New York Times’ bestselling author, Elena Amsterdam was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2006, but was able to manage her condition and live well for a number of years- that is, until she moved into a newly renovated house in 2014. Within a year of moving, Elena’s autoimmune condition came back with a vengeance; she found herself going from living a healthy life to being completely numb from the neck down in a hospital. Here’s what she discovered about her unsuspecting trigger, and how she managed to reclaim her health.
In 2014, Elena and her family moved into a 100-year-old home that had been completely renovated to be modern and more energy efficient. Virtually the entire house was run with wireless controls, something Elena looks back on in hindsight as “the equivalent of living with 300 cell phones in my home buzzing constantly”. What she didn’t know was that she had a genetics-based sensitivity to electromagnetic frequencies (or EMF’s) that was exacerbated by her autoimmune condition.
EMF’s and the MTHFR Genetic Mutation
An MTHFR gene mutation alters the way your body breaks down homocysteine. It’s associated with elevated risk of birth defects and pregnancy loss, as well as an increased risk of blood clots. (2) According to the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, “It is important to ensure that people with and without MTHFR gene mutations receive adequate amounts of folate, choline, and B vitamins (B12, B6, and riboflavin) to mitigate health risks. If adequate nutrition cannot be attained through diet alone, supplementation with folate (e.g., levomefolate (5-methyl THF) or folinic acid) and B vitamins is considered.” (2)
Elena herself warns her readers, “Living in a home filled with wireless radiation severely exacerbated the multiple sclerosis I had been diagnosed with in 2006. If you have a neurological condition such as MS, autism, Alzheimer’s, or Parkinson’s, or an illness such as cancer or Lyme disease, you are far more vulnerable to the effects of electromagnetic radiation (EMR)”. (1)
Elena’s Road to Recovery
Elena’s health was at its worst in 2015. She had been hospitalized for her MS symptoms and was in and out of doctors appointments, despite having been an active mother only months before. Luckily, that’s when she found the underlying cause of her symptoms:
“When the fall of 2016 rolled around I had a lucky break. Our HVAC vendor walked in one day and said, the house has too many electrical systems in it and everything is shorting out! And so I began my research. I learned about building biology and eletromagnetic fields (EMF’s). I discovered the effects EMF’s can have on people like me. I found out what had made me so sick, and prevented me from getting well in spite of my best efforts.
Since then we’ve removed all of the wireless systems from our home. On March 1, 2017 I began living in a mostly WiFi free environment. Although my living environment is almost perfect and we’ve removed all of the wireless smart technology, there are small compromises that we make.” (1)
How to Minimize EMF’s
Now on the road to recovery, Elena outlines a few key steps to ensure as little exposure to electromagnetic radiation as possible (3):
- Unplug smart appliances like printers and switch to phones with cords
- Turn off the bedroom circuit breaker, and switch to flashlights
- Keep your cell phone use to a minimum, and don’t sleep with your cell phone in your room
- Opt out of Control4 systems that connect thermostat and house controls on WiFi
- Talk to your doctor about hyperbaric oxygen therapy
- Book an appointment with an EMF specialist to optimize your home