Are you allergic to wireless internet?

Today wi-fi is everywhere with many cafes and pubs offering a free connection service so it has never been easier to access the internet while on the move. However, it may not be without its health hazards. Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity Syndrome (EHS) is a condition in which people are highly sensitive to electromagnetic fields and in an area such as a wireless hotspot, they experience pain or other symptoms.

Symptoms can include headache, fatigue, nausea, burning and itchy skin, and muscle aches and because there is such a variety of symptoms – and how widely their effects vary from one person to another – experts are divided about the validity of such claims.

There have been more than 30 studies to determine what link the condition has to exposure to electromagnetic fields from sources such as radar dishes, mobile phone signals and Wi-Fi hotspots but claims that there is such a thing as EHS is still viewed with scepticism by most scientists and medical professionals.

Sweden is among those countries that do take it seriously, and they even have an official association for the electronically sensitive that produces and distributes educational literature to raise awareness about the phenomenon around the world. In the UK, Mast Action is doing similar work and there are signs that acceptance is spreading, especially in Europe. Just last week, the French magazine Connexion reported that four libraries in Paris have turned off the WiFi connections they installed at the end of 2007 after staff claimed they were causing health problems.

Why is WiFi Potentially Worse than Other Radiation?

Electomagnetic fields are all around us from power lines, televisions, household electrical wiring, appliances and microwaves. Then you have the information -carrying radio waves of cell phones, cell phone towers and wireless internet connections. WiFi is a kind of radio wave that operates at either 2.4 or 5 gigahertz – slightly higher than your cell phone. Since they’re designed to allow for transmission of very large amounts of data, WiFi radio waves also emit greater amounts electromagnetic radiation.

Who is most at risk?

If you are highly sensitive to chemicals, have chronic fatigue syndrome, and have experienced mercury toxicity from dental amalgams then you are more at risk. Logically, this makes sense as your nervous system is a primary site impacted by both chemicals and electromagnetic fields. And if your nervous system has been damaged from toxic exposures you may also be more susceptible to EHS as well.

Common symptoms of EHS include:

1. skin itch/rash/flushing/burning, and/or tingling 2. confusion/poor concentration, and/or memory loss 3. fatigue and weakness 4. headache 5. chest pain and heart problems 6. Less commonly reported symptoms include: nausea panic attacks insomnia seizures ear pain/ringing in the ears feeling a vibration paralysis dizziness

Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt is convinced that there is a real problem here as he believes that it’s possible that some 50 percent of chronic infections are caused, and/or aggravated, by electromagnetic field exposure, leading to syndromes like chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and other chronic pain syndromes.

Why Your Laptop May be More Harmful than Your PC

If you have ever worked on a laptop for some time, you will know that one of their drawbacks is that they get pretty hot, apparently due to the size of the casing and fans that are built into them – the new Apple Air notebook is so thin you can’t imagine how there is room in there for the hard drive, let along fan – but that’s another story. Apparently, as your laptop heats up, the circuitry board out-gasses metals such as beryllium, and as the plastic warms it out-gasses flame retardants like PBDE, all of which adds to your toxic load.

The suggestion is that you only use your laptop short-term, such as when travelling, which is no help to me as that is what I do more of than anything else. However, one practical idea is that you position a desk fan near your laptop and adjust it so that is blowing air away from where you sit. The exact opposite in fact to what we normally do. Let’s hope the summer doesn’t get too hot!

What can you do?

Well apart from investing in a fan if you have a laptop, it’s important to have as uncontaminated a diet as possible to reduce your toxic load. Try having a day a week when you allow your system to detox by drinking only water and eating only fruit, if that’s not possible then aim for once a month or as often as you can manage. Two other factors that play a vital role here are: sleeping well and getting plenty of sensible sun exposure.

Why? Because sleep and sunlight have a direct impact on your melatonin levels, and melatonin is actually one of the most potent detox agents that eliminate metals from your brain naturally.

Increasing your melatonin production can be done in three ways:

1.Sleeping in absolute darkness

2.Getting at least an hour of safe exposure to bright daylight each day

3. Reducing the electro-pollution in your bedroom by removing as many electrical devices as you can. This would include your television, electric alarm clock, cordless and wireless phones.

Don’t believe me? Well a 1997 Australian Senate Discussion Paper found that even low level (12 milliGauss) exposure to 50-60 hertz electromagnetic fields can significantly reduce your melatonin production.

How natural is your shampoo?

Over the last few years shampoos have strived to impress us with the naturalness of their ingredients. If you believe the ads they are all hand-harvested in the Amazonian rainforests and you are getting an amazing variety of herbs, flowers and probably a pounding waterfall or at least a fast flowing river to go along with it. What they don’t tell you is that you are also getting in there an amazing cocktail of chemicals – the word ‘natural’ is one of the most misleading in advertising.

