Some interesting facts about drinking in the U.S. gathered from several different web sites.

WATER

#1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (Likely applies to half the world population.)

#2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is mistaken for hunger.

#3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as 3%.

#4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

#5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

#6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

#7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

#8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%., and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer. Are you drinking the amount of water you should drink every day?

COLA

#1. In many states the highway patrol carries two gallons of Cola in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.

#2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of Cola and it will be gone in two days.

#3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Cola into the toilet bowl and let the ‘real thing’ sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Cola removes stains from vitreous china .

#4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Cola.

#5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.

#6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Apply a cloth soaked in Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.

#7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Cola for a sumptuous brown gravy.

#8… To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of Colainto the load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Cola will help loosen grease stains.. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION:

#1. The active ingredient in Cola is phosphoric acid. It will dissolve a nail in about four days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase of osteoporosis.

#2. To carry Cola syrup! (the concentrate) the commercial trucks must use a hazardous Material place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials.

#3. The distributors of these Colas have been using it to clean engines of the trucks for about 20 years!

Now the question is, would you like a glass of water or Cola?

We offer several different water filters and water purifiers starting at $39.99.

I have longed to install a portable home sauna for decades, but when my arthritis and disc back pain were getting the better of me, I decided I could finally treat myself one for health reasons. Little did I know when I bought our infrared sauna this Spring that it would also turn out to be an integral part of my husband’s quest for health and beating back cancer.

I did extensive research into which was the best sauna available and found that there was much more to a sauna than just a wooden box with a heater in it. There were a myriad of types of heaters and the reports on their varying reliability and effectiveness which gave me reason to pause and consider this purchase seriously. It was very important to me that the sauna deliver enough infrared rays to penetrate sufficiently (about 1.5 inches below skin level) to make a real therapeutic difference. It was nice to think that saunas can help you relax at night, or sweating can help you detoxify and possibly lose weight, but I wanted more than that. For your information, some analysis has been done on sweat from a sauna and reports that 80% of the sweat is water, but some full 20% is toxins that are being sweated out and that in itself sounds pretty good to me.

I settled on a the TheraSauna which was made out of hypoallergenic hemlock wood, so that my allergies would not kick up from being inside it. The most important decision of all was to discover what kind of heater is most effective in a sauna. It did not take much time to discover that industry experts agree that ceramic heaters are considered the best and the patented designed ones by Therasauna appeared to be the gold standard as they delivered more consistent heat, as opposed to a thermostat switching on and off during a session, and delivered a deeper and more intensive sauna experience.

Our installation was relatively simple, although the lack of white glove delivery meant that our gardener and helper had an extra task to do one Sunday morning. It took about 2 hours to set up. The only part we flubbed was the electrical installation and although we had an electrician come and put in a 20 amp socket, we found that the plug on the end of the sauna was a little unusual. In our case, the electrician came twice, but you can avoid that if you have the electrical work done AFTER the sauna is set up.

Now comes the good part. I am totally in love with the sauna and find its benefits totally addictive. So much so I try to nip in and do two short 20 minute sessions a day, one in the morning and the other at night as it feels so good afterwards! The chief benefit to me is that it relaxes all my muscles which ache from my herniated disk, arthritis or simply from playing golf. Which ever way you look at it, I am usually in chronic pain. However, with the sauna, the deep heat allows me to stretch out more extensively afterwards, and even without stretching it provides pain relief for many hours at a time. And there is no doubt about it if I have a sauna at night, I am out for the count and sleep much more soundly.

By extraordinary coincidence, I was reading a book on alkaline water filters and found mention of some studies that were done in Europe and Japan where infrared saunas were used in the treatment of cancer with some success. In layman’s terms cancer cells do not like extreme heat. As a result, my husband uses the sauna religiously every night and morning for about 30 minutes. I cannot even begin to tell you whether I think it has made any difference as he is still very much alive, but I did check my research out with a couple of doctors who confirmed my own findings and told me that cancer cells do not thrive in extreme heat and encouraged my husband to continue using the sauna.

Will all this prolong my husband’s life? I cannot tell you but it has certainly given him hope and it has lifted his spirits. As a doctor himself, he is so convinced that this will help him, he wants to share our sauna and water with friends and neighbors who have cancer. God bless him.

If you want to read more extensively about the health benefits of using a sauna I found the following two articles very helpful and informative; both on how to use a sauna to best advantage, and why infrared sauna sessions are so helpful in detoxification.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ISW/is_251/ai_n6112664/
http://www.naturalnews.com/022847.html

Our new portable saunas start a $2375 and include free shipping. See all models here:

http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/saunas.html

Alkaline water ionizers will not only filter your water but do double duty by providing you with alkaline drinking water which is an invaluable part of your wellness program. Alkaline water helps detoxify the system and is reported to protect against a variety of degenerative or inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, acid reflux, gout, fibromyalgia, psoriasis, diabetes and reduce high blood pressure, helps with weight loss as well as provides the optimum environment for discouraging cancer cell growth. It is thought that cancer cells thrive in an acid environment, so it is reasonable to expect that if the body’s pH turns more alkaline that it is beneficial to one’s health. These benefits have been fairly well documented by research that has taken place primarily in Japan and Europe. I do hasten to add that controlled research involving humans is fiendishly difficult, because when a family such as ours, finds themselves in a life and death situation, you do everything you can think of and you do it concurrently, as time is not on your side.

