Water is water right? Whether you get it from a faucet or a garden hose, or grab one from the cooler at the convenience store, it's just water and all water is just that, right? Not true at all. All water is not created equally. I hope that after reading this article you will have a better understanding about the differences that exist in this refreshment that nature has kindly provided for us since the beginning of time. Of course, way-way back when, the water provided by nature was in its purest form.
It was free from the pollutants of today, caused by a number of factors in the air and soil, and which then makes its way into oceans, rivers, lakes and streams. In many communities it isn't really advisable to drink water straight from the tap, because tiny microbial organisms can find their way into the water that comes out of our faucets. These microbial teeny-weenies don't usually cause people with healthy immune systems any problems. But those with immune systems weakened by chronic disease, poor nutrition, lack of adequate exercise, and other ailments, could become sick from drinking unfiltered water. Children can also become sick through drinking unfiltered water because a child's immune system isn't fully developed yet and may not be strong enough to combat these microbial organisms. To prevent these micro organisms from making their way into your cup of water install a filter on your faucet to trap and kill them.
You can find filters for the faucets in your home at your local hardware, home and chain stores. The internet offers a wealth of selections in filters for the faucets in your home and good deals on pricing, and reasonable shipping costs aren't hard to find either! How about bottled water? Here too, not all water is the same. Next time you're grocery shopping, check out the beverage aisles, they are jam packed with enough choices to make a person dizzy! Plain, distilled, from spring-fed waters, with flavoring (made either with pure sugar or sugar substitutes) added to them, or loaded with electrolytes, minerals and now even with appetite suppressants and energy boosters! Don't be fooled by the clever packaging used by manufacturers to encourage consumer purchasing. Just as you are carefully reading food labels to ensure you're making the healthiest food choices, the same applies when buying bottled water and bottled water combined with other ingredients.
Bottled water that is advertised as: made from fresh, spring-fed waters may not be as accurate as their packaging suggests at first glance. Check the label and look for the % of spring-fed water the product actually contains. Some brands that look as if they came straight out of the purest of waters, only contain a small amount of this so-called pure water (beavers and other animals do the doo in these waters) and the remaining water content is most likely no different than the tap water from home. Stay away from flavored water made with high-fructose corn syrup. Sure, it makes the water taste really good; high-fructose corn syrup is just a fancy name for sugar, but it also adds needless calories and absolutely no nutritional value to your water. So is it really worth it when the purpose of drinking more water per day, is for the betterment of our health? Remember- not all water is created equal.
For good health, consider installing filters on the faucets in your home to keep the microbial organisms that can make you sick out of your drinking water. Be diligent in reading the labels on the various types of bottled water so you know exactly what you're drinking.
Scott White is a certifiedpersonal trainer and nutritionist located in Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information about nutrition and fitness, reach Scott at Personal Trainer | Personal Training.
