The mild winter temperatures and lack of snow are contributing to the late start of the flu season but according to  The Weather Channel, California is reporting widespread flu outbreaks and more than a dozen states are reporting regional and local flu outbreaks.

Dr. Lyn Finelli with the CDC says in an article for The Weather Channel, “It [flu season] usually peaks in February or March and lasts until about May.”

So, if you haven’t already been bit by the flu bug now is the time to take the necessary steps to avoid flu exposure and contamination. Below are seven green cleaning tips from the “nation’s leading green cleaning service company – Maid Brigade – to help limit flu exposure.

1. Focus on key surface areas. Pay special attention to clean and disinfect highly trafficked areas prone to harboring germs and bacteria like kitchen counters, desks, doorknobs, light switches, bedside tables, bathroom surfaces, and children’s toys and books.

2. Wash before sharing. Make sure towels, bed sheets, dishes, and eating utensils used by those who are infected with the flu are thoroughly cleaned first before sharing. Avoid embracing the laundry prior to washing to prevent contamination and make sure to immediately wash your hands after handling any infected linens, dishes, or utensils.

3. Let it sit for proper disinfection. Three out of four consumers disinfect home surfaces incorrectly by spraying and immediately wiping the surface, according to the  2011 Maid Brigade Work/Life Balance Survey. When cleaning to eliminate flu germs, remember that the disinfectant needs to remain on the surface being cleaned for up to 10 minutes to successfully kill lingering bacteria. Also remember that proper disinfection occurs on a surface that has been pre-cleaned.

4. Invest in microfiber cleaning products. Wiping products are used in all areas of cleaning and are crucial in eliminating the spread of germs.  Microfiber technology is extremely effective in preventing cross-contamination as microfiber products such as microfiber cloths, mops, and rags absorb about 95 percent of bacteria on a surface – while traditional cleaning products often spread bacteria around. Even though the initial cost is more than a cotton cloth or mop, microfiber products are more effective and are 400 to 700 times more washable.

5. Dispose of infected waste immediately. To prevent the spread of the flu virus, infected tissues and other disposable items should be thrown in the trash at once. After touching, make sure to wash your hands with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand rub, to stop the spread of germs.

6. Use natural cleaning remedies. For tough kitchen stains, squeeze lemon juice on the spot and let sit for 10 minutes, then wipe. To kill germs, mix 2 cups of water, 3 tablespoons of liquid soap, and 20 to 30 drops of tea tree oil.

7. Bring in professionals. Cleaning to help prevent the spread of germs and disease can be a daunting task in your every day life, not to mention when you’re feeling under the weather. Call in the cleaning experts when you need help. Many house cleaning companies offer seasonal cleaning services that can help eliminate bacteria and the spread of infectious disease. Also make sure they are using green cleaning products and practices that protect the health of your family and the environment.

About Maid Brigade
Maid Brigade cares about the health of today’s families. With more than 25 years of experience, the company is the national leader in green cleaning practices and has a longstanding legacy of offering the latest in house cleaning services and technologies. Maid Brigade is the first and only Green Clean Certified® housekeeping services franchise that implements a certification program for green house cleaning so customers know that they’re getting a green cleaning that is safe and truly green. For more information on Maid Brigade or for healthy living cleaning tips visit  maidbrigade.com

This is a story about the findings of arsenic in baby formula, energy shots, and cereal bars that are made with organic brown rice syrup.  To be on the safe side I would avoid products with brown rice syrup.  The following is from http://news.yahoo.com

Arsenic Found in Organic Baby Formula, Cereal Bars

You may think you’re being extra-healthy when you chose foods labeled “organic,” but some of these products contain arsenic, a compound that may increase the risk of cancer, a new study says.

The study points to organic brown rice syrup, an ingredient often used as a healthy alternative to high fructose corn syrup, as a potential source of arsenic in food.

The results show cereals bars, energy shots and even infant formulas made with organic brown rice syrup contain particularly high levels of arsenic, compared with products without this syrup. Some cereal bars have concentrations of arsenic that are 12 times the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) safe drinking water limit of 10 parts per billion (ppb), the researchers said.

There are two main types of arsenic: organic and inorganic. These terms refer to the chemistry of the arsenic compound; they have nothing to do with pesticide use, as when the term “organic” is applied tofoods.

The majority of arsenic the researchers found was inorganic, which is generally thought to be more harmful than organic arsenic. Chronic exposure to low levels of inorganic arsenic has been linked to increased risks of bladder, lung and skin cancer, as well as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to the EPA.

Recent studies have shown that rice can be a major source of arsenic in our diet. The new study highlights the fact that products we don’t normally think of as containing rice may still harbor significant levels of arsenic, the researchers said.

