Wow, I just listened to an amazing and insightful podcast, ‘SICK BUILDING SYNDROME WITH NICOLE BIJLSMA‘, at FX Medicine. Naturopath and pioneering researcher in the field of building biology, Nicole Bijlsma, discusses how our home environments may be making us sick. Nicole’s research began after she moved into a new home with her husband, after which she began experiencing fertility issues and TEN miscarriages! She later learnt from her neighbours that no one had ever successfully conceived while living in that house. This caused Nicole to investigate how our environments could very well causing very serious health issues.
 
There are three major things, she believes, that could be attributing to this ‘sick building syndrome’:
 
1. Mould – Recent research has shown that mould, and the mycotoxins and microbial VOCs they produce, cause an inflammatory response in humans. In susceptible individuals, this inflammatory response becomes chronic and can be detrimental to health, and can cause all sorts of issues in weakened areas of the body, from infertility, to mood changes, to heart disease and cancer.
 
2. Electromagnetic fields – In our age of technology, electromagnetic pollution runs rampant in our homes and workplaces. WIFI is by far the most toxic. Again, these electromagnetic fields can cause problems in many areas, and may be the cause of autism, ADHD, depression and other conditions associated with the delicate wirings of our brains.
 
3. You guessed it….The third on the list is toxic-chemicals. The air in many homes is 5 to 7 more toxic than the air outside (this is even the case in more polluted cities). Why? Because we fill our homes with toxic cleaning products, air fresheners, synthetic candles and burners, deodorants, paint fumes, the list is endless.
 
There are ways you can ‘clean up’ your ‘sick building’. Remove mould, of course, but also make sure there is little moisture in the home for mould to grow. There are some really powerful essential oils (like clove, oregano and the Young Living blend, Thieves) which naturally kill mould. If you think you have a serious mould issue, you can also get your house tested to see how toxic the mould VOC levels are, and also where the mould is growing (sometimes you can’t see it – like if it’s in your pipes or in your roof, being blown into your living space by a heat pump…Yuck!).
 
Electromagnetic fields can be reduced by switching power points off, turning internet modems off when not in use, and using aeroplane mode when you don’t need the internet. Oh, and why not designate more ‘technology-free’ hours in your day! It’s also critical that your bed is at least one metre away from an electromagnetic field (yep, that means not sleeping near your phone!). Did you know that essential oils can help to ‘clear’ electromagnetic pollution from your body? When you’re near, say, a device with WIFI, your own electrical frequency (you could think of it as your ‘energy’) drops. A healthy human body vibrates at a 62-68 MHz frequency, but as it comes into contact with electromagnetic pollution, toxins, junk food, even negative thoughts, the frequency drops. Bad things start to happen when your electrical frequency drops. For instance, at 58 MHz cold symptoms appear, at 55 MHz candida, at 42 MHz cancer, and at 25 MHz death begins. Essential oils have been shown to increase your frequency, so wearing and smelling them constantly will help to maintain your frequency at an optimal level, even while you’re here reading this post on your computer/phone 😉
 
And of course, there are natural and very easy ways we can reduce toxic chemicals in our homes. Diffuse pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils instead of burning/spraying synthetic crap. You can also ditch the toxic products, and either buy high-quality natural products, or, save your $$ and make your own! On Sat 13 Aug, 4pm at DeloraineHouse, I’ll be holding a DIY Chemical-Free Cleaning Workshop which will help you to navigate your way through the chemical maze, and inspire you to make real changes in your own environments. You’ll also learn how to make five cleaning products, which you will take home to replace your old toxic ones. The workshop is $30, which covers the cost of all the ingredients, containers, Young Living essential oils, handouts and oil-infused culinary goodies! Spaces are limited, so we would appreciate if you can book in and pay prior to the night. You can book in and pay here 🙂
 
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