Day 206

Thoughts: Water. Things you wanted to know about water but didn't know who to ask.

I was in the supermarket the other day and down the aisle with water - there were numerous bottles to choose from - brands - spring water - distilled - purified. So what water is the best to drink? And is fluoride in our water really a good thing?

If you're starting to feel a little self-conscious about carrying around bottled water, join the crowd.

While consumption of bottled water continues to grow globally, concerns about the environmental impact of drinking bottled water are also on the rise, with green-thinking restaurants across the country taking it off their menus and pro-tap water campaigns gaining steam.

Tap water, however, has its own set of problems. Those contemplating making the shift may harbor fears about contaminants--not to mention the recent reports of trace amounts of pharmaceuticals being found in the drinking supplies of at least 41 million Americans.

We live on a blue planet covered with over 75% water and yet, less than 1% of this water is actually suitable for drinking. One out of six people in the world has no dependable, safe drinking water.

Americans spent more money last year on bottled water than on ipods or movie tickets: $15 Billion. Thirty years ago, bottled water barely existed as a business in the United States. Bottled water is the food phenomenon of our times.

We pitch into landfills 38 billion water bottles a year -- in excess of $1 billion worth of plastic.

24% of the bottled water we buy is tap water repackaged by Coke and Pepsi.


SELECTED WATERS TO WATCH

Master Choice (NY)
Heterotrophic-plate-count bacteria over 500 cfu/ml in some bottles

Odwalla Geothermal Natural Spring Water (CA)
Fluoride level in excess of California and FDA standard for warm weather areas

Poland Spring (DC)
Heterotrophic-plate-count bacteria over 500 cfu/ml guideline in some bottles; 1996 excess chlorine recall

Private Selection Drinking & Purified Waters (CA)
Trihalomethane levels above California and industry standards

Publix Drinking Water (FL)
Trihalomethanes above industry standard

Safeway Drinking Water & Purified Water & Club Soda & Select Seltzer & Spring Water (all CA) Trihalomethanes above California and industry standards

Vittel Mineral Water (CA)
Arsenic in excess of California, World Health Organization, and European Union standards

Volvic Natural Spring Water (CA)
Arsenic in excess of California, World Health Organization, and European Union standards

Alhambra Mountain Spring Water (CA)
Heterotrophic-plate-count bacteria in some bottles over 500 colony forming units/milliliter (cfu/ml) guideline

Appollinaris (CA)
Arsenic above California warning level

Black Mountain Fluoridated Water (CA)
Heterotrophic-plate-count bacteria over 500 cfu/ml guideline in some bottles; fluoride levels exceed FDA and California standards for warm weather areas

Crystal Geyser Alpine Spring Water (CA)
Arsenic in excess of California warning level and World Health Organization and European Union standards

Lady Lee Drinking Water (CA)
Trihalomethanes in excess of California and industry standards

Lucky Seltzer Water (CA)
Trihalomethanes in excess of California standards (and over industry standards, which don’t apply to seltzer)

WATERS TESTING CLEAN

Deer Park (DC, NY)
No contaminants of concern found in four tests

Naya (CA, NY)
No contaminants of concern found in four tests

Rocky Mountain Drinking Water (CA)
No contaminants of concern found in two tests

San Pelligrino (CA)
No contaminants of concern found in two tests

Vons Drinking Water (CA)
No contaminants of concern found in two tests

Vons Natural Spring Water (CA)
No contaminants of concern found in two tests

NRDC (Natural Resource Defense Council) did a study that included testing of more than 1,000 bottles of 103 brands of bottled water. While most of the tested waters were found to be of high quality, some brands were contaminated: about one-third of the waters tested contained levels of contamination - including synthetic organic chemicals, bacteria, and arsenic - in at least one sample that exceeded allowable limits under either state or bottled water industry standards or guidelines.

A key NRDC finding is that bottled water regulations are inadequate to assure consumers of either purity or safety, although both the federal government and the states have bottled water safety programs. At the national level, the Food and Drug Administration is responsible for bottled water safety, but the FDA's rules completely exempt waters that are packaged and sold within the same state, which account for between 60 and 70 percent of all bottled water sold in the United States (roughly one out of five states don't regulate these waters either). The FDA also exempts carbonated water and seltzer, and fewer than half of the states require carbonated waters to meet their own bottled water standards.

