Clean

Water, Food & Air

Clean water   

*Advisable in some places only

1. *Use water filters and then boil water. Change the filters on time.
2. *Arrange a free check of your water quality by contacting your local water supplier.
3. *Avoid ice cubes in drinks when eating out.
4. Wash cups well and rinse washing up liquid off the cups.
5. Keep cups covered.
6. Don’t put hot liquid into plastic containers unless they’re heat resistant.
7. Avoid plastic bottles or cups with BPA.
8. Use only cold water from the tap for drinking and cooking. Hot water has usually been through the boiler which may be unclean or leach chemicals.
9. If taps have not been used for a while, then briefly run the water before filling your container.
10. Take hazardous waste to a hazardous waste collection center. Do not dump toxic chemicals down the drain or on the ground.

Clean food

1. Eat organic vegetarian food.
2. Wash food well with clean water.
3. Don’t put food on the ground.
4. Cover food if left standing or if sweeping.
5. If you eat fish then choose fish with lower lower mercury levels (usually lower on the food chain).
6. Don’t eat as you walk by busy roads or drive.
7. Avoid disposable utensils like throw-away chopsticks and plastic cutlery.
8. Don’t use plastic with hot food unless heat proof. Don’t put plastic into microwave ovens unless microwave safe.
9. Rinse washing up liquid off cups and plates.
10. Use separate cloths for cleaning dishes and surfaces.

Clean air

1. Don’t smoke.
2. Use cleaner transport such as electric vehicles or bicycles (don’t use petrol scooters).
3. Turn off your engine when you stop (avoid idling your engine).
4. Plant trees and be around trees.
5. Walk or run in parks, the countryside, or away from busy roads.
6. Go high up above ground level. Go to a higher floor in your building, hike up a mountain.
7. Maintain good ventilation: especially when using chemical-based cleaners, glues and paints. Open a window or use an extractor fan.
8. Close doors and windows if you’re by a busy road (especially at rush hour and if you live on the ground floor).
9. Use an air purifier and/or put plants indoors.
10. Sweep carefully and slowly using a covered pan.

Author’s opinion

Advice for Governments on how to achieve cleaner air

Generally speaking in most countries we need more:

1. pedestrian areas (with no cars or scooters)
2. bans on petrol scooters
3. clean vehicles
4. green transport infrastructure
5. public transport infrastructure
6. stop engine idling campaigns
7. wide sidewalks
8. wide and protected bike lanes
9. trees
10. investment in green renewable energy

The Physical & Mental Health Balance

Taking care is often important for our physical health, but mental health often requires a more carefree outlook. So the art of living well is being careful, caring yet carefree. Having love without attachment.  A quote I once read goes, “Take a child by the hand, they will show you the way.”  I believe adults are often better at the ‘careful’ and children at the ‘carefree’. Every time you shout to a child, ‘Be careful!’ you can imagine them shouting back at you ‘Be carefree!’ Children often experience negative emotions and then recover swiftly because they’re such complete experts at living in the moment. To stop worrying about the past and future, is one of the great lessons they teach us. Mental slavery is worrying about the past. Discipline is doing the right thing from now on.

By all means use and share the various health tips outlined above, but always remember the value in simply broadening your outlook to see the big picture, the value of letting it be, of not worrying about stuff, and of having faith. Perfectionism is anything but perfect. So don’t sweat the small stuff, just create good habits so that overall you’re going in the right direction.