Health & Parenting

Celebrity Eco-Friendly Tips

The (surprisingly simple) truth about "going green": continued...

"It wasn't until later that I understood the harm that can come from pesticides and other chemicals in food. As soon as I did, I tried to eat foods that were organic, grown locally, and not processed or full of preservatives. That was reinforced when I became a parent. When I'd read about what pesticides do to small animals, I thought, Why would I expose my child to that?

"Now, we also do other things to protect our family's health, from installing a water-filtration system to using nontoxic shampoos. I try to open the windows in the day — an old-fashioned airing out — even in winter, because the air inside the house is often more polluted than the air outside.

"I just want my kids to be as healthy as they possibly can. And I feel like eating well is the best start for living well."

"Some things are important for the world to know...like how long I shower. Seriously. I take a three-minute shower. I even brush/wash — brush my teeth while I shower. Here's why: I learned that every two minutes in the shower uses as much water as a person in Africa uses for everything in their life for a whole day — drinking, bathing, cooking, and cleaning — everything! When you become aware of all the things you do, and the effect those things have, you want to make small changes ... When I found out that my cell phone charger still uses energy when it's plugged in and it's not being used, I began unplugging it. It all goes back to awareness and knowing better and then making a simple shift in habit. Eventually, it just becomes second nature. If we all begin to learn from one another and share some of the things we do, we just might be able to affect the world for the better through these little rituals."

Originally published on June 11, 2008

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