For the average person, grills and vegetables are not the perfect pairing. Classically, steaks, chicken, hamburgers, hotdogs, and ribs are the only items meant for a grill. This is a backwards way of thinking because the grill is one of the best culinary tools for cooking vegetables. Using a grill to cook vegetables is one of the easiest and tastiest ways to prepare them. 

Some people have the desire to eat more vegetables, but they don’t find creative ways to cook them. It’s easy to lose interest in the same salad that accompanies your meals, but vegetables don’t always have to be a side dish. You can bring vegetables to the center stage, especially if you grill specific varieties in unique ways. For example, marinate a portobello mushroom cap, grill it, and eat it as your main course. Slice a cauliflower head into thick steaks for a vegan steak alternative. The possibilities are endless!

How To Prepare Vegetables For The Grill

In order to grill vegetables to perfection, it all comes down to the way you prepare them. An ultra-thin vegetable will burn to a crisp within a minute or two. You won’t even taste the vegetable at that point. It’s ideal to give your vegetables sufficient surface area, meaning that they need to be big enough for you to see grill marks. Cutting them too small increases the risk of them falling through the grates. There is a list of common vegetables to grill below and how you should prepare them. 

• Zucchini, yellow squash, and eggplant: Cut lengthwise into thick, rectangular strips.
• Tomatoes: Cut thicker tomatoes in half to help them stay together on the grill.
• Bell peppers: Seed and quarter bell peppers to get plenty of char marks. 
• Onions: Peel the outer layers, remove the ends, and quarter the onion. Keep flipping quarters on the grill. 
• Cremini mushrooms: Remove the stems and cut them in half. You can grill large portobello mushrooms like a hamburger patty.
• Asparagus: Remove the woody ends and grill in a grill basket. 
• Corn: It’s best to place un-shucked ears of corn on the grill because the husks help to steam the kernels. After about 5-10 minutes of grilling, remove the husks and then grill for a couple minutes per side to get char marks. 

Start With A Clean Grill

Before you even lay your veggies on the grill, it’s important to remove all debris and built-up food particles. Turn your grill on to about medium heat and allow the fire to run for about two minutes. This will aid with easy removal of debris. Old food particles will impart a gross flavor into your vegetables because their flavors are easily overpowered. You can use a wire brush to clean the grates. Cut an onion in half and rub the onion cut-side down along the grates to help clean them. 

Season And Marinate

Vegetables deserve seasoning and marination! Those steps are not solely reserved for choice cuts of meat. Mushrooms do great in marinades because they easily soak up the flavors. For most vegetables, though, a combination of sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and olive oil is just perfect. You can use Italian seasoning, parsley, thyme, curry powder, paprika, cayenne, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, or whatever entices your taste buds. Olive oil on your veggies helps prevent sticking to the grill, just FYI. 

How Long Do You Grill Vegetables?

The cooking time will change depending on the size and shape of your vegetables. Most grills also have hot spots, so the placement of the vegetable will also dictate the cooking time. Ideally, it’s best to cook vegetables over medium heat, placing heartier vegetables in the hotter spots. Onions tend to take the longest, followed by bell peppers. Zucchini and eggplant slices and mushrooms cook fairly quickly, but not as quick as asparagus. You may have to experiment with your placement and come up with cooking times based on your grill. Typically, though, you can follow the cooking times below. 

• Zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, and eggplant: Seven to eight minutes (three to four minutes per side)
• Bell peppers and onions: Eight to ten minutes (four to five minutes per side)
• Asparagus, tomatoes, and green onions: Four to six minutes (two to three minutes per side)

Use Metal Skewers

Metal skewers are not always necessary, but they do come in handy for certain vegetables. Cherry tomatoes, cauliflower or broccoli florets, mushrooms, and Brussels sprouts will likely fall through the grates. Skewering these types of vegetables prevents them from rolling around. Don’t use wooden skewers because those can burn and break easily. Plus, they don’t support a lot of weight. Opt for metal flat skewers because the vegetables won’t spin around on them. 

