Decisions For Healthy Living, 1

I have been thinking about super healthy living lately. Two things brought that out:

#1. A recent article in a health magazine that was by a woman who cured her breast cancer by radically changing her lifestyle and diet. (I will post part of that article later.)

#2. A phone conversation with my father-in-law who is very healthy and who told me about some of the supplements they take and how they eat. I had been telling him I started using brewer's yeast and lecithin...he and his wife have been using that for decades as well as a myriad of other suplememts and extra healthy foods. The only flesh they eat is wild caught salmon very rarely. They are basically vegetarian...no dairy at all for decades. They are so fit and healthy, being in their 80's and living in the wilderness of Idaho and having their own business, chopping their own wood for warmth (wood burning stove).

So these 2 recent events plus the awareness of awful diseases (My sister recently dying from complications from pancreatic cancer, and my best college girlfriend's husband, who has been diabeteic for a while and now has suffered a severe stroke)and the wondering inside my mind : Could this have all been avoided if a different lifestyle or diet had been followed? Lifestyle involves the concept of stress and how we deal with it, how we exercise, how our attitudes are, where we live (Is it polluted?)

Yes, yes, I know...none of us get out of this life alive, but why not strive for a high quality of living ...!!????? To be healthy is a great goal, I believe! Because with health comes the energy, vitality, stamina and inspiration to do "good works"...which we are taught to do in holy scriptures.

SO...HERE IS DECISION NUMBER 1 for Health Living:

I WILL NOT BURN PARRAFIN CANDLES IN MY HOME. NOR WILL I BURN INCENSE. I WILL USE BEESWAX CANDLES. Following are the reasons...excerpts from websites plus the web address of those sites....

WHY I WON'T USE INCENSE

Some researchers have begun to suspect that incense burning may pose some health concerns. Because incense is a slow burn, many believe that it gives off a lot of chemicals such as carbon monoxide, aldehydes, and respirable particles. They are of considerable concern because these particles are both upper respiratory and pulmonary system irritants. This means that they can inflame mucous membranes, and cause asthmatic attacks in sensitive individuals.

Burning incense can also produce sinaldehyde, many different kinds of aldehydes, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and acrolein. Both formaldehyde and acrolein are also mucous membrane irritants and acrolein irritates the eyes.
One study indicated that burning incense in your house at least once a week during pregnancy made it more likely that the baby would develop leukemia once your child is born. http://www.womenshealthcaretopics.com/bn_bodysoul_Incense.htm
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WHY I WON'T USE PARAFFIN CANDLES

Illuminating Thoughts – Toxic Candles

I enjoy using candles. Don’t you? Candles are warming, romantic, inspiring. Relaxing, comforting, symbolic. Burning them conjure different emotional responses for everyone who delights in them. Consumer reports indicate that candles are ‘in’ once again. Perhaps a 70’s revival or a nesting desire in increasingly troubled times.

Yet do we ever think about what it really is that we are burning or inhaling?
Paraffin candles are the most commonly burned candles worldwide. And are the most dangerous to our health.

Paraffin is an inexpensive sludge waste product of the petroleum industry that has been bleached then texturised with acrolyn, a known carcinogenic product. Supposedly an inert substance, if you have much faith in government/industry released information. However, once burned it releases toxins that are known carcinogens such as benzene and toluene which are inhaled and linger in the areas they are burned in. Not to mention the soot that leaves its residue on walls, eventually greying fabrics and ceilings. Soot from paraffin candles contains many of the same toxins found in diesel fuel.

Paraffin candles are as dangerous to the lungs as second-hand smoke and even more so if you are in the habit of burning many at the same time. It is also a non-renewable resource. Ever smell one? They stink.

Supposedly, paraffin for candles is ‘food grade’ – clearly a lie. The problem appears when we burn them. It is no longer recommended to be used in contact with food – remember grandmother sealing the jams with a layer of paraffin? Yes, we survived that era but life was simpler and cleaner then. Today we have to deal with cumulative factors detrimental to our health that never existed before.

Then there is the problem with lead in the wicks. Though lead has not been used since the 70’s in most of Central Europe and the USA, cheaper candles from other countries such as Asia or South America can still be seen on the market. Burning only a few with leaded wicks for 3 hours will increase levels 9 to 11 times over acceptable lead levels.

Gel candles though pretty because of the crystal clearness are likewise petroleum based or made from synthetic hydrocarbons. Think of them as petroleum turned into jelly with a few more added toxins thrown in such as butylated hydroxyl toluene. Pretty, but absolutely not a good idea.

Soy candles are relatively new on the selection palate and began appearing early 90’s. Invented in the USA and made from hydrogenated soy, palm and coconut oils, soy candles burn slower and last about 50% longer than paraffin candles. They burn cooler and have very little soot, and drips are easily cleaned up however, the flame is not considered a ‘warm’ flame. Some feel the ‘magic’ is missing with soy candles. By purchasing soy candles, you are supporting the omnipresent American soy industry which farms mostly genetically manipulated soy. Soy candles lay in price between the cheaper paraffin candles and beeswax candles. Soy tapers may bend at warm room temperatures and are often blended with stearin (stearic acid) a substance derived from animal or vegetable sources to harden them.

Beeswax candles. Ahh…my absolute favourite. Warm and sweet smelling, they symbolize for me a connection to the Earth. Beeswax is a by-product of honey and is made from the ‘caps’ of the honeycomb. These are the most expensive candles, but are price effective as they last up to three times longer than paraffin and twice as long as soy candles. Unlike paraffin, they are from a sustainable source – originating from flowers, fuelled by the sun and processed by bees.

They burn cleanly, don’t drip when properly used and give off negative ions that help concentration and clear the air. They are also non-allergenic and can help soothe the symptoms of hay fever, asthma and allergy sufferers. Natural beeswax candles are commonly golden to amber but can also be found almost black. Ivory coloured candles have gone through a special process to lighten them, which unfortunately weakens the natural honey scent. When purchasing, be certain that the label states 100% beeswax – some countries allow as little as 10% beeswax to still be labelled ‘beeswax’. A ‘blended’ beeswax candle most assuredly has paraffin or stearin.

Natural beeswax candles are a healthy, soothing comfort for us too. They feel warm to the touch, and are simply magical!
http://www.epicureantable.com/articles/acandles.htm