What is in this film?

We look at different chemicals and factors affecting our home and our workplace to see where we might want to make changes for healthier living and working environments.

We cannot avoid all chemicals in the environment but we can be aware of some of these and how they may subtly affect our health.

Food When budget and practically allows, you may like to increase the volume of organic foods you buy and eat. Berry fruits such as strawberries and raspberries, which are heavily sprayed, are good examples of foods, that are without a skin, and which are much better for your health when organic as they are difficult to wash and remove the chemicals.  When buying non-organic fruit and vegetables, wash and scrub them well to remove as much of the chemical residues as possible. You might like to try growing your own vegetables, even if just a few salad vegetables in a container. We encourage you to eat fruit and vegetables that are fresh and in season.

Processed foods Look at the labels on the packets, see what additives are, there perhaps choosing more natural packet foods. Also, try reducing the use of food from tins and cartons that are lined in plastic.

Cookware and food storage We recommend stainless steel, ceramic or cast-iron cookery ware, avoiding non-stick coatings as they can emit toxic fumes if they start to disintegrate. As a start, invest in one good cooking pot that you could use every day. When you are heating up food, remove any plastic and, if possible, heat the food on the hob in a saucepan. Storing food in glass is better than plastic.

Drinking water A simple solution to help with reduce unwanted chemicals in your water is to buy a simple water filter jug. We suggest carrying water with you in either glass or stainless steel bottle, not plastic.

Skincare products We suggest that you prioritise organic skincare products for the ones you use and leave on the skin all day, including make-up. 

Cleaning products You may want to simplify the products you are using, perhaps choosing eco-products with less harsh chemicals. Microfibre cloths are very good for cleaning with just water. If you wish, you can make your own chemical free products for everyday cleaning quite simply. Be aware of chemicals in gardening products too.

Environmental factors We now know that electrical devices such as phones, TVs, computers etc can impact our wellbeing. We suggest you limit the use of your these. Take regular screen breaks and we suggest that you do not carry your phone around right next to your body for prolonged periods. 

Keep the bedroom as free from electrical devices as possible to support a good night’s sleep. If you have a TV in the bedroom, switch it off and unplug it before you sleep and turn off your mobile phone altogether. If you need to keep your phone on overnight, then keep it well away from the bed.

House plants are really helpful in mopping up radiation and airborne chemicals inside buildings, these include peace lilies, spider plants, ficus and ferns. You can also buy phone and computer shields as well.

You might find some of these suggestions helpful for you, keep it simple and just start with a couple that seem most relevant to you.