Dodge hidden dangers in household cleansers with homemade alternatives
In the late 1950s and 1960s June Cleaver and Donna Reed ruled over fantasy homes in which there was virtually no dirt. That relentlessly home-sweet-home fantasy shifted in the 1980s with “Roseanne,” and more recently “Mom” and “Modern Family.” But still, you rarely see anyone on TV scrubbing floors, scouring tubs or seriously de-greasing a stovetop (unless it’s for laughs).
Nonetheless, chances are you’ve got plenty of high-powered cleaning supplies under your sink. The average American household spends around $160 a year on bleachbased and antibacterial products, aerosol sprays and powdered cleaners filled with noxious fumes and toxic chemicals that linger in your air.
How harmful are they? A new 20-year study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine found that frequent housecleaners — whether they do it for a living or for themselves — experience lung damage equivalent to a 20-year, packa-day cigarette habit! Fortunately, alternatives do exist.
1. Vinegar: eradicates scum, grease, grime.
Spray on shower tiles; let sit for 30 minutes; rinse. Wash linoleum with vinegar-water mixture; windows, too!
2. Salt: a natural abrasive. Use Kosher salt and the juice of half a lemon on cutting boards to clean deeply.
3. Baking soda: a proven virus-killer, it deodorizes and cuts through grime. Mix 1/2 cup baking soda with 1/4 cup vinegar to clean toilets and drains.
4. Straight lemon juice: KOs mold and mildew.
5. Grapefruit extract: Combine 20 drops with two cups of water in a spray bottle to clean all your surfaces.
Taking a bite out of chronic pain
In 1908 chemist Ikeda Kikunae isolated an ingredient in sea kelp that gave flavor to konbu dashi, a Japanese broth. He turned it into a powdered additive — monosodium glutamate. For decades it has been considered a natural flavor-enhancer. More recently, it’s been tagged for triggering headaches and other unsettling symptoms. And these days there’s debate about whether this additive, which is also found naturally in foods such as aged cheeses and soy sauce, is either umami (savory) or unwelcome.
According to a new study by researchers from American University, Michigan University and Meru University of Science and Technology in Kenya, even when MSG doesn’t cause that classic cascade of symptoms, glutamate may fuel chronic pain. Eliminating it from your diet may do more to ease your discomfort than taking acetaminophen!
Glutamate comes with a variety of names when used as an additive:
■ autolyzed yeast, yeast food/nutrient;
■ autolyzed plant protein;
■ hydrolyzed protein/fat/ oat flour;
■ hydrolyzed protein, protein-fortified, or enzymemodified;
■ soy protein isolate/protein concentrate;
■ whey protein/isolate/ concentrate;
■ sodium caseinate/calcium caseinate.
Since chronic pain can be hard to vanquish without dependence on overthe-counter or prescription pain relievers, it makes sense to give a glutamate-free diet a chance to help you ease your pain. This is the real “G” food to avoid — not gluten.
Question: Some days my urine smells like ammonia. Then it goes away for a few days; then it comes back. Should I get checked for bladder cancer? — Kelly-Ann C., Bethesda, Maryland
Answer: Well, if you go to your doc, he might check your kidney and liver function. But don’t panic. Unless there’s blood in your urine and it’s painful to urinate, you probably don’t have bladder or kidney issues. It’s more likely that the ammonia smell in your urine is caused by dehydration, medications or supplements, eating asparagus or a urinary tract infection.
Dehydration can be a result of diarrhea, illnesses like cold or flu, or simply not drinking enough water. Urine usually has a weak smell, but when the chemicals in your body’s liquid waste flow become more concentrated, so does both the color and the smell. That’s why deep-yellow urine is a sure sign that you need to drink more water; you want it pale or colorless.
Foods high in vitamin B-6 — like salmon or turkey, or veggies like asparagus or garlic that contain the sulfur compound methyl mercaptan — probably are the most common cause of stinky urine, but it also could be from starting or stopping medications and/or vitamins, or even stress! To determine the cause of your smell:
1. Keep a food and medication diary, recording all vitamin/mineral/herbal supplements, alcohol and tobacco intake.
2. Keep track of your physical activity and exercise.
3. Note every time you urinate and every time you notice the smelly urine.
4. Examine your journal for patterns, and discuss with your doc.
The You Docs, Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz, are the authors of “YOU: Losing Weight.”Want more? See “The Dr. Oz Show” on weekdays at 4 p.m. on WPBFChannel 25. Have a question? Go to www.RealAge.com.