Three Products Every Senior Friendly Home Should Have

Anyone who wishes to age in their own home has far more options today than seniors of generations past. The concepts of universal design combined with advances in technology can provide an environment that is safe and secure.

Universal design is an interior design concept that produces an environment which is accessible to anyone. The concept takes into consideration small details that eventually become huge obstacles for elderly or disabled individuals.

For example, as one ages one tends to shuffle rather than taking steps. Threshold barriers can easily trip up a young, vibrant individual. So imagine the difficulty an older or disabled individual would have with such a barrier.

Using the ideas of universal design during the building phase will address these issues creating a barrier free environment. If your home is already built and remodeling is not an option, threshold ramps are also available.

It is absolutely possible to create a home for life. Many people, however, are simply unaware of the options available to them. Now is the perfect time to begin preparing your home for the future. Consider the following products to create the best environment for your future.

Senior-Friendly Product #1: A walk in bath tub will make bath time so much fun.

For many seniors the fear of slipping while getting in and out of the shower or bath is very real. Many are forced to avoid cleaning themselves due to the overwhelming fear of falling and not being found for hours or even days. You can easily eliminate this fear by installing a step in tub or a barrier free shower in one of the bathrooms of your home.

There are plenty of options for walk in bathtubs and the amenities abound. Some standard models are equipped with water and air jets for hydrotherapy. The most important feature, however, will be the step in height. Lower step in heights are best. This will ensure you can easily glide in and out of the bath.

Senior-Friendly Product #2: Ramps are not just for wheelchairs.

Ramps are most commonly used for wheelchairs, scooters, and other mobility devices. Walking up a wheelchair ramp, however, is far easier for a person suffering from joint pain than climbing stairs. If possible you should build at least one "stair-free" entrance to your home. Ramps work just as well though if this is not an option.

Wheelchair ramps are commonly made of wood but aluminum ramps are also available. Modular ramps are ideal for home, business, and public entrances. Portable ramps are perfect for vehicles or homes where seniors and disabled individuals are visiting.

Senior-Friendly Product #3: Stair lifts provide access to all areas of one's home.

Ideally you should have at least one bedroom and bathroom on the first floor of your home. If this is not possible, however, the best option will be to install a stair lift. As one ages climbing a flight of stairs will become a daunting task. You will most certainly want to have access to this area of the house, however.

Advances in technology have made stair lifts leaner, quicker, and far more stylish than older models. There is no reason to cut yourself off from the entire upper or lower portion of your home. A stair lift will provide freedom of movement and safety.

There is no need to explore all of the aging in place product options alone.

Top Ten Home Remedies For Cough

Contrary to what most people believe, coughing is not really the health problem that needs to be addressed. Coughing is the body's natural response or way to try to remove foreign bodies or materials from the throat or the body's air passage ways. Coughing may also be an indication of certain infection in the respiratory tract, but coughing itself is not a problem.

Now, if you really want to stop that irritating cough from bugging you nonstop 24/7, you need to cure the root cause of the cough. Though there are numerous over the counter medications, medical treatments and other cough remedies, there are still many individuals who prefer to cure coughing through proven home remedies for cough.

Here are some of the best and proven home remedies for coughing that you can try;

1. Cut one piece of lemon, then add pepper and salt to one of the halves, suck it. This treatment is highly effective in reducing the intensity of the cough.

2. For a period of 4 -5 days, take one tea spoon of pure honey with a pinch of white ground pepper. Do this 2 -3 times a day. This home remedy for coughing is highly effective and considered as one of the best.

3. Eating grapes for a certain number of days is said to be able to cure a cold. Grapes have certain properties that act as an expectorant and they clear up the lungs.

4. Make a mixture of 1 - 2 grams of dry ginger, long pepper and black pepper, make sure that all three have equal proportions in the mixture. Take mixture with one table spoon of honey for 2 - 3 times a day. This is excellent for cough relief.

5. Garlic is said to do wonders for cough. Eating garlic at night is considered one of the simplest yet most effective home remedies for cough.

6. Combine honey with grape juice. Grapes and honey are two of the most commonly used home substances for home remedies for coughing.

