Tag Archives: drinking water

California Shuts Down Wastewater Injection Wells Over Water Contamination Fears

There are many environmental concerns connected to the proliferation of domestic gas and oil drilling. One specific concern is the spread of chemicals used in the drilling process into drinking water aquifers.

California has taken notice and shut down the activities of gas and oil companies aquifers in Central Valley over fears that they may have contaminated aquifers with fracking fluids and other toxic waste from drilling operations. The state’s Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources earlier this month ordered seven energy companies to stop injecting wastewater in certain wells, claiming that the practice “poses danger to life, health, property, and natural resources.”

ProPublica has the full scoop:

The problem is that at least 100 of the state’s aquifers were presumed to be useless for drinking and farming because the water was either of poor quality, or too deep underground to easily access. Years ago, the state exempted them from environmental protection and allowed the oil and gas industry to intentionally pollute them. But not all aquifers are exempted, and the system amounts to a patchwork of protected and unprotected water resources deep underground. Now, according to the cease and desist orders issued by the state, it appears that at least seven injection wells are likely pumping waste into fresh water aquifers protected by the law, and not other aquifers sacrificed by the state long ago.

“The aquifers in question with respect to the orders that have been issued are not exempt,” said Ed Wilson, a spokesperson for the California Department of Conservation in an email.

A 2012 ProPublica investigation of more than 700,000 injection wells across the country found that wells were often poorly regulated and experienced high rates of failure, outcomes that were likely polluting underground water supplies that are supposed to be protected by federal law. That investigation also disclosed a little-known program overseen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that exempted more than 1,000 other drinking water aquifers from any sort of pollution protection at all, many of them in California.

Those are the aquifers at issue today. The exempted aquifers, according to documents the state filed with the U.S. EPA in 1981 and obtained by ProPublica, were poorly defined and ambiguously outlined. They were often identified by hand-drawn lines on a map, making it difficult to know today exactly which bodies of water were supposed to be protected, and by which aspects of the governing laws. Those exemptions and documents were signed by California Gov. Jerry Brown, who also was governor in 1981.

State officials emphasized to ProPublica that they will now order water testing and monitoring at the injection well sites in question. To date, they said, they have not yet found any of the more regulated aquifers to have been contaminated.

We at Evolution Healthworks understand that there’s a growing problem with water contamination across the country. Check out our solutions to ensure you and your loved ones are getting the healthiest water.

Drinking Water? You Still Might Be Dehydrated

Staying hydrated is important, especially during the heat of summer. Even if you drink a lot of water, though, other factors might be working against you.

If you’re under a lot of stress, the adrenal glands that pump out stress hormones become exhausted, causing dehydration and low electrolyte levels. While upping fluid intake can help, limiting stressors is the best long-term solution.
If you don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables, you’re not getting the water they bring along with them. Fill up half your plate at each meal with produce — it could give you an extra cup of water a day.
Some prescription medications can cause dehydration as a side effect. Many medications act as diuretics, which increase urine output and a risk of dehydration.
Eliminating carbs from your diet can decrease the number on a scale, but it could lead to dehydration, too. Carbs such as oatmeal, whole grain pasta and brown rice soak up water during the cooking process, which can increase hydration levels.
Any type of workout can lead to dehydration. If you are sweating out more than you are drinking water, there is a risk of dehydration. Health.com says to weigh yourself before and after exercise and for every pound lost, drink 16 to 20 ounces of water.
Taking certain kinds of dietary supplements can send you to the bathroom more often, causing a loss of fluids. To combat dehydration, speak with a nutritionist or doctor about any potential side effects.
As you age, it gets harder to stay hydrated and harder to tell whether you’re really thirsty. Keep a bottle of water near you at all times and, each day, keep a running total of how much you’ve consumed.

Pharmaceuticals In Our Drinking Water: Where Do They Come From and What Are The Effects?

