Fitness

Exercise can help you keep your body in working condition. Keep track of your fitness routine, create your own workouts and share your progress with these Facebook apps.

1. Shapelink.com fitness log: This application lets you keep track of your fitness efforts, and share them on your wall automatically. You can keep track of your fitness information, including your progress, on Facebook. You do have to sign up for Shapelink.com in order to use the app, but as a member you get detailed information on your workouts.
2. 24 Hour Fitness Get Fit Motivator: Get help with your fitness motivation, from 24 Hour Fitness. Choose a fitness goal, and then design a plan to reach that goal. You can easily track your progress and share your results with your friends.
3. easy fitness log: This application offers an easy log for your workouts and fitness progress. Compare what you are doing to your goals, and share your progress on Facebook.
4. Get Up! Get Out! Get Moving! Exercise Now!: This Facebook app is designed to motivate you to get moving with fitness tips and tracking. There is a special emphasis on bone strengthening exercise, as this one is developed by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
5. Fit-ify! Exercise Tracker: Make health and fitness goals, and create a plan. You can track your efforts in aerobics, cycling, swimming, running and more. Get your friends involved and share your progress.
6. LogYourRun.com Facebook application: Keep track of miles, pace and more when you use this Facebook app. Allows you to decide who you share information with, and which events are made public.

Nutrition

What you eat can have a big impact on how you feel and how healthy you are. These Facebook apps can help you keep track of your nutrition goals and what you put into your body, leading to a healthier you.

7. Nutrition Data: The famous Nutrition Data blog offers a Facebook app that helps you keep track of what is actually in your food, as well as provides healthy recipes.
8. My Diet: This Facebook app allows you to succeed in changing your nutrition habits, with a diary to help you keep track of your calorie intack, and help you record your progress. This is from the folks at Fat Secret.
9. Diet & Calorie Counter: Keep track of your daily caloric intake with this app. Get nutrition information about what you are eating to help you make smarter decisions.
10. Calorie Counter: Keep track of your calories, monitor your water intake (important for nutrition) and log your weight. A great way to enhance your nutrition choices.
11. Food: Share your love of food. Includes recipes, nutrition information and restaurants. Find what you’re looking for.

Mind/Body

There is a connection between your mind and body. You can improve your health with a better mindset, and by working to reduce stress and anxiety. Here are some apps that can help you strengthen the connection between mind and body, and help you with emotional and mental health.

12. More Brain Exercise: Keep your brain sharp with this helpful and fun app from Namco Bandai. Play games designed to help keep your brain active and healthy.
13. Mind Games: You can play these mind games to help you keep your brain sharp and healthy.
14. Yoga: This application helps you with your mind/body exercising so that you can relieve stress and feel healthy.
15. Heart of Buddha: Find some inspirational quotes to enhance your Buddhist meditation practice.
16. Zen Meditation Chimes: You can add this to your Facebook page or profile, and hear a chime that can help you relax and focus your meditation.

Relationships

Part of a healthy mind and emotional state is developing healthy relationships. These Facebook apps aimed at relationships can help you develop relationships that can help enhance your overall health.

17. Dopplr: Use this application to keep up with others around the world. Make travel plans and see old friends. Schedule trips with loved ones and friends.
18. Birthday Calendar: Remember important dates and keep in touch with friends and family. Keep your relationships happy.
19. Hugs: Provide long distance love and support, or just let someone in your life know you care. You can send hugs and receive them, and feel better knowing that you are loved.
20. NaughtyNotes: Keep that spark in your relationship with NaughtyNotes. Can be private or public, but it can help you develop passion with your significant other.
21. Neighborhoods: Get to know people in your area. Develop new friendships and enjoy social interaction with this Facebook app that helps you meet people in real life.

Health Reform, Quizzes and General Health Interaction

If you are interested in health care reform, and in figuring out where you stand on your own health, there are Facebook apps for that. You can learn more about health care reform, take quizzes to help you figure out how healthy you really are, or learn about a variety of different topics.

22. LiveHealthClub: Ask questions and get answers. This Facebook app features a forum in which you can ask questions on a variety of health topics, and get answers. Also includes helpful information on fitness, nutrition, relationships and other health issues.
23. Mirror Me: Get an idea of what you will look like in the future if you continue your health habits. Use a photo of yourself, answer a quiz about your health, and see what your future holds.
24. Health Care Reform App: This Facebook app from the White House offers a simple quiz that will tell you exactly how health care reform will affect you.
25. Health Quiz: Take different health quizzes related to different health concerns. Learn more about your health, and how you can improve it.

