Study: Tight Underwear Harms Spermogenesis

Men who wear boxer shorts have higher sperm concentrations than men who wear tighter fitting underwear, according to recent research published in the journal Human Reproduction.

You can tell the fertility of a man by the underpants he prefers to wear, as researchers continue to gather data on how the style (and material) of underpants affect testicular function (i.e., sperm production).

The study

Researchers surveyed 656 male partners of couples seeking infertility treatment at a fertility center (this was in Boston, MA, USA, between 2000 and 2017). The men were an average age of 35.5 years old.

They completed a questionnaire on what style of underwear they had most frequently worn during the last 3 months using the following categories: ‘boxers’, ‘jockeys’, ‘bikinis’, ‘briefs’ or ‘other’.

For those of us unfamiliar with men’s fashion, the definitions were: "jockeys are longer than briefs, with length falling right above the knee, briefs generally extend to the middle of the thigh.”

They then analysed the men’s semen samples for reproductive hormone levels and neutral comet assays for sperm DNA damage.

What did the study conclude?

They found the type of underwear worn was significantly associated with sperm concentration, total sperm count and total motile count (Table II).

Compared to men who reported not usually wearing boxers (e.g. wore tighter underwear), men who reported most frequently wearing boxers had 25% (95% CI = 7, 31%) higher sperm concentration, 17% (95% CI = 0, 28) higher total sperm count and 33% (95% CI = 5, 41%) higher total motile count.

Men who reported most frequently wearing boxers also tended to have a higher percentage of motile sperm and a higher sperm count, compared to those who did not, although these differences failed to reach statistical significance (check out Table II in the study).

When all the non-boxer underwear types were examined separately, the largest differences in sperm concentration were found for men who reported wearing jockeys and briefs compared to those wearing most frequently boxers.

The differences were less pronounced with other types of underwear (Supplementary Fig. S1).

Men who reported most frequently wearing boxers had higher sperm concentration and total count, and lower FSH levels, compared to men who did not.

Boxer-wearing men had lower FSH hormones

Boxer shorts-wearing men had lower levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), compared to men who most frequently wore briefs, "bikinis" (very brief briefs), "jockeys" (underwear that finishes just above the knee) or other tight-fitting underwear.

Though FSH stimulates sperm production, the researchers say that these findings suggest that it kicks into gear when it needs to compensate for testicular damage from increasing scrotal temperatures and decreasing sperm counts and concentration.

The impact of material

It goes without saying that the clothing (shirts, trousers and undertrousers) can effect heat regulation.

The type of material also affects heat regulation, as well as at least one other mechanism: electrostatic regulation. Check out these studies on how polyester underwear reduce sperm health.

Men’s fertility epidemic

Researchers have been raising the alarm on the plummeting sperm levels across Western societies in the last century. Environmental and lifestyle factors have been directly linked to poorer testicular function, such as increased exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (Bergman et al., 2013; Hauser et al., 2015), higher prevalence of obesity (Finucane et al., 2011; Sermondade et al., 2013), deteriorating diet quality (Wong et al., 2000; USDA, 2017) and elevated scrotal temperatures (Ahmad et al., 2012; Zhang et al., 2015), among others.

Sperm production takes about three months from start to finish, so take the action to switch out your wardrobe, as it may take that long for your sperm quality to improve. For a long time the spotlight (and burden) lay pretty much on female fertility. However, a male fertility crisis has been looming, perhaps just below sight.

If you found this study interesting, check out my full guide to EMFs and your microbiome. It’s free, and you’ll find facts and resources on how electromagnetic fields can impact very basic cellular functions in your body.

References & Resources:

1. Link to the study: Lidia Mínguez-Alarcón, Audrey J Gaskins, Yu-Han Chiu, Carmen Messerlian, Paige L Williams, Jennifer B Ford, Irene Souter, Russ Hauser, Jorge E Chavarro, Type of underwear worn and markers of testicular function among men attending a fertility center, Human Reproduction, Volume 33, Issue 9, September 2018, Pages 1749–1756, https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dey259

2. Read how polyester underwear lowers sperm counts https://www.melaniechua.com/blog/2023/study-polyester-underwear-decreases-sperm-count-and-motility

Most Common House Shopping Pitfalls and Hazards: Identifying Possible Toxins and Pollutants in a Home

Looking for a new home is a milestone, but it can be filled with design errors, toxic failures fire starters and toxic substances that can easily rain on your new-home parade, and even cause a health decline, if the proper precautions aren't taken.

Is There External Sources of Radio Frequency Radiation?

First, you want to determine that your new home is not being blasted by radio frequency radiation, or wireless radiation. Examine the area around the house to understand the potential toxins that can enter the home. You can do a quick check with a good consumer EMR meter or get a building biologist to conduct an EMF assessment.

I always check if there might be antennas just out of sight to the eye from the perspective of being at home. This means taking a walk around the neighbourhood or even visiting other buildings at the same height.

Are there digital infrastructure visible to your eye from the house? In more urban areas, it can be difficult to avoid all radio frequency radiation completely. A general rule of thumb is distance is your friend; and that any antenna ought to be at least 500 metres away from any spot in your home.