According to a study released by the Mayo Clinic earlier this year, nearly 70 percent of Americans take some sort of prescription drug. This is up from 48 percent just a few years ago in 2007-2008. As it turns out, the increased popularity of prescription drugs is having an effect on our nation’s water quality.

How do pharmaceutical drugs get in our drinking water?

Pharmaceutical drugs get into our drinking water in three main ways. Many people flush their old and unused pharmaceuticals down their toilets and sinks, which allows the drugs to end up in our water supplies. In addition, trace amounts of pharmaceuticals end up in our urine, which adds the drugs to wastewater and eventually back to our water supplies. Another way in which we can get these pharmaceuticals back into our systems, is fish and other sea creatures absorbing them, and then humans eating them.

Are pharmaceutical drugs monitored in our drinking water?

There are currently no regulations that require water treatment plants to test for or monitor the levels of pharmaceuticals in our drinking water. We do know, however, that these drugs are making it past our treatment plants and into the water in our homes.

According to a study published by the EPA, more than half of the nation’s water supplies that were sampled tested positive for oxycodone, high-blood pressure medications, over-the-counter drugs (Tylenol, Ibuprofen, etc.) and more.

What are the health effects of consuming pharmaceuticals in drinking water?

It is currently unclear how pharmaceuticals in drinking water affect our health. However, it is a growing concern among scientists and health officials. What we do know is that hormones work at very low concentrations in the human body, which suggests that the drugs can affect our bodies even though they show up in low concentrations in our water. In addition, the increase of pharmaceuticals in water has been affecting the hormones and reproductive process of the fish in our water supplies.

If you’re concerned about the health effects of pharmaceuticals in your water, your best defense is to install a EVOLUTION WHOLE HOME SYSTEM or a A URA ALKALINE WATER FILTER. Both of these residential water treatment systems will remove the traces of pharmaceuticals from the water you consume in your home.

Dangers of Fluoride in Drinking Water to Bottle-Fed Babies

On March 22nd 2014, organizers at Clean Water California held a march and rally in downtown San Francisco urging local water companies and health officials to issue public warnings about the dangers of using fluoridated tap water for baby formula. Their concern stems from the fact that most Bay Area water districts encourage the consumption of tap water, yet do not inform parents that tap water fluoride levels could be harmful to newborns and infants which are more sensitive to this harsh chemical.

Water fluoridation is the practice of adding fluoride chemicals to municipal city tap water for the purpose of preventing tooth decay. This is a very controversial practice since fluoride can be toxic and any dental health benefits that come from ingesting it through drinking water have been largely inconclusive. In fact, some recent studies have associated fluoridated water with reduced IQ in children making it a possible neurotoxin that can damage young developing brains similar to lead and mercury. Parents that use tap water to make formula are often not aware that basic activated carbon water filters, faucet mount filters or boiling water methods do not remove fluoride or that babies are much more susceptible to harm.

According to the Fluoride Action Network, infants receive up to 400% more fluoride per pound of body weight, than adults consuming the same level of fluoride in water. Their underdeveloped kidneys can only excrete 15-20% of the chemical whereas adults can excrete more than 50%. In fact, any chemical, microbial or heavy metal contaminants in the water will be much more harmful to the growth and developmental health of not only babies, but also toddlers and young children, and should be removed. Fortunately there are water filtration systems that can do just that.

We at Evolution Healthworks make the AURA ALKALINE WATER FILTER which is designed to remove the contaminants including Fluoride, and unlike other systems, the water is then remineralized to make the healthiest drinking water. The filter, is application specific, meaning it is tailored to fit your home’s exact contaminant levels and remove them.
Fluoride is a dangerous compound, and whether it is ingested or absorbed through the skin, the compound accumulates in the body and regardless of whether you’re a toddler, child, adult, or senior can cause numerous health problems such as dental fluorosis, arthritis, and reduced thyroid function. We recommend everyone to learn more about the benefits of removing fluoride from the water, especially those who have an infant or young child in the home.

