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WATER & AIR FILTERS

As water and air expert Frank Hein always says, "If you don't have air and water filters then you are the filter."  Most of us assume the water we are drinking is safe.  I would like to highlight some of the most common mistakes made by water consumers and to suggest some alternatives.  If you are reusing a plastic bottle in which you purchased some water, you may want to reconsider.  The FDA only has approved the typical plastic bottle (Polyethylene terephthalate) for one time use because of the danger of compounds migrating from the plastic into your water.  Time, sunlight and heat all increase the introduction of “indirect food additives” into your water. Some of these are know carcinogens.  My opinion is to never purchase water in plastic: PERIOD!

While bottled water may taste better, a 1996 study revealed one in every six bottled products sold in Canada fail to meet federal health standards for bacteria.  I personally avoid buying any water in plastic.   

While I don’t suggest buying bottled water, I also would not recommend drinking water straight from the tap.  Choosing a good water filtration system can be a baffling job. 

The Brita filter contains a loose powdered carbon filter.  The National Sanitation Foundation reports that tiny particles of carbon fall through the filter, carrying with them all the chemicals they have picked up, into your water.  While more expensive, you are much better off using a quality solid carbon block filter. 

Distilled water is another good option.  It is 99.9% pure water.  A common concern people have is that there are no minerals in the water or that it will leach minerals from their body.  Many good authorities, including the renowned Dr. Andrew Weil, MD, claim this is not the case.  If you are concerned you can simply purchase a product called “Trace minerals”, available in any health food store, and add 10-20 drops to your distilled water daily.  Distilled water can be more acidic than tap water so perhaps add liquid chlorophyll, readily available at any health food store.

Reverse Osmosis systems are quite popular.  Water expert Frank G. Hein highlights some of the problems with these systems:  large quantities of water are wasted; the quality of the water decreases continuously; the post carbon filter can become loaded with bacteria; the storage tank cannot be cleaned or disinfected; it is expensive to buy and maintain.  However, it is very good at removing micro-contaminants and is a popular choice for many.  This water is dematerialized but this can easily be remedied by a good diet. A good system is at www.freedrinkingwater.com

Frank G. Hein is a water and air quality expert who provides fantastic information about water and air filters.  As my personal water and air quality guru, I highly recommend anyone wanting to purchase a water system contact him at Healthy Body Now, 905-470-2259.

 

SMART PLASTIC GUIDE

SAFER OPTIONS - type 1, 2, 4, 5

LESS SAFE OPTIONS - 3, 6, 7

ORGANIC FOOD PRIORITY

WORST TEN FOODS:  Peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, grapes (imported), spinach, lettuce, potatoes.

BEST TEN FOODS: onions, avocado, frozen sweet corn, pineapples, mango, asparagus, frozen sweet peas, kiwi, bananas, cabbage, broccoli, papaya

**focus your money on the worst 10 when it comes to purchasing organic foods!

http://www.foodnews.org/EWG-shoppers-guide-download-final.pdf  (Print List for Refrigerator)

 

SAFE FISH 

Arctic Charr, Pacific Halibut, Herring, Jelly Fish, Mackerel, Mullet, Pollock, Sablefish, Sardines, Squid, Blue Whiting, Alaskan Sockeye Salmon, Caribbean Tilapia

FISH TO AVOID DUE TO TOXICITY

Bluefin tuna or Torro and Albacore Tuna and even Skipjack tuna, Halibut, Chilean Sea Bass, Grouper, Orange Roughy, Shark/Dogfish, Skate, Atlantic Sol, Catfish, Lingcod, Mahi Mahi (Opah), Marlin, Farmed Salmon, Farmed Shrimp, Striped Bass, Swordfish, Asian derived Tilapia, Tile Fish

NON-GREEN FISH (hurts earth)

Atlantic cod, Monk Fish, Abalone (unless farmed), Anchovy, Clams, King Crab from Russia, Octopus, Rockfish, Giant Scallops, Red Snapper, Spiny and Rock Lobster from Central America

 

GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS

www.responsibletechnology.org/documentFiles/144.pdf Shoppers Guide to GMO Foods

 www.responsibletechnology.org

SAFE FOOD CONTAINERS

SANCTUS MUNDO:  Durable 304 Stainless steel (18-8) with rubber silicone seal.  www.sanctusmundo.com

STAINLESS SEAL: Stainless steel food storage alternative.  www.stainlessseal.com.

**STAINLESS STEEL AND GLASS ARE YOUR SAFEST OPTIONS FOR STORING AND HEATING FOODS. 

 

NON-TOXIC CLEANERS

BASIC SUPPLIES TO MAKE ALL CLEANERS

  • Baking Soda - cleans, deodorizes, softens water, scours.

  • Soap - unscented soap in liquid form, flakes, powders or bars is biodegradable and will clean just about anything. Avoid using soaps which contain petroleum distillates.

  • Lemon - one of the strongest food-acids, effective against most household bacteria.

  • Borax - (sodium borate) cleans, deodorizes, disinfects, softens water, cleans wallpaper, painted walls and floors.

  • White Vinegar - cuts grease, removes mildew, odors, some stains and wax build-up.

  • Washing Soda - or SAL Soda is sodium carbonate decahydrate, a mineral. Washing soda cuts grease, removes stains, softens water, cleans wall, tiles, sinks and tubs. Use care, as washing soda can irritate mucous membranes. Do not use on aluminum.

