Water -- Our Lives Depend on it
By Dr. Brenda Gill
Water has been a focus these days. Not only are we all trying to keep our garden and trees alive because of the long, hot summer, but on a broader scale, we need it to try and deal with the fires around us. So, let’s talk about water. Drinking water is like having a shower from the inside. A shower rinses off all the debris and dirt from the outside of our bodies, while drinking water flushes all the metabolites, breakdown products and toxins from the inside and hydrates all our cells. So, it is the most important and probably the least expensive way to keep your body clear from things that damage it. It’s so easy to get de-hydrated these days with the constant heat, so, make sure you’re drinking at least 2 ounces of water per pound of your body weight your weight daily (140 pounds needs 70 ounces of water — 7 glasses of water or herbal tea/day) and an extra glass for every hour of exercise. Quality water is the key to functioning well.
What kind of water should we be drinking? Most available water in cities now is chlorinated or treated with chemicals. This makes the water very acidic and chlorinated. Our bodies need water or herbal tea that is neutral or slightly alkaline (7-7.5 pH) to be able to clear all the metabolites. So, it is important that your drinking/cooking water is properly filtered to remove the chlorine or any other chemicals.
We were getting water from a water company, but, the problem in Canada is that there are no regulations on how bottled water is collected, filtered or controlled. So, literally you could take water from any city tap water, run it through a sieve & call it filtered water. It could still have all the chlorine and other chemicals in it. Over the years, the better solution was buying from a reputable company or installing your own filter system. Unfortunately, many of the containers that the water is held in is leachable plastic and this has been found to not only mimic estrogen, causing hormonal imbalances, but, can also leach other harmful chemicals into the water that our bodies have to degrade and try to eliminate. Installing a filter system in an office setting is often difficult to do, so, I was excited when I came across a new filter system.
Santevia is an 8 stage water filter system that is based on Japanese technology which gives you pure, clean water simply. It has 2 filters. You pour tap water into the top and the first porcelain filter is the first stage that removes rust, sediments, bacteria, parasites and germs. The second filter has 6 layers. The first layer is an activated carbon/charcoal block filter that removes chlorine, organic chemicals, odour, colours and particulates. The second layer is silica sand that neutralizes acidic components that helps to create the optimal pH. The third layer is zeolite granules that remove bacteria, heavy metals such as lead and mercury and removes detergents, agricultural chemicals and other toxins. The fourth layer is a mineral infusion of ionized minerals that help oxygenate and fortify the water. These help in the oxygenation of the water & adjust the water to be mildly alkaline. The fifth layer helps break water molecules into very minute fractions to improve absorption and increase the oxygen content of the water. Beneath that filter are mineral stones that contain germanium that absorbs heavy metals and toxins and ionized minerals of calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, zinc and others that are easily absorbed. The last stage is a magnetic spout that have aligned magnets that activate the water molecules.
This container can sit on your counter or on a stand and holds 15 litres of water. It is made of non-leachable plastic and the ceramic filter and mineral stone filter can last up to 5 years, the 5 stage central filter needs to be changed every year for a family of 4. So, it ends up being 1-3 cents/litre versus 15-80 cents/litre with pitcher filters or other bottledwaters. Note that Brita filters only take the taste of the chlorine away, it does not remove the chlorine completely.
Another option is using a 2 filter system, similar to Santevia that is mounted under your sink. You need a separate tap for your drinking and cooking water that needs to be installed on the sink. These are available at hardware stores. The porcelain filter lasts about 5 years, while the solid carbon block filter needs to be changed once/year. Again, this is a more economical way to go than buying bottled water or using pitcher filters and DOES remove the chlorine as well.
When travelling youcan buy an alkalinizing stick for travelling. It is made from the same combination of materials as the Santevia. You can put it in any water bottle and it will alkalinize the water within minutes and can be used 1000 times. I use one of these when I travel and have to fill my water bottle from taps. It won’t remove the chemicals, but, at least it keeps my drinking water alkaline. Buying soft plastic bottled water doesn’t guarantee chemical removal or alkalinity!
It’s worth looking at if you want water that is clean, pure and inexpensive!!!! You can buy them on-line or call our office, we can order one for you! The sticks are also available in the office. Call Dr.Brenda Gill at 250-362-5035