10 Ways To Reduce Water Usage And Save Money This Summer

Filtered mineral water directly from the tap

Check out these 10 Ways to reduce water usage this summer and be sure to share them with friends and family!

Reduce water usage in your morning routine – Keep a timer in your bathroom. Set your timer to 8 minutes each time you shower. This will remind you to get out of the shower faster, saving you time, water and money.
Buy low-flow and water-efficient appliances – If you are in the market for new appliances, buy low-flow and water-efficient appliances. These will save you money in the long run. (i.e. A front-loading washing machine, uses 40-60% less water than top-loading machines)
Place a jar into your toilet tank – Placing a jar or closed container full of water into your toilet tank will reduce the amount of water used by your toilet.
Install low-flow shower heads and sink spigots – Installing a low-flow shower heads and sink spigots lower your water usage.
Run your dishwasher only when it is full – When running the dishwasher, make sure it’s full to get the maximum use per drop. There’s no need to pre-rinse, since most of today’s models can handle any kind of grime.
Check and repair any leaky pipes and faucets – The tiniest leak has far greater impact on water usage than you would think.
Don’t pour oil or other toxic liquids into the sink – One gallon of oil reaching the sewer can contaminate one million gallons of fresh water.
Reduce water use in your own yard – Try collecting rainwater by placing containers at the end of each gutter. It’s perfect for watering your garden. Water your lawn or garden in the morning or the evening when the water will evaporate less rapidly, and limit pesticide use, as they will eventually be carried into our freshwater supply by runoff. Even more, get rid of your grass completely and replace it with rock or low water plants.
Wash your car at a car wash instead of doing it yourself – A car wash typically uses about 32 gallons of water per vehicle, but the EPA estimates that washing it yourself can use up to 500 gallons of water.
Take advantage of recreation opportunities on local lakes and rivers, and learn about the wildlife they support – It will help you understand what we could lose if we don’t manage our water wisely.

How To Encourage Your Children To Drink Water

In today’s age, sugary and sweet drinks are ubiquitous, especially in advertising on children’s shows. Sugary drinks have been tied to health problems such as diabetes, obesity, and attention disorders. While it’s not deemed as “cool” as some of its sugary drink counterparts, water keeps your body hydrated without the negative side effects.

Check Out These Five Benefits of Drinking Water

The British Government’s Chief Obesity Advisor, Professor Susan Jebb, issued guidance saying that parents should introduce strict rules about sugary drinks – limiting juice to one small glass a day with breakfast, and making water the mainstay.

So how can you persuade your children to kick the sugar habit? Here are 8 tips from The Telegraph

Make it fun

Put water in an attractive cup (children love having cups with brightly colored animal pictures or favorite TV characters on), add a novelty straw, use amusingly-shaped ice cubes, or add pretty pieces of fruit like strawberries. This might not persuade cynical adults to up their H20 intake, but is an easy to way to make water appeal to younger children.

Limit their options

Don’t stock your fridge with with fizzy sodas and colorful fruit juices – if you want them, but don’t want your kids to drink them, put the bottles somewhere they can’t see them. But it’s probably best to clear the offending items from the house altogether: children are rather good at tracking down hidden treats, and it’s best to be a be a role model. If they see you drinking water, they’re more likely to follow.

Water first, treats after

If you do want to let your children have fizzy drinks on occasion, encourage them to drink a big glass of water beforehand – once they’ve quenched their thirst, they are much less likely to binge on the sugary stuff.

Explain the benefits

Preaching the virtues of water might sound like a sure way to put your children off it forever, but kids are often genuinely interested in the human body. Take them to the library and get some books on how the body works and nutrition. Teach them how important it is to stay hydrated – even a grumpy teenager might decide to dump the cola if they realize it’s giving them acne.

