I wasn’t
going to do this blog hop and will keep it very short – but I really don’t want to
shock you!
Everyone’s
posts so far are fascinating reads ... with so much wise advice in them ...
- Eat fresh fruit and vegetables mostly
- Eat little, preferably no processed foods
- Eat in a balanced way ... little red meat, occasional chicken, lots of fish
- Walk a lot more, don’t be lazy .. park away from entrances ...
- Drink water – lots of it
- Stretch and work out, as you are able to ...
Tara Tyler is part of this blog hop - but her A-Z post "Sigma" (can't quite work that word out - but it fell under "S") ... it was the Showercize! that caught my attention ...
... lots of wonderful ideas that can and should be slotted into those
extra seconds, or minutes that we have doing our daily chores. She may describe herself as the Lazy
Housewife .. but if Tara is doing these .. she’ll be pretty fit!
 |
| Open Window by Frederick Childe Hassam (1859-1935) |
Fresh
Air Indoors ... Open that Window ... Big Think’s “Every Breath You Take. The Hidden Danger of Aeolian Plankton” ...
something not many of us think about – I know I do when I visit a ‘fuggy’ flat, or
stuffy building ... open those windows and air your place! I encourage you to read.
So here’s
to a very healthy blogging crew!! (way-hay
.. under 250 words! = just!!)
Hilary
Melton-Butcher
Positive
Letters Inspirational Stories
61 comments:
Gosh, just read some of the report on indoor pollution, quite illuminating. I am a fresh air fan and open mine as often as is practical (in the cold, wet weather!) but it certainly makes you think. Thanks for highlighting this, Hilary.
Be healthy, stay happy :)
I am also very much in favour of open windows too. Easier in the more equable climate of the UK, well in the south anyway, here, a lot of the time its either too damn cold or too damn hot. But when I can I do.
JO ON FOOD, MY TRAVELS AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE
I too like the idea of fresh air indoors, enjoyed your post up to your wonderful standard of writing.
Yvonne.
Nothing like fresh air...especially at the beach.
We live out in the country and I love to open our windows, weather permitting. And you listed excellent points that everyone should keep in mind. Thanks Hiliary, I'm now off to check out Tara's site. (:
I don't like having my windows open at all. I keep the a/c running in summer. Open windows, for me, means insects, pollen making my allergies worse, street/neighbourhood noise and all kinds of things that get my dogs to start barking.
My wife is big on fresh air. Darn it, she's right.
Thanks for participating in our bloghop.
Some hefty advice for a healthy life. Enjoy the blogfest.
Hi hilary, if people follow these easy steps they will see amazing results in their lives. I tell people if the can lose one and a half pounds a week and take two weeks off a year for vacations, then they can lose 75 pounds a year.
Your plan is simple yet effective enough to accomplish that.
Thanks for participating and for your great post!
parking farther from the entrance is a great tip :)
I miss the fresh air of UK. Here in Dubai it's sandy, scorching hot, or air-conditioned. *Cough, *Sneeze!
Some great tips.
Shah X
http://bit.ly/13Y93DV
Great advice. I try to do most of these. I agree that parking farther from the entrance is a great tip.
Indoor pollution is worse than outdoor pollution so I ride my air cycle instead. Talk about an moronic statement! But outdoors has too many hazards for me. I do keep an air purifier running in my house though.
Funny, somethings are just so natural to me, I don't even think about them. We don't have air conditioning, so we have wide open windows when ever we can. It dropped down to 4 the other day (we are southern hemisphere heading to winter) so I finally closed up the skylight vent. But the windows will still open as soon as they can.
@ Suzanne - I thought the Big Think article was worth a read .. and I have my windows open as much as pos .. and definitely stay healthy, stay happy .. too right.
@ Jo - I'm not so sure our equable climate is so kind now-a-days! .. still "freezing"!
@ Yvonne - thanks .. fresh air helps so much ..
@ Denise - yes sea air here too .. but not quite on the beach!
@ Elise - country living is lovely isn't it .. thankfully this is fairly urban free here .. am sure you'll have enjoyed Tara's post.
@ JoJo - sorry about the open windows .. I don't live in an area where I'd need an a/c ... dog barking is another 'pain' I agree ..
@ Alex - glad you've realised your wife is right! Enjoying the bloghop ..
@ Manzanita - simple advice I thought .. especially Tara's post and the Big Think pointers about indoor pollution ..
@ Stephen - we should all be able to sort our bodies, unless there's serious illness involved, or debilitating one ... it's mind over matter ...
