Water Matters 2020
Please join us and invite guests for a Water Matters master class on Tuesday January 28th at 9pm Eastern, 6pm Pacific. Together we can all help anyone Be Healthy by Choice.
“Pure water is the world’s first and foremost medicine.”
The Facts of Life
Life cannot exist without water! It is the most important nutrient we consume every day of our lives. Water comprises over two-thirds of our body weight and is one of the most essential elements to maintaining well-being. Water is important in every physiological process. Water helps your body with circulation, assimilation, digestion, elimination and temperature control. Proper hydration is essential to a healthy life.
Unfortunately, most of us live our lives in a state of chronic dehydration. Researchers estimate that about 75% of people in the U.S. have chronic dehydration. Dehydration is a global problem with 80% of Britons, 75% of Australians, 50% of Germans and 75% of people in France suffering from chronic dehydration.
“Dehydration is the Mother of ALL EPIDEMICS and it is THE FIRST STEP we need to take in addressing chronic disease.”
Failure to drink enough water can lead to many health issues such as fatigue, joint pain, weight gain, headaches, ulcers, diabetes, kidney disease and high blood pressure. Chronic dehydration may affect your organs and lead to kidney stones, cholesterol complications, constipation, liver and muscle damage.
Part of the problem lies with a misunderstanding of how important water is and how much we need each day to be healthy. Water is not just a beverage choice; it is our most essential nutrient. When we think of water this way it becomes apparent that we must drink enough each day.
“Water is not just a beverage choices. It is an essential nutrient.”
Dehydration occurs when you use or lose more fluid than you take in, and your body doesn't have enough water and other fluids to carry out its normal functions. If you don't replace lost fluids, you will get dehydrated. Anyone may become dehydrated, but the condition is especially dangerous for young children and older adults.
We lose water everyday through processes such as breathing, temperature regulation and excretion. If our water intake doesn’t replenish these losses, we become dehydrated. It takes less than a 1% deficiency to trigger our thirst response. Just a 2.5% percent reduction in our hydration can result in a 25% reduction in energy and efficiency including short-term memory loss, trouble with performing basic math, and challenges in focusing. The most common cause of daytime fatigue is mild dehydration.
Dehydration has been called the Mother of ALL Epidemics and is the first step we need to take in addressing chronic disease.
How Much Water Should We Drink?
There is no perfect answer to this question as it depends on your age, health status, level of physical activity, body type and ambient surroundings.
Everyone has heard drink eight 8oz glasses of water a day. This is insufficient in my opinion for proper hydration for most us. A good rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces per day of water. So, if you weigh 160 pounds, 10 glasses or 80 ounces per day is a good rule to follow. For the metric system the rule of thumb is to drink 3.3% of your body weight in kilograms in liters of water per day to stay hydrated.
Quality Water
The next subject to address is water choices. We are lucky in the U.S. and many other countries that we have choices as to water, but some choices are healthier than others. This topic will be included in our next Healthy by Choice broadcast. The class will cover the problem of dehydration, the solution and what and why some water choices are healthier than others.
Be Healthy by Choice
If Mother Nature Poured You a Glass of Water...
The solution to our global water issues and the plastic pollution of our planet is very complex and people often wonder what can they do as individuals to make a positive impact.
If Mother Nature Poured You a Glass of Water...
The solution to our global water issues and the plastic pollution of our planet is very complex and people often wonder what can they do as individuals to make a positive impact. One thing we all can do is to not to contribute to landfills by filtering tap water rather than purchasing bottled water. In recent blogs we have talked about the pollution problem with bottled water and about how to choose a water filtration system.
Waterfall for Healthy Water
Filtering our tap water is convenient, cost effective and the best way to provide ourselves and our families with healthy water. Our personal choice for water filtration is the Nikken Waterfall. Imagine if we could create fresh spring water in our own home or office? This is the strategy behind the Nikken Waterfall. The Nikken Waterfall System is an advanced, technically sophisticated, well designed countertop home filtration system that converts tap water into fresh spring-like water. Using a multi-stage filtration process which cleans, alkalizes, mineralizes, ionizes, energizes and oxygenates the water, the Waterfall produces a light, velvety fresh-tasting water which is highly absorbable and healthy.
