Water, Water, EVERYWHERE!

Do you know how much water is on planet Earth?

A few sources report that there are 326,000,000,000,000,000,000 gallons of it covering the Earth.

Yet, 1.2 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water and over 2.4 billion lack basic sanitation.

And, even developed nations (like the United States and Canada) lack clean, healthy and living water.

A study funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (et al) found traces of medication in the water in Montreal. The following drugs were found:

Anti-depressants
High blood pressure drugs
Anti-cholesterol drugs
Chemotherapy drugs (and other cancer drugs)
Synthetic Estrogens
Antibiotics
Carbamazepine - An anticonvulsant drug given for epileptic seizures
Lead: not a drug, but an extremely toxic chemical that has been found in public drinking water


Not to mention the fluoride, chlorine, aluminum and other additives that are already placed into water for "sanitation" and "tooth protection" purposes. Every single one of these chemicals are toxic to our system, and we would die if we consumed a large enough quantity. While reviewing the above studies, I was shocked to read some of the statements. Here is one example:

"The team tested for the presence of five different drugs, 

which included two kinds of chemotherapy drugs that are 

known to be highly toxic and carcinogenic..."

Did you catch that? CHEMOTHERAPY drugs that are known to be highly toxic and carcinogenic?! Many people that are suffering from cancer are taking chemotherapy. Carcinogenic means cancer causing. Does this blow your mind, or what? The more medical/scientific research articles I read, the more angry I become with our current conventional medical system. 

If Montreal has pharmaceutical medications in its water, then most other cities (especially bigger cities like Los Angeles) have it too. This means that if you are living in a city, taking a shower in a city, and/or eating in a restaurant in a city, then you are probably getting some level of toxicity from the water supply. If you are not concerned about these drugs in the water supply (which you should be), then you should be concerned about these extremely toxic chemicals:

Fluoride: put in the water supply to protect against cavities. The fluoride they use is a bi-product of the phosphate fertilizer industry. Companies used to pay millions of dollars to dispose of this toxic chemical properly, but now your city is purchasing it to put in their drinking water. Fluoride is so toxic that it can burn through cement if spilled (see this article that reports a fluoride spill that actually burned through concrete). WARNING: EXTREMELY TOXIC. DO NOT GIVE TO INFANTS!

Chlorine: This harmful chemical is added to all municipal water sources to disinfect and kill bacteria. Chlorine is also extremely toxic and can damage our blood vessels, causing plaque buildup on our artery walls. Do you wonder why the incidence of heart disease increases tremendously every year? This is one culprit. 

If you live in or around a city, you should purchase a really good filter. First, find out if your city adds fluoride to your water. If they do, then you will have to purchase a reverse osmosis filter, since this is the ONLY filter that removes fluoride. Reverse osmosis systems remove all minerals, so you will also have to re-mineralize your water. You can search for a good supplement that will add minerals to your water, or you can purchase a separate cartridge that does it for you. If you do not have fluoride in your water, then I prefer to use the Nikken Gravity Water System. This will remove all toxins from your water, while adding minerals at the same time.

If you have access to a public spring that has healthy living water, then you should get your water from there. www.findaspring.com is an incredible website that will direct you to the nearest spring. It is best if you have access to spring water near clean and pollution-free mountains. When I travel to Quebec, I love getting water from Mount Sutton. The water is so clean and pure and ALIVE! I can tell right when I take my first gulp! 

Additionally, you should consider the type of water you are bathing in. Your skin also absorbs water (and the chemicals that come with it). Nikken makes a shower filter that is fabulous, and removes 90% of the chlorine in your water.

Finally, you should be drinking 1/2 your body weight in ounces of quality water daily**. You could have the best water in the world, yet are not drinking enough of it to maintain health. Our bodies consist of up to 75% water, and need to be flushed out daily. In order for our cells to grow and flourish, they need to be bathed and cleansed. 

So, in conclusion, find a good water source and load up on quality drinking water. Don't trust your city when they say their water is totally clean and pure. Do your own research and feed your body what it needs...

Clean, pure, and nourishing WATER!

**An example: if you weight 200 pounds, then you should be drinking 100 ounces of water per day.** This is a general guideline. You may need more if you are pregnant, nursing, or in hot-humid conditions.

***Some symptoms of dehydration include: headaches, constipation, diarrhea, migraine, muscle cramps, backache, exhaustion, fatigue, tachycardia (racing heart beat), and more. Are you drinking enough water? 

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Svea Lynn is a traditional Naturopath, classical homeopath and holistic doula. Her private doula practice can be found here.