Living Clean: The Journey Continues

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Essential oils can be used to create glass cleaners and shower sprays," says Cameron. “They also break down grease. The essential oils that I’ve personally used are tea tree, lemon oil, and lavender.” Lang M, Krátký J, Shaver JH, Jerotijević D, Xygalatas D. Effects of anxiety on spontaneous ritualized behavior. Curr Biol. 2015 Jul 20;25(14):1892-7. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2015.05.049. PMID: 26096971.

There is a middle ground where ‘eco-cleaning’ solutions that claim to be kinder to the environment and our wellbeing sit, however. And these products are fulfilling a public demand that is gaining popularity. Simply take a look in your local supermarket - or perhaps you have a local refillable shop just launched nearby - and you’ll notice a number of ‘eco cleaning’ solutions lining the shelves including multi-purpose sprays, bath cleaners, washing up liquids, biodegradable surface wipes and more. These products are taking on the mainstream cleaning brands that we’ve been using for years.Your skin will be more vibrant and your body will benefit too (maybe you won’t lose weight, but to a certain point, the scale really holds no bearing on ‘health’). 3. You will have more energy If a year without buying anything new seems too big a challenge, try a month, or buy only secondhand. Livia Firth, founder of sustainability consultancy Eco-Age, follows the “30 wears rule”: ask, “Will I wear it at least 30 times?” before buying. Related: These Winter coffee recipes also use natural sweeteners Clean living lifestyle change 10 Stretch and foam roll You may experience fewer aches and pains, your body may actually be able to relax, and your mood will improve! 2. You will look better

Refined sugars spike your blood sugar, cause kidney disease, liver disease, shortened life-span, increased desire for coffee and tobacco, coronary heart disease, hyperactivity and behavioral problems, violent tendencies, overgrowth of bacteria in the digestive tract, associated with cancer, and “feeding tumors” bone density loss and tooth decay, and so much more. This is kept very general for a reason. Not everybody likes a traditional “workout regime” and I’m a big believer in finding what works for you and doing that. If you love hiking until you work up a sweat, but can’t stand the gym – go for a few hikes a week. If you love doing Crossfit but hate Pilates, go to Crossfit! In any case, you want to make sure you’re sweating (meaning, getting your heart rate high enough to enjoy the cardiovascular benefits) several times per week. Saxbe DE, Repetti R. No place like home: home tours correlate with daily patterns of mood and cortisol. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2010 Jan;36(1):71-81. doi:10.1177/0146167209352864. PMID: 19934011.As well as testing how well the all-purpose cleaner did on the kitchen worktops, we were interested to see if the Biological Odour and Spot Remover did in fact work on upholstery. We found it effective at removing a fresh orange juice stain off a rug. Using the Biological Drain Maintainer was rather satisfying too and it comes in a neat little recyclable sachet. We poured it down the sink at night and ran the tap in the morning to give it a little spruce. Crops can’t be grown every year in the same soil without replacing nutrients taken by the plants, and switching the flour you use can help. “Spelt or wheat is often grown in rotation with rye and clover to replace lost nitrogen,” says Hunter. “Eating rye supports the farmers’ rotation; I use spelt and emmer flour as an alternative to wheat because they have similar baking properties, while being beneficial to the soil.” By making this small change you’re helping your body to absorb the nutrients you’re providing it, as well as flush out toxins. EKS Living Clean are currently looking for a motivated cleaner to join our friendly team in Norwich. Ideally you will have cleaning experience although full training will be provided. Similarly, while we are on the topic of controlling what’s in your food – eat out less. The more you eat out, the less control you have of what’s in your food, what your food is cooked on, or how your food is prepared. Commit to eating one less meal out per month. That’s a totally doable change – if you’re eating out once per week, start by cutting out one of those per month. Then continue to cut out as possible. I’ll tell you, once you start cooking more from scratch, you won’t even want to eat out because your food will taste so much better at home!