It’s not yet clear whether the arsenic in rice, rice-based products or other foods is harmful to people. But the levels found in infant formulas are concerning, because of infants’ small body size, said study researcher Brian Jackson, of the department of Earth sciences at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH.

There are currently no rules in the United States governing how much arsenic is allowed in foods, and the guidelines for water are not a fair comparison, because people may consume more water than arsenic-containing foods.

Still, given that some foods may be a significant source of arsenic, “there is an urgent need to regulate arsenic in food,” the researchers wrote in their study.

Arsenic in food

Jackson and colleagues measured the amount of arsenic in 17 infant formulas, 29 cereal bars and 3 energy shots purchased from stores in New Hampshire.

Two of the infant formulas contained organic brown rice syrup as their primary ingredient. These products had arsenic levels 20 to 30 times that of the other infant formulas.

Twenty-two of the cereal bars contained at least one rice product (organic brown rice syrup, rice flour, rice grain or rice flakes) listed as one of the first five ingredients. These bars had levels of arsenic that ranged from 23 to 128 parts per billion (ppb). Cereal bars that did not contain rice had much lower arsenic levels, ranging from 8 to 27 ppb.

The energy “shots”, or gel-like blocks, contained between 84 and 171 ppb arsenic. All the products had organic brown rice syrup as one of the ingredients. An individual who consumed four of these energy shots would consume more than 10 micrograms of arsenic — an amount equal to drinking 1 liter of water with arsenic concentration at the current EPA limit.

Babies at risk

Of all the study findings, “the data on the infant formulas is most concerning,” said Christopher States, a toxicologist at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. The amount of arsenic consumed by an infant could be significant depending on which formula they drank, States said. In addition, the arsenic concentrations in the study were calculated assuming the infant formula powders were prepared for babies to drink with arsenic-free water. Infants who consumed formulas with high arsenic levels that were mixed with arsenic-containing water would be at the greatest risk for potential health effects, States said.

Recent research suggests arsenic exposure early in life may increase the risk for health problems later on. Formula may be a baby’s sole food over a critical period of development, and their small size means they may consume more arsenic per kilogram of body weight than an adult eating foods with similar arsenic levels, the researchers said.

It’s hard to say what effect arsenic in foods may have on adults, Jackson said. If guidelines are set for acceptable levels of arsenic in food, they may be higher than most of the levels found in this study, around 200 ppb, Jackson said.

“I don’t think eating the occasional cereal bar has any real risk to it,” Jackson said. For those concerned about arsenic exposure, Jackson recommends making sure meals are not rice-based. For parents, Jackson said to avoid infant formulas that contain rice syrup.

The article is published today (Feb. 16) in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Pass it on:  Products that contain organic brown rice syrup may be a significant source of dietary arsenic.

This story was provided by MyHealthNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience

source: http://news.yahoo.com/arsenic-found-organic-baby-formula-cereal-bars-143604494.html

youtube video is from WXYZ in Detroit

• MONOUNSATURATED FATS (3g per serving) – Helps to lower blood cholesterol if used in place of saturated fats.

• VITAMIN K (6.3 mcg/8% DV per serving) – Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in blood clotting. It is known as the clotting vitamin, because without it blood would not clot. Some studies indicate that it helps in maintaining strong bones in the elderly.

• FOLATE (27 mcg/6% DV per serving) – Promotes healthy cell and tissue development.  This is especially important during periods of rapid cell division and growth such as infancy and pregnancy.  Folate is also essential for metabolism of homocysteine and helps maintain normal levels of this amino acid.

• POTASSIUM (152 mg/4% DV per serving) – In the body, potassium is classified as an electrolyte.  Potassium is a very important mineral to the human body.  It has various roles in metabolism and body functions and is essential for the proper function of all cells, tissues, and organs:  It assists in the regulation of the acid-base balance; assists in protein synthesis from amino acids and in carbohydrate metabolism; and, it is necessary for the building of muscle and for normal body growth.

• VITAMIN E (.590 mg/4% DV per serving) – A fat-soluble vitamin that acts as an antioxidant that protects the body tissue from damage caused by unstable substances called free radicals.  Free radicals can harm cells, tissues, and organs.  They are believed to play a role in certain conditions associated with aging.  Vitamin E is important in the formation of red blood cells and helps the body use vitamin K.  At lower levels, vitamin E may help protect the heart.  Vitamin E also plays a role in healthy skin and hair.

• LUTEIN (81 mcg) – A carotenoid (a natural pigment) that may be associated with a lower risk of eye diseases. Lutein is an important antioxidant that may help your eyes stay healthy while maintaining the health of your skin. It provides nutritional support to your eyes and skin and has been linked to promoting healthy eyes through reducing the risk of macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in adults 65 years of age and older.

