Improving your gut health doesn’t necessarily mean taking the latest fancy, expensive probiotic or making drastic changes to your diet. While sometimes a gut healing protocol with therapeutic supplements is needed to bring your gut health back to balance, it isn’t always the case. Sometimes you can work on healing your gut by adding in a few habits or modifying some of the things you are already doing.
When your gut is in a good place, exercise can play a role in maintaining microbiome diversity in the gut, promoting better energy and mood, and a stronger immune system. It can also aid in getting your digestive fire moving, supporting the entire digestive process so that you are moving out toxins and pooping daily.
Constipation is SUPER common, but it isn’t normal. I was always told that a bowel movement every day isn’t that important, but once I learned about how digestion works and what the body’s objective is in pooping (removing waste and toxins from the body!) I realized that we really should be pooping every day, at least once a day and up to two or three times.
The health of your digestive tract isn’t just about the food and drink we are consuming. Digestion is one of the most important and resource-intensive processes our body goes through on a daily basis and requires a lot more than just eating the right foods. A lot of things have to be going right for our gut to be strong and functioning how it should.
The practice of being mindful while eating allows us to pay attention not only to our food but ourselves. When we eat under stress, we are robbing our bodies of nourishment and the nutrients we need to thrive. I say this all the time, it isn't always about what we eat, but how we eat that can make a difference in your health.
Ideally, we should have a fairly steady blood sugar ride throughout the day with balanced meals of fat, protein and carbs to satiate us until our next meal. We should not constantly rely on food for a quick hit of energy. This is not to say that eating regularly or snacking is bad, but giving your body a minimum of 3-4 hours between eating can provide the digestion cascade with the rest it needs and be very beneficial to the body.
With today’s complex food systems it is super easy to forget that the foods that are readily available are not always the foods that are in season where we live. Eating along with the seasons is not only a great way to improve your health, it is a great way to support your local communities, economy and can be budget-friendly. But don’t think you have to go all-in on seasonal eating at first, especially if you are used to eating your berries in winter or tomatoes in the spring ;-). Start with what you can and add local, seasonal foods as you go. A great way to do this is to find a farmers market close to your house, purchase produce and (meat products too!) from Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs), or start a small garden in your backyard.
I realize that not everyone has the privilege to eat this way depending on where you live and the time of year, so just do what you can, when you can, and don’t worry if you can’t eat seasonally and locally all the time.
Let’s dive right into the benefits!
Your food will taste better. Produce that is picked at peak ripened state just tastes better. If your produce is coming from across the country or across the globe, it is likely picked before it’s ripe and has to ripen in a dark box or container. Or it is picked when it is ripe and by the time it gets to you, it is overripe or is just not as fresh. Sometimes produce is even sprayed with chemicals to prevent it from ripening too quickly.
Your diet will be more nutrient dense. Produce picked and eaten at the peak of ripening and freshness ensures that the nutrient profile of the fruit or vegetable is fully developed so that you are getting the vitamins and minerals your body needs. Soil quality, amount of sunlight, and the climate all contribute to the nutrient makeup of foods. Studies have shown that produce grown in-season often has more vitamins and minerals than the same produce grown out of season.
You’ll consume fewer pesticides. Eating seasonally and locally increases your chances of eating organic or pesticide-free. Smaller farmers often can’t afford the official organic certification but are often still following organic practices. Don’t be afraid to ask the vendors at your local farmer’s market or the employees of your CSA.
A diverse diet is more gut-friendly. Eating seasonally ensures that you are eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. You are more likely to try new foods and new recipes and you won’t get bored. Try one or two unfamiliar vegetables or fruits each week. Eating a diverse diet with lots of variety is a great way to support the gut microbiome. Our good gut bacteria love to be exposed to the widest variety of foods possible. The microbiome changes along with the seasons too. In the summer, you’re likely to have bacteria in your gut that thrives on raw fruits and vegetables, while in the winter, you may have bacteria that prefer starchier foods.
