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Did My Address Give Me Asthma?

Long before I moved to Australia, I lived in an idyllic rural village in the South West of England, with open views of fields for miles around in each direction. The houses were beautiful cottages made of Cotswold stone, with roses in the gardens – and looked exactly as they would have a hundred years before. The local teenagers hung out by the park on horseback, and the two big houses hosted annual Summer Supper parties exactly as they had for generations. My elderly neighbour lived in the cottage his mother had been born in.

The village had a quaint old pub, a church, a nursery school, a post box and a play park. On the corner was a farm you could let yourself into, leave a couple of pounds in the honesty box, and help yourself to freshly laid eggs. The nearest shop was about six miles away, which was the closest option for even a pint of milk or loaf of bread (this was long before I’d ever even heard the word paleo). With miles of public rights of way, it was right in the middle of nature. And unfortunately a great big motorway.

Could where I lived have caused my asthma? Paleo lifestyle insights

The huge motorway was the main route from London to Wales and dissected the village in two. In the time I lived there, there was only one brief occasion when the constant rumbling of cars and heavy goods vehicles stopped – just for an hour or so. On this one afternoon, the entire motorway was closed after a serious accident. Rather than being blissful, the silence was eerie. Day in, day out, no matter how ungodly the hour, the roar of the motorway never ended. Along with the noise, the motorway covered the windows and walls of my should-have-been-yellow house, with a thick layer of dirt.

On hot days (rare in the UK), the better option was to be uncomfortably hot, rather than sleep with the windows open.

The fields that surrounded the village grew all sorts of different produce and it was fascinating to see a fallow field transform to a field of wheat in a matter of weeks – all from my kitchen window. Every so often I’d see the farm machinery spraying the fields, which would fill the air with a heavy, unpleasant smell for a couple of days. The type of smell you can taste, long before you get close to it.

Halfway down of one of the bridle paths, right next to the stream, was a huge steaming pile of (what I eventually learnt to be) human manure. I saw some of the best tomato plants I’ve ever seen growing up from that pile. The smell was one of the most unpleasant I’ve ever encountered, as made clear by my Labrador on her twice daily walks, who would do everything she could to drag me closer so she could have a good roll around in it (fortunately I was onto her and she never got to indulge in her penchant for excrement). Just when the pile looked like it couldn’t get any bigger, it would all but disappear, and I’d notice the smell had moved to the nearby fields, full of produce.

After living this healthy rural lifestyle for a year or two, I had a cold that just never went away. Or rather the cough never went away. No matter how much I’d cough, it would never quite resolve the need for the coughing. Eventually I went to the local-ish doctor (across the motorway, in the neighbouring village) expecting to be given some medication to clear up my cough. Without even getting so far as to see the doctor, a nurse heard my wheezing and coughing and instantly diagnosed asthma. Which I hadn’t realised you could develop, totally out of the blue, at the ripe old age of 23.

With the help of modern medicine, the coughing stopped, and it was manageable*

But I’ve always wondered, did where I live cause me to develop asthma?

If you developed asthma as an adult, what do you think caused it? I'd love to hear, in the comments below.

The Environmental Triggers We Often Overlook

It’s easy to romanticise rural living as a cleaner, healthier lifestyle – and in many ways, it is. But stories like mine highlight how even the most idyllic settings can conceal environmental hazards. When it comes to adult-onset asthma, there’s increasing awareness around the role of air pollution, chemical exposure, and even naturally occurring allergens like mould and pollen. The motorway was an obvious offender – with its continuous stream of diesel exhaust and fine particulate matter – but what about the less visible factors?

Studies have shown that living near major roads is associated with increased risk of respiratory issues, including asthma, especially when exposure starts early in life. But adult-onset asthma is also increasingly being linked to long-term low-level exposure to pollutants. That layer of grime on my windows wasn’t just unpleasant – it was a visible sign of microscopic irritants entering my lungs every day.

What’s in the Air We Breathe?

The air in my former village may have smelled of manure and wheat dust, but it also likely carried fine particles from pesticides and fertilisers. These are easily airborne – especially on warm, breezy days – and are known to irritate the respiratory system. The strong, lingering smells I noticed weren’t just offensive to the nose; they were signals that airborne compounds had reached concentrations high enough to trigger inflammation. Breathing them in daily, without realising it, could well have been a contributor to my symptoms.

Diesel fumes, ammonia from fertiliser, and dust from ploughing are all inhalable irritants. Over time, they can sensitise the lungs – leading to a condition like asthma, even in adults with no prior history. These environmental stressors may not cause a sudden illness, but rather a slow erosion of respiratory health that only becomes noticeable once symptoms are severe enough to interfere with daily life.