Start here to find out why radiofrequency radiation is the 21st-century pollutant that we are only beginning to understand.

Is asbestos used in the building?

Asbestos is found in many places within old homes. It is used in a mind-boggling range of construction materials: everything from heating system insulation, decorative spray-on ceiling treatments, vinyl flooring, flooring adhesive, cement roofing & ceiling sheets to even insulation on boilers and pipes.

Asbestos fibres are able to break into smaller fibres (more than 1,200 times thinner than a human hair). When released into the air, asbestos is pretty much invisible to the eye, and quickly circulates through your home or workplace. These fibres become trapped in lung tissues and can cause lung cancer and mesothelioma, a cancer of the tissue that lines the chest cavity.

Most developed nations, including Australia and all countries within the European Union, has a full ban on the use of asbestos.

In Singapore, buildings builts before 1991 could contain asbestos-containing materials.

In Malaysia, the use of asbestos is only partially banned. Asbestos construction materials such as roof and ceiling tiles are still sold in the market. There are no acts or regulations prohibiting the use of asbestos in private buildings in Malaysia.

Is there water leaks or damage? Are there any water stains?

Water damage occurs long before you see any visible sign of it. But many signs of water damage are easy to spot once you know what to look for. Use your eyes — and your nose — to check walls, floors, ceilings, pipes and a few other less obvious areas.

Few things are more frustrating as a homeowner than dealing with water damage. You try to keep your home in good condition, only for a small water leak to snowball into major catastrophes that seem to quickly burn a hole in your pocket.

Water leaks and damage at home are also a major cause of lung-related illnesses.

Any yellow or brownish water stains on the ceilings or walls is a sure sign of water leakage (those areas enclose plumbing). As water makes contact with these areas, it can leave behind unsightly marks that are hard to miss.

Check for foundational issues like leaning walls, large cracks in the foundation floor, or displaced moldings and trim—all signs of chronic leaks and moisture buildup underground.

Another tip is to use your nose. Do you smell anything earthy or musty smell in the home? This is another sign of a potential leak causing water to build up inside your walls, crawlspaces, or elsewhere.

Is there visible mold?

If mold is actually appearing on walls, ceilings, and around wet areas such as the sink, it’s already in an advanced stage of growth.

You might even your sinuses acting up for seemingly no reason. Mold exposure triggers the immune system, which typically involves allergy-like symptoms such as sinus issues, runny nose, itchy skin and eyes, asthma, shortness of breath, and more.

Does the Home Layout Ensure Good Ventilation?

In the bathroom, poor ventilation is a major contributor to condensation. Look for water staining or mould on the walls and ceiling. Note whether the bathroom has an exhaust fan (and that it works!) and check how clean the fan is.

Is There Faulty Wiring?

While old and/or faulty wiring is most often associated with electrical fires, they can cause high levels of artificial electromagnetics to permeate the home, and impact your health.

Regardless of whether faulty wiring is found, it is probably a good idea to give the electrical wiring an electrical inspection, and ideally a complete wiring overhaul, to make things safer and bring the wiring up to code and eliminate any possibility of faulty wiring.

Radon Gas Build-up

Radon is a naturally occurring gas present in almost all soil and rocks, especially in granite regions. It is a radioactive gas that emits alpha particles, a high-energy radiation that damages DNA in human cells and causes lung cancer. Radon particles, when inhaled, become lodged in the lungs where they continue to emit alpha particles.

If a large buildup of this gas seeps into a home, a person breathing in the gas for years on end may become more prone to respiratory issues or even lung cancer. Italy, as an example, estimates that 10% of all cases of lung cancer in Italy are related to radon.

Radon is colourless, odourless, and tasteless so a radon test kit can help determine if there are dangerous levels in the home. Radon enters a building through cracks in the floor or walls of the basement or foundation. indoor radon concentrations can vary widely around the world.

Choosing a Good Place for Your Peace of Mind (And Safeguard for Health)

The reality is that most of us live in polluted environments, and most construction, design, and lifestyle items may be contaminated with toxins. As a homeowner, we want a place that can be our sanctuary and safe haven from external stresses. Inside, any hidden surprises in a home can be your worst nightmare, especially when it comes to its impact on your very health. Keep in mind that this list is just the most common hazard pitfalls in a home (especially in urban areas).

Are you in the market looking for new home? Schedule a free discovery call to learn more about the building biology approach to safe, healthy homes, and how it can support your own health.

What You Should Know about Wireless Radiation: Health Impacts on Babies and Children

Wireless radiation is basically EMFs, or electromagnetic fields that are invisible waves of energy emitted by electronic devices like WiFi routers, cell phones, and baby monitors. You can’t see them, but it’s how your iPad and mobile devices connects to the cell tower.

You cannot sense these as with other pollution such as smog, noise pollution, but your body is definitely sensitive to these fields.

• Children are uniquely vulnerable to wireless radiation.

Children are more vulnerable to wireless radiation and cell phone radiation because they have smaller heads, they have thinner skulls, and they have developing brains. Research shows that children absorb higher levels of wireless radiation.