Even when bottled waters are covered by the FDA's rules, they are subject to less rigorous testing and purity standards than those which apply to city tap water. For example, bottled water is required to be tested less frequently than city tap water for bacteria and chemical contaminants. In addition, bottled water rules allow for some contamination by E. coli or fecal coliform (which indicate possible contamination with fecal matter), contrary to tap water rules, which prohibit any confirmed contamination with these bacteria. Similarly, there are no requirements for bottled water to be disinfected or tested for parasites such as cryptosporidium or giardia, unlike the rules for big city tap water systems that use surface water sources. This leaves open the possibility that some bottled water may present a health threat to people with weakened immune systems, such as the frail elderly, some infants, transplant or cancer patients, or people with HIV/AIDS.

What are the different types of bottled water?
There are several different varieties of bottled water. The product may be labeled as bottled water, drinking water or any of the following terms. The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) product definitions for bottled water are:

Artesian Water / Artesian Well Water: Bottled water from a well that taps a confined aquifer (a water-bearing underground layer of rock or sand) in which the water level stands at some height above the top of the aquifer.

Drinking Water: Drinking water is another name for bottled water. Accordingly, drinking water is water that is sold for human consumption in sanitary containers and contains no added sweeteners or chemical additives (other than flavors, extracts or essences). It must be calorie-free and sugar-free. Flavors, extracts or essences may be added to drinking water, but they must comprise less than one-percent-by-weight of the final product or the product will be considered a soft drink. Drinking water may be sodium-free or contain very low amounts of sodium.

Mineral Water: Bottled water containing not less than 250 parts per million total dissolved solids may be labeled as mineral water. Mineral water is distinguished from other types of bottled water by its constant level and relative proportions of mineral and trace elements at the point of emergence from the source. No minerals can be added to this product.

Purified Water: Water that has been produced by distillation, deionization, reverse osmosis or other suitable processes and that meets the definition of purified water in the United States Pharmacopoeia may be labeled as purified bottled water. Other suitable product names for bottled water treated by one of the above processes may include "distilled water" if it is produced by distillation, "deionized water" if the water is produced by deionization, or "reverse osmosis water" if the process used is reverse osmosis. Alternatively "_____________ drinking water" can be used with the blank being filled in with one of the terms defined in this paragraph (e.g. "purified drinking water" or "distilled drinking water").

Sparkling Water: Water that after treatment and possible replacement with carbon dioxide contains the same amount of carbon dioxide that it had at emergence from the source. (An important note: soda water, seltzer water and tonic water are not considered bottled waters. They are regulated separately, may contain sugar and calories, and are considered soft drinks.)

Spring Water: Bottled water derived from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the surface of the earth. Spring water must be collected only at the spring or through a bore hole tapping the underground formation and the spring. Spring water collected with the use of an external force must be from the same underground stratum as the spring and must have all the physical properties, before treatment, and be of the same composition and quality as the water that flows naturally to the surface of the earth.

Well Water: Bottled water from a hole bored, drilled or otherwise constructed in the ground which taps the water of an aquifer.




What you didn't know about Fiji Water:
Fiji's military junta has been declared unconstitutional by the country's second highest court; in response, it has abolished the judiciary, banned unauthorized public gatherings, delayed elections until 2014, and clamped down on the media.

The slogan on Fiji Water's website -- "And remember this, we saved you a trip to Fiji" -- seems like a dark joke to those who are aware of the conditions there. Fiji Water is now America's leading imported water. The company has spent millions pushing its environmental credibility and charity work. But nowhere in Fiji Water's glossy marketing materials will you find reference to the typhoid outbreaks that plague Fijians because of the island's faulty water supplies, the corporate entities that Fiji Water has set up in tax havens like the Cayman Islands and Luxembourg, or the fact that its signature bottle is made from Chinese plastic in a diesel-fueled plant and hauled thousands of miles. And, of course, you won't find mention of the military junta for which Fiji Water is a major source of global recognition and legitimacy.

Koya Webb, model, vegan chef and health and wellness expert did a study on Spring Water, and found that Arrowhead Spring Water had the best pH balance! It is also the cheapest spring water.

Here are the down-sides of other types of water from The Garden Diet...

