Surrogacy 101

What Every Parent Should Know About BMI (WebMD Medical Reference)

As children grow and their bodies change, it's not always easy for parents to tell if a child falls within a healthy weight range. Body mass index, or BMI for short, is a standard measurement of body fat. Your child's BMI can help you determine if he is at risk for health problems based on his weight. Measuring the waist or neck circumference is another way to measure body fat in kids. Your health care provider may also do this.

The CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend BMI screenings for all kids age 2 and older. Here's what you need to know about checking on your child's BMI and what to do with the info once you have it.

What is BMI for Kids?

BMI estimates how much body fat you have. Calculating a child's BMI number starts out just like calculating an adult's BMI. It's based on height and weight. But for kids, height and weight alone aren't as accurate as they are for adults. Why? Because kids' body fat percentages change as they grow. Kids' BMIs vary based on their age and gender.

That's why when health care professionals talk about a child's BMI, you won't usually hear a plain BMI number, like 25, but rather a BMI percentile, like 75th. These BMI percentiles show how a child's BMI compares to other children of the same age and gender. To calculate the BMI percentile -- which is also called "BMI for age" -- a health care provider or an online tool like WebMD’s FIT Kids BMI Calculator takes a kid's BMI (along with age and gender) and looks it up on a pediatric growth curve. This gives the child's BMI percentile.

BMI percentiles are grouped into weight categories:

• Underweight: below the 5th percentile
• Healthy Weight: 5th percentile up to the 85th percentile
• Overweight: 85th percentile up to the 95th percentile
• Obese: 95th percentile or higher

So, for example, a 6-year-old boy with a 75th percentile BMI has a higher BMI than 75 out of 100 6-year-old boys. And though you may think that means he is heavy, he is considered a healthy weight.

Talking With Your Pediatrician About BMI for Kids

Many parents assume that if their child had a high BMI, their pediatrician would tell them. But that's not necessarily the case. Sometimes pediatricians may not bring up weight issues with parents. So if you're interested in your child's BMI percentile, it's best to ask directly.

Some school districts have started to measure all children's BMIs in school. The school then sends home a BMI report card to alert parents to any weight issues. Although some parents don't like the idea of schools sending report cards with their child's BMI, experts say that the point is not to embarrass anyone. It's to let parents know about a health problem with serious consequences. 

Studies from the U.K. show that children's BMI report cards can work. One study found that after getting a BMI report, about 50% of the parents with overweight children made some healthy changes to their lifestyle.

How Accurate is BMI for Kids?

Experts generally consider BMI for kids to be a good measure of body fat, at least among heavier children. But there are some cases in which BMI might be misleading. Athletic kids, in particular, may fall into the overweight category when they are actually muscular.

Your child's BMI is important, but it is only a piece of the picture. If a BMI percentile indicates that your child is not within the healthy range, she needs a complete weight and lifestyle evaluation with a pediatrician.

The pediatrician will likely follow up with an exam to see how far along your child is in her development and perhaps tests for weight-related health conditions, and by asking questions about her diet and exercise, whether weight is an issue for her, and your family history. This information will allow the health care provider to determine the best way to respond to an underweight, overweight, or obese BMI percentile.

Tips for a BMI Percentile in Healthy Range

Experts recommend that kids of all ages and all weight categories follow these healthy guidelines to help keep weight in check. It's easy to remember them as 5-2-1-0 every day.

• 5: Everyone in your family needs five servings of vegetables and fruits. Keep serving them even if kids don't eat them. Familiarity increases the likelihood that they'll eventually try a food. Give a fruit or vegetable with every snack or meal.
• 2: Limit TV-watching to no more than two hours a day. Family members who use other "screens" -- video games or computers, for instance -- get less TV time.  Experts also recommend not having TVs in bedrooms.
• 1: Get one hour of physical activity. Add up the minutes each family member is moving -- it should be 60 minutes or more. Start small and keep adding if necessary. The goal is to have all those minutes be at least moderate activity, sweating after about 10 minutes.
• 0: That's how many sugar-sweetened beverages you should have a day. Juice drinks such as lemonade and fruit punch, sodas, tea, and coffee can all have added sugar. Stick to water and reduced-fat milk instead.