Wherever you are using your wireless device, this radiation is being absorbed into your body, quite intensely, whenever it’s nearby. So, if it’s in your head, you’re going to get high levels of absorption of the non-ionizing radiation into your head and brain. If it’s near the abdomen and you’re pregnant, your body will receive that radiation as will your developing baby.

• Wireless radiation is linked to a wide range of symptoms.

Before it even becomes an acute disease, Some studies of people living near cell towers have also confirmed an array of health complaints, including dizziness, nausea, headaches, tinnitus and insomnia, from people identified as having "electromagnetic hypersensitivity."

• Wireless radiation is considered a carcinogen.

In 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, an arm of the World Health Organization, cited troubling but uncertain evidence in classifying wireless radiation as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”

In 2018, a study by the federal government that was nearly two decades in the making found “clear evidence” that cellphone radiation caused cancer in lab animals. A major study in Italy produced similar results.

• The main reason for this new classification was its linked to gliomas.

Cellphone radiation was classified a “possible carcinogen” in 2011 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, a conclusion based on human epidemiological studies that found an increased risk of glioma, a malignant brain cancer, associated with cellphone use.

Gliomas are the most common CNS tumors in children and adolescents; it is usually a fast-growing cancer that affects your child's brain or spinal cord.

Leukaemia and brain cancer are BOTH among the top five most common childhood cancers in most countries that track such statistics, from Singapore, Malaysia in the tropics to the UK, across Europe.

In fact, leukaemia and brain cancer account for more than half of all childhood cancers. Check out the population statistics in countries such as the UK, Germany, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia. By contrast, these cancers are rare in adults.

While these childhood cancers are rare and have high overall survival, it remains the first cause of death from

disease in children and adolescents. Can you imagine what the leading factor to such cancers are?

• They’ve been concerned for a long time.

“They” being the many official institutions. For example, before the WHO’s 2011 official declaration, between 2008 and 2011, the European Union Parliament and the Council of Europe passed multiple resolutions against the “early, ill-considered, and prolonged use of mobiles and other devices emitting microwaves.”

The European parliaments’ advice for an exposure level was called A.L.A.R.A. (as low as reasonably achievable). (How low is still up to you to achieve as there are no standard regulations.)

Many medical associations in North America and Europe have also issued public statements to warn about the serious health risks associated with using wireless devices. Among them, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine wrote:

• Wireless radiation is linked to autism and spectrum disorders.

A majority of studies that have looked at something called oxidative stress have found an effect. Now oxidative stress can lead to inflammation and more inflammation can lead to a lot of other health implications.

Dr. Martha Herbert documented in her publications, looking at autism and ADHD, there is inflammation in the brain. With electromagnetic fields, there are studies showing inflammation as well.

Many clinicians, doctors, and health professionals have found reducing electromagnetic fields can help with kids who have behavioral problems or have autism and other health issues. It’s been a way to impact or reduce electromagnetic fields that can support the child’s resilience.

• Wireless radiation can cause behavioural problems in children.

If you are pregnant and exposed to cellphone radiation, your baby could be born susceptible to behavioural issues. A Yale study in 2012 found hyperactivity and reduced memory in mice exposed to cellphone radiation in the womb, consistent with human epidemiological research showing a rise in behavioral disorders among children who were exposed to cellphones in the womb.

The researchers exposed the pregnant mice to radiation from a muted and silenced cell phone positioned above the cage and placed on an active phone call for the duration of the trial. A control group of mice was kept under the same conditions but with the phone deactivated (such as being on “airplane mode”).

After the mice were born, researchers conducted psychological and behavioral tests, as well as measured their brain electrical activity.

“We have shown that behavioral problems in mice that resemble ADHD are caused by cell phone exposure in the womb. The evidence is really, really strong now that there is a causal relationship between cellphone radiation exposure and behavior issues in children. — Dr. Hugh Taylor, the author of the mouse study and chair of the obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences department at the Yale School of Medicine”

Concerned scientists are advocating for education around possible harms of wireless tech and how it should be used with care around children.

The BabySafe Project was conceived jointly by Dr. Devra Davis of Environmental Health Trust and Patti and Doug Wood of Grassroots Environmental Education after attending a conference in Stonington, Connecticut — it was where Dr. Hugh Taylor of Yale School of Medicine presented the results of his important study on fetal exposures to cell phone radiation. https://www.babysafeproject.org/science

Your child may already be suffering from EMF

A case in Canada saw three young children with an environmental intolerance, medically known as electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS). They regularly suffered with symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, concentration and memory problems, anxiety, abdominal pain, nosebleeds, ringing in the ears, and more. These symptoms were otherwise unexplainable.

In May of 2012, to accommodate children with EHS and to provide choice for parents who want to heed health warnings to reduce exposure for children who are most vulnerable, the BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils (BCCPAC) called for a moratorium on Wi-Fi in schools.

• EMFs health impacts begin pre-conception.

