A detailed interview and evaluation by a knowledgeable air quality consultant is a highly effective means to determine the necessary solutions for an indoor environment. Environmental engineers today use both lab testing and interviews to determine air quality problems and solutions. Those living and working in an environment are often able to unlock answers when the right questions are asked. The fee is $99, and may be applied towards the purchase of air purification systems. The price range for solutions generally varies between $449 and $1,049. “Do It Yourself Mold Testing” with specimens sent to a certified lab are also available for $129.
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There is much more to water than purity and mineral content. Water is now being analyzed according to its structure. Ideally, water is highly structured in a beautiful hexagonal (6 sided) crystalline matrix (See below.) Toxins, certain minerals, and moving in an unnatural environment (underground straight pipes) actually break the structure of water. (See below.) Large broken clusters are more difficult to assimilate and take energy from the body. This may be why some people drink plenty of water, and yet are still dehydrated.
Water has not been heavily studied in the mainstream west. However, the orient has analyzed water since the 1950’s. Dr. Mu Shik John has spent 40 years researching water and verifying the existence of a water structure known as hexagonal water. He has authored over 250 scientific publications, and the book “The Water Puzzle and the Hexagonal Key”, which has only recently been translated into English. Once water is purified, it needs to be restructured to be best absorbed into the cells and utilized by the body. Common buzzwords today are “energy” or “living” water. Nature has a process by which it takes rainwater, which is naturally distilled, and restructures it. As water moves downstream it tumbles and falls through natural vortexes in the current of a streambed and across rocks. This natural process actually has a purpose. It restructures the water into the hexagonal cluster. Water is also energized as it is exposed to the far infrared energy from the sun and electromagnetic stimulants from rocks and the earth’s natural magnetic field. All this results in water that has small, highly organized clusters and is full of energy. It is once again mineralized, alkalized, oxygenated to hydrate the cells. Naturally, you’re thinking, I don’t have the option of using a streambed. Neither do I! However, because of increasing awareness of the need to restructure water, technology has come to market that uses the same principles found in nature to energize the water we drink. It’s not necessary to solely consume this kind of water, but a few glasses everyday would be very healthy and well worth investing in. Contact Della Powell directly for inquiries on quality water treatment systems One of the greatest controversies in the arena of water and health has to do with the desirability of minerals in the water vs. pure or mineral free water (distilled or RO water). Pure water is often called “dead” because it is empty or void of healthy minerals. The theory is that empty water is aggressive and seeks minerals, thereby leaching them from the body, especially the bones. Certainly, for millennia cultures has valued high mineral water as therapeutic. Many cultures that lived near these sources lived long healthy lives.
Yet, the pure water advocates accurately contend that many healthy cultures have only distilled water (rainwater and snow) as their source. These cultures highly prized salt for their minerals, often traveling long distances to get it. In addition to that, it is widely accepted that pure water has been successfully used for therapeutic purposes and organic minerals found in food are more readily utilized than inorganic minerals. Like most controversies, there is truth on both sides, but the truth needs to be put into perspective. First of all, there are healthy people on both sides of the fence. It is far more important to stay hydrated and drink pure water than argue over this issue. All water, mineral free or not, needs to be “structured and alkalized” in order to be best assimilated by the body. This is discussed in the next section. The greatest concern of mineral free water is the acidity. Testing strips often show RO water to be very acidic, however, this leads to an inaccurate conclusion. The fault is in the method of testing. The testing strips measure minerals levels to determine pH, but RO removes those minerals leaving a faulty conclusion. Lab testing will actually reveal a neutral pH levelhexagonalwater1.jpg It is commonly believe that pure water is an aggressive solvent and will leach minerals from the body, especially the bones, but this is unproven. Water is immediately neutralized when it comes into contact with the stomach acids. In addition, a simple solution of adding a pinch of quality sea salt can mineralize pure water. Minerals alkalize water and alkaline water is very healthy because a body in an alkaline state is not vulnerable to pathogens and diseases. A simple litmus test will tell a person their pH and whether this is an issue. Contact Della Powell directly for inquiries on quality water treatment systems
Contact Della Powell directly for inquiries on quality water treatment systems Distillation – heats water to a boiling point, sending steam to a condensing chamber, to cool back to water. Rainwater is naturally distilled.
