Breathe in, breathe out. We hear these words in our yoga and Pilates classes, during meditation, and a multitude of other situations. But did we ever consider dissecting those words and think about what we are breathing in or out? 

Today, more than ever, we are spending more time in our home environment. For many, this opportunity has created more freedom and flexibility in their lifestyles. People are making healthier nutritional choices and putting more effort into their mental and physical wellness. 

While many feel better, others may not understand why they are not experiencing optimal health. 

The question is, do you feel better when you leave your home? If the answer is yes, there is something in your home environment that could be causing you to not feel your best. 

Our homes should represent rest and restoration, not toxicity and turmoil. Symptoms such as brain fog, irritability, fatigue, nausea, headaches, and allergies could be symptoms resulting from mold, VOCs (volatile organic compounds), electromagnetic frequency (EMF) exposure, pesticides, and other environmental hazards in your home. We should never just dismiss these symptoms, because the source of the toxicity needs to be uncovered. 

As I continue on my pursuit of wellness and environmental integrity, my nutritionist friend Michelle (@eatwellwithmichelle) led me to a company called Test My Home. I’m conscientious of what I bring into my home, but I was intrigued to learn ways to improve my home environment for my family and our four-legged members. I already follow many of their recommendations for a healthy living environment, such as eliminating VOCs—e.g., toxic cleaning products, plug-ins and scented candles—which can lead to cancer, illness and long-term side effects. What I did not expect to see in my test results was the high levels of carbon monoxide. Considering that 92% of the world’s population breathes polluted air, the last thing I needed to breathe in my home was CO! 

The company advised me to keep my doors and windows open a minimum of 15 minutes a day, even during those months when it feels like an inferno outside. 

Pollutants recirculate in our air due to a lack of ventilation. Indoor air quality is a big health hazard, with pollutants being up to 100 times higher indoors. Some of these factors include mold, VOCs, allergens and carbon monoxide. Take into consideration that we take over 20,000 breaths of air each day, and you can imagine how air pollution can impact your health and lead to disease. 

As an asthmatic, I understand the importance of my indoor air quality. There are 26 million Americans, including 6 million children, living with asthma. The number of children with asthma has increased by 160%, and research shows it is linked to ozone, particle pollution, and other common indoor environmental triggers. 

I had an opportunity to speak with the owner of Test My Home, Ryan Blaser, and learn more about his passion for helping others seeking healing and wellness in their home. 

Considering Blaser is an electrical engineer by trade, an air quality specialist, a broadband and radio frequency installer, a building biologist, and an environment engineer, he leaves no stones unturned when it comes to home health. I could feel his passion through his success stories. 

Blaser hopes to uncover the toxic triggers before it’s too late. Many seek answers when it is already problematic, instead of seeking for preventative reasons. 

When asking Blaser about clients’ stories, I was captivated by one that involved dogs. He has a client who lost their 2-year-old Labrador retriever to cancer, and currently has another dog that is dying from the same type of cancer. After eliminating diet and other factors that could be the cause, Test My Home found that there was a wiring error in their home. Both dogs had spent a significant amount of time sleeping where the electrical current was improperly traveling, and that electrical current was creating a large magnetic field. 

Just when you think you are checking all the boxes by not having Bluetooth devices such as Alexa plugged in, no routers or phones plugged in where you sleep, hardwiring as many electrical lines as possible, and having a main power switch to turn off WiFi at night, you gasp at the thought that there could be improper wiring that is not obvious to the naked eye! 

Blaser describes EMF and how it has changed our environment, saying, “Electricity, FM radio, TV, microwave, Bluetooth, WiFi, visible light, x-rays and nuclear energy are all electromagnetic frequencies. Within the last 100 years, we’ve been exposed to levels of EMF that are billions, if not trillions, of times higher than we have ever experienced in all of human evolution.” As you unravel the multitude of EMF exposures in our homes, you can start to understand how it impacts the human body. 

“On the most basic level, our heart works on electric impulse, as does our mind and nervous system. In fact, our very cells communicate in two ways—chemically and electrically,” Blaser explains. “When you introduce artificial frequencies, especially at the higher powers emitted by our wireless devices, it can disrupt cellular communication, causing oxidative stress and all sorts of health problems. The spectrums of light and WiFi, both electromagnetic frequencies, are so close that the body doesn’t know the difference.” 

We are all combatting the effects of EMF during the day, but in the evening we can control our exposure during the repairing hours while we rest. 

Needless to say, sleep is essential—but unfortunately, my “internal wiring” does not permit sleep to come easily for me. The best advice I received was to install a main power cord to turn off my WiFi in the evening to reduce EMFs in my bedroom. Now, not only do I breathe oxygenated air, but I sleep more restoratively.

Many people live in a toxic environment and don’t understand why they feel sluggish, anxious, and sick. And a majority of those people may not realize that the culprit of their symptoms can be found in their home. Before treating the symptom, investigate the cause. With each breath we take, we are either depleting our energy source or filling our vitality bank. I can now breathe and rest assured knowing that Test My Home has helped ensure that my home is truly a sanctuary for health and well-being!

Note: The statistics included were found on www.testmyhome.com and this article was not a paid advertisement.

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