Higher levels of exposure could reduce sperm quality in men and increase miscarriage risk in women. The two miscarriage studies, conducted by Kaiser Permanente and funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, are particularly interesting because they're some of the only ones to date that actually measured EMF exposure in subjects using a magnetic field monitoring device.

"We took [913 pregnant women] and asked them to wear the monitor for the duration of their pregnancy. Studies right now aren't using the meters because most of them are focusing on cancer. Cancer can take 20 years to develop—you can't measure your exposure from 20 years ago, so in those cases, you just ask how much the person uses their cell phone." — reproductive epidemiologist De-Kun Li, MD, PhD, the principle investigator on both studies (one published in 2002, one published in 2017).

• Any safety regulations is out of date.

Any safety data is so out of date, it is not even funny.

No standards even consider the impact to a pregnant woman, as that research didn’t exist 25 years ago.

For example, the US Federal Communications Commission, or FCC, based on an adult male and they don’t even consider a child’s developing brain. They last adjusted its woefully outdated health standards for wireless radiation a quarter-century ago, well before wireless devices became ubiquitous, heavily used appliances synonymous with modern life.

I hope this compilation of research and studies will help you make a more informed decision about Wifi and its use in your family.

Resources & recommendations

• https://www.babysafeproject.org/science

• Read the study of real-world exposure to non-ionizing radiation from magnetic fields in pregnant women found a significantly higher rate of miscarriage (December 13, 2017)

• Your quick guide to reducing exposure at home

• Is your child already experiencing exposure to EMFs? Check out 12 common symptoms that you may not know about.

• Get in touch for a free discovery call on how to kick wireless radiation exposure out of your house.

17+ Simple Ways to Reduce Home EMF Exposure -- Easy DIY

In our digital, tech-savvy world, electromagnetic frequency (EMF) are the fastest growing environmental toxin. Due to the exponential increase in the use of wireless personal communication devices (eg, mobile or cordless phones and WiFi or Bluetooth-enabled devices) as well as the infrastructure built around us to accommodate it.

We know that lead, air pollution, and other toxic chemicals can damage our health and, while it is gaining momentum, more people are realising the harm EMFs can do. Studies show that wireless and EMF radiation can synergistically increase the effect of these daily toxic exposures because of the ways in which wireless radiation alters the body’s natural functioning.1

What Are EMFs?

Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) are energy fields that surround electrically charged objects and are generated by various sources, such as power lines, electronics, and wireless devices. Exposure to EMFs has been associated with potential health issues such as cancer and reproductive problems. With mobile technology in every aspect of life, including in-school learning, we’re are bombarded by EMFs on a daily basis.

Are you feeling EMF sensitivity? Click here to read about the different types of EMFs and how you may be exposed to them.

How to Minimize Home EMF Exposure (17+ suggestions)

If you’re wondering where to start in this process, below is my personal list of EMF minimizing strategies to consider. I started developing this list with my first child and am constantly adding to it as I find new and fast ways to do the lifestyle hack.

1. Always turn WIFI off at night — you can use an auto-timer.  Keep it away from bedrooms and anywhere near where you spend time in. This is a simple way to reduce your exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) for the crucial hours of rest while you sleep. Better yet, switch back to wired connections.  Before you think you need to open up walls to do this, check out my guide.

2. Deactivate Bluetooth & AirDrop on ALL your devices to decrease the continuous transmission of wireless signals. Many other devices, even air purifiers and refrigerators, that connect to the “Internet of things” and can be wirelessly operated. You don’t need to be in a “surround sound” of wireless radiation all day.

3. Toss the microwave. Avoid using it.

4. Use an electric stove and avoid induction ovens, which emit a large EMF field. The metal cookware itself becomes magnetized, a small amount of current passes from the cookware into your body when you touch the pan.

5. Check if you are using Smart Appliances - TVs, Washing Machines, Air Filters, Fridges, etc. Opt for brands that allow you to disable WiFi.   

6. Replace all dimmer switches in your home with simple on/off switches. Dimmer switches are notorious for producing dirty electricity! This includes ceiling fans. Use the manual switches or chains to adjust the speed level, not dimmer switches.

7. Replace all LED and fluorescent light bulbs (including CFLs) in your home. These types of bulbs emit a large EMF field compared with simple incandescent light bulbs that have none. Go for traditional bulbs such as halogen or incandescent bulbs. If you use a few battery backup LED bulbs around your home for power outages, minimize them as much as possible.

8. Never sleep your phone near your bed, and especially near your head. If you must use it as an alarm clock, put it on airplane mode and place it 5 feet or more from the mattress before turning in.

9. Never use an electric blanket while you sleep. Avoid using an electric heating pad for pain too if at all possible. Use a hot water bottle instead.

10. Choose only wired baby monitors, if you use them. Not many low-EMF versions out there.  Minimize use if at all.  Keep monitors a safe distance away from babies and mothers. Test with with an EMF meter to determine this.

11. Put a barrier between your body and your laptop.

    Keep your laptop away from your lap to reduce direct body contact and exposure to EMFs. If you must, use an EMF blocking pad underneath.