Here are some other expert-recommended eating guidelines.

• Start each day with breakfast.
• Avoid eating fast food, and the temptations from eating out in general.
• Eat together as a family -- regularly.
• Check portion sizes, and serve your family accordingly.

Foods to Help You Feel Better By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD

Are you feeling down in the dumps? Are you irritated at how often you’ve been irritable?

Perhaps it’s time to look at the foods and drinks you consume to see if they are trashing your mood. Nutrition experts say that the foods you eat can help you feel better -- or feel worse -- in the short-term and the long-term. 

• Meal-to-meal and day-to-day, keeping your blood sugars steady and your gastrointestinal (GI) tract running smoothly will help you feel good and energetic. If your blood sugars are on a roller-coaster ride -- hitting highs and lows from too much sugar and refined flour – you are more likely to feel out of sorts. This is also true if your gastrointestinal system is distressed due to intense hunger from a fad diet or constipation because you aren’t getting enough fiber and water.  

• Week-to-week and month-to-month, keeping your body healthy and disease-free makes good moods more likely. For example, key nutrients you get in certain foods can influence the levels of feel-good hormones such as serotonin. Other nutrients can help prevent inflammation so blood circulates well to all of your organs.

“Eating a heart healthy diet -- high in fiber and low in saturated fat -- is a great place to start to boost your mood. There isn’t any question about it, says Diane M. Becker MPH, ScD, director of the Center for Health Promotion at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Conversely, “a high-fat, high-glycemic load meal can make you physically feel dysfunction in your body. People who eat this type of meal tend to feel bad and sleepy afterwards,” she says.

6 Tips for Foods and Beverages That Help You Feel Good

1. Seek out foods rich in vitamin B12 and folic acid (folate).

What’s special about chili made with kidney beans and lean beef? Or a light chicken Caesar salad made with skinless chicken breast and romaine lettuce? Or grilled salmon with a side of broccoli?

All these dishes feature one food that is rich in folic acid (folate) and another that is rich in vitamin B12. These two vitamins appear to help prevent disorders of the central nervous system, mood disorders, and dementias, says Edward Reynolds, MD, at the Institute of Epileptology, King’s College, London.

The link between higher food intakes of folate and a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms crosses cultures, too. A recent study confirmed this association in Japanese men. 

Folic acid is usually found in beans and greens. Vitamin B12 is found in meats, fish, poultry, and dairy.

Other dishes that feature B-12 and folic acid-rich foods include:

• A burrito or enchilada made with black beans plus beef, chicken, or pork

• A spinach salad topped with crab or salmon

• An egg white or egg substitute omelet filled with sauteed spinach and reduced-fat cheese

2. Enjoy fruits and vegetables in a big way.

Fruits and vegetables are packed with key nutrients and antioxidant phytochemicals, which directly contribute to your health and health-related quality of life.

In a one study, eating two more servings of fruits and vegetables a day was associated with an 11% higher likelihood of good functional health. People who ate the highest amount of fruits and vegetables felt better about their health.

3. Eat selenium-rich foods every day.

Selenium is a mineral that acts like an antioxidant in the body. What do antioxidants have to do with feeling better and minimizing bad moods? Research suggests that the presence of oxidative stress in the brain is associated with some cases of mild to moderate depression in the elderly population. 

One study evaluated the depression scores of elderly people whose daily diet was either supplemented with 200 micrograms of selenium a day or a placebo. Although more research is needed to confirm the findings, the group taking selenium had higher amounts of selenium circulating in their blood and significant decreases in their depression symptoms.

Try to get at least the recommended daily allowance for selenium: 55 micrograms a day for men and women.

