New Living » indoor air quality

Testimonial: Dr. Ben Warner, D.D.S.

Amanda DeMers — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:20:38 +0000

When local dentist Dr. Ben Warner built his office, he designed it to be healthy for both his patients and the environment. Warner believes that health care professionals should not just promote healthy behaviors in their specific specialty, but in all aspects of healthy living, and when building his office, it was important to him that he expressed this idea in the space.

To help him accomplish this goal, New Living provided helped him choose and install non-toxic flooring materials and no-VOC paint. While paint is very important to indoor air quality, Dr. Warner was especially excited about his new floors. Marmoleum, a brand of natural linoleum, was installed in this dentist’s treatment area. This flooring option contains materials that are harvested sustainably and also help inhibit the growth of bacteria and microorganisms, helping the environment as well as people.

Dr. Warner spoke passionately, stating “I wanted to improve the environment and improve health at the same time”, He says, “and as we know, those two go hand-in-hand”. By taking care of ourselves, we also take care of our Earth, a concept that is a driving force for Dr. Ben Warner, as well as New Living.

Create a healthy, green nursery for your baby on January 25!

Amanda DeMers — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 21:14:09 +0000

On Wednesday, January 25, Shenequa Aranda of Premier Baby Planning will be hosting an event on “creating a green nursery for a healthier baby.”

Sponsored by New Living and Greenbuds!

To celebrate, all day we will be offering 3 great baby deals!

1. Get a free Greenbuds organic cotton mattress pad with the purchase of ant Greenbuds organic crib mattress.

2. Healthy sleep for the whole family: 20% off any “grown-up”-sized mattress with the purchase of any crib mattress!

3. Pick two…or three..and get 20% off! Group an Austin Air’s Baby Breathe filtration system, non-toxic paint for your nursery, and any crib crib mattress together for a great deal on a healthy, green nursery!

RSVP here!

Keep your home clean and healthy with Branch Basics

Amanda DeMers — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 05:50:31 +0000

So now that you’ve designed and built your dream home, what’s next?

Why not take care of yourself and your home with healthy, environmentally-friendly cleaning products from Branch Basics, available at New Living.

This non-toxic cleaning line is made from all-natural ingredients, and it works wonders without unhealthy and unpleasant fumes. We sell Branch Basics All-Purpose cleaner and a Window and Glass cleaner. The former even comes in a concentrate to save you time and money!

There is a growing awareness that chemical-laden cleaning products may do harm to you, your family, and even your pets. From skin and eye irritation to chronic diseases relating to long-term chemical exposure, the EPA attributes many health and environmental problems to these common household items.

Why expose yourself and your family to harmful chemicals when you could choose Branch Basics?

PHOTO: Courtesy Threebrancheshealth.com

Five Steps to a Healthier Home

Amanda DeMers — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:40:17 +0000

Sometimes figuring out how to make your home healthier can be overwhelming. There are so many studies, and articles, and editorials out there that you can’t wade through them all.

Or maybe you know a few healthy home projects you’d like to take on or purchases you’d like to make, but don’t know where to begin or how to prioritize. Almost everyday, someone asks which of our products is the most essential to having a healthy home.

We believe that to truly have a healthy home, one must consider many factors, and often make many changes. We can’t decide what’s right for your family, or tell you how to take on the task of creating a healthier home. We can, however, tell you that over the past few years, we have put together a list of the 5 most important things for you to consider. We hope it helps!

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1. Are you sleeping healthy?

We know we’ve said it before, but that’s because it is important: You spend one-third of your life in bed! Traditional mattresses contain toxic flame retardants, and petroleum-based memory foam mattresses have been found to off-gas numerous toxic chemicals, some of them carcinogenic. Does this sound like a place where you’d like to spend 20 to 30 years?

Organic, natural, and non-toxic mattresses are a safer alternative, and come in many different feels, and at many different price points. If you are in the market for a new mattress, these are definitely worth considering. If you are not looking to buy a new mattress, there are several covering options that make your mattress healthier — from airtight covers that eliminate off-gassing, to mattress toppers that put a little distance between you and your mattress. Of course, look for organic or natural linens as well!

2. Are you breathing healthy?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ranked indoor air pollution among the top five environmental dangers to the public. Poor indoor air quality can contribute to problems like allergies, asthma, and, according to the American Lung Association, even lung cancer. It can also exacerbate conditions like autism, cancer, and multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS).

Quality air filters remove biological and chemical particles from the air you and your family breathe. Austin Air filters are our favorite brand of plug-in filtration systems, and use medical HEPA filters, surrounded by activated carbon to address 99.97% of all environmental particulate contamination and chemical toxicity. These filtration systems are extremely efficient, cleaning either 700 or 1500 sq. ft. New Living can also help you if you are interested in testing the air in your home, or if you are interested in a whole house IQ air filter.