7. If you are looking for ways to treat your dry cough, mixing grape juice with honey would be a great choice.

8. Mix coconut milk (3 -4 teaspoons) with Couscous (½ spoon) and add one teaspoon of honey, take the mixture before retiring to bed. This is an effective home remedy for dry coughing.

9. To make your own cough syrup, extract the juices from onions then mix the extracted juice with honey. Take the syrup 2 -3 times a day.

10. Boil eucalyptus leaves and mint leaves, and then inhale the vapor. This is a great way to clear out the respiratory system.

Remember, before trying any of the provided home remedies for coughing; make sure that you don't have any allergies to any of the ingredients that will be used. Also, take the home remedies for coughing as prescribed; never try to take more than what is stated. If any irritation or complication should arise, immediately get your physician's attention.

Is Your Water Healthy?

Drinking water has gone a long way from the time when people simply took supply from streams, to this day, when there are numerous water treatment methods to make liquids safe for consumption. A few decades back, people were more concerned with liquids being pure. It has to be filtered and treated to remove sediments, bacteria, chemicals, and other undesirable contaminants. Because people wanted to drink safe water, they turned to distilled water, which has no impurities. Is the distilled kind healthy water?

It seems as though the life of pure liquid in the homes of millions of people is about to meet its end. Many people are now convinced that the pure type does harm to the body. The distilled kind, on the other hand, is the most popular form used in homes. As you know, pure water would change its name depending on the application. In laboratories, it's called laboratory water. In hospitals, they call it autoclave water, but, we all refer to the distilled kind when we talk about pure water for home use.

Over the years of research, some experts have grown dubious about the healthfulness of pure or distilled liquids. They believe that a long term consumption of the distilled kind can cause health problems, like bone loss and malnutrition. According to them, liquid that has no minerals will take away the minerals from the body and wash them away. These assumptions, however, create a controversy, as medical experts do not believe the same thing.

If distilled water is indeed unhealthy, does it mean that people have to go back to tap? That may just be equally as bad. Liquid from taps contains chlorine, a chemical added to community waters to kill bacteria. However, it has been linked to development of atherosclerosis and cancer. Chlorine in the body combines with organic substances to form trihalomethanes, which causes cancer.

Another reason why you cannot trust liquid from the tap is because of fluoride, which is added to community water as a means of promoting dental health. But many experts say that fluoride is linked to birth defects, allergies, headaches, and other health problems.

It seems that community water has enough contaminants to make you sick after some time. The irony is that these chemicals are the ones added to the fluid to make it safe. But studies show that it is these very chemicals that lead to diseases in the future.

Healthy water is one that has just the right amount of TDS or minerals-not too high and not too low. Fluids with a higher pH is also said to be better than the plain liquid with a neutral pH. Alkalized fluids have a pH of 8.5, which makes it ideal for drinking, because it gets rid of excess acids in the body. Acids in the body come from the food you eat, and the buildup of acids in your body causes disorders, which can be prevented by drinking alkalized liquid.

Water is the source of life, and it is the most important substance on earth. One person alone is made up of 66% water, which means your body relies much on fluids to function. However, not all types of fluids are good.

How To Have Good Health Without Toxic Chemicals

Our bodies bear the experiences we go through in our lives and they absorb a number of chemicals that we are exposed to. From air pollution to the impurities in our drinking water, to the chemicals that we use in our homes, our bodies are exposed to toxins that slow us down and, which can make us ill, especially over extended periods of time. While we might think that a clean and hygienic environment is the best for our families' overall health, many of the detergents in our homes are extremely poisonous and dangerous for long term health. Children and people who suffer from allergies and chronic health conditions can benefit from using products that will not worsen their health.

Considering a change to household detergents that are made from natural products has a twofold benefit. Firstly, all of the poisons you use in your home are recycled into waste and sewerage systems, contaminating water and the environment. Secondly, every time you open a bottle, you are exposing yourself and your family to dangerous fumes and poisons, many of which can be fatal if consumed by children. Thirdly, using highly toxic substances does not guarantee cleanliness, and many cases, germs and bacteria simply evolve and end up outperforming your chemicals.

