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healthy kids
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HEALTHY HOME, HEALTHY KIDS How to Keep Them Safe
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healthy home for kids looks much like what’s needed for a healthy planet: clean air, clean water and clean food, all of which create a space in which our children can be well and thrive. This means taking active steps to eliminate everyday contaminants that can harm their developing organs and brains. “Children are not mini-adults. Their bodies cannot filter out toxins and chemicals as effectively as a full-grown adult body can,” says Kimberly Button, author of The Everything Guide to a Healthy Home: All You Need to Know to Protect You and Your Family from Hidden Dangers. Here are some practical steps to take.
Clean Air
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Washington, D.C.
by Ronica O’Hara
■ Clean “green”. The chemicals in popular disinfectants alter children’s gut microbes and heavy use leads to higher body mass index by age 3, reports Canadian researchers; ecofriendly cleaning agents do not harm kids’ health, they found. A solution of one part white vinegar to three parts
NaturalAwakeningsDC.com
water can be used to clean counters, floors and toilets. The acetic acid in vinegar can deactivate even the flu and tuberculosis viruses, recent studies have shown. ■ Get rid of mold. Mold, especially if it’s black, is highly toxic to children: a Polish study found it lowered IQs in children under 6. “When the mycotoxins in mold affect children’s developing nervous systems we may see fatigue, difficulty learning, and attention issues,” says naturopath Jill Crista of Janesville, Wisconsin, author of Break The Mold: 5 Tools to Conquer Mold and Take Back Your Health. She recommends mixing in a glass (not plastic) spray bottle essential oils, such as rosemary, holy basil, tea tree or eucalyptus, spraying the mold, and using a disposable cloth to wipe it off. The essential oils “not only kill mold, but neutralize the toxins,” she says. “It won’t fix mold on porous surfaces, which require professional remediation.”