Glad you enjoyed the post - thanks ..
@ Lisa - parking further away than we need saves time, energy, stress and then you get the extra walk!
@ Shah - sorry I couldn't comment on your post - such is G+ life.
I can believe the heat, dryness etc in Dubai must be trying .. but at least the air-conditioning helps and is needed there ..
@ Clarissa - I don't like complicating things if I can ..
@ JL - I can understand if pollution is a major outdoor challenge ... but for many of us opening our windows should be done more often .. your air purifier sounds a very good alternative ..
@ Rhonda - like you I don't have air con .. and keep the windows open as often as pos ... I hate going into stuffy flats, houses, or rooms ... with your travels I imagine you're all outdoor types ..
Cheers everyone - we all seem to be wanting to get healthy from the same 'hymn' sheet .. Hilary
I think one of the most healthy things a person can do is laugh daily. Even the Bible says it is good like a medicine!
Also, de-stress your life by doing things you enjoy. If you have to force yourself to do the things that make you healthy, you do yourself as much harm as good. Find a way to do healthy things that makes you happy, they you gain all the benefit.
So many things we can do to keep healthy!
tm
oh yes, what GREAT tips to be healthy! I have a friend who tries to cut out ALL corn syrup. Apparently that's just like tar on your insides. But it's in everything!
Now I need to get walking... :D <3
Showercize! I need to go read that. And Aeolion Plankton? Eww...sounds terrible. I need to go read that as well. Florida isn't the best place to leave windows open but I try whenever possible.
Thanks for all the healthy tips!
Love that Hassam painting--one of my favorite artists.
Thanks for the good advice.
Mary Montague Sikes
I'm enjoying reading all the posts in this blog hop. Very motivating!
I definitely need to start eating healthier! Maybe this is the kick in the rear that I need!
It's amazing what just opening a window can do! Serious!
aww! thanks so much for the shout!!
i do still keep moving in the shower, no excuses there! ha!
and lack of exercising is definitely not out of laziness, but lack of time... need to make it a higher priority. i need to walk the dog more for his sake as well as mine! thats my plan, anyway!
thanks again, lady!
You've just summed up the whole bloghop... not bad for 250 words :-)
It's amazing how simple things make for a healthier life. I always try to find a chuckle in a day. :)
There are so many little things we can do, even while sitting, that can help.
All great tips, Hilary, thank you. Sometimes, it's the small reminders that we need more than the big ones :)
Yeah, I have to get more fresh air and since I'm big on chicken I have to make more of an effort to eat more fish. Great simple tips ;)
Hilary, good tips. I like fish. I miss being on the coast because there was more variety and I could get many straight from the fisher folks. Here, I have to rely on frozen. But that's okay, it works.
You talk about fresh air. I always have windows open. When it's really hot, as it gets here in the summer, I do use the A/C but I like to have fresh air in the early morning.
I have my bedroom window open a couple of inches even in the winter. It's good for you. :-)
Sia McKye OVER COFFEE
Great entry, Hilary.
I'm trying to walk more, only if I didn't have to sit in front of the computer so long. But it's all up to me, I know, and I have to make it happen.
Useful tips throughout. Thank you.
I think you covered it all in a very nice short post. Great job, Hilary. It's when people get all flustered about the specifics (e.g., dissecting good from bad cholesterol, etc. etc.) that diets are pointless and overly stressful. Little things you mention, like parking far from entrances, do help a lot in the big picture. Thank you for these important reminders.
xoRobyn
@ TM - laughing is a really good one ... and destresses us too .. and so right we do need to enjoy what we're doing ..
@ Leigh - I don't think we have much corn syrup .. but it's something I know very little about .. if it's processed avoid it, I say. Let's go for a walk .. good idea.
@ Laura - Showercize c/o Tara .. very good suggestions here ..
Aeolion Plankton sounds particularly unpleasant .. and I'm sure I've experienced it on some occasions.
I can understand the fact it's not always easy to leave windows open, but perhaps insect frames are a good idea .. then at least it's the best of both worlds .. bugs out, air in!
@ Karen - sorry if I've shocked you ... awake perhaps?!
@ Monti - I was pleased to have found "The Open Window" - glad you appreciated the posting ..
@ Karen - I knew I'd enjoy reading, but only at the last minute did I join .. the Big Think posting made me sit up a little - and I thought I should let everyone have a look, if they felt like it ..
@ Keith - well there's plenty of us .. promoting health and exercise!
@ Morgan - this is something I'm sure you are very aware of .. open our windows, please!
