Like smog created by air pollution, electrosmog is created by electromagnetic field radiation from cell phones, wireless computers and networks, and new utility technologies like Smart Grids and Smart Meters. Electrosmog envelopes us 24-7…in our homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, even hotels, and no one really knows the long-term effects on our health, or on our DNA.

The ever-expanding electrosmog is comprised of several EMF or electromagnetic radiation fields of different intensity…from ELFs (extremely low frequency fields); to “dirty electricity” — a frequency that gets on wiring in our walls from electronics that contain transformers, and from compact fluorescent light bulbs and dimmer switches; to RFs (radio frequencies), and a subset of RF called microwave radiation emitted by cell phones, wireless networks and portable phones.

“All these radiation fields disrupt the regulation of the nervous system in our bodies,” said Camilla Rees, during a recent interview on my radio show “Your Super Natural Life.” Camilla, founder of ElectromagneticHealth.org, is one of the foremost advocates for safer cell phone and wireless technologies, and exposes the link between electromagnetic pollution and our health. “We are electromagetic beings,” she said, “and are especially vulnerable to unnatural electromagetic fields.”

Many people are becoming “electrosensitive” due, in part, to being exposed to more and more wireless devices like computers, printers and routers, cell phones, or from living near cell phone towers or antennas. According to Camilla, electrosensitivities can show up as acute symptoms like excessive fatigue, sleep disturbances, headaches, irritability, visual problems, memory loss, difficulty in concentrating, dizziness, and cardiovascular disruptions. Long-term symptoms include conditions like chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and other chronic pain syndromes. Also, German doctors have found that newly developing cancer cases are much higher within 400 meters of a cell tower. The risk of getting cancer increased by 200% after 5 years of exposure (H. Eger et al). Another study showed that within 350 meters of a cell phone tower there was a 300% increased incidence of cancer and a 900% increase in cancer among women alone (Wolf et al, 2004). “Even though you might not be experiencing symptoms now, doesn’t mean you won’t in the future due to increased exposure,” added Camilla.

Magda Havas, Ph.D., co-author with Camilla of “Public Health SOS: The Shadow Side of the Wireless Revolution,” says that it can take just a small amount over a long period of time to be effected. “Symptoms of electrohypersensitivity have been demonstrated at exposures that are a fraction (0.04%) of U.S. exposure guidelines, in part because the guidelines themselves only take into consideration a 30-minute exposure, not chronic exposures.” Magda is also author of the new BRAG Antenna Ranking of Schools Report which ranks U.S. schools and shows parents and teachers how to gauge the risk of radiation exposure from neighborhood antennas.

What sets people up for greater sensitivity to EMFs? Here are some factors that are known or suspected:

• Excessive EMF exposure, as well as long-term exposure
• Any metal in the body, like metal dental fillings, implants, braces, metal prostheses, and pace makers and deep brain stimulators for Parkinson’s
• Conditions like MS and Lyme Disease
• Excess levels of heavy metals in the body as well as genetic factors influencing detoxification
• Chronic infection in the body, including often hidden dental infections

10 Ways to Avoid Electrosmog Hazards:

1. Eliminate as much wireless technology in your home as possible. Rewire the most basic connections, like the computer to the printer, and the computer to the internet, for example. Turn off wireless at night, do your body can rest and repair.
2. Don’t sleep with electric blankets, electric heating pads or with electric clock radios or telephone answering machines near your head.
3. Don’t let your teenager sleep with a cell phone under his/her pillow.
4. Use a corded landline telephone instead of a cordless one.
5. Don’t use your laptop computer in your lap, and while using a laptop turn the wireless internet connection off in the software, except while you need it.
6. If you’re pregnant, stay far away from things like BlackBerries, which emit very high magnetic radiation fields while in use that might cause miscarriage.
7. If you live close to a cell tower, block radiation coming into your home by using special paints, film and fabric to cover your windows. (These can be found here.)
8. Learn how to measure the various fields in your home by using meters and detection equipment that measure specific frequencies. (See the EMF-Help Blog™  on the Campaign for Radiation Free Schools Facebook Group)
9. Keep your immune system healthy by avoiding contact with toxic chemicals in your home and detoxing your body from time to time. Camilla says there seems to be a synergistic effect between the toxic chemicals we encounter that are accumulating in our bodies, and EMFs. She points to research showing higher body burden of chemicals in people who are electrosensitive.
10. Be aware of metal in your life because metal reflects EMFs and can create hotspots. This would include, metal coils in mattresses, metal furniture, metal eyeglasses, metals in your mouth and metal underwire bras

