Stay the course is not as hard as you may think!

Did you know...

that water is the fountain of youth? I know that sounds ridiculous, but it is true. The funny thing is that everyone has forgotten about its benefits. Perhaps that's because it's simple and free-or at least it used to be! People kind of take things that are free for granted, and with water, you wonder how good it can be since it's free and tasteless. Maybe, if we wait long enough, water will be so costly that we will stop taking it for granted and appreciate it as one of the most miraculous things nature has provided.

Like air, water is one of those things that you don't notice until you don't have it, and then that's all you think about. Air deprivation will get your attention within a few minutes. In fact, a few minutes without air is way beyond attention-getting! At that point, you really don't need it anymore! Food deprivation is unpleasant, but not deadly until you've been without for five to seven weeks. Water deprivation will kill you faster, usually in about five days. Today, let's talk about water

First off, when you really need hydration, a diet soda won't do it; nothing will taste sweeter than that first sip of water. In fact, this makes plenty of sense if you understand that 70% of the human body is comprised of water: 75% of our muscles, 85% of our brain cells, and 82% of our blood, and 25% of our bones are made of water. Not vitamin water, by the way; just plain water!

The funny thing is that many people who think they take in a lot of water are actually drinking a chemical cocktail: water "enhanced" with so many additives that the perfectly healthy serving of water is morphed into something less healthy, and often quite unhealthy. I guess the thought is that if we have to pay for it, the chemicals must make it better than the free stuff. Why do we feel the need to supercharge water by adding chemicals? How is that better than the pure, unadulterated water that has sustained life the since the beginning of time? We think we can improve upon something that potent? Does our arrogance know no end?

Water is probably the most important nutrient we can provide for our body, yet the majority of people admit to rarely drinking it because they don't like it. These people, and many others who drink plenty of everything but water--and also consume a high sodium diet--live in a state of dehydration. Most people get used to the symptoms of this state of being and think it's normal. Yes, some of you think that headaches, joint pain, heartburn, depression, fatigue, sleeplessness, weight gain, hunger, blurred vision, dry skin, brain fogginess, skin irritations, and constipation are normal. In addition, a lot goes on inside our bodies that we are not even aware of until something goes awry; therefore, we don't worry about irregularities in body temperature, the body's inability to transport nutrients and oxygen to our cells, and its difficulties protecting our organs and tissues!

I would like to focus my discussion of water today by breaking down what is in the water we buy and how it differs from the free stuff. Just as a side note: I have decided that when they start selling us "bottled air" I am going to be the first to buy stock. Yep, my hat is off to the marketing genius who convinced us to pay for something that flows freely from the earth! Therefore, I'm going to be the first to back the entrepreneur who tells me he can sell bottled air. If history repeats itself, I'll be a rich woman living in the mountains where both water and air are pure and free again. This product prototype doesn't even sound crazy, does it? After all, go back, say, 15 or 20 years when people laughed at the yuppies who first embraced the bottled water phenomenon. I'm sure we will probably laugh harder at the people who start buying air...until we join them!

Moving on, I will tell you that bottled water is less regulated than tap water, not that I think tap water is so great for you. Since bottled water is actually considered a food, it falls under the jurisdiction of the FDA; tap water is regulated by the EPA. The only requirement of bottled water is that it be as safe as tap water; therefore, the EPA requires cities to test public drinking water daily. Yet the FDA requires bottled water to be tested yearly. The EPA forbids the presence of bacteria: bacteria could indicate the presence of fecal material in the water (nice); the FDA has no rule regarding the presence of bacteria in bottled water. In fact, a study of one hundred different brands of bottled water showed that one third contained arsenic, trihalomethanes (a refrigerant), bacteria, or other contaminants; one fifth contained man-made chemicals; and one contained phthalate (an acid added to plastics that makes them more flexible, durable and transparent) at twice the level acceptable in tap water (how does this get into tap water, I wonder?). Two brands of bottled water had high levels of fluoride, and two others had coliform bacteria (excel is part of the coliform bacteria family). It is also interesting to note that the FDA allows bottled water to contain up to five parts per billion of lead! What to do?

Well, first of all, if you are still drinking bottled water, choose a bottler that is a member of the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA). They guarantee that the level of contaminants, if any, is below FDA standards. You can go to www.bottledwater.org to see which providers are members. And you can also go to www.AquaMaestro.com, www.mineralwaters.org, and www.tldp.com/issue/190/Bottled%20Water.htm, for sites that compare many different types of bottled water. Another thing you can do is switch to glass bottles or bio-based plastics that are made from natural products. One company, Biota™, introduced a bioplastic bottle in 2005 that might be a good option.

I have moved to filtering my water, of late. Let me tell you a bit about filtering and what I prefer. If it is at all possible, filtering is, I believe, your best bet. There are many methods out there and there are many things to consider. You can use a filtration pitcher which is the easiest and least expensive method, or you can go the faucet- and shower-mounted carbon filter route. There is also the reverse-osmosis under-the-counter system of distillation, and the superior full-home filtration system that filters every drop of water that enters your house. Granted, this system is the best and the most expensive initially, but in the long run, it will bring you a lifetime of filtered, clean, fresh water from your tap all year long. I am currently using a wonderful water cooler system from Niken (if you would like further information on the Niken water filtration system you can call Elise at Niken, 203 767 2982).

Here is a brief description of a few filtration options:
Carbon Filters- generally mount to your faucets and do an adequate job. They are inexpensive and remove most chlorine and 90% of the lead from your tap water, but many toxins, like fluoride, viruses, pharmaceuticals, are not filtered out. And...if you don't change the filters as often as recommended, you are actually creating a more hazardous water, and you will begin drinking bacteria from all that has been collected in the carbon filter. So, they are fine as long as you change the filter often.

Water Distillers- remove everything from your water, but they do this so well that they also remove the good minerals. It is suggested that mineral free water is worse for your body than water containing dissolved minerals. So, again, not a bad way to go, and still very cost effective, but it would be better to allow some healthy minerals to remain in your water.

Reverse Osmosis - these are the most efficient water filtering systems for your money. They filter water through a fine membrane, and like distillers, they remove virtually everything from water. The acidic water they produce is similar to distilled water: it is 95 percent mineral free, acidic, and therefore aggressive, meaning it pulls minerals from anything with which it comes into contact.

Alkalizers - water distillers and reverse osmosis systems remove the minerals, so you might want to replenish the minerals to bring your body into balance. Since your body does best with alkaline water, an alkalizing filter is the best all-around filtration system. A water alkalizer uses an electromagnetic process to separate acidic and alkaline water. Bear in mind that the water you put into it must be rich in minerals and not distilled or reverse-osmosis water. Some of the alkalizer filters make the water richer, and more energetic.

Generally speaking, all of these filters do the trick; you just need to see what works for you as far as convenience, budget and ease of use. And don't forget to drink water all day long! Not only will it make you healthier, thinner, more energetic, and cleaner inside and out, it tastes good, too! If you don't believe me yet, then I suggest you invest in a good filtration system. You will taste--in a very short time--just how sweet unadulterated water can be. Water. Just drink it!