Healthy Living Space
A growing number of people have been stricken with illnesses from environmental causes, including multiple, often severe, chemical sensitivities. For them, the importance of a healthy home is crucial since even a very small amount of a common chemical can set off a severe reaction. These reactions are an early warning that everyone needs to seriously reassess the mounting and synergistic effects of the thousands of chemicals and pollutants in the environment.
Chemical sensitivities are the product of an immune system weakened by cumulative overexposure to toxins in the indoor and outdoor environment. The symptoms are numerous: allergies, fatigue, headaches, depression, memory loss, confusion, asthma, skin irritations, nausea, dizziness, respiratory problems, fever, chills and eye inflammations. Unfortunately, these symptoms are often vague, sporadic and changeable, and so are easily dismissed as psychosomatic, especially since physicians are not trained to recognize chemical sensitivities and environmental illness.
Although not everyone reacts to pollutants in the same manner-some become seriously ill while others seem unaffected-a healthy, safe home makes good sense. Society is still learning about the cumulative effects of chemical and electrical overexposure, but researchers have established that sensitivities are symptoms of a damaged immune system. Once sensitivities develop, very minute amounts of many chemicals can trigger a reaction.
Every aspect of daily life affects health and well-being, including air, light, drinking water, food, electricity, personal care products, cleaning products, furnishings, building materials and living environment. This section suggests and outlines simple measures that you can take to effectively reduce or eliminate the pollutants in your life and turn your home into a healthy living space.
Although it would be impossible to create an environment that is completely non-toxic in today's world, every little bit helps. Taking good care of your immediate surroundings not only benefits you and your family, but lends to a greater cause-your neighborhood, your city, your country, your planet.
Healthy Living Space Choosing Where to Live
When moving, building, renting or purchasing a home, consider the following factors that affect your health:
Site
Ensure access to clean municipal water sources.
Avoid traffic congestion (noise and air pollution), radon, valleys with stagnant air, sources of EMFs, industrial areas.
Look for open, ventilated lots with good access to light and sunshine.
Building Materials
Paint, carpeting, glue, wallpaper paste, wood preservatives and other common materials are made with health-threatening chemicals that may be colorless or odorless. Fortunately, natural and environmentally friendly building materials are available.
Avoid synthetic floor coverings and board products that have chemical emissions. Also, avoid concrete if possible. It blocks the earth's natural electromagnetic frequencies, causing health problems. Choose linoleum, which is made from flax seed oil.
Avoid wall-to-wall carpet-it traps dust, is difficult to clean, and the underlay and backing are usually synthetic. Natural wool area rugs with jute underlay are now available.
Incorporate tile, brick, stone, sustainable hardwoods, glass, metal, ceramic, natural fabrics, non-toxic finishes, solvent-free caulking, adhesives and glues.
Birch and maple are the most acceptable woods for the environmentally hypersensitive.
Electrical Wiring
Wiring of a house can be done in ways that minimize electromagnetic field radiation. Consult an expert to help you.
Before moving into a neighborhood, test for harmful electromagnetic field radiation with a gauss meter, a device that measures magnetic fields in milliGauss.
Plumbing
Use copper pipes with flared joints.
Heating and Cooling
Use radiant systems which minimize the stirring of dust.
Air Quality
Always properly vent combustion sources for gas or oil appliances.
Use airtight fireplaces, and place air intakes away from the traffic side of a house.
Place the furnace in a sealed room.
Install a central vacuum.
Avoid attached garages.
Find out if the house has been treated with insecticides or other fumigations in the last five years. If so, research the chemicals used and find out how long they take to break down.
Light
Be sure there is natural and full-spectrum lighting.
Provide enough windows, skylights and sunpipes.
Healthy Living Space Clean Air
Indoor air quality is often overlooked as a cause of illness and stress. The major sources of indoor pollution are combustibles: cigarettes, gas stoves, fireplaces and gas or oil furnaces, and formaldehyde gas that escapes from board products (particleboard, fiberboard, chipboard, plywood, pressboard), foam insulation, synthetic fabrics, carpets and furnishings. Carpet cleaning and fabric treatments for water- and stainproofing introduce harmful chemicals into the home. Other harmful agents include dust, mold spores, bacteria and positive ions from the static electricity generated by synthetics and appliances.