Adult-Onset Asthma: More Common Than You Think

Contrary to popular belief, asthma isn’t just a childhood condition. Adult-onset asthma is surprisingly common, especially among women in their twenties and thirties. Hormonal changes, prolonged exposure to pollutants, stress, and even lifestyle shifts can all act as triggers. In many cases, it’s a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental insult that flips the switch.

What makes adult-onset asthma different is its presentation. The symptoms are often more persistent, harder to control, and frequently mistaken for something else – like a lingering cold or chronic fatigue. For me, it was a dry cough and constant wheezing that simply wouldn’t go away. It took a nurse’s trained ear to realise it was something more serious.

The Paleo Connection: Could Diet Help?

It’s no coincidence that my asthma disappeared around the same time I dramatically overhauled my lifestyle – including my diet. While it was an unintended side effect of a more serious health scare, it has made me wonder whether systemic inflammation had a role to play. Could the modern foods I used to eat have been adding fuel to the fire?

The Paleo diet is built around anti-inflammatory principles – removing common irritants like grains, dairy, and processed sugars. Many people who adopt this way of eating report improved respiratory health, fewer allergy symptoms, and better immune resilience overall. It’s anecdotal, yes – but when you experience these changes firsthand, it’s hard to dismiss.

Reducing the toxic load on the body – from food, air, and even household products – may not be a guaranteed cure, but it certainly gives your body a better chance to thrive. For those with asthma, whether child or adult-onset, it’s worth considering a holistic approach to management, alongside medical treatment.

Looking Back with Clearer Eyes

It’s strange to look back now, knowing what I do. What seemed like peaceful countryside living was more industrial than I realised – just in a different disguise. The motorway that never slept. The fields doused in chemicals. The reeking pile of ‘natural’ fertiliser that fed the tomatoes. It all paints a more complex picture of health and environment than I understood at the time.

Would I live there again, knowing what I know now? Possibly, but differently. I’d invest in an air purifier, keep the windows shut on spraying days, and perhaps grow my own veggies away from the path of the wind. More importantly, I’d listen to my body sooner – and question what my surroundings might be trying to tell me.

Have You Considered the Impact of Where You Live?

If you’ve ever experienced a health change after moving, or developed a chronic condition with no clear cause, take a moment to think about your environment. It’s easy to overlook the role of place in our health journeys – but sometimes the answers lie in the background noise, quite literally.

I’d love to hear your stories – whether you’ve dealt with adult-onset asthma, or noticed unexpected health shifts after a move. Leave a comment below and let’s compare notes. Maybe we can help each other see what we’ve been breathing all along.


 

* Several years later (long after I’d left the village) my asthma was instantly cured as a side effect of life-saving treatment I received in a completely unrelated incident.

What Has Fukushima Got To Do With You?

I'm sure you’re aware of the Fukushima disaster that hit Japan in 2011 – but you might be wondering what it has to do with you?

Following a big earthquake, a tsunami followed, which destroyed the Fukushima Daichi nuclear power plant. This result in almost unimaginable levels of radiation. Whilst a clean up operation is underway, with the levels of radiation, the clean up effort is a drop in the ocean. Several deaths have already occurred due to the radiation that came from the disaster.

What exactly has radiation from the Fukushima disaster done to the food chain, especially fish? Is what you are eating healthy?

Scientists have been tracking the effect of the radiation in fish since the disaster. Radiation has been discovered in fish as far away as California.

What Has Fukushima Got To Do With You radiation contamination paleo diet natural health-min

What are the risks of eating fish with traces of radiation?

Unfortunately this is not an easy question to answer. Nuclear power and environmental health expert Rosalie Bertell said “Should the public discover the true health costs of nuclear pollution, a cry would rise from all parts of the world, and people would refuse to cooperate passively with their own death”.  She also said “Claiming nuclear production of energy is ‘clean’ is like dieting, but stuffing yourself with food between meals”.

One of the problems with quantifying the dangers of radiation like this, is that the half life is so long, the damage will be done for years and years to come. It’s hard to predict today, how much damage the disaster will cause over the next few generations.

How Can You Stay Safe?

It’s really important to know exactly where your food comes from. So much frozen fish is imported from overseas – and unfortunately with the labelling laws in some countries, it can be very difficult to identify which country the fish comes from. Try to buy your fish local – and wild caught if at all possible. When buying seaweeds, make sure you know where they came from. Maine is supposed to be a good place to source seaweed from.

The Broader Impact of Fukushima on the Global Food Supply

Although Fukushima may seem like a distant issue confined to Japan’s shores, the reality is that our food system is more interconnected than ever. Thanks to global shipping and trade agreements, food grown or caught in one corner of the world can easily make its way onto a plate on the other side of the planet. This is especially true for seafood, where origin tracking is often murky and supply chains are complex.

In the years following the Fukushima disaster, radiation monitoring of seafood became a priority in several countries. However, the frequency and scope of testing vary significantly depending on national regulations, consumer demand, and political will. This means there’s no guarantee that every batch of imported seafood has been adequately screened for radioactive contamination.

