268 Ways to Outsmart the Hazards of Electronic Pollution

I know Ann Louise professionally, and I know that she is usually at the leading edge of health information. She sent me an advance copy of ZAPPED, and it's a book that I suspect some people would prefer to not know about. Is ignorance bliss? I don't think so.

Well-written and informative, ZAPPED focuses on the electronic pollution in our world and its health consequences. Before you scratch your head and wonder what I'm talking about, consider the fact that all sorts of microwaves and other electronic signals are passing through your body every second of the day. TV and radio waves, cell-phone microwaves, and wi-fi signals -- even if you never use these electronics. If you use a microwave oven, a refrigerator, and an electric alarm clock, electrical patterns are generated when the devices are on. The fact that some brain cancers are associated with heavy cell phone use should give you a sense of the health consequences. These waves are types of non-ionizing radiation that can disrupt cell activities and damage genes. In ZAPPED, Ann Louise explains the health hazards and how to reduce your exposure to this potentially harmful electronic pollution, as well as ways to boost your body's resistance to its harmful effects. I highly recommend this book -- but after you read it, you'll probably never look at your cell phone, alarm clock, or wi-fi system quite the same way.

Jack Challem, author of Stop Prediabetes Now, The Inflammation Syndrome, and the forthcoming No More Fatigue.Stop Prediabetes Now: The Ultimate Plan to Lose Weight and Prevent Diabetes No More Fatigue: Why You're So Tired and What You Can Do About It

Ann Louise Gittleman is owed a debt of gratitude for taking a very complex subject and making it understandable for the layperson.

The health effects of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) might be framed as controversial because there are conflicting conclusions drawn by independent studies versus studies secretly funded by the wireless communication industry and the electric utility industry. Who will you believe? Studies paid for by those with much to loose or independent studies?

There are too many independent, peer-reviewed studies published in major medical journals showing a link between EMR and health to any longer ignore EMR exposure. Government regulations are based on erroneous assumption. They do not protect people. Those independent people who are in the know in this complex area are strongly recommending avoidance precautions because of the existing weight of evidence. See [...] and [...]

Beyond the studies that show a relationship between man-made electromagnetic energies and health issues, there are well known medical doctors who deal with once normal people with strange maladies. They see health effects in these patients from exposure to a range of man-made electromagnetic radiations. Are these people the canaries in the coal mine for the population at large? These doctors think so. Since they have focused on this area as their specialty, we fail to listen to these doctors, and we fail to heed these studies at our own peril.

Right now people you know and love are needlessly injured through ignorance of the facts. The only way to take precautions is to understand the nature of the threat, where it comes from and how it can be minimized. That is what Zapped so ably does.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. This book gives you power over your electromagnetic environment. Read it. Heed it.

Disclosure: I am the so-called incompetent technical person that reviewed Zapped as referenced in 'Return of the Fear Mongers'. Please check up on me on the Internet.

Dr Gittleman's groundbreaking book brings this issue to people who need to hear many voices calling out for caution. It is an easy read and provides ways to cut risks of electro-pollution. I am not a technical expert but many of the world's leading authorities contributed to my book, Wireless Radiation Rescue. Their evidence of adverse biological effects from cell phone radiation is clear.

As a prominent pioneer in the field of nutrition and weight loss, I am sure Dr Gittleman is quite used to naysayers. However, I must comment on the 'fear-mongering' review, by the co-editor of the Information Age Dictionary. He is right that we have adapted to, "naturally occurring electromagnetic fields since time immemorial."

The scientific evidence does not support, however, the view that we have adapted to this very different, 'non-natural' form of wireless radiation - the jagged, pulsed wave used in mobile communication.

He also advises us that, "... studies done on cellphone exposure in the 1980s and 1990s no longer hold relevant data since the technology of the phones are now so totally different than they were."

Same goes for the safety regulations!

The current FCC exposure limits have not been updated since they were set in 1997, and these are still governing the marketplace.

The environmental health physician, Dr David Carpenter made this hard-hitting remark,"Government regulations are just plain wrong."

You should also know they only tested the effects on the brain of a 200 lb male. Remember this when you allow your teen or child to use a mobile phone. More details on our website [...]

