

1. Sometimes, no one else will

Quite simply, you might be living somewhere where your child has no one close in age to play with. What do you expect them to do? Play Frisbee by themselves? Chase the neighbour’s dog down the street? You’re not mollycoddling your child if you decide to get a ball and a couple of gloves to play catch. You’re not inhibiting their ability to make friends by playing a bit of one-on-one soccer or basketball or badminton. You’re making sure they get an active start in life despite awkward circumstances. And it’s very unlikely that you will have to be their sole playmate forever.

2. You provide an important active role model

When you play with your child, you demonstrate that play never goes out of style, and you show them that you value physical activity. You also get to model soft-skills such as sportsmanship and effort. You can be sure of one thing: your kids are watching you. And they will imitate you. Would you rather that they imitate Miley Cyrus? The Wolf of Wall Street? The Kardashians? Bart Simpson? (Actually, given those options, Bart Simpson might not be a bad choice.)

3. You develop their movement skills

For regular readers visiting Active for Life, you know what I’m talking about. For anyone arriving here for the first time, I’m talking about the fundamental movement skills that kids need to start developing from an early age so they can become physically literate. Again, it’s not necessarily about becoming a superstar athlete. These are basic life skills that are every bit as important as learning to read and write.

4. You set them up for lifelong health

As you start your kids on the path to physical literacy and a love of physical activity, you set them up to become active for life. Consequently, they are more likely to enjoy greater lifelong physical, mental, and emotional health. As countless generations of grandparents have advised their offspring, you ain’t got nothing if you don’t got your health.

5. You nudge them in the direction of scholastic success

New research is constantly emerging about the positive correlation between physical activity and good school grades. What would you rather do? Spend 30 minutes laughing and playing with your child 4 days a week? Or battle through 30 minutes helping them with their homework every night because they are having attention issues at school due to being chronically inactive?

6. You bond with them

If you make it fun, you will forge deep bonds with your kids by playing with them. I played with all three of my kids as they were growing up — soccer, basketball, badminton, baseball, Frisbee, tennis, cycling and more — and I am grateful that I did. We’re like “this” now. [Crosses forearms and makes gangsta signs — to the mortification of his 16-year-old daughter, who winces, shields her eyes, and groans.] Each of them went on to form other friendships, each of them went on to do lots of different sports and physical activities, each of them became good students, and each of them has inherited happy memories of playing with dad. Which is good because my RRSPs don’t amount to much.

7. You discover the joy of play again

There can be much laughter and pleasure in movement and play. When was the last time you experienced it? You’re never too old to play, and there’s no shame in hanging out with children and acting like a kid yourself. As professor Peter Gray explains, you get to enjoy one of the greatest gifts of being alive. You also reduce your blood cortisol and increase your serotonin — without prescription drugs!  What a concept. [As I write these words, share prices for prescription antidepressants have taken a 5-point tumble.]

8. You follow in the footsteps of John Nash

John Nash, dad of two-time NBA most valuable player Steve Nash and talented siblings Martin and Joann, played with all three kids when they were small. In our 2012 interview, he tells the whole story and shares his views on being an active role model and a positive sport parent. Great story. If you have kids in sports, be sure to read it.

There are lots of great reasons to play with your kids. You can probably think of others as well. Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments section below, or visit us on Facebook and Twitter to share your ideas.

Note:Shared from activeforlife.com

The Importance of Saving Water

The Importance of Saving Water

Water is more than just water; the existence of whole universe is dependent on water. That’s why we called water is life. The primary reason is that every living element on Earth is consisting of approximately 65% to 70% of water in their body. Anyone can’t think of life without water whether it is Plants, Animals, Humans, and other living things. Water is the most important resource. We require water for drinking, making foods, for cleaning our body & other household items, for constructions, paints etc.

In spite of having 70% of water on earth but only 1% of water is fresh & useable and other 97% of water is salty, 2% of water is in form of ice in the glaciers & icebergs.

Nowadays, human beings are destroying the environment by wasting this 1% of clean water by various ways i.e.

• excessive use of required water,
• throwing garbage into water bodies,
• careless use of water in their various household works etc.