@ Tara - that's a pleasure .. I so enjoyed your Showercize posting .. and perhaps you'll take a little of your own medicine - and walk your dog a little longer .. good luck with that goal!
@ Annalisa - thanks .. it seems I might just have done my bit - I hope everyone will read the Big Think post .. and action the rest!
@ Talon - you're right there .. the simple things make life easier, and probably give us more time to laugh ...
@ Diane - yes, we can do so much while we're sitting - sitting up straight for one thing ..
@ Mark - pleasure .. they are purposely small .. it makes it easier, as you confirm.
@ SK - good to meet you .. thankfully I'm quite good at varying my diet .. good luck with changing to some new habits, including more fish ..
@ Sia - I can understand your inland fish challenges - but frozen now is pretty good isn't it ... Even now - much of the catch leaves the harbour ... and even locally we get frozen fish at the harbour = crazy to my mind!
Fresh air .. it is an essential to life - we spend our lives breathing in so much gunky air .. it's quite frightening. I'd use the A/C if I had to .. thankfully in England we don't often get 'boiling hot' ..
Fresh air at night - essential too ..
@ Silvia - lots of tips around to get off our backsides ... set the egg timer or iphone, stretch and find some simple exercises to use - stretch out .. and that Showercize post has some great ideas in it ..
@ Robyn - it can get so complicated .. yet some people have major allergies, they need to be careful ..
I'm pleased the idea about parking further away make sense to so many of you ..
Cheers to you all - great bloghop .. Hilary
That is one of the early things I do - open the windows. I always say "I need air". The stuffy rooms need freshening.
So you've pointed us to other great ideas. Thanks, Hilary!
I usually crack the window at night, unless it's ultra cold. And I went organic some time ago. If there's stuff I can't pronounce in a food product, I don't buy it. I also watch sodium levels. I was never much of a sugar fan, so that one isn't an issue for me, but it shows up in some surprising products.
Leaving the window open is the best idea. We hear a far off train, frogs, and sometimes coyotes and rabbit screams. (But not everyday). Then to wake up to bird songs is perfect.
Great advice and lovely pictures. I follow your advice. It is important to eat a balanced diet and to exercise and stretch as you say. Doing so keeps the mind sharp and creative.
I think that we tend to underestimate the importance of fresh air!
Showercize... what a great sounding word... fascinating thought...
Writer In Transit
eat lots of pineapple lol
Great post and sound advice. Fortunately I live somewhere it is customary to open windows 24 hours!
Thanks!
Nas
That's a fun bloghop! I try to take the stairs a lot at work...
Good advice! I guess I should open my windows more.
Nicely done! Cheers(with a Green Smoothie) ;D
Great tips. I'm big on the fresh air one. Eating healthy and exercising is important too, of course, but fresh air just makes you feel so good!
Hilary, those are all great tips for being more healthy. I try to do as many of them every day as I can...time marches on!
Hi, Hilary. Interesting post. I like to open up the windows and air out the place, especially after the house has been closed up all winter.
Hi Hilary -
I definitely need to air out my place! Of course, my windows and doors are so old and drafty, the house is probably fine.
Blessings,
Susan :)
That letting the air thing in is very Swedish, probably European. I wrote a whole post about it last Challenge. Very strange to find such a short, un-historical post here... ;-)
Tina @ Life is Good
@ DG - you sound like me .. let's open the windows!
@ Mary - you note a good point about 'stuff' in food products we don't expect to find ..
@ LoW - the nighttime noises away from urban human noise are fascinating - I can't fathom a noise out here .. but I hear the bells, occasionally a train, but always bird song ..
@ Julia - I definitely could do with doing more stretching and walking .. it's slowly getting added in
@ Michelle - that seems a good way of putting it .. we do underestimate the air we breathe - the fresher the better ...
I hope you had a chance to check out Tara's post - sensible advice here ..
@ A Lady's Life .. pineapple is good for breaking down food naturally isn't it ..
@ Nas - you certainly live in one of the most beautiful places on earth with lots of fresh ocean air ..
@ Deniz - well we're certainly getting lots of different pieces of advice - taking the stairs is a simple thing to do.
@ Sherry - with all your garden visits .. but for your music students - fresh air may well give them that added extra ..
@ Ella - cheers with my morning coffee!
@ MJ - good walks with that fresh air stimulating us .. giving our brain space to think ..
@ Chuck - yes, time does march on - we need to build the goodies into our life, so we can reap those benefits as anno domini keeps on catching up! Good points.