Bioaccumulation and the Marine Food Chain

One of the key concerns with radiation in the marine environment is bioaccumulation. This is the process by which toxins — including radioactive isotopes like Cesium-137 — accumulate in organisms over time. Small fish absorb the radiation from the water or their food, and as larger predators eat many smaller fish, the radiation compounds up the food chain.

This means that apex predators like tuna, swordfish, and certain species of shark may carry higher levels of contamination than smaller, shorter-lived species. These are the same fish most often consumed in sushi restaurants and high-end seafood dishes. The long half-lives of radioactive elements mean they can persist in ocean ecosystems for decades, making their way into commercial seafood years after the initial incident.

Is the Radiation Risk Exaggerated?

There is a considerable divide between mainstream regulatory assessments and the concerns raised by independent scientists and environmental health advocates. Official statements often claim that radiation levels in fish remain within “safe” limits. However, critics argue that these safety thresholds are not based on cumulative lifetime exposure or the synergistic effects of multiple contaminants — nor do they account for the vulnerability of children, pregnant women, or those with compromised immune systems.

There’s also the issue of dilution. While radiation may be more diffuse in distant parts of the Pacific, the radioactive particles are still present and can enter marine life in small but biologically relevant amounts. Even low levels of exposure may increase the risk of cancer and genetic damage over time, especially when exposure is chronic or coupled with other environmental toxins.

What You Can Do to Reduce Exposure

While you can’t control what happens in the ocean, you can make conscious decisions about what ends up in your shopping trolley. Here are a few practical tips to help reduce the risk of radiation exposure through seafood and marine-based products:

  • Buy local seafood whenever possible, ideally from sources you trust. In Australia, that might mean selecting wild-caught barramundi, snapper, or flathead from local fisheries rather than imported fish with unclear origins.
  • Avoid large, long-living ocean predators such as tuna, marlin, and swordfish. These species tend to accumulate the most toxins, including mercury and radioactive elements.
  • Seek out transparency from suppliers. Some premium seafood brands provide detailed traceability, including where and how their fish were caught. If that information is not available, consider it a red flag.
  • Limit consumption of imported dried seaweed, kelp, and other marine plants unless you know the region of origin. As noted earlier, the coast of Maine in the USA is currently regarded as one of the safer regions for seaweed harvesting.
  • Choose smaller fish lower on the food chain, such as sardines, anchovies, or mackerel. These are generally less contaminated and also offer high levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

Labelling Laws and the Need for Change

One of the most frustrating aspects of this issue is the lack of mandatory, accurate country-of-origin labelling on seafood in many places. While Australia has relatively strong labelling requirements in supermarkets, it’s still legal for restaurants and food service outlets to serve imported seafood without disclosing its source. This lack of transparency makes it incredibly difficult for consumers to make informed decisions.

There’s growing pressure from consumer advocacy groups to tighten food labelling laws and implement more rigorous screening procedures for radioactive contamination, especially in imported goods. Supporting these initiatives can help drive change from the ground up — so be sure to speak up, ask questions, and vote with your wallet wherever possible.

The Bigger Picture: Fukushima as a Wake-Up Call

The Fukushima disaster is not just a Japanese problem. It’s a stark reminder of how fragile our modern systems are — from nuclear energy to globalised food production. It also exposes the limits of government transparency, as many official reports were initially downplayed or delayed.

For those of us striving to live a more natural, intentional lifestyle — whether through Paleo, ancestral, or real-food principles — the event reinforces the importance of self-education and responsibility. When it comes to what we eat, blind trust in the system is no longer a viable strategy.

Should You Stop Eating Seafood Altogether?

Not necessarily. Seafood is an incredibly nutrient-dense food source, rich in omega-3s, iodine, selenium, and quality protein. Rather than eliminating it entirely, the key is to be selective and mindful about sourcing. If you can access local, sustainably caught fish from clean waters, there is no reason to avoid it.

However, now more than ever, it’s vital to avoid low-quality seafood from industrial sources. Fish farming practices in some countries raise additional concerns around antibiotics, overcrowding, and feed contamination — issues that compound potential radiation risks.

Final Thoughts: A New Awareness Around Sourcing

The Fukushima disaster highlights how interconnected we are with the planet — and how the consequences of environmental events can ripple across oceans and generations. While the full impact of the incident may not be known for decades, we don’t have to wait to take action. By choosing local, transparent, and responsibly sourced seafood, you can protect your health and contribute to a more sustainable food system.

In the end, the best defence is knowledge. Ask questions. Read labels. Support producers who care about transparency and food safety. And, above all, prioritise real, whole food — the kind our ancestors ate long before industrial disasters entered the picture.

Are you concerned about where your food comes from? How do you avoid eating potentially harmful food like this? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, and on the Fukushima disaster, in the comments below.