Water ionization is the method of producing a concentration of alkaline and acidic minerals by separating them through electrolysis. Water ionizers help neutralize and balance your body’s pH balance. We offer a variety of water ionizers to suit your needs including countertop, under sink, and portable units which are all easy to set up.

I did quite a lot of reading and research before getting convinced about the alkaline water story and its curative effects. I did talk to a number of doctors and people who had expertise in nutrition that were in agreement that the American diet is too acidic and not optimum for one’s health. The first thing that struck me was you are going to have to drink a large amount of water if you chose to continue to eat some of the food and beverages that were most acidic. Both my husband and I were already eating what normally would be considered a ideal healthy diet with plenty of grains, vegetables, salads, fruit, fish and we rarely eat meat. We tested our pH balance with test strips before we started the water and found to our horror that we were both quite acidic. My husband who has regular urine tests (the best way to test pH) confirmed that while his pH level was in normal range it was far from being ideal. We quickly eliminated coffee and diet soda, which was a real sacrifice on my part, but we still tested well below 7.0 pH neutral. So we dug a bit deeper into the recommended alkaline foods such as fruits, vegetables and some nuts but it was clear that without the aid of alkaline water we were not going to achieve our goals.

I decided on an under sink installation by Life Ionizers (starting at $2,499.95) because I had a designer kitchen faucet with a spray attachment and my kitchen counter top has limited space. My installation was fraught with difficulties starting with several attempts by UPS to deliver as signature is required. I then found an under counter installation requires an electrical socket for an “always on” socket which upped the expense. Luckily I already had an extra hole drilled in my granite counter top for the dispensing alkaline water drinking water tap, but getting granite drilled is not trivial if you have that kind of counter top. I also needed an alternative connector part from the company as mine would not fit the standard water supply. So this installation needed a certain amount of perseverance and determination, and if I was not so convinced about the health benefits I might have given up in disgust of simply opted for a countertop model which I think for most people it would be a lot easier. My model is voice activated which by the time you place it under the sink is a muffled annoyance, although in theory a good idea.

That being said after we safely installed the unit, I found there was a quite a lot to learn about using alkaline water. My unit has four levels of alkaline water which is not always the case with other less expensive alkaline water filters. This allows you to start slowly and get your body used to alkaline water and then work your way up to higher levels of alkaline water which we reckoned we might need to achieve the desired result. It took some getting used to seeing water come out of two spouts simultaneously- one acid and one alkaline- and getting used to wasting the acid water. But in truth drinking water is a tiny part of each day’s household water consumption.

Ideally the drinking water out of your tap should test pH neutral with your test strips. Ours was slightly acidic so that even green tea which is mildly alkaline in our house tested acid - and we even already have a whole house water filter. So even drinking more tap water was not going to get us to a pH neutral level.

The acid water is good for primarily for any topical skin uses whether it be a rash, sunburn, abrasions or other more serious skin conditions. It is also a disinfectant and can be used in sanitizing and polishing surfaces and works well when cleaning as it has a mild bleaching effect. It should NEVER be ingested.

The alkaline water which acts as an antioxidant is just simply one of the best things you can do for your health. Indeed, the number of conditions in which alkaline water has been said to be helpful includes high blood pressure, gastro intestinal problems, diabetes, gout, osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease, and obesity. While I would never dare to say that the alkaline water is curative, I have certainly read enough case studies to make me wonder. What the alkaline water CAN do is help restore your body’s pH level to 7.0-7.2 which is considered to be pH neutral and can help balance the cumulative effects of the American diet which end up having our bodies in a mild state of chronic acidosis which is linked to a number of degenerative diseases.

One caution in drinking alkaline water is not drinking the water one hour before and after taking medication. Since my husband and myself take daily medication, that does take some organization so I put the water in bottles each morning for later use during the day.

Since the effects of the water for most people do not happen over night and can take months, I am cautious about reporting any changes. I ramped up to level 4 water quite quickly over the last month and I have noticed that I find it easier to drink the water, that it just tastes smoother. I do not drink the recommended one to two gallons a day, simply to avoid spending all day and night in the bathroom. Nevertheless my morning pH level has inched up a couple of notches which is a quick and easy way of charting my progress. What I have found and the scientist in me is so reluctant to report this, is that my osteoarthritis, which is pretty debilitating has lessened very significantly, and I can get out of bed in the mornings and not creep around moaning and groaning. By the time I have a morning sauna session, I am starting to feel almost normal and enough to go out golfing and enjoy myself for the first time in a couple of years. I will let you know whether the improvement sticks, if it does I will be unbelievably thankful as it will have made a huge difference to the quality of my life.

