Healthy Homes

Boost Your Health With These Allergy-busting Tips and Strategies

Welcome to the Healthy Homes page!

This is probably the most ironic web page I've ever written.

As previously mentioned, every exercise program or product in this website must be something I've personally tried. So if you browse through the entire site you'll see that I've conquered the mighty kettlebell, twisted myself into a pretzel with Pilates, and hung in there with the Mens Health fitness fanatics who endorse Turbulence Training. In the process of doing all of the above I've also overcome some significant health risk factors such as hypertension and high cholesterol.

Pretty impressive, huh?

And now the irony: I've been brought to my knees by the tiny dust mite.

Millions of people are allergic to dust mites, microscopic little creatures that make their homes in our beds and our carpets. Thanks to these little buggers I've had numerous doctor visits and have taken more allergy/asthma medications than I'd care to count.

Actually, it's not the dust mites themselves -- it's their droppings that do us in. So when you consider how small dust mites are and the fact that their droppings are even more miniscule, that's quite a formidable opponent in the battle against allergies.

After all, it's easier to overcome your allergies when you can actually see what you're allergic to. (Allergic to dogs? No problem. Keep dogs out of your house and stay away from the neighborhood kennel. Problem solved!) Dust mites, unfortunately, cannot be seen with the naked eye and thus they're virtually impossible to avoid in the average household.

But there are things you can do to significantly lessen your exposure to dust mites and other allergens. And this is where the healthy homes concept comes in.

If you're a fitness freak like me, you're probably doing as much as you can to take care of your body. But are you doing anything to take care of your home? If you're mindful of the simple fact that healthy homes promote healthy bodies, you can take fitness to an entirely new level.

Exercise and fitness is basically a cycle of stress and support. You stress your body with progressively challenging exercise programs and support it with adequate rest and nutrition. Adequate rest means getting a good night's sleep so your body can recuperate and grow stronger.

But as the folks at National Allergy Supply explain it, there's a problem when you're exposed to allergens on a continual basis.

When you go to sleep at night your body is supposed to get some much-needed rest. The presence of allergens in your home, unfortunately, can force your body and its immune system to work overtime. So while you're sleeping, your body is working hard to combat the offending allergens. Instead of waking up refreshed you find yourself with the sniffles or worse. Your body then has to continue fighting the allergens it's exposed to all day long. Hop in bed again at night and the battle continues. Is it any wonder that sooner or later we break down and call our doctors for more drugs?

It's an ugly cycle. But it's a cycle than can be broken with a healthy homes approach. Take care of your house as you would take care of your body and you'll be amazed by the results.

National Allergy Supply has emphasized that your bedroom is your biggest enemy in the fight against allergies. Therefore the most critical aspect of a healthy homes lifestyle is to make your bedroom an allergy safe zone. If you make your bedroom as allergen-free as possible then you grant your body the opportunity to get the rest and recuperation it needs. And National Allergy Supply offers an 8-step plan that can help you do this:

1. Use dust mite proof encasings on all your bedding. (This step alone makes a world of difference. Even if you use a dehumidifier to eradicate dust mites everywhere else in the house, they can continue to thrive inside bedding because your body moisture provides them the humidity they need to survive. I know--Eeew!--but I'm just relaying the facts.)

2. Wash bedding in HOT water or use a special laundry product for allergy sufferers.

3. Treat carpeting with anti-dust mite spray or powder. (Or, if possible, get rid of as many carpets as you can. Dust mites absolutely love rugs.)

4. Keep humidity level around 45% and monitor regularly.

5. Stop incoming dust with furnace & vent filters.

6. Choose wood, leather, or vinyl furniture.

7. Avoid cloth drapes. Use shades or blinds and dust often.

8. Remove airborn allergens with a powerful Room Air Purifier.

It was after applying these 8 steps when I finally realized that maintaining healthy homes is a major contributing factor in overall health and fitness. With these modifications and some natural supplementation I've been able to significantly reduce dependence on conventional prescription and over-the-counter medication. There's also the desirable benefit of being able to maintain a regular exercise routine without interruption due to coughing, sneezing, sniffling, and other annoying allergy symptoms.

With this experience in mind I highly recommend the National Allergy Supply Website. If you're an allergy sufferer like me, find out how you can take charge of your life with a healthy homes approach.

Yours in health and fitness,

Mark Drolsbaugh

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