Whole grains are an excellent source of selenium. By eating several servings a day of whole grains such as oatmeal, whole-grain bread, and brown rice, you can easily get 70 micrograms of selenium. Other foods rich in selenium include:

• Beans and legumes

• Lean meat (lean pork or beef, skinless chicken or turkey)

• Low-fat dairy foods

• Nuts and seeds (especially Brazil nuts)

• Seafood (oysters, clams, crab, sardines, and fish)

4. Eat fish several times a week.

Several recent studies have suggested that men and women have a lower risk of having symptoms of depression if they eat a lot of fish, particularly fatty fish like salmon, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3s from fish seem to have positive effects on clinically defined mood swings such as postpartum depression, says Jay Whelan, PhD, head of the department of nutrition at the University of Tennessee.

Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include:

• Herring

• Rainbow trout

• Salmon

• Sardines

• Tuna

   

5. Get a daily dose of vitamin D.

Does a little time in the sun seem to make you feel better? The sun’s rays allow our bodies to synthesize and regulate vitamin D. 

Four recent studies showed an association between low serum levels of vitamin D and higher incidences of four mood disorders: PMS, seasonal affective disorder, nonspecified mood disorder, and major depressive disorder.

Researcher Pamela K. Murphy, PhD, at the Medical University of South Carolina says people can help manage their moods by getting at least 1,000 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D a day.

That’s significantly more than the Institute of Medicine’s Recommended Dietary Allowance for vitamin D, which is 600 IU daily for ages 1 to 70, and 800 IU for people over 70.

Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D. So she recommends we get vitamin D from a variety of sources: short periods of sun exposure, vitamin D supplements, and foods.

Vitamin D can be found in:

• Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel

• Beef liver

• Cheese

• Egg yolks

But our primary source of dietary vitamin D is fortified foods, such as breakfast cereals, breads, juices, and milk.

6. Treat Yourself to 1 oz of Chocolate

“Small amounts of dark chocolate can be a physical upper,” says Becker at Johns Hopkins. “Dark chocolate has an effect on the levels of brain endorphins,” those feel-good chemicals that our bodies produce. Not only that, but dark chocolate also seems to have a heart-healthy anti-clogging effect in our blood vessels.

In one study from the Netherlands, Dutch men who ate 1/3 of a chocolate bar each day had lower levels of blood pressure and lower rates of heart disease. The chocolate also boosted their general sense of well-being.

How Foods and Beverages May Make You Feel Bad

Just as some foods can help you feel better, others can make you feel down. Here are ways to reduce the harmful effects of three foods that can drag you down.  

1. Reduce foods high in saturated fat.

Saturated fat is well known for its role in promoting heart disease and some types of cancer. Now researchers suspect saturated fat also plays a role in depression.

The link was found in a study called the Coronary Health Improvement Project, which followed 348 people between the 24 and 81. A decrease in saturated fat over a six-week period was associated with a decrease in depression.  

2. Limit alcohol carefully.

That “feel-good” drink, alcohol, is actually a depressant. In small doses, alcohol can produce a temporary feeling of euphoria. But the truth is that alcohol is a chemical depressant to the human brain and affects all nerve cells.

Depending on the amount of alcohol consumed, people can go quickly from feeling relaxed to experiencing exaggerated emotions and impaired coordination.

It’s no coincidence that depressive disorders often co-occur with substance abuse, and one of the main forms of substance abuse in this country is alcohol.

3. Don’t go crazy with caffeine.

Caffeine can increase irritability a couple of ways.

• If the caffeine you consume later in the day disrupts your nighttime sleeping, you are likely to be cranky and exhausted until you get a good night’s rest.

• Caffeine can also bring on a burst or two of energy, often ending with a spiral into fatigue.

Some people are more sensitive than others to the troublesome effects of caffeine. If you are sensitive to caffeine, decrease the amount of coffee, tea, and sodas you drink to see if this helps uplift your mood and energy level, particularly in the latter part of the day.

