With the increase in health problems across the world, creating a healthy home has become a top priority. It is not uncommon to hear of allergies disappearing, rashes clearing up or headaches becoming a distant memory when a family takes charge of their environment. Here are 5 simple steps you can start taking today to make your house a healthy place to be. 1)Raid your pantry: If you have never thought about what you toss in your grocery cart you are in for an eye-opener. There are two big ingredients that destroy your health every time you consume them: Partially Hydrogenated Oils (trans fats) and Monosodium Glutamate (MSG). If you have either of these anywhere in your house, trash them. Don’t worry about the waste factor. You wouldn’t want to pass on the “poison” to someone else. Trans fats are artery clogging fats that provide zero benefit to the body. Trans fats are created in a laboratory by adding extra hydrogens (hence the name partially hydrogented) to the existing fat molecule. This is done to extend the shelf life of food products. Monosodium Glutamate is a neurotoxin. Neuro means nerve and toxin means death. Nerve death is never a good thing primarily because your nerves cells don’t grow back!

If you really want to green your life the best place to start is your own home. Green may well be the new “black” and not just for fashions sake, but for the earths sake. Start to green your life today by clearing out your toxic cleaning products.

The EPA estimates that indoor air is nearly 100 times more polluted than outdoor air with standard cleaning chemicals being one of the main culprits. Plant-based, biodegradable products are easier on the earth; gentler on skin, lungs and eyes and help you green your life without having to sacrifice cleaning strength.

How green, or healthy is your home? With all the things the average person has to do each day just trying to keep up with their lives who has time to think about this question much less research it. But the health of your home is critical and the cleaning products you chose make a big difference. To green your life isn’t all that hard; here are 7 easy tips to make finding good green cleaning products easier.

These folks were nice enough to send us a free sample to try. Everyone at simply good tips loved the product. We would like to let all of our readers know that this is a great lotion and really does work as well as they claim. It seems to be good for relieving severely dry skin as well as everyday moisturizing. They explain it better than we can, but basically it is designed to work differently than traditional lotions.

Conventional moisturizing lotions only attempt to replace a lack of natural moisture with artificial moisture but the problem is it comes off every time you wash or touch something.

Until now, all one could do to alleviate a dry skin problem was to apply conventional moisturizing lotions. In order for any moisture to actually improve a dry skin condition it needs to get below the second major layer of skin. In reality the only moisture that is going to reach this level is your skin’s own natural moisture.

Spring has sprung in most areas of the country and the ritual of “Spring Cleaning” has begun. Planting flowers, planting plants and prepping our lawns for summer, airing out our houses from the winter, cleaning windows, replacing winter window covers with summer screens are all a part of the spring preparation process. Depending on where you live your ritual may vary but one thing we can all do this spring is go greener. It’s easier than you think.

WEED CONTROL

It happens every spring, weeds begin to grow, EVERYWHERE; in your grass, in your rocks and up through cracks in the sidewalk and driveway. The simplest way to get rid of these pesky plants is to spray them with an herbicide and you’re done. Unfortunately the chemicals in the weed killers are often washed away into our drainage systems and end up in our water supply. Here are three easy ways to go green and control your weed problem

Although the issue of sustainable business has been around on a large scale for over a decade, it seems we really just started seeing results during the past few years.

This spike in “eco” could have been caused by the approval of new grants for environmental companies, tax write-offs by the government, or even the creation of prizes from hopeful billionaires like Richard Branson. Perhaps those reasons started the fire, but in order to spread, many more reasons need to be evaluated.

What are the are the main reasons that corporate America is going green?

Money.

(Gasp!) That’s right. The same reason that businesses get involved with new ventures in the first place is the first reason businesses are going green. Going green can save businesses money (on electricity and utilities) and help them make money (great publicity).

Are you concerned about the environment? Are you looking for way to be a little more environmentally friendly? Believe it or not the kitchen can be a great place to start with an eco-friendly household movement. For a greener home starting with your kitchen, try these great tips.

• Growing and Herb Garden: Growing an indoor herb garden is a great way to start an environmentally friendly kitchen. Not only does growing your own herbs help to ensure you stay organic, but it also enhance every meal. Choose a few of your favorite spices (Basil, Thyme, Oregano, and Garlic are popular ones), get a couple clay pots, and start your garden. You’ll want to set up your plants on a windowsill where they will get plenty of sunlight. Check out your online gourmet retailers like igourmet for herb garden sets that will supply you with everything you need to start your garden.

You don’t have to be a complete tree hugger to want to go green. But now that it’s becoming increasingly clear that global warming is a very real problem, why wouldn’t you want to reduce your impact on the environment?

