Thoughtful Thursday…Six easy steps I’m taking for a healthier life in a technology world
Welcome to Thoughtful Thursday. This GreenNote Fitness newsletter mindfully gathers and distills useful information that is supportive to our journey. It is my mission to educate, inspire, and propel you into action that moves you towards your goals and life of purpose. Take control of your journey today.
In my quest for longevity which you can read about here, there is one area that I’ve read about, listened to interviews with experts on the subject, and have known I need to take action. The topic? EMF or electromagnetic fields. These have been around since forever as we receive natural EMFs from the sun and earth. What isn’t natural is human-made EMFs such as microwave ovens, computers, smart phones, smart meters, WiFi, Bluetooth technology, and power lines. EMF in numbers “The United States alone is wired with half a million miles of high-voltage power lines, and for wireless communication we depend on more than half a million microwave links. We also have tens of millions of broadcasting transmitters flooding our airwaves, use more than thirty-five million electromagnetic devices (increasing at an exponential rate), and plant ourselves in front of hundreds of millions on video and television screens.” “EMF radiation is the by-product of this profusion of electronic technology, and the radiation emitted by millions of household appliances, military installations, industrial machines, computers, broadcast and communication transmitters, and other electrically powered devices is a form of environmental pollution. It can cause headaches, vision problems, anxiety, irritability, depression, nausea, fatigue, disturbed sleep, poor physical performance, and loss of libido.” ~ Ben Greenfield, Beyond Training: Mastering Endurance, Health & Life EMF affect on our mitochondria and myelin There is abundant evidence that EMFs affect mitochondria. Mitochondria are what produce all the energy for our cells to carry out normal functions. When they come damaged, cells become inefficient and produce rampant oxidative stress. This leads to high amounts of inflammation. Gents, did you know that if you keep you cell phone near your genital area, it will reduce your testosterone levels and sperm quality? EMFs can also affect our myelin, the vital insulating lining of your nerves. "In one study, rats that were exposed to EMFs had significant lesions in their myelin sheaths, a greater risk of developing MS, and neurological problems. Exposure to electromagnetic frequencies can also increase your blood sugar.” ~ Dave Asprey, Head Strong: The Bulletproof Plan to Activate Untapped Brain Energy to Think Smarter - in Just Two Weeks Steps to mitigate EMF With this in mind, I wanted to take some small steps to help mitigate part of the damage that EMFs cause. The name of the game with longevity is keeping cells as healthy as possible. Here are some of the measures I’m taking to offset EMF exposure:
Place cell phone in Airplane mode / disable WiFi - At night not only is my phone not next to my head (it’s in another room), I have it in Airplane Mode to help reduce the amount of radiation coming from the phone
Not placing cell phone next to my head - I’m not 100% good at this but for the most part, I use my headset for talking on the phone or use the speaker and set phone on table so I’m not touching it
EMF radiation protection from laptop - To block radiation and heat from my laptop, I recently purchased a pad to place between my lap and the laptop when I sit to use the device. Not all brands are the same. Defender Shield appears to have good quality products
Laptop grounding cable - This seemed super obvious after reading about it - my laptop only has two pins on the charging cable which means it is not grounded when using it when it’s plugged in. So when it’s plugged in, it can increase body voltage when touching any part of the computer. I simply purchased a grounding cable
Auxiliary cable in car - I listen to podcasts all the time while driving. It is really convenient to use the Bluetooth technology in my car, however, that produces, you guessed it, more EMF exposure. I download podcasts to my phone then run the Auxiliary cable through the car port
Low EMF hair dryer - Last year I switched to a low EMF hair dryer which works just as well as my previous dryer but with less EMF. There aren’t many options out there currently but they do exist. The more often you use a dryer on full power, the greater the risk of damage it may be causing
These are all small, inexpensive steps towards reducing damage that living in a technologically advanced world presents. What I like about it is that it’s not too terribly difficult, it makes me more aware of some downsides to convenience, and at these steps are something in my control. When I get comfortable with the small steps, I will look for bigger ones to take. First on that list is reading The Non-Tinfoil Guide to EMFs: How to Fix our Stupid Use of Technology by Nicolas Pineault. More to come... Enjoy your journey, Lisa Schaffer GreenNote Fitness You wouldn’t happen to know just one person that would benefit from this information? Please forward it to them! Did you miss last week’s newsletter on fat loss and cellular cleansing with autophagy…? P.S. Check out my Facebook page for inspiration. P.P.S. Discover GreenNote Fitness recommendations for books, podcasts, and more on body, mind, and spirit.
