What's More Important Than The Health of Your Child?

There probably isn't a parent in the world, that wouldn't give or do ANYTHING, to protect their child. Loving their children and protecting them from being physically or emotionally harmed by themselves or someone else, are instinctual traits for all parents. Yet, despite parents doing their very best, sometimes children are still exposed to harmful things.

Health hazards for children are everywhere. Yes, there are exposures outside, as well as inside of their homes, that can trigger common diseases and health conditions in a child. Even in utero, babies and children are often vulnerable to environmental toxins. Obviously, parents can't remove all the "bad stuff", but they can become more informed and make educated choices for their children's health, as well as the whole family.

Children are more likely than adults to come in contact with many of the health hazards around us each day. Their most common playground; the floor, holds a barrage of allergens, such as dust and heavier-than-air chemicals. Then, they put everything in their mouths, further exposing them in different ways than adults.

It really is easy to start making changes by choosing a few simple steps to take in your home. It's not necessary to do everything at once, but doing something, is definitely a good thing. HealthyChild.org offers a Pocket Guide with 5 easy steps to give you a place to start:

1. Manage Pests Safely


2. Use Non-Toxic Products


3. Clean Up Indoor Air


4. Eat Healthy


5. Be Wise with Plastics

The below video is from HealthyChild.org. It's called A Wake Up Story. Please watch the video and become committed to make some small changes to provide a healthier home for your whole family. Then, please pass this message along to another and another .....



A Wake-Up Story from Healthy Child Healthy World on Vimeo.

Environmental Accountability

After almost one month, the daily reports coming in from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster are still very discouraging. Everyone is disappointed and outraged that this even happened, as well as the lack of success in stopping the spill. Without a doubt, this crisis will stimulate some serious discussions and actions for ensuring environmental accountability.

But why does it always take a life/environment altering event to inspire action? Why can't we be more proactive with environmental accountability, instead of just reacting after the crisis?

There are probably numerous "good" answers to those questions, but I am going to propose one of selfishness. If everyone thought more about others than themselves (or their businesses), accountability in all aspects of life, including the environment, would be prevalent.

We can point our fingers at big business such as BP PLC and our government leaders, but what are you, as an individual doing to reduce your carbon footprint....even in your "own backyard"?

Do you recycle? And if so, are you recycling what is only convenient, or are you going above and beyond?

Do you purchase locally grown foods? Besides the health aspects, did you know that the overall process for getting local products to your door, reduces millions of pounds of CO2 emissions and fuel consumption.

Are you buying recycled and/or sustainable merchandise? And, I don't mean just thinking you're hitting the mark, when you "happen" to purchase a recycled item here or there. I'm talking, a concentrated effort to seek out recycled products that are remanufactured or can be reused in their current condition.

Started using "green cleaners" in your home, yet? Not only are they good for your planet, but the statistics are in; they're good for your families health and longevity!

This is our home and our planet. Let's be environmentally accountable even for our little piece of it.

How High Are Your Indoor Air Quality Standards?

I recently became aware of one of this Country's watchdog agency's standards for ensuring the indoor environmental quality of their facilities. All, I could say was, "Holy Cow, they're finally getting it" !!

The CDC, (Center for Disease Control & Prevention), is a government-based agency that was founded in 1942. They are staffed with over 15,000 highly educated engineers, doctors, biologists, chemists, toxicologists and more. These are the folks that keep us up-to-date on local health issues up to biological threats to our population.

Apparently, this educated and informed agency has set very high standards for Indoor air quality in all of their facilities. The standards have been set to protect the health of their employees and customers, as well as lowering their liabilities to them. In the guidelines, they've even established the types of cleaners, etc., that will be used.

Here's a recap of their Housekeeping Guidelines:

CDC will ensure the products used in the workplace, such as soaps, cleaning products, paints, etc. are safe and odor-free or emit low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to the fullest extent feasible. Only GREEN CLEANING (emphasis mine), products shall be specified and used within CDC facilities and leased spaces unless otherwise approved by the Office of Health and Safety.