Take small steps to improve the taste

Depending on where you live, water straight from the tap can be an unappealing prospect. Cold drinks are often more attractive to kids, especially in summer, so freeze your children’s water bottles before school (they’ll have defrosted by lunch) and stick a jug in the fridge that they can access. Filtered water might also taste a little better, while adding lemon and lime slices can add a fruity flavor with far less sugar than squash or juice.

Make it available

The best thing you to can do to encourage your children to drink water is to make it accessible. If they’re playing outside, give them bottles; at dinnertime, put a big jug on the table. If everyone in the family is drinking water constantly, they’ll get used to topping their water levels up.

Keep it positive

Resist the temptation to nag, or to focus on the fact that you want the kids to have water instead of sugary drinks. Encourage them to think about the health benefits, and treat drinking water as a normal part of the day, rather than as a chore.

Make changes gradual

It’s probably a bad idea to throw all the sugary drinks into the trash overnight and announce the next day it’s a water-only house. Start by making sugary drinks an occasional or weekend treat, rather than an everyday habit, serve them in slightly smaller glasses and offer your children the less-bad options, like weak squash instead of fizzy drinks. At the same time, introduce jugs of water to the house. If your child is really fussy, start watering down their juice or squash a little more every day, until eventually they are drinking straight water.

Algae Invade Southern California Drinking Water

myFOXla.com: Residents in a number of inland areas are dealing with some seriously stinky water, the result of a summer algae bloom in a state reservoir.

Silverwood Lake, the highest elevation reservoir in the state water project is suffering from an abundance of blue-green algae caused by warmer temperatures, possibly the result of global climate change.

The algae makes the water from the reservoir smell and taste musty during the heat of summer, according to the Metropolitan Water District.

Affected areas include Claremont, La Verne, Walnut, Diamond Bar, Rowland Heights, Upland, Chino, Chino Hills, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, Riverside, Corona, Norco, Eastvale, Jurupa Valley, Lake Elsinore, Hemet, Perris, Murrieta and Temecula.

The MWD says there is no health risk from drinking the water, although it may be somewhat unpleasant.

The Department of Water Resources is planning to spot treat the reservoir this Thursday and Friday with a form of hydrogen peroxide which will neutralize the overgrowth.

While the water is safe to drink, some water agencies are recommending refrigerating the water to get rid of some of the nasty smell and taste.

What Are the Effects of Algae In Your Water?

Blue-green algae, otherwise known as cyanobacteria or “pond scum,” are microscopic organisms that thrive in pools of standing water when exposed to sunlight during the warmer months of the year. Although they are not typically seen in homes, they are common in ponds and other standing bodies of water. Unfortunately in this case, they have thrived in the reservoir from which we get our drinking water.

Visible Effects

Algae can cause drinking water to change color, but in most cases it is undetectable. Only in extreme situations will the blue-green or yellowish-brown tint of an algae infestation become visible in faucet water. Algae-infested water may also produce scum.

Algae in drinking water don’t give off an odor until the problem is quite severe. In such situations, according to the government of New Brunswick, it will smell like freshly cut grass; in extreme cases, it will cause drinking water to smell like sewage or garbage.

While not all algae produce toxins, it is not easy to tell the nontoxic type from the more dangerous algae. Toxic chemicals released by algae can lead to a number of health problems. If too much is ingested, it can kill animals. According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, humans who drink water poisoned by algae toxins can experience a litany of health issues. This includes long-term problems with the liver, digestive and nervous systems, including liver cancer. Other issues that can come up include headaches, sore throat, fever, vomiting and diarrhea. Contact with the algae toxins on the skin can lead to hives and rashes.

Checkout our Aura H2O Water Filter which can remove these harmful microorganisms from your drinking water. Our filter uses a 14-step, 3 phase filtration technology that removes the contaminants and remineralizes your water, producing the certified healthiest water possible.

Source: Ehow

How Do Nitrates Get In My Drinking Water? What Are The Effects?