Put simply, the Waterfall produces water the way nature intended water to be. Free of contaminants but maintaining an alkaline pH with minerals that are added back after the filtration process. The water is run through a magnetic field that provides a water structure as it occurs in nature.
The Waterfall Gravity Water System has a modern, compact profile and fits conveniently into most kitchen environments. All Nikken water products are designed to the highest standards, using non-leaching, and free of BPA and other estrogenic chemicals. With its Gold Seal of Approval from the Water Quality Association, the Waterfall meets rigorous standards for performance, capacity, and integrity, removing a variety of drinking water contaminants.
The Nikken Waterfall meets contaminant-reduction specifications of National Sanitary Foundation (NSF) Standards 42 and 53 and reduces objectionable tastes, odors, colors, aesthetic chlorine, chloramines, VOCs and mercury from municipally treated tap water. This is considerably better performance than you'd get with many conventional faucet or pitcher--type or water filters. The filtration efficiency is equivalent to more complex and expensive water filtration systems costing $1000’s of dollars.
The water tank components are bio-degradable plastics that will not leach potentially harmful chemicals into the contents of the tank. Nor will they release these chemicals into the soil. The Waterfall is environmentally responsible in several ways. It reduces the number of discarded plastic water bottles that become trash in landfills. This also decreases consumption of fossil fuels used in manufacturing those bottles. The waterfall is made with recyclable and biodegradable materials, including a polymer that does not leach chemicals into water as some plastics will.
Features and Benefits that we like most about our Waterfall:
· Simple operation
· Multiple-stage filtering process, advanced water-contaminant reducing technology
· Certified filtration to reduce contaminants, NSF Certification
· Gold Seal of Approval from the Water Quality Association
· Natural, gravity-fed filtration – no need for electricity
· Minerals added back to adjust pH to create alkaline water
· Filter life LED indicator (The filter-life LED indicator turns from green to red when it is time to replace the filter)
· Fits perfectly onto kitchen counter-top
· Non-leaching and BPA free materials
· Made of bio-degradable plastics for no environmental impact
· Ease of operation and maintenance
· Cost effective solution for healthy water
· Does not require a power source which makes it perfect for power outages or travel
The Waterfall is good for your family, your pocketbook and our planet!
Find out more from your Nikken Wellness Consultant.
Be Healthy by Choice, not by Chance.
The Great Alkaline Water Debate
Basically, when treating water for drinking, we should “take out the bad” and “leave in the good.”. We want to remove toxic chemicals and impurities then add back the essential minerals that nature intended to be in water.
What is Alkaline Water?
Water is our most essential nutrient and is vital to our survival and good health. You may know that two-thirds of your body is water, however, in terms of the number of molecules, your body consists of over 99 percent water molecules! Because water is so vital to our health, the type and quality of water we take into our body is very important.
I have written before that filtering tap water is the best way to get healthy water, see What to Look for in a Water Filtration System. Basically, when treating water for drinking, we should “take out the bad” and “leave in the good.”. We want to remove toxic chemicals and impurities then add back the essential minerals that nature intended to be in water.
Water from natural springs have been highly sought after for centuries because those who drank it claimed it had amazing health-restorative abilities. There are many natural springs on Earth where this has been observed. Tlacote, Mexico, Nordenau, Germany, Nadana Village, India, Yankalilla, Australia, The Himalayan Mountains in China and recently in Vilcabamba, Ecuador. It is of note and interest that indigenous people that consume these waters display exceptional health and longevity where people are reported to live to 100 to 135 years of age. All these waters in their natural state are alkaline. The alkalinity is due to minerals in the water including calcium, silica, potassium, magnesium, and bicarbonate.
The “alkaline” in alkaline water refers to its pH level. The pH level is a number that measures how acidic or alkaline a substance is on a scale of 0 to 14. For example, something with a pH of 1 would be very acidic, and something with a pH of 13 would be very alkaline. Alkaline water has a higher pH level than regular drinking water. Because of this, some advocates of alkaline water believe it can neutralize the acid in your body. Normal drinking water generally has a neutral pH of 7. Alkaline water typically has a pH of 8 or 9.