If the threat of global warming doesn’t spur you into action, perhaps this fact will: Most of the actions you can take to green your home are easy. And while they save energy and other valuable resources, they also save you a little or even a lot of green (read: money). I’m not expecting you to go off the grid, start raising all your own food, or anything that extreme. These are just easy changes that can be made around your house now to make a big difference.

So, without further ado, I present to you The Home Know-It-All’s Top 15 Ways to Go Green Around Your Home (in order from easiest to accomplish to hardest-although I’d say they’re all pretty darn easy).

Microfiber towels are a handy tool for cleaning just about anything these days. From cars to countertops, these towels cover a wide range of surfaces. An added benefit, is of course the fact that they can be re-used multiple times. This means you can ditch the old rag bin you keep under the kitchen counter.

Now after you’ve used your microfiber towel, you’ll probably notice all the gunk that gets embedded in those tiny fibers. So how does one go about cleaning all this dirt off the towel?

There are definitely best-practices to help make sure you keep your microfiber towels clean without damaging them for their next use. Compiled below is a list of tips for proper maintenance.

• Pre-soak in a bucket of warm water and dish detergent to help loosen the dirt particles
• Launder in your washing machine with detergent separate from any other type of fabric.

Many people choose to use cloth diapers because of environmental reasons or because they feel it’s more comfortable for the child. Some people use cloth to be more natural or to keep chemicals away from their baby’s skin. And still others make this choice of the cost factor. With our first child I chose cloth diapers because I wanted to avoid anything toxic touching her skin and I wanted to save the planet at the same time! I started off with cloth with our second child, then switched to Seventh Generation disposables after a short time. What can I say? I was a less ‘perfect’ mommy the second time around! (I’m just kidding - diapers will never, ever determine how wonderful of a mommy you are!)

Though of course the Olympics games are a celebration of sportsmanship, human achievement and international community, they also represent an opportunity to show off the organisational skills and vision of the host nation. London’s Olympic committee have recently revealed their plans to make London 2012 the first sustainable games, which they hope will set new standards for all future Olympics events.

2012 will therefore provide a platform for the organisers to demonstrate excellence in the way that the Games are planned and staged, and also the Olympic legacy that they will create, which has the power to inspire changes in behaviour across the world.

In light of the ever growing concerns of human impact on our fragile planet, London has put sustainability at the heart of its Olympic plans. Throughout the entire biding process, the London committee pushed its concept of a “One Planet Olympics” - an idea derived from the WWF/Bioregional mandate of “One Planet Living”.

As Christmas approaches once again, increasingly more and more of us are realizing the situation we and our planet face due to the effects of climate change. Whilst Christmas is a time for giving, eco-friendly, green gifts are becoming more popular for many people. Indeed, it is becoming clear that we simply cannot continue buying disposable items that use up precious resources if we are to sustain our well-being as humans and the planet as a whole.

Save money and the planet with eco-friendly Christmas decorations. Rather than plastic tinsel and baubles, how about decorating your home for Christmas with biodegradable ivy, holly and berries? Simply drape over mirrors and picture frames for a natural alternative and a traditional Christmas atmosphere.

Rather than spending money and using resources for gift tags, a great use for old Christmas cards is to cut them up and re-use them as this years gift tags.

If you’re interested in making a small step toward a more eco-friendly Christmas, try making a cranberry garland. It’s a natural decoration that can be used to embellish the tree or mantle, and once the holidays are over it can hang outside for the birds to enjoy. An eco-friendly garland is easy to make. You can accomplish the task alone on a cozy winter evening, or center a party around a cranberry theme. Engaging friends and family in the process of creating something festive builds warm holiday memories. Think about hosting a simple holiday party by sitting out bowls of cranberries and popcorn and letting everyone join in the fun. Guests could make small napkin or candle rings to take home as favors, or everyone could join in making garlands to give to a nearby retirement center.

Have you ever had one of those days where you feel like you are rushed with work, and can’t fit lunch in? You are not alone! Everyone has them all the time, and they manage them in their own ways whether it is running to the local cafe, stopping by the vending machine, or not eating at all, however, a lot of people seem to push daily meals aside and make crazy headway on their daily errands. It is very important to not skip meals, so here are five ways to eat healthy while on the go:

1. Go for the fruit—It’s loaded with nutrients.

It sounds like a big deal, I know. Not eating for 10 days! But it wasn’t. Believe me. On the contrary, it was a wonderful, rich, and spiritual experience. In addition, I am back at my ideal weight, I have more energy, my skin is glowing, my nails are healthier, and I feel strong mentally. Well, thinking about it that way, I guess it was a big deal.

