The Surprising Ways the Health of Your Home Can Impact the Health of Your Body & Mind with Cathy Cooke
Hello! My name is Cathy Cooke and I am a Holistic Nutritionist, certified Building Biology Environmental Consultant, certified Electromagnetic Radiation Specialist, and certified Residential Mold Inspector. In short, I help people improve their health by improving the quality of their living spaces.
Unforeseen Consequences: Cathy’s Personal Journey To Home Health
Way back in 1986, I took a field trip with my sixth-grade class. We went to a really cool place in Central Missouri that was in a heavily wooded area. We spent the day conducting team-building activities and learning how to solve complex problems. It was a blast! Unfortunately, I brought home more than some good lessons and fun memories; I also brought home a tick that was unknowingly lodged in my scalp.
I got horribly sick, but back then, ‘tick-borne’ illnesses weren’t a thing. So I was told to rest and drink lots of orange juice. My acute sickness subsided within a week or two, and that was that. Until….about a year later when all kinds of weird symptoms began to present themselves. Long story short, I suffered for over 2 decades before a doctor finally confirmed I had Lyme disease.
Because I was sick for so long, I had become an expert researcher in all things health. I was on a life-long mission to heal myself. I had made a lot of progress over the years, but still suffered way more than one person should. So I kept researching…
Cathy’s Discovery of how Home Health Impacts The Mind & Body
In the early 2000’s, I kept hearing vague references to ‘EMF’ (electromagnetic fields) and ‘invisible waves’ that many thought were harming us. I had no idea what they were talking about and quickly ignored it. But when my health hit an all-time low in 2015 and I could barely get out of bed, I decided to listen. To humor myself, I agreed to turn off my cell phone and put it in a drawer for one week. I also unplugged my Wi-Fi. Within three days I could see an enormous shift. My chronic tinnitus was gone. I was sleeping for hours at a time for the first time in ten years. I no longer had anxiety. It was life changing.
Cathy’s Journey To Becoming an Expert in Home Health & Building Biology
Right then, I knew I had to know everything there was about EMF. So I enrolled in the Building Biology Institute (BBI). Not only does BBI teach about EMF, but also about air quality, water, gasses, ventilation, ie, anything in the built environment that can affect the occupants. It was amazing! I couldn’t believe ALL the ways our buildings directly impact our health. And I couldn’t believe we were never taught this! Our buildings are our ‘3rd Skin’, and this is how they should be treated. Now I help others understand how their homes are impacting their family, and I help them identify all the ways to improve the health of their home.
Cathy’s Home Health Inspection Process
My main area of focus is the home inspection. I spend anywhere from 4-9 hours inside a home (depending on the size). I inspect the house from top to bottom looking for things like mold, bacteria, dust, water intrusion, ventilation, humidity, and building failures. I use various tools to identify particulate matter, VOC’s, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, combustible gasses, formaldehyde, and other air quality factors. I also collect lab samples for mold, bacteria, mycotoxins, endotoxins, and chemicals. Next, I complete a full assessment of the electrical environment of the home. I identify all the EMF’s that may be impacting the occupants and help them reduce the elevated fields so that the home can be a true place of healing and rejuvenation, instead of an environment that creates stress and dis-ease.
Home Health Research & Considerations
Though most of us never consider if our house could be impacting our health, there is an abundant amount of research illustrating how mold, EMF, dust mites, poor ventilation, and even the aesthetics of our environment can directly impact both our physical and mental health. This can happen in numerous ways:
- Toxic mold exposure can lead to imbalanced hormones, cognitive decline, liver and kidney dysfunction, mood disorders, heart conditions, and a lot more. There is no system of the body that mold does not impact.
- Allergies from dust, dust mites, bacteria, and chemicals can create discomfort in countless ways. Not only can it impact your respiratory system, but your immune system can become hyperactive and you can experience fatigue, brain-fog, irritability, poor sleep, and a lot more.
- Poor ventilation can lead to increased levels of chemical toxicants, carbon dioxide, and particulate matter. These each have their own specific ways they impact your body, from decreased cognitive performance, to severe respiratory conditions, and even serious conditions like cancers and cognitive disorders.
