Water is probably the most important physical element of our lives. We can survive for a week or longer without food, but we won’t make it that long without water. And if we are in a survival situation, we might take any water available, but that same thinking doesn’t make sense in our daily lives. That’s why it makes sense to drink filtered water whenever possible (if you don’t have a spring in your backyard!).
Start with Testing
Not all water is created equal, and as we said above, maybe you have access to well water that is free of impurities and packed with minerals. Or it could be well water that is brackish and needs filtering. Or it could be city water that is treated to the highest standards possible. Or it could be water from a municipality that has suffered from incompetence and corruption for years.
Our eyes are not strong enough to see what lurks in our water, so that’s why we rely on testing. You can use anything from home testing kits you can buy online to a professional who will bring out fancy machines, the result will be close to the same: you’re going to find out what you’re drinking.
What’s in the Water?
Polluted water is bad for your skin and hair, but can also be hazardous to your overall health. Studies have shown that you can reduce the risk of colon, rectal, and bladder cancer by making sure that your drinking water is free of chlorine and chlorine by-products. Sometimes as many as 700 chemicals have been found present in municipal drinking water.
Just as we can’t see all the harm that polluted water might bring, we often take for granted all the good that clean water brings. It
- Improves joint health through lubricating and cushioning
- Protects sensitive tissues and the spinal cord
- Regulates the body’s temperature and prevents overheating
- Helps the body flush toxins and get rid of waste
How to Filter
Just as there were different testing solutions there are different filtering solutions, ranging from basic to highly advanced.
The most common and well-known method of filtering is the use of carbon. A carbon filter attracts chlorine, pesticides, chloroform, and other impurities out. As with other methods, it makes sure that there are no odors or bad tastes in your drinking water. It’s the least expensive way to filter and is most commonly seen in faucet filters and water pitchers.
Reverse osmosis takes us one step further, by using pressure and a semipermeable membrane to filter out even more particles. The downside of reverse osmosis is that in filtering out fine particles, it can also filter out minerals that are useful in drinking water and good for our body’s health.
So start by testing your water to see what your baseline is. If the tests show you’ve got all the indicators of healthy drinking water, drink up! Otherwise, take what steps make sense for your situation and budget to make sure you’re putting the best water in your body.
This content originally appeared in our monthly Open Calendar Club newsletter.