12. Do not carry a cell phone in a pocket of your clothing (this means it’s right against your body) or even your handbag while it is turned on. Did you know that every cellphone comes with a warning about keeping the phone too close to your body? (The iPhone 5 manual says users should keep the phone 10 millimeters away from your ear!) Use an EMF blocking phone case or privacy pouch instead. These KRIA pouches are both beautiful and effective.

13. Reduce hair dryer use.

    Did you know that a hair dryer can emit roughly 40 milligauss to 20,000 milligauss in EMFs? To put this in context, a microwave emits 100-500 milligauss, so using them less frequently can greatly decrease your overall exposure.

14. Avoid Smart Meters.

    Make sure your home does not use a Smart Meter or Smart Water Meter. Call your local power and water company and find out if you have already gotten one and if so, make sure to opt-out and go back to the analog meters. It costs a bit more per month, but it is worth it. If you do not have an option to get rid of your Smart Meter, make or buy an EMF blocking cover for it. Locate beds at least 10 feet away from Smart Meters. 

15. Create a safe sanctuary spot.

    Pick one spot or area in your home that you want to make a total sanctuary, and make sure it checks all the tips on this list. The bedroom is important. It could be where you breastfeed your baby or where you spend much time at work. The single most important space we need to make into an EMF sanctuary is our bedroom - the space where we spend at least a third of our lives.

16. Avoid having any metal in your mouth and body.

    This includes metal braces, permanent wire retainers, titanium implants and silver fillings. Any type of metal in your mouth concentrates EMFs toward your head essentially making it an antenna.

17. Place plugs 6-8 feet away from your bed.

    This is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Try unplugging as many things as you can at night. Power strips can be great for this.

18. Invest in an EMF meter — an affordable consumer meter is a proactive way to measure and monitor EMFs in your environment.

    You can quantify the levels of EMFs emitted by appliances, electronics, or power lines that you may be unawares of. Even if they’re not 100% (variability depends on the sensitivity of the meter). they can help you identify areas with higher EMF concentrations and take steps to reduce potential health risks.

Are you sensitive to EMFs? Do you do anything to reduce your and your family’s EMF exposure?

Even as awareness is growing, 5G is getting rolled out quickly in urban areas. Protecting yourself from this technology takes a bit of planning. Get in touch to find out more about how you can protect yourself at home.

How to Ground Yourself: 10+ Techniques and Methods to Connect to Earth's Healing Energies

Grounding, also known as earthing, is a practice of establishing a connection with the Earth's energy.

In another article, I wrote an in-depth guide to explore the science and benefits of grounding and earthing, detailing how it helped my baby’s eczema, and including how to ground yourself using a wide range of effective methods.

When I started learning about EMFs and making life changes, grounding wasn’t top on my list. However, I felt the power of earthing and focused on simply going outdoors to get my dose of re-connecting to earth.

After a almost a decade of motherhood as well as practicing mindful body awareness techniques, I began to observe specific sensations in my body when I am earthing (outdoors) and when I am getting grounded (indoors). This intrigued me to include grounding at home as part of my daily routine.

How to ground, everyday

It is hard to quantify exactly how much positive benefit can come from grounding, but evidence show that just 20 minutes a day is a good benchmark for full effect. One interesting study is how just 1-week of camping lowered stress hormones, including cortisol, for months after the trip.

Time can be a premium for those of us in urban environments, so try to stack in these habits to your daily lifestyle. Do them with your child — and soon he or she will get into the habit of getting into direct contact with Nature too.

Conscious earthing

The key to any of these methods is to pay attention to how you feel both during and after using the technique. By paying attention and noticing positive results, you help anchor the experience.

1. Walk barefoot.

   Whether it is the grass, sand, or dirt, the important thing is to touch your skin to the natural ground. The feet are extremely sensitive with more nerve receptors so the longer, the better and direct is best. One foot alone on the Earth will ground you, but two feet on the ground provides a stronger grounding effect.

   If you know there are buried electrical lines. choose another area like a park or forest preserve instead.

2. Many alternatives exist. If you cannot go barefoot, you can also wear earthing shoes.

3. Seek water.

   Go for a swim in the sea, standing in a riverbed, taking a dip in a hot spring, or wading in a lake or a pond would also work. Wet sand is the best conductor of energy from the earth. There’s limited formal research on bathtubs and showers.

4. Take a cold shower.

   Cold showers are incredibly invigorating and grounding experience. Especially target the cold water on the back of your neck and the top of your head. If you’re not used to cold showers, start slow with half a minute, and then build up to a couple of minutes.

5. Have a favourite sitting spot outdoors. This simple practice frees up time and trouble — just head to your spot and slake the calm of being plugged in and recharged.

6. Watch your breath.

   Another easy grounding exercise is to concentrate on your breathing. An easy routine: Sit or lie down in a comfortable position, close your eyes, and slowly inhale through your nose for three seconds, and then exhale for three seconds. The idea to “follow the breath” with focus. It sounds easy, but it can be a surprising challenge.

