April’s Theme: Big Green Spring Clean

So here we are at the start of April, and although the weather has been cold, hopefully brighter days are coming very soon.

I am currently sunning myself on the beautiful island of Madeira, topping up my vit D levels, swimming daily and just generally relaxing and enjoying myself. The produce here is so flavoursome, all grown locally with zero air miles. I’m loving starting the day with beautiful salads, avocados, homemade cream cheese, natural yoghurt, cucumber, olives, artichokes and eggs cooked in numerous ways. A savoury breakfast with lots of fibre and protein really sets us up for the day, giving us sustainable energy and keeping us full for longer. 

April is the month that spring really begins; newborn lambs, brighter days, daffodils, Easter eggs and, inevitably- spring cleaning! 

This is not a topic we have focused on before but it’s a really important one. A healthy life is about more than just food, our toxic load encompasses the products we use and surround ourselves with too so its important to be aware of what we’re using.

Have you ever looked at all the cleaning products in your cupboards and under your sink? Do we really need numerous different products in plastic bottles, filled with toxic chemicals which are lethal to aquatic life and damaging to our health? Anti bac sprays killing 99% of bacteria (good and bad), glass cleaners containing 2-Butoxyethanol that can cause liver and kidney damage, plug in air fresheners expelling artificial fragrance that damages our lungs- especially problematic for folks with asthma and respiratory issues.

In years gone by, good old elbow grease, vinegar, baking soda and lemon were the cleaning agents we used, and we were way healthier for it! Windows were opened regularly, washing hung outside to dry, and rugs hung outside and given a good bashing, not sprayed with artificially perfumed products. We have become a nation so far removed from what supports our health, it’s a continual onslaught on our bodies of thousands of chemicals, pesticides, fragrances, which our body needs to deal with and it wasn’t designed to at the current levels of exposure. 

So let’s have a look at more natural and just as effective ways to spring clean our homes this month. If you have any good tips and tricks, please do share them with us on the Facebook group! Watch the film Plastic Detox on Netflix if you need convincing of the damage our fast-paced, plastic-filled life is causing!

Wishing you a clean, green & bright April!

In good health,

Janice xx