Reducing Exposure to Combustion Products in Homes

Take special precautions when operating fuel-burning unvented space heaters.

Consider potential effects of indoor air pollution if you use an unvented kerosene or gas space heater. Follow the manufacturer’s directions, especially instructions on the proper fuel and keeping the heater properly adjusted. A persistent yellow-tipped flame is generally an indicator or maladjustment and increased pollutant emissions. While a space heater is in use, open a door from the room where the heater is located to the rest of the house. Open a window slightly. Your best option is simply not to use an unvented kerosene or gas space heater.

Install and use exhaust fans over gas cooking stoves and ranges and keep the burners properly adjusted.

Using a stove good with a fan vented to the outdoors greatly reduces exposure to pollutants during cooking. Improper adjustment, often indicated by a persistent yellow-tipped flame, caused increased pollutant emissions. Ask your gas company to adjust the burner so that the flame tip is blue. If you purchase a new stove or range, consider buying one with pilotless ignition because it does not have a pilot light that burns continuously. Never use a gas stove to heat your home. Always make certain the flue in your gas fireplace is open when the fireplace is in use.

Keep woodstove emissions to a minimum. Choose properly sized new stoves that are certified as meeting EPA emission standards.

Make certain that doors in old woodstoves are tight-fitting. Use aged or cured (dried) wood only. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for starting, stoking, and putting out the fire in woodstoves. Chemicals are used to pressure-treat wood. Such wood should never be burned indoors. Some old gaskets in woodstove doors contain asbestos. When replacing old gaskets refer to the instructions in the EPA booklet, Asbestos in Your Home, to avoid creating an asbestos problem. New gaskets are made of fiberglass.

Have central air handling systems, including furnaces, flues, and chimneys, inspected annually and promptly repair cracks or damaged parts.

Blocked, leaking, or damaged chimneys or flues release harmful combustion gases and particles and even fatal concentrations of carbon monoxide. Strictly follow all service and maintenance procedures recommended by the manufacturer, including those that tell you how frequently to change the filter. If manufacturer’s instructions are not readily available, change filters once every month or two during periods of use. Proper maintenance is important even for new furnaces because they can also corrode and leak combustion gases, including carbon monoxide.

Article from: How to Survive a Toxic Planet, by Dr Steve Nugent

Glyconutrients, or plant-based "health sugars," are a key factor in Mannatech's products. They support your body's natural ability to reach optimum nutritional levels and play a role in enhancing the quality of life. Mannatech are the leaders in this industry and want to share this exciting opportunity for maintaining good health with you! Mannatech’s proprietary products redefine wellness and are designed to give you assurance of nutritional health.

Ecstatic About Vitamin E

Why all the fuss about Vitamin E and other antioxidants? Well, it seems they may be key weapons in the war against cancer. So where do you get them? And are you getting enough?

Vitamin E is the term used for eight naturally occurring essential fat-soluble nutrients, the most potent of which is alpha-tocopherol. It has received much attention due to its antioxidant properties, helping protect the body's cells against damage caused by free radicals, the unstable by-products generated in the normal production of energy.

Free-radicals can damage cell membranes, interfere with our natural defenses and increase the risk of cancer and heart disease. Antioxidants stabilise free radicals and prevent them from doing further harm to our health.

Natural versus synthetic

Almost all foods contain some vitamin E. However, much of the vitamin E in our diet comes from fat-rich foods like margarine, mayonnaise and peanut butter. Healthier sources of vitamin E include wheat germ, corn and nuts.

Synthetic vitamin E, found in some but not all supplements, is commonly called dl-alpha-tocopherol. Natural vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopherol) is twice as effective as the synthetic version.

Overall wellness begins with cell-to-cell communication which promotes optimal health throughout your body. The Mannatech Optimal Health System is designed to deliver the nutrients, including glyconutrients--or plant-based monosaccharides--that your cells need to "talk" to one another and to support your immune system. The Optimal Health System protects your cells with antioxidants, nourishes your body with vitamins and minerals and supports your hormonal systems to keep your body in balance. Choose the option that is right for you for total wellness!

Vitamin E

Food or tablet?

Is there sufficient vitamin E in the average diet to meet our body's requirements or do we need supplements? The recommended daily intake (RDI) of two pieces of fruit and five veggies per day is supposed to provide us with a wide range of vitamins and minerals. But does it provide enough fat-soluble vitamins? And even if it did, does anyone actually eat the two and five?

One school says that to rely on pills is to accept second best. They claim that the nutrients in supplements differ in their bioavailability (how useful they are to the body once we've swallowed them) and function from those found in whole foods. Grains or apples, for example, offer a lot more than just a single vitamin or mineral. A wide variety of foods will provide thousands of compounds important for health in the balance nature intended: a veritable orchestra of nutrients, playing in perfect harmony under the control of the Great Conductor.

The RDI for a nutrient is defined as the amount required to prevent disease and deficiency in 95 per cent of the population. It is not a measure of what is optimal for good health.

There is evidence from research that the more beta-carotene and vitamins C and E people consume, the better off they are. Some reports show that antioxidants decrease the chance of heart disease and some cancers by between 30 and 70 per cent.

