Tips for Everyday Reduction of VOCs

Welcome back. This is our 4^th and final post in a series about ways to make the air we breathe at home, healthier.   We’ve talked about VOC’s, how they affect our health and begun to consider how to minimize hazardous VOCs in our homes. In this post we offer the following healthier cleaning and personal care product ideas:

1. Avoid fragrances in home cleaning and personal care products.

The Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment (CPCHE) tells us

“Some fragrance ingredients, such as phthalates, musk xylene, toluene and others, have been linked to cancer, hormone disruption and other harmful effects….” and goes on to distinguish between “fragrance free” and “unscented”:

Some products labeled “unscented” contain masking agents to cover the smells of other ingredients. These masking agents are often synthetic fragrances. Fragrance-free products, on the other hand, are likely to be totally free of fragrances. In the absence of fragrance-free products, unscented products are acceptable alternatives.

2. Use plants. NASA¹ says, house plants are very effective at removing VOC’s from our indoor air; although to be true to readers; plants may work best under experimental conditions.

3. Have fun, keep it simple & make your own home and personal care products.  This way you know and control the ingredients and save money. Examples:

– clean the tub/ shower with baking soda.

– Wipe windows and hardwood with vinegar.

The David Suzuki Foundation and Queen of Green share some secrets and recipes for cleaning and Downloadable Green   Cleaning Recipes and personal care products.

Summary

This 4 part series on Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) provided definitions of VOCs, identified some sources of VOCs, listed adverse health effects of VOCs, and demonstrated ways to reduce our exposure to VOCs in our homes. We have relied on VOC emitters for years; using them in construction, cleaning and fuel. Recognizing them and finding healthier options for everyday life is a liberating process. Baby steps.

References

1. The Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment (CPCHE)

1. NASA

3. Healthy Housing: Practical Tips for your Home

4.Previous posts in this Series on VOCs: Thinking of Sprucing up the House?; Indoor air, VOCs and our Health and Reducing VOCs in Your House

Submitted by Health Services

You’ve taken the plunge; you are working out on a regular basis.  You’ve been more faithful to your workout schedule than any girlfriend/boyfriend in the past.  You are starting notice some changes and then days become weeks, the scales won’t budge you aren’t seeing any changes in your body and your resolve slowly turns to cookie-dough ice cream. You’re at serious risk of becoming another statistic, one more person fallen prey to the dreaded plateau.  Somebody who decides to pack it in, accept life as a couch potato accepting that the only way you’ll ever see your toes again is in mirror.

The human body is a remarkably adaptable instrument. Once it grows accustomed to the initial stimulus of a change in diet and activity level, it may simply submit to the law of diminishing returns, decide to declare a new state of normalcy and effectively put a stop to muscle gain and fat loss.

A plateau has a snowball effect, both mentally and physically. Mentally, you become frustrated, which leads to emotional eating, fatigue and finding excuses not to workout. This either amplifies the plateau or actually causes you to backslide. Physically, if you allow a plateau to negatively impact your mindset, you produce stress, which has many well-documented ill effects on the body, inhibiting the ability to gain muscle and promoting the storage of fat.

Plateaus are essentially a form of maintenance—if you run three days a week for the same amount of time you’ll continue to hold your own in terms of health and fitness, for example, but you won’t move forward.

So what do you do now?

• Build variety into your workout. Change what you do and how you do it. Alter your routine in duration, frequency and intensity. Add more exercise, or different activities, workout at different times.
• Sometimes less is more. When you hit a plateau, it’s tempting to workout more. You may be overtraining and stalling as a result. Rest is a critical aspect of any fitness regimen.
• Alter your diet. A change in nutrition can make a difference. Most people go the wrong way, lowering calories, when sometimes raising calories to maintain weight for a week and then dropping them again is all that’s needed.
• Don’t decrease the amount you eat — food is fuel for the metabolism. Try manipulating your eating routine — have your main meal at noon instead of the evening. Eat several smaller meals rather than three big ones.
• Stay focused. Write down goals and read them every day. Have an underlying reason to achieve your goals that’s more than a superficial ‘I want to lose weight.’ Focus on overall health.
• Don’t weigh yourself every day. A static scale over an extended period of time will just increase your frustration and be disheartening over the long run.
• Consult with a certified professional.  Now may be the time to schedule a session with a personal trainer to help you get back on track.  Perhaps one of the reasons you are stalling is improper technique.