They also have a laundry list of "Non-Permissible Products":

Scented or fragranced products are prohibited at all times in all interior space owned, rented, or leased by CDC. This includes the use of:

• Incense, candles, or reed diffusers


• Fragrance-emitting devices of any kind


• Wall-mounted devices, similar to fragrance emitting devices, that operate automatically or by pushing a button to dispense deodorizers or disinfectants


• Potpourri


• Plug-in or spray air fresheners


• Urinal or toilet blocks


• Other fragrance deodorizer/re-odorizer products

Personal care products (e.g. colognes, perfumes, essential oils, scented skin and hair products) should not be applied at or near actual workstations, restrooms, or anywhere in CDC owned or leased buildings.

In addition, CDC encourages employees to be as fragrance-free as possible when they arrive in the workplace. Fragrance is not appropriate for a professional work environment, and use of some products with fragrance may be detrimental to the health of workers with chemical sensitivities, allergies, asthma, and chronic headaches/migranes.

Do you know anyone who has regular issues with the above mentioned chemical sensitivies, allergies, asthma and chronic headaches/migrances?

Is it possible that some of their health issues may be a direct result of exposure to some of the CDC's mentioned "non-permissable products"?

Do the research and check out our non-toxic cleaners and personal care products. It may end up being a life-changing experience for you and others around you.

Earth Day Giveaway - Making A Choice For The Environment

"Out of all those millions and millions of planets floating around there in space, this is our planet, this is our little one, so we just got to be aware of it and take care of it". - Paul McCartney

In honor of Earth Day and Earth Month, I am offering a giveaway of Shaklee's, Get Clean® Healthy Home Pack, along with a free Shaklee Membership and Free Shipping.* This is an extraordinary offer, with a value of over $100.00.

The Winning Entrant Will Be Making A Positive Change For The Environment, Themselves and Their Families
You and your family will reap the benefits of using safe, non-toxic and economical cleaning products that work! Also, you'll have peace of mind knowing that these products are from a 53 year old company that has been in continuous business, never changed it's name, never had a product recall, and offers a 100% money-back guarantee on all of it's products.

The Get Clean™ Healthy Home Pack contains all the products you need to start making your home cleaner for your family and the planet. With cleaning choices that are SAFE, POWERFUL, GREEN, and SMART, Get Clean is the safe alternative to traditional household cleaning products.

The Get Clean Healthy Home Pack contains:

Basic H2™ Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate, 16 oz. (1)
Basic H2™ Organic Super Cleaning Wipes, 35 Wipes (1)
Scour Off™ Heavy-Duty Paste, 9 oz. (1)
Dish Wash Concentrate, 16 oz. (1)
Fresh Laundry Concentrate HE Compatible, 32 oz. (Liquid) (1)
Soft Fabric Concentrate, 32 oz. (1)
Soft Fabric Dryer Sheets, 80 sheets (1)
Spray Bottles (3)
Windows and Mirrors (1)
All-Purpose (1)
Degreasing (1)
Laundry Measuring Scoop
Super Microfiber Window Cloth
Dropper for measuring Basic H2™ (1)

*The winning entrant will receive the Get Clean® Healthy Home Pack, Shaklee Membership and Free Shipping for this entry. Only, those who do not currently have a Shaklee Membership in their household/shipping address, are eligible to participate. Also, entrants must be at least 18 years old and have a U.S. shipping address. Entries will no longer be accepted after Tuesday, April 27, 2010.

The value of this giveaway is $116.90, not including any applicable sales tax for state in which you reside. (I will also pay the sales tax.) That being said, I'm asking those who would like to enter into this giveaway, to make at least one new environmental commitment to your normal routine, that will help your family and the planet. Also, I'm offering a free report that explains about many of the toxic exposures that your family is exposed to everyday.

To enter this Earth Day Giveaway, please do the following:

1) Follow my blog, Healthy At Home Healthy Planet;

2) Become a Fan on my Ask Liz First Fan Page;

3) Go to my Toxic Exposures Information site and order the Free Report;

4) Watch the below video and find at least one new habit/behavior that you can put into place. In your comments, please share what action you've decided on.