Let me tell you more about it.

I went to R.O.Y.L. Retreat. R.O.Y.L. stands for “Rest of your Life“ and it was, without a doubt.

The whole time I was under the supervision of Dr. Tosca A. Haag, a medical doctor who was raised under Natural Hygiene Law by her well-known mother in the field of Natural Hygiene, Dr. Vivian Virginia Vetrano, and her step father, Dr. Herbert M. Shelton, one of the fathers of Natural Hygiene. Dr. Tosca, as she prefers to be called, obviously knows very well about what she is talking. She was a Natural Hygienist before she was born. She has never taken medications or been vaccinated.

Five Organic Finds

The organic-food category is growing fast, and now the same concept has taken hold in the beauty industry; we love these organic* products for skin, hair and body.

The Healing Garden Organics Wild Honey body-care line ($6-$9 each; at drugstores) includes a scrub, body wash, soap and moisturizing mist–all formulated with organic wild honey to help skin retain moisture.

Avalon Organics recently overhauled its product line to eliminate the preservative parabens (the use of which has been banned in the European Union because of suspected carcinogenic effects). An herbal blend of 10 organic essential oils works as a natural preservative, keeping products–such as the Clarifying Lemon Shampoo ($8; avalonorganics.com)–fresh for up to two years.

Aveda Pure Abundance Volumizing Hair Spray ($15.50; aveda.com) adds body and hold to thinner, finer hair with a blend of organic acacia gum (a natural thickening agent) and organic marshmallow root.

Natural, organic products launch into baby care space

When it comes to baby care, it is no secret that moms are drawn to products that they feel are safe and gentle enough for their little ones. This has given way to new niche brands that largely compete in the natural, organic and hypoallergenic product space, but also has prompted larger players to launch products mom can feel good about.

“The population of children in the United States, parental concern for healthy hygiene practices, fear of excessive sun exposure and the quest for convenience and fun when brushing teeth, bathing and shampooing are the primary drivers of the market,” stated a recent Mintel International Group report on the U.S. children’s personal care market.

One such example is Kimberly-Clark, which earlier this year introduced several new and improved baby and toddler hygiene products under its Huggies brand.

Green living is no longer a vague term known only by environmentalists. One of the ways we know that an important social trend has hit the big time is when major consumer providers adopt the term. Just about every major influencer in our society from Walmart to national broadcasting networks, are using the term to promote products and attract audiences. Green living is a welcome lifestyle that individuals, families and companies are choosing to ensure that the things they do and the products they use have as little an impact on the environment as possible. One of the best ways that you can build this thinking into your lifestyle is to live in a community that subscribes to green living.

Are you concerned about all of the toy recalls due to lead paint contamination. If you are like most people than your answer was yes. That is why it is always best to buy toys made right here in the US. You can’t really trust the supply from China, but toys made here are manufactured under strict guidelines, using the very best supplies. At simplygoodstuff.com, we only sell high quality toys that are both educational and safe.

Our Dado Cubes are a revolutionary building toy that has won several awards. It is a colorful (plastic, not painted) and clever twist on traditional building blocks. Notches in the sides of the cubes allow children to build all sorts of unique structures. They nest and interlock instead of stacking traditionally. The cubes are all different sizes and colors, so the resulting build is more like a sculpture than a pile of blocks. Your kids will play for endless hours as they learn and laugh and problem solve. Dado Cubes are made right here in America so you know they are safe. The quality and craftsmanship can’t be beat. This toy is so engaging you will find yourself playing with it just as much as your kids.

Is It Just Another Marketing Tool?

Many of you may have noticed the plethora of organic foods in the supermarkets these days. From the produce department to the frozen food section, it seems like everything is an organic food.

This is not surprising since consumers are buying more and more organic foods. The trend started small back in the 70’s when people started realizing how many preservatives and chemicals were starting to be a part of our food supply. Many organic food producers that are seeing such rapid growth today started back then. As people become older and more concerned with their health, demand for organic food is on the rise. Parents concerned about their children’s health are also demanding more organic food since even some brands of baby food have the organic label on it.

These days, modern educational facilities are faced with concerns that past generations rarely had to face when going to school-threatening environments, safety fears, and narcotics, but some of us forget about another threat-a silent fear-more common in educational facilities now a days. That is, the wellbeing of an educational building as well as the wellbeing of the children, caretakers, instructors, and any additional personnel on campus.