SHARE:

The post The Ultimate Guide To Grilling Vegetables appeared first on Dherbs - The Best All Natural Herbal Remedies & Products.

Fats play an integral role in your overall health, but not all fats are created equal. Ideally, you want to consume healthy fats that boost satiety factor, nutrient absorption, heart health, and more. Cooking oils are excellent sources of fats, but some may be more harmful than you realize. Additionally, some oils cannot handle high heat cooking and counteract the nutrients and benefits you get from other nutritious foods. 

How do you know which oil is the best to cook with? Well, different oils have different smoke points, making some better for cooking at higher temperatures. The Cleveland Clinic states that the more refined an oil is, the higher the smoke point it has. Unfortunately, these refined oils are not always the healthiest for you. In fact, a higher smoke point oil cooked at a higher temperature can produce toxic fumes and free radicals, both of which can harm your body. That’s why we’ve created a small cheat sheet about which oils to avoid for cooking. 

Vegetable Oil

Over the years, a lot of doctors have recommended vegetable oils to patients to improve cholesterol levels and overall heart health. Newer studies continue to find that vegetable oils are not as healthy for your heart as people originally thought they were. A 2016 study found that vegetable oil consumption increased, not decreased, the risk of heart disease. During the study, men and women were randomly assigned one of two diets: one group replaced all fats with vegetable oil and one group consumed a diet high in saturated fat from margarines, shortenings, and animal fats. At the end of the study, researchers noted that those following the vegetable oil diet had lower cholesterol levels. That said, the results didn’t hold after a year. For every 30 mg/dL drop in cholesterol, there was an increased risk of death by 22%. 

Soybean Oil

Made from the seeds of the soybean plant, soybean oil commonly exists in many foods, including condiments and salad dressings. Soybean oil is hydrogenated, meaning you should avoid it at all costs. Researchers found that soybean oil consumption increased the risk of anxiety, autism, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and other neurological disorders. One study from 2020 compared mice that were fed three different diets: soybean oil, soybean oil with low in linoleic acid, and coconut oil. Researchers noted that soybean oil had significant effects on the hypothalamus, the portion of the brain responsible for metabolism, hormone release, and body temperature regulation. The mice that consumed soybean oil experienced several genes that did not function correctly; plus, another 100 genes were negatively affected.

Sunflower Oil

Sunflower oil is typically high in omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and is highly refined, unless otherwise specified. A few brands offer high-oleic sunflower oils, which are cold-pressed and offer monounsaturated fatty acids. Those varieties, while heat-stable and more nutritious, are much more expensive and harder to come buy. You would be better off buying extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil instead. 

Canola Oil

Roughly 60 to 65% of canola oil, or rapeseed oil, is naturally rich in monounsaturated fatty acids. That sounds appealing and usually fools a lot of shoppers, but there is some bad news. Canola oil is almost always chemically extracted and very refined. Similar to soybeans, an estimated 90% of canola plants in the United States and Canada are genetically modified to the point where they can withstand herbicides that are harmful to the environment. Cold-pressed canola oil is very hard to find, so it’s best not to get this type of oil at all. 

Grapeseed Oil

Grapeseed oil is about 70% polyunsaturated fatty acids, most of which are omega-6s. Although grapeseed oil sounds healthy, it is just another oil that is highly refined. It doesn’t offer unique health benefits, nor does it exhibit a unique flavor profile. Once again, if you can obtain cold-pressed or expeller-pressed varieties, then do not opt for this oil because all of the other varieties do not benefit your health. Even if you get those healthier versions, grapeseed oil is not great for high heat applications because of its high amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids. 