The more waste of water is the more we are consuming our natural resources like fossil fuels for generating electricity which requires for making clean water.

Following are the main benefits of saving water:

1. Less use of natural resources like Fossil fuels for making of fresh water.
2. The more water we save, it will be use by the plants & animals. This helps to maintain balance the ecology.
3. We should save water to avoid drought in the coming future.
4. We should save water for its use in agriculture.
5. We should save water for our future generations as one day it will be unavailable due to it is limited.

Last but not the least, we all should pledge that we must save water to save our earth.

Note:Shared from importantindia.com

Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity

No. 1: Exercise controls weight

Exercise can help prevent excess weight gain or help maintain weight loss. When you engage in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn. You don't need to set aside large chunks of time for exercise to reap weight-loss benefits. If you can't do an actual workout, get more active throughout the day in simple ways — by taking the stairs instead of the elevator or revving up your household chores.

No. 2: Exercise combats health conditions and diseases

Worried about heart disease? Hoping to prevent high blood pressure? No matter what your current weight, being active boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good," cholesterol and decreases unhealthy triglycerides. This one-two punch keeps your blood flowing smoothly, which decreases your risk of cardiovascular diseases. In fact, regular physical activity can help you prevent or manage a wide range of health problems and concerns, including stroke, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, depression, certain types of cancer, arthritis and falls.

No. 3: Exercise improves mood

Need an emotional lift? Or need to blow off some steam after a stressful day? A workout at the gym or a brisk 30-minute walk can help. Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. You may also feel better about your appearance and yourself when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem.

No. 4: Exercise boosts energy

Winded by grocery shopping or household chores? Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance. Exercise and physical activity deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and help your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you have more energy to go about your daily chores.

No. 5: Exercise promotes better sleep

Struggling to fall asleep? Or to stay asleep? Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep. Just don't exercise too close to bedtime, or you may be too energized to fall asleep.

No. 6: Exercise puts the spark back into your sex life

Do you feel too tired or too out of shape to enjoy physical intimacy? Regular physical activity can leave you feeling energized and looking better, which may have a positive effect on your sex life. But there's more to it than that. Regular physical activity can lead to enhanced arousal for women. And men who exercise regularly are less likely to have problems with erectile dysfunction than are men who don't exercise.

No. 7: Exercise can be fun

Exercise and physical activity can be a fun way to spend some time. It gives you a chance to unwind, enjoy the outdoors or simply engage in activities that make you happy. Physical activity can also help you connect with family or friends in a fun social setting. So, take a dance class, hit the hiking trails or join a soccer team. Find a physical activity you enjoy, and just do it. If you get bored, try something new.

The bottom line on exercise

Exercise and physical activity are a great way to feel better, gain health benefits and have fun. As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. If you want to lose weight or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more. Remember to check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program, especially if you haven't exercised for a long time, have chronic health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes or arthritis, or you have any concerns.

Note:Shared from mayoclinic.org

10 Reasons Why You Should Meditate

1. Gain Inner Peace

How often do you clean and tidy your room? When you don’t housekeep your room for an extended period of time, there will be so much dirt accumulated that it becomes an unpleasant place to live in. The air you breathe in will be unclean. The things will be untidy and disorganized. You can’t get things as productively as before.

Imagine your body as a room. Every day, there is lots of junk that gets piled into ourselves – our mind, body, heart and soul. These junk come in the form of negative thoughts, emotions and energy. They can come from all sorts of different sources – the media, interactions with people, our environment, our work, or even self-generated from within. If you don’t meditate regularly, these junk accumulates over time inside you. You become a living trash container with junk thoughts and emotions. Ever have occasions where thoughts seem to spring out of nowhere in your mind in a time when you do not require them? Occasions where negative memories crop up and you didn’t want them to be emerging? These are all part of the clutter that you should be disposing of, but haven’t.

During meditation, you clear all these junk out of your system, just like you cleaning out your room. You expel the negativity and return it to the earth to be converted into positive energy. In the end, you are no longer bogged down by them. For people who don’t meditate, it takes a longer period of time to remove all the compounded negativity from the past. But just like cleaning a very messy house, all it takes is slightly more time and more effort before all the mess is eventually cleaned out.

