ARCHIVE for Wednesday 2nd January 2002 - Healthy Home

ARE you in search of a happier, healthier new year? If so, why not start with changing your own home.

Gina Lazenby, a consultant in feng-shui, the ancient Chinese art of harmonising your environment, discovered that the combination of materials in her own home was actually making her ill. The changes she made transformed her life and resulted in a positive career change.

Here are Gina’s ten tips to improve your living space.

1. Clear clutter from you home. Start with one drawer, then a cupboard then a room. Excess stuff in a home causes stagnation, getting rid of it is liberating.
2. Declutter your body, which is also your home, by detoxing. You’ll feel more energetic and build up your inner defence system to cope with the February flu. Start by drinking more water, then build up to days, then weeks, without sugar, meat and alcohol.
3. Pay attention to where you sleep. Unplug your TV set and move all electrical appliances from your bedhead for a better night’s sleep.
4. Reduce your exposure to chemicals. Start by not using chemical air fresheners; try natural oil burners or - better still - fresh hyacinths.
5. Reduce the chemicals in your laundry. Use ecological products or try the magnetic balls that give you 500 washes for £20
6. Try less carpet in your home. Natural materials such as wood and organic cotton rugs will reduce chemicals and dust mites, giving relief to those with breathing problems.
7. Make New Year DIY jobs safe and non-polluting. Use organic paints and visit www.ecoconstruct.com for more tips.
8. Tap into the earth’s magnetic field. For more energy explore magnetic products that put you back in touch with this natural energy, from which we are cut off by concrete and other building materials.
9. Reduce your exposure to harmful rays from your TV and computers. Recent tests reveal that too much TV increases children’s aggression while decreasing their learning ability. Sit eight to ten feet away from the TV set if possible. Better still, buy a bio shield.
10. Light and colour. Use them in your house to change the feeling and mood. Introduce reds with pillows and throws in the winter to warm your place up and replace them in the spring with the new vigour of yellow. Use indirect lighting for a calmer environment, replace strip lighting with full spectrum bulbs and ordinary light bulbs with natural daylight bulbs. Your home is the one place where you can make all the choices. So experiment and have fun.

For more details on any of these ideas and products visit www.thehealthyhome.com where you can also The Healthy Home by Gina Lazenby.

Mark Winter