A quality water distiller will effectively remove
Disadvantages
Contact Della Powell directly for inquiries on quality water treatment systems
CARBON FILTRATION
It’s worth taking the time to learn how we ended up with a water crisis. It helps us to see the seriousness of the situation and be willing to act. There are three main reasons we have a water pollution crisis.
IONIZATION
Ionization has been studied in Universities worldwide since the 1920’s. There are literally hundreds of government and university studies showing the benefits of ionization for air pollution and human health, both physical and emotional. One of the phenomena that brought interest to the study of ionization is the effect of the pre-storm shift to positive ion ratios, that begins a few days before the storm. The most influential positive ion winds worldwide are known as the Witches Winds. In these parts of the world, there is more crime, accidents, and suicides during the Witches Winds. Some hospitals won’t schedule surgeries during this time, because the patient death rate is higher due to hemorrhaging. People know that it is common to experience aches, pains, irritability or a dullness of wit, as the storm approaches. Yet symptoms disappear like magic as soon as the storm has passed, because it leaves a high negative ion count in the air. Through all these studies, it is clear that where air pollution and human comfort are concerned, positive ions have a negative effect and negative ions have a positive effect. An ion is a very small particle carrying a positive or negative charge. In outdoor healthy environments such as mountain air, waterfalls, beaches and deserts, there is a mixture of approximately 4000 negative ions and 3000 positive ions, per cubic centimeter. However the average indoor ion balances is very low, somewhere between 0-35 ions per cubic centimeter. Lets take a look at how ionization works. Look at a beam of light in a darkened room. Move the sparkling dust particles with your hand and you’ll see they just dance around. There is no way to remove these particles from the air unless they attain enough weight to drop to the ground. Most particulate are positively charged and your home is positively charge, allowing these particles to stay suspended. Ions cause the small particles to attract to each other like magnets. These larger particles are now heavy enough for gravity to pull them from the air. Attached to those dust particles are chemicals, bacteria, mold and viruses. Removing the particles also reduces microbes and toxic chemicals. Ionization is extremely efficient. Professor Sergey A. Grinshpun at the Center for Health Related Aerosol Studies, Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati, Ohio, demonstrated unequivocally that ionic air purifiers efficiently remove course particulate (dust), fine and ultrafine particles from indoor air in a typical room. His research is peer reviewed which is the gold standard. Ionization
Ozone occurs naturally in the air that we breathe outdoors. Ozone is one of the most powerful sterilants created by nature. It has been used since 1904 to purify drinking water in cities such as London, Paris, Frankfurt, Moscow, New York, Chicago, Montreal and Los Angeles. It has been used for cleaning indoor air for an equal length of time. Ozone is created by sunshine and thunderstorms. It’s that positive sweet smell that we understand as fresh air. Benefits of ozone
In the 1920’s, both Harvard and John Hopkins studied ultraviolet light with a focus on tuberculosis. However, with the advent of anti-tuberculosis drugs and a vaccine, the studies were stopped. UV technology is based on the simple principle that microorganisms are vulnerable to the effects of UV light and they cannot reproduce (sterilized) and are therefore not infectious. However, it is limited for home use, based on the following reasons:
PHOTO CATALYTIC OXIDATION (SUNSHINE) Albert Einstein discovered the photoelectric effect. This discovery earned him his first Nobel Prize in 1921. With this technology, rare metals are used with UV light to create an abundance of friendly cleansers from the hydrogen and oxygen already in the air.