Distilled Water - has no trace minerals that spring water does. It will therefore strip your digestive system of everything, including good intestinal flora.

Structured Water - I'm skeptical of all water that is chemically restructured. Water is a gift of Mother Earth that does so many magical things in our bodies. Our limited scientific knowledge is a dangerous thing. My instinct is to stick with the
real natural thing!

Reverse Osmosis Water - This is just tap water, with chemicals and minerals supposedly evaporated out of it. That is why it is just pennies a gallon.

Tap Water - This has fluoride and chlorine added to it. These are chemicals that weaken the bones of the jaw, and that weaken the will-power. Tap water is also filled with pharmaceuticals that pass through people in to the water table, and can not be removed in treatment plants. Don't drink unless absolutely necessary. Boil first if you must drink it.

Do plastic bottles cause a taste in bottled water? Certain lower grade plastics such as HDPE (high-density polyethylene), which is used in the milk industry, can give a plastic taste to water. Many water bottlers have switched to high-grade, (and more expensive) PET (polyethylene terephthalate), which does not pass on any plastic taste to water.

Countries with the cleanest water: Finland has the cleanest water in the world, according to a study by the United Nations that included 122 countries. Finland received the top position with a quality index of 1.85. The country was followed in the top ten by Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Japan, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Sweden and France. At the bottom end, Belgium had the worst water quality, followed by Morocco, India, Jordan and Sudan. (I wonder where USA is on this list? Did they not participate in the test?)

Cities with the Cleanest Drinking Water in USA
St. Louis, Missouri:Des Moines, Iowa:as Vegas, Nevada:San Jose, California:Kansas City, Missouri.

The 70% Watery Human


The amount of water in the human body, averaging 70%, varies considerably and even from one part of the body to another area. A lean man may hold 70% of his weight in water, while a woman—because her larger proportion of water-poor fatty tissues—may be only 52% water. The lowering of the water's content in the blood is what triggers the hypothalamus, the brain's thirst center, to send out its familiar urgent demand for a drink of water.

Water Percentage in Various Body Parts

-Teeth 10%
-Plasma90%
-Lungs 80%
-Liver 71.5%
-Bones 13%
-Blood 90.7%
-Brain 80.5%
-Muscle 75%
-Cartilage 55%
-Lymph 94%
-Bile 86%
-Spleen 75.5%
-Red blood cells 68.7%
-Saliva 95.5%

Water is Important to Superb Health
People who ingest a sufficient amount of the right kinds of liquids (distilled water, fresh fruits and vegetables and their juices) have better body functioning and circulation overall, which are most important to Super Health and Long Life.
You have 15 billion powerful brain cells which are 74.5% water. We strongly believe the right kind of water in sufficient amounts helps improve your mind and brain power and makes you think better and more accurately!

We also think that the excessively nervous and/or mentally upset person is so obsessed with his own worries and "hang-ups" that he just forgets to drink sufficient pure water. Instead, he dopes himself with alcohol, tea, coffee and cola drinks which only complicate his nervous condition by introducing burning, toxic acid into his stomach with no food or water to dilute it. So on top of his nervousness and depression, he suffers from heartburn, sour acid stomach, gas, bloating, enervation and low energy. In place of sufficient pure water, he again dopes up on stimulants, coffee, soft drinks, cigarettes, aspirin, antacids, etc.
Remember that the nerves need the correct amount of water to function properly and smoothly. You can plainly see that it is possible to suffer from water starvation.

Should I get a water filter?
A carbon filter, like the ones found in Brita or Pur containers that fit in the fridge, removes lead, chlorine, and other impurities. Bottled water fanatics should be aware that many bottled brands actually get their water from the same places our taps do—local municipal supplies. This means investing in a simple filter is the definitely the way to go. Plus, with your handy filter, you can quit that nasty bottled-water habit. Clean and green? Gotta love that.

Water Flushes Toxins Out of the Body
One of the most important functions of water is to flush the toxins and salt from the body. Unfortunately, people the world over now consume large amounts of salt. The proper amount and right kind of water helps to keep cholesterol levels down. Water is a great flushing agent. The right kind of water is also Mother Nature's greatest beauty and health tonic! In our long careers as health and fitness advisors to Hollywood's famous stars of movies and TV, we have found that when we can persuade the stars to use the correct liquids they retain a more youthful face and figure longer than people who drink ordinary tap water. Pure water keeps the body's cells healthier and prevents dehydration. The face and neck remain more free of ageing lines and wrinkles, while the entire body retains its youthfulness longer!

