It was last summer that I wrote this post. I found it interesting that one year later, the information is still spot-on and thus, I continue to share this message to anyone who will listen. I hope it will be beneficial to all of you:

For those of us who defied the Surgeon General’s warning on the cigarette package for all those years…. We all know,  how valid the warning was and still is.

And now,  research has proven that many products that families are using in our homes around their children and family, can be detrimental to their health.

In a report from the NIEHS (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences), the following statement pretty much sums up what all the research is saying:

Children are highly vulnerable to the negative health consequences associated with many environmental exposures. Children receive proportionately larger doses of environmental toxicants than adults, and the fact that their organs and tissues are rapidly developing makes them particularly susceptible. Research in children’s health looks at the effects of air pollution on respiratory diseases such as allergies and asthma, the impact of lead, mercury, and other environmental contaminants on cognitive development and behavior, and the influence of prenatal and early life exposures on growth and development.

So, what’s stopping you from making the switch over to greener and cleaner products in your home? Money, convenience, not knowing what products are safe to use? I’ve prepared a little survey about these issues and would appreciate each reader taking it for me. It should take less than 5 minutes to complete it!

There are many reputable brands of non-toxic cleaning products available on the market, besides the ones that I distribute. For most of them, it’s fairly easy to find out what the ingredients are and if any of them, can pose some type of health hazard to your family. Two of the websites that I most commonly refer to are:

Environmental Working Group – www.ewg.org

US Dept of Health & Human Services – http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov

You can also obtain a free report that lists many of the commonly used household cleaners and their ingredients by going to: www.4greenplanetsolutions.com. There’s an excellent video called Toxic Brew on that webpage, that talks more about the unseen exposures right in our homes.

Besides the retail products, you already have some natural products right in your cupboard; vinegar, lemon juice and baking soda. There are numerous online resources with suggestions of how to dilute and use these products.

Make it a greener and cleaner summer. The changes may very well make a positive health and financial impact to your family. If, you just don’t know where to start, feel free to contact me with any questions or ideas. I certainly don’t have all the answers, but love the chance to research and find them !!

Special Healthy Home Kit

Special Facebook Offer

Become a “Fan” on Facebook of Shaklee Corporation, and you can receive a free package of Shaklee Energy Chews. Retail price is $21.30, but you will only pay $4.98 for shipping and handling! Shaklee is making an incredible offer for new and existing customers also.

You may take advantage of this offer as a Guest Shopper, but please put my distributor number of #ZQ01390 or my email of liz@sowing4health.com in, when it prompts you.

Special Earth Day Healthy Home Kit

For a limited time, starting today – Earth Day (4/22), at the time that you join Shaklee, you can also purchase a very special selection of Get Clean® products that includes Basic H2 (16 oz), Two Spray Bottles, Get Clean Super Microfiber Cleaning Cloths, Get Clean Dish Wash Liquid Concentrate, Get Clean Fresh Laundry Concentrate (32 oz), and Shaklee Energy™.

This offer is worth over $85 and is only available to new members at the time of sponsoring, at the amazing Member Price of $30.*

To take advantage of this  phenonemal offer, just go to my Shaklee website. You can also email me for any questions you may have at asklizfirst@gmail.com.

Happy Earth Day !!

“Treat the earth well:
it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children.

We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors,
we borrow it from our Children.”

This week is designated Earth Week and the 22nd of April is Earth Day. It’s also marks the 4th anniversary of my journey of being a more responsible caretaker of this beautiful planet.

There are a plethora of things that one can do, to be more environmentally conscious and reduce their carbon footprint. I will be sharing 3 of the ways that I try to do that. These are 3 ways that I celebrate Earth Day, every single day and you can also.

Using Safe & Non-Toxic Cleaning Products

I started out 4 years ago, by purchasing and using non-toxic cleaning products. Not only did I figure out that these type of products were less harmful to the planet, but they are less harmful to humans also.

As, I’ve written about recently, there has been very little regulatory control over the ingredients used in products for many years. This will get better eventually, but in the meantime, I don’t have to worry because I have done my homework and use safe products that don’t contain toxins.

Using Reusable Shopping Bags

I also started using reusable shopping bags at about the same time. Four years later and I’m still using my original Ecobags that I purchased. The Ecobags are manufactured using environmentally. socially responsible goods and are still in excellent condition.

Based on some online statistics, my family has probably avoided using from 750 to 1,000, single-use plastic bags a year, by using reusable bags instead. That means, that over the last 4 years, my family may have kept up to 4,000 plastic bags from being used. WOW, I hadn’t thought of it that way before!!