3. Is your water healthy?

In recent years, there has been a growing awareness about water quality issues. Many Houstonians probably don’t know that Houston has been found to have some of the worst water quality in the country. Additionally, the chemicals that Houston chooses to use to clean our water may have harmful effects of their own. While chlorine has traditionally been used to sterilize water, chloramine (a combination of chlorine and ammonia) has recently been introduced in Houston. Both chlorine and chloramine have been found to be respiratory irritants, and some studies suggest other long term health effects. The major problem with chloramine is that, unlike chlorine, it does not evaporate, and becomes concentrated when water is boiled. For a detailed overview, check this out!

Luckily for Houstonians, Al McDonald of AMAC water supply has developed a whole-house water filtration system that is tailored to Houston’s water. A whole-house water filter cleans the water you drink — and all other water that comes into your house. This is important because in a 15-minute shower, you absorb as many chemicals as you would from drinking half a gallon of water! With this system, your water will taste great, and your skin and hair will feel softer after your showers. The long term effects may be even better!

4. Are you painting healthy?

When you repaint, you consider the effect that a new color will have on your home. Why not also consider the effects of the new toxins you are introducing to the air you breathe? Traditional paints are so toxic that painters are the only professionals in the construction industry with a demonstrably lower life expectancy. This is because of the toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in traditional oil-based paints such as bezene and formaldehyde.

The great thing is that, all over the world, people are realizing that, in most cases, natural paints (which are water or plant based) can do the job just as well, without the added health effects. Our NOVOC paint, as well as paints by Mythic and Anna Sova, contain none of these harmful VOCs. They are great for painting walls. For masonry, wood, and metals, we recommend using our LOVOC (low-VOC) paint — which has far less toxic chemicals per gallon than traditional paint, but can still get these tricky jobs done. We can also provide guidance on how to get your painting job done in the healthiest and greenest way!

5. Are you shopping healthy?

Finally, and maybe this is the hardest one, it’s important to realize that anything you buy and bring home can have an effect on home health.

If you are a DIY family, make sure to choose materials and finishes that are low-VOC. Products like stains, caulk, adhesives, sealants, and shellac are far often more toxic than even traditional paint. We always like to remind people of the importance of looking at a project holistically. For instance, if you chose to buy a non-toxic flooring material, don’t undo yourself by using traditional adhesives or sealants!

You should also pay attention to the materials used in the finished products you buy. Because much of a product’s off-gassing occurs in the first few weeks, buying second-hand can limit — although not eliminate – the amount of chemicals brought into your home. Watch out for recently refinished products, though! Choose natural materials and finishes whenever possible, and look out for certifications like Green Guard, Green Seal, Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), and Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC).

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You can compare your home to your body when it comes to making it healthy. With your body, while eating healthy is important, we’ve all learned that what you put on your body is as important as what you put in it, and that no one thing alone makes you healthy. With your home, you also have to think about many things, but most of them relate to air quality and water quality. We hope that this list helped to narrow down the most important steps we believe that you should take in order to have a healthier home.

Our New Year’s Resolutions

Amanda DeMers — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:32:38 +0000

It’s that time of year again — the time when many of us gather friends and family to celebrate another year of struggles, survival, losses, and gains, things that have remained the same, and things that have changed. This time of year is also special because we can turn our thoughts forward and think about the ways we could make next year even better.

We at New Living (and our friends at The Green Painter) are looking forward to the opportunities of the coming year, and have made the following New Year’s Resolutions.

1. We will continue to connect discerning customers with the best, healthiest, and greenest home and building products on the market. As part of this, we will continue to hold all suppliers responsible for having a positive social and environmental impact, and keep an eye out for new companies and products that do the same. We will continue to believe that business can be better, and that we are all interdependent, as promised in the B Corporation “Declaration of Interdependence.”

2. We will work harder to share our mission with the world. Our raison d’être is to educate consumers about the health, environmental, and social aspects of home and building products, and to help grow the market for quality and holistically responsible products. We will also work with painters, builders, designers, realtors, manufacturers — and anyone else who shares our goals — to create good, green jobs through education and professional development.

3. We want to be a louder and better voice for changing the ways businesses operate. We are for incentivizing responsibility in all industries, and hope there will be a day when all businesses look at their triple bottom line — people, planet, profit.

4. We will take a step back and look at our own operations, and critically assess whether our businesses are run in a way that is good for the community, the economy, and the environment. We believe that small changes can make a big difference, and that this is the aspect of our lives that should “never stop improving.”

5. Finally, we will turn to the large and growing community that works to improve Houston’s health, environment, and community. We will reconnect with old friends and make new ones, collaborating to make next year Houston’s best year ever.

Happy New Year from your friends at New Living!

FYI: The Green Painter offers Certified Green Painting services!

Amanda DeMers — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 06:23:08 +0000

Did you know that The Green Painter is more than just a paint store? The Green Painter has revamped its Certified Green Painter program, and is now offering even better painting services. Our Certified Green Painters use healthy, green products — like our non-toxic NOVOC paint — and practices. They are also trained color consultants and mixologists, able to help you chose your color and mix paint to match it perfectly.

These services are available at a comparable price to the leading paint and painting companies in Houston. You can call or stop by to discuss your upcoming projects.