Smoking Stats

Learn more about smoking stats, such as when people start, and how many deaths are caused each year by smoking.

1. Global Tobacco Trade: Follow world routes for cigarettes, and get interesting facts about smoking, including stats about who is smoking (and where). Also includes an interesting list of the chemicals found in cigarettes and cigarette smoke. Fascinating infographic from Princeton.
2. Income Level and Smoking: Interestingly, income level has a correlation to smoking. Trendsspotting offers an interesting infographic illustrating the fact that those in lower income households are more likely to smoke. It’s an interesting look at who smokes — and why income matters.
3. Facts About Smoking: Drippet offers an interesting infographic describing different facts about smoking. It includes representations of racial distribution of cigarettes, ages of smokers,  and deaths caused by smoking.
4. Tobacco Use in the U.S.: If you are interested in smoking rates in the U.S., an infographic from the Global Resource for Advancing Cancer Education (GRACE) offers interesting insight. It shows that smoking has been declining in the U.S., and it shows the rates in lung cancer as well.
5. Global Tobacco Control: Smoking bans have been instigated in different countries, and an interesting infographic from New Scientist shows places where smoking is banned around the world. It also shows countries where a treaty to increase regulation of tobacco has been signed.
6. Productivity and Smoking: According to an infographic based on a San Diego State University study, differences in pay between female smokers and non-smokers in the Navy can be linked to smoking. Indeed, the study found that smokers were less productive than other workers. While this study focused on the Navy, and only on women, there could be implications for wider productivity.
7. Tobacco Spending: Apparently, tobacco companies spend more on advertising than states spend on prevention programs. The deep pockets of Big Tobacco continue to provide adequate funding for the next generation of smokers.

Health Effects

Learn more about the health effects of smoking with the following infographics, which include information on deaths related to smoking.

8. Smoking Contributes to Death: Smoking has been shown to contribute to death. Indeed, an infographic found at the Health Watch Center shows that smoking contributes to six of the top eight killers worldwide.
9. U.S. Deaths and Smoking: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have a handy infographic describing the different causes of death that are attributable to smoking each year. This includes heart disease, stroke, and, of course, lung cancer.
10. Preventable Cause of Death: According to the government web site, Health People, the leading cause of preventable disease and death is smoking. Smoking is so bad for you that not doing it is the number one way to reduce your chances of getting a life-threatening disease.
11. Smoking and Sleep: Smoking actually affects how you sleep. Sleep is important to your health, so if you are smoking — and it is affecting your sleep — that could be another health problem you can chalk up to the ills of smoking.
12. Risk Factors and Lung Cancer: An infographic from GRACE offers insight into risk factors that contribute to lung cancer. The graphic compares risk factors like race, vitamin intake and chronic respiratory infection to smoking. And smoking for 30 years can increase your chance of lung cancer way more than the other factors — by up to 20 times or more!
13. Health Costs and Smoking: The State of West Virginia has an interesting infographic describing health care costs attributable to smoking. If this holds elsewhere, it is clear that the effects of smoking include higher health care costs for all.

Secondhand Smoke

Even just breathing in when someone around you is smoking can unhealthy. Here are some infographics related to secondhand smoke.

14. Toxic Secondhand Smoke: The CDC offers this interesting poster and infographic that illustrates the toxicity of secondhand smoke, and how it kills.
15. Secondhand Smoke and Children: Another poster from the CDC offers information on the effects of secondhand smoke on children. These effects include SIDS, ear infection, lung problems and severe asthma.
16. Secondhand Smoke Exposure: Due to the nature of secondhand smoke, it is not really surprising that that the number of people in the U.S. exposed to it far exceeds the number of smokers. Indeed, an infographic from the CDC indicates that each smoker exposes more that two non-smokers to the hazards of smoke.
17. Risk for Passive Smokers: Those who inhale secondhand smoke on a regular basis will see a 25% increase in the likelihood of developing lung cancer, according to an infographic provided by the Beverly Fund.
18. Cost of Secondhand Smoke: BlueCross BlueShield offers an interesting infographic that illustrates the cost of secondhand smoke in death and in dollars.
19. Conditions Caused by Secondhand Smoke: The State of Minnesota offers an interesting look at the costs of certain conditions caused by secondhand smoke, including those related to low birth weight, heart attack, ear infection and lung cancer.

Quit Smoking

Are you interested in quitting? Here are some intersting infographics about quitting smoking.