My husband at time of writing is still on level 1 water and needs to drink far more in order to change his blood pH but when we have measurable changes in pH levels I will report it as a postscript to this review.

However, I do recommend anyone who is concerned about their overall wellness to include an Alkaline water filter into their program. It can do nothing but help.

Alkaline water ionizers start at $650 including free shipping and we have several models to choose from in either countertop or under sink configurations.

I decided to turn to IQAir for whole house filtration because their system is superior to anything else on the market, and they measure and guarantee the results. Since my husband has a compromised immune system and is susceptible to secondary infections, you can imagine I did not want to leave anything to chance. While my expectations were high before the consultation, I confess that afterwards I was awestruck. The IQair testing team crawled all over my home identifying all my air leaks in such places as electrical wall sockets, spot lamp ceiling sockets, the laundry flex hose and under the sinks. The team put in foam to plug the leaks and a permanent dryer vent hose. We ended up using three IQAir Perfect 16 Whole House Air Purification units in my house which is a bit larger than average.

Before the installation of the IQAir Perfect 16 system, I had several room air purifiers going 24 hours in the house which has cathedral ceilings. Using the Perfect 16 system, we achieved a 90% reduction in room particle count in the house and the air coming out of my ducts measured zero which is quite astonishing. I think if it were not for 2 lively Siamese cats in the space, the room particle count would be even closer to zero, and even so, it gets pretty darn close. If you wonder whether the IQAir system is worth the extra cost, take into account that in addition to superior filtration media it pumps out 6 air changes per hour which is unheard of for a whole house air purification system. The net effect of this is a paucity of dust, which by doing the traditional finger dust test, you really have to search hard to find.

On a personal level, I am profoundly grateful that there is an air purification system which can take care of my husband. When the love of your life is dying, I wanted to make sure he had the best protection I could find for him. The by product from all this is I have never felt better with my own allergies, now under control with this super clean air. If someone in your life has a compromised immune system and is susceptible to infections, I can only tell you that this product is literally a life saver and you will be thrilled with the results.

The IQAir Perfect 16 Whole House air purification system starts at $2695 and includes professional installation, in home testing before and after installation, and free shipping. Plus there is a money back guarantee on performance!

The HAAN MS-30 steam cleaner takes the place of multiple chemical cleaners for your home and lets you put the power of natural steam cleaning power to work on the toughest tasks. This lightweight multipurpose steam cleaner that can clean your floors, sinks, walls, countertops, ceilings and windows - all without harsh chemicals.  We are big fans of the Haan steam mops for floor cleaning and this new Haan steamer is the next level up for steam cleaning. Starting at $179.95 - plus you get Free Shipping at AllergyBuyersClub.com.

There is no doubt about it, all Dyson vacuums have enormous suction power and the new Dyson DC23 Stowaway canister vacuum  is no exception. This together with the smaller Dyson DC24 upright vacuum, Dyson has really improved their offerings in my mind in terms of weight and useability. I took the Dyson DC23 canister for a test drive in my home while we were using it for a photo shoot. Here is what I have to say about it. Since Dyson offers no adjustable controls for the power of their suction, you have mega suction at all times. If you have sturdy carpeting like a Berber or commercial carpeting, this Dyson will do an awesome job. My carpet looked brighter and cleaner in a heartbeat. My problem was that with my area rug (a fake oriental), clouds of carpet fiber got sucked up at the same time, which would not have this vacuum be suitable for my longer term personal use. But if you have wall-to-wall carpeting and not mostly bare floors like myself, this vacuum really rocks - wow! We also tested it for dust emissions and it came out with flying colors, so it is suitable for homes with allergy sufferers.

http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/dyson-stowaway-dc23-motorhead-canister-vacuum-cleaners.html

Since I have two Siamese cats who deem it their job to roll over and deposit cat hair all over my chocolate velvet couches every day, I have long been interested in a powerful handheld vacuum which is not too heavy but is truly powerful. I confess that while the turbo brush on my Sebo C2 vacuum works wonders, it does necessitate taking out a full sized vacuum which is not my favorite thing to do. So that being said I was eager to try the new Dyson handheld cordless vacuum and I chose the more expensive DC16 Animal model as it had a motorized power head. Be clear you only want to spend this kind of money for a powerful handheld vacuum device when you are drowning in pet hair or your car gets dirty all the time, since this device costs more than most other handhelds, and the charge only lasts for 6-7 minutes before recharging. That being said I have seen these vacuums on TV and I really wanted to try one out - 6 minutes is as much vacuuming as I really want to do anyway!

