Dangerous "Smart Meters"

I've mentioned "smart meters" before, but I want to focus on them again today. Most people are completely unaware of this very serious health risk. Electric companies have already installed "smart meters" in several states, many times without giving customers information about them. And the health problems are already mounting. 

In addition to the health risks, there are other good reasons to say no to "smart meters." My mom wrote a letter about this for the people in our neighborhood, so I'll share it here. 

Regarding Smart Meters

(by Jan Harris)

Because my daughter has various environmental illnesses and is has to be careful about electro-magnetic frequencies, I've studied a lot about the "smart meters" over the past two years.

Here is some information you might want to know.

REASONS TO REFUSE THE SMART METER - 

1. HEALTH:

Many people are now negatively affected by electromagnetic fields because there is so much exposure to them in our environment today (ie: cell phone towers, wifi, power lines, etc).

Like cell phones, Smart Meters produce pulsed Radio Frequency (RF) radiation, but at much higher levels and on an almost continuous 24/7 basis.  

RF has been labeled a possible class 2B carcinogen (cancer-causing agent) by the World Health Organization on the same scale as lead and diesel fuel.  

Smart Meters contain 100 times more RF exposure than a cell phone, says a UC (Univ. of CA) nuclear expert. (YIKES!)

Adverse health effects for many people have been widely reported to the CPUC after installation of their Smart Meter. 

Symptoms reported include headaches, inability to sleep, nausea, vertigo, ringing in the ears, heart palpitations, skin rashes, etc. Some people have even had to move to another state (to 'dead zones' where there are few EMF's) after installation of "smart meters," in order to recover from the excessive radiation and subsequent damage to their health. 

2. COST:

The power company states that your electric bill will go down. However, in both TX and CA after the meters were installed, electricity rates went up.

3. LOSS OF PRIVACY:

Because the "smart meter" works through “standard internet protocol,” it is possible that your information could be hacked. Also, the company will have records of your "life patterns"--when you get up, when you go to bed, time spent watching TV, when you're gone for the week-end, etc. 

4. LOSS OF CONTROL:

Because the meter gives the company the ability to monitor your electricity usage, it also gives them the power to control that usage as well. At any given time, they can remotely reduce the electricity to turn off your heating/AC, etc

Eleven California counties and 44 cities and 18 British Columbian Councils have placed a moratorium on further installations, I think we too should err on the side of caution.

WEB SITES WITH GOOD INFORMATION:

http://stopsmartmeters.org/

http://www.smartmetersafety.com/

Thank you Mom for sharing those facts with us. The bottom line is that there is NO benefit from "smart meters" for the customers. There are only health risks and loss of personal freedom. 

In FL we can "opt out" of having a "smart meter" installed, but with an added fee to our monthly electric bill. (However I believe the deadline for this "opt out" is the end of March, so if you live in FL take action quickly!) I'm thankful for this option, however the reality is that if everyone else in our neighborhood has a "smart meter" installed, the combined radiation will still be overwhelming. That's why it's SO important that each of us first takes action to avoid having a "smart meter" installed (if possible), but also that we share this information so that more people can be protected from the harmful effects.

(For more details about the dangers of EMF's and how to minimize your exposure, you can read my blog post about it here.)

So what can you do? This website lists some action steps you can take. Also, feel free to forward this post or any of the above websites about "smart meters" to others. Let's do our part in protecting our health, and continue to trust God to do His part in sustaining us in this toxic world. 

What About Iodine?

Last week I recommended switching to himalayan salt instead of using table salt or sea salt. Himalayan salt has trace minerals and some naturally occurring iodine. However, it doesn't have added iodine like most sea salt does. So most people will need to add more iodine intake. I undertook to find out how to add enough iodine to the diet naturally. 

I confess, my research about iodine was rather frustrating. It's quite a multi-faceted topic. I'll share some articles that go more in depth, but here I'll try to keep it as simple as possible.

1) Amount of Iodine needed - 

The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for Iodine in the USA is 150 micrograms/day (or over 200 mcg for pregnant/nursing women). However, many people in Japan regularly consume over 13 milligrams (or 13,000 micrograms). So there is debate among health proponents about how much iodine we actually need...is it 150 micrograms? or 6-12 milligrams? That's quite a drastic difference.

My thought is that each body probably varies in how much iodine it needs. If you've been iodine deficient, you might need higher levels for a short period of time in order to build up once again. Then you could probably maintain with a lower level. I think the best thing is to consult with a trusted health provider and possibly do a simple test to see if you are iodine deficient and need more iodine in your diet. (Generally speaking the articles I read did not recommend iodine supplements, as having too much iodine in the body can also cause problems.)

2) Natural sources of iodine - 

I found several foods listed as sources of iodine, some with higher amounts than others. 

Some foods with the higher amounts of iodine seem to be cranberries and organic raw milk products - milk, cheese, and yogurt. (Note: I don't recommend eating processed dairy products as they are full of hormones, antibiotics, and all kinds of toxins. If you consume dairy make sure it's organic and raw if possible.) 

Eggs, strawberries, and navy beans also contain iodine in medium amounts.

A few foods with lesser amounts of iodine, but still some, are bananas, green beans, and dried prunes.

One article listed onions, garlic, pineapple, and artichokes as sources of iodine (however I didn't see those listed other places, so I don't know how much iodine they contain.) 

