Healthy Travel Tips

Your best bet for staying healthy on the road or anywhere else for that matter, is to keep your immune system strong. While anitbiotics or Tamiflu may shorten the length of time you're ill by a few days, there is no cure. Flu vaccines reduce the risk of catching the bug, but only protect about 39% of the people who take the shot.

Here's how I keep my immune system strong:

• Avoid stress. I get outside--hike, bike, or just take a walk! Being in nature is a healing balm, the wonder and beauty relaxes me and reminds me of the order and grace that exists regardless of what the balance is in my IRA account.
• Increase Vitamin D. Most adults in the US suffer from an acute shortage of vitamin D. 15 minutes of sun a day on my legs and arms will boosts my levels to normal and helps protect your immune system. Yet another reason to get outside on my vacation.
• Increase exercise. Our sedentary lifestyle contributes to our weak immune system. I spend an hour a day walking and on vacation, I hike for hours.
• A Breath of Fresh Air. I avoid toxic places and stay out of hospitals and gyms (with the exception of the Sedona Spa which is hyper vigilant about keeping the place sanitized). 92% of indoor air is more polluted than outdoor air. I open the windows at least 45 minutes a day, except during heavy pollen seasons, ozone or air quality alerts. I avoid staying in places that have been remodeled within six months--most likely the carpet, paint, drywall, and other materials will be out gassing toxins like formaldehyde and other respiratory irritants and carcinogens.
  
• Insist on Truly Smoke-free Lodging. Enforcement can be lax unless the establishment is committed to healthy practices. And a smoke-free room on a smoking floor is still a smoking room. I use http://www.smoke-freehotels.com/ to find lodging on the road.

Swine Flu Effects Travel to Vacation Rentals

In recent weeks, most of us have become familiar with the strain of flu found in pigs that has mutated to be able to infect humans. Swine Flu cases have been confirmed in the US, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, the UK, and Spain. For travelers concerned with health, it is a time to be alert and informed, but not to panic or spread fear.

So far, cases elsewhere in the US have been mild. The reported deaths are in Mexico. CDC officials recommend Americans avoid all nonessential travel to Mexico.

Travelers to the US have expressed concerns to me about exposure to the reported outbreaks. Vacation rental guests want to know if Arizona or Florida have reported cases. The answer as of today is "No, none." Arizona health department officials report having a good supply of Tamiflu and other drugs to treat an outbreak.

If you plan to travel to other US states with reported cases of Swine Flu , boost your immune system and take precautions to avoid contracting this illness with these practices:

• Wash your hands often. Dr. Oz said today on Oprah, "Be assertive, speak up about washing hands." Better to be embarrassed about washing up than to get sick.
• Avoid touching your nose, mouth, and eyes.
• Cover your mouth or nose when sneezing or coughing.
• Don't share towels or clothes, and take care in gyms and health clubs not to touch robes, slippers, or towels of other guests.
• On flights, open the air conditioning vent to allow more oxygen to flow near your seat, even if it means you have to put on a sweater. Airlines save money on fuel costs by cutting back oxygen. Breathing the recirculated air from other passengers is not as healthy as breathing the oxygen replenished air from the valve in the ceiling over your seat.
  
  If you have concerns about an upcoming trip:
• Talk with your doctor, natropath, or nurse practitioner
• Talk with the vacation rental owners to get information about outbreaks and health care facilities in their area.
• Check the cancellation policies of you rental as vacation rental policies differ from one to another.
• Do not book a vacation rental unless the owners provide written agreements and cancellation policies. You can check out my vacation rental policies on the EcoLux website.
• If you have already planned a trip into a risk area and want to cancel, I recommend contacting the owners to discuss it even if the cancellation policy does not allow it. Owners may be willing to work something out under these unusual conditions.

Websites for monitoring the progression of swine influenza, http://www.blogger.com/www.travel.state.gov, http://www.cdc.gov/, and http://www.who.int/.

Later this week I will post on health tips for vacationers. Let me know what you do to boost your immune system and protect your health while travelling.

This blog is for bottom-up dispensers of cool who enjoy conscious travel and healthy living--conscious of our spending and our impact on our bodies and the world. We feel that "the small, the slow, the local, and the personal" will build the new economy. Your comments will help enrich this information for all of us. Please share your tips and experience.