20. When You Quit: This cool infographic found on BlissTree shows a timeline of the changes in your body that result from the moment you stop smoking. An interesting look at how you can reap almost immediate benefits when you quit.
21. Support for Quitting: One of the most difficult things about quitting smoking is finding help and support. And it’s not hard to see why. According to the CDC, most smokers receive advice to quit — without getting information on helping them quit.
22. Higher Prices and Smoking: GOOD offers an interesting infographic that allows you to compare the cost of smoking with how many people in the state smoke. Also includes states with certain smoking bans. Look at what factors might contribute to quitting.
23. Smoking Cost Calculator: This basic infographic is interactive, allowing you to enter how much you smoke each day, and uses costs of cigarettes and inflation to figure out how much money you could save if you quit smoking.
24. Attempts to Quit: Where are people trying to quit smoking? This infographic from StateMaster.com lists states, and the percentage of smokers trying to quit.
25. How Cigarettes Taste: BoingBoing offers an interesting (and subjectively tongue in cheek) look at how cigarettes might taste according to mood. It includes such items have how good they taste when you are stressed, trying to quit, or starting again.

There is no national standard for dealing with medical identity theft, but organizations such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) are aware of the problem, and those offices and other organizations offer advice to medical staff and patients. While it has been suspected that doctors, nurses and other health care personnel are in on some of the fraud, the following tips can help your information stay as safe as possible:

• Request recent copies of your health records: Thieves usually use stolen health insurance information to receive hospital treatment, to obtain prescription drugs and to get discounted doctor visits. These treatments can remain on records for years without discovery. If possible, get a hard copy of your medical records as soon as possible, even if you need to pay a fee. If your records ever are altered, you have a way to prove how they looked originally. Notices you receive from providers and plans must include information about how you can obtain copies of your medical records.
• Obtain a Medical Information Bureau report: The Medical Information Bureau compiles information from several hundred health insurance companies to provide a free annual report to consumers in the U.S. People who have applied for disability, life or health insurance in the last seven years can order a copy of their Medical Information Bureau report by calling 1-866-692-6901. Review the report for mistakes or unusual entries – they may indicate healthcare identity fraud. If anything seems awry in the healthcare records, immediately contact the appropriate insurance company.
• Obtain your EOB: You can obtain an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) whenever a claim for your health care benefits is filed. You can request a listing of benefits paid in your name by health insureres that may have made payments on your behalf. Checking the EOB is important, as medical insurance theives might use information to file phony insurance claims to get payouts from insurance companies.
• Make a close reading of that EOB: EOB records are notoriously difficult to understand. If there are incorrect entries on your EOB, such as dates listed that you did not receive treatment, contact the insurer or the provider involved. Do not assume that all is okay just because your balance is zero. Most providers will include a toll-free number on the EOB to call for questions or potentially fraudulent claims information.
• Review bills, notices and statements: These documents can prove to be the easiest way to determine whether you have become a victim of identity theft. If your insurance premium, for instance, skyrockets, call your insurance company immediately to determine why your premium has increased. While some insurance companies are increasing their premiums anyway, it never hurts to discover if a false claim is the reason behind your new bill. Read each bill carefully, even if it says, “This is not a bill.”
• Protect your medical information: One way to protect your records is to make sure your insurance ID is different from your social security number. When you sign a waiver for the release of your medical records, limit the amount of information that can be released. Do not share your information and do not carry insurance cards in your wallet or purse unless you have an actual appointment. Treat your insurance card like your social security card — with care. Shred unwanted documents and treat your medical records as you would your credit cards.
• Become aware of fraudulent situations: While organized crime might be behind some fraud rings, hospital personnel also could be involved. Learn about certain scams such as double billing, phantom treatments, bogus insurers and rolling labs, or mobile diagnostic labs give needless or fake tests or physical exams to consumers, then bill health insurers for expensive procedures.

Learn how to report health insurance fraud

• Call your insurance company immediately if you suspect you are a victim of health insurance fraud.
• Contact your State Fraud Bureau.
• File a complaint with your State Medical Board.
• Learn more about Medicare fraud and what you can do to stop it.
• Learn how to report Medicare fraud.