Negative-ion generators and ionizers produce negative ions to help clean the air. These machines do not remove dust or pollen, but are very effective at breaking down the particles found in cigarette smoke and smog, making the air clear and odorless. However, these generators cannot remove the toxic gas emissions.
Healthy Living Space Clean Water
Tap water can contain hundreds of different chemicals from industrial and agricultural sources. Municipal tap water is often bleached, disinfected and deodorized, all processes which add dozens of chemicals. These chemicals can be ingested by drinking tap water and also absorbed through the skin and lungs during showering or bathing.
Since the body is mostly composed of water, and water is the number one survival need, try to drink the purest water possible. Use filtered tap water or bottled water for drinking and cooking. The quality of bottled water can vary considerably. Do some research before deciding which type to buy.
Several types of water filtration systems are available, each with different costs and effectiveness. The most common method is the granular, activated carbon filter that attaches to a tap or a jug filtering system. They are inexpensive and ineffective. Because of the large pore size, they filter out chlorine, organic chemicals, some bacteria and viruses, and some asbestos but not fluoride, or smaller particles and micro-organisms. Filters need to be replaced often since they become filled with bacteria and sediment. Most contain activated silver to kill bacteria and can precipitate silver toxicity.
Solid carbon blocks are very dense and the smaller pores are able to remove most contaminants except fluoride. Micro-organisms are unable to thrive in the pores since they hold very little oxygen. Although the carbon lasts longer than activated carbon, it does need to be changed regularly.
Reverse osmosis systems use a multi-step filtration process with pressure, usually from tap water. Reverse osmosis removes particulate matter, organic chemicals and heavy metals. This system is slow, bulky and not very water efficient: it returns one gallon of filtered water for every three to twelve gallons of unfiltered water.
Distillation systems boil water and collect the steam. This process removes all minerals and organic chemicals, except for some volatile chemicals. Volatile chemicals can be removed by using a carbon filter as a preliminary measure.
Micro Water
Micro water is the electrolysis of water. Water is divided into two parts by the process of electrolysis to become either alkaline or acid. First, a silver- impregnated carbon block filters tap water to remove chemicals and contaminants. Then, water is broken down into its two molecular polarities, alkaline and acid.
The human body balances between states of alkalinity and acidity. It knows at a cellular level what adjustments should be made to restore its optimal balance, so micro water should be used cautiously. Alkaline water contains minerals which, when ingested, can help stabilize over-acidic conditions in the body. However, if the body is already in an alkaline state, drinking alkaline water will have no benefit, and may in fact do more harm.
Acidic water, on the other hand, is excellent for external application to cuts or wounds as it will disinfect and heal tissues just as hydrogen peroxide would.
Magnetized Water
Ordinary water contains calcium carbonate. The harder the water, the more calcium carbonate it contains, and the less soap is able to lather in it. Calcium deposits eventually are formed on surfaces contacted by this water.
When they are magnetized, the calcium carbonate molecules in the water crystallize into tiny, circular structures that are easily washed away. Magnetized water is soft water. Soap lathers more easily in this water and there is no leftover soapy film. With the softer water, your skin and clothes become clean and soft, your dishes sparkle and you reduce the amount of detergent and soap you use by up to eighty percent.
Eastern Europe has long known the power of magnetized water for home and industrial use, and in parts of the former Soviet Union, magnetization was used instead of filtration. Drinking magnetized water is becoming more closely studied in many countries because of its reduced costs. Magnetized water is believed to have a higher oxygen content and to be more alkaline than regular filtered water, both of which are beneficial for the body.
If you have hard water, choose a salt-free water softener for a healthier, maintenance-free and environmentally sound approach to clean water.
