Water

"There is enough water for human need, but not enough for human greed" ~ Gandhi

Water is essential to human existence. Our bodies are primarily made up of water, close to 70-75%. The need to replenish the body with this vital fluid is an obvious requirement. It helps to maintain body temperature, metabolize fats, lubricate and cushion joints and organs, flush out toxins and transfer nutrients. Some experts recommend drinking up to 64 oz of water a day, and if you exercise or are overweight even more. Water makes up 90% of our blood, so we need to replenish. It also is key for the function of our liver and kidneys, so when we are dehydrated, we are actually overworking our liver and kidneys, and impeding the toxin flush process. So when water is important to our body, does that mean we should drink bottled water?

Our world has a surface area of bout 75% water, but only 1% is drinkable. I recently watched a brilliant film "Tapped" which exposes the giant bottle water industry. The monopolization of our bottle water industry by Nestle. Basically, the regulation for the water bottle industry has no requirements, and the FDA is ok with this. Poland Springs will drill water in local areas, and bottle it. This water has no required standard, and worst of all it is kept in bottles that leach BPA (a cancer causing toxic chemical). BPA alters our hormones, increasing estrogen, and thereby contributing to the mutation of cells. The amount of toxic chemicals found in the water itself was beyond belief. Have we ever asked if there are any benefits to drinking bottled water? Now, we even have celebrities endorsing bottled water. Beyond the damage the unregulated bottled water, and the BPA bottles do to our bodies, the industry does not put in recycling agendas. Many states do not enforce recycling of water bottles, so these bottles wind up polluting our lakes, rivers, and oceans. Tiny particles of plastic can be found in beaches where we once had sand, and sadly the particles are being injested by the marine life, and they are reeping the rewards of our greed. When the bottled water industry was under investigation by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the leading brands had over 38 hazardous chemicals in them, that affect our liver, kidneys, nervous system, and increase the risk of cancer. Are we really spending money on bottled water that is basically the same as the water from our taps?

So what are some other alternatives? Some people carry the stainless steel water bottles. I know my dad likes to boil the water. Some people purchase home filters or purifiers. And Some may say tap water, but then there is the question of flouride in the water. Flouride is a real issue in our tap water. So maybe investing in a good water filter? Berkey is a water filtration company that I have come across and even used. It makes filters in stainless steel containers (therefore no BPA), and it gets out many toxins. This company makes filters for the shower head as well. There may be other water filters that work wonders as well, so if you know of any, please feel free to comment and share the knowledge. Whatever you decide, get informed, and make the best decision for your body. Sometimes we blindly follow what is popular, convienient, heavily marketed and celebrity endorsed. We need to think, what is the benefit for my body, my finances (long and short term) and my global environment.