It is estimated by the consumer watchdog group Proof that around 93 per cent of all shampoos currently on the market contain chemicals that are linked to cancer or other health problems. So just becasue your favourite brand contains herbs or is organic doesn’t necessarily mean it is innocent of chemicals. As ever, read the label and try to avoid the following ingredients:

- lauryl sulphates: are the most potentially carcinogenic compounds found in many personal care products

- PEG (polyethylene glycol): this is what gives you that nice foam that makes you think your shampoo is doing a good job. These ‘foaming agents’ often contain the carcinogens dioxane and ethylene oxide, which have been linked to leukaemia, and brain, uterine and breast cancers

- Propylene glycol: you find this chemical in your anti-freeze and in a shampoo it rapidly penetrates the skin. It’s been associated with liver and kidney damage, and central nervous system problems.

It is especially important to be vigilant when buying products for babies and children as a high concentration of lauryl sulphates has been found in a shampoo that’s specially marketed to children, and labelled as being ‘extra gentle’.

Simply Nature have a good PEG-free shampoo you can find on their website at www.simply-nature.co.uk or get your reading glasses out for that very small print on the bottles in the supermarket or your local chemist!

Home help for athletes foot

This common fungal infection thrives in warm, damp environments, such as the locker rooms, health clubs, public showers, and indoor swimming pools. If you have any of the following symptoms, it is important to check with your doctor first because your symptoms may be caused by another condition and you want to rule out that possibility before treating the condition yourself:

** Itching, burning, or stinging between the toes or on soles of the feet.

** Scales, cracks, cuts, peeling skin or blisters between the toes or on soles of the feet.

** Skin dryness on the sides or bottom of the foot

If the infection spreads to under the toenails, causing thick, crumbly, discoloured, or separated toenails, it is called onchomycosis and it can be very difficult to treat.

The best home help for Athlete’s Foot is Tea Tree Oil, not least because it is the most commonly used home remedy because of its antiseptic qualities and ability to kill many bacteria and fungi. Tea tree oil has a long history of traditional use in Australia – where it originates from – as a remedy for skin infections and it was also used by the British Army to help deal with Trench Foot in the First World War.

Prevention

Once you have treated the condition, here’s how to avoid repeat infection:

- Keep your feet thoroughly dry, especially between your toes

- Wear only cotton socks and change them daily

- Moisture and heat cause the athlete’s foot fungus to thrive, so where you can, avoid tight, closed-toe shoes and wear loose fitting shoes or sandals

- Never go barefoot in public places like showers at the gym or theswimming pool, wear flip-flops or jelly sandals

- Use a foot powder to keep feet dry

- Wash socks in the hot water setting of the washing machine to kill off any bacteria.

Natural insect repellants

If you are trying to live a more natural lifestyle then it makes sense to try and avoid the chemical insect repellents that are on the market. The most common of these are based on DEET (diethyl-meta-toluamide) which is a very effective insect repellent developed in America some years ago but which can cause irritation to eyes, lips and other sensitive areas. Formulas usually have an oily feel and can cause skin reaction with some users and DEET damages certain plastics and fabrics. It is also less effective in low concentrations, but there is an increased reaction risk in high concentrations and it has a strong ‘chemical’ smell.

Natural insect repellents are usually based on the essential oils of Citronella, specific varieties of Eucalyptus, geranium, lemon grass, cedar or soy. One analysis of various plant essential oils found catnip oil to be promising for mosquitoes – or rather for avoiding their bites. Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus is often included in natural formulations and the active compound in the plant, extracted from the leaves and twigs, is thought to be p-menthane-3, 8-diol which can be chemically synthesized. The oil is thought to repel mosquitoes, biting flies and gnats and, according to Consumer Reports in the US, a lemon eucalyptus product called Repel received a higher overall score than the 7% DEET insect repellents tested.

Some natural repellents also make use of pyrethrins, which are naturally-occurring compounds with insecticidal and repellent properties. They are found in pyrethrum extract from certain chrysanthemum flowers and are safer to use on children, pets and plants. Pyrethrins are biodegradable and safe in normal use because of their low toxicity to mammals and the fact they don’t accumulate in the body. Although generally harmless to clothing and plastics, caution must be used if applied before going in the water as they are harmful to fish and amphibians.

Modern formulations have improved the effectiveness and reduced the need for frequent re-application and the use of micro-encapsulation technology has resulted in some almost odourless repellents. Their advantage is that they are not sticky; are environmentally friendly; safer on sensitive skins and most can be used on children. There is much less potential for skin irritation and they are much less harmful to plastics and fabrics.