Alkaline Water Debate
There has been much debate as to whether drinking alkaline water is healthier than drinking pH neutral water (7.0) or acidic water (less than 7.0). There are scientific studies that report benefits and those that do not. Those in favor of alkaline water claim it provides a range of health benefits. Namely, that it boosts the metabolism, reduces bone loss and slows the aging process, and metabolizes nutrients easier by neutralizing acid in the blood that causes disease. They believe low-grade acidosis may not always be detected with testing, leaving your body to suffer the consequences. The opposing side agrees there might be benefits but is unsure whether the benefits come from the high-pH-level alkaline water itself or the minerals it contains.
One recent and interesting study in mice, Alkaline Water and Longevity: A Murine Study, reported, “statistical analysis revealed that alkaline water provides higher longevity in terms of “deceleration aging factor” as it increases the survival functions when compared with control group; namely, animals belonging to the population treated with alkaline water resulted in a longer lifespan.” Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2016; 2016: 3084126.
I suggest that a little common sense regarding this debate is the answer. Alkaline water is water that’s less acidic than tap water, filtered water, and most bottled waters. Concentrating on the pH level of our water might be not be the aspect we want to focus on. If alkaline water is healthier, that is intrinsically due more to the minerals it contains rather than its pH level. This means it is rich in alkalizing minerals that our bodies need. Yes, we can get minerals from the food we eat and many health and nutrition experts advocate alkaline diets. Drinking alkaline water seems a simple and efficient way of providing minerals in addition to our food choices. Also, we absorb minerals more efficiently from water than we do food.
In nature, water flows down mountain streams and picks up minerals from rocks in the stream to give it it’s alkalinity. Water filtration systems that create naturally alkaline water work the same way.
Water is not just a beverage choice, it is our most essential nutrient. Drinking half your weight in ounces per day of healthy water is one aspect of Being Healthy by Choice, not by Chance.
What to Look for in a Water Filtration System
I think the most important aspect when deciding on a system for healthy water is...
What to Look for in a Water Filtration System
We all need water, as I say, “Water is not just a beverage choice, it is our most essential nutrient”. Replacing our daily water needs is paramount to being Healthy by Choice. If you are a fan of The Impetus you are already aware that bottled water is not the choice I recommend (see Is Bottled Water Healthier than Tap Water). Given that tap water is 2000 times less expensive than bottled water and that municipal tap water is monitored and regulated, the healthy choice is to filter your tap water.
There are many choices for home water filtration. Each person’s needs and expectations are different. The best water filter for you depends on what's in your water and what you want to remove. For many people, an aesthetic choice for improving taste and smell is all they are interested in, but for those wanting healthy water, removal of noxious contaminants and chemicals is imperative. Cost is a major concern and can range from inexpensive pitchers, faucet mount systems and refrigerator door filters, ($20 to $100) for aesthetic concerns to high priced under-counter or whole house systems ($1000 up) for improving taste and smell and removal of toxic substances. Each can have their merits and shortcomings.
The Most Important Aspect is Removal of Harmful Chemicals
I think the most important aspect when deciding on a system for healthy water is the removal of harmful chemicals and contaminants. Forty-four percent of the US population relies on groundwater for its drinking water supply, according to the National Ground Water Association, groundwater is at risk of pesticides, solvents, heavy metals, and volatile organic compounds that have seeped into the water table. Any company can say that its water filter removes contaminants, but the average person doesn’t have a lab or the means to confirm it’s factual. That’s why I strongly suggest getting a system that has third-party corroboration in the filters effectiveness in removing harmful substances. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) have set water treatment standards, and agencies like the NSF and the Water Quality Association (WQA) test against those standards. A filter certified for both NSF-42 and NSF-53 standards is recommended.
NSF-42 Filters that are certified to reduce aesthetic impurities such as chlorine and taste/odor. These can be point-of-use (under the sink, water pitcher, refrigerator, etc.) or point-of-entry (whole house) treatment systems. These filters improve taste and odor by reduction of chlorine and chloramine.
NSF-53 certifies the reduction of metals and chemicals that can affect your health. NSF-53 is a bit more complex as multiple compounds fall under this certification and they’re each certified separately. Reduction of mercury and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
I also recommend a system that is certified NSF-372 to remove heavy metals such as lead from water. The main threats to human health from heavy metals are associated with exposure to lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic.
