Make your home healthier and happier with these 5 simple changes

Do you want to make your home healthier? From raising houseplants to setting up a personal gym, here are some suggestions on how you can improve your family’s overall health by making small changes at home.

Don’t use cleaning products with harmful chemicals.

Cleaning your home keeps your family healthy, as long as you use non-toxic cleaning products.

According to the American Lung Association, using too much products with volatile organic compounds, like aerosol spray products, furniture and floor polish, and air fresheners, is linked to allergic reactions, headaches, and respiratory problems. Check product labels before buying to limit your exposure to potentially harmful chemicals like bleach and ammonia.

Alternatively, you can make your own cleaning products using natural, non-toxic ingredients like apple cider vinegar and baking soda. (Related: Kitchen Entropy: 7 Powerful Reasons Why Apple Cider Vinegar Should Be In Your Pantry.)

Fill your kitchen with healthy snacks and use a water filter.

The kitchen is often considered the “soul of the home,” especially since it is where families spend a lot of their time together preparing meals and eating.

Make your kitchen a healthier place by filling your fridge with nutritious snacks such as:

• Apple slices with peanut butter
• Celery sticks with cream cheese
• Chia pudding
• Cucumber slices with hummus
• Dark chocolate and almonds
• Greek yogurt with mixed berries
• Homemade mixed nuts
• Kale chips
• Organic fruit

Based on data from a 2017 study by the Natural Resources Defense Council, 77 million Americans were served by community water systems with violations as recently as 2015.

To keep your family safe from waterborne diseases, get a water filter. Filtering tap water not only prevents diseases, it also improves skin health and boosts circulation. Choose a filter that effectively reduces pollutants like lead and toxic chemicals.

Exercise regularly.

If you have extra space in your home, get some workout equipment and turn it into a personal gym. Choose equipment and activities that suit your interests and health condition.

Having a dedicated fitness area in your home will also make it easier for the whole family to find time to exercise, especially if you often use the “I’m too busy to go to the gym” excuse.

Exercising regularly will lower your risk of chronic illnesses like cardiovascular disease. Physical activity will also improve your energy levels, sleep quality, and overall happiness.

Improve air quality.

Getting fresh air is crucial to your well-being. Fresh air improves digestion, reduces blood pressure, boosts immune system, and increases overall happiness.

During the winter months, you can get fresh air inside your home by growing houseplants in various rooms. This is one of the easiest ways to purify air, and it’s also a natural way to add life and color to your home’s interior.

Here’s a list of houseplants that can improve air quality:

• Aloe vera – Aloe vera is an all-purpose succulent plant. It is easy to care for, and you can use the leaf extracts to treat sunburns and wounds. Water aloe vera plants every week or two.
• Ficus tree – Ficus trees are indoor plants with shiny leaves. Give this houseplant plenty of sunshine and keep it in a room with moderate temperature. Ficus trees need several days of dry soil in between watering.
• Peace lily – Peace lilies are hardy plants that require shade. Their leaves start to droop when they need more water. Put peace lilies inside your home to eliminate ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene from the air.
• Spider plant – The spider plant is also easy to grow. This houseplant requires bright, indirect sunlight, and it can remove harmful formaldehyde and xylene from the air.

If you have a hard time keeping indoor plants alive, other options include essential oils and a humidifier.

Practice green landscaping.

You also need to purify the air outside your home, and the best way to do this is by using organic pesticides while you’re doing yard work.

Prolonged exposure to toxins in pesticides may cause major health problems, such as chronic respiratory disease, heart disease, and lung cancer. Ensure outdoor air quality to protect your family from these contaminants.

Make your home greener and healthier by growing houseplants and using non-toxic pesticides and cleaning products.

Sources include:

RealEstate.USNews.com

Healthline.com

GreenLivingIdeas.com