Beth Greer, Super Natural Mom™, is the bestselling author of Super Natural Home, host of “Your Super Natural Life” on Clear Channel’s Green 960 Radio, and impassioned champion of toxin-free living who busts open the myth that our homes are safe havens. She consults for restaurants, retreat centers and healthcare agencies. Follow Beth on Twitter. Become a fan on Facebook.

Corn dogs, canned fruit and a bag of chips…that was a typical hot lunch offering at the posh private school my daughter attended in Marin County, California six years ago. It took me, and five other Marin moms, more than a year to initiate organic lunch programs in our local private schools. We had to work hard to convince parents and administrators that it was worth an extra $1 a day to serve organic food to our kids.  There are still many schools in my county where kids are given unhealthy (highly processed, microwaved and packaged) foods and drinks (soda and high fructose corn syrup sweetened juices) on campuses and in cafeterias. Instead of real and nutritious food, they are eating food that doesn’t help their brains or bodies develop optimally.

“If we can’t fix the broken parts of our lunch program here in this community, with our incredible bounty of organic local food, our ready and able thought leaders, organizations, students and community members, then who in the U.S. can?” said Judi Shils, Founder/Director of Teens Turning Green which just launched Project Lunch, a community-based action group to help mentor school lunch programs. Its goal is to ensure that every child in every school has the opportunity to eat healthy food at lunch, and to understand the vital connection between health food and a healthy mind, body, and earth.

Hopefully, in this current climate of health awareness, Judi’s Lunch Project will go smoother than my endeavor to improve the food at school six years. My experience looked something like this:

I, along with five other moms from different private schools in my area, organized a food committee and enlisted the help of parents, teachers and staff. We sent out a survey to the parents asking if they’d be interested in their child receiving an organic lunch and if they’d be willing to pay one or two dollars more per day than what they were paying for corn dogs, canned fruit and chips. We received comments back like “My child won’t eat bean sprouts!” or “My child likes to eat tasty food!” I had to explain that organic didn’t mean either of those…it just meant there would be no pesticides or artificial colors and sweeteners or genetically modified organisms.

After we finally got the go-ahead from the parents and heads of schools, we interviewed a series of caterers and local organic markets. One called Good Earth, an organic and natural foods market in Fairfax, California won – their food passed the taste test (we had kids sample the food) and they were less expensive than the caterers. Good Earth hired a chef and rented a facility to accommodate our needs, since this was their first venture into a large-scale lunch program. It was agreed that the food would look and taste as similar to the food the kids were already getting (no corn dogs!) in their current hot lunch program, only healthier.

Since they didn’t make pizza they way the kids were used to seeing it, Good Earth contracted with a local pizza parlor and supplied them with organic whole wheat pizza dough. I watched with anticipation that first day the new, organic pizza was delivered. And you know what? The kids hated it! They wouldn’t eat it. It was too dry they said. So a compromise was made and from then on, all the pizza, bread and pasta would be made from organic white flour instead of whole wheat.

The challenges continued. I was also on a committee to plan a school picnic. The majority of the parents on the committee voted for hot dogs, pizza, watermelon and soda. I raised my hand and asked if it would be possible to have organic food at the event. The chair of the committee said: “No, we’re just going to have normal food.” I countered with, “So, by normal, you mean food that’s been sprayed with pesticides?” There was silence. Then I asked if we could at least have organic watermelon. “What are you… a Food Nazi?”  the chairperson asked. (It’s hard to believe that this conversation took place in Marin County!) This time the silence came from me. I decided to ignore her question and volunteered to call one of the local farms and have organic watermelons delivered to our picnic.

