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

Ann Louise Gittleman (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 5, 2010

A groundbreaking exposé of the hidden truths of electropollution, Zapped is the first comprehensive, step-by-step guide to counteracting the invisible hazards of everyday electromagnetic exposure. Award-winning author, nutritionist, and First for Women magazine columnist Ann Louise Gittleman combines the best of energy medicine with the latest scientific research in a user-friendly powerhouse designed to safeguard you and your family. Following her New York Times bestselling books on weight loss (The Fat Flush Plan; Fat Flush for Life) and perimenopause (Before the Change), Gittleman offers another vital, pioneering work of health science for the new century.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

How many electronic innovations have you dialed, watched, surfed, charged, listed to, booted up, commuted on, cooked with, and plugged in today?

Consider your typical day: If you're like most people, it probably starts in front of your coffee maker and toaster, ends as you set the alarm on your cell phone, and involves no end of computers and gadgets, televisions and microwaves in between.

We're being zapped: Today 84 percent of Americans own a cell phone, 89 million of us watch TV beamed in by satellite, and we can't sip a cup of coffee at our local café without being exposed to Wi-Fi. The very electronic innovations that have changed our lives are also exposing us, in ways big and small, to an unprecedented number of electromagnetic fields. Invisible pollution surrounds us twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, interrupting our bodies' natural flow of energy. And for some, that pollution has reached the point of toxicity, causing fatigue, irritability, weakness, and even illness.

But we don't have to simply surrender. Ann Louise Gittleman brings forth the latest research into electro-magnetic fields to create this groundbreaking guide for every citizen of the wireless age. With the proactive, levelheaded approach that has made her one of our most respected health experts, she not only clarifies the risks but also offers specific, step-by-step information for how anyone can minimize them. From where you place your sofa to when you use your cell phone to what you eat for dinner, Zapped is packed with strategies for avoiding and mitigating the damaging effects of electropollution.

As she examines modern life room by room, device by device, Gittleman reveals a master plan for detoxifying your surroundings and protecting yourself and your family.

We don't need to abandon our homes—or even give up our PDAs—to be healthier and happier. Based on the latest scientific data, case studies, and Gittleman's years of clinical practice, Zapped is an empowering guide to living safely with the gadgets we can't live without.

About the Author

Ann Louise Gittlemanis an award-winning author of thirty books and a highly respected health pioneer. She has appeared on 20/20, Dr. Phil, The View, Good Morning America, Extra!, Good Day New York, CNN, PBS, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CBN, FOX News, and the BBC. Her work has been featured in national publications including Time; Newsweek; Harper's Bazaar; O, The Oprah Magazine; Seventeen; Fitness; Cosmopolitan; Parade; USA Weekend; Woman's World; the New York Times; and the Los Angeles Times. Gittleman has been recognized as one of the top ten nutritionists in the country by Self magazine and has received the American Medical Writers Association award for excellence.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne (October 5, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061864277
• ISBN-13: 978-0061864278
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #83,370 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #83 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Safety & First Aid

More About the Author

VISIONARY, HEALTH GURU, weight loss/detox expert, and natural foods icon, Ann Louise Gittleman has always been a trendsetter. Highly respected as a health pioneer and award-winning author of 30 books, she revolutionized weight loss in her New York Times bestseller The Fat Flush Plan - and now tackles the hazards of being bombarded 24/7 by electromagnetic pollution in her latest book Zapped. Ann Louise has been recognized as one of the top ten nutritionists in the country by Self and received the American Medical Writers Association award for excellence.

Always ahead of her time, Ann Louise set the pace for new health protocols in the 1990s with four more breakthrough books. She was the first to warn of the environmental hazards of parasites in her classic Guess What Came to Dinner? Parasites and Your Health. In Your Body Knows Best, Ann Louise was the first to discuss the blood type/weight theory and proclaim that one diet may not be right for every body − an idea that is only now becoming mainstream. She was the first to offer natural remedies for menopausal symptoms in Super Nutrition for Menopause and is widely credited as the first to popularize the term "perimenopause" in her New York Times bestseller, Before the Change.

