Ciao -
Welcome to episode 3 of the Daily Rituals, where I am once again diving into the importance of not only how much you drink, but of what. It’s completely foundational! If you missed the post about lemon water and hydration, click below.
Realistically speaking, if you are drinking tap water, a huge step towards a healthier lifestyle is running to the store and picking up a water filter of any kind. Sink attachments, water bottles, fridge jugs, countertop filters- anything that will fit comfortably into your lifestyle. Brita’s are a classic!
You may be thinking - great, dodged a bullet, I only drink bottled water. Well, not to be the bearer of bad news, but the bad news is that bottled water is not much better. Here are the issues with unfiltered tap and plastic water bottles:
The water is contaminated. That’s the best word to cover the plethora of issues that comes with unfiltered water of all kinds - tap water, city water, bottled water. Inevitably contaminated water looks like this: pharmaceuticals from A-Z due to people flushing pills (think anti-depressants, antibiotics, literally anything - gross), farming pesticides from rain water falling into drains, lead and mercury from old houses and structures, bleach and toxic cleaning chemicals, bacteria and microorganisms… Waste plants and water management plants are not equipped nor expected to filter contaminated water in such massive turnover of gallons to this caliber - and they don’t.
And as preciously stated, bottled water is not much better for many reasons. Specifically, bottles water companies are under very loose restrictions and regulations for the cleanliness of the water, no matter how many times the label claims the water underwent reverse osmosis.
A perfect example of loose restrictions is the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) states that in drinking water, up to 4.0mmp/L of fluoride (a known neurotoxin) is allowed, while in toothpaste, only 0.7mmp of fluoride is allowed. Seems a little backwards considering we aren't drinking our toothpaste, and that the number for poison control is written on the tube in case of swallowing! (P.s. fluoride free toothpaste is in your best interest - there is a huge lack of data proving fluoride is necessary for dental health).
Another reason bottled water is not the ticket for clean water is due to its storage in plastic. Plastic truly needs and will receive its own post to cover all the bases but a quick overview looks like this: plastic contains a magnitude of chemicals that leach into food and water, such as the infamous BPA, that disrupts many body systems including hormones and metabolic processes. These harmful chemicals especially leach out when plastic is heated - such as water bottles sitting in a warehouse, the back of a delivery truck, or in department store storage room in the middle of the summer for who knows how long.
So there you have it; the truth about unfiltered water. The goal for this Daily Rituals section is to share ideas so you can find ones that work for you to incorporate, daily, into your routines to increase quality of life and wellness. This whole ~your unfiltered water is nasty~ topic all may be very overwhelming and shocking, but I invite you take it as encouraging and empowering instead, because it is an issue with an easy solution.
With more knowledge, we are able to make better decisions, and with better decisions, we are able to take better care of ourselves. Making filtered water a priority is a small step in the grand scheme of things that will have a massive impact on overall health and wellness. Remember, the goal is not to survive, but to thrive.
Food for thought,
Lai