Cottonseed Oil

According to a 2014 report, the cotton plant contained natural toxins, specifically gossypol. High concentrations of free gossypol may cause acute clinical signs of gossypol poisoning. Some of these symptoms include impaired body weight gain, respiratory distress, apathy, weakness, anorexia, and death after several days. Gossypol can also impair immune function, as well as cause issues in both the male and female reproductive systems. Cottonseed oil is also high in saturated fat and only contains a small amount of monounsaturated fat.

SHARE:

The post Oils For Cooking: Which Ones To Avoid appeared first on Dherbs - The Best All Natural Herbal Remedies & Products.

Think twice before you grab the non-stick pan. If you do decide to use a non-stick pot or pan, be sure to care for them and toss them once they scratch. This will help avoid the possibility of particles landing in your food.

SHARE:

The post Are Non-Stick Pans Safe? appeared first on Dherbs - The Best All Natural Herbal Remedies & Products.

When you incorporate more vegetables into your diet, you automatically increase your intake of various nutrients. Most vegetables contain both macro and micronutrients, but they also offer beneficial antioxidants that encourage healthier cells. This is all excellent news, but most people get in their own way, cooking vegetables in ways that dramatically reduce their nutritional content. You made the decision to eat healthier foods, so don’t ruin them with the following cooking mistakes.

SHARE:

The post Cooking Mistakes That Make Vegetables Less Healthy appeared first on Dherbs - The Best All Natural Herbal Remedies & Products.

If you make an effort to eat more vegetables, you deserve a round of applause. Even if you don’t convert to veganism or adopt a vegetarian diet, eating more vegetables is a step in a healthier direction. Most Americans fail to meet their recommended daily intake of vegetables, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In fact, only 9% of American adults consume between 2.5-3.5 cups of vegetables daily. 

When you incorporate more vegetables into your diet, you automatically increase your intake of various nutrients. Most vegetables contain both macro and micronutrients, but they also offer beneficial antioxidants that encourage healthier cells. This is all excellent news, but most people get in their own way, cooking vegetables in ways that dramatically reduce their nutritional content. You made the decision to eat healthier foods, so don’t ruin them with the following cooking mistakes. 

You Overcook Your Vegetables

A lot of people advocate for raw preparation of your vegetables in order to preserve the most nutrients. The belief is that many nutrients get lost during the cooking process, but whether raw vegetables are better than cooked ones is still up for debate. Overcooking vegetables, however, can decrease their nutritional levels between 15-55%. You can benefit from eating certain vegetables raw, but others are better cooked. No vegetable is nutritious if you overcook it, though, so keep that in mind. 

You Boil Your Vegetables

Some people want to avoid frying and using excess fat, so they decide to boil their vegetables instead. This is the quickest way to reduce the nutritional content in your vegetables, especially if they primarily contain water-soluble vitamins. Vitamin C and B vitamins will leach into the water during the cooking process. Unless you drink that water, your vegetables will be very low in nutrients. You are better off roasting, baking, or sautéing your vegetables, and you can learn more about the best cooking methods by clicking here. 

You Use Too Much Salt

People either use a little salt because they are conscious of their health, or they use way too much. Don’t be the person who uses the salt shaker before you even taste the food. You also should not salt your vegetables before, during, and after the cooking process. Most vegetables are great sources of potassium, which helps to lower the sodium content in the body. This is excellent news if you suffer from high blood pressure! That means that over-salting vegetables works against those heart-healthy efforts. Lightly salt vegetables with sea salt before roasting them, and then taste them before you add any additional salt. You can also use other herbs and spices to flavor your vegetables, and they will help lessen your need for salt. 

You Abuse Vegetables

What we mean by this is that many people use vegetables as a vehicle for calorie- and fat-laden sauces. Incorporating vegetables into your meal doesn’t automatically make your food healthy. Blending a zucchini into a sauce that contains cheese, milk, and bacon is not a healthy preparation of zucchini. Vegetables need to be the stars of the show! When you prepare vegetables on their own, they have fewer calories and provide more nutrients. Don’t lose sight of vegetables in your meals!