Pati Robinson from The Cleaner Earth Project recently shared some amazing information about the impact plastic bags have on our environment and what you can do to make a difference. I’ve listed a few below, but if you read the entire article on Daytime’s website, I do believe you’ll raise an eyebrow more than a few times.

Instituting Some Basic Recycling Processes

Prior to my new outlook for the planet, I had only recycled aluminum cans and newspaper. But, after a minimal amount of research, I learned where I could recycle many other household items, such as; tin cans, magazines, shredded paper, cardboard and more.

Putting into place some type of recycling routine into your household is relatively painless. It only takes a little effort to develop a habit of recycling and once you have, you wonder why you hadn’t been doing it a long time ago.

Here’s some excellent benefits to recycling that the EPA lists:

• Recycling protects and expands U.S. manufacturing jobs and increases U.S. competitiveness.
• Recycling reduces the need for landfilling and incineration.
• Recycling prevents pollution caused by the manufacturing of products from virgin materials.
• Recycling saves energy.
• Recycling decreases emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change.
• Recycling conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals.
• Recycling helps sustain the environment for future generations.

I hope you are encouraged to start and/or continue a lifestyle of purposefully making decisions that are better for the planet. Also, please share some of the other ways that you help the planet on Earth Day or anyday. And, if you’re looking for more ideas, please go the Earth Day website for ideas and resources.

But, do not despair, spring cleaning doesn’t have to be noxious and difficult during the actual cleansing part of the process. There are safe and non-toxic cleaning products available that are economical and work really well.

My favorite (of course), are the Get Clean products from Shaklee. I first learned about them on Oprah’s Earth Day show in 2007, and I’ve been a believer ever since. Please watch the below video segment from that actual episode.

I then spent the following month researching Shaklee’s cleaning and nutritional products. Ultimately, I started using them and I know that it’s made a huge difference for my family and the planet.

The cleaning products are concentrated and non-toxic. And, the nutritional supplements are all natural. All products are 100% money back guaranteed and this month you can become a Shaklee member for free, with a minimum $30.00 purchase. If, you’d like more information about the products and or the company, please don’t hesitate to contact me or peruse through my website at www.sowing4health.com. Make this spring cleaning project a healthy one for your family and the planet.

Value Sheet Get Clean

Well, guess what?……YOU ARE WRONG !!!

Do you purchase laundry detergent, all-purpose cleaners, disinfectants, dishwasher detergent? I would presume close to all of you answered, “Dah” !!

With a $115.00 purchase of Shaklee’s, Get Clean Starter Kit and $20.00 for their Basic G Concentrated Germicide, you’ll have the cleaning power that you’d get when spending over $3,400 at the check stand.

How can this be, you ask? Because Shaklee products are concentrated. Our 16 oz bottle of all-purpose cleaner, dilutes down into over 200 bottles of cleaner. And, the germicide dilutes down into over 64 gallons of product!

Don’t believe me still? I dare you to try Shaklee’s products. Not only do they work, but all products come with a 100% money-back guarantee. AND, an ever better reason, is that Shaklee’s Get Clean products are natural safe and proven effective.

For over 54 years, Shaklee has never had a product recall. Also, joining as a Member saves you 15% off retail prices, and there’s no minimum order requirements to be a Member.

For some facts & statistics, I’ve attached the following information:

Cost Comparison

Value Sheet

Which Products Do You Use

Surface Cleaning Guide

ALSO:  If, join as  a Member and order the Shaklee Get Clean Kit this month, you will receive a Cinch Sampler Kit for FREE. That an over $100.00 value!

It’s all here in black and white and green! Start saving today and enjoy the difference you’ll see every time you checkout at the check stand.

For over 50 years, Shaklee has been providing natural nutritional supplements and green cleaning products. AND, during all that time, they’ve never had a product recall.

This year, Shaklee celebrated the 50th Anniversary for Basic H2. This is their all-purpose cleaner, which comes with a Green Seal certification.

Many people have heard of and/or used Basic H2 over the years, but may not have realized that it is an exclusive Shaklee product. It has numerous uses for cleaning just about anywhere in home and commercial applications. There are also applications for the product, that have been developed over the years for farm and ranch use.

I personally, have a customer that uses the original Basic H Classic, to worm her cows. This application is not one suggested by Shaklee, but one that has been handled down through the years. It’s also regulary used for fruit and vegetable wash, as well as fly spray for horses.