You might save a few bucks. Seasonal produce is more abundant (supply is greater), so it tends to cost less per pound in the store. If you are buying produce that is out of season, expenses are higher to get it to you.
You’ll be more in tune with nature. In the warm, summer months we crave cool and juicy foods like watermelon, cucumbers, leafy greens, and tomatoes. When the weather turns cooler we crave heartier, warmer foods such as root vegetables and darker greens. When spring rolls around we reach for detoxifying foods like citrus, leafy greens, asparagus, radishes, and spinach.
You’ll help the environment. When produce has to travel, it takes a toll on the environment. Food production, packaging, and transportation release greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and fossil fuels, which contribute to acid rain, air pollution, and global warming. Eating seasonally (and better yet, locally!) really helps to cut down on this impact.
You are supporting your community. Buying your produce from local farmer’s markets and CSAs is a great way to support your local farms, build your community, and better connect you to where your food is coming from and who is growing it. Additionally, when people learn about the farms where their food actually comes from, they have a greater appreciation for the meals made from those ingredients.
Tips for eating seasonally:
Shop at farmers markets or purchase a share of a local CSA to help support your community
Try growing your own produce at home with an indoor and/or outdoor garden
Freeze, dehydrate, or can fresh produce when it is in season to enjoy later
Ferment or pickle seasonal vegetables to preserve and even increase their nutrient-density (try my saurkraut recipe here or my fermented foods round up)
When we align ourselves with the cyclical nature of seasons themselves and their bounty, we can fully enjoy the uniqueness of each season and connect more organically with the passing of time. Our bodies and minds crave seasonal changes, we are designed for it, so let’s lean in!
I love this one-page quick guide to what produce is in season when.
We are in the middle of a global pandemic and a common theme among st my clients, friends and family is anxiety. And rightfully so! This is a tough time for everyone. We all cope with it in different ways, but there are some practices that we can do to help alleviate it and even potentially prevent it from happening. Many of these practices are also immune boosting which is a nice bonus in times like these! While this list isn’t exhaustive, I hope this resonates with you and you can take at least a few things away in these challenging times.
Meditate daily. Even if it is for just 5 minutes. Meditation is a habitual process of training your mind to focus and redirect your thoughts. You can use it to increase awareness of yourself and your surroundings. Having a regular practice can significantly control anxiety. If you want some structure or accountability to start a practice, try one of the many medication apps out there now. I like: Headspace, Calm and Insight Timer.
Practice breathing exercises. Your breath is one of the most effective, all natural anxiety management tools and it is free! Deliberate, mindful breathing in a slow and steady pattern can reduce the heart rate and activate your parasympathetic nervous system bringing a sense of calm to the mind and body.
My favorite breathing technique is called Box Breathing. Here is how it works: On the inhale, expand the belly, then the diaphragm, then the upper chest for a count of 5. Hold for 5 counts and then on the exhale, let the breath go first from the upper chest, then the ribcage, then the belly all within a count of 5. Hold for 5 counts before you inhale again. This is a great way to retrain your body to breathe deeply and eliminate an acute stress response.
Detox from unnecessary screen time and social media. While technology at our fingertips at all hours of the day has its benefits, it is definitely harmful to our mental health. Our brains were not wired to process the constant access to social media, news feeds and the constant stream of content. Checking social media or our inboxes activates the pleasure receptors in our brains (like the happy neurotransmitter dopamine), but that rush doesn’t last long. We are left feeling sad, empty and anxious. Consider a regular social media detox. Weekends can be great for this or try going for an extended period for even better results.
Connect in real life. This seems odd coming right after I tell you do do a social media and screen time detox, but even if you can’t physically touch others, you can still be in touch with them, see them in person or over a phone call or video chat. Genuine friendships and relationships with your family or people in your community are key to feeling grounded, connected and fulfilled. Don’t be afraid to talk to the people closest to you about how you are feeling. Sharing thoughts, stories, giving and receiving advice and encouragement can reduce anxiety and be so rewarding long after you finish the visit. You may find comfort in knowing that many people are going through similar experiences, feelings and thought processes.
