Understanding and Mitigating Invisible Dangers at Home and Away

When most of us think about radioactive elements (aka radiation), we think about Chernobyl or Fukushima – the meltdowns that devastated populations and the planet.  Sadly, we have had many nuclear events on US soil that no one really talks about.  We have tested over 1000 radioactive bombs in our own country since 1945.  Their effects are still being felt and will for many generations to come because the half-life of many radioactive elements (time for ½ of the material to break down on its own) can be in the billions of years….   We do not normally, however, think about our exposure to these harmful toxins – and we should.

We are being exposed to more than we realize, and it can lead to very bad health outcomes - from cancer to autoimmune disease to inflammation.  Radiation makes it very difficult for the body to heal itself by suppressing energy production at the cellular level and slowing down the body’s ability to detoxify, therefore it can make any disease process worse.  Here are just a few of the many symptoms/diseases/radiation side effects that can be associated with exposure to radioactive elements:

Fatigue

Hair Loss

Loss of Appetite/ Nausea

Osteoporosis (it displaces calcium in the bone)

Tooth Decay

Anemia

Headaches

Seizures

Thyroid Problems

Fertility Issues

Digestive Complaints

Heart Disease

Stroke

Cancer

Mental/Psychological Issues

Cough/Lung Problems

Radiation (not to be confused with cellphone radiation here) comes in many forms. It occurs naturally in our soil and in much of the water supply. In fact, 80% of the water supply in Texas has radiation in it.

To check your water supply, go to this site and enter your zip code. Houston has 24X the Environmental Working Group’s guideline levels of radium, 37X hexavalent chromium and 4.2X uranium. Honestly, I do not think there is a “safe” level of radiation to begin with, but, as you can see, we are exposed at potentially very unsafe levels.

Radon, a radioactive gas that is found in some basements, is also a common exposure for this toxin.  We do not see this much in Houston, but many of us who head north to escape the heat are being exposed in places like Colorado. The practice of fracking is also bringing these radioactive gases closer to the surface of the planet, potentially increasing our exposure through the air and water supply.

Another source for uranium, in particular, is granite countertops.  It is usually a small amount, but since we might have multiple avenues of exposure, the cumulative effect can be significant.  You can have your counters tested with a Geiger counter. 

Since radioactive elements are in the soil, we can also be exposed through the plants grown in that soil.  Fortunately, the earth has natural substances like fulvic and humic acids that help protect the plants.  Unfortunately, the most widely used herbicide glyphosate over-rides that process and increases plants’ absorption of uranium 17x the normal rate (study).  

I have seen more and more issues related to the effects of radiation exposure the last few years and I think the issue is becoming more prevalent.  In one such case, I had a couple who were living in their Colorado home for the summer.  The wife was constantly ill with respiratory issues and suffering from fatigue, brain fog, stroke, discolored teeth, gum issues, and skin rashes.  The husband had a chronic cough that was unrelenting.  Through energy testing, I came up with radiation and recommended that they have their summer home tested.  This was easily and inexpensively done in Colorado.  The EPA recommends taking action if your radon levels are 4.0 pCi/L or higher.  The average American home measures 1.3 pCi/L.  Their home tested at 23 pCi/L, which is dangerously high.  After remediating their home and doing a radiation detox, they are both doing much better.  It was a surprisingly inexpensive problem to solve within the home.  

As you can see, there is no “radioactive sign” alerting you to all of the dangers I’ve listed above; there are hidden dangerous radioactive elements easily found in our daily environments.  So, what can we do?  There are solutions!  First of all, if you have a basement, please get it tested for radon – it is colorless and odorless, and you would have no idea it was there.  You can take steps to remediate the air if need be.  Secondly, if you have radiation in your water supply, you might want to consider drinking distilled water.  It is your best bet for removing radiation.  Zeolite can also remove radiation – I use a whole house water filtration system that flows through zeolite.  

As far as diet, you can reduce your risk of radiation in the food supply by eating all organic diet.  Farmers cannot spray organic crops with glyphosate, but they can spray non-GMO crops with glyphosate (and they do spray most non-organic grains with the chemical as a desiccant).  Additionally, the animals from areas near radiation spills can be contaminated (fish affected from areas of Japan, for example), so you might want to avoid them if possible.  

Lastly, there are some great products to help the body move out radioactive elements.  My favorites for a radiation detox are ViRadChem Binder (the Rad part is for radiation), BC-ATP, and CT Minerals.  We also carry a few vibropathics from Hanna Kroeger specifically made for a radiation detox (Uranium, Strontium, and R.A. Fallout are among them).  Ask your practitioner which ones might be best for you.   If you are traveling this summer to a place that has significant radioactive exposure potential, take extra support for you and your family.  Here is a great resource to help you see where levels might be higher. Link “support” to the highlighted products mentioned in the article (in yellow above or if we have a list of “highlighted products” somewhere)

 Have a wonderful, healthy and safe summer!

Tracy Southwick, Master MBSR-P, ND (Trad.), HHP, CNHP, CNA, AMP
Owner/Founder: www.heightsofhealth.com
713-861-6777