Shocking Mutations & Death from Polluted Water Must Stop!
Deadly chemical pollution is not only mutating but killing millions of wildlife, fish, etc. worldwide. One USA example: Children in Minnesota discovered and caught frogs displaying horrible mutations, including eyes growing on their knees, four hind legs, etc. Scientists have now determined that unidentified toxic chemicals in the pond and ground water caused these terrible mutations!




Fluorine is a Deadly Poison
Millions upon millions of innocent people have been brainwashed by the aluminum companies to erroneously believe that adding sodium fluoride to our drinking water will reduce tooth decay in our children. Over 135 million Americans drink a daily dose of sodium fluoride in their water without thinking of it! Fluorine, the gangster of the chemical underworld, made the atomic bomb possible. The only scientific way to free the necessary quantities of fissionable Uranium 235, buried in the inert mass of its parent U-238, is to force uranium hexafluoride gas through many acres of porous barriers. The next part of the process gradually concentrates the elements, creating a deadly hazard from radiation. "Hex" is what they named this vicious stuff.

Many of these compounds enter the human body through our skin when we bathe or swim.

From Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 classic, “Dr. Strangelove, or how I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb.”



Ripper: Mandrake?

Mandrake: Yes, Jack?

Ripper: Have you ever seen a Commie drink a glass of water?

Mandrake: Well, I can’t say I have.

Ripper: Vodka, that’s what they drink, isn’t it? Never water?

Mandrake: Well, I-I believe that’s what they drink, Jack, yes.

Ripper: On no account will a Commie ever drink water, and not without good reason.

Mandrake: Oh, eh, yes. I, uhm, can’t quite see what you’re getting at, Jack.

Ripper: Water, that’s what I’m getting at, water. Mandrake, water is the source of all life. Seven-tenths of this earth’s surface is water. Why, do you realize that seventy percent of you is water?

Mandrake: Uh, uh, Good Lord!

Ripper: And as human beings, you and I need fresh, pure water to replenish our precious bodily fluids.

Mandrake: Yes. (he begins to chuckle nervously)

Ripper: Are you beginning to understand?

Mandrake: Yes. (more laughter)

Ripper: Mandrake. Mandrake, have you never wondered why I drink only distilled water, or rain water, and only pure-grain alcohol?

Mandrake: Well, it did occur to me, Jack, yes.

Ripper: Have you ever heard of a thing called fluoridation. Fluoridation of water?

Mandrake: Uh? Yes, I-I have heard of that, Jack, yes. Yes.

Ripper: Well, do you know what it is?

Mandrake: No, no I don’t know what it is, no.

Ripper: Do you realize that fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous Communist plot we have ever had to face?

It’s hard to imagine fluoride as a communist plot, but rather curious that most western European countries have abandoned the practice. Ask any American which option they would choose, fluoridated vs. non-fluoridated water - the vast majority will choose fluoridated water, why? The only answer is that because fluoride is good for your teeth.

Most Americans remain unexposed to recent studies disproving the effectiveness of fluoridation as a preventive measure against tooth decay. Fluoridation is not necessary.

From Paul Connett, PhD Professor of Chemistry St. Lawrence University:

“Most Western European countries are not fluoridated and have experienced the same decline in dental decay as the US (See data from World Health Organization in Appendix 1, and the time trends presented graphically at http://www.fluoridealert.org/who-dmft.htm ). “

From Ted H Spence, DDS, ND, PhD/DSc,MH:

“Some 61,000 cancer deaths in the US result from fluoridation each year. I repeat 61,000. (Burk and Yiamouyiannis) One study found that fluoride elevates cancer mortality 17% in 16 years in large cities. (from Gerald Judd, PhD) “You have been led to believe the fluorine makes teeth harder. The fact is, it actually makes teeth softer.” (George Meinig, a founder of the American Academy of Endodontics)”

“Fluoride [a toxic] does not stop rampant tooth decay. [Fluoride only hardens to outer surface of the enamel and may prevent calcium from being deposited when a tooth is re-mineralized.] Nutrition stops tooth decay. I have developed a nutritional supportive program which will totally stop tooth decay in less than two weeks… I have watched many children go from all 20 carious deciduous teeth, to 20 ebernated [hardened] teeth, which are non-painful and hard as rock. I have never seen fluoride do this [after 21 years of dentistry] and fluoride is not even a part of my caries prevention program.”

