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Options for Natural Living






Version 0.2
Copyright © 2008 by Zack Smith,
All rights reserved.

Introduction

What do people mean when they use the term natural living? It includes many things. It's the avoidance of petroleum-based materials; of plastics and polymers and vinyls; of paints that emit toxic gases. It's the rejection of a sedentary stressful lifestyle and embracing of fitness and relaxation. It is the avoidance of toxic metals and even toxins of natural origin. In short, it is healthy living. One could say it is the personal, practical use of a simple principle: Know the toxic effects of materials and activities and seek remove or reduce their occurence in everyday life, replacing them with healthy alternatives. Caveat: One such toxic activity is, of course, stressing over toxic stuff.

History

It's a mistake to assume that in the olden days people lived naturally. Going back hundreds and even thousands of years in the archeological record, one finds humans naively using toxic substances for a number purposes: To produce alloys and purify metals; in the effort to cure illness; even as women's cosmetics. The ancients and our ancestors didn't get it right any more than modern people do.

They lacked science, whereas we have scientific knowledge but we seldom use to ensure that we live in a healthy manner. And what they in the olden days didn't do is produce toxic materials in vast quantities, as we do in our factories today.

Here are a few items that you can use to make your environment less toxic. As more things occur to me, the list with lengthen.

Non-toxic materials

Home

  • Cork flooring.
  • All-cotton futon bedding and couches.
  • True linoleum made from cork, not from petroleum.
  • Wool carpet.
  • Natural homemade paints e.g. milk paint.
  • "Low-VOC" clearcoats, e.g. Safecoat, which barely smell at all.
  • Bamboo flooring.
  • Furniture made from virgin wood, not from particle-board or treated wood.

Food-related

  • Ceramic vessels made locally (not in lead-happy China), rather than plastic or metal.
  • Cloth grocery bags rather than plastic bags.
  • Diet: All things in moderation.
    • Men should...
      • Drink green tea: it is thought to be good for the prostate.
      • Avoid skim milk, which is bad for the prostate. Use whole instead.
    • Limit intake of cocoa and other foods that increase the risk of kidney stones.
    • Consume soy in moderation. Too much may increase the chance of breast cancer.
    • And yet, soy is good for protecting the collagen in your skin.
    • Sugar and indeed all caramelized foods are bad for the skin. It results in premature aging of connective tissue.
    • Avoid non-pasteurized milk. Bovine tuberculosis can be passed to humans through raw milk.

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