The important point is that patients need to become proactive in the protection of their health insurance information. Some more tips to avoid health insurance fraud, offered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), include:

• Never sign blank insurance claim forms.
• Never give blanket authorization to a medical provider to bill for services rendered.
• Ask your medical providers what they will charge and what you will be expected to pay out-of-pocket.
• Carefully review your insurer’s explanation of the benefits statement. Call your insurer and provider if you have questions.
• Do not do business with door-to-door or telephone salespeople who tell you that services of medical equipment are free.
• Give your insurance/Medicare identification only to those who have provided you with medical services.
• Keep accurate records of all health care appointments.
• Know if your physician ordered equipment for you.

Some other articles that can provide information on how to avoid health insurance fraud include (in no particular order):

• Stop Medicare Fraud: This site is provided by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and the U.S. Department of Justice.
• How to Spot a Personal Injury Mill: Don’t become a victim of a personal injury mill. Learn about this problem and how to identify it.
• Home Broadband: High speed, but high risk: Learn how to protect your computer if it is connected to broadband.
• Coalition Against Insurance Fraud: This Web site teaches consumers how to identify various crimes and how to avoid becoming a victim.
• National Insurance Crime Bureau: The NICB partners with insurers and law enforcement agencies to facilitate the identification, detection and prosecution of insurance criminals.
• National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association: The National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association is the leading national organization focused exclusively on the fight against health care fraud.
• World Privacy Forum:  This site has published suggestions for health care providers on the red flag rules issued by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the federal bank regulatory agencies, and the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). Under the Red Flags Rules, financial institutions and creditors must develop a written program that identifies and detects the relevant warning signs — or “red flags” — of identity theft.

General Information

Find general information on health issues faced by men, as well as suggestions for improving health and wellness.

1. Womenshealth.gov: It may seem a little odd to go looking for men’s health information on a site geared toward women, but the government offers health information on wellness in a variety of categories of men’s health.
2. WebMD: One of the premier names in reliable health information, WebMD also has a section devoted entirely to men’s health.
3. Medicine.Net: This is another well-known health and wellness site. And it, too, has an entire section devoted to health issues faced by men.
4. Medline Plus: This is a government site offered through the National Institutes for Health. As you might expect, the “Men’s Health” section addresses wellness issues of concern to men.
5. Men’s Health Center: This section of HealthSquare.com focuses on health issues and concerns related to men.
6. About.com: Get good information on men’s health and wellness from a knowledgeable guide.
7. Men’s Health: This site is the official homepage for Men’s Health magazine.
8. Natural Nurse: This site offers information about living a health lifestyle the natural way, and includes information on men’s wellness.
9. Manifest: This is a Portland, Oregon community focused on helping improve men’s wellness. Helpful information and articles for those who do not live in the Portland area.
10. Details for Men: This popular men’s magazine includes a section on wellness at its online home.

Sexual Health

One of the biggest issues for many men is sexual health. You can get a handle on your sexual health issues with help from these sites:

11. AOL Health: This site offers information on sexual health and how to maintain it.
12. HealthCentral.com: Get a look at men’s sexual health information and issues in a practical, real-world way.
13. Men’s Sex Health: Learn about different issues related to male sexuality and health.
14. MSN Health & Fitness: There is a section on men’s sexual health, with articles addressing issues such as libido and safe sex.
15. Healthy Aging: This section on healthy aging from the Mayo Clinic’s web site looks at men’s sexual health above the age of 50.
16. Health.com: Offers a look at sexual dysfunction in men and how it can be treated.
17. HealthInsite: This site from the government of Australia offers some helpful information and resources for men’s sexual health.
18. Intellihealth: Get good information on midlife sexuality from this site that focuses on intelligent health decisions.

Mental Health

One very real issue that is difficult for many men to deal with is mental health. Here are some web sites that can help with mental health for men.

19. About.com: There is a specific section in the Mental Health section at About.com that focuses on mental health issues of import to males.
20. AskMen.com: Great information on mental health for men, and resources for increased wellness.
21. American Psychological Association: The web site for the APA publication Monitor on Psychology offers some insight into men’s mental health needs.
22. National Institutes of Health: There is a series on depression in men that can be of benefit in terms of overall wellness.
23. Medical News Today: Offers an interesting look at the men’s mental health crisis.
24. MentalHelp.net: This web site can provide a number of helpful resources for anyone — including men — who are looking for mental health help.
25. NAMI: The National Alliance on Mental Illness offers information and resources on mental health in general, and includes specific information on men’s mental health.
26. WHO: The World Health Organization has some solid information about general mental health, including men’s mental health issues.

Fitness

Physical fitness and wellness is essential to successful health. Here are some web sites that can help you improve your fitness level.