Start a gratitude practice. Gratitude may be one of the most overlooked tools that we all have access to. It doesn’t cost money, it takes little time and it can have tremendous benefits. Not only is gratitude a super powerful and positive emotion, it is easy to manifest. Try writing down 3 things you are grateful for at the end of each day. Doing this can help turnaround negative thinking and reduce anxious feelings. It is also a great to drift off into restful sleep. There is a lot of conclusive research about the mental and physical health benefits of a gratitude practice including positive changes to mental, physical and psychological heath.
Spend time in nature. Spending intentional time in nature restores balance and a sense of grounding and calm to the body. It wakes up the senses and gets those neurotransmitters working to help support anxiety. Even if you don’t have access to regional or state parks or trails, you can visit local parks, try gardening or a meet up that spends time outside. Speaking of getting outside….
Move your body every day. Movement delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and help your heart and lungs work more efficiently providing you with more energy to go about your day. It also stimulates the neurotransmitters in our brain to help us feel happier and more relaxed. It can help to boost confidence and reduce stress and anxiety. Even if you can’t get to the gym every day, our bodies are meant to move. Even 20 to 30 minutes of walking can provide you with the physical and mental benefits. If you don’t love it and it isn’t easy to fit into your life, you likely won’t stick with it so find a way to move every day that not only works in your schedule and lifestyle, but that you enjoy doing.
Eat to nourish and support your gut. Gut health and anxiety are closely related through the gut-brain axis. Science on this topic is relatively new, but we do know that many of the bacteria in your gut make chemical messengers called neurotransmitters that regulate feelings of fear, anxiety, and stress. These neurotransmitters include serotonin, dopamine and GABA, all of which play a key role in anxiety and mood. It is estimated that 90% of these neurotransmitters are produced in our digestive tract. When your microbiome is out of balance, the production of these neurotransmitters may be affected, resulting in a tendency towards anxiety. While stool testing (I offer this!) is the gold standard in really determining what might be going on in the gut (i.e. dysbiosis/imbalanced flora, pathogens, viruses, and parasites), there are some ways you can better support your microbiome (and brain) without necessarily going that route.
Here are some great ways to nourish and support your gut:
Consume fermented foods and/or supplement with a probiotic. Yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kombucha, and kimchi are all probiotic-rich foods which have been shown to significantly lower levels of stress and anxiety. Aim to eat or drink something fermented 2–3 times per day as a condiment. Try my easy sauerkraut recipe to get started. If these foods just don’t sound appealing to you or you would like some additional probiotic support, a high quality probiotic supplement can be great too.
Consume plenty of fiber. Properly prepared grains, nuts, seeds fruits and vegetables all contain prebiotic fibers which feed the good bacteria that live in your gut. Not only will they support the good gut bugs allowing your body to make healthy amounts of neurotransmitters, they are also known to be supportive of your body’s stress response.
Consume polyphenol-rich foods like in-season berries, stone fruits, apples, beans, nuts, cocoa, green tea, extra virgin olive oil and coffee all contain polyphenols, which are plant chemicals that are digested by your gut bacteria. Polyphenols can help to increase the healthy gut bacteria which are supportive of neurotransmitters.
Consume Typtophan and Vitamin D rich foods which can support serotonin production. These foods include fatty fish like salmon and sardines, along with eggs, turkey, spinach, nuts and seeds, and fruits like pineapple.
Nourish the gut with bone broth and/or gelatin and collagen peptides. Bone broth is incredibly nourishing to the gut. The gelatin it contains can help to repair intestinal lining and reduce inflammation in the digestive tract improving the gut lining. When you can’t make it yourself and don’t have access to it, gelatin and collagen peptide products can be a nice substitute.