5) Also, in your comments, share which Shaklee product you are most interested in getting more information about, found on my website at http://www.sowing4health.com/

Environmental Ethics Start With You

I define environmental ethics as doing what's right for the environment. And doing what's right, is painstakingly taking care of the only known inhabitable planet in the solar system. It means realizing that lifestyle and habits, have a direct effect on the planet's future.

What do I define as doing "what's right"? Obviously, there are a plethora of options from the basics of Reduce Reuse Recycle, to the complex processes of alternative energy, etc. "The sky's the limit", as they say. It just depends how high you desire to soar!

Recycling

There is more than enough information in every community and state, as well as online recycling resources. Besides setting aside an area at your home to store recyclables, the process of recycling is relatively painless. If, curbside recycling isn't available in your area, there are definitely other options in your community. A slight detour on your errand running day, can usually take care of getting the recyclables to the proper disposal facility.

Non-Toxic Cleaning

Not only is the use of non-toxic cleaning products beneficial to the planet, it's also proven to NOT be detrimental to your family's health. Actually, credible studies are being released fairly regularly regarding this issue. The word is finally out that about the fact that there are over 80,000 chemicals in household products that have never been tested for safety for humans or animals. It's really a simple transition to change over to safe cleaning products, and there are several that are less expensive than the toxic ones.

Energy Efficient Lighting

These might be a little more costly up front, but in the end, they buy earth more time and you also. The CFL and LED light options are getting better all the time. No longer is it necessary to sacrifice good lighting, in order to use a more environmentally efficient product. The facts speak for themselves, it's just a matter of educating yourself.

Take a look at your daily habits and activities. What changes can you make to improve your environmental ethics? Remember, the sky's the limit!!

Come soar with me....

Green, Cheap & It Works !

Some would try to say that a if a product is "green"; then it is probably more expensive than other like products. And those same folks may also want to say, that if it's cheap; then it probably doesn't perform as well as other like products.

I'd like to dispel those arguments by telling you that you can purchase, non-toxic, natural, biodegradable products from Shaklee and they are in fact; GREEN, CHEAP & THEY WORK !!

Over at the Fabulessly Frugal website, is a breakdown of my favorite 2 cleaning products, and they're both offered by Shaklee. Basic H2 is an all-purpose cleaning product and Basic G, handles the "germie" places.

Here's a short clip from Rachel Ray's program, talking about Shaklee's wonderful earth-friendly and people-friendly cleaning products.

Is Perfume Toxic To You?

With continued research, scientists are continuing to correlate many common allergies, allergies to mold, migraine headaches, and breathing disorders to the "everyday" products used in our homes and offices.

From the perfumes we wear, to the construction materials in our furniture, we are exposed daily to small amounts of chemicals, which can ultimately be toxic for our bodies. Many cleaning products are widely known to contain ingredients that are associated with contributing factors of some forms of cancer to symptoms of allergies.

My favorite non toxic cleaner is Shaklee's, Basic H2. It's an organic, natural cleaning surfactant, that comes in a concentrated form. One 16-ounce bottle, can make over 200 bottles of all-purpose spray cleaner. The dilution levels of Basic H2, vary for the level of cleaning.

Two drops of Basic H2 in 16-ounces of water, will make over 5,000 bottles of window and glass cleaner. One & one-half teaspoons makes a degreaser cleaner, that easily tackled the grease film build-up, on the top of my kitchen cupboards.

Most of us can't remove ourselves from all the toxic chemicals that we are exposed to on a daily basis. One person that was forced to find a way to do this though, is Kathy Hemenway of Snowflake, Arizona. From childhood, she was sensitive to exposures of perfume, fabrics, cleaning products, etc. As she grew into adulthood, it only got worse.

Some of the modifications that Kathy Hemenway made to her home and environment, were pretty drastic. But, she educated herself and made the necessary changes to secure a better quality of life for herself.