Healthy Living Space Natural Light
The human body functions best with natural light-artificial light causes overstimulation, stress and eye problems, and is a source of EMFs. Natural light is essential to human health-it improves mood as well as increasing energy and the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Allow natural light into your home through windows, doors, skylights and sunpipes.
In the winter, people who work indoors and receive little natural light can suffer from depression and tiredness. This is often labeled Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). To alleviate symptoms, get outside during the day as much as you can and use full-spectrum lighting or halogen lights (which are energy efficient and similar to natural light) indoors during the darker months. Older fluorescent lights can have a noticeable flicker and produce eye strain, headaches and irritability.
Healthy Living Space Electrosmog or Electrical Pollution
The term 'pollution' brings to mind harmful emissions from automobiles or oil spills in the world's oceans. Another more subtle pollutant is also slowly harming us-electrical pollution from a growing number of sources. Electricity flows through high-voltage lines, the wiring in your home, and all your electrical appliances. It generates electromagnetic fields (EMFs) that extend far beyond the wires or appliances. The term 'electromagnetic fields' commonly refers to the electric fields (EFs) and magnetic fields (MFs) that are produced simultaneously at any source of electricity. The earth's magnetic field is vibrating at 7.8 hertz, a frequency to which the human body has adapted. The unnatural vibrations of electrosmog range from 50-60 hertz (for household appliances) to 200-300 hertz (for high-voltage power lines).
Many sources of manufactured radiation exist around us. It was once thought that only ionizing (X-rays, nuclear power) or thermal (microwave) radiation was harmful to human health. But in the late 1970s, new research suggested that manufactured electrical fields could affect the health of people.
Studies show that extremely low frequency magnetic fields produced by radiation from such sources as power lines, generator substations and home appliances increase risks for cancers, notably leukemia and brain cancers. More commonly, continuous exposure to electromagnetic fields can increase the risk of headaches, migraines, chronic fatigue, dizziness, nausea, stress and environmental sensitivities. High frequency fields, also called radio frequency, are generated by radio and TV towers, cellular and portable phones, and radar installations. Studies of radio and radar operators have shown more cases of leukemia, brain tumors, cancer and cataracts than the unexposed population.
The hazard comes from the magnetic field which varies with the amount of current. Most magnetic-field danger comes from external sources such as nearby power lines and from internal sources such as home appliances and wiring. The sources of electric fields in a house are the electrical wiring and appliances. Switching appliances off eliminates the magnetic field; unplugging appliances eliminates the electrical field at the appliance. Shielding can eliminate most of the electrical field problems.
To reduce your radiation exposure, try the following steps:
Live as far as possible from power lines, distribution lines, electrical substations, electrical bus cables or the path of a microwave radar tower.
Reduce the number of electrical appliances you have and stay three feet away from operating appliances.
Switch off or unplug appliances when not in use.
Use hot-water bottles and extra blankets instead of heating pads and electric blankets.
Use battery-operated clocks, shavers and similar small devices instead of electrically operated devices.
Stay as far away as possible from electric ovens and microwave ovens when they are in use.
Periodically check your microwave oven for signs of worn gaskets or leakage.
Keep beds away from outlets, electric clocks and radios with digital displays.
Reduce your use of the more dangerous electric-polluting appliances such as hair dryers, black-and-white TVs, can openers and computers since they are generally used very close to the body and/or for extended periods of time. Cellular phones are especially bad for very strong high-frequency field emissions.
Be cautious about working too close to fluorescent lights, which emit strong EMFs.
Use a gauss meter to measure magnetic field pollution and to determine safe areas.
Healthy Living Space Chemicals in the Home
Chemicals in the home come from sources such as commercial cleaning products, garden chemicals and workshop supplies such as paint, solvents and transmission fluid. Harmful chemicals can also be contained in personal care products like toothpaste, shampoo, cosmetics, nail polish, soaps and deodorants. Use natural and environmentally friendly products-recycled oil for your car; cosmetics without harmful chemicals and additives; or laundry disks, chemical-free ceramic beads that enhance water's natural ability to clean. Read the product labels and educate yourself about the names of harmful chemicals.
