Going Green, for your Health

October is breast cancer awareness month. This hits a little too close to home; my grandmother had a mastectomy last week. She is doing fantastic and is already home. I hope to have half of her heart and energy at the age of 87!!!! So being more healthy is at the forefront of my mind.

About a month ago, my sister introduced me to a book, Easy Green Living, and I was reading it while the television was on non-stop football today! Go figure! Anyway, it is amazing the amount of unnecessary chemicals that we are exposing ourselves and our children to, DAILY!!!!! There are links and associations to all sorts of maladies and cancers.....so I ask, "WHY???? Why do we do this????"

Prior to me receiving the book in the mail (sorta like Christmas, early!), I had switched to Tom's of Maine deoderant (bought it at HEB, didn't have to go to the health food store!), based on a conversation I had with my sister about the ingredients in deoderant. So, I really like it b/c it has lavender in it and I LOVE lavender. What is even better is that there aren't the unnecessary aluminum, triclosan, ethanol, talc and propylene glycol. These ingrediants have been linked to breast cancer. If there is even a tinny link to breast cancer, why are we allowing ourselves to use these products, DAILY!!!!

I'm flipping through the book, amazed at all of this and I come across feminine products. Did you know there is a possible link between dioxins found in tampons and endometriosis and infertility???? Why aren't we shouting this from the tops of all the buildings? The book goes into detail about the production, growing and manufacturing of the cotton and the tampons and how lethal it is. No wonder we have so many infertility problems. Solution: organic cotton, chlorine-free bleached tampons. Now this is one you'll have to either order on-line or go to the health food store for. But I ask you, isn't your health worth it? Here are some sites for these tampons: http://www.natracare.com/ , http://www.organicessentials.com/, http://www.seventhgeneration.com/

As I go through the book, I will be sharing different ideas for you to try. I am frugal and must run out of some cleaning products prior to making my own. But the ingredients are so simple: vodka (yep, the cheaper the better!), baking soda, vinegar, and essential oils. Minus the essential oils, most stuff can be purchased at the regular grocery store. What a great way to save some money as well as taking better care of yourself and your family.