 

Review of Two Kellogg's FiberPlus Cereals: A LaMothe Product Review

When trying to conceive or just trying to eat a more balanced diet, we all become aware of how important healthy eating habits are. We are told to eat more fiber, add more antioxidants and find a way to enjoy doing just that. Well, I was asked to review 2 of Kellogg's FiberPlus cereals: Kellogg's FiberPlus^® Berry Yogurt Crunch and Kellogg's FiberPlus^® Cinnamon Oat Crunch. I received two full boxes and shared them with my husband and my 15 year old daughter. (and you know how picky 15 year olds can be!) Needless to say these two boxes didn't last long in our household. Both cereals tasted great and lived up to the wonderful Kellogg's reputation for producing healthy and tasty products. I felt like I was providing my family nutritious choices for their morning meal.  My daughter loved the Cinnamon Oat Crunch the best where my husband and I agreed that the Berry Yogurt Crunch was our favorite.  I would highly recommend that you give all of the FiberPlus cereals a try!

August is National Breastfeeding Month

August is National Breastfeeding Month, which is fitting because breastfeeding is once again spiking in popularity among new moms as the preferred method of feeding their newborn babies.  Breastfeeding is a personal choice that all mothers make and this trend is very healthy because breastfeeding provides so many benefits to both the mother and her baby.  Chicago Healers Practitioner Dr. Marilyn Mitchell, MD, provides some of the benefits of breastfeeding.

• Nutrients and Enzymes- Babies who are breastfed take in nutrients and enzymes that are perfectly proportioned for a human infant.  Bottled milk often comes from cows or soy and lacks the perfect blend of nutrients and enzymes that human milk provides.
• Supplemented Immune System- Breast milk also transmits antibodies from the mother to the infant, which are especially vital during the first few months of life when the infant’s immune system is immature and lacks the ability to produce its own antibodies.
• Healthier Life- Infants who breastfeed generally have fewer illnesses during the breastfeeding period than those who are bottle-fed and develop fewer allergies in their lifetime.  Breastfed babies also tend to have less colic, fewer restless episodes, and better sleep patterns than bottle-fed infants.
• Helps Mom, Too- Breastfeeding increases metabolism, which helps with post-partum weight loss.  It also helps with mother-child bonding due to the mutually pleasurable experience.

It is also smart for new moms to be aware of what they consume while breastfeeding, as it can affect their child.  Here is a list of things to up intake of and things to avoid:

Do eat:

• Fresh fruits and vegetables (organic when possible)
• Protein sources (also organic when possible)
• 8-12 glasses of water, juice, herbal teas
• Calcium rich foods (dairy, greens, legumes)

         Avoid:

• Alcohol
• Caffeinated beverages and all soda pop
• Foods that bother the infant (spices for some)
• Preservatives

Creating a Virtual Campfire to Cope with Infertility by Guest Blogger Helen Adrienne L.C.S.W.

In this day and age campfires are something that are associated with some kind of literal camping experience.  Many of you may never have experienced one firsthand.  Our phylogenetic ancestors understood on an intuitive level that at the end of the day, sitting around the campfire, singing, dancing, drumming or telling stories reversed the physiology of stress.  Indigenous societies still engage in this practice.  The therapeutic effects of a campfire as a de-stressor has been lost for us.  

As you well know, infertility is itself a stressor of major proportions that rides on top of the stresses of daily living.  How can we create a virtual campfire thereby reclaiming its   restorative benefits?  A virtual campfire can be anything that totally absorbs our attention, making it difficult for negative thoughts to intrude.  Creative endeavors such as baking, making curtains or painting a room a bright color serve this purpose particularly well.  As long as the activity has a strong enough lure, it can disable the tendency of the mind and body to intensify frenzy and upset which disrupt feelings of well-being.  