Currently the organic hot lunch program is running smoothly, and Good Earth now serves over 4,000 kids a week in 9 Marin County schools. Admittedly, it may be easier to get a program going at a private school than at a public school offering a low-cost or free lunch program because of the bureaucratic approval process involved.

It’s up to us to make requests to our school boards to make healthy changes in the meals and snacks that include less sugar, trans fats and high fructose corn syrup, and more fresh foods, whole grain items, and organic or local ingredients. Remember, children are consuming as much as 50 percent of their calories during the school day.  And leading generals and admirals are telling us that a quarter of young people are too overweight to serve their country in uniform. Consider including preschools, daycare, Sunday school, and colleges. Think about the transformation that can occur if we had fewer cases of obesity and diabetes!

It’s in line with First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative which supports healthier food in schools by, among other things, increasing funding for school meals, promoting farm-to-school programs that get fresh fruits and vegetables into school cafeterias, and updating nutrition standards for the foods sold in vending machines. In addition, The House Education and Labor Committee is working on the Improving Nutrition for America’s Children Act.  Testifying before the committee, Top Chef and restaurateur Tom Colicchio said,  “There can be no better investment—no better stimulus to our economy—than feeding this nation’s children healthily and well. If we give the kids in this country delicious and nutritious food, we will instill in them a lifetime preference for healthy eating that will translate into vast savings in health care costs down the line.”

There’s never been a better time to instigate changes in how our school systems buy, prepare, and serve food to our kids! For more information on creating an organic hot lunch program at your school contact: Project Lunch, and look at Chapter 10 in my book Super Natural Home where I offer “10 Steps on Creating an Organic School Lunch Program at Your Child’s School.”

Beth Greer, Super Natural Mom™, is the bestselling author of Super Natural Home, host of “Your Super Natural Life” on Clear Channel’s Green 960 Radio, and impassioned champion of toxin-free living who busts open the myth that our homes are safe havens. Follow Beth on Twitter. Become a fan on Facebook.

I was a guest on the “Labor of Love Radio Show” on VoiceAmerica recently talking about what pregnant women and new parents need to know to keep themselves and their babies healthy. Many mothers-to-be prepare for birth by taking pre-natal vitamins, exercising, eating well and avoiding cigarettes and alcohol, but there’s something else that’s necessary as well.

I talked about what to look out for when buying personal care and household products, which toxic chemicals to absolutely avoid, and how to create a healthy nursery and kids’ room.

Listen to my full interview here:
“Labor of Love Radio Show” on VoiceAmerica with guest Beth Greer

It’s time to start putting on sunscreen…or is it? There are lots of other options to protect yourself from getting burned this summer, like wearing protective clothing, finding shade, and avoiding noon sun. Plus, there’s no consensus that sunscreen prevents skin cancer and in some cases it’s been shown to actually increase your risk!  If you do use sunscreen, make sure what you put on your skin is safe and effective. (more…)

“Your Super Natural Life with Beth Greer”

GUEST: Jerry Hart, radio host of Smart Green Travel on Green960 and brother of Mickey Hart, the drummer for the Grateful Dead, talks about his journey from escaping colon cancer to seeing the light about becoming green. Jerry talks about raising your consciousness when traveling and shares some eco-friendly tips we can use when on the road.

Listen Now:

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Food manufacturers are clever. They try to make us think that processed food is just as healthy as unprocessed food, or that a product containing high fructose corn syrup is “All Natural.” A green checkmark label called “Smart Choices” recently appeared on hundreds of food packages, including cereals like Cocoa Krispies and Froot Loops, and sodium-filled complete meal packages, beverages with artificial sugars, canned fruits and vegetables with additives. The good news is there was a huge public outcry. The FDA is now working on its own nutrition labeling system, and the Smart Choices label has stopped promoting its campaign. (more…)