Nitrates are one of the most well known, but dangerous contaminants commonly found in drinking water. It is particularly problematic for vulnerable individuals such as infants and pregnant women.

How do nitrates get in my drinking water?

Nitrates are chemical compounds made up of nitrogen and oxygen. Nitrogen and Oxygen are naturally found in soil, and are absorbed by plants as a source of nutrients. However, nitrates can also be created from various human and agricultural activities such as mining and commercial farming.

Excess nitrates are formed when microorganisms break down things like fertilizers, manure, sewage and the residue from septic tank leaks. When there are too many nitrates in the soil for plants to absorb, water runoff can move those nitrates into groundwater and surface water supplies (and eventually into our drinking water). For example, nitrates placed on corn field runoff into nearby stream, which then either are moved into rivers or sink farther down into the groundwater.

What are the health effects of nitrates in drinking water?

Infants: Infants are the most prone to experiencing health problems from nitrates in drinking water. Nitrate consumption can lead to the possibly life-threatening disease, methemoglobinemia, better known as blue baby syndrome.
Pregnant women and people with reduced stomach acidity: In addition to infants, pregnant women and people with reduced stomach acidity are also prone to methemoglobinemia from nitrate exposure.
Healthy adults: Although healthy adults are less susceptible to health problems from short-term exposure to nitrates in drinking water, prolonged exposure to high levels of nitrates has been linked to gastric problems due to the formations of nitrosamines.

Our Aura H2O Filter can effectively remove nitrates and other contaminants such as fluoride and chlorine from your drinking water.

Source: Colorado State University Extension

3 Reasons Never to Drink Bottled Water Again

What if you could buy something for pennies on the gallon and sell it for hundreds of times its cost? This is precisely what the bottled water industry continues to do every day, to the tune of every-increasing profits.

Majestic peaks, serene rivers, sparkling water droplets. You’ve seen the labels on bottled water; they suggest a pure product worth your two dollars a bottle. Bottled water marketing campaigns make wildly exaggerated claims about purity and freshness. Contrary to what bottled water giants want you to think, tests on leading brands of bottled water suggest a dirtier truth.

Hereare 3 reasons never to drink bottled water again:

1. Bottled water is not safe

Studies by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and a report by the FDA determined that most bottled water is simply repackaged tap water. This tap water is often filtered with reverse osmosis, stripping it of healthy trace minerals leading to possible mineral deficiencies and other complications.

1 in 5 bottles contain illegal levels of chemicals that can cause disease and other complications over time. Where do these contaminants come from? According to the EWG study, some of the contaminants come from pollutants commonly found in tap water. Others can be traced to the plastic bottles housing the water. Phthalates, chemicals known to disrupt testosterone and other hormones, leach into bottled water while they sit on grocery store shelves.

Thanks to a high-dollar lobbying campaign by the bottled water industry, there is no legal limit on the amount of phthalates in bottled water. Silencing groups looking out for your health is obviously a chief concern for bottled water companies.

FIVE BENEFITS OF DRINKING WATER

How does such dangerous water make it onto store shelves? Cunning distribution practices by beverage companies help bottled water evade regulation. 70% of bottled water never crosses state lines, making it exempt from FDA oversight and putting you at risk of whatever contaminants are lurking in your water bottles.

2) Bottled water is a rip off

Bottled water companies have created a beautiful money-making machine. $1 bottles of your favorite brand of water cost just below 6 cents per ounce, twice as much as it costs to fill up at the gas station and thousands of times more than the cost of tap water. Why do people continue to spend so freely on bottled water? Behold the power of marketing.

3) Bottled water hurts the environment

Water bottles are recyclable, but we aren’t very good at recycling them. 38 billion (yes, billion) water bottles are wasted every year, according to an article in Fast Company magazine. It’s important to note that an unknown amount of these bottles never make it to landfills. Massive eddies of plastic trash are trapped in our oceans indefinitely, posing great harm to marine life.