Be successful. Create a vision of where you want to be and stick to it. Set goals, form a plan to attack those goals and consistently take action day after day.  Don’t get frustrated if you don’t advance X amount on a certain day; because it’s the long term plan (and results) that matter.

“HEALTHY CUP” app is part of an innovative project to improve public health surveillance in the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), named participatory surveillance. It is a free Web application, designed for use on mobile devices and web browsers.

It’s a simple process that relies on voluntary participation by visitors or residents in Brazil, reporting their health status through information on 10 signs/symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, joint pain, headache, bleeding, and exanthema [rash]) during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil.

“HEALTHY CUP” was developed in Portuguese, English, and Spanish to be a complementary channel for health information and services to users, enabling the participation of all.

This project is an initiative of the Surveillance Department of the Ministry of Health in partnership with the Departments of Health of the venues of the matches and other national and international institutions such as the Skoll Global Threats Fund, TEPHINET, HealthMap, and ProMED-mail.

ImmunizeCA is another handy app where you log in all your Canadian vaccine information so it is quickly available no matter what country you are in.

All visitors to other countries are strongly urged to check your immunizations at least 6-8 weeks ahead and be up to date. Many countries,including holiday destinations,are experiencing outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases including Measles. Contact a travel health clinic for updates on travel to any country for the most current information.

Don’t bring something home you didn’t plan on for you, your family and friends or workplace. If you become ill shortly after returning from another country, see a Dr and tell them about your travels, it could be serious.

How to download for Brazil’s Health Cup App:

– iOS devices (iPhone and iPad): available from the App Store via <https://itunes.apple.com/br/app/saude-na-copa/id860378564?mt=8>

– Android devices (Samsumg, Motorola, LG, etc): available from Google play via <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=br.com.epitrack.healthycup>

From Health Services

by Mario De Negri, Fitness Coordinator For Rebel Athletics and Recreation Services

I came across this blog when I was feeling a fair bit of turbulence in my life. I personally was doing great. Everything was in line, I was working at my best, and being my best self which warrants recognition as that’s something I have failed to do in my past, and can image others feeling something similar in their lives. This was affecting my life from the outside and I had the choice to sit there and take it or stand up and step to the side. I had made some tough decisions to try to keep myself on a healthy path but I couldn’t help shake the pain in my heart. Sometimes clarity of the mind doesn’t mean you’ll find peace in the heart right away. Sometimes the aches in the heart are real but just growing pains we must endure for our own personal growth as a person. Every time I look back at times this has been true I can feel peace in my heart now, but wasn’t so in the moment at that time. This blog brings to lights some of those tough self-questions we need to be asking ourselves to see if we are on our true path. So many of the points highlight quite directly some of the fears about myself I had to face and to accept if I was to move forward on my path. Hopefully they can bring some insight onto you as they have re-affirmed in mine.

Check out the blog here;

http://www.lifebuzz.com/just-stop/

College Days are upon us once again, and the Wellness Committee is hosting a series of events to eat, meet and greet, and move your feet.

Come out for a free Wellness Breakfast

On the morning of May 29^th staff are invited for a free Wellness Breakfast at the Roblin Centre and the Notre Dame Campus (Voyageur Cafeteria) beginning at 7:30 am and going till 9:30.  The buffet breakfast will offer a range of healthy (and tasty!) selections. Wellness Committee members and other helpers will be on hand to say hello, gather pledges for the Walk-a-thon, and answer any questions you may have.

Walkathon – EDC and NDC

After you’ve had time to digest your breakfast, come on out to the Wellness Walk-a-thon at noon on May 29^th.

Exchange District Campus:

The Walkathon starts after a brief warm up  at the Roblin Centre Atrium  (aka right by the Tim Hortons) and then we’ll walk to the Forks Market and back (three routes to choose from!)

Pledges $5 or over get entered to win prizes!

Check out the Wellness displays in the Atrium!