Hug It: Dana's Top Five

1. Leverage your impact with CarrotMob.com and their new ways of activism. In the first ever Carrotmob event, a liquor store agreed to invest in upgrades that made their store more energy-efficient. In exchange, hundreds of Carrotmobbers showed up at once to support the winning liquor store.

2. Win a Green Home from HGTV. Enter until June 5, 2009.

3. Research Shows Dancing Improves Health for Seniors.

4. For the birds. Check the Audubon's Climate Change Quiz and see if you can beat my score: 7 out of 8.

5. MACA urges O'Bama's to use pesticides in their organic garden because, among other reasons, "Americans don't have time to grow their own food."


This blog is for bottom-up dispensers of cool who enjoy eco-travel deals and healthy living. We feel that "the small, the slow, the local, and the personal" will build the new economy. Your comments will help enrich this information for all of us. Please share your tips and experience.

Bobcat Wanders into Sedona Area Bar-Just Looking for a Bloody Mary

The "Ick Factor"

One of the hottest amenities in travel is hypoallergenic rooms. We've been offering them for years to guests with sensitivities, but also to people who don't want to be exposed to whatever bacteria and bugs came with the guy who slept there the night before.

In addition to being super-clean and free of dirt-holding carpeting and upholstered furniture, our self-catering holiday homes and vacation rentals are purified by steam-cleaning the floors and tile at 120 degrees, changing the anti-microbial HEPA air filters, no use of aerosol spray cleaners or fresheners, disinfecting with hydrogen peroxide, sun light and fresh air, and fragrance free cleaning. Mattresses and pillows have dust-mite covers and no VOC paints and finishes keep toxins out of the air. These methods also cut down on dust, pollen and other irritants.

As Practical Traveler, Michelle Higgens wrote in the NY Times, "This much cleanliness is a bit neurotic. But its not enough for hotels seeking health-conscious consumers to just offer organic food..." She also notes that most hotels offering these amenities charge a 5 to 10 percent premium.

Resources for pure vacationing:

Smoke-Free Hotels

Asthma and Allergy Foundation

Indoor Air Quality Association

Canadian Centre for Occupational and Health Safety

Special Offers at Smoke Free Hotels

Vacation Rental Travel Deals ~ Free Stuff, Super Bowl and More

2009 Red Hot Rate Specials for FREE stuff. Going toxin-free, plastic-free, oil-free, and smoke-free can get you rent free, jeep rides, workshops along with good health in 2009 when you enter our health promotions. Subscribe to this blog by email or RSS feed so you don't miss the offers like the ones below for smokers, women and Super Bowl fans.

Give Yourself the Gift of Health and be our guest. Win a 3-Day Weekend Sedona, Arizona or St. Augustine, Florida. If you quit smoking for New Years or plan to quit in 2009, you could stay for free in one of our healthy vacation homes. We're running promotions this year to encourage people to get healthier, starting with a promotion to support those kicking cigs or whatever you smoke.

Don't smoke? Forward this to a friend who does and get them to take you on the vacation when they quit.

To enter, just write to Dana and tell us two things, 1. What you plan to do to replace the cigarettes (chew gum, call your coach, take a walk) and 2. Why you want quit. If you make it smoke-free for 90 days, you can stay for free at the waterfront treehouse or Red Rocks Retreat in Sedona. Taxes and cleaning not included, based on availability. Entries will be posted on the blog, so let us know if you want your name included or not.

When you quit smoking:

• In 20 minutes your blood pressure will improve.


• In 8 hours the toxic gasses drop by half and oxygen levels return to normal.


• In 48 hours your risk of heart attack drops, nicotine will have left your body and your sense of taste and smell returns.


• In 72 hours your broncial tubes relax and your energy will increase.


• In three to nine months you can win a vacation and your coughing and wheezing problems will go away.

The Gift of Shift, FREE for two women. Two scholarships available to the Sedona Women in Transition Retreat, Jan 31-Feb 1. Scholarship not based on need but on willingness to "pay it forward." $899 fee paid by sponsor. Email Dana for details. $25 registration fee required.

Super Bowl Savings! St. Pete, FL vacation home rental, $333 a night. Smoke free, pet free cottage sleeps four. Email dedeskye at msn.com for details. Minimum stay required.