Sources:
I never noticed if I felt differently throughout the seasons until we moved to Portland, OR. It was our second or third winter here when I began to recognize some patterns. My mental and physical health seemed to decline starting in mid to late November and lasted until at least the beginning of March. I would feel tired ALL THE TIME. I diagnosed myself with chronic fatigue. It was challenging to get out of bed and I wanted to nap all day. I craved carbohydrates and am guessing my body wanted the sugar to give me a boost of energy. I am usually an outgoing and extroverted person and I love social time with family and friends, but this time of year I would just want to hibernate. Staying in seemed so much easier and I didn’t have the energy to leave the house anyway, especially in the evenings.
It was only this year that I discovered with the help of my doctor that I likely have a mild to moderate case of SAD or seasonal affective disorder. It is very common and affects more people than you might think. You may even have the symptoms too and not even know that what you are feeling has a name. SAD is a type of depression that comes about with changes in the seasons. It generally begins in the fall and can last through the winter months. There are many symptoms and they can include: feeling depressed, wanting to hibernate, low energy, problems sleeping, changes in appetite and weight, carbohydrate cravings, feeling sluggish, increased anxiety. If you suspect you have it, I encourage you to work with your mental health practitioner or doctor.
That being said, I wanted to share some of the tips and tricks that have helped me to feel better during the time when SAD is the worst for me. I often start these practices in the early fall to try to get ahead of the symptoms that I start to feel as the days get shorter and the weather not as nice.
I allow myself to sleep in or at least wake up later. This often means I forgo my usual morning workout until later today, allowing myself for a slower morning and less risk of not getting up when I absolutely need to. In the winter months, the sun is not coming up until well after I get up during the week so the closer I can get up to sunrise, the better.
I get outside on a walk as soon as possible upon waking. I am for a walk within 30-60 minutes of getting out of bed. My goal is to get the daylight (even on the days when there is no sun, which is often in the Pacific Northwest!) into my eyeballs. This is fairly easy for me since I am usually out to walk my dog or walk my daughter to school, but even on the days when my day is not so structured, I try to make this happen. This makes a huge difference in how I feel.
I aim to eat foods that are rich in Vitamin D and high in tryptophan which can support serotonin production (the neurotransmitter our bodies tend to be deficient in during this time of year). I eat lots of fatty fish like salmon and sardines along with eggs, spinach, nuts and seeds, and fruits like pineapple.
I also make sure to eat fermented foods and take probiotics, consume plenty of bone broth and/or collagen and fiber to nourish my gut. It is estimated that 90% of the body’s serotonin is made in the digestive track.
I try for moderate to vigorous exercise 3-4 days a week (HIIT, strength training, jogging), plus movement like walking every day and some yoga mixed in. Most of the year I do this in the morning, but I move my exercise to later in the day during the winter months because I find that my energy levels are better and I am more motivated.
I get outside every single day. I take my morning walk and try to get another activity in mid-day too, especially if the sun is out!
I practice hydrotherapy. It is tough to start this habit but I worked up to finishing my shower on the cold setting for about three minutes. There is some decent evidence that cold hydrotherapy can benefit people with both anxiety and depression and anecdotally I find that it energizes me and makes me feel good!
I supplement with Vitamin C, a B complex vitamin (for Folate, B6 and B12) along with zinc and magnesium. These vitamins are co-factors for neurotransmitter production. If we work together I can help you determine what supplements might work best for you.
I budget funds for a winter vacation or two (even something short!) somewhere warm and sunny like Southern California, Mexico or Hawaii. I know this isn’t accessible for everyone, but even driving to the mountains to be in the snow (if you live somewhere rainy like the PNW) or heading to the desert where at least you will see some sun can be helpful as well.
I give myself grace this time of year. Since I naturally want to slow down, I allow it to happen. I rest more, take more time for self-care and don’t beat myself up when I can’t seem to do it all. I remind myself that I can resume my regularly scheduled life when I feel up to it.
