Eco-Friendly Health and Living
Being Green is everywhere. Not only are the big time celebrities, like Leo, Oprah, and Al, saying it, but so are product marketers, retail stores and pretty much everyone else. Being Green, or living Green, as the saying goes is certainly an important thing in our society at the moment. The immense consumption that we engage in is astonishing and not only killing the planet but is also killing us! So perhaps everybody’s talking ’bout it for a very good reason.
Like most things that have very large economical and therefore political repercussions, global warming and the eventual destruction of the planet Earth is still a heated debate. Some believe the changes in our planet are part of its natural cycle. Ice ages and warm periods have happened before when there wasn’t any of the multiple toxins involved. On the flip side, all those toxins that are constantly being released into the atmosphere can be scientifically linked to the environmental changes that are happening and as the human species has developed all these toxins the scientific research proving the reverse of global warming is most likely very clouded by the pollutants in the atmosphere. I’m no scientist but when I see the amount of plastics and chemicals being used in our products every day, I can’t help but think that we are to blame.
Global warming looks at the environment, the atmosphere and how it is changing. But another important environmental aspect of being Green is the health of the animal kingdom. Many animals are not only being affected by the increase in temperatures but also the pollution they encounter every day. To see the effects of garbage on the Albatross population take a look at the pictures of Chris Jordan, http://planetgreen.discovery.com/travel-outdoors/chris-jordan-midway-birds.html And, a whale that recently washed up on a West Seattle shore was opened up (to try and discover the cause of death) to reveal 20 plastic bags, small towels, surgical gloves, duct tape, plastic pieces and even a golf ball in its stomach. This was littered amongst the food that is supposed to be found in a whale’s stomach like fish and plankton. Our garbage is literally killing other species. Is that not enough to go green? How about the large number of toxins that are released into our own bodies everyday from the use of plastics, chemicals in things like soap, hand lotion and shampoo, preservatives in our food and toxins in our furniture, carpets, toys and pots and pans? These will eventually cause the breakdown of particular functions of our body. Studies are being conducted to determine the connection between household toxins and the increase in childhood asthma and allergies. The effects are already happening… in our children.
The good news, living green is not as hard or expensive as we are lead to believe. All the overpriced “green” cleaning products are often just capitalizing on the word ‘green’ without actually being better for the environment or you. But, things can be simpler than that, and green living is just that, a simpler way of life. It’s almost like taking a step back to the days before super machines and products that are supposed to help us be more efficient were invented. Here are some tips:
1. Exercise OUTSIDE!!!! You don’t need a fancy treadmill or weight machine just get outside! Toronto has a lot of trails and parks that are perfect for brisk walks, runs, or strolls. The key is to be outside and moving. Several studies have also proven that after exercising outdoors people are in better moods, their spirits, self-confidence and energy is all heightened and enlivened by the nature around them. These three sites have info about parks and trails for walking/hiking in Toronto: http://www.toronto.ca/parks/maps.htm,
www.out-there.com/ton01hkg.htm.
2. Homemade cleaning products. You don’t need to spend a fortune on the “green” cleaning products, just get some vinegar and baking soda and you are pretty much set to go. Eco-Friendly stores like “Zero Point” at Queen and Coxwell are good resources along with websites, http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-non-toxic-cleaning-kit.html#,
http://environmentalism.suite101.com/article.cfm/green_cleaning_recipes_and_homemade_solutions,
http://greenlivingideas.com/topics/eco-home-living/housecleaning/natural-cleaning-recipes#Surface.
3. Cleaning Produce is also an important part of living green. Buying local and in season produce will help cut back on the amount of preservatives that you are eating but it is still important to wash before you eat. A solution of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water can work wonders on all the unwanted toxins that can be found on your produce. Also, it is important to wash with cold water and even to wash produce with peals, like an orange, as the toxins can transfers to the part that you eat from your hands or knife that you are using.
4. Neti Pots are very trendy at the moment, and for good reason. You can reduce your need for allergy and sinus medications by keeping your sinuses clean and healthy all the time. Neti Pots are not only very green but they are also a very powerful tool to remain healthy during the cold and flu season and the hay fever season.
5. Water filters are a big part of supplying your body with toxin free nutrients. Water filters are an inexpensive alternative to buying bottled water every day, bottled water that usually comes in plastic bottles which release toxins into your body and are not safe to reuse. A water filter and a water bottle that isn’t plastic are all you need to healthy water consumption on a daily basis. It’s cheaper too.
6. No plastics. Plastics are not only a large part of the garbage that is polluting our planet and its animals but it also is made using a lot of toxic chemicals. These chemicals get released into the atmosphere from the factories that are making them and they also get released into our bodies when we use plastic containers. Glass containers are available in many places for a good price and they don’t break as often as you many think. Like the glass floor in the CN Tower, they are made to be carried, dropped, squeezed and all around battered.
7. Buy in bulk. Buying food and other things in bulk from stores like “Bulk Barn” save on packaging and also cost you less money. You can get the amount that YOU want not that the company wants you to buy and you don’t get all the fancy, plastic and toxic packaging. Saving you money, saving your health, saving the planet, all at one convenient store.
Those are a few tips for green living. At the core of all this trendy, hip, eco-friendly, tree hugging talk is your health and the environment that you and your family live in. Health of people, planet, and animals are all the main focus of the green living trend. And that is a trend I can get on board with! How about you?