• MAGNESIUM (9.0 mg/2% DV per serving) –An essential mineral for human nutrition.  Magnesium in the body serves several important functions:  Contraction and relaxation of muscles; Function of certain enzymes in the body; Production and transport of energy; and Production of Protein.

• VITAMIN C (2.6 mg/4% DV per serving) –A water-soluble vitamin that is necessary for normal growth and development.  Vitamin C is one of many antioxidants.  Antioxidants are nutrients that block some of the damage caused by free radicals, which are by-products that result when our bodies transform food into energy. Vitamin C is required for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body.  It is necessary to form collagen, an important protein used to make skin, scar tissue, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels.

• VITAMIN B6 (0.086 mg/4% DV per serving) –A water-soluble vitamin.  Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water.  The body cannot store them.  That means you need a continuous supply of such vitamins in your diet.  Vitamin B6 helps the immune system produce antibodies.  Antibodies are needed to fight many diseases.  Vitamin B6 helps maintain normal nerve function and form red blood cells.  The body uses it to help break down proteins.  The more protein you eat, the more vitamin B6 you need.

Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid. They also act as a “nutrient booster” by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha and beta-carotene and lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit.

Tips On Storing Avocados

Never refrigerate unripened (hard) avocados because they will not ripen in cold temperatures.

Unripened (hard) avocados are best stored in a cool dark place until they have ripened.

If Your Avocados are Not Ripe, Here’s How to Ripen Them

Place unripe avocados in a brown paper bag to ripen. This traps the ethylene gas they produce and helps them to ripen. A firm avocado placed in a paper bag will ripen at room temperature in about three to six days. As the fruit ripens, the skin color will darken.

How to Speed Up the Ripening of Your Avocados

Add a tomato, apple or banana to a paper bag in which you have placed an avocado. This will produce more ethylene gas and speed up the ripening process. It will usually only take one to three days to ripen.

Why is Grass-Fed Beef Your Best Choice?

A safer option, as many consumers are now beginning to appreciate, is to choose locally grown and raised foods over those that have been mass produced, despite label claims of being “natural” or “organic.”

When selecting beef, grass-fed beef that has NOT been “finished off on corn” is definitely your healthiest option as it is:

• A natural source of healthy omega-3 fats – Omega-3s in cattle that feed on grass is 7 percent of the total fat content, compared to just 1 percent in grain-only fed beef. It also has the optimal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats (3:1)
• High in CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid); a fat that reduces your risk of cancer, obesity, diabetes, and a number of immune disorders
• High in beta carotene
• Loaded with over 400 percent more of vitamins A and E
• Virtually devoid of risk of Mad Cow Disease

You know, the rationale behind my nutritional guidelines really boil down to plain old common sense. My recommendations stem largely from what scientific research has determined are the types of foods that humans are naturally designed to eat. Health problems invariably surface the further you stray from eating such foods. Another way to say this would be that your body’s biochemical make-up is adversely affected if you eat things that aren’t right for you.

One result of this is that your body’s composition will inevitably change.

Why would things be any different for a cow?

When you think of a cow in its natural environment, doing what it naturally does, you likely will picture it grazing. Is it grazing on stalks of corn? Of course not! It’s grazing on green grass. (Animals given a choice will also avoid genetically modified grains, which really should tell us something…)

When cows eat grains, their body composition changes in detrimental ways, just like your body and health changes for the worse when you eat lots of junk- and fast food. Most importantly for you, these changes include an alteration in the balance of fatty acids in their bodies, which leads to an imbalance in YOUR intake of omega-3 and omega-6s as well.

Does the E. Coli Risk Decrease With Grass-Fed Beef?

Yes, it does.

Grass-finished beef has a minimal risk compared to grain-fed beef due to the difference in epigastric pH in the two diets.

Grain diets create a much higher level of acidity in the animal’s stomach, which is exactly what the E.coli bacteria need to survive and thrive.

Additionally, grass-finished animals live in clean grass pastures—as opposed to dirty, crowded pens—where higher levels of sanitation greatly reduce the risk of contamination as well.

How to Make Healthier Meat Choices

If you want to eat beeft in a truly healthful way (and yes, meat can be, and is, healthy), while at the same time avoiding getting fooled by glued piece-meats passed off as prime steak, follow these guidelines:

• The beef should be organic and grass-fed
• It should ideally come from a local farmer (try finding a farmer’s market or community-supported agriculture program in your area to do this) who can verify that the products are raised on pasture without antibiotics and pesticides, and who can tell you which cuts you’re actually getting
• The animals should be allowed to live in their natural habitats, eating their natural diets
• The farmer should be aware of the relationships between animals, plants, insects, soil, water and habitat — and how to use these relationships to create synergistic, self-supporting ecosystems

Story and photo source:  Mercola.com