When you’re in a funk, if you “do” something engaging and distracting you will reap the benefit and feel relieved, if only for a short while.  But generally, those in a fertility quest are in no mood to take find the discipline to take care of themselves in this way.  This is understandably, as the demands of life and medical treatment take up all the discipline you can seem to muster.  Yet discipline is the key word.  When you least feel like it, if you behave counter intuitively, you can disengage from the siren song of negative expectations.  

There are times when it is necessary to dive under the turbulence all together—a time when “doing” doesn’t work.  If it feels impossible to settle on something engaging enough to hold your focus—letting yourself just “be” distracts from the demands of infertility.  It might feel even harder to accomplish this disengagement, yet as an option it has even more power to achieve a reversal of the relentless stress of infertility. 

How is it possible to let go of the worry that accompanies the infertility journey and just “be” by creating a virtual campfire?  Here is just one way—a way that is less demanding of the discipline it takes to develop meditative skills.  In fact it is incredibly simple:  

Light a candle.  Stare at the flame.  Bring just enough conscious awareness to this experiment to facilitate breathing easily and freely.  Now simply notice the candle.  Let yourself be curious about the way that the flame dances.  Is the window opened or closed?  What is the flame responding to if there is no obvious draft?  Why does it become so still and at other times seem to dance with joy?  When the flame is still, can you mimic that stillness within yourself?  When it dances, can you allow yourself an inner effervescence?  And if there is a draft, what can you learn about the way the flame moves in response to air currents?  Let the candle be a metaphor that transports you in a mindless way to the recuperative powers of serenity.  You stand to learn that you can let go and—and you can feel better.  Therein lies your power.

 

Helen Adrienne, L.C.S.W., has been a psychotherapist in private practice since 1979. Although a general therapist, she has specialized in working with ob-gyn referrals, particularly the women, men and couples who struggle with infertility. Helen is trained in mind/body therapy and clinical hypnotherapy and conducts mind/body stress reduction classes for women at the NYU Fertility Center. Helen is a charter member of NY City Resolve™ and has presented at many of their conferences. She also educates mental health professionals on the parameters of infertility at national and international conferences. She has authored many articles on infertility, which can be found on the "Baby Manifest-O" blog on her website, www.mind-body-unity.com. Her book On Fertile Ground: Healing Infertility is a valuable resource for infertility patients and those who want to understand them.

On Fertile Ground, Healing Infertility by Helen Adrienne LCSW: A LaMothe Book Review

On Fertile Ground, Healing Infertility by Helen Adrienne LCSW is truly a great addition to any fertility professionals lending library and a wonderful asset for anyone going through infertility. I especially liked The Lifestyle Profile, and The Self-Esteem check list which includes a beliefs inventory. You don't have to be infertile to appreciate many of the chapters in this book. Helen addresses the impact infertility can have on a marriage and relationships with family and friends. With real life examples and an intimate look at the medical and emotional process I felt that On Fertile Ground had something that everyone could relate to. Easy to read for minds that are often overwhelmed, this book offers some very real help and solutions for coping with infertility.

The Optimist’s Path by Guest Blogger Dr. Christina Grant

Childhood experiences, environment, success and disappointment can play a role in shaping our attitudes. But whatever your current worldview might be, there is always room for a little more optimism. Especially now, when one dark thing after another appears on the nightly news, flexing the optimist muscle is imperative. This helps life become more meaningful, lifts physical energy and vitality, and certainly makes it nicer for others to be in our presence.  

A friend and I were talking about the concept of good health being related to a positive mental attitude. My view was that a positive outlook is a healthier way to live and can even prevent illness. But he countered with something interesting. He said, “Some of the nastiest, most negative thinking people I’ve known have lived to be very old.” Once I thought about this, I had to agree - I’ve seen this too. 

Although we’ve all known a difficult, cantankerous person who lived to old age, I still believe keeping a positive focus is important for physical, mental, and spiritual wellness. I like what Dr. Karl Menninger said, a founder of the Menninger Clinic and proponent of blending psychiatry and medicine: “Set up as an ideal the facing of reality as honestly and as cheerfully as possible.”