7. Roll around on the floor like a laughing baby.

   Have you seen how toddlers and small children love to just plop themselves onto the floor, and just lie there? Animals do this too, especially in the morning — it is how they discharge negative energy. Doing it on a hard surface (as opposed to a soft mushy bed) helps you stimulate proprioceptive nerves in the joints where muscles attach.

   It gives you the sensory input the body may need to regulate itself.

8. Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku

   Literally means taking in the forest atmosphere. This paper assesses the available research on the ancient practice, documenting its effects including: remarkably improving cardiovascular function, neuroendocrine metabolism, immunity and inflammatory indexes, antioxidant indexes, and electrophysiological indexes; significantly enhancing people’s emotional state, attitude, and feelings towards things, physical and psychological recovery, and adaptive behaviours; and obvious alleviation of anxiety and depression.

9. Use a grounding mat.

   Earthing mats can go under your feet while you sit or stand or on your desk so it touches your hands and arms as you work. The products are connected to the natural energy of the Earth through the ground port of your outlet, not to the electric ports that operate your lights and appliances. Many people sit and meditate on the grounding mats. Many on the Tour de France, supposedly including Lance Armstrong used an earthing recovery bag to speed recovery and increase sleep quality while on this endurance race.

10. Create an “earthed” space in your home

    When you are indoors, ceramic tile and concrete flooring can ground you if you walk barefoot. (Carpet, vinyl, and wood flooring are not conductive and do not ground you.) You can get:

    • Earthing bed sheets

    • Pillow covers

    • Grounding mats for your desk

    • Chair mats

    • Patches

    • Earthing shoes

11. Sound therapy with Tibetan ound bowls

    The sound waves emitted by the bowls interact with our brainwaves, leading to a state of entrainment. These vibrational and sound properties, can help foster grounding by calming the mind and releasing tension, by clearing blocked energy channels throughout the body.

    You can also choose a crystal bowl's clear, high-frequency ring (as opposed to a Tibetan bowl's deep, grounding drone).

12. Sound therapy with specific frequency devices

    Have you heard of devices that can mimic fundamental frequencies along with multiple harmonic overtones?

    These frequencies carefully tuned to specific notes that correspond to different energy centers or chakras in the body. For instance, a bowl tuned to the note ‘A’ might resonate with the third eye chakra, promoting intuition and clarity of thought.

    One such device is Digital Mandalas by Subtle Energy Sciences. Using quantum resonance technology, Eric engineered a method of encoding digital images and sound files with specific energy signatures. His work combines beautiful digital art with layers of various energy-related sound technology.

    If you’re open to exploring new technologies, check out Earth Pulse.

You can test whether you are actually grounding with a continuity tester instead of a voltmeter, which can be purchased here. Be aware that just as you may not want to lie in a spot with buried cables, be aware that you are also in contact with other artificial frequencies if you head out to, say, an urban city.

How do you get grounded?

Earthing: Why Connecting with the Earth is Essential

During my seminars at the Building Biology Institute, being acutely aware of my brain fog, I spent many breaks outside, trying to get on the grass as much as I could. Grounding every chance we had helped us through brutal jet-lag and lack of sleep, when this little one was still nursing. You can read about my journey here.

One of the most powerful thing you can do to imporve your health now is to ground yourself to Earth.

Imagine the Earth as a gigantic battery that contains a natural, subtle electrical charge.

It vibrates at a frequency that balances our energies and helps us to maintain our health.

All living things on our planet are connected to the ground’s electric energy, except for most of us urbanites who walk in rubber shoes and live in high-rise and insulated homes that dis-connect to the earth’s field.

The power of connecting to the Earth

When we literally get in touch with the Earth, our body gets into electrically conductive contact with the surface of the Earth.

Hence the term grounding or earthing.

We are taking in the vast supply of electrons on the surface of the Earth, which scientists are noticing to produce intriguing effects on physiology and health.

Earthing can reduce stress levels and uplift the spirit. It has also been shown to help reduce inflammation, healing and improvement in circulation, chronic pain, and better sleep. To connect with the energies of our planet, simply walk barefoot on bare ground - make sure you're doing it without your devices.

Let’s go into what grounding is, what the benefits are, and ways you (and your kids) can recharge and reap the benefits of mother nature.

Earthing vs Grounding

Both ‘earthing’ and ‘grounding’ have become popular as more and more aspects of our lifestyles have divorced us from Nature and its intrinsic rhythms.

‘Grounding’ tends to be used as a mental health strategy to calm anxiety, stress, and pain. For example, when we say someone is “grounded”, we tend to attribute these qualities: centered, solid, strong, balanced, Less tense or stressed. The act of grounding is a therapeutic technique that involves doing activities that “ground” or electrically reconnect you to the earth.

Earthing is another term commonly used to describe this, though it technically refers to using the earth’s natural charge to realign your own body’s electrical charge.

You can see the nuance in the difference of the two terms, as the latter, ‘earthing’, relates specifically to the electromagnetic exchange between the Earth and other objects, including humans.

I use the two terms interchangeably because both are about the process of putting your body into contact with the electrical impulses of the Earth’s surface.

