healthy kids
How to Keep Them Safe by Ronica O’Hara
A healthy home for kids looks much like what’s needed for a healthy
mass index by age 3, reports Canadian researchers; eco-friendly
planet: clean air, clean water and clean food, all of which create
cleaning agents do not harm kids’ health, they found. A solu-
a space in which our children can be well and thrive. This means
tion of one part white vinegar to three parts water can be used
taking active steps to eliminate everyday contaminants that can
to clean counters, floors and toilets. The acetic acid in vinegar
harm their developing organs and brains. “Children are not mini-
can deactivate even the flu and tuberculosis viruses, recent
adults. Their bodies cannot filter out toxins and chemicals as ef-
studies have shown.
fectively as a full-grown adult body can,” says Kimberly Button, author of The Everything Guide to a Healthy Home: All You Need to
n Get rid of mold. Mold, especially if it’s black, is highly toxic
Know to Protect You and Your Family from Hidden Dangers. Here are
to children: a Polish study found it lowered IQs in children under 6.
some practical steps to take.
“When the mycotoxins in mold affect children’s developing nervous
CLEAN AIR n Clean “green”. The chemicals in popular disinfectants alter children’s gut microbes and heavy use leads to higher body 28
Rhode Island Edition
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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 es-
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Healthy Home, Healthy Kids
