Dear Friends,

So we begin!  The most challenging part of any new endeavor is beginning.  We finally decide to work on our health, and then the world of where to begin seems overwhelming.  I'm here to make it easy for you.  Just begin where you are.  The first place we are starting at is with your environment, your home.  Remember, your health is determined by several factors, but we will begin by focusing on what you put in, on, or around your body, specifically in your home.  I am the cancer detective, and I will be touring you around your home each month and teaching you ways to maximize your home health, and minimize any toxicity. 

The first things we will cover this month are what I call the Dick and Jane's of home health, some basics we all need to have or do in our home for our health.  The water we drink and use, and the air we breathe, are our first focus.  If you do not have a filter, you are the filter, plain and simple.  It does not matter if you like the taste of your water, or if you think it's fine, get a water filtration system or a water purifier.  Start simple if money is a challenge, and move up from there.  I have covered volumes of water literature, and I finally decided on the recommendation of the Gerson Institute, to buy a distiller.  A distiller is $300 and up, depending on how much water you and/or your family consumes a day.  Remember that for health you need to be drinking a minimum of 8 cups of plain water daily for the average person.  If you drink coffee or tea, add 1 cup more per cup of coffee or tea. 

I bought a countertop model.  It produced 1 gal after 3-5 hours of distilling time.  It used about 100 watts of energy, had a number of items to replace, clean, and do each month, was pretty noisy, and only gave us 1 gal, so it was on continuously for two people.  We used it in cooking, as well as drinking.  We used the distiller for about a year, and although the water was awesome to drink, it required more time and energy then we thought was practical for us.  We decided to buy a Berkey instead. Unlike the distiller, this countertop model, that you just pour water into, instantaneously purifies water immediately, without electricity, and was worth it's weight in gold.  This method was also recommended by Chris Wark, of "Chris Cured Cancer".  Budget it in, sell something you no longer use, or put it on your gift list, but do this.

And next for this month... your air.  This is also an item that I, and many others have researched.  After researching, like water purification, based on what you, and/or your family needs, some will make more sense then others.  I paid about $150 at Costco for my air purifier, and it does the job.  I run it 24 hours a day.  It is super quiet, and has several filters...hepa filters, that can be cleaned.  I check and clean it regularly, and change the filter each year.

Make life easy for yourself, and pick a time of year, or a particular month when you change things out, like batteries in the smoke alarms, house filters, etc. and just do them all.  I clean, or replace, as required, my home heating filter twice a year.  If you have allergies  or asthma this will help immensely. 

And finally, buy a humidity gauge.  A simple $10 one from Amazon will do.  You will want to maintain the humidity in your home to around 40.  35-45 is ideal.  If the humidity levels are higher, you may need a de-humidifier.  If they are low, you can do some simple things like keeping the bathroom door open when showering to allow moisture to flow throughout the house, or if you have wood heating, placing a cast iron pot on the top with water in it that steams out to raise the levels.  Or, you may need a humidifier.  Either way, buy one that automatically stops when the ideal levels are met.  That goes for the de-humidifier as well.

Too much moisture creates conducive conditions for insects, lung problems, mold, etc.  Too little takes it's own toll.  You will feel more comfortable when the humidity level is around 40.

Do these things to begin, so the water you drink each day tastes good and encourages you to drink more, preferably at room temperature.  Run the air filter 24 hours a day, and balance your humidity levels and you will walk into a comfortable home that smells and feels fresh, and at the same time is protecting your health, and allowing your body to begin it's detoxing process, which normally occurs as we start to decrease what it is having to do, as a response to the environment it's in.  These are seemingly small things, but have a huge impact.  See you next month.