Hazardous products pose a direct threat to personal health and a general threat to the environment. Toxic, synthetic chemicals last a long time in the environment, and are much more likely to generate pollution in all phases of their life cycle than natural products. Use products made from natural ingredients whenever possible and
appropriate.
Before dumping something harmful down the drain or flushing it down the toilet, ask yourself if you would want that substance in your drinking water or food. Many municipalities have hazardous-waste disposal sites where you can take unneeded paint, solvents and harsh cleansers for safe disposal. You can make a difference. If we stop pollution before it starts, our environment will be in much better condition.
Try to buy products that are non-polluting in their manufacture, use and disposal. Remember the five Rs:
Reduce consumption
Repair what you can
Reuse whenever possible
Recycle the rest
Rethink
Healthy Living Space Natural Cleaning Products
Common cleaning products often contain hazardous substances and emit dangerous, volatile fumes. Regular housecleaning with natural products prevents the build-up of dirt and grime, eliminating the need for any harsh chemicals.
All-Purpose Spray Cleaner
Use equal parts water and white vinegar for the toilet, windows, wood, mirrors and counter tops. There is no need to rinse.
Dish Soap
Use natural soap flakes. Add some vinegar to cut tough grease.
Laundry Soap
1/3 cup washing soda
1 1/2 cups soap
Add 1/2 cup borax for whitening, water softening and removing soap scum. Magnetizing your water reduces the amount of cleaner needed by one-fourth to one-third. For lightly soiled laundry, use 1 cup of baking soda, borax or white vinegar.
Drains
Use a drain sieve as a preventive measure to avoid clogged drains. Also, never pour grease or food scraps down drains.
If needed, pour 1/2 cup of the following mixture down the drain:
1 cup baking soda
1 cup salt
1/4 cup cream of tartar
Follow with some boiling water, then flush with cold water.
Oven Cleaner
Sprinkle your oven with water. Cover with baking soda. Leave overnight and wipe clean in the morning.
Furniture Polish
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. white vinegar
4 cups water
Mix in a spray bottle. Spray and wipe with a soft cloth.
Silver Cleaner
Place silver in an aluminum pan in the bottom of your sink.
Add hot water to cover, a few teaspoons of baking soda and a pinch of salt. After five minutes, turn the silver over. After another five to ten minutes, the silver should be clean. Rinse well and then dry.
Copper and Brass Cleaner
Make a paste of lemon juice and baking soda. Scrub metal, rinse well and dry.
Scouring / Deodorizing
Use baking soda as scouring powder. Rinse.
Toilet Freshener
Use a few drops of an antiseptic essential oil such as lemon, lavender or pine in the bowl.
Carpet Cleaner
Sprinkle cornstarch on dry carpet to absorb grease and dirt. Leave on for five minutes, then vacuum.
Carpet Deodorizer
Sprinkle on baking soda. Leave for twenty minutes before vacuuming.
Healthy Living Space Personal Care Products
Always read the labels and consider the ingredients in the personal care products you use daily on your face, skin, teeth and hair. Many are made from harmful petrochemicals and should be avoided. Harmful chemicals include aerosol propellants, alcohol, fragrance, artificial colors and flavors, fluoride and ammonia. These chemicals are easily absorbed by your skin and transported throughout your body. To minimize your exposure to detrimental substances, switch to natural products, especially those using organic ingredients. The following list should be used as a reference guide to natural ingredients:
Allantoin
Allantoin is derived from the comfrey plant, but due to the high cost of plant harvest it is now mostly synthesized and produced more cost efficiently. Soothing and anti-inflammatory, it helps to repair damaged skin and promotes healing of wounds, sunburns and other skin conditions.
Alpha Lipotene
Alpha lipotene is converted by humans, animals and plants into a liquid called lipoic acid an essential nutrient that the body uses to destroy free
radicals. Alpha lipotene helps protect the skin against environmental stresses that can damage and age skin. It also promotes the regeneration of vitamins A and C in the body, both important antioxidants in the defense against free radicals.
