Simple Ways To Add Some Green To Your Life

In my quest for healthier living I have come across a multitude of simple ways to reduce toxicity in my life. Here are some of my discoveries:

~Replace the plastic shower curtain liner with a fabric one that you can wash. Benefits: Good for the environment, less waste and less toxic exposure to your home and family.

~Use a refillable stainless steel water bottle http://kleankanteen.com/ instead of using a new plastic one daily. Benefits: Less environmental waste and toxic exposure from plastic to your body, not to mention cheaper and much more convenient.

~Use baking soda http://www.armhammer.com/ to scour tubs, sinks and toilets. Follow with a spray of 3/4 water to 1/4 bleach http://www.clorox.com/ to disinfect and rinse after 30 minutes. I thought this was silly but ran out of Comet and decided to try it. It worked great, and I did not even have to wear rubber gloves! Benefits: Non-toxic to the environment and less (no) chemical inhalation during cleaning.

~Use maple syrup or raw sugar with Stevia http://www.stevia.com/ to sweeten food & drink, not artificial sweeteners. I recommend using a small amount of "real" sugar mixed with Stevia to achieve a more traditional sugar taste (otherwise the Stevia can have an "artificial" taste). Benefits: Stevia is a natural growing herb that has no calories and no glycemic index so there is no negative effect on the body. Maple syrup has minerals and vitamins and raw sugar is more complex and takes longer for the body to breakdown. All leave no toxic build up of chemicals in your cells the way artificial sweeteners do.

~Use organic or natural products on your body. Your skin is your largest organ and is a direct line into your internal system. It absorbs much of what it comes into contact with. An easy and inexpensive way to make the switch is to buy your organic lotions and potions through a mail-order catalog. I get all of my supplements from Swanson Vitamins and they carry a nice supply of organic body products, too. Brands I have used and enjoy are Jason Cosmetic, Desert Essence, Derma E, Burts Bee's, NOW Foods (sweet almond oil makes a great body and hair moisturizer) & Alba Botanica. I also find a great cream shave, vitamin E oil and makeup removing towelettes at Trader Joe's http://www.traderjoes.com/ (If you don't have a Trader Joe's near you I am sorry you live there!). Benefits: No artificial, harmful or toxic ingredients will be absorbed into your blood stream and you are not slathering up your body in plastic.

~Use deodorant sin anti-perspirant (Tom's of Maine has a good one at Trader Joe's or Swanson Vitamins). You may sweat a little bit more but if you use an anti-bacterial soap to wash with (good one of those at Trader Joe's, too) and shave daily (ladies) any odor should be undetectable. Benefits: No absorption of aluminum into your blood stream.

~Stop eating out of boxes and packages and start cooking! Eat food that you have to make. Yes I know it is a pain in the ass and is totally time consuming but this is your life we are talking about here! Eat vegetables, fruits, whole grains, natural meats, low-fat dairy and limited amounts of fat and sweet. Sorry to sound like such a buzz-kill but you will be amazed at how much better you eat and how much better you will feel.

~Stay tuned for more, I will post as I discover...

Thanks for joining,
Leah