Filters were initially installed to protect sensitive HVAC equipment from damage due to dust. However, what started out as protection of equipment eventually formed the basis of cleaning indoor air. As filters became more efficient, they put more stress on the motors because of reduced airflow. It was not uncommon to have increased energy costs and for motors to burn up prematurely. Check your filters for a MERV rating and don’t purchase a filter with a MERV rating over 8.
There are three classes of indoor contaminants: (1) microbial, (2) gases, and (3) particulates. Filters deal only with large (course) particulates, or house dust. Although a manufacturer may claim that nearly 100% of particulates (usually .5 micron or larger) are removed from the air, we must remember two things.
HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air filter) filters are very popular. In laboratory tests (not necessarily real world) they have a minimum efficiency of 99.97% on .3 micron particles. Remember this is only the air that passes through the filter, which is generally a one room filter. HEPA can make a significant positive impact, but they do not address the whole problem The five key disadvantages of a HEPA filter are (1) Frequent and costly replacement, (2) Require powerful blower which is noisy and expensive to maintain, (3) Can be breeding ground for bacteria, mold and fungus, (4) Does not remove odors, gases, pesticides, viruses and many bacteria, (5) Most of the particles are smaller than .3 micron, and too small to filter Contact Della Powell directly for an IAQ Evaluation and Interview or information about quality air purification for your home or office The EPA has the following; very limited recommendations, source removal, ventilation and filtration.
SOURCE REMOVAL Source removal has a very limited application, since 80% of the dust comes from our dead skin. We are the source! It’s not practical to recommend for pets, smoking or old carpet. In the real world those changes aren’t generally made. The option of source removal isn’t applicable for a new home which is one of the most toxic environments on planet earth. When remodeling be sure to choose your air purification system before you start remodeling. This is one of the most common mistakes made. Remodeling stirs up an enormous amount of particulate and gases. Keep special watch on HVAC filters for frequent replacement. Remodeling projects can move take on a life of their own. They move fast and expand. Do your research ahead as you may not have time once the project has begun. New products are coming to market every day. Be sure to read labels and do research. The MSDS (Manufacturer Safety Data Sheet) of products, however, it is not a reliable source. Not all ingredients are listed. It is extremely important to be consumer wary. Nearly every website is structured to appear independent, but is not. They promote the products they are paid to promote. Terms like “green” and “natural” are used extremely loosely. Most “ green seals” are bought. Nothing replaces looking at the list of ingredients. Most retailers are not educated in this area so don’t rely on any statements made. In my experience most believe that once the odor is gone the VOC’s are gone also. Our noses are not capable of sensing very low levels odors. Remember, the greatest damage is not high levels that alarm us, but the undetectable low levels over a long period of time. Doing adequate research will not only protect your family but will inform the manufacturer of the demand for less toxic products. Source removal is most effective for everyday product purchases. Think before you buy! Everything outgases. Remove all chemical cleaners from the house. The ones you just can’t get rid of, place in the far end of the garage near the garage door for better ventilation. Replace with natural products. They do just as well if not better. VENTILATION Proper ventilation (getting more fresh air from the outside), without losing energy savings is extremely important. Variable speed fans can be inexpensively installed on the air handler to save energy and circulate air continuously through an air purification system. Ventilation also addresses the problem of negative pressure within the home so that contaminants aren’t pulled into our breathable air from garage, attic, cracks around doors and windows. For example, a clothes dryer will exhaust 175 cubic feet of air per minute when operating. This means that 175 CFM of make up air has to infiltrate back into the home, carrying contaminates from garage, ceiling and crawl space. Open a window or door to the outside if weather permits. A more permanent solution is to have a small return vent installed through the laundry wall to the outside. CONTROL MOISTURE/TEMPERATURE Begin to pay attention to the sources of the moisture. Washing and drying clothes, taking showers, washing dishes and watering plants add substantial amounts of moisture to the air. When doing these activities, run a fan, use vent or open a window to reduce moisture. Anytime the air becomes saturated with more than 50% water, mold and dust mites will experience explosive growth. An HVAC system will reduce moisture form the air, however, a simple moisture meter will measure the humidity. If your home maintains moisture over 50% then an indoor de-humidifier may be necessary in order to keep humidity between 30-45%. PROPER HVAC MAINTENANCE Keep a consistent maintenance program to keep the evaporator coil clean and drip pan dry. The best solution I have seen is to install a UV target plate at the “a” coil. This will prevent mildew, and keep the ducts and indoor air clean. Be careful that HVAC maintenance does not introduce cleaning chemicals into the indoor environment. Avoid duct cleaning with chemicals. Some homes have become uninhabitable because of toxic chemicals used to clean ducts. There are highly effective green products on the market. Find someone in your area that is environmentally conscience. On a final note, when installing new HVAC system be sure it is sized right. Hire an engineer. Installing a system that is too large for the home can create moisture problems in the home. Contact Della Powell directly for an IAQ Evaluation and Interview or information about quality air purification for your home or office Energy tight homes and offices