Ann Louise forged new ways of thinking about obesity early on in her career. She was the first to proclaim that obesity was caused by the lack of dietary fats and the wrong kind of carbohydrates in her book Beyond Pritikin, published in 1988. In Beyond Pritikin, she predicted that the fat-free, carb-rich diet was creating weight gain, sugar cravings, fatigue and diabetes.

AWARDS AND PRESS
A savvy and dynamic speaker, Ann Louise has been featured on 20/20, Dr. Phil, The View, Good Morning America, Extra! and The Early Show. In addition, her work has been featured on CNN, PBS, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CBN, Fox News, and the BBC. Her work has been featured in a myriad of national publications ranging from Time and Newsweek to Glamour and The Oprah Magazine. Millions of readers follow her advice through her column in First for Women magazine, and thousands visit her website www.annlouise.com on a daily basis.

ENGAGING HEALTH
Today, Ann Louise continues to dedicate herself to carving out new landmarks in holistic health and healing based on science and ancient healing arts. Through her many books, website, and blog (www.annlouise.com/blog), she offers a "virtual" health support system for men and women that provides educational and self-health assessment services to empower people everywhere to achieve total health. The bestselling author of The Fat Flush Plan has turned her attention to the hazards of the wireless age with her newest release--Zapped: Why Your Cell Phone Shouldn't Be Your Alarm Clock and 1,268 Ways to Outsmart the Hazards of Electronic Pollution (HarperOne, 2010).

Praise for Zapped:

"Dr. Gittleman provides a cogent, sobering look at the effects of ever present electromagnetic pollution on our biology and clear, practical advice on how to minimize our exposures and our risk. Please follow her advice, it may save your life and give you renewed energy."

--Mark Hyman, MD, New York Times best-selling author of The UltraMind Solution and How to Fix Your Broken Brain by Healing Your Body First

"Zapped is an empowering guide that will help you transform your body and your home into a sanctuary of health and healing."

--John Gray, PhD, author of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus

"The book caught my attention immediately because I've been reading about, studying, and writing about the effects of electropollution for several years. This book just adds further confirmation that we live in an 'electropolluted' world, and we need to protect ourselves the best we can... You can learn many, many more simple and more in-depth tips on how to protect yourself by reading Zapped."

--Susan Lark, MD, author of Hormone Revolution and editor of Women's Wellness Today

"You are being 'Zapped' whether you know it or not! When artificial and manmade frequencies from cellphones, wireless computers, and cordless phones constantly bombard your system, they alter the body's natural electromagnetic balance and affect DNA, organs, and glands. Packed with scientific backup, find out what you can do about electropollution--a public health concern more insidious than cigarettes, asbestos, and HRT combined. The life you save may be your own--and your loved ones."

--Hyla Cass, MD, author of 8 Weeks to Vibrant Health and former Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA School of Medicine

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

95 of 101 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Must-Reading for Those Who Want to Protect Their Health in Our Cellphone/Laptop/Wifi World! October 5, 2010

By Mary VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

I've followed the terrific work of Ann Louise Gittleman, MS, CNS, PhD for years, and it's clear that after 30 books, many of them bestsellers, she has established herself as a leader in identifying the latest health challenges, as well as in presenting cutting-edge, common sense approaches to help resolve them.

Zapped is an eye opener. A fascinating, well-researched, and well-referenced book that looks at the health consequences of our constant exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and electronic pollution.

We are marinating in electromagnetic fields -- with homes and offices filled with wireless wi-fi internet, smart phones, laptops, electronic games, cordless devices and appliances everywhere. In Zapped, Dr. Gittleman makes a compelling argument for the health impact of this constant exposure, and outlines the research and studies behind the latest health concerns related to electronic pollution. In particular, Dr. Gittleman talks about -- and includes in her references list -- many of the studies that have found that exposure to electromagnetic fields may be associated with Alzheimer's disease, ALS, heart disease, miscarriage, birth defects, infertility, mood disturbances such as depression, and quality of sleep. Of particular concern is the link between EMFs and cancer, especially brain tumors in cell phone users. She also outlines her concerns about the particular danger that electronic pollution poses for children.

