Are you ready for the next step towards a healthy lifestyle this year? We are half way through are Green Lifestyle Guide! If you are following this 12-step plan with us then you know we are bringing it back to the basics so there is no room to fail. It is all about taking steps toward wellness and health that are good for you, your family and the planet.
JULY: PLANT A GARDEN
While we would like to believe the food we eat is free of pesticides and toxic chemicals, most of the time it isn’t- even when labeled organic as it may still contain low levels of pesticide residues.
Pesticides and toxic chemicals are being increasingly linked to serious health problems- especially in children, whose developing bodies are more vulnerable to chemical exposure than those of adults. Since 1975, cancer rates in children are up 25%. The American Academy of Pediatrics points to pesticide residue in food as the most critical route of exposure, which luckily, is one we have some control over.
The best advice we can give to keep pesticides away from your home -- inside and out -- is to plant your own garden! Choosing to grow your own food avoids exposure to pesticides and fertilizers that also have negative effects on your body. Plus home grown organic foods shows to have a higher nutritional value with higher concentration of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which will make your skin absolutely glow.
We know it is a job in itself, especially in extreme temperatures, but we promise after you read our three reasons on why you should plant a garden, you will be outside growing in no time!
1. You avoid pesticides: As we have mentioned above and in previous blog posts, toxic chemicals including pesticides have a broad range of negative effects on human biology; they damage the nervous system, disrupt hormones, increase the risk of cancer, and now they have been shown to contribute to obesity.
With the rise of backyard and community gardens today, comes the wide availability of sustainable all natural DIY gardening recipes to manage pests.
2. You avoid containers and packaging that contaminate food with common toxic chemicals: Gardening means you are minimizing your use of packaging and in turn means avoiding exposure to more toxic chemicals AND reducing your carbon footprint. It is a win-win for everyone! We recommend to eat as little as you can of processed or packaged foods. These foods usually go through techniques that not only detract their nutritional value but also the chemicals from the food packaging can leach into the food itself!
Canned foods: Almost all food cans are coated with epoxy that contains a synthetic estrogen called bisphenol A that can disrupt the hormone system and the development of the brain and other organs.
Stain, grease and water-repellant coatings: Any thing made “greaseproof” (Scotchguard, Teflon, wax paper) may be coated with perfluorochemicals that can harm many organs.
3. You can compost at home: Another way to shrink your waste and reduce your carbon footprint is by transforming your leftovers into homemade organic fertilizer.
Don’t have the space to plant a garden but still want to reduce your pesticide exposure?
See the helpful links below:
EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce is here.
Click here to learn about Toxic 12 ingredients to never use.
Learn all the basics of green cleaning here.
Stay tuned next month when we reveal the second step in our 2017 guide toward healthy living.
