Wellness Living

Try cleaning or replacing your furnace filter every three months with a MERV filter. MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, which is a rating system designed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). The rating indicates the size of particles the air filter is designed to capture. Ranging from 1 to 20, the larger the number, the better the filter is at catching small particles. For residential furnaces, filters range from 4 to 12 on the MERV scale. 

Frequent cleaning and using just a clean damp mop with only water can help reduce dust as well. 

Those of us living in the home create all sorts of pollutants, including dust! We create an invisible dust cloud simply walking around our homes.

The kind of flooring we have, pets, dust, smoke and so on. Fortunately, you can improve indoor air quality in ways that do not cost a small fortune.

A poor-quality vacuum cleaner can also create dust clouds. Installing a central vacuum system with the canister-air discharged piped outside can help, but if that’s not an option, a quality vacuum with a HEPA filter is a great way to help minimize dust. HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air filter. Both of this solutions will effectively decrease the amount of dust that spews into the air when vacuuming. Note: Try using and eco friendly wool carpet material. 

1. Dispose of products you no longer need; Old paint cans, half used and other open toxic substances, poisons and pollutants.
2. Avoid using any “scented” products, candles, plug-ins, air fresheners and vaporizers. They do nothing to improve air quality, simply masking agents that add hundreds of unhealthy chemicals into the air.
3. Keep opened bottles & jars of cleaning products in airtight container.
4. Try using less toxic, more environmentally friendly cleaning and household products.
5. Dry cleaned clothing off gasses chemicals into the air. Remove plastic and hang dry-cleaned clothes outside for a few hours before bringing into the house.

1. Buy an inexpensive hygrometer to measure the indoor humidity. Take readings on every level of the home, living spaces, bedrooms, basement, etc. be sure to also measure the humidity of the supply air coming out of the vents.
2. Ensure your clothes dryer vents to the outside.
3. Bathrooms and kitchens need ventilation – fans should be exhausting showering, bathing and cooking moisture to the outside.
4. Ventilation in basements and crawlspaces can help reduce pollutants, odors and condensation by exhausting damp air to the outside. Fix any basement leaks.
5. Air conditioning systems and dehumidifiers can also remove the moisture from the air. 

1. The key to eating for wellness is not necessarily what foods to eat, but rather how and when we eat them, says Suzanne Judd, Ph.D.
2. Food influences the way a person feels, how he or she sleeps and interacts with others. Too much food can lead to extra weight, and extra weight is associated with cancer, cardiovascular disease and decreased physical function.
3. As for the best foods to eat for wellness generally, Judd recommends that people start with fruits and vegetables and try to get about half-full on those before starting on the meats and fats.
4. Use physical activity to feel good, not to lose weight. “If you have eaten in the last three hours, but feel tired or shaky and think you need to eat, try a short walk outside or up and down stairs.”