After my regular meditations, I have reached a point of absolute calmness in my mind. It made me realize how noisy my previous unmeditated mind was and I was not even aware of it if I hadn’t had this benchmark for comparison. This is a state which you can only experience for yourself after you start meditation. In fact, my mind is so quiet that I’m able to literally ‘hear’ thoughts as and when they come into my mind. This has increased my awareness level of my thoughts, leading to the second benefit – Increase of your self-awareness.

2. Increase Your Self-Awareness

Are you aware of the 60,000 thoughts that are running through your head every day? Do you know what you are thinking of all the time? Do you have times where you are not sure of what you are thinking of or what you want?

Meditation gives you clarity on your thoughts, your inner desires and increased self-awareness. The thoughts include those you actively engage in and those you are not conscious of but are always there. An average unmeditated mind usually picks up only about a few out of thousands of thought strands that float through the mind in an hour. A meditated mind, on the other hand, picks up considerably more.

The more you meditate, the more self-aware you become. You become more conscious of what you think, the way you think, what you feel and what you want. This clarity is important in your decision making processes and in leading your life. Without such clarity, you become easily swayed by different external factors around you.

After I started meditating, I became much clearer of what I want. Instead of specially tuning in for answers to my questions, I become aware of the answers in me. When writing posts on this blog, the amount of time I spend contemplating is lesser. When it comes to making decisions, I can make them in a quick snap because I’m clear about what I want. Meditation has increased my connection with my inner intuition. In fact, it was from following my intuition that I decided not to return to corporate work and embrace my personal development career. 

3. Makes You Grounded and Calmer

During meditation, you stop becoming attached to the physical world and you start becoming a third party observer to your reality. You become an observer to the kind of thoughts and feelings that run through you. You become an observer to how people act around you. You become an observer to the things in your environment. You stop becoming ruled by your ego and you become more aligned with your higher self.

With that detachment, you become grounded, calmer and more level headed. The gap between the stimulus and your response widens. What do I mean by this? If you have watched Spiderman the Movie (the first one), it’s like the early scene in the canteen where Peter Parker gets into a brawl fight with Mary Jane’s boyfriend. Even with the heated fight going on, everything unwinds in slow motion to Peter. It’s sort of like this whenever I meditate for a few days in a role. For everything happening around me, I find plenty of time to observe, process and assess in my mind, even more so than normal, even though everything is unfolding in real time. It’s really quite interesting.

In the past, there may have been events which result in consciousness lowering behavior where you reacted out of your normal persona. Meditation enables you to deal with these events effectively without having your consciousness lowered. You become able to handle them objectively and in a detached manner without interference from your ego.

4. Makes You Present

This comes about due to your groundedness. When you are grounded, you are more present to your reality. You stop getting caught up by what happened in the past or what might happen in the future. People who are not present are often bogged down by many other things on their mind. They are too busy handling the thoughts in their brain to function in their full capacity in their present moment.

With meditation, you begin to live fully in the present moment. This lets you react better to the situations around you. It includes being more focused, efficient, attentive and receptive. You maximize every moment of your living life by living in the present moment.

5. Increases Your Consciousness

Meditation is an important tool in living consciously. With meditation, you become more connected with your surroundings, the people around you, the world around you. You become more conscious of the interconnection between everything. With prolonged meditation, you start shedding away the lower levels of consciousness and start vibrating at a higher level of energy. Fear, Anger, Desire, Pride stop having a hold over your thoughts and behaviors. In place of that, you enter into levels of Courage, Neutrality, Willingness and above.

6. Source of Inspiration

Most of us are probably using only about 1% of our brain. This 1% is what’s controllable by our physical selves and our ego. The remaining 99% of our intelligence resides in our subconscious mind. This 99%, and not the 1%, is where the most powerful ideas lie. This is where we get our inspiration, our greatest ideas, our best solutions to problems. The power of our subconscious mind is one which many past leaders have tapped into, such as Thomas Edison, Buddha, Jesus, Confucius, Einstein, and many others. People who work in occupations that require a great deal of creativity, such as artists and musicians, are either naturally able to access their subconsciousness or have learned to do it.

