Going organic is a relatively simple New Year's resolution that is good for your family and the planet. Where do you start? I asked one of the most green moms I know - Shaheen Hirji, owner of Organically Hatched (an online organic baby store)- to share her story of going organic to get you inspired to do this same in 2010! Shaheen started her organically paved road 12 years ago.
Examiner: What began your interest in organics, natural products?
Shaheen: My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer on her 50th birthday and this triggered the questions "Why?" and "How?" for me. As I started to research the suspected causes of breast cancer or any type of cancer for that matter, I realized that aside from what we eat, the daily products we use on ourselves, also contain a lot of deadly chemicals. This is when I started to investigate and learn about these chemicals and started to look for natural/organic alternatives.
Examiner: Many moms know about eating organic, but why is it important to expand organics into the thing your family uses as well, both for the individual family and the globe?
Shaheen: It's extremely important to examine everything that we come in contact with or use on a daily basis, since many of these basic everyday products contain horrible chemicals that affect our health. When our kids are concerned, as moms, we always want the best for them and so learning about the dangers associated with these chemicals and eliminating products that contain these chemicals is so important.
Examiner: You own a online boutique that only sells organic/natural/eco-friendly items for kids. Why did you start your business?
Shaheen: When my son was born, I had a difficult time finding natural/organic products for him locally. Between two hour feedings, trying to physically shop with him was difficult and so I thought it would be great to give moms, like myself, the ability to shop at a time convenient to them and provide them with a good selection of quality, natural/organic products.
Examiner: How would you describe a typical organic lifestyle for a family and what choices would you say are most important for that?
Shaheen: An organic lifestyle first and foremost means that you are aware of the chemicals that exist in what you eat, what you put on your body, things that you come into contact with on a daily basis. Awareness means that you recognize these chemicals and try to choose products that are free of these chemicals. This is difficult as you have to read all labels and research, however with the selection of natural/organic products out there increasing, it's getting easier.
Examiner: Why do you recommend moms to make their new year goal to have an organic lifestyle?
Shaheen: The health of their children is by far the most important for any parent or caregiver and so I think it's important to recognize that a lot of daily products we use on ourselves and our kids, have many toxic ingredients. I have tried to summarize the basic ones in one of my blog entries: What are the worst ingredients to look out for in skin and bath products.
Examiner: Anything else you want to add and/or experiences you've had in this realm you want to share?
Shaheen: Aside from looking at products that are natural/organic, I also try to look for products that don't harm the enivronmment. Our health is important but we also need to choose products that aren't harmful to the earth.
Comments