In today's world, we live active lives. As we learn more from science and medicine about the importance of exercise for health and fitness, we add more physical activity to our lives. Hiking, cycling, visiting the gym, or simply going for a daily walk can help us stay healthier. Yet, as consumers, we also need to become more aware of the environmental impact and potential health-related consequences of all the product choices we make - and that includes the clothing we buy. In fact, the kind of fabric we choose when we buy clothing plays a key role in our health and comfort every day and in many ways affects the health and comfort of everyone on the planet.
Bamboo: A Healthier Clothing Choice Bamboo is a healthy choice for all types of clothing. Yet, when choosing activewear specifically - for those hikes, bike rides, and other physically demanding activities that help keep us fit - it's even more important to choose a fabric that allows our skin to breathe and protects our bodies from the elements. One type of clothing that offers these and many other benefits to active people seeking natural clothing choices is
Green Apple active wear made from bamboo fabric. If you are looking for a greener, cleaner, healthier clothing choice to help you avoid many of the negative personal and environmental repercussions of today's synthetic fabrics, organic bamboo is the way to go.
Healthier for Your Body Bamboo clothing is better for your skin than clothing made from synthetic polyester fibers. Thanks to a naturally occurring anti-bacterial, antifungal, and deodorization agent found within the plant, bamboo fabric that is manufactured from NOP certified organic bamboo and then carefully processed can help protect the skin from harmful microorganisms. Whereas fabrics such as polyester contain hormone disrupters and other harmful chemicals that have been implicated in illnesses such as cancer, Green Apple Active bamboo fabrics are fully tested and certified by Oeko-Tek to be completely chemical-free. Certified organic bamboo clothing also offers UVA protection, a critical property that can help prevent skin cancer.
More Comfortable to Wear Bamboo clothing is soft, smooth, and comfortable to wear, making bamboo the perfect material for activewear such as athletic apparel. In fact, bamboo fabric is so soft that it's actually suitable for making cloth diapers that will be worn against a baby's sensitive skin. Along with its extreme breathability which helps keep you cooler in summer while drawing perspiration away from your skin, bamboo fabric also keeps you warmer in winter by trapping warmer air next to your body - two opposite manifestations of bamboo's unique thermal regulation ability. Another factor that helps keep the wearers of bamboo clothing more comfortable is the fabric's anti-static quality.
Better for the Environment While synthetic fabrics such as polyester are made from petroleum and as a result contribute to plastic pollution of our oceans and landfills, bamboo fabric offers a healthy alternative that's beneficial to the environment. Because it is made from natural plant material, bamboo fabric is biodegradable, a fact that can greatly reduce the huge ecological impact of discarded clothing,
But, bamboo isn't only safer for the environment after the clothing has been discarded. It's also environmentally friendly and ecologically sustainable to grow. In fact, though many ecologically minded people consider cotton to be a healthy natural fiber, growing bamboo is actually much more earth-friendly than growing cotton. A few key reasons bamboo is better for the environment are that it grows very quickly and that it is a renewable resource (since it is self-seeding). It also inhibits soil erosion and removes 30% more CO2 from the air than trees do, a fact that can help significantly reduce global warming.
So, the next time you shop for activewear, keep the above points in mind. Then use what you've learned to make a conscious choice to take better care of our world while taking better care of your body by choosing bamboo clothing.