I hope you find these tips helpful. Let me know if you try them out and how they work for you!
Sources and additional resources:
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/seasonal-affective-disorder/index.shtml
https://www.healthline.com/health/food-tips-help-ease-winter-blues
https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/microbes-help-produce-serotonin-gut-46495
Do we need them? I’d love to say no, but unfortunately given today’s environment the answer is yes for most people. Here are some of the reasons:
Soil diversity and quality has declined in modern times, decreasing the nutrient density of the food that comes from this soil. Modern farming has also led to a reduction in the diversity of plant foods that we eat on a daily basis and an increase in environmental toxins. Not to mention, most people don’t eat nearly enough of the right foods to obtain the amounts of nutrients that our bodies thrive on.
Our generation grew up with chronic antibiotic use, long-term use of birth control pills and other medications which wreak havoc on the liver and digestive and endocrine systems. We have reached a point where healing the gut and reversing damage to our bodies require more than dietary changes.
Our lifestyles today are challenging. In general, we are chronically stressed, we have poor sleep quality and quantity, we are not getting enough activity and movement in or we are over exercising, and we don’t spend enough time connecting with nature or spending time with one another.
I encourage my clients to obtain as many nutrients from food as possible because nutrient dense, whole foods are essentially pre-packaged nutrients that fit together naturally, containing many co-factors and enzymes required to absorb those nutrients. Though as I mention above, most of us are not obtaining the optimal level of at least some nutrients. Supplementation may be necessary indefinitely or for a period of time depending on the situation. For example, many of us are vitamin D and magnesium deficient. Other vitamins that we tend to be deficient in include vitamin A, K2, C, B12, selenium and iodine. Given our years of consuming more omega-6 vegetable oils when saturated fat had a bad rap, many have an imbalance in their omega-3 / omega-6 ratio as well (they should be balanced).
Because we are all so different and our bodies have different needs based on our lifestyles, diets and history I don’t make blanket recommendations. The best way to determine what deficiencies you have is to work with a functional medicine or holistic practitioner. As practitioners, part of our job is to research and test the best supplements for our clients to ensure that they are getting the appropriate nutrients their body needs. We help to monitor any adverse reactions or interactions with other medications you may be taking and help ensure proper dosing and timing. Some nutrients are known to be toxic if taken in high doses. For example, vitamin A can cause liver problems, too much zinc can reduce copper in the body and vitamin E and selenium may be linked to prostate cancer.
It is also important to note that the supplement industry is not regulated by the FDA and is in fact, not regulated at all. Standards for quality do not exist and there is nothing keeping companies from making false claims on their packaging which is ineffective and even dangerous. A Canadian research group conducted a study on a variety of different generic brand supplements. They found that many of these supplements found in well-known pharmacies (e.g. Walgreens, Wal-Mart) contained unlisted fillers, contaminants, completely different compounds than listed, and in some cases no active herbal ingredients at all. Over 60% of the store brand supplements tested had incorrect labeling, and more than 50% didn’t contain the advertised ingredient.
Given this problem, it is very important to purchase high quality supplements from trusted source. It is also important to find brands whose products are considered to be pharmaceutical grade which are at the top-tier of quality and generally only dispensed (or at least endorsed) by practitioners and clinicians. These supplements are produced under rigorous laboratory conditions, tested for purity, contaminants, and are free of allergens and questionable ingredients. The companies package synergistic compounds together to help improve your body’s ability to absorb the active ingredients. You can also be sure that you will be getting only those ingredients listed on the labels, without fillers and toxins.
Supplements can have a place in our health journey, provided we use them sensibly and not at the expense of a whole foods-based, nutrient dense diet. Ignore the dogma that is rampant in the health and wellness industry about the latest and greatest supplement and figure out what will work best for YOU with the help of someone trained to do so. You may find that in the long run you save money on products and supplements you don’t need and actually feel better using the supplements that serve your mind and body and improve your health.
