Donna's Healthy Living Tips

Happy Earth Day to you!  (And a Happy Anniversary to my sister Marie and brother-in-law Tom…20 years today!)  I am thrilled to see the increase in awareness people have around green issues.  Sure, some of it is coming from companies “greenwashing” in an attempt to get more market share (when they aren’t all that green but they want to sell more products) but green is green and the more people aware of how they impact the environment, the better.

That said, I think we do need to consider where we spend our consumer dollars and just take 30 seconds to think about a company before you make a purchase.  Think about:

• Does the company have other products that are NOT green (or in fact are harmful)?
• Does the company use excessive packaging?
• Does the label say something like “CFC Free”?  (All products are required to be CFC free.)
• Were the products produced in a foreign country and have to travel thousands and thousands of miles to get to your store?
• Is the product concentrated so you can add your own water?  (less shipping)

Those are some indicators that you can briefly consider before making a purchase.  I know most people aren’t going to go and google a company while they are grocery shopping to find out that company’s environmental mission statement.  Just keep those things in mind.

Do I need to remind you that the government is not going to look out for you?  There have been over 80,000 chemicals approved for use in households in the past 30 years and fewer then 20% have been tested for toxicity!

There are LOTS of chemicals out there that we need to consider for our safety.  The way I see it, you have three choices:

1. Stick your head in the sand and ignore the fact that there may be products in your home causing harm to you and your family.
2. Research all the various threats and all the various companies and determine where it is safe to purchase certain products from.
3. Find a company you trust to get products from; a company you know has high integrity and won’t mislead you.

In case you decide to go with route number two…Keep a special watch for:

• Cosmetics…lead in lipstick, mercury in mascara
• Fish and Omega 3 supplements…mercury, dioxin, and other heavy metals are a HUGE issue.  (By the way I caught the tail end of a report on NPR yesterday and it sounds like manufacturers are going to have more restrictions on mercury pollution.)
• Dish and Laundry detergents…phosphates, at any level, are SO damaging to the environment.  They cause algae to grow in high concentrations and basically smother a lake.  OVER 40% of all lakes in the United States are “entropic” (have too much algae).  That is US, us humans, causing that with our cleaning products.
• All Purpose cleaners, window cleaners, souring cleaners…butyl cellosolve is a liver and kidney neurotoxin plus it causes damage to your lungs and airways.  In addition, it can be absorbed through the skin.  If you use this nasty stuff, wear gloves and a mask.
• Chlorine bleach…I know that some of you love this stuff and rely on it heavily.  Bleach is not only an irritant to your skin and lungs is also is a “Carcinogen precursor”.  Anyone else concerned about how many people are developing cancer?  I am.

There is WAY more, trust me.  If you want additional information on harmful chemicals please contact me at keithdonnacopeland@sbcglobal.net

Studies have found that women (I don’t know about the men, it appears they only studied the women) who are employed at household cleaning are at an increased risk of developing lung disease.  A friend of mine who works cleaning houses described the women she worked with (who had been cleaning homes for years) as having “smoker’s coughs” even though they were non-smokers.  The study I mentioned above contributes 25% of the incidents of asthma in the 4,500 women they studied directly to their exposure to cleaning chemicals.

I could go on for days.  That is why I have taken on this mission…to help people to detoxify their homes, their bodies, and the planet.  Let’s all consider one thing we could do that would make a difference.

By the way, if you are looking for “Option Number 3″ (a company you trust to get your products from that has high integrity)…check out the company I trust www.Shaklee.net/DonnaCopeland  There is a money-back guarantee and right now Shaklee is offering a free lifetime membership with a 50 point order.

For those females out there still dealing with monthly cycles but concerned about either what is touching your body OR what is going into the landfill each month, check out www.gladrags.com.  I have been using their products for years and I absolutely love them.  I have heard praise about their “diva cup” too although I personally haven’t tried it.  If you have any questions about using them, give me a call.

Make every day Earth Day!