You Discard The Good Parts

Do you throw away broccoli stems? What do you do with beet greens and celery leaves? Do you peel all of your vegetables? If you do any of those things, you are doing yourself a disservice. Too often do people throw away the healthiest parts of the vegetables. Skins, stalks, and leaves are nutritionally dense, and they sometimes contain nutrients that don’t exist in the actual vegetable. The concentration of vitamins also tends to be higher in the parts of the vegetables that people throw out. Step away from the peeler and don’t simply chop and toss. 

You Char Your Vegetables

It’s hard to beat that signature charred, smoky flavor that comes from grilling. Unfortunately, subjecting your food to high heat, such as grilling, heterocyclic amines can form on the food. These are chemicals that may increase the risk of cancer development. This happens on all your food, not just vegetables. You don’t want to burn your vegetables because carcinogens can form on them, according to a 2012 study. One way to avoid charring your vegetables is to put them on the second or top rack of your grill. They won’t be exposed to direct fire, but they will retain a smoky flavor.

SHARE:

The post 6 Common Cooking Mistakes That Make Vegetables Less Healthy appeared first on Dherbs - The Best All Natural Herbal Remedies & Products.

Nutrition labels or facts don’t always give you the whole story. The preparation tends to dictate the nutritional value of a certain food. In the case of vegetables, many nutrients become lost or more available in regards to preparation. Choosing the right method for your vegetables may help you preserve more nutrients, which only benefits your health. 

How do you choose the right cooking method for your vegetables? This comes down to the vegetables that you want to cook, as certain vegetables have more nutrients available after specific preparations. A vegetable that is water-soluble may need a different cooking method than a vegetable that is fat-soluble. Below, we detail the most nutritious ways to prepare your vegetables, according to dietitians. 

Keep It Raw

Raw preparations are very popular for vegetables, especially the ones in the Brassica family. These vegetables include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, and more. They exhibit potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer compounds called glucosinolates. Some vegetables in this family also contain myrosinase, an enzyme that offers protection against bacteria and other harmful organisms. These compounds are released when you chew, chop, or crush them, and cooking actually destroys those beneficial enzymes. If you cook these vegetables, the body struggles to use glucosinolates.

Steaming

If you want to preserve the maximum amount of nutrients in your vegetables, steaming is the best cooking method. According to a 2013 study, steaming is the best way to preserve the most vitamin C in vegetables. When you steam your vegetables, the nutrients are retained to a larger degree because the food doesn’t contain water or other cooking liquids. As a note, steaming is not the same thing as boiling, which we will cover later in this article. 

Sautéing

When you sauté vegetables in a pan, it is best to do so gently over a lower heat. When you cook over a lower flame, you decrease the likelihood of losing some of the water-soluble vitamins in your veggies. Use a flavorful oil or neutral oil with a smoke point of 350º F or above when you sauté vegetables. The best oil for sautéing vegetables is extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil. These oils may increase the bioavailability of certain nutrients, especially fat-soluble vitamins. 

Roasting

Roasting is a dry-heat cooking method that doesn’t require water or oil. If you want your vegetables to retain B vitamins and vitamin C, roasting is your best cooking option. Because you don’t need liquid for roasting, there is no significant water-induced loss. Roasting and baking are common cooking methods for zucchini, carrots, sweet potatoes, onions, bell peppers, squash, and parsnips. 

Microwaving

This may seem like an odd preparation method, but dietitians say that microwaving is a nutritious way to cook vegetables. Microwaving does, however, result in lower vitamin C levels in the food, but this is no fault of the microwave. Vitamin C breaks down under heat, of which microwaves produce a great deal. Microwaving doesn’t destroy as many nutrients as other cooking methods because it is a fast way to cook food. 