The main issue with fluoridation is that if there is no national health benefit from fluoridation, then it is tantamount to force-feeding. Why are citizens forced to consume something that is potentially hazardous to their health, and where the benefit is non-existent?

This is where people get the information that flouride is a good thing - from the fluoride inforamtion website:

They state: We Support Fluoride in our Community Water based on these Values

• It Promotes health for all community members even the disadvantaged and most vulnerable.
• Taking a community-wide and long-term approach to solving problems.
• Using our local and state tax dollars equitably and in a cost effective manner.
• Preventing disease.
• Making informed choices based on available evidence and its relevance to our community’s situation.
• Recognizing that public health measures have been of great benefit to the community, but that they need to meet a high standard of safety and efficacy and should not constitute an insurmountable burden to those who object to them for personal reasons.
• Understanding that any policy involves a balance between risk, cost, and benefit.
• Understanding that there can be no absolute certainty in public health matters, but that there are reasonable standards of evidence that most of our community can accept to use in making policy decisions.

Acid Rain
Acid rain is produced when nitrous oxide, sulphur dioxide, and carbon dioxide gas in the upper atmosphere react with water particles to produce nitric acid, sulphuric acid, and carbonic acid respectively. Unpolluted rainfall normally balanced alkaline of about 7.1 to 7.3, whilst acid rain has a pH that varies from 4.1 to 5.5.

Rainwater was naturally slightly alkaline because it contained a small amount of dissolved carbon dioxide gas. This forms a small amount of carbonic acid. Acid rain contains abnormally high levels of carbonic acid (from the excessive amounts of carbon dioxide released in the atmosphere from burning fossil fuel). Heavy metal aberrations found in our drinking water are directly causative or associative with dis-ease and ill health. A few examples are anemia, cardiac conditions, depression, digestive problems, high blood pressure, hormone imbalance, impairedgrowth, , insomnia, learning and behavioral problems, osteoporosis, chronic inflammation, and tumor proliferation.

Heavy metal toxins contribute to a variety of adverse health effects. There are more than 65 different heavy metals and toxic acidic compounds that impact human health.

Accumulation within the body can lead to a decline in the mental, cognitive, and physical health of the individual. Many of these pollutants are carcinogenic, teratogenic, reproductive acidic toxins, or neurological acidic toxins.

Why do we pay for water when it is a natural resource?
We are actually paying for the system of transport of the water from it's source to a convenient location.The upkeep of the water system is necessary for there is break downs because of wear,and maintenance is necessary.There is also the refining and filtering of the water to make it potable(drinkable).We also pay for the system of water leaving our homes in the way of sewage.

Is the water getting cleaner or dirtier?

References below

Visit:
www.theearthdiet.org

Challenges: The challenge is my own mind. "He is able who thinks he is able" - Buddha

Triumphs: "Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment" - Buddha. We absolutely could create cleaner water, if we chose to do so here now.

What I Ate Today:

Breakfast: The juice of 2 grapefruits and 2 oranges

Lunch: A salad from Kerry's garden - broccoli, lettuce, spinach with cucumber, avocado, carrots and hemp seeds. With strawberries.

Dinner: A delicious mango. A avocado with blended brazil nuts - awesome protein!

Dessert: 3 nectarines.

Snacks: The sweetest, coolest, tasty watermelon!

Exercise: Walking

159 days to go!!!

References:

www.thegardendiet.com
www.ehso.com/ehshome/DrWater/drinkingwater.php#Overview
www.divinecaroline.com/22355/88067-tap-water-truths-cities-cleanest/2
www.articlesofhealth.blogspot.com/2008/02/truth-about-water.html
www.evolutionhealth.com/bragg_H20.html
www.korawebb.com
http://www.forbes.com/2008/04/14/water-cities-drinking-forbeslife-cx_avd_0414health.html
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0HXI/is_2003_March_6/ai_n25063921/
http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/167957
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/117/features-message-in-a-bottle.html