Water: Think Beyond Your Tap
This post is long and has been a long time coming. Apologies to those who have been waiting - who would have thunk that water was so complicated? And, this is written is for an English audience - America is lucky enough to have a multitude of incredible fresh springs, and companies harvesting and supplying untreated raw water like Tourmaline Springs (all other companies pass their waters through filers and UV lights etc). I know there has been some disparagement of 'raw water' in the press - this is uninformed.
All Water Is Not Created Equal
Unless you are blessed with access to clean, natural spring water, it's crucial that you are filtering and re-structuring municipal (or well) water. While I still believe that modern plumbing is one of the greatest inventions ever, I do not recommend drinking straight from the tap."I drink bottled water!" you say. While the original water in many bottles might have been excellent at source i.e. Evian, Volvic, Fuji and Voss, by the time it has been shipped to your local shop, stagnated on a shelf awhile and leached a little plastic, it is no longer optimal. And then there's the problem with plastic.. So I hope this post inspires you to rethink how you are hydrating, particularly if you live in a city. The average adult human consists of 45-65% water, so we really are what we drink. We always have juicing as a hydrating option of course (the 'structured' water in vegetables and vegetable juice is more 'intelligent' than anything you'll find in your mains supply) but that doesn't make a good cup of tea now does it?Earlier this year I moved house. Again. After doing a little research into portable systems, I purchased a Zero water filtration jug. From the get-go I didn't like the taste or mouth-feel of the water, which meant that for days I didn't drink much cold water while I was at home. I only used the zero water for making tea and I was constantly thirsty - despite daily juicing and my customary awesome diet. The jug is now gathering dust in a drawer.So I dug into water research for again. You see, Zero does what it says on the tin - it strips everything out of the water - the good and the bad - leaving you with something close to distilled water. Reverse Osmosis (RO) and distilled water are not live waters. Yes, they are clean H2O, but this liquid is not recognised by your body - distilled water is great for steam irons, but not for humans. Adding inorganic minerals (you'll notice them being promoted on a common shopping website under the Zero jug) to raise the pH or alkalise it is not the answer - because inorganic minerals will only cause sediment buildup in the body, regardless of the immediate mouth feel. (The same applies to water softeners).If you already have RO or distilled water, manual ways to make wetter water include adding a pinch of sea salt and/or lemon juice to your water and giving it a good shake or spin. The idea is to get the water moving and to reshape the molecules using some kind of a vortex device (yay more gadgets) this revitaliser jug or an in-line (above) pipe to restructure the water. Or you could do this :)Many people drink lots of water, yet are constantly thirsty. Pouring water into your mouth does not guarantee that it reaches were it needs to go! I hear this complaint all the time - that the water swills around in the tummy feeling sloshy and heavy.
So What Are Our Drinking Options?
BASIC: At the bare minimum, we want to be using a Brita style filter jug. And changing the filter way more often than is recommended. Never use tap water in your kettle - boiling water does not remove the chlorine, fluoride, cocaine, weed killers, pesticides, heavy metals, flame retardants, car emissions, contraceptive pill, antibiotics and antidepressants in your tap water. I was in a little mockumentary on Channel 4 in 2007 in which I listed the chemicals found in London tap water. I don't recommend watching it, it's a poorly edited hack job - I mention it because Channel 4 had three sets of lawyers triple check what I said before they could use that bit.UNDERCOUNTER filters or inline filtration such as Franke are great. Be sure to change the cartridges frequently enough.COUNTER TOP and TRAVEL: Next up we have Berkey - which I guess has become the gold standard. These are excellent filters. Simple and easy to use, these counter top filters need manually topping up. They deliver lovely pure water.UPDATE: I now have a Berkey and I love it. Make sure to get the fluoride filters too, and get a model larger than the travel size - it's just too small.If you are planning on staying in your house awhile, I'd go for an ionizer.
Microclustered Ionized Water
RESULTS: After all my research, a Microcluster Ioniser is still the best choice for city tap water. A water ionizer is a small device that first filters and purifies tap water and then passes it through an ionization chamber with platinum coated solid titanium plates. All alkaline elements in the water are drawn towards one plate, while all acid elements that are not captured by the filter are drawn to the other plate to be discarded or stored for washing. You drink the alkaline water and can use the acid water for skin care.It does four things:
Filters: First the water runs through a very fine activated charcoal filter to remove solid particles and microbes.
