Our health will benefit from learning how to Reduce Electromagnetic Field Exposure. It’s not one we think about much and especially not in relationship to our health.
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Week #17 of the 21 Weeks to Intentional Health Challenge. It’s one of the hardest challenges! If you missed a challenge, you can start here with Week #1 Health Starts In the Gut.
Are you familiar with this particular exposure? It’s a tough one and not an exposure we purposely seek out.
However, once we become more aware, we can make better decisions. In this post I will refer to Electromagnetic Fields as EMFs, just to keep it a bit shorter.
I have been aware of EMFs and how they harm our health, however I didn’t know how prevalent it was in my home. My response a few years back was to make sure no one in the family sleeps with the cell phone or tablet on in their bedroom. All devices were to be charged and kept downstairs and away from sleeping areas. EMF exposure goes way beyond just cell phones charging.
Take a deep breath and we’ll dive into this one together.
Challenge:
- Identify EMF Exposures
- How EMF’s effects our Health
- Ways to Decrease our Exposure.
Electromagnetic Field Exposure
Definition of Electromagnetic fields: “invisible areas of radiation that are produced by electricity.” Electric and Magnetic fields combined are referred to as EMFs.
Examples of EMF exposures in and around our home:
Electric:
- Lamps
- Outlets
- Extension Cords
- Appliances: blender, toaster, coffee pot, washer, dryer
- Vacuum cleaners
- Electric blankets
Magnetic:
- main power meter on your home
- microwaves
- radars
- baby monitors
- clock radios
- hair dryer
- computer
- TV screens
- Power lines
Wireless Communication
- WiFi
- Smartphones
- Smartwatches
- Cell phones
- Cell towers
- Wireless routers
- Cordless phone
This list doesn’t include every EMF exposure in our life, it’s a general list of every day items. A coffee maker isn’t going to have the same EMF exposure as cell phone. Other terms that refer to EMF exposure is “electronic pollution” or “dirty electricity”.
Do you know what items surprised me? hair dryers were among the worse every day items, as well as electric blankets and baby monitors. Crazy exposure we didn’t have any idea was damaging our brain.
I found this article on “EMF’s in the Home – Electromagnetic Field Safety” by SafeSpace helpful. It gives us an idea which common household items are producing the most exposure. The list may surprise you!
The Effects On Our Body
It’s amazing that health advocates do not talk about how EMFs are effecting our health. I found the interview between Dr. Mercola and Professor Martin Pall to be helpful in explaining why they are harmful. “The Harmful Effects of Electromagnetic Fields Explained.”
- Disrupts brainwaves and our ability for our neurons to fire.
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Decreased memory function
- Increased anxiety and depression
- Infertility
- Heart disruptions
- Linked to brain cancer and childhood leukemia
The research on this subject is mind blowing! I won’t be able to sufficiently cover the subject in this post. Dr. Magda Havas dedicated her website to the study of electromagnetic fields and electromagnetic radiation. Very fascinating and educational.
People that currently have heart or brain conditions/diseases need to take extra special precautions to limit their EMF exposure. Would you like more details on this subject? Read “The Real Dangers of Electronic Devices and EMFs.“
EMFs are changing our quality of health.
One article I found enlightening is “The Alarming Ways EMFs are Changing Your Brain.“
8 Ways to Decrease Exposure
It’s a fact, we’re surrounded by EMFs in our world. How can you and I decrease our exposure?
- Make your bedroom a safe zone. Remove wifi routers, cell phones, tablets, laptops, and phone chargers. Using a battery operated clock works well.
- Turn off your Wifi at night. Another option is using a WiFi Router Guard – Blocks EMF Exposure.
- Avoid putting your phone up to your ear; use speakerphone when possible.
- Charge your laptop, phone, and tablet in a different room. These devices are best used when running on their battery. (One fact that was startling is we are exposed to 100x’s more EMFs when we use our devices while they are being charged.)
- Hardwiring devices in your home such as the phone, printer, baby monitor.
- Use EMF filters and protective cases. Silent Pocket Medium Plus Faraday Bag Cage Cell Phone Sleeve Pouch – Blocks All Wireless Signals.
- Switch out your LED lights for incandescent or use natural light.
- Keep electronics off your body. You’ll not want to carry your cell phone in your pants pocket or sit with your laptop on your legs. One solution is using a radiation shield when using a laptop. Laptop Pad, EMF Radiation Protection Shield & Heat Blocker for Laptops up to 17″
The greatest way to decrease exposure is take a break from the city and your home! Now this is not the most realistic advice or something we all can do every day, however it does sound lovely. Just another reason to love hiking and being out in the woods.
If you do have electrosensitivity, you could consider purchasing EMF Netting like this one; EMF Protection Elegant, Breathable, Versatile EMF Shielding Netting or EMF Protection Wifi Block High Frequency Radiation EMF Shielding Dome Canopy to allow for protection while while you are sleeping.
Reduce Electromagnetic Field Exposure Challenge
What are your thoughts on this particular challenge? It seems making good food choices and choosing to exercise is easier than reducing our exposure to EMFs. However, I am up for a challenge! It’s worth my health and your health!
Challenge: Formulate a plan to reduced exposure in your life. Start with implementing any of the 8 ways listed above.
What does this challenge look like for me? I need to use my tablet on a table more and less on me. Purchasing a router guard is an inexpensive option for cutting down on wifi exposure in my home. In the future, I would love a protective canopy for my bed and one for travel.
Even though this challenge was difficult to summarize and implement, it was key to my own health. Please share how you took the challenge.
Share your challenge one of 4 ways; by commenting below, commenting on my Facebook page, Instagram page or email me your acceptance. Use #accept21weekhealthchallenge on your social media comments.
Pursing Better Health Together,