Interview with Author Kaayla Canfield

At a very young age Kaayla Canfield enjoyed spending a great deal of time outside, close to Mother Nature, planting and tilling their family garden. Years later she started doing “Going Green Seminars” for elementary school children in her hometown of Calgary.

Hello, Kaayla. "Going Green" seems to be of great concern now days and what better time of year to discuss your book than the Easter season and the celebration of Earth Day. Please tell us about your new book.

My book is about teaching people how to go green in simple to implement steps. Breaking it down into baby steps, so people are not so overwhelmed by the prospect of greening their life. I have done a lot of research, and give lots of resource material to people, to help them along their green journey.

I started off writing the book for homeowners, thinking that they would be my target audience, but along the way, I found that children in various grades were very interested in this. That is when I started to give talks in schools, to help the children understand how simple things add up and make a big difference.

Then it was suggested to me, to contact Alberta Education, and submit my book for consideration in Alberta’s curriculum program. It was approved in October 2010, and it should start appearing in classrooms soon.

Where did you get your inspiration for this book?

I have had allergies all of my life, so I was brought up finding ways to look after myself, that were healthy and inexpensive. When I was a little girl, my mother did not buy commercial house cleaners, we used vinegar and water to clean mirrors, counters and many other things.

If a room had an odor, we opened a window for a few minutes in the winter, or placed a bowl of vinegar in the room, which got rid of the odor. Febreez did not exist back then, but I never would have been able to use it anyway.

A few years ago, I was working in a warehouse environment, and I developed asthma. After doing some research, I found that peppermint oil worked at helping to open my airways, and allowed me to breath. I have never enjoyed taking medications, so I always try to find natural ways of taking care of it. I really feel that there are too many drugs out there that have harmful side effects, and they lead to really serious health problems.

I totally agree with you. Dr. Quentin G.R. Schwenke said, “I wish that I had had ‘Simply Going Green’ available to recommend to my patients during my many years of Preventive Medical Practice. It prevents illness. That is true Preventive Medicine.” Tell us your thoughts about this and why it prevents illness.

When you study what all these chemicals do to our bodies on a daily basis, it is no wonder that so many people have health problems. I think people need to take more responsibility for their own health, and find natural ways to heal themselves. My book “Simply Going Green” is chalk full of resources to help people find natural ways of healing themselves. By using essential oils like Peppermint to help open airways or to help take the edge off a headache, you are not adding chemicals to your body, which could bring on other problems. I provide website links, so people do not have to do a lot of research, and instead just need to do some reading. Preventative Medicine, starts with us, and our willingness to look for alternative ways of healing our bodies.

Wow! I didn’t know about Peppermint taking away headaches. That’s awesome! How do you save money by going green?

When we repurpose items and find different uses for them, we are saving money by not spending it. When we make purchases, buy quality items, not stuff that will wear out in short order and leave us spending more money in the long run. Research what products are quality, so you know when you do go shopping.

Also, learn to do things for yourself. Grow a garden, and save money by not spending it on food. Learn to grow herbs in the winter, in containers on a kitchen window ledge. Learn how to do simple maintenance on your vehicle, like checking the tire air pressure so you are getting good gas mileage. Instead of buying new jeans when the zipper wears out, learn how to stitch a new zipper in. Take a good look at what you want to replace, and decide if it has a lot of wear left in it, if you took the time to fix it. If the answer is yes it does have lots of wear left in it, then learn how to fix it. There is usually a family member, neighbor or friend that knows how to fix these things, and will happily show you how to do it.

If you think about it, our grandparents lived on a whole lot less, were healthier, and had a good life. They knew simple green methods for everything, and if we pay attention to them, if they are still alive, then we too can learn how to be a lot greener and save money.

Thank you for your good advice, Kaayla. Now it’s time to tell us something about the real you that we’ll never forget.

When I was a small child, my father used to make homemade wine. One afternoon when it was raining, he was sitting on the covered doorstep outside, and enjoying his wine, and let me have my first sip of the wine. Now, when it rains, I always grab a glass of wine and like to sit outside enjoying the smell of rain and the taste of wine. It reminds me of my father. I guess it is a way of being close to him, even though he has passed on. Wine and rain always reminds me of my father.

It sounds like you have some wonderful memories with your dad. How wonderful! Thank you so much, Kaayla, for this interview.