| I read recently that the adult human body contains | | | | roots where cleanliness is next to godliness and a |
| 100 trillion cells but only ten percent of them actually | | | | clean person is a moral person. Psychologists agree |
| belong to us, the rest are germs. I have to admit I'm | | | | that those most preoccupied with cleaning have an |
| not germ phobic. I've dropped food on the flood | | | | excessive amount of anxiety. Cleaning is the ultimate |
| picked it up and ate it. I know the five second rule | | | | go to activity for the anxious. |
| about germs but if it's something good like a piece of | | | | So what do you need to do if you are plagued with |
| dark chocolate I don't care. I'll eat it anyway. | | | | this obsessive thinking? |
| Not so for a good number of people. Many people | | | | Keep yourself healthy but don't go overboard. Do the |
| are so obsessed with germs that hey are literally | | | | simple things like:o Wash your hands with soap and |
| scrubbing their way to disease. Ten years ago | | | | water after using the restroomo Keep your hands |
| sanitizing hand gels could only be found in hospitals, | | | | off your face to avoid transmitting germso Beware |
| now they are everywhere. | | | | of the hot spots in your home: dirty dishrags, |
| We scrub our bodies and our environment but it's not | | | | vacuum cleaner bags, keep the toilet lid down while |
| always to get cleaner. It's to alleviate our anxieties. | | | | flushing, disinfect your toothbrush, and clean the |
| But in the process we are sabotaging our health. All | | | | garbage cano Clean your cutting board with soap and |
| this sanitizing is compromising the immune system. | | | | water and keep a separate board for meat and |
| The immune system ironically needs germs to keep it | | | | vegetables if possibleo Wash laundry with warm or |
| viable. | | | | hot water, cold water spares germs |
| An interesting fact is if you were germ free you'd be | | | | You don't have to become causality in the war on |
| dead in two weeks. Most germs in the human body | | | | germs. By doing the simple things you can insure the |
| live in the digestive track and aid in securing nutrients | | | | great diversity of your body's environment and also |
| and breaking down food. | | | | work to let go of the need to control things. You will |
| So why then do so many of us see germs as evil? | | | | be less anxious and healthier. |
| Perhaps it harkens back to our supposed Puritan | | | | |