Apple Extract
Derived from the fruit acid part of the apple, this extract is a gentle skin exfoliator containing a mild natural acid, alpha hydroxy acid (AHA).
Angelica Extract
This extract from the angelica plant contains a mild natural acid used to exfoliate the skin. It exhibits toning characteristics because of its essential oils, bitters and tannin agents.
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Ascorbyl palmitate is a fraction of ascorbic acid. It is more stable in water solutions than vitamin C and also has antioxidant action.
Bentonite
Bentonite is a naturally occurring clay mineral used to stabilize emulsions, as a thickener, or in cosmetics as a drying compound primarily in 'mask'-type formulations.
Calendula Extract
The extract from the calendula flower has anti-inflammatory, soothing and healing properties. It is used for sensitive, delicate skin.
Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides
Derived from plants such as corn and soy bean, caprylic/ capric triglycerides are found as a fatty compound in human sebum. This compound lubricates the skin and is slightly occlusive.
Cetearyl Alcohol
This compound of natural waxes is an emollient, emulsifier and stabilizing wax.
Cetearyl Polyglucose
This mixture of the fatty acids of cetyl alcohol and corn is a very powerful natural emulsifier.
Cetyl Alcohol
A fatty alcohol of cetyl acid, cetyl alcohol is used as an emulsifier.
Camomile Extract
Camomile extract is known for its anti-inflammatory, soothing and healing properties.
Citric Acid
A naturally occurring acid in citrus-type fruits and berries that stabilizes the pH value of the skin. It exhibits astringent and antioxidant properties.
Citrus Extract
An extract of citrus fruits found to be exfoliating.
Comfrey Extract
Extracted from the comfrey flower, it contains allantoin and is used as a soothing and anti-inflammatory compound.
Cornflower Extract
Cornflower extract is used as an anti-irritant and helps soothe the skin.
Cucumber Extract
Cucumber extract has moisture-giving and anti-inflammatory properties, and it is used to cool and soothe irritated skin.
Cyclomethicone
A siloxane (silica) polymer compound used for skin feel and elegance. Cyclomethicone is extremely safe and does not penetrate the skin. It is used in lotion to improve the application and spreadability of the product.
Deionized Water
Purified water that has had ions and minerals removed. Water made less reactive.
Dicapryl Ether
A very safe and light lubricating compound derived from caprylic acid.
Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
A naturally occurring compound in plants, animals and humans. This compound can be found in the sebum of the skin and is used as a skin lubricant and smoother.
Dimethicone
A siloxane (silica) polymer compound that helps protect the skin, is extremely safe, and lubricates the skin, giving it an extremely smooth feel.
Disodium EDTA
A compound used to protect food, drugs and cosmetics from oxidizing.
Ginger Extract
This extract from the ginger root contains a natural AHA.
Glacial Clay
Derived from glacial clay deposits found in the northwest region of Canada, glacial clay is high in natural minerals and extremely beneficial to the skin.
Glycerin
Glycerin is derived from the plant waste of the food industry, not from animal by-products.
Glyceryl Stearate
An emulsifying agent in food and cosmetics that is derived from the glycerin and stearic acid found in vegetables.
Grapefruit Extract
Grapefruit extract contains natural AHA.
Green Tea Extract
Extracted from green tea leaves, it contains anti-irritating and antioxidizing compounds which are particularly soothing to sensitive skin.
Hyaluronic Acid
A naturally occurring compound in animal, plant and human cells that is very lubricating and extremely moisturizing. Hyaluronic acid can hold one thousand times its weight in water and puts a non-occlusive layer of moisture onto the skin.
Kaolin
A naturally occurring clay material used as a drying agent.
Lanolin Oil
A highly purified lanolin derived from sheep's wool. The sheep is not harmed, as the lanolin is separated from the wool after the springtime
shearing.
Lavender Extract
The extract from the lavender flower is used for its soothing and calming properties.
Lecithin
Obtained from soy bean and/or corn, lecithin is used as an emulsifier, exhibiting skin-soothing and moisture-giving properties.
