Does your city have trouble with ozone? Ozone is a pollutant that can cause respiratory problems, and if you're looking for a reason not to take shower today, you just may have found it. Researchers recently learned that greasy, unwashed hair absorbs seven times more ozone than clean hair. While it may not have a huge impact when you're outside on a high-ozone day, researchers said that the difference was big enough to clean up the air quality in your immediate vicinity.

Of course, you may be stuck at home a lot more often, since greasy, unwashed hair isn't going to make you very popular. In addition to that, though, the grease in the hair also reacts with ozone to make a by-product that might not be much better for you than the ozone itself.

So rather than changing your hygiene habits, health experts recommend filtering indoor air if you or someone in your home is elderly or has chronic health conditions.

Source

As fabulous as we at That's Fit think this blog is, the truth is there are hundreds of wonderful blogs on healthy living to be seen all over the blogosphere. So in this feature, Fit Links, we'll introduce you to some that have caught our eye.

Here at That's Fit, we write about health every day. But health and fitness don't happen in a vacuum; they are a very real part of every day life. So for today's Fit Links, I thought I'd go knocking on doors in the Weblogs, Inc. neighborhood and see what the other Lifestyle blogs were up to:

Marissa at Slashfood talks about getting more olive oil in your diet.
Susan at Aisledash discusses the dangers of crash dieting before your wedding day.
Gary at DIY Life tells us how to avoid cold and flu, necessary advice this time of year!
Heather of Parent Dish writes about her experience with skin cancer and her children's reaction to it.
Over at Styledash, Whit gives us tips on how to get our kids to wash their hands (properly).
Laura at Luxist shows us Chanel's new blinged-out bicycle.
Josh at Green Daily tells us how to clean up our indoor air quality.
Neil at Gadling warns us that, due to global warming, ski resorts may someday be a thing of the past.

There's lots of good reading in our neighborhood, that's for sure!

They say that indoor air can be significantly more polluted than outdoor air, especially in newer homes where windows and doors are tightly sealed. Using a HEPA filter can reduce indoor air pollution by removing small particles from the air, like dust, mold, and pet dander.

But recent research also suggests that using a HEPA filter may also improve heart health. Non-smoking elderly participants ran HEPA filters in their homes for 48 hours, and doing so improved the function of small blood vessels. There are small blood vessels that also feed the heart.

When I bought filters for two of the bedrooms in our home, I didn't realize until months later when I went to change the filters that I'd bought "HEPA-like" filters. These do not remove the very fine particles in the air like cat dander so, if you're going to buy a HEPA filter, make sure you read the packaging carefully!

Source

Though winter is the best season for my asthma and allergies, I noticed a few years ago that I had flare-ups during the holiday season. I could never put my finger on why, and chalked it up to holiday stress (though my holidays really aren't that stressful). Then one year, my allergist sent out a flyer to his patients about Christmas trees and indoor mold. You could almost see the light bulb go on over my head. That year, we switched to an artificial tree, and I've been breathing easy at Christmas time every since.

A recent study found that Christmas trees can increase indoor mold significantly, and the longer the tree is up, the higher levels rise. It's recommended that if you have allergy sufferers in the home, particularly those who suffer from a mold allergy, that you use an artificial tree instead. Keep in mind, however, that artificial trees can gather dust and mold as well. Store it carefully and have a non-allergic individual shake it off outdoors before bringing it inside.

If you just can't imagine Christmas without a real tree, this article suggests that you spray your tree down and dry it in the sun before you set it up. You could also run a HEPA-filter to reduce mold spores in the air as well. Any allergists out there want to way in on whether spraying down your Christmas tree really works?

Source

When you spray that chemical air freshener in the air, do you take a deep breath of that clean, fresh smell? According to a post I recently read over at Green Daily, you're probably breathing in a lungful of dangerous chemicals as well. When the National Resources Defense Council tested 14 brands of air fresheners for chemicals called phthalates, 12 of the 14 came up positive. Phthalates may negatively affect hormones and reproductive development.

Don't think that just because it's on the grocery store shelf that it's safe. The FDA doesn't currently test air fresheners for safety. Instead of spraying chemicals throughout your home, try ventilating your house first, try to eliminate the source of the smell. Does anyone have a good recipe for a natural air freshener that doesn't harm indoor air quality?

Source