Notre Dame Campus:

The 2.5 km route will take you outside of the Notre Dame Campus grounds with a chance to enjoy some great scenery. Come with friends and colleagues to the North Gym area at noon after a brief warm up, or you can get a map and take the run or walk at your own pace. In order to limber up the limbs, drop by around 11:45 for a guided warm-up.

Pledges over $10 get entered to win prizes!

Register now at https://hub.rrc.ca/EmployeeDevelopment/

Get your pledge forms here.

Help support staff dependents to study at RRC

Aside from the benefits that come from walking, monies raised go toward the Bursary for Dependents of RRC Employees. The bursary was started back in 2009 from an endowment fund which the Walkathon has helped grow to nearly $25K. To date, the award has provided a total of $3,700 to nine recipients. For more information about this award and/or to get an application form, head to the RRC website and look under General Awards.

Do you have your tickets?

Despite rumours to the contrary, Rob Ford will not attend our first Rebel Riders’ event of the year on June 6th.

But, though his attending the much anticipated June 6th Bud, Spud, and Steak fundraiser for MS is now clearly unlikely, will Rob Ford ride with our Rebel Riders for the September MS Riding Mountain challenge?
Read More →

We never hesitate to spend on vehicle maintenance, from new brakes to oil changes to tunes ups we invest money in our cars every day, month and year.  Yet when we talk about investing in the most important vehicle we own, our body, we hesitate.  Gym memberships are a luxury, and forget about personal training sessions.  Our bodies carry us through life all day – every day.  How we go through life in our body vehicle depends on how well we maintain it. Don’t hesitate – invest in your body.

Bring your body in for a spring tune up and get in top running condition in time for summer. Recreation Services here on campus offers a number of different options from personal training to lifestyle assessments. Sign up as an individual or with a partner and let us help you get on track to a healthier active lifestyle.

No matter what your age or fitness level, everyone can benefit from a personal trainer at one time or another. Working with a personal trainer, you can achieve your fitness goals – goals as modest as touching your toes again or as ambitious as preparing for a marathon. Each of us is unique; we all have different goals, ambitions and desires. A personal trainer can help you attain your aspirations – how?  Your personal trainer will:

-Assess your current level of fitness

-Listen to you and your goals and then;

-Devise a personal training program to achieve these goals in a safe environment,

-Educate you about the fundamentals as well as the proper and safe use of all the equipment.

-Organize your training sessions according to your schedule

-Continue to encourage and motivate you through creative and fun exercise programming

Life just seems much easier when you are active – and it’s not just the body that benefits from exercise. Exercise triggers chemical changes in the brain that can have a powerful and positive effect on mental health. The ability to deal with the daily demands of hard work and play more effectively is one of the most underestimated side effects of fitness – and one of the best!

Reducing VOCs in Your House

This third in our series on Volatile organic compounds  (VOCs)  and their effects on our health, provides tips for reducing VOC exposures at home.  This post will list two principles, a few resources and provide examples to help readers achieve healthier homes.

Principles in Healthy Homes Minnesota¹  ‘s  fact sheet are:

1. Control the source.  For example,  remove the product, buy (substitute) products that emit low levels of VOCs or as a last resort; seal the surface emitting the VOCs.

2. Ventilate.  Open windows,  use fans and keep temperatures and humidity as low as is comfortable.

This post emphasizes avoiding the unhealthy product or material in the first place. New VOC emitters/ off gassers might be a new sofa, paint job or cupboards. If we decide we need such a product or material though; it is useful to know some of the healthier choices  available.

One option is to purchase floor model items that have already emitted most of their VOCs. Another is to use regulations, labeling and Groups like The Canada Green Building Council  (CaGBC)  to inform us.

The CaGBC promotes  LEED.   Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a set of rating systems for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings, homes and neighborhoods. One of the seven categories of measurement in LEED systems is Indoor Environmental Quality (which considers VOCs). So if for example, you are considering new kitchen cupboards; perhaps consult the CaGBC or a LEED certified consultant. They may suggest using solid wood instead of plywood or particle board for your cupboard construction. Or, you could consult Manitoba’s new Green Building Directories – An excellent new find!