Theoretically, if you're eating himalayan salt plus plenty of fresh, healthy foods, including the ones listed above, you may be able to maintain a healthy amount of iodine. Though again, it's probably best to work with a health provider to assess your specific level of iodine need.

Also, I should mention that seaweed and sea vegetables contain high amounts of iodine. However, it's difficult to find a product that is organic and not contaminated with toxins, since the oceans have become so polluted. But if you find a reputable source of organic kelp or seaweed, that could also be a good way for you to add iodine.

3) Avoiding Iodine deficiency - 

This article from Dr. Mercola covers the whole topic of iodine. He also explains how bromine exposure replaces iodine in the body and leads to iodine deficiency. So one way to avoid iodine deficiency is to avoid exposure to bromine (which is in baked goods, plastic, soft drinks, medications, pesticides, etc.). If you're eating healthy, organic foods, drinking pure water, and living as chemical-free as possible, you will limit your exposure to bromine, and hopefully avoid its negative effects. 

As I said, this is a complex issue. Iodine is something our bodies vitally need, but it's not a simple matter of taking an iodine pill every day. It's important to assess how much iodine your body needs and then figure out a plan that works for you.

Personally, so far I'm really enjoying the Himalayan salt (great flavor and good source of trace minerals), but I'm still trying to figure out how to get enough iodine. I've been experimenting with using half himalayan salt and half iodized sea salt. But that's a lot of salt to get down in one day...so I'm still working on it. 

I hope these thoughts have been helpful. If you have an information to add, please share it with us in the comments. 

The Great Salt Debate

For many years now there's been a debate about whether salt is good for you or bad for you. Common practice is to tell those with high blood pressure to eat a low-salt diet. And foods labeled "low-sodium" are supposedly healthier for you. 

Well, let's see if we can sort through the information and misinformation about salt. 

First, I like to start with God's perspective, since He created us and everything in this world. Consider these words from God about salt: 

Leviticus 2:13 - Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings.

Mark 9:50 - Salt is good...have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.

Colossians 4:6 - Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt....

These are just a few of the passages in the Bible that talk about salt. 

-God told the Israelites to add salt to the offerings they brought to Him. 

-Jesus told His followers to have salt in themselves (figuratively speaking). 

-And God compared salt to grace. 

I think it's pretty clear that God views salt as a good thing. 

So if salt is good for us, why all the bad press? 

Well, the second thing to consider is what kind of salt we're talking about. Regular table salt is actually so refined and processed that it is no longer like salt, thus it's not good for you. Man has taken a good thing - salt, and "improved" it until it's now a bad thing for the body. 

If you want to read all the details on this, I recommend this excellent article by Dr. Mercola which exposes the salt myth. 

But if you've been eating normal table salt, it's not a good thing for you.

For the last few years I've been using sea salt instead of regular table salt. And sea salt is definitely better than table salt. However, I recently realized that even sea salt is not entirely good for you either. Because of the pollution of the oceans, sea salt is now more processed and not as healthy.

The best option for salt these days seems to be himalayan salt, which has not yet been polluted and also contains trace minerals. 

(Here's a brief article explaining the differences between table salt, sea salt, and himalayan salt.)

I found some himalayan salt at our local health food store, and I'm looking forward to trying it. 

If you're worried about himalayan salt not being "iodized," don't panic. =) It does contain some naturally occurring iodine. However, if you switch to himalayan salt after eating iodized salt, you'll want to be sure to add more iodine to your diet. 

I'll address this issue of iodine next week. It's rather a lengthy topic, so I want to give it full attention in its own post.

Any questions about salt?

The Dangers of Carpeting

We removed all the carpeting from our house years ago. It was a shocking revelation when the carpet was pulled up and tons of nasty dirt and mold were exposed. Thankfully, getting rid of the carpet made a huge difference in the indoor air quality of our house. (We replaced it with ceramic tile and laminate wood flooring.*)

However, many people I know are still putting new carpeting in their homes, and I cringe every time I hear about it. Old carpeting is bad enough because of all the mold, dust mites, etc. But new carpet is even worse! New carpet contains up to 200 toxic chemicals! These include flame retardants, pesticides, formaldehyde, and a host of other chemicals that are KNOWN to cause cancer, respiratory illness, damage to the immune system, and much more. 

Here's an excellent article that details some of these specific chemicals and the harm they cause. It also explains about the dangers of old carpeting and gives helpful info for what you can do. 

Please take the dangers of carpeting seriously, and please pass this information on to others who may have no idea. Let's protect our health and be considerate of each other. 

*I could write a whole post on healthy flooring options, but here's just a quick overview:

Ceramic tile is probably the healthiest flooring option, just be sure to use a non-toxic grout. 

Hardwood floors can also be good, if you do the research and get quality wood that hasn't been treated with pesticides or chemical stains, etc. 

Laminate wood flooring does have some chemicals, so it's important to search for the kind that is low in VOC's and formaldehyde emission. (This website lists the "safe" levels to check for in laminate products.) Laminate flooring thankfully off-gasses quicker than carpet (which can still be putting off chemicals for years). We used laminate flooring that is tongue & groove so there was no need for any toxic adhesives. 

Also, something very important is to never buy any building/home materials made in China. If you wonder why, just do a little research and you'll see that those products are highly toxic and dangerous to your health! 

I hope this helps. =)