Why we need to earth

We are bioelectrical beings living on an electrical planet. Your body operates electrically. All of your cells transmit multiple frequencies that run, for example, your heart, immune system, muscles, and nervous system.

In our daily modern lives, many of these functions are interrupted by the larger artificial EMF soup that we live in. Your body is unable to perform its cellular processes optimally leading to pain, poor sleep, illness and/or disease.

Healing Benefits of Grounding

• Reducing inflammation

• Improved blood circulation

• Reducing chronic pain

• Improving sleep

• Increasing energy

• Lowering stress and promoting calmness by reducing stress hormones

• Normalizing biological rhythms including circadian rhythm

• Normalizing blood pressure and blood flow

• Relieving muscle tension and headache

• Improving menstrual and female hormone symptoms

• Speeds healing

• Reducing jet lag

• Protecting the body from effects of EMFs

• Shortening recovery time from injury or athletic activity

• Helping support adrenal health

How does grounding and earthing “work”?

The Earth's negative potential creates a stable bioelectrical environment for the function of all biological beings (including humans).

The natural rhythms of Earth's potential may be important for setting the biological clocks regulating diurnal body rhythms, such as cortisol secretion [3]

It is also well established that electrons from antioxidant molecules neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS, or in popular terms, free radicals) involved in the body's immune and inflammatory responses.

How to physically earth and how to consciously earth

This can be done by touching the Earth’s surface directly (soil, sand, grass) or by coming into contact with a surface that can conduct the Earth’s electricity (water, concrete).

conductive surfaces: grass, soil, natural bodies of water, concrete

non-conductive surfaces: asphalt, vinyl, wood

Consciously earthing

As I explored different ways to earth, I found there;s a big difference if I make it a conscious habit versus just hopping out onto the grass for second or two.

Consciously being aware of the flow of energy within my body and in exchange with the earth, or “earthing”, allows you to connect to energy while getting rid of any idea of it being a chore, or “woo-woo (WTH am I doing?)” that could affect the ability to entrain in the flow of energy. To borrow an analogy, it’s the difference between being distracted doom-scrolling your phone during a massage and relaxing into the tactile and sensory relaxation of the experience.

By becoming more mindful of your own feelings and state of mind, you can gain greater joy in the process of earthing.

• Sitting outside in the morning while drinking your morning tea or having breakfast

• Going to your neighborhood park and walking or sitting in the grass

• Walking on the beach and letting the waves lap your feet and legs

• Swimming in the ocean or a lake

Why earthing works

Grounding works by providing a path for unwanted positive or negative charges to flow into the electrically neutral (that is, zero-voltage) Earth.

Our bodies build up a positive charge that is dispelled when we touch the earth. Earth itself has negatively charged electrons that balance the positive charge we accumulate when we’re disconnected, which happens because we are almost always electrically insulated from the surface of the planet. This paper describes the possible mechanisms for this electrical exchange with earth. Over time, this positive charge builds up, depletes our energy, and promotes inflammation and disease.

Formal research is limited. But we know we are electrically charged beings and the earth has its own electromagnetic field. The ground we walk on is full of ions that are negatively charged just waiting to realign your electrical energy.

My children definitely sleep sounder and longer on the days they play outdoors in the gardens, and better yet, barefoot in the dirt. They are definitely less “wired” and calmer after a good day outdoors (strolling down the shopping belt does not really count). If you’ve ever craved a good shower or bath, loved dipping your feet at the beach or pool, you are experiencing the power of earthing — a primordial exchange of energy between you and the earth.

The other side benefits of earthing, in particular, improves your body’s systems. Getting in contact with our natural environment and being exposed to dirt exposes us to a variety of bacteria and microorganisms/ This trains our immune system and reduces allergies.

Healing nature deficit disorders

The way we live is increasingly separated from this flow of Earth's electrons. For example, since the 1960s, we have increasingly worn insulating rubber or plastic soled shoes, instead of the traditional leather fashioned from hides.

Especially post-World War II, the rise in the use of insulating materials in shoes has separated us from the Earth's energy field. Obviously, we no longer sleep on the ground as we did in times past.

The science of Building Biology addresses this widening gap between our biological needs and manmade homes we have been building in the last century.

Richard Louv coined the term in 2005 with the publication of “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder.” Aside from alienation from the natural environment, Louv shows the expanding body of scientific evidence suggests that nature-deficit disorder contributes to “a diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, conditions of obesity, and higher rates of emotional and physical illnesses”.

Can earthing heal eczema?

My second baby had a bad eczema flare in his first several weeks of life. (Later I found out the crock pot used to make my daily drinks was flaking enamel. Read more about heavy metals here.) It coincided with my own gastrointestinal flares and I figured I knew the diet triggers. But surely there was more to it: why did my/his body become overloaded so quickly, when it seemed I was doing everything right?

After sorting out the diet and sleep, I realised one thing I was doing abnormally — this was the time of the pandemic lockdowns and where I lived, the rules were so strict we could not leave the house! I was indoors all day, increasingly stressed in an already deprived state.

