"It's the Water..."

Anyone remember the Olympia Brewing Co. advertising slogan from eons ago...

"It's the water, and a lot more"?

(Yeah. I didn't think so.) Seems that can also be the case when it comes to the water we drink.

 

Here's the skinny: 
--Drink 6-8 glasses of water daily. The body needs it for everything.
--Drink bottled, at least temporarily, until you're certain the supply is pure.
--Flush your pipes regularly which means, run the faucet open for 3-5 minutes after a period of not using it, perhaps first thing in the morning, or when returning from vacation. (I know. Conservation. Just use good judgment.)
--Never consume or cook with hot tap water. Impurities from plumbing can leach into your supply.

Weil's word on it is that, while we need to drink adequate amounts of water it is equally important to give serious consideration to its quality. Toxins can be carried through the water we drink, diminishing the body's ability to heal itself or resist disease. So he encourages a little homework just to be sure. An under-the-counter system or a filtered pitcher in the frig may be all that's needed. In some cases a bit more expenditure may be required but safe drinking water is an essential component of living well. If you what you find makes it a bit hard to swallow...ahem, he offers this perspective:

     "I do not want you to be paranoid about water...I do want you to reduce long-term exposure to water-borne toxins that can compromise your body's healing system" (p. 166).
Sounds like a good idea to me.

At my house, we enjoy sweet, sparkling private well water which we must test yearly. Frighteningly, a few years back, we discovered it was indeed the water--and, well, a bit more. It turns out that a tank was equipped with an improvised fitting which harbored bacteria. The samples continued to register unacceptable elements even after repeated treatments. Thankfully, once the source was determined, the matter was resolved by installing the correct part.
As in our case, some expense may be required, but what a relief to know that all is...uh...well. And all it takes is a simple lab fee and a little time. (Which reminds me...) So, there you go.

Here's to making sure "It's the water, and nothing more!"



Photo courtesy of "With a Hopeful Heart" blog