There are many companies that aren’t as credible and earth conscious as Shaklee.  Many are making claims that aren’t entirely truthful and those statements are often referred to as “greenwashing”.

TerraChoice is a company that is actively seeking to educate consumers about greenwashing. Their definition for it is:

Green-wash (green’wash’, -wôsh’) – verb: the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.

Please go to their website and read their 2010 Greenwashing Report and also be sure to read their Seven Sins of Greenwashing . After that, test your knowledge by playing their online game: Name That Sin.

“Green” products on the market have almost doubled from 2009 to 2010. It’s our responsibility to become educated about the products and then make the best decision possible for our family and the planet.

As for Shaklee, there are over 50 years of testimonials to validate the efficacy and quality of Shaklee products.  Shaklee was “green” when green was just a color.  My family has used the Shaklee products for over 3 years and had only superior results related to cleaning and no adverse health effects. I am secure with the Shaklee promise and am happy to share more information with anyone who has questions.

When Shaklee first launched their patented, phosphate-free Basic-D® in 1991, they were way ahead of trend in making available a high performing phosphate-free automatic dishwash concentrate. It wasn’t until 1994 that phosphates in laundry detergents were restricted nationwide, but until recently, automatic dishwasher detergent manufacturers could include phosphates without concern for environmental regulations prohibiting or limiting the use of phosphates. There simply weren’t any.

Well, that time appears to be coming to an end. As of this year, 17 states have enacted laws regarding phosphates in automatic dishwasher cleaners, 15 of them in 2010 alone.

Why the concern about phosphates? Phosphates in bodies of fresh water like lakes, streams, rivers, and creeks, act as a nutrient to organisms like algae, encouraging their growth to an extent that they can harm or threaten plant and fish life.

So, I want to assure you environmentally conscious consumers that Shaklee Get Clean® products do not contain phosphates, and never will. And for those who are concerned about performance, Shaklee Get Clean Automatic Dish Wash Concentrate is a patented, highly concentrated, phosphate-free automatic dishwash cleanser, backed by the 100% Shaklee Satisfaction Guarantee, and selected as a 2008 recipient of the PTPA (Parent Tested Parent Approved) seal of approval. Its enzyme-activated formula removes tough stains without prerinsing, dissolving quickly and completely, without residue.

Here are the 17 states in which phosphates in dishwash detergents are now regulated. Is your state one of them?

Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Vermont, Virginia

And even if your state isn’t among these, shouldn’t everyone you know be using a phosphate-free dishwash concentrate?

Just another example of the Shaklee Difference™

Smirk if you must, when I tell you that I’m referring to Shaklee products. BUT, did you know that NASA has used Shaklee’s Basic H (all-purpose cleaner) in their facilities? How about the fact that a Northern California based aerospace and defense leader uses Basic H in their specifications for maintenance of equipment? Or, even that there are numerous farm and ranch owners that use Basic H to rid crops of pests or worm their cattle? No, the last example is not based on Shaklee Corporation’s recommendations. But, based on years of practice by forward-thinking farmers and ranchers, Basic H is preferred due to its being a natural, organic,  non-ionic, surfactant.

So, why would you pay more for products that may or may not be safe? Or, why would you use safe products that put more packaging into the landfills, than concentrated, safe and guaranteed products by Shaklee? Did you know that even using safe products like vinegar and baking soda, can cost more out of your pocketbook and put more into the landfills, than some of  Shaklee’s products?

If, you’ve never met, let me introduce Shaklee Corporation to you. A direct marketing company that has been in continuous business for over 50 years. They were the first-ever certified, Climate Neutral company in the U.S. They are also the number one natural nutrition company in the United States. A company that has never had a product recall and stands behind ALL their products, with a 100% money-back guarantee.

Yep, that’s Shaklee. And what a product line of safe, smart, green products they have! The Get Clean product line includes an all-purpose cleaner, Basic H2. One 16-ounce bottle of this concentrated green cleaner dilutes down into over 200 bottles of cleaner. That works out to about .07 cents a bottle and only one original bottle to the plastic recycling center.

Please take the opportunity to view this short 3-minute video with information about Shaklee’s cleaning products. Also, feel free to go over to my website and peruse through for information on each and every product. Also,  Shaklee  offers kitchen and laundry products that are safe for the environment and your pocketbook. The Shaklee philosophy is: Always Safe, Always Works, Always Green. I invite you to find out for yourself and share the results here for others to see.