Until the disaster in Flint, Michigan, most people living in the United States were operating under the false presumption that all tap water in the United States is safe to drink. Data proves otherwise.

A study found that there were more than 80,000 violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act reported in 2015. More than 77 million Americans were served with this contaminated drinking water.

It’s essential to be diligent about your water quality and purchase alternative water solutions if you need them. 

If you keep asking yourself, “Should I drink tap water?” and don’t know where to start, this is the article for you. Read on to learn about some of the most common warning signs of contaminated water.

1. Rotten Egg Smell: Hydrogen Sulfide

Does your water smell like rotten eggs? If so, there could be a presence of hydrogen sulfide in your tap water. 

Hydrogen Sulfide is a gas that can occur naturally in groundwater. While in most instances, your water is still safe to drink, there is a chance that the smell of rotten eggs can mean you have dangerous water contamination. 

Drinking water that contains hydrogen sulfide can cause health problems like dehydration and diarrhea. 

When it comes to your drinking water, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. What can you do if your tap water isn’t fit for consumption?

• Purchase bottled water for a temporary fix. Bottled water is better than tap water. But, it is more acidic than is preferred for your body, and plastic bottles can release carcinogenic materials. 

• Drink filtered water. While this is a decent solution because it removes harmful elements from the water, it’s still not the best solution. Filters don’t add anything beneficial to your water, and they don’t make the water alkaline, which is the best for your health.

• Purchase a product that can create ionized alkaline water with negative pral. Although these products can appear expensive, studies have shown that they’re the most cost-effective solution in the long run. You also get the added health benefits of consuming water that’s rich in minerals, and safe for consumption. 

2.  Should I Drink Tap Water That is Cloudy?

Tap water can appear cloudy for a couple of different reasons, some are safe, and some are not.

Sometimes you go to get a glass of water, and it appears cloudy, but then it quickly clears up. In this instance, the cloudiness in the water is most likely being caused by air bubbles in the water. After the air rises to the top of the water, it clears up. 

Cloudy water that’s caused by air bubbles is totally harmless and perfectly fine to drink.

However, sometimes the appearance of cloudiness in your water means there are pathogens or chemicals in the water. Tap water that is safe to drink shouldn’t appear cloudy or foamy, except in the instance that the cloudiness clears up quickly. 

If your water looks cloudy when you run it, and doesn’t clear up quickly, you should not drink it. 

3. Yellow Water Color

If you turn on your water and it comes out yellow, that could mean numerous different things. Unfortunately, most of them aren’t good. Yellow coloring in your water could mean it contains chromium-6, which is a dangerous chemical that causes cancer. 

A yellow coloring in tap water could also be a sign of a buildup of lead, copper, manganese, or iron.

4. Chlorine: Does Your Tap Water Smell Like a Swimming Pool?

If you go to take a sip of your tap water and it smells like a swimming pool, that could mean it contains chlorine. Believe it or not, it’s a common practice for public water treatment facilities to add chlorine to public water to kill bacteria.

Even though adding a small amount of chlorine is common, consuming high levels of chlorine could lead to health issues.

5. Hard Water

One of the warning signs to look out for in your tap water is if you have hard water. Some of the warning signs to look for include the following:

• Your hands feel slimy, even after washing them with soap and water.

• Large amounts of soap scum keep showing up on your sinks and tubs.

• Mineral residue is left behind on dishes.

• Soap doesn’t seem to lather.

If you have hard water, it doesn’t mean that your water is contaminated, sometimes it just means that there is too much calcium or magnesium, which isn’t harmful to your health.

However, hard water could also be an indicator that you have lead, aluminum, or manganese in your water. 

6. Fishy Smell

If your tap water smells fishy, that could indicate that there is an excess of barium in the water. When barium exists in your drinking water beyond the levels recommended by the EPA, it can cause a variety of health problems, including high blood pressure, and kidney, heart, and liver damage. 

Another chemical that causes water to take on a fishy smell is cadmium. Cadmium can often find its way into water pipes through industrial waste and is the chemical found in lead and copper ore. When you are exposed to high levels of cadmium in your drinking water it can cause liver and bone damage. 