The most practical part of the book is the room-by-room guidelines to help you minimize exposure. And, as a holistic nutritionist by training, recognizing that some exposure can not be avoided, Dr.... Gittleman also provides strategies -- including nutritional and lifestyle approaches -- that may help physically shield us against the negative health effects of electronic pollution and EMFs.

In the book, Dr. Gittleman asks you to mentally take a walk through your grandparents house, and count up the number of electric and electronic appliances. In most cases, there are very few -- a television, a radio, a phonograph, some electric lamps, maybe a few electric kitchen appliances, and perhaps an alarm clock in the bedroom. Then, you think about just your own bedroom, and you realize the extent of the electronic pollution.

In just my own bedroom, there's a tv, a DVD player, a cable box, an alarm clock, my laptop, my Kindle, a cell phone charging, an Ipod charging, not to mention the cordless phone, and the wi-fi that goes throughout the house. I have to admit that after I read Zapped, I felt so uneasy about the extent to which my family and I are exposed to various electronic devices that I already started making changes recommended by Dr. Gittleman, including:

* When making cell phone calls, switch sides frequently
* Use "Electronic Feng Shui" to reposition appliances and electronics in the home to minimize exposure to EMFs
* Remove Wi-Fi and cordless phone chargers in the bedrooms
* Do not locate sofas and beds on the other side of a wall from a refrigerator
* Don't cradle your laptop in your lap, and especially not when pregnant
* Keep cell phone calls short
* Get the cell phone out of your pocket
* Text rather than call whenever possible
* Use the phone in hands-free mode versus up to your head/ear

As a patient advocate, I know how important it is to overall health that we identify and minimize our exposure to toxins and chronic environmental stressors. While we are surrounded constantly by electronic pollution, Dr. Gittleman has given us a practical program to help us identify the greatest risks, minimize exposure, and protect ourselves and our families from the needless and potentially harmful dangers of electronic pollution.

~ Mary Shomon, Thyroid Patient Advocate, Author Read more ›

53 of 58 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Important book.... but missing some important info October 16, 2010

By Gene Jus

Format:Hardcover

This book is very important for people who don't know about the EMF problem.

It is pretty well researched... but it is certainly not the last word on the subject.

Most glaring is the lack of any mention of the difference between switch-mode and linear transformers. Think of all your "wall warts"; if they were made since 1999 they are probably the switching type, which saves energy but creates EMFs at high frequencies, from 30 kiloHertz to a megaHertz and beyond. You can still buy linear ("regulated linear" is best) power supplies... just unplug them when not in use so you don't waste electricity. They won't contaminate the wiring in your house with "dirty electricity" (see the excellent article on this that appeared in Prevention Magazine last year). CFL bulbs use switch-mode supplies too... pretty much every digital device made since 1999 or 2000 does, and low-voltage DC halogen lamps too. The old linear type makes a strong magnetic field but that's only a problem if you are close to it... they don't contaminate the wiring.

Yes, buy this book, and buy Devra Davis' book "Disconnect". But also be on the lookout for more information... the full story has not been written yet.

40 of 43 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Scary, but empowering October 8, 2010

By L.T.

Format:Hardcover

I've follow the work of Ann Louise for years now, and respect her opinions on most any health-related issue. What's significant about this book is that it presents a number of compelling and troubling studies about the hazards of electro-magnetic pollution--not only from cell phones, but also from ordinary household appliances. It's quite troubling to learn that dimmer switches, hair dryers, baby monitors and any number of everyday items may emit harmful electromagnetic energy.

That's the scary part. What makes this book different is that it's also empowering. After the facts are presented in a clear and comprehensive fashion, she goes on to give us some solutions, in the form of simple adjustments anyone can make to their lives--like getting a wind-up alarm clock, or unplugging appliances that you're not using.

She also lists a number of foods and supplements that can protect against and perhaps even heal some of the harmful effects. (And they're not funky, hard-to-find items like exotic berries or expensive juices, but common foods you probably already have in your pantry.)

I highly recommend this book--not just for frequent cell phone users, but for anyone who lives in the modern world.

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Zapped is MUST READ for All! October 10, 2010

By A. Rosen

Format:Hardcover

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 Amazon 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. Read more ›