An effective way of providing yourself and your family with healthy water is filtration of tap water. There are many types of systems to accomplish this. Common methods of filtering can remove the chemicals but it also removes important minerals our bodies need. Guidelines I suggest looking for when comparing systems are advanced filtration that is corroborated and meet or exceed ANSI/NSF standards of 42 and 53. Look for a system that adds minerals back to the water and creates a slightly alkaline water. I am also a proponent of micro-clustered water that helps with absorption and I suggest getting a system that is easy to use and maintain and cost effective.
We use a system in our home that sells for about $400 that meets all these guidelines. We use a sports bottle for healthy water on the go and filter our shower/bath water. Visit the H2O shop in the Emporium for product details.
Not only do we want healthy choices for our bodies, but also for our planet. I advocate for systems such as these that are environmentally responsible and made with recyclable and biodegradable materials.
What do you want in a home/on the go water filtration system? Enter a comment below. Let's chat.
Be Healthy by Choice, not by Chance
Bottled Water vs. Tap Water
Scientists at Texas Southern University evaluated 35 brands of bottled water and found...
Is Bottled Water Healthier than Tap Water?
One reason that many people choose bottled water is that they think it’s a healthier choice than tap water. This is good news as many people are looking for healthier options. In fact, 2017 is the first year that bottled water sales have exceeded soda sales in the United States. Bottled water consumption in the U.S. hit 39.3 gallons per capita last year, while carbonated soft drinks fell to 38.5 gallons, marking the first time that soda was knocked off the top spot.
More than one-quarter of bottled water revenue last year was shared by the soda giants Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo which sell Dasani and Aquafina respectively. In the four decades since the launch of Perrier water in the U.S., consumption of bottled water surged 2,700%, from 354 million gallons in 1976 to 11.7 billion gallons in 2015, according to the International Bottled Water Association.
Ok, some people are making healthier choices to drink water instead of soda, but is their choice to drink bottled water rather than tap water fact founded or just the results of good marketing by bottled water companies. People are led to believe that bottled water is spring water with the advertisements and labels portraying pristine mountain streams, waterfalls, or glacial Alpine landscapes. However, nearly 50% off all bottled water is tap water, according to Peter Gleick, a scientist and author of “Bottled and Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water.”
Contrary to the image of purity advertised by the bottled water industry, bottled water may contain a lot more than simple H2O. In 2008, testing commissioned by Environmental Working Group (EWG), found 38 pollutants in 10 brands of bottled water, including disinfection byproducts, industrial chemicals, radioactivity and bacteria. Two of the brands tested bore the chemical signature of municipal tap water, meaning that they were chemically indistinguishable from what comes from the faucet.
In 2008, scientists at Texas Southern University evaluated 35 brands of bottled water and found that four were contaminated with bacteria. In 1999, the Natural Resources Defense Council tested 103 bottled waters and detected potentially worrisome contaminants, including microbes and regulated chemicals, in about 50% of the samples tested.
This is a quite disturbing from a financial standpoint as bottled water is 2,000 times more expensive than tap water. Another perspective would be going to a sandwich shop for a six-dollar sandwich and paying $12,000 dollars for that sandwich. Just because it is marketed as a healthier sandwich, would we make the same choice. No way.
Don’t we all too often trade convenience at the expense of our health?
The other reason people tell me that they choose bottled water is that it is convenient. My response to that is, don’t we all too often trade convenience at the expense of our health?
Drinking plenty of water is good for your health, but both tap and bottled water can contain contaminants that may be harmful. The best option for getting the safest water possible is to filter your tap water. There are many different types of water filters at a wide range of efficiency and pricing. I suggest selecting a system certified by NSF International. NSF certifies drinking water filters to standards applicable to each type of treatment option. You may notice the NSF mark on a product along with numbers such as NSF/ANSI 53 or NSF/ANSI 42, which refer to the standard to which the filter has been certified. These models are designed to filter out specific contaminants, so you can purchase one based on your needs.
NSF/ANSI standard 42 is for aesthetic properties of smell and taste. A healthy choice for a water filtration system would also conform to standard 53 for volatile organic compounds such as trihalomethane, trichloroethylene and many others. These standards should be published and readily available when deciding on which product to purchase. I would also recommend a unit that complies with NSF/ANSI standard 372 for heavy metal reduction. Just as important in removal of harmful substances is the filter systems ability to add back beneficial properties and minerals for a healthy water the way Nature intended.
Be Healthy by Choice, not by Chance. Drink half your body weight in ounces a day of good quality, healthy water.
Author: Gary Lindner, PhD