7. Metallic Taste

When you drink your water and get a funky metallic taste in your mouth, that’s a sign of copper or iron in your water. Rusty pipes are the culprit behind this metallic taste. When pipes rust, they can release metals like lead, copper, and iron into the water supply.

It was this metallic taste that gave the residents of Flint, Michigan a warning that there was lead present in their water.

That being said, a metallic taste can also just mean your water has a low pH, so it doesn’t always signify contamination. 

Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones From Contaminated Water

After reading this post, hopefully you will no longer be asking yourself, “Should I drink tap water?” Stay aware and regularly look for the warning signs of possible water contamination. When in doubt, it’s better safe than sorry. 

If you’re looking for more information about keeping you and your family healthy, we’ve got you covered. Check out our blog regularly for more posts about living a healthy and safe life. 

One of the last things you want to discover in your home is mold. Unlike other common home issues, mold is more difficult to fully get rid of and can go unnoticed for quite some time if you don’t know what to look for. 

If you don’t catch mold early on, then it’ll continue to grow over the years. Living in a home with mold is especially dangerous for young children, older adults, and those with any kind of immunity disorder. One of the most common questions asked is does mold cause headaches and are headaches a sign of mold in the house?

We’re here to answer these questions for you by listing a few sure signs that there’s mold in the house and the possible cause of your headaches. Continue reading below for everything you need to know about keeping your home, yourself, and your family safe from mold1

1. Musty Smells

You might not notice a smell when you’re spending time inside your home, but try to notice what your home smells like when you return after an outing. When you first walk into your home do you notice a musty odor? Do you notice a musty smell when you walk into a specific room?

Different types of mold give off different odors, so it might be hard to pinpoint it exactly, but what’s certain is that they don’t smell good. If you’re noticing an unusual smell in your home that isn’t going away (trash is taken out/dishes are cleaned), then you need to start investigating where the smell is coming from.

2. Visible Signs

The surest way to determine that there’s mold in your home is to see it with your own two eyes. Mold can grow in hidden places, and oftentimes does, but it’s not invisible. It can go undetected for years if it’s growing behind walls or large objects like the washer machine, but if you start digging around, you’ll eventually see it.

If you have a serious mold issue, then the mold might even make its way out from the hidden area and onto a wall or surface that’s right in front of your eyes. Keep in mind that not all mold is black, either. Mold comes in a variety of colors, so be on the lookout for anything strange that’s growing. 

3. History of Floods

If you have a history of floods in your house, then you should be concerned about possible mold growth. Mold thrives in moist and dark environments. If there’s an area in your home that has a history of floods or leaks, then you should check this area regularly for mold growth. 

You should also take the time to correct any leaks or flood issues that you have in your home to prevent more water damage from occurring. Even the smallest leak such as a leaky faucet can cause mold to grow.

4. Respiratory Issues

In many cases, mold growth will go undetected in homes because most people don’t have major reactions to it. Others, however, might have allergic reactions to the mold but don’t correlate their symptoms with the possibility of mold in the home. 

Not everyone has the same reaction to mold either. Some people will feel as though they’re battling a cold for an extended period of time and don’t understand why they’re not feeling better. 

Others suffer from respiratory issues which may include sneezing, coughing, watery eyes, skin irritation, and headaches. These symptoms all occur because you’re having an allergic reaction to the mold growth. Some even begin to have regular nose bleeds because of it.

More severe reactions include shortness of breath. If you believe you’re suffering from any of these symptoms, then you should contact your doctor and have your home checked for mold.

5. Positive Mold Test

A positive mold test is another sure sign that you do, indeed, have mold growing in your home. Whenever you’re not certain if there is mold in your home or not, you can never go wrong with having a mold test done. 

A professional service will come in and test your home for you. If mold is detected, then they will continue by professionally removing the mold from your home. Although there are several ways to remove mold yourself, having a professional come in and do it is the best route to take. 

When you hire professionals, you give yourself peace of mind, because you know that all of the mold is removed properly and if there’s an issue, you can contact them to come back. Not only will the professionals detect the mold, but they can tell you what type of mold it is, and discover the cause of the growth for you before removing it.

Be sure to read more about mold testing before you have the professionals come in. You want to hire a reputable company that has your best interest in mind.

Does Mold Cause Headaches and Other Health Issues? 