During the 1970’s the U.S. faced major energy problems. War in the Middle East reduced worldwide oil production. This led to new building codes to save energy within our homes and work places. The government required that buildings become energy tight. Before this, buildings were able to breath, and indoor air rather easily exchanged with fresh outdoor air, preventing the build up of contaminates. Contamination from the attic and garage Your home will lose air to the outside through air duct systems, range hoods, clothes dryers and vents. Every time you turn on your dryer, air flows through the vent to the outside. This creates a negative indoor air pressure in the home. Since nature loves an equilibrium air must come from the outside to balance the pressure. The problem is our homes are sealed in order to be energy efficient. Where does the air come from? The outside contamination is sucked into the home from wall cavities and door frames. Most laundry rooms and kitchens are near the garage so that the garage and attic (insulation containing formaldehyde) air is sucked in the garage. Think about what is stored in the typical garage, paint, pesticides, harsh chemicals, rodent droppings and mold. The list is endless. Now items stored in garage for safe keeping are actually a part of the indoor air that you breathe. Modern Lifestyle
Microbes need moisture to survive and grow.
Contact Della Powell directly for an IAQ Evaluation and Interview or information about quality air purification for your home or office According to American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology about 25% of the U.S. population suffer from some form of allergies. This makes allergic diseases the sixth leading cause of chronic illness in the nation.
What causes allergies? – Our bodies have a magnificent detoxification system, using the skin, colon, liver, kidneys, gall bladder, blood and lymph system. However, by some estimates, we take in more toxins in one day than our forefathers took in, in a year. Consider this, a baby just a little over two months old, has taken in more toxins that a 72 year old man who live a hundred years ago. An abundance of toxins slows our body’s ability to eliminate poisons because our system is clogged. We take in toxins through the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe. When you take in toxins faster than you can safely eliminate, excess toxins will accumulate and store in your cells, tissues, organs and bones. Today, our bodies simply cannot detox fast enough. Toxins are not only the result of our petrochemicals, but biological contaminants also create toxins that overload our triggering an over reactive immune response. If we can reduce toxins from all sources it will go a long way to alleviate allergic reactions. Imagine a pitcher with a hole in the bottom and you pour water in the top. As long as you pour a small amount the pitcher never fills up. As you increase the rate of water coming in, the pitcher begins to slowly fill. Eventually it fills and begins to spill over. Similarly, When our bodies cannot detox fast enough, we produce symptoms wherever our weak link is. This is when the cellular health is toxic and the immune system is weak. The body’s response to this injury or irritation is inflammation. This triggers an immune response, causing the white blood cells to spill histamines, cytokines and other inflammatory substances in the fight to clean up the toxemic condition. Symptoms of toxicity will manifest in the person’s weakest link According to Doris Rapp, M.D. environmental physician and author of “Is This My Child”, states that much of these behavior problems are allergy caused by food, molds, inhalants, chemicals and other allergens. Because the scope of allergies is so wide, allergies can affect almost every system in a child’s body, especially the central nervous system. Contact Della Powell directly for an IAQ Evaluation and Interview or information about quality air purification for your home or office 1. Particles
Have you ever wondered just what you were looking at when you see dust floating in a shaft of light? Most of think of house dust as fine granules of sand or dirt brought in from the outside. However, 80% of dust is dead human skin flakes and the remainder is a combination of animal and human dander, animal and human hair, insect parts, insect and dust mite feces, paint flakes, pollen, building material particles, clothing and carpet fibers. Dust is a by-product of our living indoors, not the outdoor dirt coming in! Particulates fall into two different categories – Course and fine
We live in a world of chemistry. Almost every product in our home is based upon man-made chemicals. The furniture, carpets, rugs, clothing, bedding, paints, building materials, glues, soaps, cleaning fluids, particleboard, insulation, permanent pressed clothing, non wrinkle clothing, dry cleaned clothes, household cleaners, stain removers, and body care such as hairspray, etc. are made of chemicals. With some exception all of these chemicals are made of petroleum byproducts.
