How to protect yourself from nuclear radiation

Human beings are bombarded with radiation everyday, some of which is natural, some of which is unnatural. You don’t necessary have to live near a nuclear power plant to be exposed to toxic amounts of radiation. Nuclear fall out wraps around the globe, infesting the air, water supplies and food sources.

Although preparing for a nuclear disaster isn’t the most pleasant topic of discussion, there are a myriad of ways to prepare, protect and even prevent yourself from the ill-effects of radiation exposure.

1. Know where your foods comes from: One of the easiest ways to not consume radiation is to know where and how your food is produced. This can help limit your exposure to radioactive food and water sources. Seafood from the West Coast is the first food item to steer clear from, since it tends to be the most affected by radiation.(1)

2. Purchase an electroscope: An electroscope can help you gauge how much radiation you are receiving daily. A Kearny Fallout Meter can give you daily readings of radiation levels in your neck of the woods.(1)

3. Wash your produce: Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to wash radiation particles off of produce.(1)

4. Consider adopting an anti-radiation diet: You don’t have to compensate your taste in order to live a life devoid of radiation. Rosemary, miso soup and niacin are great food sources that can help your body fight radiation damage. Detoxification fruits high in potassium, including apples, oranges and pinnacles, are also a great way to cleanse your body of radiation.(1)

5. Have access to pure water: Water that comes from underground sources, like a covered well, is likely safe to drink. You can purify the water through a reverse osmosis meter  and then a deionization resin filter. You can use this water to drink, cook food, bath and wash dishes.(1)

6. Drink apple cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar can help flush toxins and radiation from your body. Unfiltered, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, like Braggs, is the best vinegar of choice. Baking soda and vinegar is also an effective way to flush radiation from your body and cleanse your stomach lining.(1)

7. Plant Spiderwort plants around your house: The Spiderwort plant has dark purple flowers that turn pink whenever that are exposed to radiation. Planting spiderworts in your garden is a cheap, natural and effective way to determine if radiation levels are high in your area.(1)

8. Purchase a respirator mask and hooded rain ponchos: If nuclear fall out is anticipated but has not arrived, put on a respirator mask and rain poncho to prevent radioactive particles from entering your body.(1)

9. Keep cell phone use down to a minimum: Let’s face it; cell phones are necessary in today’s interconnected world. Nevertheless, constant exposure to radiation from handsets and tower-based antennas have been linked to brain tumors and genetic damage. To reduce radiation exposure, try keeping your phone two inches from your ear when talking or use speaker phone when possible. Texting works as well.(1)

10. Store your food in sealed containers: This prevents nuclear fall out from entering your food. Any food or water stored in sealed containers is safe to consume. Just make sure to wash and rinse off the outside, and that no fall out has contaminated the inside of the container.(1)

Radiation exposure is an unfortunate plague of everyday life. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be. By implementing the highlighted suggestions today, your body will be more hyperactive, interactive and less radioactive.

Sources include:

(1) The Prepper’s Blueprint, First Edition, Lexington, KY: Tess Pennington, 2014. Print. pp. 386-88