Donna's Healthy Living Tips

Fari (“So Far” is his legal name) showed up outside our bedroom doorwall on my birthday in 1997.  I immediately knew that he was a birthday gift for me.  Keith was not so convinced although Fari quickly worked his way into Keith’s heart and they are the best of buddies now.  Fari’s antics and play brought a whole new level of fun into our home.  One thing he liked to do was jump in the bathtub and drink out of the last few drips coming out of the faucet.  One day I noticed him jumping out of the tub and onto the bathroom floor where he proceeded to lick himself.  I had the instantaneous realization that I had cleaned the tub only about 30 minutes before and while I had rinsed it well, there was bound to be some residue on the tub and know being ingested by my friend. 

Talk about a wake up call!  I had already dabbled in green cleaners and bought a bottle of Shaklee’s Basic H whenever I came across someone selling it but I typically used what was convenient and cheap.  No more!  I wouldn’t be party to poisoning my friend.  This solidified the green road for me.

Do you remember when the pet food industry became exposed for their poor quality control that resulted in the deaths of animals a couple years ago?  I know a few people who switched to making their own food at that time and I seriously considered it but I couldn’t find a “cookbook” that I felt completely comfortable with their information.  For example, one cookbook looked like they really had great information on supplementation for your dog but a couple of their recipes contained raisins (which are poisonous to dogs, as are grapes).  So I didn’t feel I could trust the rest of their information if they had that simple piece wrong.  It was just a different type of poisoning so that wasn’t the route for me.

Keith and I switched to pet food companies that only produce their food in the United States since it is held to a higher standard (ask your vet or the local pet supply store person to help you figure it out).  A discussion about what food products to avoid for maximum health of your animals is a whole other blog.  Today I want to focus on actual poisonings and concerns in and around your home.

Peruse the list and see if any of these are in your home and in the coming week I will share details on what is harmful and how you can avoid the affects with safer alternatives:

• Swifter spray mops
• Butyl Cellosolve
• Bleach
• Odor eliminators/air fresheners
• Ant traps and sprays
• Mice and rat poisons
• Pest control services
• Garden fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides
• Flea and Tick topical prevention treatments
• Onions, grapes/raisins, chocolate, avocados
• Plants (indoor and outdoor)

I am guilty of using pretty much every product I listed here at some point or another in my life, many in the last five years.  We are all on our own path and we need to decide for ourselves when the time is to make the change.  Often we simply don’t realize the harm we are subjecting ourselves or our loved ones to by the daily choices we make.  That is why I started this blog in the first place…to share the information I have been learning so you can make your own, more informed choices to keep you and your family safer and healthier.  I’m not an expert, I am on the same path that you are and I know that by this time next year I will know more and be making different choices than I am right now.

Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor who sees her cat and dog like members of the family.  They take Shaklee supplements and enjoy the home being cleaned with non-toxic products.  Your pets can too if you go to: www.Shaklee.net/DonnaCopeland