Wake up, folks! We are seriously dehydrated! And up to 75% of our population is chronically dehydrated. We should be drinking a minimum of half of our body weight in ounces of pure water. That doesn’t include coffee, tea, juices, etc. The American diet includes a lot of salty foods and caffeine which creates a burden on the kidneys. Our kidneys filter all of our blood about 15 times per hour, so we need to be kind to them. How do you know if you’re not getting enough water?
Here are some of the symptoms of dehydration:
· Afternoon extreme fatigue
· Burning urination
· Varicose veins
· Kidney stones
· Gout
· Hemorrhoids
· Constipation
· Headaches
· Body Ache
Not All Bottled Water Is the Same
The best water to drink is pure water. How do we get pure water? Organic fruits and vegetables, reverse osmosis, steam distilled, and Berkey water filter with fluoride/arsenic removing filters are some of the best ways. Of those choices, I personally choose organic produce and the Berkey filter (I owe the Big Berkey). I like the portability of the Berkey and can take it with me for a week at the beach. But under sink reverse osmosis systems have come down in price and are an affordable option.
This is a Berkey water filter. The white filters are extra and remove fluoride and arsenic.
We all know that drinking water is important, but not many know all of the roles water plays in the body. The human body is made up of 50-65% water. Obesity drops that percentage considerably. Just a 2% dehydration rate can cause a 20% decline in performance. A 5% dehydration rate can cause a 30% decline in performance. Here are just a few more reasons for drinking more pure water.
Function of Water in the Body
· Equilibrium
· Body temperature
· Lubricates tissues, joints, bones and muscles
· Flushes wastes and toxins
· Moisturizes skin
· Aids in cell creation
· pH balancing
Bottled Water: Buyer Beware!
Bottled water is now a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States. We spend more per ounce on bottled water than we do on gasoline. That seems pretty absurd to me. I like to carry a glass water bottle with me when I’m in the car or if I know I’ll be away from my house for a length of time. If I happen to forget water and need to purchase bottled water, I stick to artesian water, such as Fiji Water, or spring water. But I know those BPAs are lurking in plastic bottles.
What most people aren’t aware of are the additives that the big companies add to their water for “taste."
Source and Additives in Popular Brands of Water
Dasani—(owned by Coca-Cola) Filtered tap water. Adds magnesium sulfate, potassium chloride and salt. *Potassium Chloride is used as fertilizer and is a fire extinguishing agent. It is also used in lethal injections to stop the heart. This is not something I want added to my drinking water for “taste,” thank you!
Aquafina—(owned by Pepsi) Tap water treated using reverse osmosis and then additionally filtered. Adds ozone. The water passes through an ozonated water tank which temporarily turns O2 into O3. Ozone is anti-microbiological agent intended to disinfect or sterilize the water. The method of ozonation is toxic to most waterborne organisms. It kills any harmful protozoa. *Note: According to CancerTutor.com, ozone in glass is good; however, in plastic it's quit toxic! "Ozone will tear apart a plastic container or plastic tube and you will end up drinking plastic!"
Nestle Pure Life—Filtered tap water using reverse osmosis. Adds calcium chloride, sodium bicarbonate and magnesium sulfate. Calcium chloride is an electrolyte frequently found in sports drinks. It is acidic to the body. Water should be neutral with about a pH balance of 7 (on a scale of 0-14). Calcium chloride lowers the pH level of water.
Smartwater—(owned by Glaceau, now a Coca-Cola company) Distilled tap water. Adds calcium chloride (see above), magnesium chloride, and potassium bicarbonate. Magnesium chloride, while an excellent source of magnesium in nature (cooked spinach, almonds, halibut, etc.), in this water it is a pharmaceutical preparation of magnesium. Not so good.
Most people buy bottled water because they believe it is better for them. Yet, of all the bottled waters, over a third are just filtered municipal tap water. And then there’s the problem of all the bottles. Only 23% of all the plastic water bottles in the US are recycled. That leaves a lot of bottles that go directly into the landfill.
If possible, limit your bottled water intake. Use a good filtration system at home to virtually eliminate the need for bottled water. If you do purchase bottled water, do not leave it in a hot car, as the plastic degrades. Only use your water bottle a few times and then recycle it, as the plastic degrades more with each use. Carry a refillable glass or stainless steel water bottle whenever possible and save that money for something fun, like a vacation! Cheers!
***You may have noticed that there was no discussion of fluoride in this post. It needs an entire post, so be on the lookout for Water Part 2.
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