Lemon Extract
The extract from the lemon rind is an exfoliant as well as a tightening and bleaching agent.
Lemon Grass Extract
The astringent properties make it a useful tightening and refreshing herbal extract.
Nettle Extract
Derived from stinging nettle, this stimulating and refreshing extract improves blood circulation.
Orange Fruit Extract
Similar to grapefruit extract, it contains natural AHA.
Panthenol
Panthenol, or Vitamin B5 complex, promotes healing, improves skin texture, and increases luster and strength in hair.
Peppermint Extract
The extract from the peppermint plant is used as a cooling and refreshing agent that imparts natural fresh odor.
Polysorbate-20
A solvent and emulsifying agent derived from sorbitol-a sugar alcohol made from corn syrup.
Retinyl Palmitate
A natural source of the antioxidant vitamin A. It is necessary for maintaining healthy skin.
Rosemary Extract
The essential oils and fla-vonoids from the rosemary plant have a stimulating and strengthening effect. Rosemary extract stimulates blood flow, and also soothes and calms the nerves.
Safflower Oil
Cold-extracted oil from the safflower plant is an easily absorbed fatty oil with a high linoleic acid content. It prevents dry skin.
Sericin
A natural silk used to lubricate the skin and give it a silky feel.
Shea Butter
Shea butter is derived from the fruit of the African karite tree. It has many nourishing properties and helps protect and lubricate dry, rough skin.
Sodium Citrate
The salt version of citric acid, sodium citrate is a buffering and pH-controlling agent.
Sodium Benzoate
The sodium salt of benzoic acid is used as a natural preservative.
Sodium PCA
A humectant and moisturizer that occurs naturally in plants.
Sorbitol
A naturally occurring polyol (sugar), a humectant and skin conditioning agent. Sorbitol makes the skin feel soft and smooth.
Squalane
A naturally occurring compound manufactured by the body and found in shark liver oil and in plants. It moisturizes and protects the skin.
Stearic Acid
A naturally occurring plant- derived fatty acid. Stearic acid is used as an emulsifier in cosmetics, food and drugs.
Sugar Cane Extract
The natural version of glycolic acid derived from sugar cane.
Titanium Dioxide
An iron oxide mined from the earth. Titanium dioxide has antiseptic and antibacterial properties, and is used as a natural sunscreen and as a whitening agent.
Tocopherol
Pure vitamin E used as a natural antioxidant. It also has skin- softening, stimulating and soo-thing properties.
Tocopherol Acetate
The acetate form of vitamin E; this material is more stable than pure vitamin E.
Willow Bark Extract
The extract from the willow tree contains natural salicyclic acid (like Aspirin™).
Witch Hazel Extract
The extract from the witch hazel plant is used as an astringent, and has blood-circulating and toning properties.
Healthy Living Space Home Remedy Chest
Many over-the-counter medications contain dangerous substances. Although they treat symptoms, they also suppress the body's natural healing mechanism. They effectively drive disease further into the body until it surfaces again when the body is weakened due to illness, stress or improper living habits.
You can, however, use natural substances to deal safely and effectively with common minor health problems.
A home remedy chest stock-ed with natural remedies is invaluable. Many conventional drugs can be replaced with natural healing products for treatment of common ailments.
To help your family with daily concerns and common health problems, familiarize yourself with the herbs and spices that are both nourishing and healing. Get information from your health food store and read the labels on products. Fresh ingredients from the kitchen cupboard provide some of the most useful first aid remedies, as listed on page 81.
Healthy Living Space Utensils and Containers
The types of pots and containers you use can affect your ingestion of chemicals.
Use pots made of stainless steel, cast iron (which has the added benefit of providing iron to the diet), glass and new enamel. Use containers made of glass, ceramic or stainless steel.
Discard aluminum containers and utensils. Harmful aluminum will leach into your food, especially with acidic food such as tomatoes and citric juices. Discard older enamel pots because they often contain a harmful substance called cadmium-never use chipped enamelware.
