Healthy Living

HEALTHY LIVING
It is just as important as healthy eating!

Currently I am reading a book about having a healthy home.  I started thinking about how many people, myself included, spend a lot of time, energy and money making big choices and changes to be healthier with the foods we eat, but still use harmful and hazardous chemicals in our home.  These toxins are ingested or absorbed into our bodies and cause serious health issues.  When you make a decision to become healthier and make healthier choices, don't forget about all the areas that effect your body - like your home!

The key to using the information in a book like this is to decide where your level of participation is, just like when you learn about healthy eating.

0= You know the products you use or food you eat isn't good for you, your family, or your home, but it doesn't matter.  You make no change.
1= You know there are changes you could make and occasionally you do (like skipping the french fries or buying a product labeled "natural."  Otherwise you don't make changes or habits.
2= You begin to educate yourself on what is harmful and how to make it healthier.  You begin to make one change at a time.  These are minor changes, but you feel better.
3=Small steps lead to larger ones.  The more research you gather, the more you want to learn and make changes.  Even though your changes are small, they are more and more and you stick to those changes.
4= You immediately clean out the toxins from your home, cabinets and refrigerator.  You are educated, as is your family.  Every chance you get to make a change, you jump at the task.  You are sharing your new habits with family, friends and neighbors.
5= You are now the commanding general in the war on toxins!  Nothing hazardous or harmful is allowed anywhere near you, your family, your pets or your home.  You filled 2 garbage cans with toxic products(Just as a side note, if you do want to get rid of harmful cleaners, you can't just throw them in the garbage.  They are considered hazardous waste!) and you are writing letters to every senator and congressman you can.

Right now, I am 3, hoping to become a 4.  I've made a list of what I can change right now, what changes to make in the next month or two, and what to research further.  I'm finding that some of the things I can change, I already should have or tried to before.  For example, I want to make not using plastic bags a habit and I already have about 8 of those reusable bags you can buy at the store.  Also, the Pick N Save I shop at still has a paper bag option.

Other changes will be a little more difficult.  I love candles and have them all over the house.  Since I use them so often, I tend to buy cheaper candles.  I would like to replace these synthetic materials and artificial fragrances for candles made from beeswax and essential oils.  So do I get rid of all the ones I have all at once or gradually replace them?? 

I was floored to find out that our cleaning products are unregulated and manufacturers are not required to list all the ingredients.  The same ingredients that it is up to the manufacturer to do health and safety testing on!  After reading this, I ran to the kitchen ands starting pulling out cleaners - ugh!  Most of them do not list the ingredients!!

Here are 3 items you probably already have in your house that can be used to replace most of your current household cleaners, as I am.  As with our food and meals, the more you know about what is in them, the smarter and healthier you will be.

Vinegar
* Undiluted, cleans countertops, windows and durable surfaces
* Kills 99.9% of bacteria and 90% of mold
* Safe enough to eat
* Add essential oils or use 1/2 vinegar & 1/2 water mix to reduce the smell
* To clean your toilet, add 1-2 cups of vinegar in the toilet and let sit for an hour or so.  Scrub clean with brush.

Hydrogen Peroxide
* Kills germs and disinfects like bleach.  The USDA states that "HP" and vinegar both sanitize better than chlorine bleach
* Safe on the skin
* Be careful - bleaches colors like bleach
* Great for cleaning mold and stains in the shower/tub
* Can clean the toilet
* Attach a spray nozzle right to the original brown bottle to use

Baking Soda
* For a scouring cleaner, mix a few Tbsp with castile soap.  For dish soap, mix 2 parts liquid castile soap with 1 part baking soda.  For the dishwasher, 2 Tbsp liquid castile soap and 1 Tbsp baking soda combined and put in dishwasher detergent dispenser per load.
* Put 1 cup "BS" down a clogged drain, followed by 1 cup white distilled vinegar and followed by a pot of boiling water
* Non-toxic, multi-purpose and cheap
* To clean surfaces, sprinkle on a damp cloth, wipe and rinse with clean water
* Use 1/2 cup "BS" in your laundry instead of laundry detergent, especially if you have allergies or sensitive skin.

To come:  Healthy alternatives for pets, EWG and other links/websites, and Tea Tree Oil.

Here's to Healthy Eating and Healthy Living
MY HEALTHY HELPER
630-697-6932
myhealthyhelper@gmail.com