Although we’re still enjoying bright summer days, the first day of school is drawing near. So, you’ve probably already begun back-to-school shopping or at least thinking about it.

It’s a given that as parents we want our kids to be healthy, happy and alert during class. Wouldn’t it be helpful to know that there are some specific actions we can take toward this goal when purchasing items for school? Would you like to go green with your back-to-school shopping?

Here are 3 of those actions:

1. Purchase Natural Fiber Clothing

Our first action while preparing for school is usually shopping for clothes. Unless your child’s school has a mandatory uniform as part of its dress code, you have a multitude of choices before you from low-rise to mid-rise jeans or slacks, short, 3/4 inch and long sleeves, a variety of dress styles, and so on.

But, I recommend that before you even think about the latest fashionable trend, decide that you are going to purchase natural fibered garments for your child.

Natural fibers include cotton, linen, wool, silk, ramie, and hemp. Try to avoid those that are treated to be wrinkle and/or stain resistant since many problematic chemicals are used to achieve this.

Advantages (depending on the manufacturing process) to using natural fibers instead of polyester, nylon, rayon, and other synthetics include:

Air Permeability:

Natural fibers allow air to flow through the garment which provides a balanced environment of air and moisture. This is great for your child’s skin.

Little to No Outgassing of Problematic Chemicals:

Natural fibers, if grown organically, will have no petrochemical outgassing while conventionally grown may have some but not as much as synthetics which are manufactured from the derivatives of petrochemicals.

Imagine breathing in these substances which can affect cognitive thinking while trying to concentrate during school.

Odor Release:

Natural fibers tend not to hold onto odors like their synthetic copies. Their permeability allows odors to be released more readily.

Biodegradability:

It can take a very long time, sometimes centuries, for a synthetic fiber to break down into it’s simplest form where as natural fibers have a much shorter period of decomposition.

Although these fabrics don’t offer the convenience of wash and wear that synthetics like polyester do, they don’t contribute to the potential of developing or worsening health conditions such as asthma and allergies either. They may require a little extra care but I don’t find that it adds a ton of work. It really only takes an extra 10 minutes to iron a few wrinkles out of a garment.

2. Purchase Eco-friendly School Supplies

Now our children are neatly dressed and ready to present themselves to the world of learning.  We will continue with back-to-school shopping but will delve in to the bountiful world of school supplies.

Walk down the school supply isle of your local drug, office supply or Walmart stores and you will find a huge variety of items to choose from – pencils, pens, markers, unlined paper, lined paper, folders, files, spiral notebook, 3-ring binders, etc.

In addition to the many different types of supplies, they come in an assortment of colors, shades, patterns, and shapes. I actually find it fun sorting through them all and picking out just what my kids need.

However, as a health conscience parent I try to consider what affects these items will have on my child’s health. They may seem innocuous but some of the chemicals that they emit are anything but.

For instance, regular lined paper may be processed using chlorine or a derivative of it. Chlorine produces dioxins which are highly toxic and can irritate the respiratory system as well as other parts of the body.

Even though it seems to be just a small amount on one sheet of paper, we must remember that our children will encounter a large number of these sheets of paper throughout the school year. Enclose a couple of hundred sheets of lined paper into a vinyl (also a toxin) 3-ring binder and you have a toxic stack enveloped in a toxic shell.

Instead, we can opt for 100 percent recycled paper that is processed without chlorine and non-vinyl 3-ring binders. They cost a bit more but is your child’s health and wellbeing worth it?

Rather than ball point ink pens that are filled with ink derived from petrochemicals, you can opt to provide your student with water-based ink pens.

For art you have less toxic choices as well. For instance, instead of crayons made with petroleum derivatives try those made from soy or beeswax.There are some art supplies you can make yourself from all natural ingredients such as play dough and finger paint.

3. Personal Care Products

Whew! We’ve gathered clothes and school supplies. Our kids look good, are comfortable, and ready for the day’s wonderful learning experience.

But let’s back up a bit.

We’ve decided to provide them with healthier clothing options but what about the products that were used before they got dressed?

A variety of shampoos, conditioners, lotions, bubble bath, body washes, deodorants, and so on were used during the process of getting dressed.

If you read the labels, you will more than likely find a plethora of long-syllabled scientific words that designate the many chemicals that are used in these types of products. Some of them include quaternium-15 – a formaldehyde releaser, ethylene glycol, and other potentially harmful substances.

Try products containing more natural plant-based ingredients and less synthetic ones.

Four Steps You Can Take to Make This Year Your Healthiest Ever

Without our health we pretty much can write everything else off. If you’re sick and exhausted there isn’t very much you can accomplish compared to when you’re in good health. So, there’s no wonder that most people want to have good health.

