Disclosure: This article contains links to personal protection products we have researched and tested. If you purchase products through these links, we may receive a commission at no cost to you.
As I write this, most areas of the country have mandated the use of face masks to slow the viral spread. Like it or not, it is happening and it is likely to continue for a while. This article IS NOT meant to take a side on this issue. Rather, while personal protection is high on everyone’s mind, it seems an appropriate time to strongly consider a number of other environmental stressors.
Cumulative Effects of Environmental Stressors
In a 2016 article from the Annual Review of Public Health, it was pointed out that measuring the cumulative effects of environmental and social stressors is difficult. This seems pretty obvious, but the paper went on to discuss the concept of allostatic load. The idea is that an isolated stressor might be easily managed by the body. However, the accumulation of multiple stressors can add up to an unmanageable amount.
Let’s take a look at some of the most commonly encountered stressors in our day-to-day life and examine ways we can drop our allostatic load.
Personal Protection from EMF Stressors
In a previous blog, Protecting Your Body in the Digital Age, I wrote about hazards of EMF’s and 5G. Let’s go into more of the solutions available to help combat this issue.
In addition to EMF stress, duration and distance are main concerns. To address these concerns:
- Limit your time in front of electronic devices.
- Do not keep tablets or notebook computers on your lap.
- Wear blue light blocking glasses as much as possible while using electronics.
But, once we put these devices away for the night, I believe they are still causing problems. I’ve seen many patients over the years who notice their sleep improves when they remove electronics from their bedroom and turn off their WIFI at night. Since we cannot “see” the signals, we do not always associate them with health issues.
Additionally, there are numerous products on the market that can help lower the intensity of the radiation given off by these devices. My patients have asked about these many times, what I think about them, and if they really work. I can tell you that for me personally, I feel a difference. We use Safespace Products in our clinic, and I also use them in my home. If I use a phone that does not have Safespace protection on it, my face gets hot after about 10 minutes on a call. With the protection, I can get 45 minutes to an hour before I notice the heat. We see these work clinically and are confident that they are helping to lower our allostatic stress load.
The world we live in is very dependent upon technology and it does not look like that will be changing. Rather, it is advancing. Therefore, we need to do everything we can to make sure that we minimize its harmful effects while reaping the benefits that technology affords.
Personal Protection from Water Contaminants
Chemicals and toxins existing at low enough levels to be considered safe by themselves can be harmful when considering the allostatic load of all contaminants present. While your water may look clear, there may be several harmful contaminants existing in it. This problem is more common than you may think.
Drinking, bathing, and cooking with the purest water possible are essential to health and well-being. There are plenty of water purification products on the market – refrigerator, countertop, and whole home filters to name a few. Pelican Water Systems www.pelicanwatersystems.com offer great products that can address issues such as fluoride and other chemicals, bacterial and viral contamination, hard water and excessive chlorine issues, and even well water purification.
It is wise to have your water tested to see what contaminants are present, and then devise a solution to specifically combat those things.
I’ve seen some issues when people take water purification to the extreme. This can actually cause some health issues. So, let me point out some tips. First, if you decide to use reverse osmosis filtration, know that it will remove most impurities. It creates very clean water for you. It can, though, remove minerals that are inherently present in our water supply. This poses the potential for your body to become mineral deficient. It is wise to add those lost minerals back in to your drinking water, or take a multi-mineral supplement.
Second, some systems create water that becomes alkaline. As we know, a system that is too acidic can disrupt the body’s terrain. Similarly, too much alkaline water can also disrupt the bodies internal terrain. A general rule of thumb would be to limit highly alkaline water to 20% or less of your total water intake for the day. There are instances where more could be ok, but you should consult with your doctor for your own specific needs.
Personal Protection from Environmental Chemicals
The EPA recognizes the rapidly increasing quality and quantity of chemicals to which we are exposed. Herbicides, pesticides, VOC’s, PCB’s, Dioxins, pollutions, smoke, industrial waste, Glyphosate, the list goes on and on. Avoidance must become a priority, or these things will continue to accumulate in our bodies and contribute to dysfunction. Buy organic as often as you can. The Environmental Working Group is a great resource for protecting your family’s food from pesticides. Use low VOC paints in your home. Let new products that have odors of formaldehyde, and other chemicals, off gas outside your living space before using them. Purify and filter the air in your home. Read labels and avoid toxic chemicals in your personal care products and food. Replace your plastic food containers with glass ones. There are so many ways to limit exposure and every change you make can help exponentially!
The gold standard in detox tools is regular use of an Infrared Sauna. We recommend Hi Tech Health https://www.hightechhealth.com and have negotiated a discount with them. If you are looking to purchase an IR Sauna, let them know that the Institute for Restorative Health sent you, so you can reap the benefit of our discount.
My Challenge to You
Knowledge is power. Now that you’ve read this, I urge you to dig deeper. Learn as much as you can about these not-so-hidden dangers that exist, and have been existing, in our world for quite a while. The more we protect ourselves, the healthier we can be!