It’s no secret that bottled water produces a lot of waste, but there are a variety of other effects damaging the Earth. According to Food and Water Watch, plastic production eats up more than 40 million gallons of oil per year, enough to fuel 1.5 million cars for a year. Also, plastic decays very slowly, meaning the vast majority of all plastics ever produced still exist somewhere in the environment.

What can you do?

Stop buying bottled water today. Glass or stainless steel bottles are much safer and don’t affect the environment. Evolution Healthworks offers our Evolution Drink Safe, a 750 mL glass container which can help keep our environment and your water as clean as possible.

Is Your Shower Water Making You Sick?

The condition of the water we drink, bathe in, and with which we cook is crucial to our health.

Many people know about the dangers of pathogens or major contaminants in our drinking water, but the voluntary addition of chemicals such as chlorine by local governments can also affect our well being.

Chlorine is used in public water supplies around the country to eliminate pathogens such as viruses and bacteria from our water. Despite the benefits, chemical disinfectants like chlorine can have damaging effects on our bodies.

When local governments use chlorine as a water treatment, the chemical combines with natural organic matter to form compounds called trihalomethanes (THMs), also known as disinfectant byproducts. These compounds are toxic when consumed, inhaled, or applied to the skin and can have lasting negative affects.

Research conducted on the health effects of chlorinated drinking water demonstrate a variety of toxicity issues.

Several studies have found that communities using chlorinated or chloraminated drinking water have an increased risk of bladder, kidney, and rectal cancers. (Via NIH )
THMs from chemically treated water have been associated with a variety of poor birth outcomes, such as spontaneous abortion, birth defects, and low birth weight. (Via NIH)
Chlorine and chloramine vapors are associated with greater risk of asthma and may damage the mucosal lining of the respiratory tract. (Via Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
Freeradicals in chlorinated water have been linked to liver malfunction, weakening of the immune system and pre-arteriosclerotic changes in arteries. (Via Orthomolecular)

The compounds in disinfected water may be able to reach the gut not only through our drinking water, but also through daily showers and baths. A recent post at the Food Renegade blog emphasized this idea, not only highlighting the harmful effects of chlorinated drinking water, but emphasizing the possibly greater effect that showers and baths could have on our intestinal flora. As we know, there’s a strong connection between asthma, acne, autoimmune conditions and the health of our gut flora. With all of this, its fair to think that a microbial imbalance within the body is made worse by all of the chlorine exposure.

Showering and bathing in chlorinated water may expose us to even more chlorine and its byproducts than drinking disinfected water.

While our bodies can filter out some of the chlorine from our drinking water, the THMs and other disinfectant byproducts we inhale during showers and baths may be much more harmful, since the chlorine gas we inhale enters directly into our blood stream. It’s especially easy for our skin to absorb the chemical as hot showers open up the pores (Via Global Healing Center).

Even if you filter your drinking water, the amount of toxins you are exposed to from your daily shower or bath, through inhalation or skin absorption, may be cause for greater concern.

3 WAYS WATER CAN GIVE YOU RADIANT, YOUTHFUL SKIN

Research has demonstrated that the cancer risk associated with chlorinated water may actually be due to showering and bathing, rather than drinking the disinfected water (Via Oxford Journals). This implies that many of the risks to our health from chlorine and other disinfectants and there byproducts may be related to exposure via inhalation or on the skin, and not limited to solely drinking. A single chloroform dose from a 10-minute shower is equal to, and possibly greater than, that from the average two liters of water ingestion on a daily basis.

Improving the filtration of your shower and bath is just as important as the water you drink for these reasons.

Chlorine isn’t the only disinfectant of concern for people. Its derivative, chloramine can also cause a lot of harm. Chloramine exposure may be even more damaging to the linings of the lung than chlorine, and may release ammonia as another toxic byproduct as well.

The filters that remove chlorine don’t necessarily remove chloramine.

