Our home is our comfort zone. But according to the Environmental Protection
Agency of the United States of America, indoor air is two (2) to ten (10) times
more hazardous than outdoor air.
Also, the Philippine Department of
Health conducted a study of houses in different Barangays of Metro Manila
through its agency Environmental and
Occupational Office. Findings showed that the homes has the presence of:
1. Lead – An ingredient found in
insecticides, agricultural pesticides (in fruits and vegetables), pipes,
paints, toys;
2. Nitrogen Dioxide - Produced by
cigarette and tobacco smoking;
3. Sulfur Dioxide (The base of Sulfuric Acid) - An
ingredient found in fertilizers, pigments, dye, drugs,
explosive, detergent, preservatives
especially dried fruits;
4. Benzene – An ingredient in
detergents, plastics;
5.
Carbon Monoxide - Produced from cooking, processing of chemical products
and from exhausting gases out of engines of vehicles and machineries.
Aside from those mentioned above, The Eco-Living Handbook by Sarah Callard
and Diane Millis showed that the electrical equipment that we enjoy at home
also produce pollution from electromagnetic frequencies, ionizations, and
statics.
I invite you to journey with me as
I uncover how pollution invade our homes. Awareness is the first step. Let us
resolve to improve air through a green and friendly environment together!
And as we go through our
day-to-day routine, we have what we call necessity. But there are those that,
which are not.
I.
Cooking. Burning of natural gas, oil, kerosene, coal,
firewood, which release carbon monoxide. But we need to cook to survive.
Here are our
Green Tips while cooking:
A.
Have good ventilation in the kitchen
1.
Open kitchen windows and the kitchen door while
cooking to allow natural air to circulate;
2.
Use exhaust
gadgets in the kitchen on stoves, walls, etc. to help drive out the smell of combustion and
cooking of food faster;
B.
Stove
fire should be bluish in color. Chefs say that slow fire is the best way of
cooking.
C.
Do not use charcoal indoor.
II.
Tobacco Smoking. It is common knowledge that smoking cigars,
cigarettes and pipes is detrimental to the lungs of the smoker and the second-
hand smokers. Nitrogen dioxide cause lung cancer.
The best solution is to stop smoking. But if one cannot help but smoke, it is
suggested that it is done in open space away from the family and second-hand
smokers.
Our Green Tips
to strengthen and cleanse the respiratory system are:
1. Food for
the Lungs
According to Dr. Bernard Jensen in his
book Food that Heals; garlic, onion,
grapes, honey, pineapple, and green leafy vegetables are good for the lungs. Celery/ papaya juice and carrot juice are
also helpful. Organic products are most beneficial because they are chemical-free
and pesticide-free. It may be costlier but hospital bills and medicines cost
much more.
2. Herbals
for Cancer, Tumour, and Respiratory Diseases
Among these Herbals are Green
Tea, Ashitaba, Damong Maria, Dokudami, Guaybano, Holy Basil, Lagundi, Neem,
Peppermint, and Serpentina. (For uses and recommended intake of these Herbals, check
out https://herbalandherbs.wordpress.com/.
Cancer affects
the patient and the family because it drains emotionally and financially. We experienced this with my father. How I
wish no family would experience such trial again.
3.
Deep
breathing exercise also clears the lungs of bad air. It is most beneficial when done in front of
plants or under trees.
Deep breathing is the process practiced
while singing, where air is inhaled to fill up the stomach, then exhaled little
by little. Deep breathing is done in any
exercise like Taichi, Pilates, gym workout and Pinoy Laughter Yoga.
All these remedies come from
Mother Nature. Thus, let nurturing the
ecology be a challenge to us all.
Get the complete eBook at Amazon! Check out the Table of Contents and the eBook's first THREE chapters for FREE!
Get the complete eBook at Amazon! Check out the Table of Contents and the eBook's first THREE chapters for FREE!