VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2012
A SLICE OF ORANGE Refreshing Your Health
GO GREEN FOR YOUR HEALTH, PART 1 • Clean earth • Clean water • Clean air
Go green for your health, part 1 TAKING CARE OF THE ENVIRONMENT DOESN’T JUST HELP MOTHER EARTH, BUT ALSO YOUR BODY. LEARN HOW TO BE AN ENVIRONMENTALIST AND A HEALTH BUFF AT THE SAME TIME. The technical definition of pollution is “the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem.” Since the ecosystem includes all living things, including humans, the
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likelihood of pollution causing harm to people is high. In fact, millions of people die all over the world because of pollution-related health problems, and millions more get sick from pollution.
A SLICE OF ORANGE
VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2012
Clean earth
2. Make your own organic vegetable
Water can easily be contaminated by a
Almost all of our lives are spent on land.
garden. You can do this even when
variety of pollutants, such as heavy met-
However, modern human life results in
you are living in a high-rise condo.
als, and chemicals such as detergents,
trash and chemicals that, when littered
Plant vegetables in window boxes and
fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides,
on the soil, can degrade soil quality, be-
other containers—this will increase your
petroleum hydrocarbons, and house-
come an eyesore, and lead to disease.
vegetable intake, which as your mom
hold cleaners.
Poorly disposed trash can become in-
told you is good for your health, and
fested with rats and insects, which can
decrease your waste at the same time.
Save our oceans, and your health,
transmit diseases such as cholera, ty-
Make sure you keep the rest of your
with the following tips:
phoid fever, and leptospirosis, among
house clean and inspect your plants
1. Conserve water. Use a glass when
others. The most common chemicals that
regularly to make sure insects, vermin,
brushing your teeth. Use waste water
contaminate the soil are petroleum prod-
or mold do not infest your veggies.
when flushing the toilet. Wash laundry
ucts, lead, aromatic hydrocarbons such
3. Plant some citronella in your vegeta-
only when you have a full load; less fre-
as naphthalene, solvents, pesticides,
ble garden as well. This way, you can
quent laundry lessens your exposure to
and other heavy metals. These contami-
use the crushed leaves as an organic
laundry detergents and fabric softeners.
nants can cause skin irritation, cancer,
insect repellant for your other plants and
Minimize the use of home pools (did you
and diseases of the lung, kidneys, liver,
all over your home. This way, you also
know that soaking your skin too long in
blood and nervous system.
reduce your exposure to synthetic insec-
water, chlorinated or not, can strip your
ticides, which can cause lung disease
skin of essential oils that can lead to
How do you clean up the earth to
and nerve damage.
rashes and other skin conditions).
improve your health? Here are some
4. Some plants can extract contami-
2. For more tips on how to save water,
practical tips you can do at home:
nants from the ground, which can im-
visit www.wateruseitwisely.com/100-
1. The first is a no-brainer: do not lit-
prove soil quality and reduce your expo-
ways-to-conserve.
ter. Keep your trash well covered so that
sure to these contaminants. Plant ferns if
3. Use organic fertilizers. Soil that use
vermin are not attracted to them and lay
you have limited space, or sunflowers if
organic fertilizers instead of chemical fer-
claim to your house. This will prevent
you have a large garden.
tilizers retain more water, which means
rats and flying insects from contaminat-
you need to water them less (saving
ing your home and food with disease-
Clean water
water), while at the same time reducing
causing microbes. Take out the trash
Water is the cornerstone of life. And
chemical contamination of the ground
regularly, and make sure dogs do not
your body is more than three-fourths wa-
water. Make your own com-
strew them around. And while you are
ter. Clean water is crucial for a healthy
post bin. Recycle a broken plastic
at it, segregate and recycle!
body. Drink at least eight glasses of wa-
pail. Drill small holes in the bottom for
ter a day, remember?
drainage and aeration. Fill one-eighth
A SLICE OF ORANGE
VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2012
of the pail with shredded newspaper or
diseases, including asthma, pneumoni-
dry leaves, and then add soil until the
tis, emphysema and bronchitis.
pail is one-fourth full. Throw your biodegradable trash in this bin. Keep the bin
Since plants are nature’s way of filtering
well sealed to avoid attracting pests.
air, planting a garden not only cleans
Keep the compost moist, and use once
up the earth and water, but also the air.
the trash has been composted.
The other tip mentioned above to keep
4. Minimize your use of chemicals—
our air and water clean—minimizing
use only when necessary. If soap and
the use of chemicals—is also a good
water will work just as well, avoid us-
way to keep the air clean.
ing harsh cleaners. Vinegar and baking soda are also good alternative house-
In addition, the following tips not only
hold cleaners. Keep chemicals tightly
help prevent air pollution, but also im-
These are just a few ways to help both
closed to avoid spillage and exposure
prove your health.
your body and the environment. The in-
to you and your loved ones.
1. If you drive, save gas. Travel only
ternet has tons of websites that suggest
when necessary. Avoiding idling. This
other tips. The point is that by keeping
Clean air
causes a release of carbon monoxide,
our surroundings clean, we keep our
Air pollution is the hardest kind of pol-
which is a deadly air pollutant.
bodies clean as well.
lution to avoid because gases diffuse,
2. Go vegetarian a few days a week.
and air is everywhere. The most com-
Greenhouse gases from animal feces in
But aside from air, water and soil pollu-
mon air pollutants are smoke emissions,
poultry, pig, and cattle farms contribute
tion, there are other pollutants that can
chemical fumes, dust, and greenhouse
a large amount to the total greenhouse
harm your body. Next month, we will
gases such as carbon dioxide and
gases in the atmosphere. On the other
learn more about these less-known pol-
methane from decomposing matter.
hand, sustainable vegetable farms help
lutants, and how to avoid them for a
These can cause a wide range of lung
keep the air clean.
healthy you.
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A Slice of Orange
is a newsletter designed to help clarify basic health information and offer juicy tips on uplifting your health.
Editorial team Alvin Delfin Christine Llenes-Delfin Ivan Olegario, MD