Chloramine can be removed for drinking water purposes by our Aura Alkaline Water Filter. This filter can give you the certified healthiest drinking water, free from pollutants such as pathogens, heavy metals, and chlorine.

There are no shower filters on the market that completely remove chloramine. The disadvantage to using them is they’re not as durable or effective as a whole house filtration system, and you would need a separate filter for each shower outlet in the house.

There are, however, whole house water filters that remove chlorine, chloramine, and other contaminants. Our Whole Home Water Conditioner ensures that every drop of your water in your home, is the purest healthiest water on the planet. Works to removes cancer-causing chlorine and other volatile organic compounds from the water in your home.

3 Ways Water Gives You Radiant, Youthful Skin

If you’ve ever flipped through a women’s magazine, you’re very familiar with advertisements touting an array of products to give you the perfect skin. While certain products can help give you healthy skin, there is no arguing that the number one factor in your skin’s health is water.

Here’s3 ways water gives you radiant, youthful skin.

1. Make sure you’re drinking ENOUGH water

Your skin is an organ. It’s actually your biggest organ (remember elementary school Science class?), and organs are made up of cells, which are made up of water. Simply put, if you don’t drink enough water, these cells will die, leaving you with dry, flaky skin which leads to wrinkles.

Also, your skin is the body’s last priority. When you drink water, your body sends water to the most important organs first. Since your skin is the least important (functionally… aesthetically, we know it’s important) organ, it is your body’s last priority. This makes it that much more important to stay hydrated at all times if you want to keep your skin looking and feeling good.

2. Make sure you’re drinking the RIGHT water

You understand that you’re supposed to drink water for healthy skin, so head to the tap and fill up, right? WRONG.

It’s crucial that you are drinking only healthy, filtered water with vital minerals.

Trust me on this one, your skin will thank you. Let me explain…

Your skin cells are full of toxins. Drinking water helps to flush your skin cells (and the rest of the cells in your body) of these toxins. The problem here is that the majority of tap water in the U.S. is full of pollutants and contaminants.

So you should just drink bottled water, right? No! A study by the National Resources Defense Council found that bottled water is often no more than just tap water with a fancy label.

Do your skin a favor and make it’s detoxifying job easier by drinking water from a filtration system.

3. Be careful what you put ON your skin

Your skin doesn’t only depend on the water you drink, it also reacts to the water in which you bathe. For the same reasons that water from the tap can be dangerous to drink, it can also be harmful to shower in.

You see, your local government adds chlorine and other chemicals to the water supply to disinfect it, but this creates byproducts that can dry out your skin. That’s not all though, it gets worse.

If you take hot showers (of course you do), you know that it creates steam. If you breathe during your hot showers (of course you do), you’re inhaling these chemical byproducts directly into your lungs. Also, your pores open up and absorb these toxins into your skin.

Whenever you’re done shuddering about that last paragraph, read on and I’ll tell you how to fix this issue. Consider a Whole-Home Water System to remove chemical byproducts and other nasty substances from entering your home.

Five Benefits Of Drinking Water

Chances are you’ve heard the mantra, “Drink 8 glasses of water a day.” This is certainly not a bad daily goal as water is crucial for life and when you consider that our bodies are made up of 60% water, you can see that drinking water is essential to good health.

Water should be thought of as an essential nutrient for your body. There are ways in which
to get your “water fix” that include drinking glasses of it, consuming it in other liquids and in water-centric foods (think watermelon as an example). Your body loses large amounts of water daily and it’s crucial that you take steps to replace and replenish it.

Dehydration can occur if you don’t replace the fluids your body loses, and this happens even more quickly in warmer climates and when you’re undertaking vigorous activity. Water can help keep our minds sharp, our skin clear and our organs functioning optimally.