Through meditation, we attune ourselves to that 99% which we shut out in our physical life. This is like a secret pass toward instant new ideas and solutions which we couldn’t have generated with our conscious mind. If you have a frustrating dilemma you cannot resolve, or you are looking for new ideas for something you are working on, try meditating on them and see what you get. In fact, I had previously listed meditation as one of the techniques (#24) in my 25 Brainstorming Techniques article. Through constant practice, you will strengthen your connection with your subconscious mind. In no time, you will find the solutions generated by your subconscious mind are often more insightful and better than the ones generated by your conscious mind.

7. Rejuvenates You

The seventh Habit of In Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is ‘Sharpen The Saw’. To become successful in what you do, you need to constantly sharpen your saw – yourself. To continuously try to chop down trees without taking time out to sharpen your saw makes you highly uneffective. Meditation is one of the avenues where you sharpen your saw.

All of us are essentially made up of energy. We have 7 energy centres, called chakras, where energy flows from. Sometimes, we experience energy blockages due to certain problems in our life, injuries in our body, etc. When you meditate, you clear these energy blockages, clean your chakras and facilitate the flow of energy around you. There are various visualization exercises which enable you to do that. After your meditation, you will find yourself rejuvenated and energized.

A room needs to be cleaned and cleared regularly to be in a conducive state. A computer operating system needs to be defragged regularly to keep it optimal. A table needs to be wiped often to remove the dust and dirt that’s piled on top of it. Likewise, you need to meditate daily to be in your prime condition.

8. Cures Insomnia

One of the key reasons for insomnia is the bombardment of thoughts in your mind which result in anxiety, stress and depression. Meditation clears out the clutter in your mind (see benefit #1), which lets you slip easily into sleep. A few years ago, there was a time when I was suffering from insomnia. After meditating for about 20 minutes, I eased into sleep immediately, much to my surprise. In addition, the meditation also improved my quality of sleep. When you sleep, your mind is sorting out your mental clutter. Meditating before you sleep removes the clutter and sets your mind for a more peaceful rest.

If there is a huge barrage of clutter in your mind, it will take a longer period of meditation to cure your insomnia. Just keep up with the regular meditation and you will find an improvement in your situation.

9. Increases Your Spiritual Connection

The heightened consciousness (#5) from your meditation naturally leads to an increased spiritual attunement and your sixth sense (intuition). You will however experience a stronger connection with your intuition, which is highly beneficial to you in life. Your intuition is what gives you the most insightful and valuable solutions, over your logical mind and ego (see #6).

If you are interested in the psychic phenomena such as astral projection, lucid dreaming, etc, you will find meditation as a great foundational exercise to train those skills. If you aren’t, there is no need to freak out as the likelihood of spontaneous display of psychic skills is nearly zero.

10. Increase Your Fulfillment of Life

All in all, the different benefits of meditation combine to give you an increased fulfillment of life. You gain increased mastery of yourself, become more positive and become rejuvenated. The sharpening of your saw through meditation puts you in the position to get even more out of every day living. 

Note:Shared from personalexcellence.co

12 Benefits of Walking

What’s not to like about walking? It’s free. It’s easy to do, and it’s easy on the joints. And there’s no question that walking is good for you. Walking is an aerobic exercise; a University of Tennessee study found that women who walked had less body fat than those who didn’t walk. It also lowers the risk of blood clots, since the calf acts as a venous pump, contracting and pumping blood from the feet and legs back to the heart, reducing the load on the heart. Walking is good for you in other ways as well.

1. Walking improves circulation. It also wards off heart disease, brings up the heart rate, lowers blood pressure and strengthens the heart. Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of Tennessee found that post-menopausal women who walked just one to two miles a day lowered blood pressure by nearly 11 points in 24 weeks. Women who walked 30 minutes a day reduced their risk of stroke by 20 percent – by 40 percent when they stepped up the pace, according to researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.

