Use these five keys to guide your approach to creating an Anticancer environment.

1. Read labels and know ingredients.

• • Use products with fewer hazardous ingredients or find safe, homemade alternatives.
  • Look for products that do not list fragrance, perfume or parfum as an ingredient.
  • Be aware that a claim like “natural” does not necessarily mean safe or non-artificial.
  • Be wary of ingredients listed in all capital letters.

2. Keep your air clean.

• • Reduce smoke in the house from sources such as tobacco use, cooking, candles, fireplaces, woodstoves, or vehicle exhaust.
  • Open windows for fresh air exchange.
  • Use HEPA filters in vacuums, or heating/air conditioning systems to trap dust and particles in the air. Wet mop floors.
  • Take your shoes off in the house.
  • Avoid fragrances or scented products.

3. Minimize the use of plastic and petroleum by-products.

• • Avoid heating or storing food or drinks in plastic containers. Try glass or ceramic for food storage.
  • Avoid non-stick cookware and Styrofoam® containers.
  • Minimize the use of petroleum-based ingredients in personal care products.
  • Switch to non-plastic versions of items, where available.

4. Minimize the use of commercial pesticides in and around the home.

• • Keep a clean, dry home to minimize pests.
  • Control garden and lawn weeds by manually pulling or mulching.
  • Try nontoxic repellents and pesticides, such as diatomaceous earth, and homemade pest and weed control solutions using vinegar, salt, and soap.

5. Remember: Less is More (fewer products, fewer ingredients and additives)

• • Use fewer products with simpler ingredients as a good way to minimize your exposure to toxins. Ask yourself: how many different cleaning and body care products do I really need?

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