Got a painting job? Call us first! You’ll be surprised how affordable green can be!

Testimonial: Zalla Massage Studio

Amanda DeMers — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 13:58:44 +0000

Zalla Otten, Owner of Houston massage studio Zalla Massage, recently re-painted her office space with non-toxic NOVOC paints from The Green Painter. Zalla Massage offers a variety of massages, including Swedish and deep tissue massage, prenatal and postnatal massage, as well as infant and pediatric massage. Zalla says that she decided to switch to non-toxic paint because she has so many pregnant clients, and she wanted to ensure that she was providing them the healthiest environment possible. Research suggests that exposure to VOCs during pregnancy puts the new born at an increased risk for many health problems, including a lower infant birth and weakened immune systems. Of course, VOCs are harmful to everyone who is exposed, so by using The Green Painter’s non-toxic paint, Zalla is doing right by all of her clients by providing them with a safe, healthy space, while protecting our environment.

Zalla Studio with NOVOC paint

Zalla is now stylish and healthy

Massage and Yoga, hold the VOCs

OMI’s Organicpedic Mattresses recommended in Oprah’s “O” Magazine

Amanda DeMers — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 04:40:14 +0000

In the November issue of “O” magazine, Organic Mattresses, Inc. CEO Walter Bader is quoted as saying, “”Mattresses are like cigarettes were in the 1930s; Completely unregulated, and everyone thinks they’re safe.” Author Laura Fraser wrote a wonderfully informative article about the toxicity of traditional and memory foam mattresses – and about the newer danger of mattress greenwashing! She explores several different options for mattress materials and brands, but Organicpedic was her pick as the most “virtuous.”

In honor of this great mention, OMI and New Living are teaming up to offer up to $500 in free bedding accessories when you purchase a King Size Organicpedic mattress set when you mention “Oprah.” Hurry! Offer ends November 27!

You can read the full article from “O” magazine here.

Image by Holly Lindem of “O” magazine.

TESTIMONIAL: The Toll Patrol Sleeps Organic

Amanda DeMers — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:59:57 +0000

Mother of 3, Amber Toll tells us about her experience switching to organic mattresses!

My triplets (2 boys, 1 girl) are closing in on 5 years old, and both of the boys have Autism. Most people do not realize that Autism is not just a neurological disorder, but it also affects multiple systems within the body, including the body’s ability to detox chemicals and metals. Once I found this out, I have made it my mission to rid my children’s environment of as many toxins as humanly possible thus lowering their body’s total toxic burden. It has been a process for sure, but I am a determined mother who wants to provide every opportunity for their little bodies to heal and grow.
We have been on this journey for just over 2 years now, and were ready for the next step in cleaning up their environment. I came across the New Living and Green Painter stores upon an internet search for toxin free paints and mattresses. I called and was lucky enough that Adam was willing to meet my husband and I on July 4th to discuss the products both stores had to offer.

Adam was very knowledgable, and extremely accomodating and sensitive to our needs. Going green doesn’t come without a higher price-tag, yet Adam did his best to work with our family to make our mission a reality. We are TRULY thankful to him for all of his efforts and are humbled by his sensitivity to our mission and circumstance!!! Thank you Adam, thank you New Living!

Since purchasing the mattresses, we have also decided to paint the kid’s rooms. We were extremely nervous to use paint from our local hardware stores due to the many allergies that our children have, but after doing our research, we were so happy that we trusted our instincts! We found that New Living’s NOVOC paint offered so many more greener options than what I had found in our previous research. After painting both rooms with NOVOC paint, we did not notice reactions from any of the children–so we were obviously thrilled!

Thank you!!
Regards–
The Toll Patrol
Amber, Dale, Cooper, Carson, and Camryn

20% Off Mattresses and Paint!

Amanda DeMers — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 02:17:20 +0000

Save big at New Living and The Green Painter October 27 – November 6 with the American Cancer Society’s Holiday Shopping Card!

This year, New Living is proudly participating in the American Cancer Society’s Holiday Shopping Card Program. Proceeds from the sale of this $70 shopping card go to the American Cancer Society which funds cancer treatment, research, and education in America and around the world. Those who buy this card can save big on their holiday shopping while contributing to this most important cause. New Living, the Green Painter, and many other local merchants will be giving a 20% discount to card holders on select items during the 10-day event. This is a great time to purchase one of New Living’s non-toxic, organic mattresses or some non-toxic paint from The Green Painter.

New Living and The Green Painter have chosen to support this cause not only because we support and admire the work of the American Cancer Society, but also because of our shared mission to increase public awareness of the links between environmental and public health. We hope that together, our support of this program can lead to a better, healthier future in Houston and beyond!

Details:

- Purchase the Holiday Shopping Card at New Living or any other participating merchant.

- The card-holder will receive 20% off of mattresses at New Living and paint at The Green Painter during the week of October 27 and November 6.

- Proceeds from the sale of the card will go to The American Cancer Society. New Living will keep none of the proceeds.

- For more information, please check out the program’s website.