Quote of the Day

“Reduce your wants and lead a happy and contented life. Never hurt the feelings of others and be kind to all. Think of God as soon as you get up and when you go to bed.” ~Dharma Mittra

How to Use Green Cleaning Products

Conventional cleaning products contain harmful chemicals that pollute indoor air quality. Use these tips to get your home clean without chemicals. Remember, clean doesn’t have a smell.

Source: Patty Kim, Correspondent for National Geographic’s The Green Guide

Get Rid of the Odor, Don’t Cover it Up

My boyfriend and I started going to this cafeteria-style restaurant we recently found. Our first time there was fine. One of the things I take notice of is the bathrooms. I went to the ladies room and didn’t notice any offensive “air fresheners.” I’m always relieved when I find public bathrooms I can comfortable use without being overwhelmed with synthetic chemical fragrances. This didn’t last for very long.

Each time we went back to the restaurant, the smell of synthetic strawberries emanating from the bathrooms was getting stronger and stronger. I can never tell if I’ve gotten more sensitive and just didn’t notice it before, or if they’re using more fragrances. Last week we went out to eat at this restaurant and it was our very last time, as we ate our dinner surrounded by the smell of synthetic strawberries and septic wafting into the dining area. When I talked to the cashier at the front, he said the septic system was not up to par and the only solution any one had come up with was to cover up the smell.

It’s really depressing that this is such a common attitude – don’t spend money to fix the problem, just cover it up. My solution… I’m calling the health department!

Book Review: Crazy Sexy Diet

Kris Carr’s latest book Crazy Sexy Diet is not just another diet book. It is an all-encompassing guide to wellness. Kris Carr is the director and star of the documentary Crazy Sexy Cancer, which she started filming after she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that is untreatable through conventional forms of cancer treatment.

Crazy Sexy Diet is the culmination of her years of researching nutrition and wellness. The heart of the book is an anti-inflammatory plant based vegan diet. Her wellness tips include tossing meat and dairy, balancing your pH to reduce inflammation and alkalizing your system through green juices, green smoothies, and low acidic grains like quinoa and brown rice.

I read this book in two days and I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for guidance on how to heal themselves, body and mind. Dealing with chemical sensitivities can make me feel very powerless. I often feel like my health is at the mercy of this toxic world, and those who are either ignorant or indifferent regarding the poisons they choose to lather on their bodies. While I have no control over the choices other people make, I have control over the choices I make, and that includes striving for an optimum level of wellness that will allow my body to detoxify and heal, so I won’t be so vulnerable against every little chemical in my environment. I often get overwhelmed with the abundance of information out there on how to heal yourself. Crazy Sexy Diet is an amazing how-to guide that I believe can get anybody started on the path to healing.

For those of us with chemical sensitivities, I HIGHLY recommend letting this book outgas before you read it. Four-color process printing was used to create the very beautiful, but very heavily inked, pages of this book. As I was reading, the ink odor was coming off on my hands, and after experiencing some symptoms, I finished reading the book with a carbon mask on. My copy is currently airing out in my carport, so please be forewarned. The book is also available on Kindle. Hopefully one day Crazy Sexy Diet will be available for download as an e-book.