27. EveryJoe: This men’s web site has a specific section on health, which deals mainly with fitness, exercise and weight loss.
28. Men’s Fitness: The online home of Men’s Fitness magazine provides a great deal of helpful information on working out and staying physically fit.
29. Fitness Online: Get practical, helpful hints on weight loss and health workout routines.
30. Suite 101: Find a number of great exercises for men over the age of 50.
31. Men’s Total Fitness: Get reviews on exercise equipment, and learn about the basics of exercise and nutrition.
32. Bullz-Eye.com: The Fitness Channel at Bullz-Eye.com provides helpful information on exercise to help you work out more effectively.
33. Health & Fitness Tips: Get basic information on tips that can help you maintain better physical fitness.
34. LifeTips: These exercise tips form LifeTips.com can help you learn to exercise more effectively, and learn how your body functions during a workout.

Nutrition

Making sure that your body gets proper nutrition is an essential part of health and wellness. Here are some web sites that focus on men’s nutrition:

35. Personal Nutrition Guide: Includes a section on how men think about nutrition, and how men can improve how they think about their diet.
36. Discovery Health: There is a special section on Discovery Health where men’s nutrition questions are answered.
37. Brown University: Find information and resources about diet and nutrition as they relate to men.
38. NAFWA: The Nutrition and Food Web Archive offers a handy place to find some helpful information about men’s nutrition.
39. HAP.org: Nutrition information for men, including a handy chart with serving sizes and food suggestions for a healthy diet.
40. Reader’s Digest: You can find some great information on “super foods” for men here, as well as get other general information on men’s health.
41. Squidoo: A whole section is available on men’s nutrition tips and hints.
42. Young Men’s Health: This web site, as you might surmise, is aimed at helping young men develop healthy nutrition and fitness habits.

Senior Health

Aging can be difficult, even for men. Bodies change, and different health and wellness needs emerge. Here are some sites that can help you with aging concerns:

43. National Institutes of Health: The NIH offers great information on remaining healthy while aging.
44. C-Health: This web site offers a number of helpful articles on the basics of remaining healthy and maintaining wellness as you age.
45. Eons: This is an online community for those over 50 who are looking to connect with others, as well as find information on aging and maintaining wellness while doing so.
46. AFAR: This site helps you understand the challenges of aging, and how to reduce them.
47. Fit-Senior.com: Get fitness information and exercise ideas for exercising over the age 50.
48. Men’s Journal: This offers helpful information on a number of topics related to men, including health and aging.
49. American Health Assistance Foundation: Learn about common diseases that are likely with aging, and how to combat them and take control of your health.
50. AgeNet: A helpful resource for those who are interested in learning more about aging and doing so with a healthy lifestyle.

Reducing Energy Use and Using Alternative Energy

Much of our energy comes from fossil fuels that can cause a number of problems beyond global warming. When we reduce our energy use, and when we use alternative energy, there are some tangible health benefits that come along with the territory.

1. Breathe easier. Pollution can enhance asthma and allergies. It is also linked to lung cancer. Going green can help clean the air space, and improve your ability to breathe.
2. Heart healthy. Some of the particulates in the air that come from pollution caused by fossil fuels can actually contribute to heart disease and other cardiac issues. Reducing pollution with greener energy practices can actually help your heart.
3. Infectious diseases. The spread of infectious diseases can be exacerbated through global warming as the by-products of our energy use are released. You can help slow the spread of pandemics by reducing your energy use.
4. Reduce acid rain. Pollution from industrial energy use, as well as home energy use that creates increased demand, can cause acid rain. Indeed, since the implementation of the Clean Air Act, the incidence of harmful acid rain has been reduced.
5. Let in the sun. Instead of relying wholly on artificial lighting, you can let in the sunlight. Open your shades and let natural lighting help you reduce your energy needs and let the sun’s health benefits help you. Natural lighting helps your calcium absorption, and there have been studies done on the helpfulness of natural sunlight on your mental health and mood.
6. Worker deaths. Energy production with fossil fuels results in hundreds of worker deaths each year. Oil rigs and coal mines are notoriously unsafe and damaging to worker health. Increasing green energy use could mean that jobs in safer, healthier environments could replace the dangerous and dirty jobs related to fossil fuels.

Changing Your Transportation Habits

The way you get from point A to point B can have an impact on your health. Changing your transportation habits can actually help you improve your health, in addition to reducing the pollution that harms the Earth.