Previous cleaning experience is desired, but not essential. Good communication skills are essential to communicate with customers and comply with Health & Safety regulations. The ideal candidate will be able to work on their own initiative and organise their own time. Duties to Include: Make the most of seasonal gluts and preserve vegetables in oils, vinegars, chutneys, ketchup and marinades, or freeze them. “Blitz and freeze tomatoes in containers for passata all year round; make kimchi from cauliflower stalks and leaves; use beetroot in jams, vinegars and oil, then chop stalks and leaves to top pastas, pizzas, curries and dal,” says Hunter. Brown RA, Abrantes AM, Minami H, et al. A preliminary, randomized trial of aerobic exercise for alcohol dependence. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2014;47(1):1-9. doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2014.02.004 When I stopped chasing the next best thing and started making more of what we consume in my own home, I started saving tons of money. I had a complete mindset shift away from consumerism and toward creating for myself and my family. When you rid your home and your body of toxins and start living a clean lifestyle, your body will thrive. 8. You’ll probably save money

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According to independent energy comparison service U Switch, the cost of running your fridge and freezer equates to about 7% of your total energy bill (they are one of the few household energy devices that are on all the time). U Switch recommends replacing your fridge and/or freezer if it is over 10 years old. Even if it’s working, the cost of a new model will be made up for in energy savings over the years. Keep your fridge at 5C or less (most are kept at about 7C, which means food will go off sooner) and ensure there is a 10cm gap behind your fridge to let heat flow away easily. Make sure the seal is strong – if it can’t hold a piece of paper when shut, it could be letting in warm air, making it work harder.

Part of a clean living lifestyle is making clean cooking a part of that lifestyle. The more surefire way to cook clean is to cook from scratch. When you can control what goes into the meals you’re making from start to finish, you’re truly eating clean. Related: Read this post on the 10 sneaky toxic products in your home Clean living lifestyle change 13 clean and organize your life Traditional cleaning products are often full of harsh chemicals like hydrogen peroxide that can pollute the environment. They can also be harmful to our health and the health of our children and pets. By choosing a professional green cleaning service that uses only environmentally friendly products, we can reduce the environmental impact of cleaning and protect our health. Hanley AW, Warner AR, Dehili VM, Canto AI, Garland EL. Washing dishes to wash the dishes: brief instruction in an informal mindfulness practice. Mindfulness. 2015;6(5):1095-1103. doi:10.1007/s12671-014-0360-9 Baths have long been seen as more wasteful and less responsible than showering, but some research shows that modern, pumped power showers can use more, not less, water than bathing. It is possible to enjoy a luxurious, but environmentally considerate, bath. Use sulphate-free oils, salts or foams and relax (I’ve even been known to wash posh, delicate bras while I soak). You can save more water by washing hair over the bath before climbing in, allowing the water to fill the tub – the shampoo will create bubbles, too. Save to save the planetLetting your grass grow longer between cuts not only saves petrol or electricity, and therefore reduces carbon dioxide emissions, but also encourages more wildlife into your garden. Longer grass is more drought-resistant, too. Try cutting every three or four weeks and let dandelions, daisies and violets bloom in spring, followed by buttercups, clovers and selfheal in summer. Clean living lifestyle change: Chose an activity that you love and commit to doing it at least one more time per week and gradually increase until you reach at least 3 times per week. Clean living lifestyle change 12 Swap to non-toxic products You can never have enough house plants,” says Oliver Heath, who runs a sustainable architecture practice. Certain plants are best for certain rooms: “Mother-in-law’s tongue gives off oxygen at night, which makes it best suited to the bedroom.” According to Chillingsworth, peace lilies and boston ferns thrive in rooms with high humidity and can reduce the mould spores in the air, making them ideal for bathrooms; weeping figs have been found to be the best plant for removing formaldehyde released from carpets and furniture, making them good for living areas.