What Your Mama and Grandma Didn't Know...

The other day, I shared a discussion my friend and I had about mental health. 

Well, Friday was BEAUTIFUL in NY, and it got me thinking about our physical health. (Saturday was beautiful too; Sunday and this morning, however.... let's just say, Winter will NOT let go of NY.) 

Back to Friday though. So why did it have me thinking about our physical health?

Because I was outside with Dane at the park. It was sooo nice to FINALLY get outdoors and get some fresh air. 

On the way to the park, however, we were greeted with the smell of cigarette smoke; not the "fresh" air I was seeking. 

It was a reminder that there are things we can not control.

There are, however, some things we can control.

The things we eat, the products we use. 

I served as the Marketing Manager at Whole Foods Market for over 3 years and learned a LOT about food.

What our country allows in it; what they don't. 

Organic vs. "Natural" vs. Conventional.

It was eye-opening. 

And then this weekend, I read a study about lung damage and the link to our common household cleaners. 

Because of my background, I wasn't as surprised as I could've been, but it was a definitely reminder that we have to be aware.

One of the key findings- Weekly use of home cleaning products is as damaging to lung health as smoking 20 cigarettes per day. 

And it makes sense. I rarely use gloves and pretty much never use a mask when cleaning at home. 

What we inhale goes into our lungs and our skin is our largest organ. 

In fact, when I did some research (believe me, it is a rabbit hole- DO NOT start researching unless you have time) after reading the study, I found some pretty alarming truths. 

The Silent Spring Institute found concentrations of toxic chemicals in homes linked to cancer can be 200-500 times higher than outside, when they selected 50 random households for the study. 

The same study also found women who work at home to have a 55% higher risk of breast cancer* than women who work outside the home. 

*An EPA study conducted over 15 years reported a 54% higher death rate from cancer, not just breast cancer, for women working in the home. It was due to the same exposure to chemicals in household items. 

As a stay-at-home mom who is in the house a large amount of the day with my 18 month old, I found that alarming. 

My mother is a breast cancer survivor. 

Her sister is a breast cancer survivor. 

I'm sure you know at least one person in your family who has beat cancer. 

Yes, it is scary.

Realizing just how unsafe everyday products we use at home sucks.

It seems like so many things are linked to cancer of all sorts these days.

Shoot, is anything safe?!

But I'm doing something about it.

I recently joined a shopping club that has a green/clean/organic focus. I've started switching out the products we use in our home because while I can't control everything (even walking to the park, a good intention, can expose of to less than desirable elements), there ARE things that I can. 

So I'm sharing with you.

Because despite what Grandma and 'nem said, having your home smell like bleach or Pine-Sol, are NOT the only things that signify a clean house. 

If you want in on the shopping club, hit REPLY. 

It's a referral-only membership. They're also offering a free easy cleaning pack for new members (so lucky you because I didn't get anything for free.) 

I'm off to do some errands before my School Leadership Team meeting. 

- Christine

P.S. There are MORE than cleaning products, including a cash-back marketplace with over 650 participating retailers. I just talk a lot and can go on a tangent, so I'm just covering cleaning today. I'm working on staying focused! :)