To answer the question does mold cause headaches or other health problems, yes it does. It might not cause issues for everyone, but mold can cause headaches and other health issues as well if you have an allergic reaction to it.

Remember, those with respiratory issues, immune deficiencies, and those either young in age or old in age are more susceptible to having a reaction. Contact your doctor immediately if you have any symptoms and call the professionals to remove the mold for you.

For more topics as helpful as this one, keep checking back with us on a regular basis.

The pandemic is a daunting experience with a tremendous economic impact on the entire world. It is said that over 36 million Americans have applied for unemployment in the past seven weeks.

However, the issue of the virus extends beyond economic problems and into the realm of personal security and familiar safety. 

Therefore, it’s critically important to keep yourself informed on how to stay healthy and safe. All of which will be covered within this article.

Keep reading this article to uncover pandemic instructions for staying healthy.

Inform Yourself 

You must understand and educate yourself on COVID-19 and the latest trends. For example, more than 3.3 million people filed initial jobless claims in the United States. Do you have everything you need to stay financially afloat during these times?

It’s your job to involve yourself in understanding how the virus spreads and why it matters. 

Here’s a couple of points to consider:

1. There is no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease at this time (As of May 14th, 2020)
2. The best way to prevent getting sick is by avoiding being exposed to the virus

How Is the Virus Thought to Spread?

The virus is thought to spread in forms of close contact between people, ranging around 6 feet. 

It may spread through droplets produced by an infected person’s mouth while talking, sneezing, or coughing. The droplets can land in the nose and mouth of somebody who is not infected. It might also spread via people who are considered to be asymptomatic.

Now that you know what to look out for, let’s take a look at how you can prevent the spread of the virus.

Wash Hands Often

Everybody washes their hands, but how well they do it determines if it’s even worth it. Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds after being in public or touching your nose, sneezing, or coughing.

If you can’t access soap and water, use a hand sanitizer with 60% alcohol content or higher. Cover all surfaces of your hands to ensure even application.

Try not to touch your mouth, nose, and eyes with unwashed hands.

Avoid Contact

The next step to reduce transmission is to avoid those who are sick, even inside your home. Maintain at least 6 feet between those who are sick. Make sure to regularly clean and sanitize your home if you think someone is sick.

Create distance between yourself and other people outside the home. Some people are asymptomatic and may not know it themselves. Stay at least two-arms length away from them.

Do not gather in groups and stay out of mass gatherings.

Keeping distance is important for those who are in the risk group, as they are at the front line of danger.

Cover Yourself

When around others, try to cover your mouth and nose. First, you can spread the virus, even if you don’t feel sick.

When going to a public place, wear a mask. (Cloth coverings should not be placed on youth under the age of two, anyone with difficulty breathing, or unconscious individuals since they may be unable to remove the mask without assistance.)

The use of a mask is also to protect other people in the event you’re infected. Do not use a face mask that is intended for health workers. A face cloth is not a substitute for keeping distance between yourself and others.

Cover Your Sneezes & Coughs

If you’re in private and have no face mask, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or sneeze in your elbow.

Throw tissues in the trash after you use them. Wash your hands or use sanitizer as outlined earlier. 

Disinfect & Clean

Attempt to disinfect and clean all high-traffic surfaces within the home regularly. These include tables, handles, countertops, desks, phones, toilets, sinks, keyboards, etc.

If a surface is dirty, clean it with soap or detergent. This should be done prior to disinfection. 

After cleaning, use an EPA-registered household disinfectant to get the job done.

Staying Healthy

So considering the majority of the points above covered staying safe, let’s cover staying healthy. Start with the following tips for mental and physical health.

Remain Positive

In these troubled times, it’s important to learn how to manage stress. Call friends, relax in the tub, play with children, walk your pets. Skip the mind-numbing activities, like drugs, alcohol, and smoking. 

Have a routine in place that you can rely on. Go to bed at the usual time and wake up at a set time.

Eat meals regularly. Exercise away from the gym by doing some yoga or playing in the backyard. 

Alleviate boredom and stay busy at all times. Don’t chill around the fridge and watch TV all day. Get new hobbies ⁠— read, make videos, write, cook, help kids with school, stay in touch with colleagues, friends, and family.

