The invisible toxin hiding in your house you never suspected.
There is truly an art and science to ‘”tidying up.” Since your home is your sanctuary, it is more critical than ever to make sure it is in tip top shape.
This past week I had two of my most brilliant and “cutting edge” friends visiting me here in the Inland Northwest. Those friends are on the front lines of environmental health and specialize in reducing environmental toxins in the home you cannot see but may be never-the-less significantly impacting your health. They check for mold, air quality, water purity and electromagnetic radiation or EMR from radio broadcasting towers, cellphone antennas, mobile phones, DECT phones, smart meters, and 50 shades of WiFi.
I know you already deep clean on a regular basis and probably use non-toxic cleaning supplies but how many of you are aware of the electronic assaults coming to you from your home appliances, your high-tech offices, baby monitors, and wireless routers 24/7. While you can escape second hand smoke quite easily these days, you are surrounded by a electropollution soup on all fronts, so making your home “clean” should be a priority.
EMR has been associated with an astounding number of mysterious maladies ranging from out-of-control attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to atrial fibrillation, sleep disorders, concentration issues, irritability, ear ringing, skin flushing, dizziness, and a number of respiratory and neurological conditions.
So, it’s high time you embarked on some serious electronic “feng shui.” Let’s do a clean sweep of your house room to room.
Bedroom
The bedroom is arguably the most important place in your home because the greatest healing occurs during sleep. In fact, you spend nearly 1/3 of your life in bed. To make this room a health haven and ditch those restless nights, begin by removing all electronics in or near the room. That includes TVs, alarm clocks (switch to battery-operated), cell phones, and electric blankets. Say goodbye to it all.
Next, for the location of the bed, make sure that your head isn’t positioned near an outlet and be aware of any AC magnetic fields that might emanate from below or next to you. For what’s on the bed, I recommend investing in Earthing products, which reconnect you with the Earth’s healing energy while you’re indoors.
Finally, focus on the lighting. Energy efficient lighting, both the in-the-ceiling long tube type or the compact fluorescent (CFL) variety, produce elevated magnetic and electric fields. Before sleeping, make sure to unplug your lamps or set them to a timer that automatically turns the power off at the specified time. I also recommend investing in room-darkening drapes. While they don’t reduce your EMR exposure, by keeping the room darker longer, it assists your body in producing an increased amount of melatonin, which is diminished by exposure to light and EMR.
Living Room
There are quite likely a load of gadgets that live in your living room. Invest in a power strip, which allows you to shut off all of your electronics at once, so that they don’t simply go into standby mode and continue to generate an AC magnetic field—which not only saves your health, but saves you money, too. Also pay attention to surge protectors for those gaming systems because they can also produce electric fields. When not in use, unplug it all.
If you have an older, bulky TV, it may be time to bite the bullet and invest in a new model. The new screens have much lower EMR fields and a better picture, to boot. When viewing, stay six feet or more back, and be cautious of how you arrange the room. While it’s tempting to push furniture to the perimeter, you must pull it away from the wall, and thus, away from the electric wiring.
Kitchen
Your kitchen contains more electric devices per square foot than any other room in the house. The good news is that appliances like your toaster and coffee maker aren’t regularly in use long enough to create any potential harm. However, your stove, refrigerator, microwave, and dishwasher are another story. The first and foremost step you should take to create a healing kitchen is to ditch your microwave for good. You don’t need it and you shouldn’t use it.
However, if you insist on keeping it, then do take the time to inspect it thoroughly. Over years of use the door can become lose, the seals can wear out, and the safety interlock devices that keep the microwaves from generating while the door is closed can stop working correctly. If you suspect that your microwave isn’t up to snuff, do not attempt to fix the problem yourself. Hire a qualified service person to inspect, repair, and possibly replace the device.
As for the items that are more non-negotiables—your stove, refrigerator, and dishwasher—simply keep children out of the kitchen when they’re all in use and be aware of what rooms are next to or below your kitchen. Don’t linger near the fridge and keep an arm’s length between you and the stove when you’re whipping up a healthy, delicious meal.
Home Office
In this room, it’s time to re-plug in, so to speak. What I mean is, ditch the WiFi and connect to the internet using a wired network. If you work from home and need access to a phone, set up a home office number that rings to a corded phone. Anything Bluetooth (such as a wireless mouse) also needs to get the axe, as well as any old monitors—called cathode ray tube— for an LCD version. If you have a laptop, please don’t take the term literally. These should never sit on your lap and should always stay on a desk, as they radiate harmful EMRs whether they’re connected to the AC power adaptor or not.
Finally, invest in a good quality, ergonomic office chair. These do wonders to help prevent and relieve back pain, wrist pain, and muscle fatigue.
Backyard
If you have any electronics in your backyard keep them unplugged while not in use. But, mainly, make sure to make time to step outside and get grounded the old-fashioned way, by placing your feet on the grass and enjoying an evening outside away from the fast pace of our day to day.
If you or any of your family members are suffering from any type of unresolved illness, you would be wise to consult with a building biology consultant to conduct an in depth analysis of your home environment. One of my friends is a professional in this regard and I first met her when she came to my home and found that a radio broadcasting tower was emitting high levels of EMR that were detected in my bedroom. When we blocked the EMR exposure with special curtains made from a shielding fabric, my sleep miraculously improved.
Do check out Sonia Hoglander at [email protected] or visit her website for more tips and info.