So the first thing to say about the Dyson DC16 Animal Handheld vacuum ($199.95) is I consider it not attractive, but the guys will love it as it is a macho vacuum! A perfect Father’s Day gift. Considering its size, I was pleasantly surprised at how light it is, which is a big complaint of mine with any vacuum. But here comes the most important thing- if you have pet hair, this handheld vacuum is the most powerful thing I have come across, and my two chairs and couch were thoroughly cleaned in under 6 minutes - I had juice to spare which was amazing to me. In order to save on its power, it only operates when you are depressing the “on button” which I understand, but my hand got tired and was happy that the task was accomplished so quickly. I think it would make short work of dirt in my car, which I will get my share of soon as I intend to visit the nursery prior to planting my garden. It has a really huge receptacle for collecting dirt, so it is not going to get full immediately which is very convenient. So in short, I surprised myself, I like this vacuum and it gets a permanent place in my home. The Dyson DC16 Root handheld without motorhead starts at $149.

  http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/dyson-vacuum-cleaners.html

This is what I am doing to protect myself against airborne viruses. Nothing is fool-proof especially when you already have a compromised immune system, and when the government offers me a flu preventive shot, I will take it as I always do, but this time I will make it a priority.

Lotus Water Sanitizing system

1. Make sure that you and others cough into your arm instead of into the air; this is a practice which everyone in our office and my home follows.

  2. Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap, and carry a bottle of hand sanitizer with you to public places.

  3. If I was traveling by airplane I would wear a mask, since I always without fail get sick from airplane travel.

  4. I would take extra care to wash/sanitize fruits and veggies - who knows who has coughed on them in the supermarket. We have a Lotus Water Sanitizing system ($154.95) which will both sanitize your fruits and veggies and turn ordinary water into a disinfectant- albeit for about 15 minutes, but enough to wipe down a whole lot of counter tops.

  http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/lotus-sanitizing-water-systems.html

5. If the spread of flu gets any worse, I will put an Airfree Onyx Sterilizer ($269) on my desk or a Germ Guardian Sanitizer ($129) which have proven virus killing technologies. You can also take a look at some of our other sanitization products.

  http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/uv-sanitization-products.html

6. I have been meaning to install an IQAir Perfect 16 whole house air purifier (starting at $2695), but now since you cannot figure out ahead of time which room a virus can hit, a whole house solution seems eminently sensible, and I have more to justify the cost than my seasonal allergies which are causing me to have endless sneezing fits.

  The IQAir Perfect 16 includes professional installation and delivers 6 air changes per hour throughout your home. It does not get better than that. Failing that I would recommend an IQAir Cleanroom ($1599) or an IQAir HealthPro Plus ($799) room air purification models. I do have to add a caveat as to the efficacy of air purifiers - if the virus reaches you before it reaches the air purifier then you have no protection. You are more likely to have contact with the virus through a child bringing it home from school or if you have a job coming into contact with the general public.

  7. For simply brilliant sanitization of your home using steam cleaning there is nothing that comes close to a Ladybug Steam cleaner with TANCS (starting at $1499) that uses nanotechnology to turn everyday water into an EPA registered disinfectant. I have one and love it for a myriad of reasons.

There is nothing out there that will give you 100% virus protection, without holing yourself up in clean room isolation, but a few simple precautions seem like a sensible thing to do.

5krunnerqueen from Dayton, OH says “Awesome Steam Mop”

I recieved this a couple days ago, and let me say this product does a great job on my laminiate wood floors as well as the vinyl floors. I like the fact not only is it sanitzing my floors but it virtually dry after I do a few passes!!! There is no water spots or puddles at all. I also tried it on my upolstrey and mattress….The sanitizing tray attachment did leave a few water spots but no big deal…very happy with my purchase!

Pros: effective, reliable, easy to use, met my expectations
Cons: none

Editorial Links: HAAN Steam Mops | HAAN FS20 Steam Mop | Steam Mops

Nana from Marco Island, FL says that this HAAN Floor Sanitizer is “Superior to all others”.

I am truly amazed at the effectiveness of this product. (Hann FS20 Floor Sanitzer) The steam is evenly dispersed along the front of the machine allowing an even and thorough cleaning of floors, upholstery (get the attachment), countertops and changing table. The surface of cleaned area is hot to the touch. The surface is moist NOT WET. It is comfortable to use and easy to use. I heard the inventor of these products comes from Korea. Thus the reason for a complete clean…they do everything on the floors over there. Thank you Ms. HAAN.

Pros: high quality, effective, quiet, reliable, easy to use, met my expectations, sanitizes best, no sneezing
Cons: none

Editorial Links: HAAN Floor Sanitzer | HAAN FS20 Floor Sanitizer | Floor Sanitizers