Boiling

Fat-free and fast, boiling is a method of cooking vegetables, but it ranks lower than other methods in regards to nutrient retention. Boiling is actually one of the worst cooking methods if you want your vegetables to retain water-soluble nutrients. If you consume the water or liquid in which you cook your vegetables, you may increase your nutrient intake. Boiling results in the greatest loss of vitamin C, according to a 2018 study. This is because water-soluble vitamins are often lost in water-based cooking methods.

SHARE:

The post The Most Nutritious Ways To Cook Your Vegetables appeared first on Dherbs - The Best All Natural Herbal Remedies & Products.

Pumpkin carving season may be over, but the arrival of fall and winter squash has only just begun. Many people use interesting-looking squash for fall decorations, but then they discard them! What if you could enjoy every single part of the pumpkin or squash? Well, you can, and you no longer have to waste these precious fall produce items. 

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Americans throw away about 30-40% of the food supply every year. Food waste ends up in landfills, creating the harmful greenhouse gas methane. Not only does this accelerate climate change, but it also is a driving force behind freshwater pollution. Pumpkins are the perfect example of food waste, given that people carve and discard or decorate and then trash. 

The truth of the matter is that pumpkins, the festive squash that they are, can be quite versatile. You can make pumpkin stews, soups, pies, and more, all the while reaping some impressive nutritional benefits. Pumpkins are excellent sources of fiber, beta-carotene, antioxidants, iron, magnesium, zinc, and more. Below, you’ll find several different ways to cook with pumpkin.

Roasted Pumpkin Cubes

Pumpkin has a naturally sweet and robust flavor, and roasting cubes creates beautiful caramelization. You can be very simplistic with your seasoning, but pumpkins do welcome herbs and spices with open arms. 

Ingredients:

• 1 whole sugar pumpkin
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea saltInstructions:

Instructions:

• Preheat your oven to 425º F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. 
• Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the strings and seeds. Reserve the seeds for the next recipe. 
• Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel and then chop the pumpkin halves into cubes. 
• Spread the pumpkin cubes on the baking sheet in a single layer and season with olive oil and sea salt, or spices that you enjoy.
• Bake for about 15 minutes, remove from the oven, stir, and then return to the oven to bake for about 15-20 more minutes. 
• Remove from the oven when cubes are easily pierced with a fork. 

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

With a diverse nutritional profile, pumpkin seeds are a great healthy snack option to satiate you between meals. You can season them simply or get creative, tossing them in coconut aminos, ginger, garlic, and onion powder before roasting.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pumpkin seeds
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

• Before you do anything, you have to thoroughly clean the pumpkin seeds, removing all orange strings. Dry the seeds completely, preferably overnight.
• Preheat your oven to 425º F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
• Place the seeds on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper. Toss to combine and then place in the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so.
• Remove from the oven and allow the seeds to cool completely. Store in an airtight container and eat within a week.

Roasted Pumpkin Halves

A classic and easy preparation, roasted pumpkin halves is a great entry point to cooking pumpkins. You can season each half how you please, depending on the recipe you want to make. If you want to puree the pumpkin for pie or soup, this is the perfect cooking method.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole sugar pumpkin
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Spices of your choosing

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 400º F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
• Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and strings. Once again, reserve the seeds for roasting.
• Brush the flesh of each pumpkin half with olive oil and season with your desired spices. 
• Pierce the skin of each pumpkin half with a knife in a few places. 
• Place each half on the baking sheet and bake until you can easily pierce the flesh with a fork (about 35-45 minutes). 
• Let the pumpkin cool thoroughly before handling. 

SHARE:

The post How To Cook Every Part Of A Pumpkin appeared first on Dherbs - The Best All Natural Herbal Remedies & Products.

Are you even a real cook if you don’t have an air fryer? Of course you are, but it seems that you can’t go anywhere now without seeing an assortment of them. Coming in all shapes and sizes and offering seven-in-one cooking capabilities, air fryers are the hottest culinary tools since the Instant Pot. 