7. Ride your bike. Riding your bike to work can provide you with good exercise. This exercise can lead to increased heart health and a number of other benefits, including weight loss.
8. Take the bus. If you are not quite up to riding your bike to work, you can take public transportation. This will cut down on pollution, and it will give you some exercise as you walk to and from your stops.
9. Meet other people. Social interactions can help us stave off depression. You can improve your mental health when you interact with neighbors as you ride the bus or carpool.
10. Increase your productivity. Make the most of your commute with public transportation. This can help you get more done on the commute, since you won’t be driving. And when you are more productive, you have more time at home to relax and be with your family, allowing you stress reduction and increased mental wellness.
11. Work from home. If your company will let you, you can reduce pollution by avoiding a commute altogether. Working from home can put you at ease, save you time, and prevent you from being exposed to unhealthy air.
12. Enjoy nature. Biking or walking to the bus stop can give you an opportunity to interact with nature. Being outside, and seeing plants and small animals can actually help improve your health. Contact with nature can enhance mood, reduce mental fatigue and increase concentration.

Buying Local Food and Avoiding Pre-Packaged Food

In addition to activities that can reduce pollution directly, going green can be done through how you eat. You can increase your health by choosing foods that are greener, and by buying local foods.

13. Avoid pesticides. Pesticides on foods that are not certified organic can cause sickness and other health issues. When you choose produce that is organically grown, it is better for the environment, and for your health.
14. Stay away from pre-packaged foods. Not only do pre-packaged foods use materials and energy, but they are often full of excess sodium and sugar and empty calories. Avoiding pre-packaged foods not only helps the environment, but it can also help you improve your health by reducing your intake of things that cause obesity, heart disease and cancer.
15. Drink non-bottled water. Bottled water uses resources and energy. Additionally, chemicals from the plastic bottles can leach into water and cause health problems. Drink more water, but get it filtered from the tap and make use of special rated reusable water bottles.
16. Get produce locally. One of the best things you can do for your health is buy local produce. Produce from far off is often picked before it is ripe. Some studies suggest that allowing produce to ripen on the plant increases its nutrient content.
17. Reduce meat consumption. The amount of energy used to bring meat to the table is rather large, and contributes to pollution and environmental degradation. Additionally, the over-consumption of meat can lead to health problems in humans. Cut back your meat consumption to something more moderate, and you will see a reduction in heart disease, obesity and other health problems.
18. Wild caught and free range meat and fish. Wild caught fish and free range chickens and grass-fed cows are usually raised with more environmentally sustainable methods. Additionally, organic meat and eggs are often not infused with hormones, while having an increase in some nutrients. This can contribute to your health, by helping you avoid chemicals and hormones, as well as create leaner meat that is healthier.

Household Products

What you have in your home can impact your health. Many of the products and chemicals we use in the home are not only bad for the environment, but also harmful to our health.

19. Avoid harmful fertilizers. What you put on your lawn can affect your health and the health of the environment. Rain can wash the chemicals into the water supply and they can seep into the ground. Additionally, if you are not careful, you can get the chemicals on your body and in your food if you get your garden. Use environmentally friendly fertilizers, or use organic means, such as mulching, to help keep your lawn healthy.
20. Stop using harmful insecticides. Like fertilizers, insecticides can cause health problems. You can increase your health — and your children’s health — by stopping the use of these insecticides. There are recipes for environmentally friendly insecticides, and other products that can help you control pests.
21. Clean with healthier household cleaners. Many cleaning products that you purchase at the store have harmful chemicals. These can cause headaches, respiratory problems and enhance other health issues. You might notice a difference when you stop using these chemicals and replace them with non-toxic household cleaners, some of which you can use at home.
22. Consider your paint: Many paints release compounds into the air of your home that can be harmful. Choosing high-quality paint for your home’s interior, with a low-incidence of volatile organic compounds can help you reduce headaches and breathe easier.
23. Use different diapers. There are estimates that viruses can live in disposable diapers up to two weeks. Sanitation can be a real issue. Additionally, infections and diaper rash can affect the health of you baby. Using cloth diapers instead for most needs can reduce environmental impact and help the health of your baby.
24. Be wary of plastic containers. Some studies suggest that contaminants found in some plastics can cause fertility issues and other health problems. Storing your food in these containers can be damaging to your health, just as their production is damaging the the environment. Use environmentally friendly containers for food storage and reduce harmful effects to your health.

25. Your financial health. Finally, going green can be good for your wallet. You can save money by making your own household products, as well as save money on transportation costs when you adopt green practices. And, of course, when you are physically healthy, you save money on insurance and medical expenses.