Use wooden or stainless steel utensils whenever possible, since plastic gives off poisonous fumes when heated. The toxic plastic coating on non-stick pans can easily scrape off into food. Plastic containers react with food and beverages, shedding plastic particles into your food (softer plastics break down more easily). The plastic in water containers breaks down and is absorbed into the water, forming potentially toxic contaminants, and giving the water a plastic taste. The health threat from these contaminants has not yet been clearly established, but some experts say that both the base chemical from which the plastic is made, and the new chemicals which form when the plastic's components react with impurities in the water, can be toxic.
According to Dr. Theo Colborn of the World Wildlife Federation, chemicals which act like estrogen leak from some plastics. These synthetic hormones trigger a cascade of damaging biochemical changes that affect development of the nervous, immune, endocrine, reproductive and digestive systems. These effects are usually irreversible. In addition, bottled water stored in a warm place or in direct sunlight increases the rate of the chemicals leaching from the plastic into the water, and is susceptible to growth of bacteria in the water.
Healthy Living Space Recycling and Waste Control
The key to waste control is reducing intake and avoiding waste. Here are a few tips:
Buy bulk and unpackaged goods.
Buy food fresh and cook from scratch.
Take reusable shopping bags to the store;
keep spares in your car.
Buy in large quantities instead of single
servings.
Buy items in recyclable, refillable containers.
Stop junk mail and unnecessary magazine and paper subscriptions. Read publications at the library or share a subscription with a friend.
Think carefully before you buy-do you really need it? Can you borrow or share or rent it?
Buy reusable items like razors and rechargeable batteries.
Buy for quality, durability and reusability.
Donate things you no longer use to charities.
Use products that are made of recycled
materials.
Compost food scraps and yard waste to create topsoil.
Recycle aluminum, tin, paper and plastics.
Repair items instead of throwing them out.
Buy things second-hand.
Take toxic products to your local hazardous-waste disposal site. This includes drain cleaners, nail-polish remover, mothballs, carpet cleaner, garden chemicals and paints. Avoid buying these products in the first place; use safe, natural alternatives whenever possible-for your own safety and that of the environment.
Healthy Living Space Composting and Gardening
Composting is an excellent way to make your own soil conditioner and use up kitchen wastes (a large part of our municipal garbage). Composting is used by organic gardeners to hasten decomposition of plant-based wastes into a rich soil amendment and fertilizer. You can compost vegetable kitchen scraps, yard clippings, newspaper, natural fabrics, ashes from the fireplace and dryer lint. Techniques vary from layering kitchen and yard waste in a large bin and turning periodically, to using worms in a bin on the balcony, to burying kitchen scraps in an unused section of the garden.
You may think you need to have a yard to have a garden. Not so. Containers on the balcony or windowsill can be a source of fresh, organic herbs and produce. Many herbs and vegetables are easy to grow with enough sunlight, water and good soil.
Most people do not know that a garden is only as healthy as its soil. Toxins in the soil (from pesticides, chemical fertilizers, hazardous waste or vehicle emissions) are poisonous to birds, wildlife and natural soil organisms. Without these organisms to aerate the soil and break down nutrients, plants become nutrient depleted and are unable to grow optimally. Most commercial fruits and vegetables are grown in this type of poor soil.
Improve your soil by adding well-rotted compost and organic matter like leaf mold and rotted manure regularly. Make use of organic and natural products such as fish fertilizer, bone meal and cottonseed meal. This will improve virtually all types of soil structures, retain air, water and nutrients, add nutrients and regulate soil acidity.
Remember, healthy soil equals healthy plants.
Healthy Living Space Organic Gardening
If you have been lucky enough to taste the incredible flavor and sweetness of an organic tomato grown in your own yard compared to the pallid commercially-produced variety, you will know what a difference there is. And not only does it taste better, but organic p roduce also has more nutrients and so is healthier for you.
The idea of organic gardening is to work in harmony with nature, to use natural methods and to replenish the soil. This of course would exclude the use of any type of chemical, be it an artificial fertilizer, pesticide or herbicide. Such chemicals not only upset the delicate balance of nature with their broad-spectrum and artificial effects, but they also poison and pollute. They destroy soil fertility and foster dependence on their ongoing use. Why put something on your garden that you wouldn't put on your dinner plate, or for that matter, that you wouldn't want your children or pets to play around?