The air fryer is an awesome creation, boasting the ability to make crispy fries, without the need for hot oil, in a matter of minutes. While the enticing factor about an air fryer is that you can make “fried” deliciousness without using oil, there are many healthy meals to make as well. For example, you can cook a quick vegetable medley or make sweet potato fries, kale chips, and all sorts of other things. Some air fryers even have a dehydrator setting, which is perfect for making dried fruit, vegetable chips, and more. 

All of this sounds wonderful, but the culinary creations don’t work out if you make common air fryer mistakes. There are little tips and tricks that take your air fryer meals to the next level, so don’t get in the way of your own success. Avoid making the following mistakes and your air fryer game will be hard to contend with.

6 Common Air Fryer Mistakes To Avoid

Not Allowing 5 Inches Of Space Around The Air Fryer

Just like people, the air fryer needs space. The reason you don’t want to sandwich it between a microwave, flower vase, spice rack, and a wall is because it needs adequate airflow. The last thing you want is for the air fryer to overheat, because it will malfunction if it does. For optimal air frying, don’t place anything on top of it and set it on a heat resistant pad. 

Overcrowding The Basket

When purchasing an air fryer, the first thing to consider is volume. How much can it hold? You don’t want to buy a two-quart air fryer and try to cram six quarts of food in there. That is tip number one, but the second tip is that you should not overcrowd the fryer basket. This will only result in undercooked food. A recipe may state that the cooking time is only 15 minutes, but this won’t apply if you stuff the basket. When there is extra space in the basket, your food will cook more evenly. 

You Don’t Preheat The Air Fryer

Depending on the air fryer you purchase, you may see different settings or options for cooking. Most models have the option to preheat, or simpler ones require putting an empty basket in to preheat for five minutes or so. Just like roasting or baking food in an oven, you want the temperature to be set when your food goes in. Not only will this optimize cooking time, but it will also contribute to even temperature and airflow, crisping your food to perfection.

You Only Use It To Make Fried Foods

This is the biggest mistake of all! Well, it is in our eyes, anyway. People forget that air fryers are for more than just “frying” food. It’s a natural convection oven, which means that you can cook and bake so many different meals. You can cook a vegetable medley, reheat leftovers, or even bake a cake in the air fryer. It’s not only intended for fries, churros, mozzarella sticks, and fried fish or chicken.

You Don’t Move Vegetables Around

If you want to evenly cook vegetables in the air fryer, you have to move them around, just as you would in a pan or baking dish. It’s ideal to frequently mix your vegetables during the cooking process. If you don’t do this, some will end up crisp and browned, while others will be undercooked with no browned exterior. 

You Don’t Use Oil

When you cook most foods, you use oil, right? You have to do the same thing for foods that you cook in the air fryer. Failure to use some oil (don’t drown your food in oil) will result in soggy or chewy food. A light layer of oil will not only increase the flavor, but it will also help seasonings to cling to your food. If you season food without using oil, the powerful airflow will blow the spices clean off the food, and they may clog the filter. Then your food will be flavorless and your air fryer may end up malfunctioning. 

SHARE:

The post 6 Common Mistakes To Avoid With Your Air Fryer appeared first on Dherbs - The Best All Natural Herbal Remedies & Products.

One pan meals are the best. First off, you don’t have to clean up as much after you prepare the meal. Secondly, all of the ingredients come together in one pan for an amazing combination of flavors. Now, this recipe doesn’t require a lot of time and effort because the bok choy doesn’t take very long to cook through. Bok choy is a cruciferous vegetable that is prevalent in Asian cooking. It was cultivated in China thousands of years ago, and it’s in the same family as kale, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and rutabaga.

According to several studies, bok choy is a nutritional powerhouse. It’s rich in folate, vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, selenium, fiber, and protein. The calcium, magnesium, and vitamin K content contribute to healthier bones, while the iron and zinc aid with collagen production.