2. Walking shores up your bones. It can stop the loss of bone mass for those with osteoporosis, according to Michael A. Schwartz, MD, of Plancher Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in New York. In fact, a Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, study of post-menopausal women found that 30 minutes of walking each day reduced their risk of hip fractures by 40 percent.

3. Walking leads to a longer life. Research out of the University of Michigan Medical School and the Veterans Administration Ann Arbor Healthcare System says those who exercise regularly in their fifties and sixties are 35 percent less likely to die over the next eight years than their non-walking counterparts. That number shoots up to 45 percent less likely for those who have underlying health conditions.

4. Walking lightens mood. A California State University, Long Beach, study showed that the more steps people took during the day, the better their moods were. Why? Walking releases natural pain­killing endorphins to the body – one of the emotional benefits of exercise.

5. Walking can lead to weight loss. A brisk 30-minute walk burns 200 calories. Over time, calories burned can lead to pounds dropped.

6. Walking strengthens muscles. It tones your leg and abdominal muscles – and even arm muscles if you pump them as you walk. This increases your range of motion, shifting the pressure and weight from your joints and muscles – which are meant to handle weight – helping to lessen arthritis pain

7. Walking improves sleep. A study from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle found that women, ages 50 to 75, who took one-hour morning walks, were more likely to relieve insomnia than women who didn’t walk.

8. Walking supports your joints. The majority of joint cartilage has no direct blood supply. It gets its nutrition from synovial or joint fluid that circulates as we move. Impact that comes from movement or compression, such as walking, “squishes” the cartilage, bringing oxygen and nutrients into the area. If you don’t walk, joints are deprived of life-giving fluid, which can speed deterioration.

9. Walking improves your breath. When walking, your breathing rate increases, causing oxygen to travel faster through bloodstream, helping to eliminate waste products and improve your energy level and the ability to heal.

10. Walking slows mental decline. A study of 6,000 women, ages 65 and older, performed by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, found that age-related memory decline was lower in those who walked more. The women walking 2.5 miles per day had a 17-percent decline in memory, as opposed to a 25-percent decline in women who walked less than a half-mile per week.

11. Walking lowers Alzheimer’s risk. A study from the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville found that men between the ages of 71 and 93 who walked more than a quarter of a mile per day had half the incidence of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, compared to those who walked less.

12. Walking helps you do more, longer. Aerobic walking and resistance exercise programs may reduce the incidence of disability in the activities of daily living of people who are older than 65 and have symptomatic OA, shows a study published in the Journal of Clinical Outcomes Management.

Note:Shared from arthritis.org

Top 10 Tips to Help Children Develop Healthy Habits

You can help your child develop healthy habits early in life that will bring lifelong benefits. As a parent, you can encourage your kids to evaluate their food choice and physical activity habits. Here are some tips and guidelines to get you started.

1. Be a good role model - You don’t have to be perfect all the time, but if kids see you trying to eat right and getting physically active, they’ll take notice of your efforts. You’ll send a message that good health is impor­tant to your family.
2. Keep things positive - Kid’s don’t like to hear what they can’t do, tell them what they can do instead. Keep it fun and positive. Everyone likes to be praised for a job well done. Celebrate successes and help children and teens develop a good self-image.
    
3. Get the whole family moving - Plan times for everyone to get moving together. Take walks, ride bikes, go swimming, garden or just play hide-and-seek outside. Everyone will benefit from the exercise and the time together.
    
4. Be realistic - Setting realistic goals and limits are key to adopting any new behavior. Small steps and gradual changes can make a big difference in your health over time, so start small and build up.
    
5. Limit TV, video game and computer time - These habits lead to a sedentary lifestyle and excessive snacking, which increase risks for obesity and cardiovascular disease. Limit screen time to 2 hours per day.
    
6. Encourage physical activities that they’ll really enjoy - Every child is unique. Let your child experiment with different activities until they find something that they really love doing. They’ll stick with it longer if they love it. check out these activities for kids.
    
7. Pick truly rewarding rewards - Don’t reward children with tv, video games, candy or snacks for a job well done. Find other ways to celebrate good behavior.
    