 Why go the opposite route? It’s apparent that many of us choose the path of complaining and misery, but why? About complaining, a wise teacher I once had said, “It’s self-correcting. One eventually sees the futility of one’s own negativity, although this may take many lifetimes.” I found this to be an interesting way to look at it: we are all evolving and one of the roads in our travels is the road of pessimism! 

I’d like to think I traveled that road long ago, but things happen and sometimes it just feels really good to get right into the center of the mud pile and complain about everything. If we can be aware of the moment we choose to jump into the mess, and also be a little practiced in how to climb back out and clean off, then once in awhile maybe we can be excused and just indulge. Griping is an indulgence, after all. 

Affirmations are one way to help your mind stay focused on the positive and also to help dig yourself out of the mud pile once you’ve had your fun in there. I encourage you to set up your own self-fulfilling prophecies. Listed below are a few you can use to get you on your way.  

 I make conscious, positive choices

I have the kind of inner fortitude that survives and succeeds through anything

I live in true comfort and joy

I have a healthy vibrant body and mind

I forgive myself for everything

I am open to positive change

I flow easily with change

My own well-being is my top priority

Optimum health is mine now and always

I am fully loved

My body knows how to heal itself

I am completely healthy in every way

Every day I’m feeling happier

I am alive and healed on all levels

I remain in balance, steady, strong, peaceful

I have a lot of options

I have many opportunities

My life is filled with harmony

You can write them out, print and post where you can see them, choose one that resonates with you and put it on your refrigerator, or make a list of your own. Either way, you’re mental focus will be improved and, according to the latest studies on mind-body wellness, you will be healthier and happier. 

Christina Grant, Ph.D., is a specialist in Holistic Healing, Intuitive Guidance, and Energy Balancing. She has helped thousands of people transform physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. A widely published author, she also hosted the "Health Connections" radio program as well as co-hosting Monterey's "Your Health" television series. She is frequently interviewed on radio and television about various aspects of holistic healing. 

To learn more or contact her, visit www.christinagrant.com.

Cultivate Joy as an Antidote to Stress By Guest Blogger Christina Grant, PhD

There are many changes going on. From the power of the internet to new electronic devices, from weather and nature to the world itself, we are witnessing momentous times.

Sometimes the change can be overwhelming. It can touch us on a very personal level, emotionally, mentally, and even physically. Change brings stress, which can be felt even through minor infections and colds. 

Cultivating joy is a powerful antidote to the stress of change. Through the energy of joy, your immune system can overcome just about anything and you will find yourself enjoying life despite external events. 

One occurrence causing some folks stress is watching our collective shadow as a nation emerge. As this happens, it becomes more difficult for us to maintain our comfortable worldview. It also is more challenging to ignore our own individual shadow, which is the "dark" part of ourselves we try to hide and pretend doesn't exist. 

As a nation, our shadow holds judgment, blame, self-righteousness, racism, secrecy, and fear (among others). While this shadow gets illumined for us and the world to see, it is our opportunity as individuals to look within and witness our own shadow. 

What about your own self do you keep hidden away? This becomes part of your personal shadow. It’s not always easy to see, but when we can answer this, we become more conscious and wise. Our relationships become healthier. We are more able to add our light to the world, rather than our darkness.

For those of you willing to take a look at your own shadow, addressing the inner self is key. One way is to begin healing the damaged heart center, also called the heart chakra. Everyone has suffered heart wounds which can prevent the heart chakra from flowing in a healthy way. 

Compassion and understanding for ourselves and for people who hold differing beliefs filters through the heart chakra. Love for others and for our own imperfections is its domain, too. But how often do we find ourselves participating in negativity and fear instead of heartfelt love? At these times we have lost connection with the true self, the higher self, the more wise and divine self.

Stress and the rapid changes of life can be more easily managed when lost or hidden parts of the self are brought together, heart chakra damage is repaired, and we step into the more soulful self, thereby reconnecting with the nourishing energy of love. This activates a sense of well-being, which leads to joy. 