Here are five ways, and reasons, to make certain you’re getting enough water to keep your body health:

Water can help you control your weight. Eating water-based foods or eating soup can help with calorie control because these foods can help you feel fuller and therefore eat less. Dieters have long understood the benefit of drinking water as a way to control weight.
If you drink water you will help your body maintain a balance of its fluids. Digestion, circulation, saliva creation, transporting nutrients and regulating your body temperature will occur. If your body is low on fluids your brain will tell you that you’re thirsty. Listen to your body and grab a drink. Remember, even though coffee and many sodas are made with water, they also contain caffeine and sugars and that could lead to sleeplessness and weight gain (from the sugars in the soda)
Keep your muscles strong and energized by drinking water. Water helps your body maintain its electrolytes and keep your muscles from becoming fatigued. Even if you’re exercising in a swimming pool, you could still become dehydrated and your muscles could become fatigued. Drink up during work outs.
Your skin will look better if you drink plenty of fluids. Because your skin contains a lot of water and because your skin is the protective barrier to the rest of your body it’s important that you drink plenty of water. Drinking water won’t make wrinkles disappear, but if you’re dehydrated your skin will look more wrinkled and dry; staying hydrated will simply make your skin look healthier.
Your kidneys transport waste and toxins out of your body’s cells and drinking plenty of water will help your kidneys perform their function. If you’re not drinking enough, you will notice your urine is dark and could have an odor — this is a sign that you need to up your liquid intake so that your urine is light in color and odor free. Drinking plenty of water could also help prevent your body forming kidney stones — a painful by product of dehydration.

How can you get more water:

Get in the habit of having a beverage (a glass of water) with every meal and snack.
Eat more fruits and vegetables. Many of them have a high water content and this will add to your water intake. Consider, too that close to 25% of your fluid intake comes from food.
Make sure you are drinking beverages that you like. If you are “forcing” yourself to drink something you don’t like, you won’t stick with it. If you like the idea of water, but find it “boring” consider adding a few drops of lemon or lime juice to it.
Don’t leave home without a beverage — preferably a bottle of water.
If you’re looking to cut calories, make certain your beverages are low in sugar

Tag Archives: drinking water

California Shuts Down Wastewater Injection Wells Over Water Contamination Fears

Drinking Water? You Still Might Be Dehydrated

Pharmaceuticals In Our Drinking Water: Where Do They Come From and What Are The Effects?

How do pharmaceutical drugs get in our drinking water?

Are pharmaceutical drugs monitored in our drinking water?

What are the health effects of consuming pharmaceuticals in drinking water?

Dangers of Fluoride in Drinking Water to Bottle-Fed Babies

10 Ways To Reduce Water Usage And Save Money This Summer

Reduce water usage in your morning routine – Keep a timer in your bathroom. Set your timer to 8 minutes each time you shower. This will remind you to get out of the shower faster, saving you time, water and money.

Buy low-flow and water-efficient appliances – If you are in the market for new appliances, buy low-flow and water-efficient appliances. These will save you money in the long run. (i.e. A front-loading washing machine, uses 40-60% less water than top-loading machines)

Place a jar into your toilet tank – Placing a jar or closed container full of water into your toilet tank will reduce the amount of water used by your toilet.

Install low-flow shower heads and sink spigots – Installing a low-flow shower heads and sink spigots lower your water usage.

Run your dishwasher only when it is full – When running the dishwasher, make sure it’s full to get the maximum use per drop. There’s no need to pre-rinse, since most of today’s models can handle any kind of grime.

Check and repair any leaky pipes and faucets – The tiniest leak has far greater impact on water usage than you would think.

Don’t pour oil or other toxic liquids into the sink – One gallon of oil reaching the sewer can contaminate one million gallons of fresh water.

Wash your car at a car wash instead of doing it yourself – A car wash typically uses about 32 gallons of water per vehicle, but the EPA estimates that washing it yourself can use up to 500 gallons of water.

Take advantage of recreation opportunities on local lakes and rivers, and learn about the wildlife they support – It will help you understand what we could lose if we don’t manage our water wisely.