Spa-aahhhs--Easy on You and the Environment

If you own a spa or spend time in one on vacation, you know the relief it brings for stress, back or neck problems, injuries, or arthritis. But with the soak comes chemicals--mainstream spa products contain deadly chlorine and pesticides--not so nice for your skin, lungs or draining into Mother Nature. And if you're chemically sensitive like me, spas can trigger hives or asthma.

There is an alternative, a natural enzyme product in use for over 20 years. We use it in our vacation rental tubs and find it works for three months with no itchy skin, burning eyes, or smells. Again,I don't take money for writing about products, I want to stay objective. I'm not getting paid to write this or when you buy product and this isn't multi-level marketing.

I've spent some time getting to know the Nature Safe Spa distributor, Burt
and here's what he's shared with me about environmentally friendly spas:

"After retirement I moved to the beautiful mountains of Virginia, however my life changed after a devastating car accident. My doctor recommended a spa for pain relief and a natural muscle relaxant. The spa helped me manage my pain. But I hated having to test the water so often and having to remember when to add another chemical. My skin reacted to the harsh chemicals, but I continued using the spa because I didn’t realize I had any other choice.

Hydrotherapy, which comes from a good spa or hot tub, is one of the best pain and stress relievers out there. I personally believe it is one of the best kept secrets for those who could really use hydrotherapy. There is comfort in being in a spa and enjoying all the benefits without the itching, smell and knowledge that you’re soaking in a chemical soup.

I was so sold on the wonderful benefits of my hot tub, that I started selling them in a local spa store. During the next five years, I was introduced to The Natural Hot Tub Company Water Treatment & Conditioner. I found I could use my spa daily without testing or adding anything to the water. I didn’t have to take a shower after soaking and there was no chemical smell. My skin was soft and I stopped having rashes. We started selling the Water Treatment at the store where I worked and the customers who tried it were as amazed as I at the results and ease of use.

I also had the great fortune of having hundreds of customers using this water treatment as well, and the privilege of speaking to the doctor who invented it sometimes on a weekly basis. He was a wealth of knowledge regarding the product which I was able to pass on this information to my customers. I learned a lot about spas and spa treatment programs during this time and this is by far the best product I have seen or used. That’s why I became a distributor and decided to start this website, so I could share this product with everyone.

One of the many things I learned while selling spas and hot tubs is you probably will have a hard time finding this product in retail outlets. The reason is simple! Most retailers believe this product will negatively affect their chemical sales. That is somewhat correct. However, the No. 1 reason people decide not to buy a spa is maintenance. While it is true that a spa actually is virtually maintenance free, the traditional spa water treatment is usually an everyday procedure. First, checking the water for chlorine or bromine levels, then pH and alkalinity, then adding some chemical every other day at least and adding another chemical for metal content or a clarifier. Also when you consider most people do not drain their spas but once or twice a year, this chemical build-up is enormous.

Then we drain our spas into our ground water system which pollutes our environment. With this Water Treatment & Conditioner, you add one bottle every three months and that’s it. I personally add an all-natural clarifier, Sea-Klear®, once per week just as I get out of my tub. Clean the filter once per week which you should do, no matter what you use as a water treatment. I also use a small amount (1/2 tsp) of Spa Chlorine Granules when necessary and leave my cover off to 'gas' it out."

Toxic At Any Speed

VOCs from indoor air pollution don’t just make you sick at home or in a hotel, your car may also cause respiratory irritation or worse.

See how bad your car might be at HealthyCar.org, better yet, find one that is low toxin. Here’s what they recommend to reduce exposure:

Reduce Your Exposure

· Since heat and UV-rays accelerate the breakdown of toxic chemicals, we recommend that car owners use solar reflectors and park in the shade whenever possible.

· Car owners should ventilate their cars before entering them by opening doors and rolling down windows.

· Car owners can also reduce exposure by spending less time in their cars. We recommend walking, riding a bike or using public transportation whenever possible. This also helps reduce tailpipe emissions.