We know that prolonged anxiety — no matter if it's physical, mental, psychological, lifestyle-related or environmental—triggers some level of stress response. As well as contributing to inflammation throughout the body, stress hampers the skin's ability to repair.

Was this the main factor for my baby? I don’t know, but a few weeks after I began incorporating daily earthing while holding my baby, his eczema faded and never came back.

Is grounding effective?

Grounding does not always seem effective for everyone, or at least, not as dramatically as “earthing” can be,

If you are experiencing this, there are at least two factors to consider:

1. Is your space void of other harmful electromagnetic fields that may be conducted to you via grounding?

2. Is your body electromagnetically charged enough to reap grounding’s benefit?

This is as grounding is a magnetic effect and you can only capture this if you have enough electrons in your body from seafood and sunlight (which is another topic to discuss).

How to ground, everyday

It is difficult to do formal studies on exactly how much positive benefit can come from grounding. But evidence show that just 20 minutes a day is a good benchmark for full effect. One interesting study is how just 1-week of camping lowered stress hormones, including cortisol, for months after the trip.

Time can be a premium for those of us in urban environments, so try to stack in these habits to your daily lifestyle. Do them with your child — and soon he or she will get into the habit of getting into direct contact with Nature too.

Walk barefoot.

Whether it is the grass, sand, or dirt, the important thing is to touch your skin to the natural ground. The feet are extremely sensitive with more nerve receptors so the longer, the better and direct is best. If you know there are buried electrical lines. choose another area like a park or forest preserve instead.

Go for a swim.

In the sea, standing in a riverbed, taking a dip in a hot spring, or wading in a lake or a pond woulwork. Wet sand is the best conductor of energy from the earth. There’s limited formal research on bathtubs and showers.

Have a favourite sitting spot outdoors.

This simple practice frees up time and trouble — just head to your spot and slake the calm of being plugged in and recharged.

Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku

Literally means taking in the forest atmosphere. This paper assesses the available research on the ancient practice, documenting its effects including: remarkably improving cardiovascular function, neuroendocrine metabolism, immunity and inflammatory indexes, antioxidant indexes, and electrophysiological indexes; significantly enhancing people’s emotional state, attitude, and feelings towards things, physical and psychological recovery, and adaptive behaviours; and obvious alleviation of anxiety and depression.

Many alternatives exist, including grounding mats, shoes, socks, and patches. Be aware that just as you may not want to lie in a spot with buried cables, be aware that you are also in contact with other artificial frequencies if you head out to, say, an urban city.

I’m sure in time, earthing will return to the mainstream as an essential wellness practice for its simplicity and its broad impacts.

References & Suggested Further Reading

1. Grounding after moderate eccentric contractions reduces muscle damage.
   Brown R, Chevalier G, Hill M.
   Open Access J Sports Med. 2015 Sep 21;6:305-17. doi: 10.2147/OAJSM.S87970.

2. The effects of grounding (earthing) on inflammation, the immune response, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
   Oschman JL, Chevalier G, Brown R.J Inflamm Res. 2015 Mar 24;8:83-96. doi: 10.2147/JIR.S69656.

3. Oschman JL. Perspective: assume a spherical cow: the role of free or mobile electrons in bodywork, energetic and movement therapies. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies. 2008;12(1):40–57. [PubMed] [Google Scholar] [Ref list]

4. The effect of grounding the human body on mood. Chevalier G.Psychol Rep. 2015 Apr;116(2):534-42. doi: 10.2466/06.PR0.116k21w5.

5. Earthing (grounding) the human body reduces blood viscosity-a major factor in cardiovascular disease. Chevalier G, Sinatra ST, Oschman JL, Delany RM.J Altern Complement Med. 2013 Feb;19(2):102-10. doi: 10.1089/acm.2011.0820.

6. Earthing: health implications of reconnecting the human body to the Earth's surface electrons. Chevalier G, Sinatra ST, Oschman JL, Sokal K, Sokal P.J Environ Public Health. 2012;2012:291541. doi: 10.1155/2012/291541. Review.

7. Where the Wild Things Should Be: Healing Nature Deficit Disorder through the Schoolyard. GEAGHAN-BREINER C. https://digfir-published.macmillanusa.com/everythingsanargument7e/everythingsanargument7e_ch17_4.html

8. The biologic effects of grounding the human body during sleep as measured by cortisol levels and subjective reporting of sleep, pain, and stress. Ghaly M, Teplitz D.J Altern Complement Med. 2004 Oct;10(5):767-76.

9. Oschman JL, Chevalier G, Brown R. The effects of grounding (earthing) on inflammation, the immune response, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. J Inflamm Res. 2015 Mar 24;8:83-96. doi: 10.2147/JIR.S69656. PMID: 25848315; PMCID: PMC4378297.

10. Chevalier G, Sinatra ST, Oschman JL, Sokal K, Sokal P. Earthing: health implications of reconnecting the human body to the Earth's surface electrons. J Environ Public Health. 2012;2012:291541. doi: 10.1155/2012/291541. Epub 2012 Jan 12. PMID: 22291721; PMCID: PMC3265077.

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