Whether you are a parent, teacher, childcare provider, grandparent or kid, you can take some green action steps toward making a healthier environment. That’s good news!
GREEN ACTION - Here are some essential easy steps:
Exposure to lawn, garden and indoor pesticides is an unacceptable risk to children, adults and even pets. Remember, pound for pound, children are more susceptible to the health risks of exposure to toxic chemicals.
Pesticides have been linked to a wide range of health problems in children which include asthma, behavior problems, cancer, learning disabilities and reproductive disorders.
Children are uniquely vulnerable to pesticide exposure because they spend more time playing outdoors on grass and indoors on carpets where pesticides have been brought in on shoes. There are safer, non-toxic choices available in garden and home stores for getting rid of pests and weeds.
Encourage washing hands and washing off shoes after playing outdoors.
Conventional home cleaning products, such as bleaches, glass cleaners and surface wipes to name a few, contain harmful chemicals which can cause a range of different health problems for children and adults. These health concerns include respiratory irritation, chemical burns and increased risk of cancer.
In addition to long term health effects, household products are the most common source of childhood poisonings. We have been convinced that we need these powerful chemicals to clean effectively. This is simply not true. Good non toxic cleaning products have been proven to be effective and safe for health and the environment.
By using safer cleaning products, you will drastically improve the quality of your indoor air. Any cleaner that has a “smell” - be it pine, bleach or springtime flowers, is putting chemicals into your environment. Clean doesn’t have a smell. That is all commercial hype.
Opening windows for a few minutes every day can also help with air flow and exchange. It may be hard to comprehend but chances are the indoor air in your home is more polluted than the outdoor air. Good ventilation is key to healthy air quality.
Using a good
indoor air purifier
can remove particles and irritants from indoor air. But we recommend that you do your research before investing in these products. There are varying degrees of effectiveness and cost.
Smoking is a well known pollutant to indoor air. Also, check for mold on walls and in older furniture. Remove clutter that prohibits effective cleaning and may be hiding dampness. Use a vacuum with a hepa filter and change the bag often.
Non poisonous plants are also good natural air purifiers.
Buy organically grown food as often as you can or consider growing some of your own in planters or a garden plot.
Check out this website called
Kiddie Gardens
for loads of information and step-by-step guides on growing vegetables with kids. Yummy!
In a perfect world, all food would be grown organically, but unfortunately we sometimes have to choose. Using organically grown food reduces the risk of exposure to pesticides.
Lowfat dairy and meat lessens exposure to toxins as chemicals are stored in fat.
Make food from scratch as often as possible. Processed foods contain chemical additives and lack the nutritional value of whole foods. Good nutrition is necessary for a strong immune system. A strong body is more able to fight the adverse effects of chemical contaminants.
The Benefits of Buying Locally
Have you thought about all the benefits you get from buying close to home?
Less emissions from long distance shipping. Consider how far some of your groceries have to travel!
Little or no packaging means less emissions.
Eating ripe fruit and vegies right off the vine or branch is far more tasty!
Fruit allowed to ripen naturally contains more nutrients than fruit picked green and ripened artificially.
The use of plastics in storing food and microwave cooking can also carry health risks. Chemicals in plastics have been linked to cancers, birth defects, poor nervous system development and hormone disruptions in babies.
Certain plastics leach harmful chemicals into foods and drinks, especially when these plastics come into contact with hot, fatty foods or during microwaving.
It’s best to avoid using plastics in the microwave.
If plastic containers begin showing signs of wear, get rid of them. Even scratches can be an open gate for leaching chemicals.
Use alternatives to plastic whenever possible. Especially for food, drinks and toys that may end up in children’s mouths.
If you must use plastics, look for #’s 1, 2, 4, or 5 on the bottom of the container. Also becoming more widely available are “bio-based plastics” which are products made from natural sources like corn. If your grocery store doesn’t yet offer bio-based plastic products, you could start an asking campaign and inundate them with requests.
Would You Like Paper, Plastic or....
While we’re talking about grocery stores, have you started using reusable fabric shopping bags to carry your groceries home? It may take a bit of practice to remember to take them with you each time, but once you start using them, we think you’ll appreciate the difference!
Get your children to help by reminding you. They will enjoy participating in this “go green” activity!
Don't miss our
TRASH TALK ! Page
for important information on the trash we throw away every day!
These are just a few simple steps which can help you create a healthier environment for your family. As new information becomes available, Healthy-Kids-Go-Green.com will bring the important news to you.
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Parents can share thoughts and concerns and have them easily posted to www.healthy-kids-go-green.com. Your ideas can be helpful to all of us so let's start brainstorming!
Check out the
Parent's Resource page
for additional online sources. We have included our favorite, most helpful websites.
These sites contain valuable, up to the minute information on studies and new reports. Some websites even offer you the opportunity to get involved and see what others are doing on a national and global level to secure a safer environment.
Shop PBS for your favorite quality books and DVD's!
Not the same old stuff! Visit The National Geographic Store for exciting, adventurous family fun!
Have you ever considered turning your interest, passion or hobby into an online business to provide important financial help to your family? Here is my gift to you.