“As environment-friendly Martha Stewart might know, that new car smell is not a good thing. In fact, inhaling the fumes from your new car can be toxic and are created from a literal soup of chemicals such as arsenic and formaldehyde, which can take years to completely be "out-gassed" from your new car's interior materials.” Read more

Croctober? Time to Luxuriate

Slow cooking is perfect for a fall evening meal in Sedona or a staycation weekend. And now you can save even more eating in with this coupon for a crock-pot rebate. Or get your out your own or one from Goodwill (I found a super clean one there for $9) and cook some one dish recipes from Cooking.com. Better yet, share your fave recipe or slow cooking site here...

Study Shows Toxins in Laundry Products

This is why we use only green products to launder the linens at Eco Luxury Lodging. And I always ask if "green cleaning" at other lodging includes laundering. Often, it does not.

SEATTLE—A University of Washington study of top-selling laundry products and air fresheners found the products emitted dozens of different chemicals. All six products tested gave off at least one chemical regulated as toxic or hazardous under federal laws, but none of those chemicals was listed on the product labels. “I first got interested in this topic because people were telling me that the air fresheners in public restrooms and the scent from laundry products vented outdoors were making them sick,” said Anne Steinemann, a UW professor of civil and environmental engineering and public affairs. “And I wanted to know, ‘What’s in these products that is causing these effects?’”

View article

5 Places To Get Greener, Healthier Food

Grabbing fast food isn't my first choice, but it's usually unavoidable while traveling with my family. Can you suggest some healthier, green options?
- Megan Morgan, Columbia, South Carolina

We know how difficult (and expensive!) it is to eat out for every meal when your family's on vacation. Fortunately, some conscientious companies are working to change the artery-clogging, Earth-trashing image of fast food chains. Locally sourced and eco-friendly, here are our five favorite "green" fast food restaurants across the country. The kids will love it and you'll feel good about it, too. Read more on Yahoo http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/5-places-to-get-healthier-greener-fast-food-249341/

Do "Green" Cleaners Really Work?

After my August 13 post about the dangers of house cleaning, a few of you, including one of our house cleaners, asked me if green cleaning products really clean, can green cleaning sanitize surfaces like toilets and countertops? I say yes, because our homes can't be sterilized anyway, no surface stays santized for long.

If that's not enough for you, consider the alternatives. "Disinfectants can be poisonous--they're regulated as pesticides..." says Lori Bongiono, author of Green, Greener, Greenest.

~Water evaporating--air drying, is actually a good way to get rid of germs. I clean with hot water to increase the odds. Studies show air dried dishes have 74% less bacteria and germs than towel dried dishes.

~A super-hooked microfiber cloth and hot water is an affordable choice that works on 90% of household messes. Rubbing alcohol and baking soda work on tougher stains.

~I confess, I keep a caustic cleaner on hand, outside in the shed, for the remaining 1% I can't remove with my green cleaning methods. But almost all of the time, my house is fragrance and chemical free.

~The toilets get baking soda for scrubbing and vinegar for sanitizing.

How to Protect Your Health--Beware Deadly House Cleaning

Staying in a clean vacation rental, classroom, office, or home should not increase our risks of sinus problems, asthma symptoms, reproductive harm, damage to our lungs, and exposure to carcinogens (causes cancer). But it does.

Toxic Teddy Bears? Everyday, we use products that expose us to toxins that impact our health, indoor air pollution, and water quality. For me, going green means making better choices about how I take care of myself and in turn, my loved ones, which includes the planet.

The Law of Diminishing Returns. I focus 80% of my green choices on Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). I avoid smoke of all kinds, VOCs, toxic cleaning products, chemical pesticides, and toxic building materials.

Toxic Building Materials. Many conventional building materials contain formaldehyde, carcinogens (cause cancer), and radon. I stay away from the biggest offenders, granite counter tops, paint and all other finishes with VOCs, carpet and flooring glues, treated wood, drywall. I use "no VOC" paints and finishes, glues, and flooring adhesives. If I have to use drywall or thinset mortar for tile installation, I make sure the house is unoccupied for the period of time the material is outgassing icky formaldehyde and other poisons. Check with the manufacturer for specifications--usually tile related materials take 48 hours. Carpet and other glues can take up to one year.