- Research on EMF has shown that when the human body is in contact with human-made electromagnetic fields, voltage-gated calcium channels can artificially open and create abnormally high levels of oxidative stress. This can lead to a host of health issues including insomnia, anxiety, depression, heart palpitations, pain, headaches, DNA breaks, cognitive decline, cardiovascular issues, and a lot more.
By addressing these issues and creating a cleaner, more natural environment, we often see a tremendous amount of healing and symptom relief. Oftentimes, the solutions are quite simple; like opening windows more often, unplugging the WiFi at night, replacing cleaning chemicals and body care for cleaner options, and keeping cell phones out of bedrooms. These simple and low-cost solutions can lead to immediate improvements for the entire family.
Small Steps in Home Health Lead to Big Health Improvements
Other times, a little more effort is necessary; like remediating mold, hardwiring the internet, and replacing furniture, cookware, or other building materials for less toxic options. While this can be more costly and time consuming, the objective is not to be perfect. Taking small steps now, and dealing with bigger issues as appropriate, all add up to big improvements.
Not only can addressing these issues impact your physical body, but the simple act of caring for yourself can positively impact your nervous system. Knowing that you’re making positive changes in your environment, and taking time to improve your overall health, sends powerful signals to your brain that progress is happening. Often these cues can result in immediate symptom relief and a sense of well-being. The brain loves nothing more than when you make a conscious effort to take care of it. It’s not selfish to nourish yourself, it’s imperative.
Best Practices: Proactive Prevention to Home Health
In my business, most of my clients find me because they are already suffering. They have become ill from a mold exposure or they’re reacting to their cell phone or smart meter. They’re often desperate for solutions so they can get better and feel normal again. I completely relate to this, after all, it’s how I got into the field myself. But you don’t have to have a chronic illness to benefit from a home inspection. In fact, it’s way better to address the environment before you start having symptoms. Prevention is always the best medicine!
Find a Home Health Building Biologist Near You
If you feel like your home has room for improvement, or you’re ready to find out what’s lurking in those dark corners of your home you’ve been neglecting, hiring a building biologist to complete a full inspection is a great place to start. To find someone local in your area, check out the ‘Find and Expert’ page on the Building Biology website.
If there isn’t anyone in your area, feel free to reach out to me and ask for a referral, I might be able to help. I also travel extensively for home assessments. If you’re in the Pacific Northwest, I am not too far away, and I travel regularly around the US and even internationally.
Connect with Cathy to Learn More About the Importance of Home Health
If you’re ready to start putting some tips into action, check out my YouTube channel here and my Instagram channel here. If you want to learn more about my services, or read my blogs on air quality and EMF, head over to my website here. I provide lots of free, inexpensive, and easy tips you can put into place right away.
If you’d like to learn more about Building Biology, you can check out their website here. You can download free guides, watch videos, and even take a class if you’re so inspired! It’s a great place to learn more about how the built environment directly interacts with your health.
Encouraging Thoughts from Cathy on Home Health and How it Impacts the Mind & Body
If it’s hard to see just how important the health of your home truly is, I get it. We all understand that we should eat well, exercise, and manage our stress, but now you have to deal with your house too? Believe me I know it can feel overwhelming but remember, the goal is not perfection. The first step is awareness, and then taking small steps wherever you can. If you’re really ready to go for it, and you’re starting to question whether something in your home truly is impacting you, don’t hesitate to hire an inspector. I have had countless clients transform their health after remediating the hidden mold, or reducing their EMF.
Taking control of your indoor environment can change your life. I know that sounds a little extreme, but I see it every single day. So if you’re ready to get started, go open those windows and unplug your WIFI. You can thank me later!
-Cathy Cooke
A note from Jeanna: Thank you so much Cathy for taking the time to teach us about home health and how things like mold and EMFs can be negatively impacting our health, both mental and physical. I loved all the tips you provided and hope that readers start to take those first small steps towards positive change! Thanks again!
