Global Hand Washing Day {Product Review}

Did you know that next Tuesday the 15th of October is Global Hand Washing Day? If you don't believe me Google it (after you read this post of course). 

It seems crazy to have a whole day dedicated to Hand Washing but when you begin to understand the benefits of the simple act of washing your hands, you can see the importance of promoting it.

I was heartbroken to learn that each year diarrhoeal diseases and acute respiratory infections are the cause of the deaths of more than 3.5 million children under five. Washing hands with soap and water after using the toilet and before touching food helps reduce the incidence of diarrhoeal disease by more than 40 per cent -but sadly, simply washing hands is not regularly practiced by everyone around the world. 

I don't know about your kids, but my kids always "forget" to wash their hands. I hear them in the toilet, then suddenly they appear in the room. Knowing I haven't heard a toilet flush, or the taps running, I ask them "Did you flush? Did you wash your hands?". These questions are met with a rolling of the eyes (or a look of sudden realisation) as they run back into the bathroom. Thankfully I was recently sent some products from Dettol to trial for our home to create healthier home. We received a bottle of Dettol's  Sensitive anti-bacterial hand wash which is great for cleaning up grubby little hands. When they have finally gotten around to washing their hands, at least I know they are germ free and won't be spreading disease. 

I don't use a lot of chemicals in our home, but there are times (especially with kids) that a germ killing product is required. I was also sent the Power & Pure multi purpose spray which I really like. So far I have used it on the benches, on the floors and in the bathroom to kill off any nasty germs. It has a nice smell and I know that the surfaces I have used it on are 99.9% germ free.

I also love that Dettol's Mission for health is committed to not only the health of my family, but the health of children around the world. Save the children and Mission for Health have joined forces to bring a child health and hygiene project to Indonesia. I'm hoping and praying that these programs can save lives simply by teaching people to wash their hands.

Do you struggle to get your kids to remember to wash their hands?

This is a sponsored post and I was sent these product to review. All opinions are entirely my own as are my random stories.

Join the Revolution...Stop Hating Your Body!

I am excited today to be featuring a guest post from a very special friend of mine. Chantell is a dietitian and recently posted on her Facebook page about this topic.  I asked her to share something with us. I love what she has written as it is something I have been thinking about lots lately. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

How many conversations have you had in the past week (even if it’s just between you and you) where someone has made a negative comment about their body? I find I’m constantly surrounded by beautiful, intelligent people who are somehow dissatisfied with their weight or shape and feel as though they need to do something to ‘fix the problem’.  The only issue is that there ISN’T a problem to fix!

Our thriving ‘health and beauty’ industry has us all believing that the body we were given is just not good enough. They dictate what is beautiful and happily sell us the products to replicate it at home. This ranges from make-up to fashion and the latest weight loss craze. As a dietitian with a clinical specialty in eating disorders and disordered eating behaviours it pains me to know that these ubiquitous messages are potentially contributing to the anguish my clients and their families face. It didn’t take me very long working in this field to realise that prevention would be far more effective than whatever treatment we can offer.

Negative body image is ranked in the top 3 issues for young people aged 15-19*and public health initiatives have targeted this group through secondary schools. However, we are seeing more incidences of eating disorders and dangerous dieting behaviours in 10-14 year olds with researchers finding more than 30% of people in this age range engaged in moderate to extreme dieting behaviours**. Add this to the Butterfly Foundation’s findings of negative body image being reported by 5 year olds and all of a sudden high school is too late!

We need to be aware of the types of messages we’re sending to the children we have contact with. This will mean being a little counter-cultural as dieting is so widely accepted that I’ve had parents of adolescents with anorexia decline treatment at the thought of having to reintroduce saturated fats into their diet. This is an extreme example but let’s be honest, how common is it to see people taking unnecessary risks with their bodies for the sake of ‘health’?   

True health does not equate to restriction, avoidance of certain types of foods and flogging yourself to keep ‘in shape’. It’s about nourishing your body with all the nutrients it needs (including fats) according to your appetite, if you’re hungrier one day than another there’s probably a reason for it. It’s about moving because it feels good and not because of the ‘no pain, no gain’ philosophy. It’s about being thankful for what your body can do, even the parts of it you don’t particularly like and it’s about acknowledging that health can come in every size so comparisons are pointless. A lifetime is a long time to live somewhere you hate...so why not join the revolution and LOVE your body?           

For more information on body image awareness week, negative body image or an eating disorder see thebutterflyfoundation.org.au

Chantell is married to Mark and they think their kitten, Zoe is pretty cute. Chantell loves drinking tea, walking around the Wollongong beaches in the sunshine and, like most dietitians, is a bit of a foodie. She also loves her work which focuses on helping clients to ditch dangerous dieting and have a healthy, positive relationship with food, regardless of their size.

*Mission Australia youth survey https://www.missionaustralia.com.au/annual-youth-survey   

**A. Dando et al Adolescent dieting behaviour: Associations with physical activity and screen time behaviours Deakin University School of Psychology (unpublished data).