Sometimes it's smart to target certain areas of your body for a little extra help and support. Mannatech's Wellness Management products let you deliver targeted nutrients that help you keep all of your body's systems healthy. It's smart to have all your systems stay in peak condition with Mannatech’s Wellness Management products!

Active kids are healthy kids.

What types of activity is recommended?

A combination of moderate and vigorous activities is recommended.

A moderate activity will be about equal in intensity to a brisk walk, and could include a whole range of activities such as a bike ride or any sort of active play.

More vigorous activities will make kids “huff and puff” and include organized sports such as football and netball, as well as activities such as ballet, running and swimming laps. Children typically accumulate activity in intermittent bursts ranging from a few seconds to several minutes, so any sort of active play will usually include some vigorous activity.

Most importantly, kids need the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities that are fun and suit their interests, skills and abilities. Variety will also offer your child a range of health benefits, experiences and challenges.

Remember, any activity that sees your child expend energy is good!

The future of the world depends upon the children, yet the children’s future depends upon us. Tragically, ten million children under the age of six will die this year from preventable diseases. Experts agree that proper nutrition can support the body’s ability to defend against disease and illness. With direct access to world-changing glyconutritional technology, the founders of MannaRelief commit to providing advanced nutritional products to the world’s future—its children. Founded in 1999, MannaRelief is a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization that supplies essential nutrition to orphans and children with critical health needs.

Active kids are healthy kids.

Why is physical activity important?

Children between 5 and 12 years of age greatly benefit from being physically active. It can:

· Promote healthy growth and development.

· Build strong bones and muscles.

· Improve balance and develop skills.

· Maintain and develop flexibility.

· Help achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

· Improve cardiovascular fitness.

· Help relaxation.

· Improve posture.

· Provide opportunities to make friends.

· Improve self-esteem.

How much is enough?

Kids need to do a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity every day. But remember, more is better – even up to several hours! This can be built up throughout the day with a combination of moderate to vigorous activities.

Vibrant health is no longer a certainty. For many it is intermittent at best. This realization has triggered a global Wellness Revolution, and it's changing the lives of people around the world. Mannatech is on the cutting edge of new technologies that provide what every body needs to stay healthy.

The Enironment

Today we hear a lot about environment problems. Yes, there are many things that politicians need to do, but more importantly we need to each look at what we can do in our own lives. Here are some food ideas to help the environment.

Much of our produce is transported 100s or 1000s of kilometers. Why, when fresh produce if better for you. Grow your own! It’s cheaper and is much better for the environment. Chooks can turn food waste into eggs. If you can’t grow it, buy from ‘growers markets’.

Do without meat a couple of times a week. Legumes such as beans, lentils and peas are protein-rich roods without the negative environmental impacts of meat. Eat sustainable seafood. Some 75 per cent of the world’s fisheries are over fished.

According to the Australian Marine Conservation Society, species to avoid include blu warehou, eastern gemfish, southern bluefin tuna, bigeye tuna, school shark, silver trevally, orange roughy and Alantic salmon.

Better choices include hoki, wild grown barramundi, bream, flathead, whiting and mackerel.

One of the most threatened groups of fish in Australia is sharks (sold as flake). Sharks are the main fish used in fish and chips, so where there is choice, look for other options.

Defend your skin against a harsh world. Pollutants, stress and weather all take a toll on your skin. With Mannatech's skin care product you can protect yourself and maintain healthy, hydrated skin. Combat the outside environment with Mannatech's skin care product and support your skin's natural texture, beauty and elasticity.

Super Goog

Eggs are a nutritious food and, when it comes variety, we’re spoilt for choice. But where to start? To help you, here’s a rundown on the various types available. Caged-hen eggs; free-range eggs laid by hens which spend eight hours a day outdoors; barn-laid eggs from hens that wander a barn floor; omega-3 eggs laid by hens fed a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E; and organic eggs that are produced under a free-range system where the hens are fed a 95 per cent organic diet. After you choose a type of egg, follow these guidelines:

1. Check for freshness. Look at the date on the carton to determine the age of the eggs.
2. Buy cool eggs. Eggs age more in one day out of the fridge then a week in the fridge.
3. Store in your fridge. Keep your eggs in their carton and they’ll last up to five weeks. If you doubt an egg’s freshness, put it in a glass of water. A fresh egg will lie on the bottom, an older egg will stand up, and a floating egg means it goes in the bin.

Your body has about 60 trillion cells. That's where Mannatech's Optimal Health System products are designed to work-at the cellular level, where wellness begins. Mannatech's Optimal Health System includes:

• Advanced Ambrotose – for people seeking advanced wellness, Mannatech’s glyconutritional blend supports your immune system and facilitates cell-to-cell communication.*
• Ambrotose AO – to support your body’s natural abilities to protect your health through a synergistic blend of antioxidants and glyconutrients.*
• PLUS – to support your endocrine (gland) system’s natural production and balance of hormones.*
• Glycentials – for complete vitamin and mineral support.*

*This statement has not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.