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Anna Getty
By Shannon McKelden
Each month, iParenting.com spotlights a mother who inspires and moves us, who embodies the qualities that we all admire in a person, a woman and a mother. Above all, the Mom of the Month is dedicated to her children. Rich or poor, famous or not, she shines as an example of what mothering is all about.
If Anna Getty's last name sounds familiar, that's probably because it is. Hearing the name Getty, many people make assumptions. They think of oil and museums, wealth and glamour. But the reality for green living and holistic life expert Anna Getty is much different.
"I grew up pretty simply most of the time," says the daughter of J. Paul Getty, III, and photographer Gisela Getty. "For much of my life I lived in small apartments or houses with my mom and brother with little organic herb gardens. We were vegan and hiked in the countryside. My mom was a hippy and very earthy and so I feel that ultimately it was her way of life that influenced me."
Married to screenwriter Gregory Pruss in 2003, Getty is now the mother of a 4-year-old daughter, India. Getty made sure India started out her life as healthy as possible by deciding to take a year to prepare her mind, body and spirit to become a mother. "It was something I took very seriously," says Getty. "I wanted my body to be strong and wanted 'to clean the slate' in essence."
Getty's pregnancy preparations included eating a 90 percent raw vegetarian diet, acupuncture, homeopathy, colonics, more frequent yoga and meditation. "I read lots of books and journaled regularly about my thoughts and feelings," she says. All the preparation must have worked, as she got pregnant seven months into her cleansing program. "I guess my body was ready and so was my daughter."
After becoming pregnant, Getty became aware that the products she used such as skin care, hair care, home cleaners, etc., could have an effect on her health, the health of her baby and on the planet. "I read Sandra Steingraber's book, Having Faith, a wonderful book about a scientist who, while pregnant, truly comes to understand how environmental toxins have a direct link to [the] health of her baby," she says.
The book had a huge impact on Getty. "Children are being born with over 300 chemicals in their systems," she says. "Global warming is a reality; more species than ever are on the verge of extinction, [and] the planet is over populated. We have major issues and I know that our children, when they are adults, are going to have to deal with issues greater than what we are experiencing today."
For Getty, green living has become not a lifestyle choice but a moral imperative. "I feel that we know more now and so we need to act responsibly," she says. "Understand the cause and effects of what we do in our daily lives, how it impacts the earth we live on."
As she learned more about environmental impact, Getty realized she wanted to be part of the solution. "I began working with not-for-profits, serving as a board member of Healthy Child Healthy World as well as the Environmental Media Association," says Getty, who runs a Web site PureStyleLiving.com. "I also support Global Green, The Organic Center, The Organic Farming Research Foundation, as well as the [Natural Resources Defense Council] NRDC. I am very passionate about the environment and a holistic lifestyle has become my life's work."
Getty hopes her beliefs in taking pregnancy seriously and preparing for a healthy child will inspire other women. "I hope for women to feel confidant, empowered and [able to make] conscious, well-thought-out decisions about the way they choose to birth rather than handing everything over to a medical practitioner," she says.
To that end, Pregnancy Awareness Month (PAM) was born. The Second Annual PAM begins May 2, 2009, in Santa Monica, Calif. (For more information, see www.pregnancyawarenessmonth.com.) PAM's four key initiatives – education, exercise, nutrition and wellness, and nurture – are meant to show women how to make healthy changes in their lives for themselves and their babies.
"I hope to get women excited not just about having a baby but birthing a baby," says Getty. "Also [I hope to inspire women into] feeling really good during their pregnancies. [And] empowering women with information so that they may make the best choices for themselves and their families, and create a community where they feel supported."
A living example of how to stay healthy, Getty tries to hike four days a week and do yoga two to three times a week, including teaching a prenatal yoga class. She's also created a DVD called Anna Getty's Pre & Post Natal Yoga Workout, and last year she wrote two books, an organic cookbook called Anna Getty's Easy Green Organic due out spring 2010 and an eco-Christmas book called I am Dreaming of a Green Christmas due out November 2009.
Part of Getty's involvement in her daughter's life is teaching her how to care for herself and our planet in the healthiest way possible. "I mostly teach my daughter by example," Getty says. "I always turn off the lights after leaving a room. She asks me why and I tell her to 'conserve energy.' When I forget to turn out a light she says, 'Mom, you are wasting energy.' I thank her for reminding me."
Getty also helps her daughter connect with the earth by growing an organic herb garden together. "To me there really is no such thing as a 'green lifestyle,'" Getty says. "It's really a consciousness shift. It is about becoming aware of consequences of one's actions and choices."
According to Getty, the commitment to changing our lives starts with small steps, and deciding what is workable in our households. "Change through positive choices and taking those little steps," she says. "Making changes that are better for your family's health and that of the planet ultimately allows our children to learn from us and then run with it."
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