Alkalize: By eliminating every molecule of acid while retaining all alkaline minerals, it alkalizes the water with beneficial minerals. These alkaline elements serve two functions: they neutralize acids and thereby restore proper pH balance to the blood and tissues; and they mineralize the cells with beneficial alkaline minerals in ionized micro-cluster form.
Ionize: Electrolysis ionizes the water molecules as well as the minerals with an extra electron, giving them a negative charge and turning them into potent antioxidants that scavenge free radicals throughout the body. Negative ions also charge each water molecule with a strong anti-toxin properties that enable it to neutralize and carry away positively charged toxic molecules in the blood and tissues.
Microcluster: This technology also breaks the alkaline minerals and the water itself into smaller micro-clusters, so that they pass more easily and swiftly into the cells and tissues to hydrate, alkalize, mineralize, and detoxify the body. Ordinary water clumps in clusters of about 12 molecules each, while micro-water is restructured into clusters of only 5-6 molecules. Similarly, the alkaline ionized minerals are reduced into smaller molecular clusters, so that they too pass easily into the cells to re-mineralize them.
It comes down to this. It is a device which not only successfully filters chemicals out of the water, but also changes the cellular structure of the water making it softer and wetter. What is this wetter water you ask? Molecules baby!!In the same water that the molecules in cow's milk are too large for humans (goat and sheep milk have closer to human sized molecules), the size of large tap water molecules is the reason that water sits heavy in your body and does not hydrate you. Ionized water molecules are small and easily accessible - they hydrate you quickly and easily. You will feel it.Currently in UK we have Aviva Water, Energise Your Life and The Water Ionizer (who offer rentals only) supplying a variety of makes and models. If you own your own house and you're staying put awhile, I'd go all out and get an under the counter model. If you're renting or travelling, I'd recommend the smallest counter top model. (Models and prices change, so I won't name them here).I first heard about microcluster ionizers in Daniel Reid's The Tao of Detox, and then waited for years until they were available in England. The alkalinity of the water is adjustable - trust me you will feel it. It's incomparable - once you've had it, there is no going back. Make the investment."Water that is charged with negative ions functions as a potent antioxidant to scavenge free radicals and prevent degenerative damage to the cells and tissues; negative ions also neutralize all toxic substances in the bloodstream, because all toxins in the body take on a postive charge.Water that’s been been restructured into micro-cluster form passes easily through cell walls and tissue membranes, quickly hydrating the whole body and delivering essential nutrients into the cells, while also flushing out and carrying away toxic wastes. First the water runs through a very fine activated charcoal filter to remove solid particles and microbes, then it enters a chamber with two titanium plates that are coated with platinum. By the process of electrolysis, all alkaline minerals held in solution in the water are drawn towards one plate, while all the acid elements, such as chlorine, fluoride, and heavy metals, are drawn to the other plate. The acid water drains out an exit tube into the sink for disposal, and the alkaline water is dispensed through a spout for consumption." Daniel ReidFor more excellent information, read more at Detoxify Now.NB: There are excellent water ionizers being sold and used in countries with much dirtier tap water than in England. In these cases it is critical that the inflow is thoroughly pre-filtered prior to the ionizer. It is not enough to rely on the inbuilt filter to deal with typhoid, bacteria and larger soluble particles.Caveat: I do not and will not recommend any multi level marketing product. Kangen (Enagic) is one such product. Their prices are inflated because they are a MLM. I've heard people talking negativity about ionisers over the years. I've never been clear why - whether due to misunderstandings about the body's pH or due to unscrupulous sales reps (see above). BOTTLED WATER: Companies supplying good water in UK include Berrington, Minton and Stream Farm.SHOWERING AND BATHING: Please also consider filtering the water in your shower and bathtub. As we know, what we absorb through our skin is also important. Berkey have this model of inline filter or get some kind of an ionic shower head like this one from Rymerce. A bath ball faucet filter (I have no clue how effective these are) Best of all get a whole house system.By adding Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid or sodium ascorbate), Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) or magnesium crystals (magnesium chloride) and clays (grey, green, red or bentonite) to bath water, you can neutralise the detrimental qualities of chlorine."When chlorine is used as a water treatment, it combines with organic matter to form compounds called trihalomethanes (THMs), also known as disinfectant byproducts. One of the most common THMs formed is chloroform, which is a known carcinogen. (2) Other THMs formed include the di- and trichloramines formed when chloramine is used as a disinfecting agent. (3) These compounds are toxic when consumed, inhaled, or applied to the skin." Chris KesserIt's Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas loves! To your health and hydration xox