Fuming Furniture. The majority of affordable cabinetry and furniture available at Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, Ikea, and similar stores is made of MDF, Medium Density Fiberboard which is loaded with toxic VOCs. While it is exciting to find the low prices on these prefab bathroom vanities, dressers, bookcases, and entertainment centers, we end up paying a higher price with our health.

VOC-free MDF is available, but none of the stores I've checked can determine if their manufacturers use it. Tony Spinelli, of Cabinets by Sun Ray informs me that his supplier carriers a VOC free MDF for about the same cost as the toxic MDF. I can't wait to get my new kitchen cabinets now that I found a source that won't break the bank.

Clean Green Breathing Machines. The U.S. EPA’s Indoor Air Quality Program states that aerosol sprays, cleaners and disinfectants, moth repellents and air fresheners contain dangerous VOCs.

All purpose cleaners, glass cleaners such as Windex, tub, tile, grout cleaners and sealers , degreasers, carpet cleaners, stain removers, floor strippers and cleaners, metal polishes, and oven cleaners contain endocrine disrupting chemicals such as butoxyethanol and other glycol ethers.

Laundry detergents like Tide, multi-purpose cleaners, floor care products and carpet cleaners, non-chlorine sanitizers, toilet bowl cleaners and deodorizers contain harmful APEs. Look for products that use alcohol ethoxylates (sometimes listed as ethoxylated alcohols) instead.

Alkyl phenol ethoxylates (APEs) are surfactants found in laundry detergents, stain
removers, and all-purpose cleaners, which have been found to reduce embryo survival in fish and alter tadpole development. APEs contaminate rivers and streams, and have also been found in household dust.

Over Exposed. School children and janitorial and domestic workers show a much higher prevelence of asthma than those who are not exposed to cleaning chemicals on a daily basis according to numerous studies. Monoethanolamine (MEA), a surfactant found in some laundry detergents, all-purpose cleaners and floor cleaners is a known inducer of occupational asthma.

Ammonium quaternary compounds, disinfectants found in some disinfectant sprays and toilet cleaners that have been identified as inducers of occupational asthma.
Phthalates, carriers for fragrance in glass cleaners, deodorizers, laundry detergents and fabric softners, and are linked to increased allergic symptoms and asthma in children.

A 2004 report from the National Center for Health Statistics states that the incidence of asthma among preschool-aged children rose by 160% between 1980 and 1994, accounting for 14 million missed school days each year and $3.2 million in treatment expenses.

Air fresheners usually contain VOCs such as xylene, ketones and aldehydes as well as benzene and formaldehyde, both of which are known carcinogens. Air fresheners may also contain fragrances--irritants associated with watery eyes, headaches, skin and respiratory irritation, asthma and allergic reactions. Exposure to phthalates, which carry the fragrances in these products, usually aggravates asthma and is linked to reproductive harm, specifically reduced sperm count in men.

UW engineering professor Anne Steinemann analyzed of some of these popular items and found 100 different volatile organic compounds measuring 300 parts per billion or more -- some of which can be cancerous or cause harm to respiratory, reproductive, neurological and other organ systems.

Some of the chemicals are categorized as hazardous or toxic by federal regulatory agencies. But the labels tell a different story, naming only innocuous-sounding "perfume" or "biodegradable" contents.

"Consumers are breathing these chemicals," she said. "No one is doing anything about it."

Industry representatives say that isn't so.

"Dr. Steinemann's statement is misleading and disingenuous," said Chris Cathcart, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Consumer Specialty Products Association, in a statement.

"Air fresheners, laundry products and other consumer specialty products are regulated under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act and subsequently have strict labeling requirements," he said. "Companies producing products that are regulated under FHSA must name on the product label each component that contributes to the hazard."

Okay, so the label may tell us it's toxic and researchers have numerous reports of people -- particularly those with asthma, chemical sensitivities and allergies -- having strong adverse reactions. I'm one of those people. That's enough research for me!

