The Health Benefits of Living Green

Do you have an eco-friendly lifestyle? If so, you may shop with your own cloth bags, compost kitchen scraps, grow your own tomatoes, and recycle everything you can. Daily choices like these go a long way in helping to protect the environment, so bravo! Your choice to live "the green life" has even greater ramifications however, offering significant health benefits to you and your family. For example:

Healthier, safer food

Part of living green is supporting the organic movement. Investing in toxin-free food is important not only for the planet, wildlife, farm workers, and our precious soil, but for you as well! Not only will you enjoy a higher quality menu─free of unhealthy synthetic chemicals─but you’ll also help protect your family from GMOs, those invasive toxic items that remain invisible on food labels. By choosing USDA certified organic, or at least buying fresh and local, you can more safely dine GMO-free. If you can’t buy 100% organic, be selective and go organic with the 12 most contaminated items─named the “Dirty Dozen” by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). These include apples, red bell peppers, celery, grapes, and more: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/

A non-toxic home

Do you clean your home with Ajax, ammonia, and bleach, or other chemical-based products that emit dangerous fumes? Most Americans do! And yet, eco-friendly cleaning solutions are indisputably preferable, given the health risks associated with commercial cleaning products. Many common household cleansers pollute your home with toxic ingredients like phosphates, chlorine, solvents, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), synthetic fragrances, and more. These chemicals contribute to dangerous indoor air pollution─especially hazardous for children and pets. They also cause environmental problems going down the drain. A safer bet is to invest in safe/green products from Method, Seventh Generation, Ecover and Meyers, or make your own cheap, non-toxic cleaning kit: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-non-toxic-cleaning-kit.html

Chemical-free personal care

Did you know that, astonishingly, neither cosmetic and personal care products, nor their ingredients, require FDA approval before they’re sold to the public? Talk about a free for all! The problem for us as consumers is that many beauty, hair and skin care products contain potentially dangerous chemicals, as well as ingredients that can disrupt and mimic reproductive actions in both humans and animals. It’s a game changer when you consider that your skin absorbs up to 60% of what you apply to it! How do you know what to avoid, and what your safest and greenest options are? Learn more here: http://safecosmetics.org/section.php?id=33

Community garden essentials

Do you have a local community garden? Many communities do, and are by far the better for it. It’s actually rather amazing to join forces with others in the larger mission of cultivating healthier food for all. Younger folks may not recall those age-old "Victory Gardens" in times of war, but the concept is the same now, if not more so! Why not collaborate to raise healthy food for ourselves and those we love? If you don’t have a community garden in your area, you can certainly start one with these cool tips: <http://communitygarden.org/docs/10stepsstart.pdfhat

Ideally, you can see that living green is the ultimate solution. To the extent that you personally limit your carbon footprint and live better and healthier, even on a budget, you make a great difference. To the degree that you inspire others with your example, you hit the ball out of the park!