Dr. Mark and Dr. Chip's Healthy Blogs

5 Natural and Easy Cleaners You Can Make at Home Analysis by  Dr. Joseph Mercola Harsh house cleaning chemicals expose you to health hazards and pollute the environment, but you can easily and inexpensively make your own natural cleaners Lemons are effective as deodorizers as well as kitchen and bath cleaners Hydrogen peroxide has unique antibacterial properties that make it ideal for general cleaning around the house White vinegar can remove mildew and clean dingy bathroom grout when allowed to sit for 30 minutes In addition to many personal care uses, baking soda has myriad household cleaning uses and is inexpensive and safe Cleaning the house is no one's favorite job, and dangerous cleaning products worsen the task by posing risks to you and the environment. An extreme example occurred earlier this year at a Buffalo Wild Wings in Burlington, Massachusetts. Chlorine gas produced when the cleaners Super 8 and Scale Kleen were unintentionally mixed killed the ge...

How long does the flu last?             Although the average may be listed around 5 days, this would depend entirely on the person’s immune system and what kind of stresses their under. It may also depend on the strain of flu the person has been exposed to as well. This is a good example of why it is important to keep your immune system in good shape through good diet and exercise and a lifestyle that is as low as possible in stress. If your immune system is in good shape, flu symptoms from exposure can last a couple hours but if your immune system is in not so good a shape or your exposure through injection, which bypasses major parts of the immune system, symptoms can last for days, or weeks or longer. In a natural health world, we are more concerned with keeping the immune system in good shape rather than worrying about the bugs as the bugs are always out there and unless you want to live in a bubble, you will be exposed. A...

Improve Your Life: What 10 Things Should You Do Every Day To Improve Your Life? Get out in nature You probably seriously underestimate how important this is. (Actually, there’s  research that says you do .) Being in nature reduces  stress , makes you more  creative , improves your memory  and may even  make you a better person . Exercise We all know how important this is, but few people do it consistently. Other than health benefits too numerous to mention, exercise  makes  you  smarter ,  happier , improves  sleep , increases libido  and  makes you feel better about your body . A Harvard study that has tracked a group of men for more than 70 years identified it as  one of the secrets to a good life .  Spend time with friends and family Harvard happiness expert  Daniel Gilber t identified this as  one of the biggest sources of happiness in our lives . Relationships are worth more than you thi...

Spring Allergy Information             Spring allergies affect an estimated 25 million Americans. Airborne pollen is the most common cause of seasonal allergies, also known as hay fever or allergic rhinitis. An estimated 80 percent of your immune system is located in your gut, so supporting your digestive health is essential to also supporting your immune system, which is your primary defense system against ALL disease, including allergies and asthma. Processed food, GE ingredients and synthetic additives all decimate the beneficial bacteria in your gut, thereby having a negative effect on your immune system. Ideally, you’ll want to avoid processed foods, focusing on organic, locally-grown foods instead, and include fermented foods in your diet to optimize your gut flora. A number of foods and herbs can help alleviate allergy symptoms, including hot pepper, quercetin, butterbur, golden seal and eucalyptus oil. Th...