Simply Natural Ideas: How to get Fresh Air

1 December 2011 No Comments

Rochelle Hanson

By Rochelle Hanson

It’s cold outside. And if you live where I live, you saw snow on the ground yesterday for the first time this season. Winter’s here and there’s nothing we can do about it. But what does this mean for our health? Most people in North America spend about 90% of their time indoors. During the winter, I’d say for myself, it would be more accurate to say I’m inside at least 97% of the time. Although I was born in Toronto, I’ve never been a fan of bone chilling winds or frost bite. If you’re anything like myself, you might need some tips on how to get fresh air during the winter. Here’s how to do it.

Open the windows. For at least 5-10 minutes every day, make sure you open at least two windows in your home – preferably on opposite sides of the building so the air can circulate. If you’re not going to go outside, at least let the air from outside come in. If you can stand to keep the windows open longer than just a few minutes, do it. You’ll improve the overall air quality of your home, and help to prevent getting colds and flus.

Get a house plant. Did you know that even with all the pollution we have these days, the air outside is still cleaner than the air inside our homes? Trees and outside plants do an awesome job at cleaning up our air. Why not bring some of that natural cleaning power indoors? If you don’t have at least one house plant, now is the time to get one. Anything with green leaves will work, so choose what suits your fancy.

Minimize toxins. If you get a lot of headaches and have trouble breathing, have you considered reevaluating the toxins you spray in your home? I don’t mean to scare you, but everything from generic household cleaners to air fresheners are quite likely to be highly toxic. This is another reason why fresh air is so important. Most conventional stores now carry cleaners that use natural ingredients, like vinegar or even baking soda, so try using those in your home instead. If you don’t believe that what you spray in your home makes much of a difference, watch this little video. It’s funny, I think you’ll like it.

So no matter how much or how little time you spend outdoors during these cold winter months, you should at least do everything you can to control the quality of air in your home. Opening the windows, getting a green house plant, and minimizing the toxins you use inside will optimize and improve your overall health this season.

thumbnail image © Peregrine | Dreamstime.com

Rochelle Hanson is the author of the free ebook, Breaking Cravings. She is currently enrolled at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and is studying to become a Health Coach. Rochelle offers practical tips on natural health and wellness both in this column and on her blog Simply Natural Ideas. Write to [email protected] for a free health consultation or connect with her on Facebook.