Balanced view? Most of the 'inconclusive' studies were funded by the massively powerful wireless industry, and this influence is also seen in many media outlets. This is why we need strong voices like Dr. Gittleman's.

Kerry Crofton, PhD

Having been a follower of Ann Louise Gittleman's writings for many years, I have always known her to be on the cutting edge of nutritional research. But this time, Dr. Gittleman has broken new ground by diving into the controversial arena of electromagnetic pollution. To some, the term is not even yet familiar. Yet there are others who have educated themselves enough to understand the potential (long and short term) physical, emotional and mental effects but lack the courage to make the required critical changes. For some, the thoughts of altering comfortable daily habits and patterns is daunting, others are just plain lazy! Then there are many who simply can't imagine living without many of the modern conveniences they've become so accustomed to.

Well surprise...you can make the simplest of changes without "rocking your world!" In this well written, easy to read (I read the whole book in less than a weekend) book, Dr. Gittleman has taken away the guesswork. Step by step, she easily leads you through the process to minimize your exposure to dangerous EMF's...some recommendations are as simple as unplugging appliances when not in use...how hard is that? (Many other very doable changes have been outlined in previous the store reviews.) As a chronic insomniac, I can especially relate to the need to electronically feng shui my bedroom. After reading the book, I lied awake as usual for yet another night looking at all my "must haves" that were plugged into outlets around my bedroom. That night I got out of bed and started making as many recommended changes as I could. I'm now working on modifying the entire house....baby steps to start. I'm hopeful these are the missing links that will help me finally get the sleep my body is craving so.

My husband is an IT director of a large company and also does quite a bit of computer work at home. I won't even tell you how "wired" my house is. So changes will not come easy! But even my husband cannot deny how many heartbreaking stories we've heard of all the young people robbed of their lives by mysterious brain tumors....two which were close friends. What scared us even further was a conversation we had with our cousin who is in a MD/PhD program at Temple University Medical School in Philadelphia. His focal area of interest is developing a viable treatment for those devastating glioblastomas and related tumors that seems to be striking in epidemic proportions. He firmly believes that these tumors are not normally occurring and that our environment and habits must be playing a role. How frightening! Can you even honestly say you heard of this term 20 years ago? This has REALLY scared my husband...not only has he promised to read Zapped, but he is now taking strides to reduce his exposure to these dangerous EMF's... Already he has stopped wearing his cell phone on his belt and uses the speaker phone whenever possible. There is much more work to do, but any modifications he can make will be of benefit.

Zapped is a MUST READ for all...after all, knowledge is power. And this crucial knowledge may very well indeed save or extend your life and those of your friends and loved ones.

There have been reports about electromagnetic fields and their effect on health for many years now. And this was before the age of pda's, Wi-FI, laptops, etc. Now, these fields are literally everywhere. We can't escape them and in fact, clamor for more of them. We don't want to be anywhere where there is no reception. Zapped explores the scientific evidence and exposes the scientific risks that all of this connectivity has on our cellular composition. What's worse, children, those who utilize this technology the most, are at the greatest risk for multiple reasons. I applaud Ann Louise for having the courage to speak out against these electromagnetic fields that no one feels, or even knows exist. She is always ahead of her time and Zapped is a must read. For more information about me, you can visit my website at [...] or follow me on twitter [...]

I would highly recommend that everyone read Zapped. Until I read this book, I had no idea of the electropollution I was exposing myself and my family to 24-7! Ann Louise's suggestions for avoiding and/or minimizing the dangers are so simple; I see no reason not to follow them. After all, better safe than sorry, as they say. She explains complex matters having to do with electricity and magnetic fields in a manner that is easy to understand, and then offers very straightforward, commonsense ways to minimize exposure, without giving up our toys. Thanks to Zapped, I am going to electronically feng shui my home and office and make sure all my friends and family know how to "outsmart" their technology as well.

Incredible book! The whole world should read it.
The things we didn't know! It's not all gloom and doom. There are things we can do about it.
EMF pollution is very real and present, and must be addressed. This book shows ways to do just that.

We live in the electronic age.
Information is at our fingertips.
Leftovers can be warmed in seconds.
Hands-free devices are common place.

