Adults
Adulthood requirements are time consuming, busy and full of new responsibilities, but staying active, eating well and avoiding potentially hazardous ingredients in our food and consumer products is key for good health. Many diseases and health problems have been linked to toxic chemical exposures. Find ways to maintain good health habits including eating well, reducing weight, maintaining or establishing an exercise routine and choosing safer products to use around the home.
Education and advocacy are vital during adulthood and may help determine the health of your life and your children’s. Refer to the Green Resources section of this website for more information.
What You Can Do to promote a “green” way of life
- Select safer plastics ( recycling codes #1, 2, 4, 5) which leach fewer toxic additives and avoid plastics numbered #3, 6, 7
- Cook in glass, stainless steel or cast iron pans, and avoid non-stick cookware
- Microwave in glass or ceramic containers, not plastic
- Read the ingredients on food labels and avoid exposure to possible toxins in food products (see Food Products section of this site)
- Avoid VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) which can be found in carpet, paint, cleaning fluids and air fresheners
- Leave your shoes at the door, so you don't track outdoor pollutants (such as pesticides) into the home!
- Use natural pest control methods in the home
- Switch to household cleaners that are non-toxic or make your own!
- Clean carpets weekly with a hepa filter
- Buy fragrance-free products – using items with no dyes or perfumes will help avoid exposure to such chemicals such as phthalates – and avoid purchasing air fresheners and petroleum based andles
- Be an informed consumer – read labels and avoid personal care products that contain ingredients known or suspected to be harmful to your health via absorption, inhalation or ingestion (see the Green Resources section of this website for ingredients to avoid)
- Support Women for a Healthy Environment’s Advocacy Initiatives that promote healthier living! Visit the Science and Advocacy section of this site.
Recommended Reading
- Slow Death by Rubber Duck by Rick Smith & Bruce Lourie
- Big Green Purse by Diane MacEachern
