You’ve heard the saying, “You are what you eat.”  This is so true, but in addition to what you eat, “You are what you eat, eats; you are what you drink; and you are what you put on.”  We are exposed to and absorb so many things in a given day.  We are a consumer society; in fact, we are always consuming something.  Our consumption is not just in what we see, hear, and purchase, but is also in what we consume in our mouths and through our skin.  We are consumers and much of what we come in contact with is toxic. Now, before you go off and totally freak out, take a breath and keep in mind that our exposure to toxins is inevitable. Why?  Toxins are and will be present in everything we touch, everything we eat, and everything we drink, and in the air we breathe.  Our body even produces them naturally, so they can’t be avoided!  The problem, however, occurs when toxins are allowed to accumulate over time – to unhealthy levels – and begin to take a toll on our health and our bodies.  While toxins can’t be avoided, we can minimize the amount of toxic exposure we come in contact with and eliminate any excess toxins that are hanging around in our system.

Your body is a marvelous miracle and is actually actively and regularly detoxing itself with no help from that “tummy tea.”  Remember – your body is designed to process toxins and remove them.  As long as the body is working optimally, it can cleanse itself of most of the chemicals it consumes and comes in contact with everyday. The issue is most of our bodies aren’t working at their optimal level.  One of the key steps that you can take to maximize your liver’s (the body’s largest detoxification organ) ability to remove toxins is by decreasing your toxic load.

Toxins are everywhere – especially in a conventional home, in skincare products, and in our food, and water our supply.  But don’t fret; there are some actions you can take that will help lower the burden on your body and decrease your toxic exposure.

Two of the main ways to decrease your toxic exposure is to use a water filtration system and avoid plastics.  Poly-chlorinated and brominated chemicals, like PCBs and flame-retardants, are harmful to the liver.  These are present in drinking water and many foods. Yuck!  Other environmental toxins, such as BPA and other plastic softeners, like phthalates, have even been found to be disruptive to hormonal balance. These chemicals also bind to cells in our immune and endocrine systems, and delicate tissue in our thyroid glands, damaging their function and increasing estrogen levels.

Water is extremely important to our system and serves a number of essential functions to keep us going:

• A vital nutrient to the life of every cell
• It regulates our internal body temperature by sweating and respiration
• The carbohydrates and proteins that our bodies use as food are metabolized and transported by water in the bloodstream
• It assists in flushing waste mainly through urination
• Acts as a shock absorber for brain, spinal cord, and fetus
• Forms saliva
• Lubricates joints

An adult male is made up of about 60% water and an adult female is made up of about 55% water.  With water being of such vital importance to our health, and considering is makes up so much of what we are made of, it is extremely important to make sure that our water is as toxin free as possible.

By now, most of you know how important it is to stay hydrated and are more than likely increasing your water intake.  If not, you should be!  You have more than likely also switched to a cleaner diet.  If you haven’t, you should!  But what good is it to work hard to put clean food in your body if you wash it down with tainted tap water?

When was the last time you stopped to think about how truly clean your water is?  With our recent move to Seattle, I definitely took into consideration the quality and cleanliness of the water in our community. While tap water is monitored closely and declared safe in most communities, the truth is most tap water is not as clean as we may assume.  Though the Environmental Protection Agency regulates about 100 contaminants in drinking water, a study by the Environmental Working Group found more than 300 contaminants in tap water serving over 53 million Americans.  Those contaminants included hormones (from birth control pills), antibiotics, narcotics, plastics, chromium 6, nitrates, disinfection byproducts, and perchlorate (otherwise know as rocket fuel). The last I checked, our bodies are fueled by whole foods, not rocket fuel.  While the dosage may be extremely small, the exposure is daily – so the toxins pile up.

Bottled water isn’t the best alternative either.  Not only is it a huge expense, but water from plastic bottles contain phthalates and/or bisphenol A (BPA), which are toxic chemicals.  In a recent study, researchers tested 250 bottles of water in 9 countries, including the U.S., and found plastic in 93 percent of samples.

Chlorine and fluoride are also routinely added to our water. Unfortunately, even bottled water often contains some of these contaminants.  In fact, about two-thirds of the US population is exposed to fluoridated water.

There are many products for purifying water available on the market, ranging from simple carbon filters to reverse osmosis systems, to solid carbon block systems.  The best system is the solid carbon block, which slowly filters water through dense carbon, removing almost all contaminants without removing the important minerals that we need.  Berkey makes the best known of these filtration systems.  This is exactly why I chose a Berkey filter.  Ok, ok, I also chose it because it looks beautiful on my countertop.  Give a girl a break, I’m interested in health benefits AND overall aesthetics too!  It feels good knowing that my Berkey filter is removing all harmful toxins, along with any additional chlorine, fluoride, heavy metals or other pathogens.  It’s refreshing to know that I am keeping my hormones balanced and my detoxification system working at optimal levels.  Since purchasing our Berkey, I have noticed improvements in my skin complexion, less bloating and cramping, improved regularity, greater energy, and focus. Not to mention is the best tasting water I’ve ever drank!

It is also easy to assemble and with it filtering 6000 gallons (for every 2 filters placed inside) you don’t have to bother with any reassembling (changing of filters) for another 4 years.  Talk about low maintenance!  No more running to the store to pick up heavy cases of water or waiting for the next shipment of water to arrive at the door.

We don’t only save on trips to the market, but we have saved money, too!   The flagship black Berkey filters that come standard with every Berkey water filter system last for 6000 gallons per set of 2.  When you do the math, a Berkey water filter user only pays 2 cents per gallon. This is compared to $2.22 per gallon of water when consuming bottled water.  Not only will you save on the cost of water but, because this system requires no electricity, you save on that, too.  Just let gravity do all the work!

We’ve also cut our toxic load even more by eliminating plastics and plastic waste.  Most filtration systems use loads of plastic, or you are constantly consuming water from a plastic water bottle. Our household uses either stainless steel or glass water bottles, making it easy to fill and go as needed.  We enjoy the health benefits of drinking the water at room temperature, but if you would like a cold glass of water, you can invest in a stainless steel or glass pitcher to keep it cool in the refrigerator.

Investing in our Berkey Water Filtration System is one of the best things we have done for the health of our family and children to come!

References:

https://www.berkeywater.com

https://water.usgs.gov/edu/propertyyou.html