Sources:
Diet culture is something that is all around us yet most of us don’t think about it specifically or even know what it is. It feels normal to us even though it is anything but. Diet culture exists because our society values the number on the scale over health and longevity. It sends the message that restrictive eating through calorie deficits and the elimination of food groups, or whatever fad diet is in favor will help us to lose weight and therefore make us happier and healthier. It also tells us that the more we work out and the harder we work out, the more likely we are to have six pack abs. It reinforces the belief that if you are thin and or appear fit that you are a happier person. Diet culture is black and white – putting foods into buckets labeled good or bad with the aim of creating shame in our minds so that we continue purchase products and services that will give us that “bikini body”, help us get our body back after having a baby, or give us the energy of our youth.
This culture wants us to be in the cycle of wanting to lose weight and trying to keep it off, hating our bodies and shaming ourselves, it wants us to feel like a failure or worthless when a “diet” isn’t working. They want us to spend more money on the next diet, supplement or workout program. We can choose not to engage in this cycle, but it is dificult because it is so engrained in our society today. We deserve better.
Here are some strategies to help you reframe your thoughts and allow you to take charge of your mindset around health, while allowing you to stop feeding into, and thereby supporting diet culture:
1. Instead of labeling foods as good or bad or eliminating certain foods just because you believe they are too high in fat, carbs or calories, try to think about all foods as neutral and really pay attention to how they make you feel. Are these foods working for you, nourishing you and making you feel good? Stop reading labels for recommendations on how much you should be eating and eat what feels right to you, when it feels right and the amount that will nourish and sustain you. Aim to push out the guilt and anxiety associated with former “bad” foods. So long as the bulk of your meals are based on whole foods with lots of organic greens and vegetables (fiber), high quality proteins and healthy fats and you are feeling well generally, you can still enjoy some of the foods that our diet culture associates with guilt, shame or whatever else they have come up with to manipulate our thinking.
2. Stop exercising for punishment or to negate something that you ate and consider how exercise makes you feel. Contrary to popular belief, you can’t negate something you ate with running ten miles or taking two hours of spin class. We have very little control over our actual metabolic rate. While our food intake accounts for 100 percent of the energy that we take into our bodies, exercise burns off only somewhere between ten and thirty percent depending on a variety of factors at that time. It is pretty hard to erase your diet with hours on the treadmill and it isn’t worth the time or the hardship to your body. More exercise isn’t always better. In fact, most of the time it introduces more stress to your body. Over time the behavior of using exercise as punishment for poor dietary decisions can be extremely detrimental to your heath and your mindset. Exercise should be something that brings you joy and should be used as a tool to make you feel strong in your body, have more energy and confidence and add to your health and well being. So seek out the forms of exercise that you enjoy and do them because you care about your body
3. Let go of the idea that the number on the scale or your clothing size determines your worth, capabilities, health or happiness. Diet culture will tell you time and time again to follow a specific plan and you will lose weight and therefore be a happier person. There are unhappy people at all sizes and your worth and capabilities in any capacity are not tied to your weight or how you look in a bathing suit. This is a big one, especially with postpartum women. As new moms we often feel like we have to get our bodies back and in short order. Why? Because in diet culture, we are made to feel that we are not ourselves until we can successfully fit into our old clothes and have the same body that we had before having children. When you really think about it, is that even rational? Pregnant or not, our bodies change over time depending on our lifestyles, stress levels and seasons of life. A mother’s body should be celebrated for having the strength and amazing ability to carry a life, give birth and nourish that life. It is normal to not look the same afterwards because let’s face it, we are not the same afterwards. Your body never goes away it just changes with your experience, just like it does with other life experiences.
When you stop spending so much time stressing about your weight and focus on living your life – spending time with your children, nourishing yourself with foods that make you feel good, move your body as we are designed to, and do things for yourself that bring you joy and peace, you may just find that you are happier. You may never again fall into the trap of dieting and over-exercising only to fail and feel bad enough about yourself to do it again and again.