There are a couple of websites I suggest you go to look for natural insect repellents who are based in the UK. The first is the Deetfree Natural Insect Repellent which is based on natural oils including Rosemary, Sage, Artemesia, Chrysanthemum Parthenium, Tea tree Oil, Lemon Eucalyptus Oil), Calendula, Lavender, Wild Mint and Thyme. www.naturalcollection.com.

Another effective natural alternative is based on an old Indian herbal recipe used for generations to stop insects biting both humans and animals. It is made without using any chemicals (including no DEET, Citronella, or CFC’s) and instead has ingredients that include Neem oil (a vegetable oil pressed from the fruits and seeds of an evergreen tree – Neem Azadirachta indica) plus Bergamot, Rosemary, and Eucalyptus. This one also comes as a handy pocket size spray, details on their website at www.neemco.co.uk

Finally, would you believe an Avon product has many supporters as being a great mosquito repellent? Apparently the Avon Skin So Soft Dry Oil Spray contains citronella so you can ward off the mosquitoes and condition your skin at the same time! It is being used by some customers on their pets, dogs, cats, and horses to keep the flies away – and presumably to keep them smelling sweet.

Keep the grapes for yourself

Ever wondered why most of us take grapes to people in hospital and end up eating them ourselves at the bedside? My personal idea is that all hospital visiting is stressful and so we unconsciously try to reduce that stress by distracting ourselves. Stress can impact heart disease, so imagine my surprise to find I have scientific backing for this idea – perhaps not the exact circumstances,but the latest research findings from Spain show that antioxidant-rich red grapes are high in fibre and may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease more effectively than other fibre sources such as oat or psyllium.

It has to be red grapes however, not any other colour as a trial conducted by researchers in Madrid reported that cholesterol levels fell by nine per cent, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol by a similar amount and blood pressure was reduced by about 5 per cent. The researchers said: “Grape antioxidant dietary fibre contains relatively large amounts of proanthocyanidins (condensed tannins), which are partially bioavailable in the small intestine, but a major part reach the colon, where they may provide a high antioxidant status.” This was only a small trial of 34 subjects, but might be worth you keeping that fruit bowl filled up with a large bunch if you have any concerns about family blood pressure.

A delicate topic for a delicate area

Assuming that you are like the majority of us, you get into the shower or bath and go to it with the soap or shower gel over your entire body. What you may not know is that many natural practitioners advise against using soap in the genital area because it can cause you problems. Soap should not be used to clean these ‘no-go areas’; the vaginal opening, the tip of the penis, and the anal sphincter. Why not? Because regularly applying soap to these areas can cause the mucosal lining to become dry and unhealthy and that in turn can lead to a number of uncomfortable health conditions. The two most common ones are chronic inflammation and a greater tendency to experience infections.

So please keep the soap away from those delicate openings and use it sparingly on the rest of your body. Nature has already rather cleverly designed your skin so that it is lined with sebaceous glands that secrete an oily substance called sebum, which is what keeps your skin waterproof and resistant to infection by undesirable microorganisms. It’s sebum that prevents soap from drying out skin to a point where significant health challenges can arise, but the mucosal linings of the genital and anal area don’t secrete sebum so they don’t offer the same offer the same protection against the drying effects of soap. So am I suggesting you don’t wash those areas at all? Certainly not, but just stick to using warm or hot water – the continental use of a bidet has a lot to recommend it. You may never have experienced any problems with using soap, but if someone is particularly sensitive to infection or inflammation then it is advice worth passing on.

Broccoli juice as sunscreen?

As my friends will testify, vegetables and I are not on very intimate terms and broccoli is something I avoid at all costs. But I may change my mind because of it’s newly discovered potential as a sunscreen. Apparently an extract made from broccoli boosts the body’s natural ability to defend against the sun’s ultraviolet rays that cause skin cancer. According to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the USA, an extract of broccoli sprouts contains high levels of sulforaphane and gives substantial protection. Co-leader of the study, Paul Talalay, first discovered in 1992 that broccoli is rich in a naturally occurring plant compound called sulforaphane. While all cruciferous vegetables (such as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, mustard, turnip, radish and watercress) contain it to a certain degree, the concentration is highest in three-day-old sprouts of the broccoli plant.

Sulforaphane has the effect of activating cells’ production of what are known as “phase 2 enzymes.” One such enzyme, glutathione S-transferase, has been shown to neutralize the DNA-damaging compounds produced by the skin produces when struck by ultraviolet radiation. It also appears to reduce inflammation, which can cause precancerous growths to transform into full-blown cancerous tumors. Only a very small (6 person) trial has been done on this but they are enthusiastic about developing a new sunscreen product as many of the commercial products contain chemicals that are themselves potentially carcinogenic. However, unless they can get broccoli juice to smell more pleasant (I may not eat many vegetables but I do juice them) it will be no competition to my preferred choice which is the all-natural organic sun range from Annemarie Borlind.