@ Susanne - letting the fresh air in does make so much difference doesn't it ... I love having the windows open and letting the air blow through ..
Your point about the wooden windows and doors not fitting ensures your house is healthier than many. I hate these plastic windows which don't breathe ...
@ Tina - I missed your post .. I'll go check it out
Yes - well I didn't think a post about the history of air, or water was quite right! But I must say I noted how simple it was!
Thanks everyone .. great blog hop hosted by Stephen, Alex, Diane and Michael de Jesu .. we all seem to be having fun ... cheers Hilary
My house is old and many of my windows no longer function. I'm hoping to get new windows this year. It will be wonderful to "open my windows" again.
I think the pollen is *almost* done here and that it may be safe to open the windows once more! Of course, now it's nearly 90 F. :)
I'm trying to avoid as many processed foods as possible now. Good tips, Hilary!
I read quite a few healthy blog posts during this hop. I figure I need all the help I can get. :D
I feel so much better after a little fresh air. And I am doing my best to eat fresh food all the time now, but resort to frozen Healthy Choice meals now and then for lunch.
I love fresh air - but I can't say I can breathe all that well when they are open with the allergies and asthma I have. sandie
Sometimes when you get a serious illness, like my type 1 diabetes, you can discover a few benefits. For me it is that I must both exercise and eat right. I never ate junk food, but I didn't eat anywhere near as healthy food as I do now. Having dogs that need to go for walks has also helped me greatly. This sounds like a fun and useful bloghop.
I'm following all of your advice, although I'm still struggling on the water part. I'll get there, I know. :)
Excellent post and leads me nicely up to saying that I'm very pleased to nominate you for WordPress Family Award for being such a wonderful, supportive blogger. Don't worry if you're not a WordPress site that doesn't seem to matter :) what mattters is that you're awesome. Hop over for the details.
maggie@expat brazil
@ Teresa .. I've always been a believer in the old houses with wooden windows and doors are healthier for you - but if you can open the news ones that will be wonderful! Insulating our houses is not necessarily in my eyes healthier .. it blocks up all air holes - but I can understand people wanting to stay warmer.
@ Elizabeth - pollen sufferers really can't open the windows can they .. and that temperature ..
Adapt as we can .. at least you can do the processed foods stop.
@ Patricia - there are lots of participants .. I must get round a few more today ..
@ Lynn - a good walk always does us much good doesn't it .. well done for the food change
@ Sandie .. I know asthma and allergy sufferers do struggle .. a difficult one ..
@ Inger - yes serious illness does bring us down with a bump .. but that walk with the dogs makes a world of difference .. and stretching and exercise all help so much. At least diabetes is manageable now ... to a point as I know you cope, but it's not easy.
I think everyone's been enjoying this bloghop ..
@ Al - you also need to help yourself so much with your illness - good for you .. and so pleased the water drinking is improving .. I think of you coping.
@ Maggie - thanks so much .. I'm not much good with awards either .. but really grateful you've given me one .. I love learning about Brazil ..
Cheers to you all - enjoy Friday, nearly the weekend .. and we might get some sun ... after the coldest Spring for a long time .. average of 6 degC! Hilary
Hi, Hilary,
I'm glad you decided to JOIN the HOP...
I ALWAYS air out my space. As a matter of fact I keep my windows open all year round, even in the winter.
Years ago, I had read how TOXIC air can be in closed spaces ... EVEN IN YOUR OWN HOME.
Plus my mom was a fresh air freak! Grandmother too. I guess it is the European way. I like that.
Thanks for pointing out Tara's SHOWERSIZE.... too fun.
And I would also like to say I just LOVE your positive attitude, bright smile, and sense of humor.
Have a WONDERFUL weekend...
Thanks Michael - you're a huge source of encouragement .. which I much appreciate.
Airing our space - excellent .. I sadly declare mine occasionally get fugged when it's mighty cold and I wasn't going out .. not often though.
That Big Think article highlights how toxic our air is .. particularly in public buildings, but homes can be too ..
We were just always outside .. and didn't have very good heating .. used to dash to the Aga to warm our butts!
Glad you enjoyed the Showercize .. I'm going to include it in my day to day activities ..
as long as you can hear the bright smile that's fine by me!!
You too have a great weekend .. cheers and thanks so much for your thoughts here .. Hilary
A timely reminder on opening my windows, even though it's winter. Thanks Hilary.
Hi Juliet - strikes me you are probably pretty healthy - and certainly you get lots of fresh air .. but as you say we need to air our living quarters .. cheers Hilary
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