Education is the key and that's one of the primary reasons for my blog. By sharing this information, I endeavour to bring environmental and health options to my readers.

I hope you'll take the time to read the L.A. Times article about Kathy Hemenway's search for a Non Toxic Home and also the useful link entitled Beware These Household Chemicals.

Also, for more safe cleaning options that are Safe for You, Your Home, and Your Planet™, please check out the Safe, Powerful, Green & Smart cleaning products offered by Shaklee.

Cleaning With A Toxic Brew - Forget About The Monsters Under Your Bed !

The "monsters" are right there on the grocery store shelves just waiting to "clean up" your home, school or office!!

That's right, sitting there all prim and proper, polished and priced; are a plethora of cleaning products, (aka Monsters), ready to come into your personal spaces and gobble up all those terrible germs and gunk! But, in the process of "cleaning up" your spaces, they may also be leaving behind a toxic brew.

These toxins may be absorbed by inhalation, ingestion, or contact. Some of the ingredients have been found to be associated factors of one or many health conditions. Asthma, Chronic Fatigue, Reactive Airway Dysfunction, Skin Allergies and more, may be affected or enhanced by the toxic brew of products that you're "cleaning" with.

You have options. Natural and non-toxic products are available and can be just as effective as the Name Brand products. Many of these products are concentrated and not any more costly than the Name Brand products. There are also recipes available to make up your own homemade solutions.

To find out more about the toxic brew lurking under your sink, check out a short Toxic Brew video at http://www.4greenplanetsolutions.com/ . At that site, you can also order a free, Home Cleaners Toxin Checklist, to check out the contents of some commonly used Brand Name products.

Remove the "Monsters" and replace them with products that are safe for you, your home and the planet.

Go Green, Save Green

Incorporating some easy green practices into your life can benefit you in a multitude of ways. True, going green is good for you and the planet, but did you know it can also save you a huge amount of money down the road? Shaklee Get Clean® products offers you safe, powerful, and budget-friendly cleaning solutions that can help you and your family live happier, healthier lives. Here are a few back-to-basics tips to help get you going:

Use Less – Spend Less
Get Clean products are super concentrated, saving you thousands of dollars —ounce for ounce for products that outperform or match 15 national brands! You would have to spend more than $3,400 on conventional, ready-to-use products from major name brands to get the same amount of clean you’ll find in the Get Clean Starter Kit.†

†Based on comparing number of uses on labels of conventional, ready-to-use cleaners.

Go Green AND Save Money
The one and only Basic H2® is a versatile, super concentrated cleaner with a thousand uses. Ninety-nine percent natural and 100-percent powerful, Basic H2 replaces many of the cleaners you’re probably buying now — window cleaners, all-purpose cleaners, degreasers, floor cleaners, tub and tile cleaners, and more — saving you money and space. Get Clean Basic H is the ultimate multi-tasking cleaner! Look how much you would have to spend to get the equivalent cleaning uses!

To get the same amount of clean as one 16-ounce bottle of Basic H2, you would have to spend:
• Nearly $482 for the equivalent amount of all-purpose cleaner
• $12,250 for the equivalent amount of window cleaner
• $144 for the equivalent amount of degreaser

Run Dishwasher Only When Full
Make the best use of that nifty appliance that makes life easier—our friend the dishwasher. You can save a boatload of water, energy, and money by running the dishwasher only when it’s full—especially if it’s Energy Star-approved. Throw in a concentrated, phosphate-free detergent such as Automatic Dish Wash Concentrate that is so powerful that a pre-rinse isn’t required, and voila! There you go saving money and the earth yet again.

Give up Paper Towels
Remember that old tie dyed shirt you wore once and hid in the back of your closet? Put it to good use. Rather than going through rolls of paper towels, cut up old t-shirts and athletic socks and use them as cleaning rags to wipe up spills. Or, if DIY isn’t your cup of tea, try our Super Microfiber Cleaning and Window Cloths that are super-absorbent and can be washed and reused hundreds of times.