When restaurant owners and airplane cleaners use air fresheners, or when vacation rentals wash towels and sheets in scented laundry supplies its a problem for me. And even when the concentrations are low in individual products, I'm exposed to multiple sources on a daily basis. That's why at home and on the road, I do my best to hang out in healthy homes owned by people who:

~Change HVAC air filters at least once every three months
~Use Permanent or high allergen filters
~Open the windows for a minimum of 45 minutes a day for fresh air
~Eliminate or minimize use of products with synthetic fragrances. This includes "essential oils." Being an "essential oil" does NOT mean it is healthy. Most oils have synthetic fragrance additives.
~Don't bother with HEPA filters on vacuums and other equipment unless you change them regularly. Most filters don't work, especially when they're filled with dirt.
~Never allow smoking of any kind.
~Eliminate or reduce materials made of MDF, particle board, glued woods, carpet, or vinyl
~Eliminate pans with Teflon
~Ventilate and leave the house for at least 48 hours after applications of StainMaster, StainGuard products and installation of drywall and other building
materials.
~Use no or low VOC paints, sprays, adhesives whenever possible
~Cross ventilate or exhaust fans in use to minimize mold growth
~Do not allow pets on soft materials, upholstery where dander cannot be removed
~Burn only unscented, beeswax or chemical free candles. Many wicks contain lead and candle waxes have carcinogenic scents and additives.

Photo by Steve Beinhorn

Beat the Heat in Sedona: What to do in August

It's not too hot in northern Arizona for outdoor lovers, not if you know where to go and what to do to beat the heat.

Cool Off Like a Cave Man. Arizona has many caves like the one above where temps often stay the same as the previous night's cool air. Thunder Mountain and Sycamore Canyon boast a few places to cool it. Cave men and femmes alike can also groove on the petroglyphs and pictographs of Platki and other ruins.

Get Celestial. Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, where once upon a planet Pluto was discovered is one of the best places to observe the night sky. On August 11 the famous Perseid meteor shower makes it even more stellar for a starry, starry night. And it's only six bucks to get in.

Monsoon and Moonlight Mountain Biking. The weather has changed in recent years, so the summer thunderstorms can no longer truly be classified as monsoons. But biking in front of a thunderstorm at sunset is still a blast and temps drop on the trails after 4 PM. Try the trail at the Cultural Park, with views of nearly 70 miles, you can race ahead of the front and enjoy the accompanying breeze, rainbows and splashy sunsets. Full moon on around August 17 will light these trails up for rockin' red rock ride.

Not into biking? Than take an evening stroll to the lookout point in the Cultural Park for a spectacular sunset. You'll also avoid the crowds at typical sunset spots like Airport Mesa.

Soul Search. Sand Play for the Soul is a fun way to spend the afternoon indoors and a meaningful way to have a spiritual experience. Facilitated by an experienced counselor, you can delve into your creativity and have a soul adventure. All without getting sweaty.

Cool Getaways. Hiking doesn't have to be hot, even in August. Towering pines keep trails into canyons like Boynton, Sycamore, and Secret Canyons cool enough for a solid hike. Really want something Alpine? Kachina Trail hovers at 9,500 feet for most of its 5 miles. Picnic with the largest organisms on the planet, aspen groves.

Get in Touch with the Earth. Native American art inspired by the natural world is exhibited in "From the Earth" at the Smoki Museum, Prescott.

Celebrate the Dineh. The 59th annual Navajo arts and cultural festival brings together weavers, potters, jewelers, filmmakers, musicians, and dancers. Details on the Museum of Northern Arizona website.

Dunk in one of the "10 Best Swimming Holes." Rated by Outside Magazine as one of the best places to swim in a natural pool, Wet Beaver Creek is at the end of 179, about two miles past I 17.

Gimme a Break, Coffee Break, that is...

Sometimes I want to throw my hands up at all the contradictory and confusing information out there about what's healthy and what's not. "Eat organic, eat local--vegetarian isn't healthy for you, but it is for the planet--cut fat, eat fat."

I make it easy on myself and hopefully, the planet by doing what I can the majority of the time and forgetting about the rest of it. I'm not 100% anything all the time. I eat organic when I can, but I don't obsess about it. I figure everything in moderation means less stress for me and my traveling companions seem to appreciate it, too.

Organic coffee is one thing I skip, especially given the cost of coffee. Buying organic foods usually means less exposure to pesticides and fertilizers, but coffee is one exception. The roasting at high temps removes toxic residue in conventional beans according to Sandra Marquardt, Organic Coffee Collaboration spokesperson. This means there's no real health benefit to choosing organic over regular. But choosing organic it does support environmentally sound harvesting and farming practices.