8. Make dinnertime a family time - When everyone sits down together to eat, there’s less chance of children eating the wrong foods or snacking too much. Get your kids involved in cooking and planning meals. Everyone develops good eating habits together and the quality time with the family will be an added bonus.
    
9. Make a game of reading food labels - The whole family will learn what’s good for their health and be more conscious of what they eat. It’s a habit that helps change behavior for a lifetime. Learn more about reading nutrition labels.
    
10. Stay involved - Be an advocate for healthier children. Insist on good food choices at school. Make sure your children’s healthcare providers are monitoring cardiovascular indicators like BMI, blood pressure and cholesterol. Contact public officials on matters of the heart. Make your voice heard.

Note:Shared from heart.org

Animals and Insects

Household Pets

Pets are valued members of many households. However, animals can also pass germs and diseases to humans. The chance that healthy dogs and cats will make you sick is small, but reptiles, such as turtles, snakes, and lizards, can easily transmit bacteria to their owners.

You can reduce the risks by practicing good personal hygiene, keeping pet areas clean, and keeping pets’ vaccines current. The following tips will help you enjoy a happy and healthy relationship with your pets.

Pets and Cleanliness

• Wash your hands often, especially after touching animals or their treats, toys, leashes, bedding, etc.
• Avoid raw animal-based pet treats (beef, pork, chicken, fish, or seafood), which carry the risk of Salmonella bacteria.
• Make sure pets have their own feeding dishes and utensils that you clean separately from other household items.
• Immediately clean and disinfect any surface contaminated with animal saliva, mucus, feces, urine, or blood.
• Regularly clean and disinfect floors, feeding areas, and the sinks and tubs you use to wash pets.
• Never allow pets onto counters or tables where you prepare food.
• Don’t clean pet cages and tanks in your kitchen. Use a bucket and go outside if possible.
• Do not let your pet share your plate or lick your—or your baby’s—face.
• Keep all exotic pets—especially ferrets—away from your baby.
• Never allow turtles, snakes, lizards, and iguanas or their cages near your baby. Reptiles can transmit Salmonella bacteria.

Be Ready For Baby: Your Pet’s Health

• Check with your veterinarian to make sure your dog and cat are fully immunized and regularly treated for fleas, ticks, intestinal worms, and other parasites, including roundworm, hookworm, whipworm, tapeworm, and heartworm.
• Check pets regularly for signs of ill health and take them to a vet immediately if anything is wrong.
• Keep their claws trimmed to reduce the risk of scratches.
• Train your pets not to jump on people.

Introducing Your Pet to Your Baby

• Ask the veterinarian for tips before your baby arrives.
• In the first few weeks, you will probably have a lot of visitors and the focus will be on you and the baby, so this could be a stressful time for your cat or dog.
• Give your pet time to adjust and make the introduction to your baby a positive one for the pet.
• Never leave small children and animals alone together.

Safety Tip for Pets and Toddlers

• Don’t let toddlers use pets as a guide for walking.
• Teach your children how to handle pets, for their safety and for the animal’s safety.
• Supervise children less than 5 years of age when they are around animals.
• Watch for warning signs from the pet, such as guarding its food and toys, etc.
• Contact your health care provider if your child is bitten or scratched by any animal.

Household Pests: Insects and Rodents

In Canada, household pests range from very small insects and spiders to mice, rats, bats, squirrels, pigeons, and raccoons.

Pests enter our homes in order to get food, water, or shelter. They can be attracted by light, warmth, moisture, food, or smells. Prevention is the best approach. Even when pests do get into the house, you will rarely need to use pesticides. Simply removing their food supply and breeding sites is the most effective way to control them.

• Never leave sources of food or water (including garbage) exposed.
• Clean up spills immediately.
• Do not leave pets’ water and food out 24 hours a day.
• Keep food in tightly sealed plastic or glass containers.
• Regularly clean dark and/or humid places in your house.
• Clear away small branches, grass, and debris that may be around the outside of the house.
• Seal any entrance holes you discover on the inside or outside of your home.