Here is one easy way to cultivate more joy in the midst of change. Notice how you feel in the center of your chest. Easy and flowing? Healthy? Tight, constricted, or closed off? Breathe slowly while focusing your attention on expanding and softening the area around your heart center (the center of your chest at your sternum). Continue to follow your breath in this way for a few minutes. You’ve just taken a powerful first step toward healing your heart chakra and alleviating stress. 

Christina Grant, PhD is a holistic healer, counselor, and writer living on the Central California Coast. Learn more at www.christinagrant.com.

 

 

 

Get Ready for the New Year! Healthy Home Improvement by Guest Blogger Christina Grant, PhD

For several years my home office has been the color of sea foam green. This particular room is always cold, even in summer, and needs an extra heater to bring it to a comfortable temperature. 

A few weeks ago as the weather began to turn chilly, in a moment of do-it-yourself enthusiasm I decided I was done with the sea foam green, a shade that can in fact make the room feel colder than it is. I wanted a color that would make the room warmer. 

Have you tried to decide on a paint color lately? It’s daunting. Standing in the middle of an enormous home improvement warehouse, I actually began to consult the names of the colors, as a way to help me decide. Who has the job of thinking up these names? I selected “Moroccan Sky,” an earth tone resembling terra cotta. Perfect. 

I wanted my Moroccan Sky to be zero-VOC to limit my toxic exposure. VOCs are Volatile Organic Compounds found in a variety of products such as furniture, carpeting, adhesives, and paints. The compounds release into the air and can cause ailments from allergies to cancer to ozone layer depletion.

 Nowadays you can take in a swatch of color that can be matched in almost any brand of paint. But getting my exotically named orange-brown paint without VOCs apparently meant complications for the paint department employee, who seemed more interested in stocking shelves than mixing paint. So he said, “It’s a lot more expensive and really doesn’t matter. Today’s paints are all very low in VOCs. It’s not like the old days. These are all incredibly low, so just get what you want in any brand and you’ll be fine.” 

I doubted this, truly, but I was on a DIY enthusiasm roll which doesn’t come around often. I went ahead with Moroccan Sky and its “low” VOCs. Once back home in full paint mode, it was clear there were plenty of toxins coming out of the can, into the air, and onto my wall. The smell was so strong I took frequent breaks even though a good breeze blew through the windows. I began to wonder about cancer. I painted one wall, got out quickly, and let the room air out overnight with an air filter running on turbo. 

The next day I went to my small local hardware store and inquired about a paint color that is a few notches down the scale. It was a bit too ambitious after all, to have four “Moroccan” walls. I wanted warmth, not a cave. This paint department employee was very agreeable that zero-VOC, non-toxic paint is the way to go. He gave me literature supporting the reasons why it’s better for our health, which I knew but had lost sight of in my eagerness to get started. I settled on “Spiced Cider” and even the employee said it sounded wonderful. 

Let me spare you the further details of my painting adventures and get to the point, which is to say, if you are up for a change and would like to paint your home or office, spend the extra $10 per gallon to get paint that is safe for you, your pets, and the environment. Here are more reasons why: 

There are little or no noxious fumes.

There isn’t toxic off gassing, which can occur for years with ordinary paint.

You can use the room right away without having to wait for the smell to dissipate.

You’ll be exposed to zero carcinogens. Be sure to verify this in the brand you purchase.

There will be no risk of toxicity to your kidneys, liver, and nervous system.

You’ll avoid sinus inflammation and allergies.

You won’t harm the ozone layer.

A zero-VOC, non-toxic paint won’t add more caustic chemicals to landfills.

You’ll protect your pets from breathing toxic indoor air, which in many cases is much more polluted than outdoor air. Also, paint fumes can kill birds. 

Once I brought home my new gallon of Spiced Cider, I opened the lid and swiped a bit of it on the walls. Breathing easy, it felt like the best extra $10 ever spent. 

