Healthy Child Healthy World: Guide to greening baby's home

If the growth of the EcoMoms network's any indication, having a baby often acts as a catalyst for people to lead cleaner, greener lives. And a new book "Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Greener, Cleaner Safe Home" helps parents do just that.

Written by Christopher Gavigan, CEO of the nonprofit the book was titled after, "Healthy Child Healthy World" begins with a precaution: "Don't get overwhelmed" -- an apt warning, since the book then goes right into describing the many health issues children have today due to our ungreen, unsafe world.  Then, after introducing the fear of cancer, asthma, allergies, autism and ADHD, mental retardation, hormone disruption, and obesity, "Healthy Child Healthy World" introduces 300+ pages of detailed info and instructions on the many different things a parent can do to minimize the risk of these ills.

Yep -- It's easy to get overwhelmed. Still, the book is quite encouraging, noting that even minimal changes can often have big results on children's health. In fact, many of the tips had to do with green cleaning , as a way of reducing the number of harmful chemicals in the home. And simply switching out cleaning products to eco-friendly options is a change anyone can make, now that even Clorox has come out with a green cleaning line.

"Healthy Child Healthy World" has chapters dedicated to green lawns, green kitchens, green bathrooms, green clothing, green pets, and safe, eco-friendly toys. Lest going green seems to sound like buying more expensive, eco-products, the book also provides DIY tips for making everything from  your own baby food to finger paint to cleaning products.

Perhaps to appeal to the People magazine-reading crowd, "Healthy Child Healthy World" includes celebrity guest essays from Gwyneth Paltrow, Tom Hanks, Erin Brockovitch,Michelle Obama, Sheryl Crow, Brooke Shields, and many more. Meryl Streep, who's a board member of the nonprofit, penned the foreword.

Can't get enough of the book? Sign up and get involved with the Healthy Child Healthy World nonprofit. If you're expecting, an especially cool program is "First Steps to Healthy Babies program," which will send you email updates on child development, during pregnancy and until your child turns two.

Of course, there's no need to wait to have a kid to create a healthy, green home. Most of the tips in the book are applicable to cleaning and greening anyone's lifestyle. Treat yourself as well as you would your own child --

Comments

[KateNonymous]

Interesting...although I'm not all that into the celebrity essays.

[Emily Fano]

For those interested in the eco-mom phenomenon, they may be interested in the Holistic Moms Network - a national non-profit connecting parents who are into holistic health and green living. HMN's new cookbook, Growing Healthy Families includes 300 recipes from HMN members and a section featuring recipes for homemade baby food and formula, non-toxic cleaners and herbal remedies. Through a members-only forum, HMN parents share invaluable advice on a myriad of topics from breastfeeding and natural childbirth to healthy eating, alternative medicine, mindful parenting, and green living.