Written by Amber Walker, Owner of Origin Wellness
Amber Walker is a Doctor of Physical Therapy-turned author with a passion to empower others to heal from chronic illness. As the owner of Origin Wellness, Amber utilizes an approach based on a blend of functional/natural medicine, nervous system tools, nutrition, movement, and emotional healing to help patients move from surviving to thriving.
In a time when biohacking is a buzzword and it’s easy to drop thousands of dollars on gadgets and tools to improve health, it can be difficult to weed through the noise and make decisions. Conflicting opinions and misleading marketing schemes further add to the overwhelm in the arena of holistic living. When it comes to methods for improving health and reducing exposure to toxins, it’s easy to fall into a state of fear and hypervigilance.
The antidote: less is more. Focus on simple, key tools to promote longevity, get the biggest bang for your buck, and don’t sweat the rest. This article describes my top eight tools to empower your body at a time when toxic burden is on the rise. How many of these are you already implementing?
1. Drink filtered water
Over 86,000 chemicals are found in drinking water in the United States. Most filtration systems miss the majority of these toxins, and water tests don’t account for many of them either.
Fridge filters, pitcher filters, and carbon filters are notorious for barely making a dent in lowering the junk in drinking water. According to research, reverse osmosis tends to clear more toxins than basic filters but still misses certain types of chemicals, heavy metals, and radioactive elements. Distilled water is the gold standard for clean water, as it removes 99% of contaminants. When my clients switch to drinking distilled water, ailments they’ve experienced for decades often disappear—almost overnight! Don’t underestimate the power of making this life change.
To learn more, check out this article that dives deeper into the topic of filtered water.
2. Focus on clean whole foods
Follow a “low-toxin” diet with the following principles: Aim for unprocessed, local, organic whole foods. Focus on healing vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, and seeds, and clean-sourced eggs, meat, and fish. The best cooking and salad dressing oil choices are olive, avocado, and coconut oil. Make your own sauces and dressings from scratch, when able.
Minimize processed foods, additives, preservatives, sugar, dyes, seed oils, and other chemicals. If you don’t know what an ingredient is, avoid it. Sugar alternatives/artificial sweeteners should also be avoided, except for honey, and maple syrup.
Review the Environmental Working Group Dirty Dozen/Clean 15 lists to decide what is most important to prioritize for shopping organic. Soak produce in purified water first to remove pesticide/herbicide/insecticide residues. Soak with vinegar for ten minutes (1:4 vinegar-water ratio) and then add baking soda to the mix for another ten minutes (1 tsp baking soda per 2 cups water). Then rinse with purified water.
Pay attention to food sources. If you eat eggs, meat, and fish, do your best to seek organic, hormone-free, antibiotic-free, pasture-raised (or wild-caught). Wild-caught smaller fish (like salmon, monkfish, and tilapia) may reduce the likelihood of heavy metal concerns.
Avoid the standard Westernized breakfasts like granola, bread, cereal, or oats. Breakfast is best when it includes protein and fat, such as eggs, avocado, and meat.
Unless otherwise instructed, AVOID zooming in too much into categories like oxalates, salicylates, histamine, etc.
Come up with some favorite snack items to have on hand. If you are craving chips, consider salted nuts instead. If you want something sweeter, dates or frozen blueberries with a honey drizzle are a nice alternative. Meal prepping goes a long way in helping make choices you feel good about during the week. Don’t find foods to “replace” your comfort foods. Change your focus and your taste buds will change with you!
Don’t eat when rushed or processing intense emotions. Avoid screens at meals. Consider some type of regular fasting as part of your healing plan, when the timing is right.
Remember, the fear of food can be more powerful than any inflammation that could come from that food. Approach nutrition from the lens of “How can I nourish my system for greater longevity and thriving?” as opposed to “What do I need to avoid?” Think of food as (natural) medicine and get excited about playing with ways to enhance your nourishment.
Consider a 90-10 principle: 90% clean eating, and don’t sweat the rest. Do your best but give yourself grace when situations like travel, hosted dinners, restaurants, or other social situations require flexibility.
3. Reduce Exposure to Electric and Magnetic Fields (EMFs)
Electromagnetic fields (EMFs), also known as electromagnetic radiation (EMR), refer to the flow of energy through space or a material medium in the form of electric and magnetic fields that make up electromagnetic waves, most of which are not visible to the naked eye. Some types of EMFs are helpful (such as sunlight in the right dosage), but others are harmful to living organisms.
Examples of radiation sources include power lines, satellites, communication/navigation equipment, cell towers, telephones, radio, TV, mobile phones, Wi-Fi, microwaves, infrared, UV light, x-rays, and gamma rays.