For more information, to contact, schedule a session, sign up to receive her newsletter, or read her blog, see www.christinagrant.com.

 

How to Clear the Energy of Your Home or Office by Guest Blogger Christina Grant, PhD

Illness, violence, arguments, drug-use, thoughts, and moods influence the energy of a place. When you enter someone’s home or office, part of you automatically notes how it feels. Conscious or not, this awareness seems to be a survival mechanism, keeping you alert for protection and safety.

Sometimes I meander through our neighborhood “open houses” to satisfy a curiosity about what type of home is selling for what price. These homes all speak to me about their dwellers. In some of the homes, the energy is such that it’s hard to breathe. If realtors were aware of how this energy affects the unconscious of potential buyers, they would clear the home energy first, before putting it on the market. 

Clearing a place serves to reset the energy. Just as you would clean dirty floors in a new home, it’s important to clean the energy. If you can’t see this energy, that doesn’t mean it’s not there. Before you bring anything into your new home or office, clear the space. Otherwise, you’re living in someone else’s energetic dirt, which can affect you.

I once toured a famous historic home near Boston. Our small group was told about the home’s original owners – folks who lived there when the first shot “heard ‘round the world” occurred. It was one of those places I had trouble breathing in, which was one sign the energy was stagnant. When we entered an upstairs bedroom, I could not only feel illness in the air, I could smell it. I said, “Someone had a long illness, probably died in this room.” The tour guide and the others looked at me as if I’d grown a second head. The guide then confirmed that an older woman had died there. I knew part of her was still hanging around. 

The energy of folks doesn’t go out the door when they leave. It clings to walls, drapery, furniture, carpet, and the air. When I have moved, I’ve tried to find out what was going on with the former tenants. How was their relationship? Their finances? Their mood? 

This coincides with the ancient practice of Feng Shui, which advises us to know the history of the home and its inhabitants before moving in. For example, if someone was ill, or if they fell upon desperate times, financially or otherwise, it’s unadvisable to move in behind them because the same thing can touch you. This can work positively as well. In one home I lived in, a two-story duplex, each of the tenants downstairs began as a single woman and moved out newly-wed. 

We aren’t always going to know what happened in a place before we move in. This is why I would clear any home or building as a rule. Clean thoroughly, wipe down walls, shampoo carpets and floors, and let fresh air blow through each and every room. Bring in as much natural light as possible. Sounds, chanting, singing, living plants, fresh flowers, and certain crystals are also helpful in moving and transforming energy. 

In tougher cases where something seems strange or you know there was negativity or death, use additional clearing techniques. The main one I use comes from the Native American tradition. This technique was explained to me years ago by a Native American medicine man in the hills near Lake Arrowhead. A friend had just bought a fixer nearby which had a dreadful energy, to the point we didn’t want to enter one of the rooms at all. We wanted the medicine man to come to the house, but he said it wasn’t a good day for him and we could do it ourselves.  

Of course, he said to use the Native American herb white sage, wrapped into a tight bundle (sometimes called a smudge stick or sage wand). Open all the windows or just crack them if it’s windy. Open cabinets and closet doors. Light the tips of the sage with a match and extinguish the flame so the wand lightly smokes. Walk counterclockwise around the home, into each room. Allow each corner, cupboard, and closet to receive the smoke. When finished, pass by again in a clockwise direction. 

Sage alone creates a void, so it’s advisable to use another herb blended with it such as lavender or sweet grass. This pulls in a more positive energy as the older, stagnant energy exits. If you just have straight sage, use your intention to bring in higher, more positive energy. Our medicine man also advised us to throw sea salt in the corners of the house for good measure and leave white candles burning (with supervision). 

There are many different variations on how to clear a space. I’ve found a thorough cleaning combined with the simple use of sage is usually enough. Ongoing, sage can be used to reset the energy of a place after there has been any sort of upset. 

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