Beauty Queen – Naturally, with free samples

I must declare an interest here, I have been using the natural skincare range from German organic company Annemarie Borlind for many years and have never found anything better. They are free of every single irritating ingredient, wholly natural and – best of all – incredibly effective. I just got information from them about their new suncare range, which I highly recommend, particularly for the dynamic duo of very effective sun protection and incredible skin care no matter how sensitive your skin is.

However, that is not what I wanted to tell you about. They have reformulated their cosmetic range and it is amazing, nothing ‘worthy’ about it, this is glamour all the way. In fact, it is so good they are offering you the chance to try it free. You will get a tester containing generous amounts of two shades of their fluid foundation, two flattering lip colours and a lip brush.

And the beauty queen bit? No I didn’t make it up, but at the 2008 Miss Germany final professional makeup artists from the famous Face Academy made up the 22 contestants with the new Natural Caring colours from Annemarie Borlind. The eventual winner, Kim Valerie Voight, looked radiant even when surrounded by photographers, journalists, television and radio teams.

It showed that natural beauty cosmetics can cope with a high pressure, glamorous event, as well as being the perfect everyday makeup for the rest of us leading less exalted lives! All their products have dermatologically confirmed skin compatibility, so grab your chance to look at your best, for free.

Contact Jane Moore at Simply Nature, the importers of AnneMarie Borlind in the UK, by emailing her at [email protected] or visit the website for more information

Could diabetics and others benefit from grape skins?

A recently published paper in the science journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism has reported on new research carried out by scientists at the Peninsula Medical School in the South West of England, which has found that resveratrol, a compound present naturally in grape skin, can protect against the cellular damage to blood vessels caused by high production of glucose in diabetes.

Patients with diabetes have elevated levels of glucose that circulate in the blood and which cause both micro- and macro- vascular complications by damaging the mitochondria. These are the tiny power plants within cells responsible for generating energy and when they are damaged they can leak electrons and make highly damaging ‘free radicals’. Serious complications can arise when this happens, including kidney disease, heart disease and retinopathy – which if left untreated can lead to blindness.

Resveratrol stops the damage by helping cells make protective enzymes to prevent the leakage of electrons and the production of the toxic ‘free radicals’. By including grapes in your diet, and other sources such as seeds, peanuts and red wine you could be helping prevent vascular damage caused by hyperglycemia in the future.

Other Health Benefits

You know how you take grapes to patients in hospitals? Well if you take them red grapes the resveratrol in the skin has also been shown to help with other health issues. For instance, if you have the flu, then resveratrol has been shown to prevent the continued reproduction of the flu virus if taken within six hours of the first infection. It has been shown to be anticarcinogenic, and there is also growing evidence that it can also protect the heart. It does this in several ways: inhibits platelet aggregation, the proliferation of smooth-muscle cells, and the oxidation of LDL-cholesterol. So don’t ask ‘Beulah, peel me a grape’, as Mae West famously said, but insist she keeps the skins on!

MRSA – Don’t depend on your doctor

We tend to put a lot of faith in our doctors, we believe they know they more than we do and have access to greater information and resources. All of which can be true, but I would like to return you to one of the basic principles of good health: you are your own best first resource, certainly in terms of your everyday well-being. The better you take care of yourself, the better able you are to monitor potential illnesses by being aware of the warning signs and paying attention to good old fashioned virtues like getting enough sleep, eating and drinking sensibly, taking regular exercise and finally, and most importantly, not ignoring basic rules of hygiene.

MRSA is now a real problem for all of us, and I was horrified to read that in a recent survey an amazing 1 in 5 GPs admitted that they had poor knowledge of the MRSA superbug and how to treat it. This is not because they are too busy to read the information they are being given, because the other staggering statistic that emerged was that 62% of doctors had not received any information on what to do if they suspected somebody had the bug. As a woman with a long memory, I looked up an item I wrote about four years ago where it was reported on 04 November 2004 that more than one million NHS staff were to get MRSA prevention training, presumably they haven’t got round to the poor old GP’s yet.

As MRSA is usually passed on by human contact, often from our hands, there is the most simple of preventive acts you can take. Supermarket shelves now offer a number of different anti-bacterial and anti-microbial sprays and gels for you to carry with you – and they are a good second stage of protection, but the first is to be totally vigilant about washing your hands. Not just after using the bathroom, but always before you have any contact with food or drink. One of most common ways to pick up a bug is from using a handrail on a staircase in a public area such as the underground, on a bus or in a theatre – most people either hold on as they walk up and down, or just touch it lightly for extra balance and security. That is where bugs can be passed – not by direct contact with someone else but the indirect contact from the skin of the hands.

It’s not rocket science, it’s what we were taught as children, but regularly and thoroughly washing your hands it could help prevent you being affected by a very unpleasant bug indeed.

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