Zapped by Ann Louise Gittleman takes a close-up look into the dynamics of electronic power sources surrounding us in our workplaces and our homes.

The book includes a brief quiz to assess how "zapped" you are and then offers suggestions to reduce exposure to electronic waves found to have undesirable affects on our physical, mental and even emotional health.

Modern inventions seem to make our lives more efficient and productive, but what is the detriment to our physical health for these conveniences? Gittleman provides advice about how to alter our homes and offices and even our diets to reduce the amount of unhealthy power our bodies absorb.

If you haven't been feeling well, this is a good resource. It might help explain your discomfort. Give her recommendations and recipes a try...you might even feel better after reading this book!

This woman is qualified to tell you what grade of aluminum foil to construct your hat from.

She's a quack and this book is full of fear-mongering non-science garbage. Note that she's written almost two dozen books about faddish detox diets. "The Fast Track One-Day Detox Diet: . . . lose up to 8 pounds overnight."

From her wikipedia page:
"She regularly employs the title of "Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman" [7] in reference to her PhD in nutrition earned from the unaccredited Clayton College of Natural Health. She has not earned a doctorate from an accredited university."

"She served as a celebrity spokesperson through the 1990s for companies including BeautiControl, Balance Bar, Vitamin Shoppe, Erdic International, Spectrum Oils, Barleans, and Arkopharma."

"Gittleman's recent book Zapped has been met with skepticism by mainstream reviewers for incorporating non-scientific and pseudo-scientific concepts to assert the danger of electromagnetic fields, as well as presenting evidence in a biased manner.[5][6]"

There is no evidence that the radio waves used by mobile and cordless phones, wireless routers, etc. cause health problems. Obviously, UV, X-rays, and gamma-rays can cause cancer because they are forms of ionizing radiation, capable of breaking chemical bonds, which can lead to cell mutations. But radio, microwave, TV, etc. waves (photons) have energies millions of times below the threshold that can break chemical bonds. Einstein won the Nobel Prize almost 100 years ago for describing the photoelectric effect, which governs this energy threshold. Ignore alarmist nonsense like "Zapped", and its pseudoscientific babble about "harmonious energy flow."

Nothing sells better than fear, whether it's the type you see on the silver screen, your TV, or in the pages of books like "Zapped". Ms. Gittleman visits an issue that has been around for at least the past 30 years or so...the effects of electromagnetic fields on human health. Hardly "cutting edge" stuff as suggested by other reviewers. But good grist for the mill of those who fear that which they do not understand.

While anyone who has worked with radio-frequency transmitters understands, prudence is appropriate. High-energy electromagnetic fields have demonstrable effects on humans and should be avoided. So too should excess exposure to chemicals, many of which we encounter in our daily lives and use, safely, in small quantities and with limited exposure. But the truth is that humans have been exposed to naturally occurring electromagnetic fields since time immemorial. Every spark, be it from your hand to the door knob or from a cloud to the earth produces a broad spectrum of EMF energy. Our bodies, fortunately, developed to accommodate such exposure.

Ms. Gittleman's book clearly wasn't reviewed first by competent technical people for if it had it would not have so many technical errors. A fair copy editor would have insisted that studies presented as definitive be balanced by those that show a totally different result. Some acknowledgement should have been made that studies done on cellphone exposure in the 1980s and 1990s no longer hold relevant data since the technology of the phones are now so totally different than they were, notably because of the reduced amount of radio-frequency energy they need transmit to maintain contact with cell towers.

If you're curious about the effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields I would suggest seeking more accurate information elsewhere. While she might be knowledgeable about nutrition, Ms. Gittleman seems out of her ken when it comes to electromagnetic fields.

To preface this, I'm an electrical engineer with two degrees and nearly a decade in the field. As such I would like to vehemently declare BULLSH1T on this book.

Yes, EMF fields are everywhere, yes they can sometimes contain a lot of energy. BUT that does not mean that one, that potential can go somewhere and two that even if it did it would necessarily be harmful to a human.