My goodness, we haven’t talked about how delicious this recipe is! The bok choy is slightly bitter, but it works with the nuttiness of the sesame oil, garlic, shallots, and liquid aminos. Just make sure to use the recommended amount of sesame oil. It is powerful and can take over an entire dish if you use too much.

SHARE:

The post Sesame Garlic Baby Bok Choy appeared first on Dherbs - The Best All Natural Herbal Remedies & Products.

Contrary to popular belief, the air in your home is not as clean as you think. Given that most people spend almost all of their time at home nowadays, it’s vital to keep indoor air free of harmful toxins. The air you breathe shouldn’t harm your lungs; rather, it should enhance your lungs and respiratory system. It should be a break from the many airborne toxins and pollutants that exist in outside air, but this isn’t always the case.

More often than not, indoor air contains a combination of carbon dioxide, pet dander, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The air quality will depend on several factors, including the city or area in which you live. Humidity levels, living next to a freeway, or being in farming areas can decrease air quality in your home. Some buildings can even remain damp enough to cause mold and bacterial growth, which negatively affects asthma patients. 

People spend about 93% of their time inside now, so it’s integral to keep indoor air clean and fresh. Dust, mold, and pet dander are common things that exist in the house. So make sure to clean the house regularly to avoid dust mite accumulation or bacterial build-up. If you want to naturally purify the air in your home, use the following tips. 

Beeswax Candles

Do you enjoy dining or relaxing in a bath by candlelight? Start using beeswax candles instead of paraffin candles. Beeswax candles help to purify the air because they are made from natural compounds. Ready for some science? Beeswax burns and creates negative ions that bond to positively charged pollutants in the air. This results in cleaner air that smells delicious!

Himalayan Salt Lamps

Salt lamps have been known to reduce the presence of airborne pathogens, irritants, and allergens by extracting vapor out of the air. Himalayan pink salt can naturally pull toxins from the environment and neutralize them because that type of salt is a natural ionic air purifier. Add a Himalayan salt lamp to a room in your house and you’ll notice the difference. You can also leave it on at night without it disrupting sleep. The orange light it emits doesn’t disrupt sleep hormones. 

Indoor Plants

Invite greenery into your home! Indoor plants beautify the home, but they also help to filter the air. Certain indoor plants work to remove carbon dioxide, toluene, heptane, and other VOCs from the air. Some of the best plants to have in the home include the snake plant, aloe vera, spider plant, and the weeping fig. If you want to learn more about indoor plants improving air quality, click here. 

Cut Down On Cooking Pollution

Believe it or not, cooking can worsen the air quality in your home. Gas ovens emit about 130-546 ppb during the cooking process. This exceeds the World Health Organization’s recommendation for indoor exposure to nitrogen dioxide at 106 ppb. When you cook on a gas range, it emits about 82-300 ppb. Gas stoves also increase the presence of carbon monoxide in the home. The way you can cut this down is by replacing common oils that have a low cooking temperature with oils that have a higher cooking temperature, for example, coconut oil or sunflower oil. 

Use Natural Cleaners

Do you ever notice that it feels difficult to breathe after using chemical cleaning products? Well, the chemicals can linger in the home and worsen the air quality. That sounds counterintuitive, considering people use them to rid surfaces of bacteria and germs. They clean surfaces, not the air; just remember that. Great natural cleaning products that don’t reduce indoor air quality include hydrogen peroxide, distilled white vinegar, essential oils, baking soda, and isopropyl alcohol. 

Clean Your Carpets Regularly

If you want to thoroughly clean your carpet, the first step is to get a great vacuum. Carpet in your home is like a giant toxic sponge that absorbs dust, bacteria, pet dander, and more. It’s wise to not wear shoes in the house for this reason. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, if you wipe your shoes at the door and don’t wear shoes in the house, you can reduce common toxins in your home by 60%. 

SHARE:

The post 6 Natural Ways To Clean The Air In Your Home appeared first on Dherbs - The Best All Natural Herbal Remedies & Products.