Don’t ever drink tap water again

According to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), forty-three percent of adults drink fewer than four cups of water a day.  That’s broken down to 36 percent who drink one to three cups, and the other 7 percent who drink absolutely none.

Compounding this problem is the fact that our water is becoming increasingly contaminated, so even if you are diligent about drinking enough water for good health, you might just be undermining your health instead!

Let’s look at what your water needs are, how our water is becoming more toxic, and what you can do about getting the water your body needs.

Water becomes you

Your body is about 75 percent water, so it only follows taking enough in every day helps make a healthier you.

Water is the primary component of all your body’s fluids—blood, lymph, digestive enzymes, urine, tears and sweat.

Plus it’s involved in almost every bodily function—circulation, digestion, nutrient absorption and elimination of wastes, to name a few.

Even your ability to heal from injuries depends on water!  When you get hurt, your bloodstream carries its repair substances to the injury site, and that bloodstream is about 81 percent water.

When external toxins enter your body, they’re usually carried back out by your urine (95 percent water) or your sweat (99 percent water). 

And of course your skin needs water—it’s the best anti-aging skin “tonic” there is!

How much?

You should be drinking at least eight 8-oz. glasses of water a day at a minimum, and even more if:

• You are exercising
• You are working outdoors in hot weather
• You are over age 65
• You are pregnant or breastfeeding
• You have heavy menstrual periods

Another barometer is to look at how many pounds you weigh and drink at least half that number in ounces of water.

For example, a person weighing 150 pounds should drink about 75 ounces of water a day.

It’s becoming increasingly TOXIC

The earth’s water is in crisis—and that’s no exaggeration. 

The US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) monitors about 80 toxic substances found in our drinking water including:

• Trihalomethanes (THMs)—Chlorine is commonly used to fight microbial contamination, but the chlorine can react with organic matter and create Trihalomethanes—a carcinogen.
• Heavy metals like mercury—a known neurotoxin 
• Asbestos—which causes lung cancer and mesothelioma 
• Pesticides like atrazine—a reproductive and immune system toxin
• Plastics like styrene—which is associated with increased risk of cancer

Depending on where you live, your municipal tap water can contain any or all of the following toxic substances:

• Bacteria, viruses and parasites
• Chlorine and chloramines
• Heavy metals, asbestos, nitrates and nitrites
• Solvents, pesticides, plastics and resins
• Radio nucleotides such as radium and uranium
• Fluoride

Other waters

Note that there are other sources of water, but they too have their drawbacks:

Well water can be very high in helpful minerals like iron, zinc, selenium, magnesium and calcium.  But it can also contain heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides and hydrocarbons (gasoline by-products). 

 

Spring water may have some chlorine added as a disinfectant, but it’s generally minimally processed and has a vastly different taste from tap.  Like well water, it can be a source of minerals, but also contaminants.

Bottled water is filtered through processes which could include reverse osmosis, ultraviolet light, distillation, micron filtration and ozonation. Water bottlers may also use chlorine for purification. 

Filtered water (or purified water) involves the removal of harmful components of water by carbon filtration, reverse osmosis or distillation. 

Here are the two main sources of home water, what contaminants they may contain, and what each type of filter removes:

Content	Tap Water	Well or spring	Solid carbon filter	Reverse Osmosis	Distillation
Chlorine	Yes	Not always	Removes	Not removed	Removes
Fluoride	If added	Natural if at all	Not removed	Removes	Removes
Bacteria	Sometimes	Possibly	Removes	Removes	Removes
Parasites	Possibly	Possibly	Removes	Removes	Removes
Pesticides	Yes	Likely	Removes	Removes	Removes
Solvents	Likely	Possibly	Removes	Not removed	Not removed
Heavy metals	Yes	Likely	Possibly removed	Removes	Removes
Basic minerals	Yes	Likely	Not removed	Removes	Removes

So what do you drink?

Clearly it’s preferable to drink water that you either know is pure (through having it tested—such as with well or spring water) or water with some kind of filtration, whether that’s bottled or through home filtration. 

That being said, in addition to drinking your water, you can also…

Eat your water

Fresh fruits and vegetables not only give your body much-needed nutrients, but they’re a great source of water (and fiber too!).

At least half of what’s on your plate should be fresh fruits and vegetables. 

And if you want some great ideas on how to enjoy water-rich foods, Great Taste No Pain is your ticket.  (Or for gluten sensitive people, Great Taste No Gluten.)

Both systems give you a collection of positively delicious recipes (many that feature natural sources of water like fresh fruits and vegetables) that will make you love every bite of eating for great health.

Plus both systems show you what foods to pair together (as well as which food combinations to avoid) to help encourage more sound, thorough digestion and better absorption of nutrients. 

Help your body recover from tap water

Dangerous substances you take in with contaminated water (including tap water) not only can make you ill, but they wreak havoc with your intestinal flora too.

The friendly bacteria in your system assist with digestion, house most of your immune system and keep harmful bacteria under control.  But when they are undermined by dangerous toxins, they can’t do their important jobs…and your health can suffer as a result.

 

A strong intestinal environment is one where friendly beneficial bacteria outnumber the harmful bacteria—the ideal balance being at least 85 percent helpful bacteria and 15 percent or less unfriendly inhabitants. 

A nutritious diet can help encourage this healthy balance, but since so many other factors (like stress, medications, toxins, smoking and inadequate sleep) can throw off your flora balance, diet may not always be enough.

That’s why probiotic supplementation with Super Shield can be helpful to so many people.

Super Shield contains potent strains of 13 friendly bacteria species that help to repopulate your supply of intestinal good guys and support their efforts in keeping your immune system sharp, supporting digestion and keeping harmful inhabitants in check.

Water is truly your elixir of life.

So be sure to not only get enough for your needs, but help make it health-enhancing (not health-harming), get food sources of water, and of course help your gut recover from the effects of contaminated water so it can continue to protect you.

To your health,

Sherry Brescia