It's Twice or More Polluted Inside Homes: The Handy Guide to Your Green Home Life

By Emerlina Asuncion Rodulfo Tinasas

There is no place like home.  But unknown to us, there are unimaginable number of pollutants all over our home that we unconsciously inhale, ingest and even put closest to your skin. Luckily, going green is now an uptrend!

 As an herbal garden business owner, it comes with great sadness to me when patients who suffer from cancer, diabetes and kidney diseases, ranging from 5 to 80 years old, visit us to buy medicinal plants.  They complain of the difficulty of shifting to a natural diet, and even more, adapting to the green lifestyle recommended to them by their natural doctors.  To be more pro-active, many health-conscious people have also embraced this green advocacy for the future of their loved ones.

Humans are natural beings who need natural solutions. The body requires an organic lifestyle to provide it with proper nourishment and care.  This book contains helpful information that will help you choose your food, skin and hair care products, and even baby products.  It will also help you identify the different kinds of pollution that comes from non-organic food, plastic containers, vehicular emissions, and even electromagnetic radiation emitted by appliances and computers.  

As a housewife, I have researched and experimented on the easy green living formulas found on this book.  I learned to produce do-it-yourself scented oil, mosquito and pest repellents, and potpourri out of my garden herbs. I also learned how to prepare homemade floor wax, wood cleaners, and kitchen cleaners from natural materials.  These practical preparations transformed my home into a chemical-free household that helps prevent allergic reactions while doing the chores.  

Awareness is the key to your family’s sustainable living. Let this book help you identify all the pollution entering your domestic territory, and empower you to making more informed choices in creating a green home life.

Together, let us have a safe, fresh, healthy and joyful comfort zone!   

• Language: English
• Publisher: Emerlina Asuncion Rodulfo-Tinasas
• Release date: Jun 21, 2018

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lifestyle.

INTRODUCTION

Our home is our comfort zone, but modern living has brought along with it unbelievable pollutants. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the United States of America, indoor air can be twice to about a hundred times more polluted than outdoor air. A study of the Department of Health’s Environmental and Occupational Office affirms this with findings showing that homes in different barangays or zones in Metro Manila contain the following toxic, synthetic chemicals:

lead—an ingredient found in insecticides, pesticides in fruits and vegetables, pipes, paints, and toys

nitrogen dioxide—a toxic ingredient found in cigarettes and tobacco

sulfur dioxide—the base of sulfuric acid, which is also an ingredient found in fertilizers, pigments, dyes, drugs, explosives, detergents, and preservatives for dried fruits

benzene—an ingredient found in detergents and plastics

carbon monoxide, which is produced by the emissions of vehicles and machineries, cooking, and chemical-product processing.

Awareness is the first step. Journey with me as I uncover these pollutants that invade our homes, and learn how we can minimize these with simple, economical, green steps.

Chapter 1

INDOOR COOKING AND TOBACCO SMOKING

Combustion and smoke, though repulsive to the nostrils, have been part and parcel of every household. Let us look closely at these occurrences in our home environment.

COOKING

As we cook our food with a gas stove, carbon monoxide is produced, which may cause lung diseases. Here are simple ways that can lessen the concentration of pollution in your kitchen whether you are using gas or induction cookers.

Maintain good ventilation in the kitchen by keeping your kitchen windows and doors open to allow natural air to circulate and having a range hood or an exhaust fan.

When cooking with a gas range, cook with a slow fire. You will know that you’re doing it correctly if the flame is bluish in color.

Do not use charcoal indoors.

Wear a mask or at least cover your nose when you light your stove.

SMOKING

Although it is common knowledge that smoking cigars, cigarettes, or pipes is detrimental to the lungs of smokers and secondhand smokers alike, it is always good to be reminded that tobacco contains thousands of toxins. One of these toxins is nitrogen dioxide, which can start lung or heart diseases and even trigger a stroke. Knowing the risks, it would be best to stop smoking altogether. But if one cannot help it, one should smoke in an open space—away from loved ones and other recipients who become secondhand smokers, which is more hazardous.

FOOD FOR THE LUNGS

Despite these pollutants, there are simple ways to strengthen and keep your respiratory system healthy. According to Dr. Bernard Jensen, nutritionist and author of Foods That Heal, garlic, onion, grape, honey, pineapple, and green leafy vegetables nourish the lungs. Celery, papaya, and carrot juice are also good for the lungs. Organic meat, fish, vegetables, and fruits are also beneficial because these are chemical-free and pesticide-free.

Agricultural products that are not organically or naturally grown contain chemicals from pesticides. One of the chemicals that conventional products may contain is lead, a toxic heavy metal that can harm the body. (More on this under METALS IN HOME APPLIANCES AND HEAVY-METAL FOOD CONTAMINATION.) Organic food may be costly, but you will spend much more on hospital bills and medicines if an illness strikes.

HERBAL MEDICINES FOR CANCER AND THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

Some effective herbal medicines are green tea (e.g., ashitaba, damong Maria, dokudami), guyabano, holy basil, lagundi, neem tree, peppermint, tanglad (lemongrass), and serpentina. Some of these may be eaten fresh, while others are best made into teas. (See GLOSSARY OF HERBS for more information.)

Cancer affects not only a patient but also their whole family because the lingering illness drains emotionally and financially. Sadly, we experienced this with my father. It is my fervent wish that no family would experience such an ordeal again.

DEEP BREATHING AND SUNLIGHT

Deep-breathing exercises oxygenate the more than thirty trillion cells of the body. This exercise also expels bad air. It is beneficial to do these deep-breathing exercises in front of plants and trees since these are producers of oxygen. Exposing yourself to sunlight before eight in the morning is also a good way to get vitamin D.

Deep breathing is a lot like singing—you inhale, hold, and exhale. Just remember to breathe down to your belly, hold for ten counts, and exhale little by little. Deep breathing is also practiced while dancing, jogging, walking, or performing tai chi, Pilates, gym workouts, aerobics, or laughter yoga.

Obviously, all these remedies come from Mother Nature!

Chapter 2

EMISSIONS FROM VEHICLES, GARBAGE, AND DUST

There are many outdoor pollutants that enter our homes. Some are noticeable because of their odors, while others are not because they ride with the wind. Some of these intruders are vehicle emissions, the smell of unsegregated garbage, and free-floating dust. These pollutants are just taken as part of everyday living, but these should not be taken lightly.

VEHICLE EMISSION

Engine combustion produces carbon monoxide, lead, and formaldehyde, which you can inhale. Direct exposure to these can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, and serious respiratory illnesses.

Here are some ways to minimize your exposure to these unwanted emissions.

Do not let the engine of your car run for a long time