A quick look at some of the most common household products reveals what goes into them and just how dangerous they can be for you and your family:

Air fresheners are often overused in both cars and homes but contain dangerous levels of formaldehyde, which is highly toxic and carcinogenic. The fumes that come off of ammonia are dangerous for skin, eyes and the respiratory system. Bleach is extremely dangerous and can cause vomiting and even coma if swallowed. If you use these chemicals on a daily basis, you could be doing more harm than good to your health.

Using environmentally-friendly products has a benefit for both your family and the wider world around you. This means that you are not exposing yourself to a health hazard every time you use a chemical or doing any harm to the natural world, and you can steer your home to the standards you want to. Your children are not at risk if they come into contact with all-natural products and can still enjoy a clean home that is safe for their health.

Eco-friendly products are now widely available, and are available within the same price range as products that contain harmful substances, so there is no reason not to make the change.

Fluoride Health Dangers in Drinking Water

Did you know that the fluoride in drinking water can be dangerous to your health? Fluoride is commonly added to the water supplies of 60% of our cities to improve dental health. Some reports suggest that fluoride is directly linked to the increased rates of thyroid related disease. It doesn't improve dental health instead it causes hypothyroidism, cancer and a host of other serious health problems.

Fluoride is a chemical element of the halogen group which also includes iodine and chlorine. It is commonly added to the water as a sodium fluoride to prevent cavities. It is also found in toothpaste, mouthwash and other dental products. In the early 1940s a group of researchers concluded that fluoride helps to fight tooth decay among children. Since then the use of fluoride in dental products became prevalent. Contrary to that, in recent research on fluoride effectiveness, a report from Dr John Yiamouyiannis concluded that fluoride is not effective at preventing tooth decay. Another research project in a different part of the world, in New Zealand, scientists concluded that teeth of children in non-fluoride water areas were slightly better than the children living in fluoride water areas! Despite these findings, as well as, growing health concerns among people almost 60 percent of the US cities still fluoridate their water supplies.

In the USA most recent and controversial debate is about "fluoride being added to water supply", a contaminated water to improve dental health. According to one government agency, fluoridated water has been considered to be one of the top achievements so what is all this fuss about?

Well, since late 2008 certain US townships started a trend to stop supplying fluoridated water. Since then the debate has opened up again. It is believed that excessive amount of fluoride in water can cause tooth fluorosis, weakness of bones and the cancer. There has been much discussion among government agencies to arrive at maximum limits and perhaps even agree on set amounts. This is a challenging task as to we can't seem to agree on a specific amount. Public and government opinion are divided in this matter. There are some who are in favor of adding fluoride to water supply, and there are those who are against contaminating the w`ter with fluoride. It is a highly controversial subject in the USA, and some states are more inclined to leave the matter untouched. Last month the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has launched an enquiry into the fluoride level in the water supply of Ohio City.

So what are a few of the facts regarding fluoride? According to the official toxicology handbook, Clinical Toicology of Commercial Products, fluoride is more toxic and poisonous than lead and just a little less toxic and poisonous than arsenic. It is a poison which accumulates in our bodies and especially the bones as it is consumed over the years. We read in the Physician's Desk Reference, "in hypersensitive persons, fluorides can occasionally result in skin eruptions such as urticaria, eczema, and atopic dermatitis. These hypersensitive reactions will normally go all way immediately after stopping the use of fluoride." Mayo Clinic researchers reported in the 1990, March 22 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine that treating osteoporosis with fluoride increase the rate of hip fractures and also bone fragility.

Procter and Gamble performed a study which revealed that an amount of fluoride only half the amount used in public water supplies resulted in a significant and sizable increase in the occurrence of genetic damage. Epidemiology research performed in the middle of the 1970s by the now deceased Dr. Dean Burk, head of the cytochemistry department of the National Cancer Institute, showed that 10,000 or more cancer deaths linked to fluoridation occurred each year in the United States. Argonne National Laboratories confirmed in 1989 that fluoride has the ability to morph normal cells into cancer cells. In clinical studies performed by Battelle Research Institute in 1989 revealed that fluoride was causally linked to a rare type of liver cancer found in the mice, cancers and oral tumors in rats, and cancer of the bone in male rats. The New Jersey Department of Health has observed since 1991 that the occurrence of osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, was significantly elevated in young men who had been exposed to for dated water when compared to those who had not been exposed.