Ditch Bottled Water
We all know water bottles pile up in landfills and pollute our planet. They also have financial implications—meaning they can be expensive when you add it all up. By switching to filtered water, not only are you keeping waste out of the landfills, you’re also saving big bucks. The BestWater® PerfectPitcher® is NSF-certified and serves up delicious, clean water that can be poured into a glass to be enjoyed at home, or a portable, reusable water bottle if you’re on the go.

Don't Be A Drip - Tips For More Environmentally Responsible Behavior

DRIP, DRIP, DRIP...No, there's not any name calling, going on here today. Instead, we're going to share some practical tips for being more environmentally responsible AND saving money too. -Take that Recession- POW!

A couple of posts back, I talked about the ecobutton™ and the Smartstrip, as ways of reducing electrical power consumed. The power used from idle devices, or even some devices when turned off, is known as Phantom Power.

The next suggestion was eluded to, in the title of this post: water dripping. Three easy suggestions are: Getting leaky faucets fixed, not running the water when brushing your teeth, and/or installing fixtures that have EPA WaterSense efficiency standards.

The "Three R's": Reduce - Reuse - Recycle, pretty much speak for themselves.

Use environmentally safe cleaning products: One of the most economical all-purpose cleaners is Basic H2® Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate by Shaklee. This product even carries the Green Seal. The Green Seal endorsement comes from a independent, non-profit organization that tests and endorses products from environmentally responsible companies. One 16-ounce bottle of Basic H2®, dilutes into over 200 bottles of all-purpose cleaner. Not only is it safe for the planet, it's safe for folks that are sensitive to scents and/or have allergies. Then, once you've used up the 16-ounce bottle, if not recycled, you would only be putting "1" plastic bottle into the landfills, versus over 200 bottles of the "other brand".

I hope some of you will write back and share some other great planet saving ideas. Also, tell us which ones you are personally incorporating into your daily routine.

Greening Up Inside & Out

As my husband and I continue on our quest to making more conscientous choices that positively affect the environment, we are also focusing on greening up our diet. Although, we realize that we have a LONG, LONG way to go, I do believe we're on the right track. YES..YES..YES !!! It's all that stuff that we already know, shopping the perimeter of the grocery store, eating natural, organic, raw, food, etc.

But also to be taken into consideration, is the addition of vitamins and supplements, into ones health maintenance program. I think that it's pretty much common knowledge that even raw and natural foods today, don't provide enough of the nutrients that our bodies were designed to use. The choices for alternative health products are so numerous, that I'm sure many folks just don't know where to start. I too, had this dilemna a couple of years ago, when I felt that my physical health was getting pretty bad.

Back then, it seemed like I was ALWAYS feeling exhausted and tired, no matter how much rest I got, or how calm of a place my life was in, at that time. So, I began to read books, research on-line, and watch programs that focused on natural health. I learned some basics about what defined a "good" vitamin or supplement, and began to purchase some of them on line and from a local health food store.

I started out by adding soy into my diet, probiotics and prebiotics, fish oil, and other vitamins and supplements. Over a period of time, I began to feel a little more energy and less fatigued, but was still seeking more information to improve my overall health.

Then, in April 2007, I stumbled upon Shaklee, when they were featured on Oprah's Earth Day program. I went online to research Shaklee and their green cleaning products, and discovered they are the #1 natural nutrition company in the U.S. I did some serious homework on Shaklee, printing off their product labels and comparing them to the products that I was currently taking. I also researched their quality control and products standards. Ultimately, I made a decision to try the Shaklee natural vitamins and supplements, and haven't looked back since!

Since adding the natural vitamins and supplements that Shaklee offers into my daily regime, my health has improved tenfold. My previous issues with fatigue, memory loss, and overall mental attitude, have improved drastically. I work a full-time job, as well as a part-time home based business. There's a lot of commuting between the two occupations and of course, a loving husband to spend time with.

Today, February 2009, I feel more empowered in making positive life choices for myself, my family and the planet. I realize that the quest continues, but I'm going to enjoy the journey along the way....AND FEEL BETTER WHILE DOING IT !!