Nutrition Matters

Many people will want to eat unhealthily now that most are using delivery and takeout. Keep in mind that a healthy diet is important to a healthy body.

Get whole grains, vegetables, fruits in larger amounts, and meat in lesser amounts. Before you go shopping or order online, make a list so you don’t spend needlessly. Include some of the following staples:

• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Beans/Legumes
• Milk
• Cheese
• Eggs
• Juice
• Soups & Broths
• Sauces
• Grains
• Bread
• Seafood
• Chicken
• Beef
• Flavorings/Spices

Skip the frozen dinners since they are stocked with sodium, fat, and unhealthy calories. Limit tempting foods like cookies, ice cream, sodas, chips.  

Need some tips on how to stay healthy? Try meatless meals or make hummus on your own. Frozen fruits and canned veggies are just as good as fresh. 

Think about others in your community ⁠— neighbors, friends, family, those who are elderly. Help them out since they are at risk.

Online grocery shopping is great since you can avoid contact and get everything on the same day.

Need to save money? Maybe you’re strapped on cash or facing unemployment like many others.

Now that insurance is high, you might as well try to lower those costs so that you can afford proper food. Get insurance quotes and explore your options.

Pandemic Instructions to Keep You Safe and Healthy

Now that you have a reasonable understanding of how to respond to the pandemic you can keep yourself and your family healthy and safe. 

No matter how you approach this situation, it’s still best to follow public guidelines and pandemic instructions so that you not only protect yourself but don’t place others at risk of infection. 

If you’re interested in other articles that are pertinent to these times, check out our other posts.

Good luck and stay safe!

How can you save money and pay off debts when you’re just getting by each month? That’s a question that millions of Americans ask themselves.

Only 30% of Americans are financially secure or financially healthy. The rest of the population struggles with debt while making ends meet.

If you’re in the making ends meet and want to pay off your debts once and for all, you’ll want to keep reading.

Find out how to get out of debt on a low income.

1. Make a List of Your Debts

The first thing you need to do is get a list of all of the debts in front of you. You want to make a list of the balance owed, the type of debt, the minimum payment, and the interest rate.

That will give you the information you need to make smart choices about paying down your debt fast.

2. Use Momentum to Pay Down Your Debt

Have you seen in movies or TV shows where a snowball rolls downhill and it gets bigger and bigger? You can use a similar approach to pay off your debt.

Here’s how it works. Take a look at your list of debt and find the debt with the lowest remaining balance. Pay the minimum payments on your other debts and take all of the extra cash you have to pay down the debt with the lowest balance.

You’ll pay off that debt faster and you can move on to the next debt with the lowest balance. As you pay off each debt, you build up momentum and pay off your debts faster.

Your confidence will go up with each debt that’s scratched off of your list.

3. Stick to Your Debt Budget

If you have several credit card balances and pay one of them off, you might be tempted to take the money and put it towards a purchase that you really want.

For example, you previously paid $500 a month towards your debt. Now that you have one credit card paid off, your debt budget is now $400 a month.

Don’t spend that extra $100 a month on something else. Keep applying that extra money towards your remaining debt. That’s how the momentum really builds.

4. Consider Debt Consolidation

When you looked at your list of debts, did you discover that you have several high-interest credit card bills?

You can take out a debt consolidation loan, which will be enough to pay off the credit cards. You’ll have one monthly payment, and the loan is usually at a lower interest rate than the credit cards.

Even if you have bad credit, a debt consolidation loan is still possible. Some lenders offer a guaranteed debt consolidation loan.

How to Get out of Debt on a Low Income

It can seem like an impossible task when you’re in debt and you have a low income. Once you learn how to get out of debt on a low income, you’ll begin to see the opportunities.

It does take commitment and consistency, but it is possible. You have to take it one debt at a time.

Come back to this site again for more thrifty tips.

Every parent tells their child to stand up and quit slouching. Well, your nagging mother was onto something. Good posture supports good overall health and well being. 

As an adult, do you suffer from chronic neck and back pain? It could be lifestyle induced. Sitting for several hours a day hunched over a computer can create a postural strain on our neck and back. 

A posture corrector may be the key to reduce your pain. Here are 7 tips on wearing a posture corrector for beginners. 