The basics of organic gar /dening are simple: amend soil quality; compost to make soil conditioner to replenish nutrients, improve structure and suppress disease; and mulch for a variety of benefits including plant protection, water retention, weed prevention, soil nourishment and decreased soil compaction.
Additional techniques consist of using hardy and disease-resistant strains as well as native plants (which are highly adaptable survivors); putting plants in areas where they will thrive; using organic fertilizers such as bone meal and rock dust; rotating crops to prevent depletion of soil nutrients; companion planting to combine plants that grow better together than alone; using beneficial insects for pest control; diversifyng crops to decrease pest and disease problems.
If growing your own organic garden is unfeasible, buy organic produce or purchase from grocers who support sustainable farming.
Healthy Living Space Pest Control
Pesticides are very persistent in the environment and can remain actively airborne (for days, weeks and sometimes years), where they are inhaled and absorbed by humans and animals. You are not only exposed through home and garden pesticides but also through mothballs, flea collars and moth-proofing on fabrics. Pesticides and herbicides sprayed on lawns are easily tracked indoors, especially by golfers whose shoes can hold 2,4-D, for months. Pesticides kill people as well as pests.
Prevent pest problems by maintaining a clean house, removing sources of food and water, blocking cracks and other means of entry, using window screens and keeping your plants and pets healthy. Whenever possible, handpick and destroy pests, use traps, use beneficial insects such as ladybugs, practice companion planting and use natural botanical pesticides sparingly.
Birds and beneficial insects prey on pests. Using pesticides kills indiscriminately and upsets nature's delicate balance. Plant shrubs and trees, and build birdhouses to encourage birds to remain in the area.
A few simple, natural pest-control alternatives are listed below.
Ants
Block entry holes; sprinkle dried mint, chili powder, or borax and icing sugar where they enter.
Aphids
Use insecticidal soap to wash them off. In a spray bottle, mix one part soap to eight parts water.
Cockroaches/Silverfish
Sprinkle a mixture of equal parts baking soda and sugar in infested areas; use bay leaves, diatomaceous earth, or borax and icing sugar.
Fleas
Plant pennyroyal around the house; buy a herbal flea collar; vacuum constantly, making sure to clean out vacuum; steam-clean carpets.
Flies
Spread honey on strips of yellow paper and hang; hang clusters of cloves.
Insects
Rub on skin either vinegar or a vegetable oil containing a few drops of citronella or pennyroyal.
Mice
Use mousetraps or get a cat.
Slugs
Use containers of beer to attract and trap them; use diatomaceous earth.
Weevils
Use diatomaceous earth.
Healthy Living Space Personal Responsibility
Stories of environmental illness and people with irreparably damaged immune systems are fairly common. Unless society works to change, you can expect to hear even more. Your body is increasingly taxed by the cumulative, damaging effects of pollutants. Unless everyone starts to take preventive measures, society will succumb to environmental illness. Take responsibility.
Become aware of environmental issues and incorporate earth-friendly and conservation habits into your lifestyle.
Rethink, reduce, reuse, repair and recycle.
Use renewable resources.
Use products not tested on animals.
Support earth-friendly organizations, politicians and legislation.
Support responsible business; invest in ethical and green mutual funds.
Grow or buy organic produce-not only is it healthier for you, but it is a way of earth
stewardship.
Eat unprocessed foods. Refining, processing and packaging use lots of energy and result in nutritionally deficient food.
Reduce the use of synthetics and plastics-they are polluting and are often made from non-renewable resources.
Reduce your meat consumption to conserve natural resources such as water and to reduce pollution.
The ultimate goal in creating a healthy living space is to foster a healthy planet. Conservation and awareness are the first steps toward ensuring a livable world. Start with small, manageable steps to create a healthy living space for yourself, your family and others.
Healthy Living Space