There are so many other ways that diet culture infiltrates the messaging we see all around us. I could go on about this forever so I picked a few of the common themes I see. I hope this post helps you to think about how diet culture has influenced you over the years, what you can do minimize its harmful effects and move forward in a more positive way that can help your own health and mindset. Hopefully over time the power that diet culture has over our society will diminish or even go away completely.
Let’s make it happen!
Our bodies process thousands of toxins and environmental stressors on a daily basis. There is a direct link between how many toxins we are exposing ourselves to and our ability to achieve optimal health and well-being. Some of these exposures are avoidable by changing what we put on in our bodies, on our bodies and what we do in our homes. These stressors are often hard to understand because they are not something that you can see or feel.
EMFs are electromagnetic fields and are all around us via electronic devices like our cell phones, Wi-Fi, electric wiring and lighting in our homes and even refrigerator motors. These EMFs pass through our bodies constantly, disrupting out bodies own unique electromagnetic energy field and potentially harming our cells by changing how our cells communicate with one another. While there is a huge amount of uncertainty over how harmful EMFs are to human health, there is a common theme that chronic EMF exposure may be related to ailments such as chronic fatigue, sleep issues, neurological and behavioral problems and even cancer.
High levels of constant EMF pollution are most problematic, particularly for a subset of the population particularly susceptible to adverse symptoms from excessive exposure. Children also appear to be more vulnerable to EMFs than adults. Reducing exposure to on a daily basis can be helpful in achieving better health for you and your family. A great place to start is in our homes – where we can control the level of EMFs we are exposed to.
Here are some of the easiest and most economical ways I have found to reduce exposure:
Change out the light bulbs in your homes from fluorescent or CFLs to incandescent. I know, it seems this is moving backward, but these newer bulbs give off radiofrequency radiation in addition to UV radiation and dirty electricity. The old-school incandescent light bulbs give off much less of these by-products (though they do use more electricity). Energy-efficient LED light bulbs don’t contain radiofrequency radiation or UV radiation, but they still produce dirty electricity.
Reduce your exposure when you don’t need it – while you sleep. Start by putting your Wi-Fi on a timer in order to turn it off a night (cutting your exposure in half). You can also remove high EMF sources from your bedroom by putting your cell phone in airplane mode, turning it off, or keeping it out of your room entirely. If you need to access your phone at night, keep it across the room from where you are sleeping to reduce your exposure to cell phone radiation. You can also purchase a battery-operated analog or LCD alarm clock. Keep other EMF emitting things like laptops, televisions, DVD players, etc., out of your bedroom as these electronic devices are constantly emitting an EMF that affects you while you sleep and may even affect your sleep experience itself.
Reduce your usage of cell phones and other devices including wearables like an Apple Watch or FitBit. Turn your Bluetooth off, and keep your phone in airplane mode whenever possible. If your kids play games or use apps on your phone or their phones, ensure they are playing in airplane mode. While the evidence on this isn’t totally clear, there may be a link between certain cancers (including the brain) as well as infertility to high levels of exposure to cell phones. Having your phone (or wearing it) close to your body is exposing you to constant radiation and EMF exposure.
Take regular Epsom salt baths to reset and recharge your body. For a great detox bath and a way to reduce the body’s toxic burden from chemicals and radiation, mix one cup of Epsom salt with a half cup of baking soda. Add 2-4 drops each of frankincense, lavender, and/or juniper berry essential oils directly to the mix, then pour under running water. Do this as often as possible, at least once a week.
For more information on reducing your EMF exposure in and out of the home, here are a few books and other sources below.
Sources:
Pineault, N. (2017). The Non-Tinfoil Guide to EMFs: How to Fix Our Stupid Use of Technology.
Milham, S. (2010). Dirty electricity: electrification and the diseases of civilization.
http://www.parentsforsafetechnology.org/worldwide-countries-taking-action.html
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412014001354
