Magic Water

If you have ever been camping, upon returning home, you know how enchanting that first shower can feel.  It is then that we realize how much we take our city water supply for granted. And we should all be grateful for having relatively clean water at our finger tips.  So are we wrong for wanting more, for wanting to take our water to the next level.  We want a shower that is free of chlorine and other noxious gases, right?  We want drinking and cooking water that is free from the 200 detectable (but unknown) particles in our city systems.  We want the bad stuff removed and the good stuff left in. But isn't that the job our municipal water provider?  Why do we feel the need to buy Artisan, Mineral, Purified, Sparkling, Spring, Sterile, Distilled, Alkalized, expensive specialty water?
We want purified water, plain and simple (oh, but it's not simple, is it). It is likely that the water of our future will always be a contentious politicized issue.  It is also likely we will be required to get the water we desire at our own expense. In fact, if you were on the fence about how you feel about your water and what it means to have a clean supply of it, here are few documentaries to help you:
http://www.watercache.com/blog/2011/10/must-see-water-documentaries-provide-insight-into-future-water-crisis/

Now that your blood-pressure it up, you are informed and it's no longer tolerable to sit in a bath of highly chlorinated neuro-toxic soup...what will you do about it?  Write a letter to the EPA, your State Representatives, the Mayor, and then shop water filtration systems.  Because you want what you want and you want it now.

Water is what we are made of, water is the source of life, water is sacred and magic.

http://www.halowater.com/

Are you in conflict over Reverse Osmosis versus Carbon Water Filtration?

The average American is using 85+/- gallons of waters each day. We drink less than 1/2 a gallon of water daily. If you factor in cooking water and ice, we could make it an even gallon for simplicity.  Why do these numbers matter  when it comes to water filtration, specifically Reverse Osmosis? 

Let's explore…

Those who are doing their home-work on home water filtration know how important it has become to remove pharmaceuticals, arsenic, fluoride and other neuro-toxins.  They also know these contaminants can only be guaranteed to be removed through Reverse Osmosis water filtration.  In some areas of the country R/O systems have been banned due to the amount of water wasted in the filtration process. Many times this can be as high as five-to-one. In other words it may take up to 5 gallons to create on consumable gallon.  We can do the math for a household and it doesn't take long to figure out that it's expensive and not environmentally conscious. 

So how do you get all the toxins out of the water without that kind of financial and environmental impact?  Let's look at those consumption numbers again. If we are only putting one gallon of the 84 through Reverse Osmosis, then it's possible to create a very good scenario.

If there is a whole house carbon filter feeding into the R/O for drinking and cooking, the R/O system and all the appliances will last twice as long. There are replacement filters on R/O systems that typically require to be replaced annually.

For the consumer who has done their research and know they want the most purified water possible, but are environmentally aware: The whole house carbon filtration with R/O under the sink and feeding through the fridge is the best of all worlds in water filtration.

Check out: www.NashvilleWaterFilters.com

Water Purification: How to get Safe, Healthy Water

Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.

                                                                             -Lao Tzu

Most of us are getting a major amount of our tap water from municipal water systems.  So it's interesting that one out of every five people claim their main source of drinking water is bottled water. One can assume they choose bottled because they are afraid of their tap water.  Considering Aquafina, one of America’s number one bottled water sources, finally admitted that Pepsico, its maker, is getting the water from the tap.  They do filter that water, but once they put it into a plastic bottle which contains BPA (bisphenolo-A) which leaches into the water, you are likely no better off.  In fact, it has been discovered that many of the top selling water brands are using systems of deceptive bottled water practices. So what is a family to do?

There are dangerous chemicals in municipal water like chlorine, fluoride, and heavy metals.  We absorb these chemicals when we drink the water, but most are unaware how much we absorb just by washing our hands, bodies, and clothes in the same water.  One of the most effective ways to reduce and in some cases eliminate harmful contaminants is running the water through a whole-house granular activated carbon filtration system.

If you have looked into water systems you already know that there are many types and they all claim to have the best one.  Many who buy whole-house systems choose water softeners because it makes "hard" water feel soft. But the added salts actually drys out the skin, adds unwanted sodium to drinking/cooking water, corrodes pipes, and creates waist that kills plant and animal life.  In California there has been a ban on systems that produce waste water brine including reverse-osmosis.

Active carbon media-bed filters naturally purifies the water and reduces hardness, while maintaining the beneficial elements naturally present in water. The filters can last ten years or more without a need for replacement.  These systems also benefit the pipes, appliances, and hot water heaters, extending their life. There are no chemicals or salts to add, and the backwash systems are safe for plant life.  Some of these systems use high powered magnetics which organizes the calcium and magnesium molecules creating a safe natural bi-product call aragonite that creates a protective barrier to help maintain pipes, appliances and water heaters against lime scale (which greatly extends their life). These systems work automatically with a regeneration program, which fluffs up the carbon bed and creates new surface area weekly.

