Healthy living has long surpassed being a trend, but the ways to stay healthy have always changed as much as trends do. Due to the many factors affecting overall health and well-being, this ‘trend’ is inevitable. As science progresses, we become more aware of the science behind staying healthy and make appropriate changes to adhere to these developments.
Among the latest trends surrounding health is the ‘healthy home’. A healthy home is rather straightforward: a house that facilitates and enables healthy living. Part of this includes commonly held standards for designing a home, such as good airflow and clean water, better insulation, and the use of non-toxic chemicals around the house.
However, a ‘healthy home’ is not limited to the construction of your house. You don’t have to start from scratch to make your home healthier, there simple ways to turn your existing house into a better and healthier home.
A Healthy Home the Easy Way
A house is a major investment that costs quite the financial responsibility. As mentioned before, you tearing down your existing house to build a new one just to make it healthy is not necessary. It’s not realistic to completely overhaul your house at this point, especially when there are simpler solutions available. You can make the best of your home loan by doing these easy ways to make your home healthier for you and your family.
Breathe Better
A common misconception that many have is that the air inside our homes is clean- as a matter of fact, it’s often the opposite. There are many pollutants and contaminants found in our homes, released by cooking food, piled-up trash, and even cleaning products. However, there are some simple measures to make sure that your family is breathing clean air.
House Plants
Decorative houseplants are all the rage these days, and that’s not particularly a bad thing. Plants make great air cleansers, and they also increase the oxygen in the air. They purify the air through their leaves and add a natural atmosphere to any room as well.
Air Purifier
Many establishments use portable air purifiers in their reception areas to make the atmosphere lighter and feel better. You can put one in your living room or bedroom, or spaces where there’s less airflow to make the air you breathe cleaner.
Natural Lighting
Many interior designers will tell you that natural light makes a room look better. But other than its aesthetic value, natural light also helps a lot when it comes to health. The benefits of vitamin D is well documented; it can boost your mood, prevents the weakening of bones, reduces potentials for heart disease, and aids in weight loss. The benefits all sound very appealing, but how do you let more natural light in?
Open Your Windows
One of the simplest ways to naturally increase sunlight is literally opening your windows. Allow your windows to take in sunlight and reflect it inside your house. If there are pieces of furniture covering your windows, it’s wise to place them elsewhere. You can place your workstation near the spots where sunlight enters to receive more sunlight as well.
Use Mirrors
If you don’t have the luxury of big windows, you can still take advantage of the sunlight coming in. Using large mirrors, you can spread natural light all around the room. Place mirrors adjacent or opposite a window, as it will mimic another window. This makes you feel like there’s another source of light and makes the room feel bigger too.
Use Glass, Not Plastic
Glass jars and containers look beautiful, you can see them in Instagram and interior design magazines. But they’re not just eye candy, they’re actually a lot more healthy. Glass, unlike plastic, does not contain toxic chemicals that food can absorb. It’s also non-porous, preventing the smell of food from sticking in the container. Glass is also completely reusable and only needs the usual cleaning. On the other hand, even food-grade plastic has limited use and is not an ideal solution for long-term storage.
However, this should not prompt you to run to your kitchen and immediately chuck out your plastic food containers. Instead, check the bottom of the plastic container and look at the identification code. There should be a triangle with a number, and this tells you what kind of plastic it is. Numbers 1, 2, 4, and 5 are common food-grade plastics and are fine for temporary use. If you find the numbers 3, 6, and 7, it’s best to throw them out immediately and replace them with a glass container.
These are but simple ways to make your house a healthier place to live in, but of course, health ultimately comes from you. Proper diet and regular exercise are still the number one advice to live by, but having a house that enables that is advantageous to have as well.