Essentially, EMR (electro-magnetic radiation) comes in two flavors when we're talking about biology; ionizing and non ionizing. For brevity, I will discount things like sharks which can sense certain radio frequencies, they have complex neurological pathways designed to receive them that came around over nearly a billion years of independent evolution from mammals. Comparing humans to this would be like saying a closet full of hangars is just like a computer because their both full of wires. The first type, ionizing, is the only type that can harm cells, DNA ect. by affecting the chemical bonds of critical cell goo. Your cell phone, computer, tv (flat screen), cable box, modem, wireless transponder, gps, ect. do not produce ionizing radiation. Your blow dryer, vacuum cleaners, fans and bunch of bananas on the counter do but in tiny amounts. Yes, I said bananas. But all these sources together are not enough to make any more difference than if you lived in a brick house or like to watch TV in the basement.

It would likely be a far healthier use of the average hypochondriac-hippy's time to go for a walk for the half hour a day or so than to waste their time reading this or doing anything different with the electronics in your life. Oh, and don't make a smoothie, blenders are a big source of ionizing EMR.

Also, I'd be shocked if any of Ms. Gittleman's degrees were from a "university" not sharing the strip mall with a Chipotle.

Remember, radiation therapy was in vogue in around the turn of the century with radium pills in pharmacies and half of the nation's "best doctors" on board.

the store: Don't link me to bullshit new-age books when I'm browsing electrical test equipment. I have a brain, not a puddle of couscous between my ears.

I browsed this silly book at Borders in Santana Row in San Jose. The author is a scientifically innumerate quack without the slightest knowledge of Electromagnetic Field Theory or even Ohm's Law. The book is not merely risible. It is it utterly without worth, in a class with the 1980s craze of sitting underneath pyramids.

The woman is a charlatan. Her "doctorate" is a phony document from a mail-order diploma mill.

A Wikipedia entry for her states that she graduated from high school in West Hartford, CT "with honors", earned some sort of certificate from Columbia Teachers College and "earned
a naturopathic doctor's degree-in her 'spare time'-through correspondence courses at Bernadean University in Van Nuys, California." See[...] for a report on this
"mail-order diploma mill".

...

"In 2002, she obtained her PhD in holistic nutrition from Clayton College of Natural Health [Birmingham, AL] where she became an adjunct professor and helped develop a certification program for Fat Flush community leaders."

Zapped: Why Your Cell Phone Shouldn't Be Your Alarm Clock and 1,268 Ways to Outsmart the Hazards of Electronic Pollution

Wanted step by step instructions. Not really in this book. But still good suggestions and information to begin protecting myself from emf and microwave. I have an autoimmune and lyme. I can't seem to get better. I am trying this angle according to the teachings of Dr Klinghardt.

Dr. Gittleman's 2010 book is a well-written, clear and concise exposition of the hazards of modern life in the form of electromagnetic fields--and how they can disrupt the normal functioning of the human body--as well as other living things. It should be read by any and all high-schoolers. To be ignorant of her warnings is simply slow suicide.

I'll admit I missed the iPhone revolution, clinging to my dumb cellphone for as long as possible. However, unless you commit yourself to a "back to the earth" or anti-progress lifestyle, you simply have to know how fast the technology is changing every aspect of our lives, and monitor how you are interacting with it. For example, would you guess that living or sleeping near a 6-plug extension strip is hazardous to your health? Turn it off when and as long as possible! No home built before, say 2009, is equipped with enough outlets, let alone with any thought to how the human and animal inhabitants were being surrounded by deadly or destructive (to human functioning) electromagnetic fields. However, they are. You, the consumer, have the responsibility to figure out in what ways your body is being attacked, and find a strategy to protect yourself. Not all of us can construct and live in Faraday cages. If you want to see what such a life might be like, watch the film "Enemy of the State" with Gene Hackman. How prophetic!

Because it is written in language that my generation should have been able to digest by grade 12, I recommend this book very highly--it is a quick introduction to a crucial topic for modern day living. I had already instituted many of her recommendations into my own life, but finding it in a well-organized, short paperback is priceless.

Incidentally, my first personal meter for measuring these fields (electromagnetic and radiofrequency fields was manufactured in--AMERICA. What a surprise. I purchased it on the store, and the price was very reasonable.