5 ways to reduce EMF exposure this school year
WELL! Here we are….all spring and all summer we kept hoping that next month will be different….next month we can go back to “normal”…..but, in the end, kids are back to school right in the living room stuck to the laptop ALL. DAY. LONG. And teachers are teaching from their classrooms glued to the screens to do their best supporting kids through class in a new, and “unprecedented” ways.
This is rough for EVERYONE. And one of my biggest concerns as a parent is all the screen time. We all know that it’s not great for kids to be stuck on a computer with unlimited amounts of time. It’s not great for their brains, or their posture….but more importantly to ME, is all the EMF exposure. So I wanted to give 3 really easy, practical ways to support kids, and teachers (and parents) through this time!
What is EMF
First of all, what is EMF? And is it really that bad?
EMF is short for electromagnetic frequencies which are invisible waves of non-ionizing radiation. These are frequencies emitted by our cell phones and computers and wifi and so we are constantly being exposed day in and day out. Which begs the question, are they safe?
Generally speaking, exposure to low frequency non-ionizing radiation doesn’t seem to be harmful. However, our exposure levels have increased exponentially over the past 100 years. Additionally, I never like to stop at the thought that “this small level is safe, but really large levels are unsafe”. The reason I don’t like to stop at those assumptions is because that’s never the “only” potential toxin you are exposed to.
We are exposed daily to chemicals, pesticides, mold, fumes, toxins, and now, EMF. So when something has ANY limit on safe levels of exposure then it’s good to consider total life/body burden.
Then, there are studies that flat out say that it impacts our bodies in a negative way:
“Electromagnetic fields (EMF) have various chemical effects, including causing deterioration in large molecules in cells and imbalance in ionic equilibrium. Despite being essential for life, oxygen molecules can lead to the generation of hazardous by-products, known as reactive oxygen species (ROS), during biological reactions. These reactive oxygen species can damage cellular components such as proteins, lipids and DNA. Antioxidant defense systems exist in order to keep free radical formation under control and to prevent their harmful effects on the biological system. Free radical formation can take place in various ways, including ultraviolet light, drugs, lipid oxidation, immunological reactions, radiation, stress, smoking, alcohol and biochemical redox reactions. Oxidative stress occurs if the antioxidant defense system is unable to prevent the harmful effects of free radicals. Several studies have reported that exposure to EMF results in oxidative stress in many tissues of the body. Exposure to EMF is known to increase free radical concentrations and traceability and can affect the radical couple recombination. “ - The Journal of Microscopy and Ultrastructure 2017
To summarize, oxidation is damage and aging to cells. EMF exposure causes oxidation. Our body’s have backup mechanisms (antioxidants) to balance this process. But again, when overburdened from multiple exposures that cause oxidation….can we keep up?
This concern is expressed in a report from Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology in 2019, “It should be also noted that in the real situation humans are often being simultaneously subjected to EMF from different sources. So the biological effects of multi-source and multi-frequency EMFs have yet to be explored and fully understood. Up to date, there is no any available information on accumulative effect of such combined exposure.”
Often, studies about the safety of new technology cannot be made until the technology is already avialalbe and in use for example, safety studies on 3g may not come out until everyone is already using 4g etc….
Finally, there are many people, probably may reading this, that are simply MORE sensitive to stressors and environmental exposures. Where most scientific studies would not come out and say “perfume is bad for human health”, there are many individuals who are chemical sensitive for any variety of reasons. And in these cases, smelling someone else’s perfume may give them a full blown migraine due to the inflammation it causes due to their low tolerance level or immune system….
For example, I was VERY chemical sensitive after chemotherapy last year, but as my body healed, I noticed it less and less.
Chemically sensitive people, I believe, are canaries in the coal mine. Just because normal, healthy people may not notice an issue with a substance does not mean it’s HEALTHY. It just means they have a healthy, resilient body that can handle it.
So let’s get into what the heck you can do about it!
3 ways to reduce EMF exposure (or damage) this school year
1) EMF blocker buttons
This is one of my favorite ways to reduce exposure while still doing what we need to do to live in the real world which includes working from our phones and laptops daily!
