Category: Health

Health

Air Fresheners Are Nothing But Scented Poison

Bonnie Byrne

Air Fresheners Are The New Secondhand SmokeI am allergic to scents. I can’t wear perfume, I have to use unscented laundry detergent and fabric softener and I can immediately feel a sneeze coming on if I walk into a home filled with those god-awful fragrance plug-ins.

The worst of these scented products by far is Febreze. I’m sure you’ve seen the advertisements – we are inundated with them daily.  Spray it in the air with your young kids standing right beside you. Plug it into an outlet in every room of your house. Spray your teenage son’s entire room with it to “wash” the room, instead of making him clean it. Hell, if your car smells like french fries (god forbid) then plug one into your venting system.

Another insane ad I remember, from about 10 years ago, was for Lysol spray. The narrative was a kid taking his teddy bear with him everywhere, so therefore, who knows what kind of horrible bacteria it contained. When he got home, instead of his mother throwing it into the wash, she sprayed Lysol all over it. Then they showed him cuddling with it as he slept. I’m not a parent, but that ad freaked me out every time I saw it.

Air Fresheners Contain More Than 87 Poisonous Chemicals

But I digress. I truly believe that if it was up to Proctor And Gamble, every inch of your home would be covered by the more than 87 chemicals contained in their Febreze products.

As I sprayed Febreeze air freshener in my small bathroom one morning a few years ago, I noticed that as it fell through the air, I could actually see the particles in it. When it hit the floor, it left a sticky substance there. That’s when I stopped using it.

This got me thinking – what is this air freshener doing to my lungs?  Continue reading “Air Fresheners Are Nothing But Scented Poison” →

Health

Pancake Boobs and Poo Slides

Bonnie Byrne

If you’re female, within days of your 50th birthday the Government of Ontario sends you two gifts in the mail. The first is a breast cancer screening letter, advising that now that you are officially ancient (my words, not theirs) you must have your boobs flattened into pancakes by a machine every two years.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and although a mammogram is not exactly a pleasant process, it’s worth going through a bit of pain to make sure you are cancer free.

Two Gifts!

The second gift from the government (which I assume men over 50 also receive) was a letter about swiping a blob of poo on a slide not once, but three different times, during a 10 day period. This colon cancer kit included three slides and what looked like a couple of really long Popsicle sticks. According to the instructions, participants should put the wooden stick in the toilet to scoop out some poo and then smear it onto the slide and yeah… just yuck! Continue reading “Pancake Boobs and Poo Slides” →

Health

How Our Furry Friends Improve Our Health

Bonnie Byrne

Adopting and owning a pet can be a double-edged sword. They can be high maintenance, expensive and a pain in the butt to clean up after, but what we humans get in return is well worth it. Numerous medical studies have cited that pets not only provide their owners with social interaction, companionship and exercise, but they can also help relieve stress and lower blood pressure.

relieve stress and lower blood pressure
Darcy and Tucker: Although I am a die-hard cat person, the occasional dog or two has won me over.

Dogs and cats can vastly improve their human companions’ physical and mental health, but even horses, birds, turtles and fish can make a difference in their owners’ lives.  Here’s how adopting a pet can improve your life:

Daily Exercise

Nebby: Named after Nebula, a Pokemon character.

I do not like dogs – there, I said it. However, my cold, dog-disliking heart has somewhat softened lately towards little dogs.  Maybe it’s because I know a lot of people who own little dogs. Aside from my opinion on dogs, walking one daily can provide heart-healthy physical activity people may not otherwise get. And dog owners often have the chance to interact with other humans on a regular basis, as people walking their dogs typically appear friendly and approachable. One of my friends and her kids recently moved into a new house and adopted a Shih Tzu, from the Animal Hospital of Cambridge. The little dog, her daughter aptly named Nebby, has helped them get to know their neighbours when they take her out for walks.

Another enjoyable, albeit more expensive, animal that can provide its owner with regular exercise is a horse, of course. Horses are beautiful and gentle creatures and anyone who has gone horseback riding knows it is a great work out for your thighs and glutes. When I worked as a reporter, in a time when Breaking News arrived daily on your front stoop in the form of a newspaper, one of my favourite assignments was writing a feature article on the local horseback riding stables.  Continue reading “How Our Furry Friends Improve Our Health” →

Health

Waging a washroom war

Bonnie Byrne

There has been a silent battle going on in my washroom for the past two months. It’s been subtle and has so far not even been a point of contention or even discussion between Dougie and I. But almost every time Dougie has been in the bathroom, the same horrific event has taken place. The toilet paper is sitting under when I attempt to use it. When I had placed the roll on the spindle earlier in the day, the toilet paper had been sitting over it.

At first, I assumed he had mistakenly placed it in the under position because really, who in their right mind would prefer it this way?

I always have been and I always will be a toilet paper over kind of gal. Don’t get me wrong, I am stubborn about this issue and there are times when I’m at someone else’s house, my sister’s for example, where the toilet paper is rolling under on the dispenser and although I am sorely tempted to turn it around, I leave it the way it is, because it is her house – even though it is so very, very wrong.

But at my own house? That is a different story and I must prevail because let’s face it – hanging toilet paper over reduces the risk of transferring germs, makes it much easier to find the end and hell, it just looks better.

Still, it is a war that has yet to be waged between Dougie and I, but when it is fought, I am sure I will be declared the undisputed victor. I even have reinforcements to back me up. As illustrated below, the original patent for perforated toilet paper, created by New York business man Seth Wheeler (the inventor) was recently discovered and it clearly shows an over arrangement for hanging toilet paper.

overtp

So Dougie, prepare to be defeated!

Health

Could I have that on a separate plate please?

Bonnie Byrne
Last night’s dinner of champions. All served in separate plates/bowls of course.

I have become a bit of a freak over the years when it comes to how my food is served. I’m not sure when it started, but it’s definitely getting worse. I like to use separate plates and bowls for everything. I don’t particularly want any steak, pork chop or chicken juices touching any vegetable or carbohydrate I’m serving with it. I haven’t gotten so bad as to request separate plates at a restaurant or when dining at a friend’s place, well not yet…

The only meals I’ll eat on the same plate when I’m at home are burgers and fries and pot roast (everything is cooked together anyway).

As we were loading up our separate plates and bowls after dinner last night, Dougie remarked: “We’re probably the only two people on planet earth who can fill up a dishwasher with one meal.”