Numerous areas need to be looked at when dealing with the wellbeing of an educational facility, but the prevailing issue is sanitation. With out question, a facility using the green cleaning method is in excellent health.

Green Cleaning is an expression that is familiarizing itself around many different organizations nowadays. Construction buyers and building associates are quickly jumping onboard this way of creating a safe environment. People understand the reward received from using sanitation devices approved by Environmental Services.

Becoming greener often feels like an impossible task - there is so much to think about and so many ways in which you could change your lifestyle. Taking small steps, making one little change at a time, is the best way of dealing with this feeling, and gives you that warm glow of doing good without forcing you to make a seismic shift in how you run your life.

To this end, here are 50 great ideas to make little changes which will add up to a big difference.

50. Mugs aren’t for mugs
Ditch those nasty polystyrene cups at work, and bring in your own mugs instead. While you’re at it, keep a supply of plates and cutlery to hand to use instead of plastic ones.

49. Get on your bike
Cycle to work once a week. Summer’s here - why not try the bike? You can buy a bike up to half price through the cycle to work scheme.

It is a word many if not all of us have heard in reference to gardening, but probably few of us know what it is, how it is made, and what services it can provide. Have you ever been to a friend’s house and seen that smelly disgusting hole at the far corner of the garden with all the flies buzzing around it and been told that it is his or her compost? Well if this ever happened to you, let me assure you- that is not compost. Composting at an extremely elementary level is nothing more than decayed organic matter. It has been done by farmers since about the 1930’s. It may seem like a very simple process.All you really do is gather up your organic garbage and put it in a hole and then just wait for it to become compost. In reality, however, compost is very complicated and complex microbiology at its best. It requires the interaction of tens of thousands of microorganisms in this extremely complex ecosystem. When done properly, which is quite different than that fly-hole we were talking about earlier, the composting process will kill weeds and it will even suppress human pathogens. That is not the way leaves and twigs decompose naturally. Compost, in essence, provides topsoil with a means to fight off the hundreds of diseases that can affect each of the plant species. Composting also accomplishes that all of the microorganisms needed by each plant to grow properly will be present. When composting is done properly, it helps plants soak up nutrients which they would have a significantly more difficult time soaking up without the help of the compost.

With all the attention we give to ensuring we are eating the proper diet, it’s no wonder that this consideration has extended to our furry friends. Organic food – once thought of only as a human commodity that vastly benefits our overall health and the environment to boot – has now been made available for our pets. Also not surprising, is the growing popularity of organic pet food as conscientious owners look for ways to invigorate the health of their pets and extend their life span.Organic food – grown and produced without the use of chemicals, hormones, and pesticides – is vastly healthier for the human body. While these substances continue to be used without reservation in traditional food production, it is unstudied and unclear as to the long term effects of chemicals on our health and longevity. For these reasons, and the positive impact that organically grown food can have on the environment, more and more people are making the switch to organic food. Just as organic food benefits humans, its advantages extend to animals as well, through the use of organic pet food.

“Among the most exciting applications of herbal medicine lie in treating abnormalities of the immune system. Clinical studies have shown that various herbal products are effective in treating allergies, asthma, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. Herbal medicine also has a unique potential usefulness in balancing the immune system in cases of chronic infection, preventing the immune system from turning on the body and causing destruction.”

Phyllis A. Balch, CNC Prescription for Herbal Healing

A healthy, properly functioning immune system is absolutely vital to good health. It is the key to the healing process from the tiniest scratch - to the most complex virus. Even the aging process is intimately linked with the immune system.

Compromised immunity leaves us vulnerable to disease and impairs our ability to heal properly and age well.

SIGNS OF IMPAIRED IMMUNE FUNCTION

• CANDIDIASIS/ YEAST INFECTIONS
• RECURRING INFECTIONS
• CHRONIC FATIGUE
• LISTLESSNESS

Organic Gardening Organic gardening involves the utilization of materials derived from living things like compost and manure. The fertilizers contain only naturally occurring animal or plant materials with hardly any man-made chemicals or pesticides ever being used.

The fundamentals of organic gardening begin with the soil used for the process. The importance of organic gardening is laid on “feeding the soil and not the plant”. The soil contains organic matter, which serves as fertilizer providing nutrients to the plants. Organic matter consists of grass clippings, food scraps, leaves from autumn trees and ordinary trash; all of which can be converted into the perfect organic fertilizer and worked into the soil. The compost is also enriched with beneficial microorganisms and bugs both of which feed and protect the plants from disease causing microbes. All the organic gardener has to do is feed the beneficial microbes and let them do their work