Electrohypersensitivity symptoms include sleep issues, fatigue, headaches, brain fog, memory issues, anxiety, depression, heart palpitations, tinnitus, neuropathy, and more. Research links certain health problems to EMF exposure, such as thyroid problems, brain tumors, infertility, breast cancer, and abnormal testosterone and melatonin production. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
For instance, there’s a 400% increased risk of brain cancer in teens with cell phones. With Starlink’s new 42,000 low-earth satellites, we will soon have four times as many satellites equipped with 5G technology. The United States has 30 times more cell radiation than countries like Belgium. The sobering statistics on this topic continue to grow, and many corporations work hard to hide this information from the public, similar to what happened with cigarettes.
There are many products claiming to “block” EMFs, and it’s hard to know which are truly effective. Some devices utilize technologies that emit competing fields, such as Pranan technology and Qi devices, which have shown promising research so far. You can also filter “dirty electricity” with Stetzer technology, though these solutions come with a higher price tag.
Simple life hacks to reduce EMF exposure include:
Turn off the Wi-Fi when not in use (put the router on a timer) or hard-wire your internet.
Avoid earbuds or Bluetooth for audio; avoid smartwatches; avoid placing your phone near your head during calls. Use low-EMF wired headphones, preferably with air tubes.
Don’t carry your phone in your pocket or near your body. If necessary, put it on airplane mode.
Put all devices on airplane mode at night and move them away from the bed.
Avoid smart meters, Alexa, sleep-number beds, and similar devices in your home.
Be cautious with electric vehicles like Tesla.
Minimize or avoid hair dryers, microwaves, wireless baby monitors, and metallic bed frames.
Ensure beds are not placed against walls with significant electrical wiring or appliances on the other side.
Incorporate tuning fork exercises, earthly elements/jewelry, and energetic boundary practices to raise your energetic vibration, potentially making you less susceptible to EMFs.
Ground yourself by walking barefoot daily and spend time in nature (without your phone).
4. Get natural light, optimize circadian biology, and exercise daily
Meaningful movement in the form of physical exercise is one of the most important variables for human health and longevity. For exercise, consistency is key. Couple it with community or habits that enhance accountability and routine. Make sure it’s enjoyable and includes variety, such as strength training and walking. Even small amounts of movement have benefits, so meet yourself where you are and start with something simple to build a foundation.
Circadian biology is the cellular science of 24-hour cycles, which are part of the body’s internal clock, running in the background to carry out essential functions and processes. Circadian biology impacts detoxification, glucose and lipid metabolism, insulin sensitivity, diabetes, obesity, appetite regulation, thyroid hormones, sex hormones, gut health, and emotional processing and release. Optimizing circadian biology is emerging as a potent player in reversing chronic inflammation and disease.
Strategies for circadian optimization include getting natural sunlight exposure at different times of the day and reducing exposure to artificial blue light. Sleep optimization, exercise, temperature regulation, and dietary factors also play a role.
Learn more about strategies to enhance circadian biology here.
5. Reduce stress and ground your nervous system
On a cellular level, stress and isolation or loneliness can impact our physiology as much as smoking cigarettes. Empowering yourself for future health and longevity must include attention to your lifestyle, stress, and community. For some, changing careers or geographical location profoundly impacts physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.
The autonomic nervous system regulates involuntary physiological processes such as heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, digestion, and sexual arousal. Often nicknamed the “automatic” nervous system, these functions occur at a subconscious level. A brain structure called the hypothalamus constantly scans our internal and external environment for cues of safety, directing the rest of our system into action when needed. Various cranial nerves originate in the brain and travel to other parts of the body, creating a bidirectional communication network that helps maintain cellular homeostasis.
When we are not in a relaxed parasympathetic tone (often referred to as “rest and digest”), our system shifts into either sympathetic activation (“fight or flight”) or dorsal vagal activation (“freeze”). After traumatic experiences, or anything the brain perceives as traumatic, the body can become wired for danger, resulting in hypersensitivity to things like noise or visual stimuli.
The limbic system, a complex part of the brain, includes structures like the amygdala and hippocampus that play roles in our memories and emotional reactions. The communication between these structures explains why a certain smell can elicit an emotional response, or a visual image can suddenly cause panic or shutdown. While these processes are adaptive, they can become dysregulated, making it hard to return to a relaxed, peaceful state where we digest food and rest.
Thankfully, this is not a permanent change, and there are methods to help restore balance to the autonomic nervous system so that we are only responding to true danger in the future. Programs such as The Safe & Sound Protocol and customized exercises with a practitioner can be especially effective for bottom-up limbic rewiring. Consider strategies to improve autonomic nervous system function through sound healing. Some people also find more formal online programs like Primal Trust helpful.
6. Evaluate your environment for poor air quality
In Westernized countries, we spend at least 93% of our time indoors. The air we breathe matters. Mold, radon, smoking, vaping, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), cleaning supplies, chemicals, cooking fumes, and more profoundly impact our health and longevity and need to be addressed.
Companies can measure components of air quality, and in some cases, mitigation or action is needed beyond the simple use of an air purifier.
Mold is probably one of the biggest factors that I see clinically that impacts people silently and profoundly. Learn more about the health impacts of mold exposure here.