Mice, rats, and other rodents can carry disease, some of which are spread by their urine and droppings. Breathing in the dust from droppings can cause illness so follow these safety tips.

Safe Clean-up Tips

• Never sweep or vacuum dry droppings.
• Wet the droppings and debris with a bleach and water solution before wiping up.
• Wear rubber gloves and a dust mask.
• Wash your hands completely after you finish cleaning up.
• Change your clothing after cleanup and launder those clothes in hot water.
• Wear gloves to dispose of dead rodents.

Make sure that children and pets cannot reach poisons and traps. Follow the directions when using pest control treatments.

Check yourself, other family members, and pets after spending time outdoors where ticks reside.

• Ticks should be removed immediately with tweezers by applying gentle, steady pressure until they release their bite.

Note:Shared you-and-your-baby.cpha.ca

17 Simple Ways to Prevent Air Pollution in Your Home

When you think of air pollution, you most likely don’t conjure up images of the inside of your home or office. But because we spend so much time indoors — especially in colder weather — keeping the air quality as clean as possible in your home, car and workplace is important for your health.

And, unfortunately, we bring most of those pollutants indoors ourselves.

Cigarette smoke

Experts say that one of the most common indoor air pollutants is cigarette smoke.

“The residual gas and particles from cigarette smoke that settle … [do] pose health hazards, particularly in rooms with a lot of fabric or carpeting,” says pulmonologist Sumita Khatri, MD.

She says the risks are disproportionately high in children, who are more likely to be playing on the ground, and in people with chronic heart and lung problems.

“We all have heard of second-hand smoke; this is called third-hand smoke.”

Household cleaners

Household cleaning supplies are another common cause of indoor pollution. Harsh chemicals that give off fumes can irritate your nose, mouth and lungs, as well as your skin.

“Those with sensitive lungs and upper airways, like people with asthma and chronic sinusitis, may notice their symptoms getting worse,” Dr. Khatri says.

The fumes can cause inflammation that can make it more difficult for people with chronic lung conditions to heal from infections. It can also worsen inflammation due to other triggers, such as allergies.

Dr. Khatri recommends using natural cleaning supplies and elbow grease to minimize risks.

Other indoor pollutants that exacerbate asthma or other chronic lung conditions include:

• Particulates from candles and incense
• Irritating perfumes
• Odors from harsh household cleaners
• Craft and office supplies, such as paints, glues and toner ink
• Fumes from dry cleaned garments (many solvents used are carcinogenic)
• Allergens, such as mold, pollen, pet dander and dust mites
• Wood-burning fireplaces or stoves
• Improper ventilation in homes (can increase levels of radon and carbon monoxide gas
• Gas stoves that are not not well ventilated with hoods to outside (can increase exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide and formaldehyde)
• Materials used in older buildings such as asbestos, formaldehyde and lead

Illnesses caused by indoor air pollution

Indoor air pollution can increase a person’s chances of having flares of chronic lung problems, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

There are also likely longer-term effects from ongoing exposure that are more difficult to measure, such as the likelihood of lung cancer from radon exposure, as well as secondhand and thirdhand smoke.

“In addition to worsening the symptoms of asthma and other chronic respiratory problems, indoor air pollution can also cause irritation of the nose, throat, eyes and lungs,” Dr. Khatri says.

Role of ventilation, air filters

Although opening windows helps ventilate your home, car or office, that’s not always possible due to allergies or extreme temperatures.

Consider using air filters and getting your HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems) checked regularly.

Also, air purifiers and aromatherapy can often make air quality worse unless they are the the right kind, Dr. Khatri says. They need to be HEPA (high-efficiency particulate arresting) air filters.

How to cut down your risk

Fortunately, there are ways you can minimize air pollution in your home, car or at work, Dr. Khatri says.