Wearing a Posture Corrector the Right Way

Some posture correctors are meant to be worn all day long. It’s best to make sure you are wearing it correctly so that it is comfortable. Other models can be worn for a few hours at a time.

When choosing a model style, select the one that is the most comfortable for your body. You probably won’t use it for long if you don’t find it comfortable to wear. 

Look for a posture corrector that is adjustable so that it fits correctly. We all have different sized and shaped bodies and posture correctors should not be a one-size-fits-all product. 

Consider purchasing a posture corrector with padded straps if you will be wearing it for a long time. Padded straps add an extra layer of comfort. 

Also, ask how to clean your posture corrector. A posture corrector maintenance may be as simple as throwing it in the washing machine while others need to be hand washed or dry cleaned. 

Key Tips

1. Read reviews online before you buy it. Take a look at the pros and cons of each one and what other people said about the fit and comfortability. 

2. Your doctor or physical therapist may be able to suggest a model that will work for you. 

How Does It Work?

A posture corrector is a device that you wear to help improve your posture or your body’s alignment. The way you sit, stand, walk, or even sleep can all affect your posture. 

Posture is usually overlooked by most people but it can have a great impact on our body’s circulation, pain, and even our energy levels. 

Having good posture involves training yourself to stand, sit, walk, and lie in a manner that puts less strain on your muscles and ligaments. 

Experts agree that a corrective brace such as a posture corrector can help retrain your body to have correct posture. Sitting at our desks for long periods can cause muscle deterioration and force our bodies into uncomfortable postures. We loose alignment of the body and the results are usually painful. 

A posture corrector fixes this by reminding our bodies to sit with proper posture when it is being worn. Wearing while sitting or standing during the day, a posture corrector begins to realign your body into its natural position and takes the strain off your muscles and may reduce back pain. 

Key Tips

3. Use a lumbar pillow or a small rolled-up towel to help maintain the natural curves of you back when you are seated at your desk. 

4. Sit forward at the front of the chair vs. into the chair to have the correct posture.

Benefits of Posture Correctors

There are lots of benefits to having good posture. Having good posture allows you to develop strength in areas of your body that are experiencing pain. These areas such as the lower back, shoulders, upper back, and neck will all feel less stiff after your posture is corrected.

Correct posture can also boost your energy levels and help you breathe better. It gives you proper form when you are sleeping or doing physical exercise, so you are less likely to get injured. And a person with good posture usually appears taller and more confident. 

There are many ways good posture can contribute to your overall health and well-being. If you have trouble, remember to stand or sit with proper posture, this is where a posture correcter comes in. It gives you the gentle reminder you need to maintain good posture whenever it is worn. 

There are home exercises you can do as well to encourage better posture. Your physical therapist can recommend specific exercises for you. 

Key Tips

5. Training yourself to adopt a new posture can have many benefits for your health, including reducing neck, pain, and shoulder pain. 

6. Use the Flat Wall Test to see how far off your posture is from a neutral position. 

How Long Should I Wear One? 

Most posture corrective devices work by pulling the shoulders back into a neutral position by your side. These devices correct a poor stance exactly as they say they will, but they also do all the work for your body.

Wearing one of these devices will give you proper posture without even having to think about it. 

Sounds great right? Wrong! If you wear these devices around the clock, it defeats the purpose. A quality posture corrector will allow your muscles to become stranger and learn their new alignment on their own. 

The best posture corrector will have you use it less and less each day, and you build up strength. Look specifically for a device that allows you to build up your strength while holding your posture in a neutral position so that you don’t become reliant on the device. 

If you are rehabbing your muscles after a surgery or injury you will have different requirements from someone who was not injured. 

Be sure to ask your doctor or physical therapist how long your device should be worn. 

Key Tips

7. The time it takes to correct posture may be different from person to person. Make it a habit to practice good posture each day and if you have been injured follow your doctor’s advice. 

The Takeaway

Your Mother was right! Good posture is important. It can significantly increase your overall health, well-being, and even confidence.

Wearing a posture corrector could help you retrain your body into a more neutral position and reduce muscle pain.

If you enjoyed reading this article, please share it with your friends and read more of our health and fitness articles today.