HOMESPUN HEALTH | the art of living, well.

A recent report by North American environmental marketing company TerraChoice outlines how 95% of products marketed as being “green” use misleading labeling and advertising tactics.  These findings were released as part of their third annual “The Sins of Greenwashing: Home and Family Edition” report.
This practice of using misleading claims to mislead consumers about the environmental [...]

In our modern global marketplace, we have access to foods grown virtually anywhere in the world all year round at the supermarkets. However, our supermarket-based food system is not the most sustainable option.

By purchasing local foods and eating seasonally, you reduce the environmental impact of shipping foods thousands of kilometres, the money goes directly to the farmer, and you can enjoy the health benefits of eating fresh, unprocessed food (that just tastes better).

The best way to make conscious decisions when eating seafood is to choose fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, low in heavy metal contaminants, and are eco-friendly. Here is a list of good options:

As we enter the dreaded cold & flu season, it is a great time to start working towards supporting our immune systems.  Boosting your own immune system rather than relying on external antiviral drugs ensures a stronger resistance, helping to not only prevent infection, but also enhancing your ability to fight infection.

Plants have a long [...]

Fish is a great dietary source of protein, and more important for health are the essential fatty acids that certain kinds of fish contain. They are called “essential” because the body is unable to produce them, and so ensuring a dietary source is important.

The importance of these polyunsaturated fats in health promotion and disease prevention cannot be overstated.

This delicious Greek-style dip is full of walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil, and is nutritious to boot.

It’s time to re-evaluate our ideas about environmental education, and to focus more on simple unstructured play in nature. For children the most important place on the planet could be your own backyard.

As a parent changing thousands of diapers you can easily grasp the environmental impact of your choice in diapering. What is often overlooked is that amount of waste created by using disposable baby wipes. Furthermore, many of the conventional wipes on the market contain ingredients that you may not want in contact with your child’s skin.

Here’s how to make your very own eco-friendly, re-usable baby wipes.

Jamie Oliver is attempting to start a much-needed food revolution in the United States. He believes that every child in America has the right to fresh, nutritious school meals, and that every family deserves real, honest, wholesome food.

* Stress management!  Take a deep breath, and remember:  chronic, long-term stress suppresses the immune system making you more susceptible to infections, and also intensifies cold and flu symptoms when sick.  Some stressors can be avoided, but realistically some stress in life is inevitable.  The key is to keep things in perspective, and to practice [...]

This cold & flu season has brought a mass media and public health campaign to prevent the H1N1 influenza virus using a newly-developed vaccine.  Public health officials are recommending all persons, especially those considered at- risk (infants, children, those with compromised immunity, and seniors), receive the H1N1 vaccine this year as protection.
So what do you [...]

As a society, we have been using sunscreen for decades as protection from the harmful UV rays of the sun. Dermatologists have strongly advocated the use of sunscreen before any sun exposure to decrease the incidence of skin cancer. However over the past few years, scientists studying cancer have come to realize that chemical sunscreens may actually be increasing the incidence of cancer, and that some sun exposure may be protective, decreasing cancer rates and improving overall health. Epidemiological studies now show that we are much more likely to die from disorders aggravated by chronic underexposure to the sun than disorders aggravated by overexposure.

You can tell a lot about a person by their face. You can tell even more about a person by the skin on their face.
The skin is a fundamentally important organ of the body acting as a highly strict physical barrier between your inner environment and the world outside. It reflects not only [...]