Here are some simple steps you can take:

1. Avoid smoking indoors (quitting smoking is the best answer for overall health)
2. Use craft supplies in well-ventilated areas
3. Make sure your gas stove is well-ventilated
4. Minimize clutter
5. Remove carpeting if possible
6. Use a dehumidifier and/or air conditioner to reduce moisture
7. Keep trash covered to avoid attracting pests
8. Remove shoes at the door
9. Have car emissions tested regularly
10. Minimize air freshener use
11. Test your home for radon
12. Use carbon monoxide detectors
13. Fix water leaks
14. Dust surfaces and vacuum frequently
15. Wash bedding weekly in hot water
16. Make sure exhaust fans are functioning in your bathrooms and kitchen
17. Keep a lid on scented candles

Taking some simple precautions can help boost air quality in your home and improve your health.

Note:Shared from health.clevelandclinic.org

Protect Yourself and Your Family from Air Pollution

What is air pollution?

Highlights

1. Air pollution can harm our health and the health of the ecosystem. Taking steps to reduce air pollution benefits humans and the entire planet.
2. Though everyone is at risk from air pollution, people with lung or heart diseases are especially vulnerable.
3. Some ways to reduce the impact of air pollution are to avoid going outside during the hottest part of the day, use air filters indoors, and clean your house regularly.

Air pollution is substances in the air — either man-made or natural — that can harm human health and the environment. Fine particles from burning coal, fossil fuels, and wood can get deep into our lungs and spread to blood vessels throughout the body.

A 2013 report from the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that outdoor air pollution is a major risk to human health. They reported that air pollutants could aggravate asthma, increase coughing, and decrease lung function. It could also increase the risk of bronchitis, headaches, irregular heartbeat, nonfatal heart attacks, and premature death in people with heart or lung diseases.

Major contributors to air pollution in cities include exhaust from cars, buses, and airplanes. Ground-level ozone, which results from engine and fuel gases interacting with the sun's rays, is also a factor.

Acid rain forms when moisture in the air interacts with nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide released by motor vehicles and factories and power plants that burn coal or oil.

However, rural areas aren't immune to air pollution. Dust from tractors plowing fields, trucks and cars driving on dirt or gravel roads, rock quarries, and smoke from crop fires and wood burning can all pollute clean air.

Part 2 of 4: Risk factors

Who is affected by air pollution?

Though everyone is affected by air pollution, populations that are particularly at risk include:

• people with asthma
• people with heart disease
• people with respiratory diseases
• children
• active adults who exercise outdoors
• older adults
• people with diabetes
• pregnant women

Part 3 of 4: Measurement

How is the level of air pollution measured?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses the Air Quality Index (AQI) to provide the public with an easy way to understand the local air quality on any day. The AQI assigns the air quality a score from 0 to 300.

The higher the AQI value, the greater the health concerns. When AQI levels reach above 100, air quality is unhealthy. You can track the AQI for your area in your local newspaper, on television or radio weathercasts, and online.

When levels reach 101 to 150, at-risk groups should reduce time spent outdoors and prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion, as exercise increases air intake. When the AQI reaches unhealthy levels of 151 to 200, everyone should limit exposure.

When levels reach 201 to 300, it is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups — especially those with heart disease. People at risk should avoid alloutdoor activity.

Part 4 of 4: Strategies

What can I do to protect my family and myself?

Air pollution is highest during the heat of the day, so plan your outdoor activities for early morning or late evening. Avoid walking or biking on busy streets. If you're sitting in traffic, use the recycled air setting on your air conditioner to help cut down on fumes.

If you're in a location where you can't escape the pollution, try putting a handkerchief over your mouth and nose to help filter gas and smoke.

Antioxidant-rich foods like fruits and vegetables can also help shield your body from the damaging effects of free radicals created by air pollution.

Finally, don't forget that indoor spaces can be polluted, too. To limit pollution in the home, follow these recommendations:

• Consider purchasing an indoor air purifier.
• Avoid air fresheners and candles.
• Keep filters on air conditioners and heaters clean.
• Vacuum often.
• Wash sheets and stuffed toys to get rid of dust mites.
• Wash mold and mildew off hard surfaces.
• Open the windows to circulate the air on days when the air quality is good.

With a little extra effort, you and your family can breathe cleaner air and enjoy better health.

Note:Shared from healthline.com