Canada currently lags behind other countries² who have stronger VOC regulations; but where Canadian regulations and certifications / labels do exist, they can help us make healthier choices. Paint and carpet are examples.

Paint  Broad claims  about environmental impact (e.g. “Green” or “Environmentally Friendly”) might mislead.   VOCs may or may not have been considered in the claim.

Manufactures now sell paints promising low VOC emissions such as Benjamin Moore’s Natura “green promise” paint³ or Home Depot’s “Zero VOCs” paints. These claims reflect mandatory VOC concentration limits that are currently phasing in. For more on that; check Environment Canada’s recently published regulatory information about architectural coatings and look for the information sheet on VOC concentration limits for paints (on that same page).

Carpet  In Canada, the Canadian Carpet Institute uses an American  program and suggests, “…specify low-emitting products, including CCI Green Label approved carpet, when selecting household products and furnishings.”  … and:

Ventilation for 48 to 72 hours after carpet installation “adds to good air quality” even if the carpet is LEED recognized. ⁵

General

Eco Labels: For a reference on meanings of labels and claims; The Queen of Green gives us the Eco Label Guide!    Highly relevant!

Disposing of old paint and solvent. The City of Winnipeg   says I can take it to: Miller Environmental Corporation;  1803 Hekla Avenue; Phone: 204-925-9600.

More examples of how to reduce VOC levels in your home, can be found by revisiting  the Minnesota Department of Health article used in our first post of this series.

Summary  

This third post in our series about VOCs in our homes, demonstrated ways to reduce VOCs at home. Many countries have implemented regulatory controls and we in Canada are seeing them phasing in now. While this post looked at VOC source reduction in bigger home maintenance projects; our next and final post will suggest easy, healthier substitutions for everyday home cleaning and personal care products.

References

1. Healthy Homes Minnesota
2. Conference Board of Canada
3. Benjamin Moore
4. Home Depot
5. Canadian Carpet Institute & Canadian Carpet Institute
6. Earlier posts in this series on VOCs: Do I Have VOCs in my Home? & Indoor Air, VOCs and our Health.

Try not.
Do or do not. There is no try.

Yes, it’s an awful pun, but this day marks my first Wellness post in a year. May 4th also happens to be my daughter’s one-year wedding anniversary, a bitter one because her marriage has since dissolved. To make things worse, the day begins with a call from the Grace hospital. Longtime cycling buddy, Wayne Ferguson, has just fallen on the hip that he had replaced last week. For some reason it reminds me of Gurdeesh Ghuman, another Rebel Rider, who had his dreams of a 2013 MS ride dashed by a heart attack . As if the day is not off to a gloomy enough start,Terry MacLeod shares on the Weekend Morning Show that he had to abandon a movie last night because an able-bodied couple occupying the only handicap seating in the theatre had refused to move. Jerks everywhere. Income taxes due tomorrow. Mine not done. And it’s still not above freezing!

Let’s get out of here before one of those things kills Guy. – Gwen DeMarco, Galaxy Quest

But you know, it is so easy to let life’s clouds obscure the sunlight beyond. I realized as I drove up Portage Avenue to drop my wife off at work that today was the Winnipeg Police Half Marathon (10th Annual to boot!). On the way back home I stopped to check it out. It was truly inspiring. Oh sure, there were hundreds (yes hundreds!) of runners zipping by, some not quite so zippy. But the people lining the curb are the ones who really gave me hope. Having parked our cars (and troubles?) on Portage Avenue, we were all clapping and cheering on total strangers as they ran past, a serendipitous breeze of shared enthusiasm that quickly sapped the chill out of the morning air. Read More →

Health Services is happy to say we have added a great newsletter to our website that includes health and safety for work, home and school. It is called the ComfortZone. It can be downloaded and has the latest Canadian information for health, safety and wellness.

This month has an interesting article on using liquid nitrogen since it has become so popular in the cooking field when before it was only used in labs. Yes I watch food network and see the icecream made with it and that fog looks so neat-but there are safety factors to consider when using this chemical.

If you are on a wellness or health and safety committee it has current safe work information as well.

Visit our site and check it out. A new one will be added each month.