Today is Winter Solstice, the darkest day of the year. It has been a landmark day for thousands of years in many different cultures’ calendars, since it has to do with the natural rhythms of nature and is not a manmade date. I believe when there is much darkness on the outside, it is a good reminder to be in touch with the light within. Our inner light is always there, no matter how dark it is on the outside. Today I had my yoga students hold some poses for a while with their eyes closed, to feel the inner light. And as we move through this time, and find the light in unexpected places and where we didn’t think it could be- the light then starts to come back, more and more.
Besides Winter Solstice, the topic of cell phones was on my mind. I saw a story yesterday that a Maine state legislator is pushing to have a warning on cell phones that they may cause brain cancer.
My mother has been preaching to me about cell phone dangers for years, when I first even got a cell phone. She insists on me sticking an anti-radiation button thing on my phone, which is supposed to help reduce the massive amounts of radiation that cell phones emit. Well who knows if it really works or not, but I’ll take all the help I can get! What’s chilling to me is that we have to remember that back in the 1930’s and 1940’s, information that tobacco was extremely harmful was not widely reported. People smoked away, only to learn decades later how carcinogenic smoking really was.
Of course, the Wireless Association claims cell phones are safe. But we do all have to look out for our own health. After all, foods laden with toxic chemicals and additives are also legally considered “safe.”
The fact is that our cell phones are microwave transmitters. Microwave energy oscillates at millions to billions of cycles per second. The Journal of Cellular Biochemistry reports that these frequencies may cause cancer and other diseases by interfering with cellular DNA and its repair mechanisms. Microwave promotes rapid cell aging. Italian scientists have recently demonstrated that cell phone radiation makes cancerous cells grow aggressively. Cordless phones marked 900 megahertz or 2.4 gigahertz emit the same dangerous microwave radiation as cell phones.
Research by University of Washington professor Dr. Henry Lai shows brain cells are clearly damaged by microwave levels far below the U.S. government’s “safety” guidelines. Dr. Lai notes that even tiny doses of radio frequency can accumulate over time and lead to harmful effects. He warns that public exposure to radiation from wireless transmitters “should be limited to minimal.”
Independent tests show that cell phones can also leak huge amounts of radiation from the keypad and mouthpiece. This radiation deeply penetrates brain, ear and eye tissues, which are especially susceptible to microwave damage. Belt clip cases allow cell phones to deliver radiation to the liver or kidney areas.
Recent studies confirm that cell and cordless phone microwave can: Damage nerves in the scalp, cause blood cells to leak hemoglobin, cause memory loss and mental confusion, cause headaches and induce extreme fatigue, create joint pain, muscle spasms and tremors, create burning sensation and rash on the skin, alter the brain’s electrical activity during sleep, induce ringing in the ears, impair sense of smell, precipitate cataracts, retina damage and eye cancer, open the blood-brain barrier to viruses and toxins, reduce the number and efficiency of white blood cells, stimulate asthma by producing histamine in mast cells, cause digestive problems and raise bad cholesterol levels, stress the endocrine system, especially pancreas, thyroid, reproductive organs. GEEZ! ANYTHING ELSE??
There is a lot of research on the cell phone subject in Europe. Spanish researchers have shown that cell phones can alter electrical activity of a child’s brain for hours, causing drastic mood changes and possible behavior and learning disabilities. Insurance studies in England showed that an average driver talking on a cell is actually more impaired in function and reaction time than a drunk. Finland’s Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority reports that one hour of exposure to mobile phone radiation can cause human cells to shrink. Researchers believe this is due to increased protein activity, an indicator of cell damage. Studies done in Sweden that date back five or six years concluded that there is not an increased brain tumor risk from using cell phones, he says.
Brain cancer rates in USA have increased by 25% since 1975. In 2001, 185,000 Americans were diagnosed with some form of brain cancer. A grade four brain tumor can grow from the size of a grape to tennis ball size in just 4 months.
Could cell phones today be what tobacco was 70 years ago?
The National Cancer Institute says studies until now have turned up inconsistent results. “Although research has not consistently demonstrated a link between cellular telephone use and cancer, scientists still caution that further surveillance is needed before conclusions can be drawn,” says the NCI’s Web site. Hmmm….
Well what can we do to protect our own health? Since the reality is that we are all going to use cell phones anyway (including me)!
– Use a wired headset whenever possible. Avoid using Bluetooth, which will continue to attract radiation. Be sure to get wired headsets for your children, which are especially susceptible to radiation. The other option is to try to use speaker phone in private settings as much as you can (you don’t want to be that annoying person doing that in public of course!).
– Text when you can instead of making more calls! Texting doesn’t expose you to the same level of radiation, because we obviously aren’t pressing the phone right up to our head!
– Use your land line when you are home (of course a lot of us New Yorkers, such as myself, don’t even have a land line! So this one doesn’t apply to us).
– When you’re talking on your cell, periodically switch your phone from ear to ear.
I hope this helps information helps protect you and your family, and that you start to employ some of these precautions!