1. Our lungs weren’t designed to be air purifiers
Our lungs are unable to break down potential hazards we breathe in. The air-sack tissue of the lungs and blood capillaries are meshed closely together in order to efficiently and quickly absorb oxygen into the blood stream. Many airborne particulates and gases are so small that they can easily be absorbed into the lung tissue. 2. Volume of indoor particulates
Many bacteria and viruses are found in water and soil, but have never been airborne until we created an artificial indoor environment for comfort. These now can become deadly pathogens, i.e Legionaires disease. 5. Volume of Air
Contact Della Powell directly for an IAQ Evaluation and Interview or information about quality air purification for your home or office. THE PERFECT STORM…
 Last fall I decided to transition from exercising for general fitness, into training as a professional athlete. Kettlebell sport is a Russian sport that requires a feat of strength and endurance. Actually, after seeing the training schedule, it took me three months to get the nerve to begin.
I soon found training at 50 was no easy task. In fact, the training was crushing me. I had to reduce my workouts by 2/3 and it soon became clear that I was in need of nutrient dense foods to come to the rescue. Specifically, I needed to increase my flexibility, protect my joints, and recover from intense training.  As the owner of a kettlebell gym, The most common question I am asked is “What makes kettlebells different?”. If you don’t know what a kettlebell is, don’t feel bad. The second most common question is “What is a kettle-ball?”
A Russian kettlebell looks like an iron cannonball with a handle. Kettlebells originated in Russia over two hundred years ago, where strength has always been highly regarded. The kettlebell was the most accessible and low-cost means for developing strength and endurance. In times past, strength was required in order to survive and thrive. Strength was needed to defend against enemies, endure and work in harsh and rural environments. Unlike in America today, where we enjoy a family barbecue on holidays; for centuries Russian folk festivals and national holidays have been centered around fist fighting, wrestling and weight lifting. Even Russian folk dancing is a feat of strength and endurance. In fact, kettlebells were and still are juggled as a display of strength and endurance. By Della Powell  My friend, we make things far more complicated and difficult than they need to be. We can all enjoy vibrant health, and it is much easier to achieve and keep, than the time and energy required to heal. It goes back to the old proverb, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” God is the healer, and our bodies are designed to strengthen and heal. We are basically designed with an installed high performance auto-correct!
Mainstream western medicine, and even most alternative health care practitioners have the cart before the horse. When a person is ill or injured the first step is always diagnostic testing for the purpose of isolating the problem and then alleviating symptoms. Even when injured or ill, a person should always focus first on building a strong body, and allowing the body to heal itself. |
About blogOur hope is that the information provided in this blog will help you make the connection between your environment, nutrition and your health. With the right information, you can diagnose potential triggers and make simple inexpensive changes that will make a profound improvement in your overall health. Peace & blessings, ~Della Categories
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