Consuming healthy water can be a challenge in our day and age.  But in order to minimize your exposure to health threats from the municiple water systems it is best to have a whole-house filtration system, your body, hair, food and cloths will thank you.  When you are out and about, think twice about picking up drinks that are plastic bottles and it never hurts to ask at resturants about their water source.

www.NashvilleWaterFilters.com

Sleep Rescue for the Sleepless

A few months back I got the notion that I could accomplish more if I slept less. So I researched the requirement of sleep. Turns out we humans can operate on less sleep but it comes at a price and of course the price is to our health. Most people don't realize the effects of sleep deprivation until it manifest into some type of illness. So not long after I let go of this notion of cutting into my sleep for more work I had a few sleepless nights. I feel like I have been a 'good' sleeper most of my life. I discovered I do require a good eight hours each night or I feel sluggish otherwise. So I have one or two nights per week, as of late, that I cannot sleep, and just toss and turn. Occasionally, I go to the kitchen and get the bowl of cereal and almond milk and it would do the trick. But, I also knew I didn't need those extra calories before bed. Then I found RESCUE SLEEP which is a Bach Flower Remedie. I had used Bach flower essences for stress and even for an aging pet years ago, so why not for sleep.

There are 38 flower essences that one can take for various emotional states. According to Dr. Bach there are 38 basic states of mind. Dr. Edward Bach, who discovered and created the essences, studied medicine at the University College Hospital, London. He worked as a bacteriologist and later a pathologist who worked on vaccines and a set of homoeopathic nosodes still known as the seven Bach nosodes. Unfortunatley, he died at the young age of 50, but his approach to healing by addressing the emotional state has continued well beyond the 1930's.

His approach is now considered complimentary medicine. Interestingly, they (the Bach Center) have never set out to prove if the remedies work through trials or studies. They simply demonstrate how to use the product and let those who use it decide if it works. Well, I don't know if it's the two drops of brandy in the tincture or the placebo effect or if it's truly the essence of flower that makes it work, but it does.
Sweet sleeps.

www.NashvilleWaterFilters.com

Use Your Plasticity! Personal Transformation & Considering Vegetarianism

“It is my view that the vegetarian manner of living, by its purely physical effect on the human temperament, would most beneficially influence the lot of mankind.” ― Albert Einstein

The human mind has something beautifully stretchy called 'plasticity', which can facilitates personal transformations at any age. Our early habits come to us through our well intention caregivers. However, as our consciousness grows we may find ourselves no longer in alignment with those inherited habits. During my early years as a vegetarian I met some adversity from my mid-western family and friends. While they mean well, they are operating from what had been ingrained in them as children and not necessarily from higher consciousness. It has been well over seventeen years since I began my diet transformation and fortunately now the topic is rarely raised; they have accepted my choice to live and eat differently.

You may have considered a vegetarian diet and there are many great reasons to do so. First and foremost you will likely experience a notable improvement in your health and energy level. My experience was and still is that, the more aware I am about what I eat, the more motivated I am to change how I eat. A key first step in the process of change is education.

I enjoy reading about the sociology of food. While there are a hella ton of books written on this topic, a good place to start is Michael Pollan 2006 book called, "The Omnivore's Dilemma." He takes us on a journey as your food travels from its source to the table, by following the making of four distinct meals. This book gives the reader an accurate look at what occurs in the food production industry today. As a mid-western girl it was easy to relate and understand how the shifts in agronomy happened over the years, nevertheless my understanding has fueled my desire to find a better way. Pollan has written several books since this one and continues to take you through the epicurean choices facing us in the world of food today.

My journey to vegetarianism began when I realized that I was lactose intolerant, and all dairy had to be eliminated from my diet. In less than a week of not eating any products derived from cow's milk, I felt better and had so much more energy. There are many political and health reasons for not eating dairy, but feeling better was my indication that I had made the right choice. As I became more aware of how the foods I ate were making me feel, my true transformation began. After eating, I would think and make note of my energy level including how my body felt. It wasn't long before nearly all animal products were eliminated my diet.

A few years ago on top of lactose-free and vegetarian I became gluten-free.  At first, it was almost impossible to eat out, but in the years since, the GF-population has doubled and many restaurants are more aware of the various needs of its customers.  For me, eliminating Gluten solved several problems including inflammation.  

In my opinion, our food choices can affect how we show up in the world.  If we feel clear minded, vibrant, energetic, and grounded then we have a lot more to offer life.  If I occasionally get some unexpected gluten or lactose in a meal, it can take me out of the game for a day.  I don't recommend that someone quite to many foods at once.  It is much more likely to be sustained if attacked in smaller bits.  Through elimination, you may be surprised to find what the effect of meat, dairy or gluten may have had on you.
  
There are enough challenges in a day, and we all want to show up with a clear mind and energy to spare. Use that stretchy stuff in your brain to stretch yourself to a better you.


www.NashvilleWaterFilters.com