Following are four steps you can take toward that goal:

1.  Begin sleeping on natural bedding.

There’s nothing like climbing into bed between luxuriously soft, organic, cotton sheets. They are quite comfortable and don’t outgas toxic fumes that inhibit a good night’s sleep.

2.  Eliminate dust.

As innocuous as the name “dust bunny” sounds it is anything but. Dust can contain toxins such as heavy metals, mold spores, and hungry dust mites.

3.  Eat slow, home-cooked meals.

Instead of grabbing that deep-dish pizza (I know. I love them too.), try a slow-cooked meal prepared with your favorite cut of meat and some veggies thrown in. The process of cooking at low temperatures helps to enhance flavors and cuts down on some suspected cancer-causing high heat generated byproducts.

4.  Begin wearing natural fibered clothing.

Although it may take a bit more time to iron out a few wrinkles before wearing a cotton top versus a synthetic wrinkle-free one, your skin will thank you for it. Cotton as well as other natural fibers allows air to flow through and therefore  allows your skin to stay fresh, dry and comfortable.

When you’re out shopping for your latest outfit how do you decide what you’re going to buy?

Here are two questions you can ask before purchasing your next new outfit.

1. What type of fabric is it made of?

There are many different types of fabric that a garment can be made of. Polyester, nylon, cotton and wool are just a few. It helps to know a little something about each one in order to make an informed decision.

For starters it’s good to know which ones are synthetic and which ones are natural fibers. Why?

Well, let’s begin with the synthetic ones. Synthetic fibers such as polyester, nylon, acrylic and olefin can be quite convenient and easy to maintain. Yet, there is a downside. They are generally made from petrochemical derivatives which can be detrimental to your health.

For instance, polyester, a very versatile fiber, is used for many different things including clothing. It’s wrinkle free and very easy to maintain. It’s also made up of petrochemical derivatives including ethylene glycol and xylenes.

These chemicals are known to cause a few health issues such as headaches, fatigue, and even dizziness. As the fabric breaks down and outgases they can enter the blood stream.

On the other hand, natural fibers such as cotton, linen, wool, and silk come from plants and animals. Although, they aren’t quite as easy to maintain as synthetics – some may shrink and are not wrinkle free –  they are generally a much healthier alternative.

For example, cotton, a plant fiber and very versatile, is breathable. In other words, air flows through it. So, it’s good for the skin. And even though you may have to be careful about what water temperature is used to launder it and do a little ironing, isn’t the extra work worth the healthful benefits?

2.    What processes were used to get the finished product?

Let’s say you’ve selected a garment that is made of all natural fibers. The next question to consider is what processes were involved to get the finished product.

For instance, you chose a cotton top that is labeled wrinkle free and stain resistant. These features were more than likely obtained through a process that involved chemicals that may actually be carcinogenic.

So, again you are faced with a choice between convenience and health. A natural fiber garment that is not labeled wrinkle free or stain resistant would be a healthier alternative.

Which would you choose?

Just keeping these questions in mind when buying your new outfit can help you feel as great as you look.

Is Convenience All It’s Cracked Up to Be?

Living a fast-paced life like we do here in the U.S., we don’t usually stop to consider how something of convenience stacks up against quality.

We are involved in so many things. We have work, school, play, families, and social commitments to think about. The outcomes that we desire are indeed our focus but not how we get there.

Quick Meals

For instance, if you have children you definitely want them to have healthy meals. So, after a full day of work and school we feed them.

Many times we stop at our favorite fast-food restaurant and pick up dinner. It’s quick. It’s tasty. It’s totally unhealthy.

And if we don’t do take-out, we feed them things that we have heated up in the stove, such as a popular “meal-in-a-box.” These are filled with preservatives, genetically-modified ingredients, food dyes, etc.

Even though, it saves us some time, is it truly better than if we’d taken a little more time to throw a few items in the crock pot and come home to a truly home-cooked meal from scratch? Those few items would provide much more nutrition than the meal of prepared items that contain ingredients to extend shelf life but not necessarily your life.

Care-free Clothing

How about our clothing. Yes, it takes much less time to throw a synthetic fiber item into the dryer after a quick wash in the washer and get a wrinkle free garment in return.

But, is it worth the health detriments that also comes with it.

Wrinkle-free garments whether synthetic or not are coated with chemical substances such as formaldehyde – a known human carcinogen – that we breathe in and absorb through our skin.

A 100 percent cotton shirt may require some ironing and take 10 more minutes to make ready for wearing. Yet, your health is worth that 10 minutes. Right?

These are questions that I think most of us have become too busy to ask. But, I think we really should slow down enough to ask them. What do you think?