Are you switched on?

Isn’t it funny how we all desperately try not to repeat the mistakes our parents made? We’re determined to be emotionally available for our children, to protect them from bullying, abuse and second-hand smoke, and to feed them nutritious food.

But guess what we’re doing instead. We’re walking around with cellphones, while carrying our babies in a body sling. We’re exposing our youths and teenagers to harmful wi-fi radiation – not just at home but in schools, libraries and almost every other public place. And we’re wired for sound (and visuals and games) in every square foot of our homes and offices. Looking back at past generations, we may find it hard to believe that doctors used to promote cigarettes as being good for our health, and that tapeworms were sold as a great way to lose weight. But what will the next generation be thinking of us, when it becomes widely recognized that our high-tech gadgets are creating all kinds of health problems and fatal illnesses—not to mention killing off the birds and bees so essential to our food supply?

Headaches, abnormal heart rhythm, cancer, fatigue, MS, Parkinson’s disease, memory loss, tinnitus, digestive problems, difficulty sleeping and numerous other conditions that you’ve been unable to resolve (or may have attributed to stress)… these are all symptoms of electromagnetic sensitivity—the body’s physical reaction to the constant bombardment of electromagnetic fields and radio-wave radiation that permeate our living and working environments.

Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) is coming at us from every angle—from cell phones, cordless phones, wi-fi networks, Smart Meters, laptops, wireless keyboards/printers, kitchen appliances, electronic equipment, heating systems, and fluorescent lights. Not only that, but often the wiring in a house or building can contain what’s known as ‘dirty electricity’—a high-frequency current that produces magnetic fields that emanate from the walls into your living space, with the potential to cause numerous conditions, such as chronic fatigue syndrome, allergies, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease, attention deficit disorder, cancer, infertility, miscarriage and birth defects.

All of this and more is explained in Jim Waugh’s fascinating book on EMR (Living Safely with Electromagnetic Radiation—a complete guide to protecting your health), which is an eye-opener for those seeking an explanation for their health-related conundrums. Waugh shares numerous accounts of individuals whose debilitating conditions disappeared when the source of electromagnetic radiation was detected and removed. Pets, too, are seriously affected, with dogs, cats, horses and other animals succumbing to lameness, tumours, diarrhoea, skin diseases and paralysis—often because of a cordless phone in their owner’s home.

I need no further convincing of the importance of ‘cleaning’ up my act. Yet I realize that it’s another ‘inconvenient truth’. We all love our wonderful, labour-saving, mobility-enhancing technology, and none of us want to give it up.

What can you do to minimize the negative impact?

Here are some tips from Jim:

-Never leave an unused appliance plugged in as the cord/cable and socket will emit a strong electrical field. Don’t stand near them, either, when in use.

-Stand back from the electric elements on your stove, when turned on. They too emit a strong electrical field.

-Change all your so-called energy-saving CFLs back to incandescent bulbs – if you can (they will soon be banned for sale in Canada). CFLs emit harmful radiation (causing skin burns if placed too close to the body), and they contain toxic mercury. According to Walt McGinnis (see http://www.greenmuze.com/blogs/guest-bloggers/1031-the-dark-side-of-cfls.html), CFLs actually increase a consumer’s carbon footprint because they are energy hogs to produce, operate and dispose of.

-Never sleep with an electrical cable or plug behind or near your head – such as the cord from a bedside lamp going behind your bed to reach a socket. The electrical field can disrupt sleep and other body functions. Check appliances on the other side of your bedroom wall for any appliances plugged in there – for the same reason.

-Use a separate keyboard with your laptop, if possible. Using the built-in keyboard exposes you to a strong electrical field.

-Switch from a cordless phone to a corded one. This may not be easy or convenient to do, but numerous health problems have been associated with the use of cordless phones—among pets as well as humans. Cordless phones use the same kind of pulsed microwave radiation as cell phones and are known to be more dangerous because they operate 24 hours a day, even when the handset is not in use.

-At night, turn off your wi-fi and all other appliances not in use.

-Never charge your cell phone in your bedroom. During the day, avoid putting it in a breast/hip pocket, if possible. Keep cell phones away from babies and small children as they are much more susceptible to the harmful radiation than adults.

-Be mindful of others around you and how they may be affected by your techno-gadgets.

In Sweden, EMF sensitivity is officially recognized as a disability, and the government provides benefits as well as designated EMF-free areas for those who are affected. While Swedish brains are presumably no different from ours, they certainly seem to be a whole lot smarter.

For more info, see emfsafehome.com