Healthy homes

Leading ahealthylifestyle wouldn’tbe complete without having ahealthy home environment. There aremanyfactors that contributetoahealthyhomesuchas adequate heating, ventilation, cleanliness and overall safety.Weall deserve an environmentwithout pests,contaminants, allergens andother hazardsthatcan lead to health problems. TheWorld Health Organisationrecommends that living areas shouldbeheatedto18° Cand bedrooms to 16° C.

Here are some factors to consider:

•Mould, damp anddraughts cancause serious health issues.

•Openbathroom windows to let in fresh air.Lock medicines awayand throw out old/expired products, use afan that’s vented outside.

•Open all windowsfor at least 30 minutes aday

•Regularly clean your heat pump/AC andhave it servicedregularly

•Set your hot water heater to thecorrect temperature.

•Vent your clothes dryertooutside anddry clothes infreshair or use alaunderette. Drying dampclothes indoors canadd several litres of moisture into theair with every load. Checktosee what assistance is available fromthe Hawke’sBay Regional Council’sSustainableHomes programme and see if you qualifyfor help www.hbrc.govt.nz

•Dust andvacuum regularly

•Install smoke alarms anddon’t smoke cigarettesindoors.

•Change to CF lightbulbs(compact fluorescent).Turnoff lights when not in use.

•Grow potplantsindoors. They could improve the quality of the air and help relieve stress.

•Reduce exposure to toxic chemicals, use non-toxic cleaningproducts: vinegar andbaking soda are veryhandy things to havearound. For example,baking soda freshensair naturally and white vinegarisagreat cleaning product. There’s alsoanexcellent range of eco products available today

•Inthe kitchen work clean,don’t leave food out too long,regularly take out rubbish and fix waterleaks. This will help minimise pestsand insects

•Inthe garage lock up dangerous products: paints, thinners, weed killer etcChecktosee whencouncil is having its next hazardouswastecollectionad arrangetodispose of accordingly.

Rental properties

Thereare specific standards that apply to heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture, drainage and draught stopping. These aredocumented on theTenancy Serviceswebsite under Healthy Homes The Healthy Homes standards became lawon1 July 2019 withupdates in May and November2022.

The aim is for landlords to provide healthier,safer properties,and to reduce maintenancecosts fortheir investments. Improved rental propertieswill lead to better health outcomes fortenants.

For example,warmerand dryerhomes can reduce theincidence of asthma and cardiovascular conditions.

The conditions are extremely comprehensive. Heating in rental properties,for example, mustconsist of one or more fixed heaters,whichcan directly heat the mainliving room and meet arequired heating capacity.For full details see www.tenancy.govt.nz.

Thebodyisanamazingorganismandwheneverythingisaligned, itcanhealitself.AtBlueprintwelooktomaximisethehealing potentialinthebody.Wedothisthroughadjustmentstothe spine.Anadjustmentiswhenthechiropractorusestheirown handsoraninstrumentthatappliesaforcetothespine/body optimisingthecommunicationwithinandactivatingthehealing.

Wemakechiropracticcaresimpleandempoweringforeveryone. AtBlueprintwelovetolistenandfindwaystouniquelyenhance lifethroughourphysical,socialandemotionalpillars.Wetakea holistic(whole)approachbringingawarenessandappreciation forhowamazingournervoussystemisandthepartitplaysin amplifyinghowwefunction