Something to think about in the new year coming ahead, and probably provide some headache relief. Happy Holidays!
In health and love,
Kimberly
Kimberly thank you for bringing light to this issue. My parents own a bau biology consulting firm and this is one of the hot bed issues they deal with on a daily basis. It’s hard for people to imagine a life without cell phones, but we did it for so many years. :)
You are a fantastic teacher, keep up the great work and happy solstice to you!
Namaste~
Codie
Thanks so much Codie for your kind words!! Namaste and Shanti to you too!!
I love your blog! My friends just started a company that makes Iphone cases that are patented to protect against radiation. Check them out at PongResearch.com.
Sweet! I will. :) Wish they made them for Blackberrys too! I am a Mac girl but don’t dig the touch screen phones. :)
Hi Kimberly,
Thanks for this info. It seems to be one of those things people avoid thinking about—since it’s easier to avoid changing something if you don’t face the facts!
Happy Holidays,
Lisa
Kim this is the most practical advice I’ve heard in a long time about cell phones. thanks honey :)
This is off topic, but I still hope you will answer me! What is your opinion on hormonal birth control? I would really value your input! Thank you!
Hi Danika, hormonal birth control is a convenient option for many, but it is certainly not ideal. It messes with our body’s natural hormonal cycles and depletes our body of nutrients…and of course, like any medication, is hard on the liver. If you are going to go on the pill, be sure to be healthy in other areas in your life: don’t smoke, minimize alcohol, eat plenty of greens, etc. There are other options to look into, including The Method, which you can take classes in. You use a thermometer to take your temperature every day and can track when you are ovulating.
Look into it!
Love, Kimberly
Hi Kim! Happy Holidays! I have a couple of questions. One, regarding the green smoothie can you put all types of leafy green veggies in it including collard greens, swiss chard, etc? I’ve been using either lettuce, kale, or spinach and I’m looking for some variety, but I find some of the other greens intimidating (lol) and I haven’t tried most of them. I also usually use a banana in it too, is it bad, if I do that every day? My last question is about salads. Is it okay to put cooked foods in a salad, li
Sorry that my first message was cut off. Having a little technical difficulty! My question was, is it okay to add some cooked foods to a raw salad such as beans, or would that make the salad hard to digest? Oh yeah..do you have any ideas for a quick, easy salad dressing. I usually just use lemon and olive oil. Thanks!
Hi Christi! Yes you can should vary the greens in your Green Smoothie.
You can add some cooked food to your salad- preferably cooked veggies. :) Try to eat some of the salad first, so the raw, alkaline greens are going into your body first. A simple salad dressing I often use is lemon, olive oil, cayenne pepper. If I want a denser salad, I sprinkle on some nutritional yeast.
Come visit me again!
xx Kimberly
Kimberly you have got an excellent blog and the issue of radiation from mobile phones and other electronic appliances needs due consideration. As far as possible stay away from these devices for good health.
I’ve noticed in many of your pictures you are wearing a long necklace with a red stone on it on the black string. Is this a crystal that protects you from radiation? I have heard about these and recently bought xZubi (a radiation protection sticker thing) for my cell phone and computer but would also be interested in wearing one of these necklaces for extra protection. Thoughts?
Thanks for such a great blog and overall health and diet philosophy, as you can see I’ve gone back a ways in your blogs (this is what I have been doing all day instead of homework :/ oops! haha)
Thanks again,
Maggie
A formidable share, I simply given this onto a colleague who was doing a little bit evaluation on this. And he actually purchased me breakfast because I discovered it for him.. smile. So let me reword that: Thnx for the treat! However yeah Thnkx for spending the time to discuss this, I really feel strongly about it and love studying more on this topic. It is extremely helpful for me. Large thumb up for this blog post!
Hi Kim!
Thank you for this post. Cell phone radiation is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. I would like to get a wired headset, but there are many out there and some don’t seem to be the best quality. Is there a brand you recommend?
Hi Kimberly,
First of all, I want to say THANK YOU for your incredible and life-changing program. Your books and program are brilliant and I am so grateful to you for all of the tremendous work you do!
Regarding the article above, the issue of cell phone radiation has been tremendously alarming to me in recent weeks as I have been reading studies on its harmful effects. I am currently in my early 30’s, and for a number of years in my 20’s, I spoke on a cell phone (with it pressed against my head) for hours each night.
Since brain cancer is one of the most frightening cancers out there, is there anything that can be done to repair potentially already damaged DNA?
My other question is:
If you were to go to a doctor today and receive a diagnosis of cancer, what avenue(s) would you first take? Would you go the conventional chemotherapy/radiation/surgery route? I had never thought this through until a recent cancer scare in my family. Prevention is one thing, but when a potential cancer diagnosis is received, it seems impossible to know where to start.
Thank you so much for everything you do!
Melissa
hi i have read somewhere and cant find anymore your recamendation of cell phone radiation protecter covers it starts iwith a z please could you let me know which is best for my daughters also do you believe in wearing precious stones,as you seem to wear a black on what is it good for?love nasreen j