7. Switch to clean, natural products
Every day, we absorb ingredients from our clothing and other products we place on our skin or inhale through our lungs. This includes laundry detergent, household cleaning products, toothpaste, shampoo, lotion, deodorant, makeup, perfumes, and air fresheners.
Start making your own toothpaste, hand soap, and laundry detergent from scratch. Use simple ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, essential oils, and lemon juice for household cleaning. Avoid air fresheners, perfumes, sunblock, and deodorant, and switch to products with minimal ingredients or less toxic options. For example, tallow-based lotions often have minimal ingredients while still providing excellent skin benefits. Once you get into the habit of making your own products, you’ll realize it’s both simple and effective.
8. Work on physical, mental, and emotional detoxification
“Detox” has become a buzzword in the chronic illness community and beyond. Detoxification refers to the physiological or medicinal process of removing toxins from the body through specific organs. The liver and gallbladder, bile ducts, kidneys, lungs, respiratory system, and gastrointestinal system are the primary organs associated with detoxification. We also detoxify through our lymphatic system, skin (sweating), and glymphatic system, which helps clear neurotoxins.
The most common toxins that affect humans include:
Heavy metals (like mercury and lead)
Medications (even supplements can be contaminated)
Food and the standard American diet
Hormonal and metabolic toxins that are not properly eliminated
Internal toxins: bacteria, fungus, yeast, viruses, and COVID spike protein
Pesticides, fertilizers, and petrochemicals
Mold and mycotoxins
Radioactive elements (often present in drinking water)
Additional environmental home or workplace exposures
One-time major events (e.g., carbon monoxide poisoning)
Mental, emotional, and spiritual toxins
Toxins passed during pregnancy or delivery
Many people discuss drainage as a key part of detoxification. Drainage refers to the body’s natural ability to remove waste, toxins, and pathogens through interconnected pathways, such as colon function, liver and bile flow, the lymphatic system, and down to the cellular level where ATP (cellular energy) is generated. This is why avoiding constipation is so crucial to overall health.
Humic and fulvic toxin binders made with carbon technology are my go-to recommendation for supporting the body. They are often considered the multivitamin of the future in today’s imperfect world. Binders are substances that trap toxins to facilitate faster or easier elimination. In addition to binders, supporting minerals and electrolytes, mitochondrial function, and kidney and liver health can help open and maintain drainage pathways. In some cases, addressing parasites may be essential for enabling the body to release toxins. It’s important to work with a foundational medicine practitioner to customize a plan tailored to your needs.
Alongside supplements, other tools like saunas, castor oil packs, intermittent fasting, mud or Epsom salt baths, and lymphatic drainage can provide healing benefits. Sleep is also vital, as it plays a major role in supporting the detoxification process.
Additional modalities, such as acupuncture and acupressure, holistic dentistry, craniosacral therapy, ionic foot baths, breathwork, humming, singing, meditation, massage, and colonic (enema) therapy, may be useful adjuncts in detoxification programs.
One often-overlooked aspect of healing is helping the body release trapped emotions and addressing the mental, emotional, and spiritual components of health. Emotional clearing techniques, such as Mind Body Spirit Release™ (MBSR™), along with tapping, tuning forks, sound baths, and energy healing, can assist the body’s detoxification organs in releasing stagnation.
Mental toxins (unhealthy thoughts) and toxic relationships have a significant impact on our physiology. Take time to reflect on the information you consume, the relationships you maintain, and your inner work alongside physical detoxification efforts.
Read more from Amber Walker
Amber Walker, Owner of Origin Wellness
Amber Walker is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, author and the owner of Origin Wellness. She is passionate about a root issues approach to healing from chronic illness and has advanced training in functional medicine, nutrition, nervous system healing, Mind Body Spirit Release™ (MBSR™) and CranioBiotic Technique. With over 16 years of experience working with clients all over the world, Amber specializes in conditions such as mast cell activation syndrome, mold biotoxin illness, long Covid, POTS, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Lyme disease, autoimmune conditions, and chronic mysterious ailments. When not on a surfboard, she enjoys hosting telehealth groups, 1-on-1 care, and retreats in Mexico. Her mission: Help you go from surviving to thriving.
Resources:
Origin Wellness: Telehealth calls, groups, courses, books, retreats, and more!
References:
Pareja-Peña, F., Burgos-Molina, A. M., Sendra-Portero, F., & Ruiz-Gómez, M. J. (2022). Evidences of the (400 MHz – 3 GHz) radiofrequency electromagnetic field influence on brain tumor induction. International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 32(1), 121–130.
China launches satellites to rival SpaceX’s Starlink in boost for its space ambitions. (2024).
Stein, Y. (2021). PReventive measures to reduce harmful effects produced by electromagnetic radiation on health. Health Risk Analysis, 2021(3), 42–52.
Clinical Trial with Microscopy – Pranan. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
