2 Ways to Make Your Home More Healthy & Joyous!

While shopping at a health food store with my friend Candice, I thought to myself (while sniffing all the non-toxic candles) that it's not just about the food that you put into your body that creates health or dis-ease, it's the environment you create in your home. Your home is and should be the one place in the world that is your personal oasis, a safe haven. Create a joyous environment in your home for your best health ever. Here are two ways:

1. Candles

Avoid parrafin candles, which make up 95% of the candles sold. Why?It is a petroleum bi-product that requires chemicals to harden, colour and scent it, as well, it releases toxins as you burn it (identifiable by black soot). Don't be fooled by naturally scented or so-called "aromotherapy" candles, unfortunately most of them contain parrafin too.

Despite how good that vanilla smells while you have a bath, it may be creating a toxic cloud in your home when it's burning which may promote allergies and ill-health. In order to avoid paraffin, benzene, acrolyn, lead, stearic acid or any other chemicals, buy beeswax candles which are completely non-toxic and non-allergenic. I like this brand of candles: Cheeky Bee - 100% pure Canadian beeswax.

Beeswax is a clean-burning candle, that has health benefits when you burn one in your home, such as:

Release negative ions as they burn (this is a good thing), which are like nature's way of cleaning up our environment. In fact, they are found in some of the highest concentrations in the mountains, seashores and waterfalls (if you've spent anytime in one of these environments, then I don't need to explain how darn good it feels). If you don't have an ocean in your backyard, you can burn a beeswax candle.

Eliminate dust, pollen, mold, smoke, food odour and bacteria.

Burns much slower than parrafin, in fact you can easily get 30-40hrs from a very small candle, like the one in my photo.

100% natural and smells gooooood.

2. Plants

Plants are absolutely incredible for promoting an oxygen rich, energizing environment. I can't say enough about my plants (pictured above). I saved all three of them from near-death, one which was adopted and the other two (larger ones) I bought discounted because they were dying. They just needed a little love and attention! Interesting huh, plants are just like humans. When we love ourselves and others, we can achieve our most joyous health.

More health benefits of house plants:

Improve air quality. In fact, a NASA study reported that houseplants were able to remove up to 87 percent of air toxins in 24 hour period.

Removal of these toxins: ammonia, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, benzene, xylene and trichloroethytene.

My fave reason. Plants make you happy! In fact a study found that house plants make people feel calmer and more optimistic. As well, studies have shown that hospital patients who face a window with a garden view recovered more quickly than those who had to look at a wall.

Plants fight fatigue and the common cold. According to a study by the University of Agriculture in Norway, indoor plants can reduce fatigue, coughs, sore throats and other cold-related illnesses by more than 30%!!!

What do you do in your home to create a happy space? I would love to hear it.

Here's a photo of the beautiful peace lily bloom that just came up in the last week or so. EnJOY!

Best health to you,

Joyous