  • Isopropyl Alcohol - is an excellent disinfectant. (It has been suggested to replace this with ethanol or 100 proof alcohol in solution with water. There is some indication that isopropyl alcohol buildup contributes to illness in the body. See http://drclark.ch/g)

  • Cornstarch - can be used to clean windows, polish furniture, shampoo carpets and rugs.

  • Citrus Solvent - cleans paint brushes, oil and grease, some stains. (Citrus solvent may cause skin, lung or eye irritations for people with multiple chemical sensitivities.)

  • Trisodium phosphate (TSP) - a mixture of soda ash and phosphoric acid. TSP is toxic if swallowed, but it can be used on many jobs, such as cleaning drains or removing old paint, that would normally require much more caustic and poisonous chemicals, and it does not create any fumes.

  • http://www.eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm

 

BASIC RECIPES FOR ALL CLEANERS

 

CREAMY SOFT SCRUBBER
Simply pour about 1/2 cup of baking soda into a bowl, and add enough liquid detergent to make a texture like frosting. Scoop the mixture onto a sponge, and wash the surface. This is the perfect recipe for cleaning the bathtub because it rinses easily and doesn’t leave grit.

Note: Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable glycerin to the mixture and store in a sealed glass jar, to keep the product moist. Otherwise just make as much as you need at a time.

WINDOW CLEANER
1/4-1/2 teaspoon liquid detergent
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 cups water
Spray bottle

Put all the ingredients into a spray bottle, shake it up a bit, and use as you would a commercial brand. The soap in this recipe is important. It cuts the wax residue from the commercial brands you might have used in the past.

OVEN CLEANER
1 cup or more baking soda
Water
A squirt or two of liquid detergent

Sprinkle water generously over the bottom of the oven, then cover the grime with enough baking soda that the surface is totally white. Sprinkle some more water over the top. Let the mixture set overnight. You can easily wipe up the grease the next morning because the grime will have loosened. When you have cleaned up the worst of the mess, dab a bit of liquid detergent or soap on a sponge, and wash the remaining residue from the oven. If this recipe doesn’t work for you it is probably because you didn’t use enough baking soda and/or water.

ALL-PURPOSE SPRAY CLEANER
1/2 teaspoon washing soda
A dab of liquid soap
2 cups hot tap water

Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake until the washing soda has dissolved. Apply and wipe off with a sponge or rag.

FURNITURE POLISH
1/2 teaspoon oil, such as olive (or jojoba, a liquid wax)
1/4 cup vinegar or fresh lemon juice
Mix the ingredients in a glass jar. Dab a soft rag into the solution and wipe onto wood surfaces. Cover the glass jar and store indefinitely.

VINEGAR DEODORIZER
Keep a clean spray bottle filled with straight 5 percent vinegar in your kitchen near your cutting board and in your bathroom and use them for cleaning. I often spray the vinegar on our cutting board before going to bed at night, and don’t even rinse but let it set overnight. The smell of vinegar dissipates within a few hours. Straight vinegar is also great for cleaning the toilet rim. Just spray it on and wipe off.

MOLD KILLERS

Tea Tree Treasure
Nothing natural works for mold and mildew as well as this spray. I’ve used it successfully on a moldy ceiling from a leaking roof, on a musty bureau, a musty rug, and a moldy shower curtain. Tea tree oil is expensive, but a little goes a very long way. Note that the smell of tea tree oil is very strong, but it will dissipate in a few days.

2 teaspoons tea tree oil
2 cups water

Combine in a spray bottle, shake to blend, and spray on problem areas. Do not rinse. Makes two cups.

Vinegar Spray
Straight vinegar reportedly kills 82 percent of mold. Pour some white distilled vinegar straight into a spray bottle, spray on the moldy area, and let set without rinsing if you can put up with the smell. It will dissipate in a few hours.

 

The recipes above are from http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-non-toxic-cleaning-kit.html

 

EAT LESS MEAT

  • 70% of the Eath's agriculture land is devoted to pasture or feed crops

  • 1/3 of global cereal crops go to feed livestock

  • Transporting that feeds generates 160 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year

  • 43% of the world's meat is produced in factor feed-lots, and contains a higher proportion of Omega 6 oils and less to no Omega 3 oils than their wild counterparts

  • Vast tracts of forest are cleared for livestock grazing and feed crops

  • The average Canadian eats about 33 kilograms of beef and nearly 38 kilograms of poultry each year. Globally, meat consumption has soared by 500 per cent since 1950

Source:  Peter Gorrie, Environment Reporter, Toronto Star, This Week's Earth hour Challenge

 

RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES

  • Stay away from nickel-cadmium batteries that are cheap but bad news for the environment

  • Rechargeable batteries are most often nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) which are much less toxic and don't have the 'memory problems' old rechargeables used to. However they do lose 2-3 per cent of their juice daily whether used or not

  • Ready-to-use niMH models (called Ultra-Low-Self-Discharge) don't lose juice daily and are thus good for remote controls and the like

  • The top rated Nickel-Metal hydrides are Powerex, Sanyo and Energizers.

  • Rechargeable alkalines are cheaper but are a little weak

  • Check the battery capacity (little number next to the letters "mAh" on the side - the higher the number the longer it lasts per charge

 

WEBSITES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

 

 
   

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