EMF blockers are little stickers (I call them buttons) that you can apply to your TV, laptop, cell phone etc….and they significantly limit EMF exposure beyond the device. You’ll want to find a company you trust- if you have an EMF detector you can always do a little experiment once you get them in the mail as well.
Two brands my family uses:
2) Grounding
What the heck is grounding? Well, it’s exactly what it sounds like! You stand, barefoot, on. the ground! The reason this can be helpful is to offset the effects that EMF (or other stressors) cause in the body. Grounding allows your body to reconnect to the earths magnetic pull, balances your body’s electric “charge” so to speak, rebalances the circadian rhythm, and lowers inflammation. In essence, it “grounds you” quite literally. You can find out more at www.earthing.com.
Now, getting outside in nature is always beneficial, but if you live somewhere where it gets really cold for large parts of the year, standing barefoot outside may not work for you all year round. I sleep on a grounding blanket every night and there are several other options at www.earthing.com that help you bring grounding inside!
3) Magnesium
EMF is thought to damage cells, impair enzyme function, and increase calcium levels. Calcium can actually be released into the bloodstream (we want it to stay in the bones) as a coping mechanism during a stress response. Magnesium helps balance calcium and is also used heavily when the body is under stress.
If you are exposed to EMF regularly and/or you are really stressed and/or you are more sensitive or have more body burden, you may benefit from magnesium supplementation.
4) Turn your wifi OFF at night
One super easy way to control your exposure at home is to reduce exposure when you are sleeping by shutting your wifi off at night. We simply purchased a timer plug that is easy to use! You just set the timer and plug it in and it shuts everything off and turns everything back on at the same time each day.
5) Drop bluetooth devices or limit exposure
Depending on how committed you are to limiting exposure, getting rid of devices that are constantly emitting on or near your body like Fitbits, might be next on the agenda. When I was diagnosed with cancer I got way more serious about things like this and dropped my Fitbit like a hot rock. Now I use the Oura ring which I keep in airplane mode when it’s on my body so it’s not connecting or emitting anything when on my body.
BONUS* 6) Wear blue light blocking glasses
This isn’t exactly going to do anything about EMF exposure specifically, but with all this extra computer time blue light blockers can be super helpful to prevent migraines, tension headaches and disrupted circadian rhythms!
We all know that looking at computer screen for long periods of time can cause headaches, stress and strain. Simply wearing blue light blockers can really help this.
Additionally, the longer we are exposed to blue light in the evening, the longer our body shuts down the production of melatonin because blue light is what our brains interpret as daylight. When we block the light in the evening it allows our bodies to sync up naturally again and release melatonin letting us get that “its time for bed” signal.
I hope this was helpful! All in all - we are each going to do our best this year and I know that teachers and parents everywhere are adjusting to things they never thought they would have to adjust to! And kids are doing their best even though it’s sad not to hang out with their friends and get up and walk around in between classes.
So I hope this little blog can help take charge of one little piece of it to lower some stress, help your family feel a little better, and protect your health as we continue down this road that is 2020…..
p.s. some additional resources you might be interested in:
Book: EMF*D - Dr Joseph MErcola
Book: Radiation Nation - Daniel and Ryan Debaun
Article: https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/article/lifestyle-articles/emf/
References:
Kıvrak, E. G., Yurt, K. K., Kaplan, A. A., Alkan, I., & Altun, G. (2017). Effects of electromagnetic fields exposure on the antioxidant defense system. Journal of microscopy and ultrastructure, 5(4), 167–176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmau.2017.07.003
Biological effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic fields: Two sides of a coin - Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology Volume 141, January 2019, Pages 25-36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2018.07.009
Chevalier, G., Sinatra, S. T., Oschman, J. L., Sokal, K., & Sokal, P. (2012). Earthing: health implications of reconnecting the human body to the Earth's surface electrons. Journal of environmental and public health, 2012, 291541. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/291541
Sun, Z., Ge, J., Guo, B. et al. Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields Facilitate Vesicle Endocytosis by Increasing Presynaptic Calcium Channel Expression at a Central Synapse. Sci Rep 6, 21774 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep21774