Water On Your Feel Great Journey

I have read and researched a lot about water (and I have a lot more to learn). At this point, the water I choose to drink is RO (reverse osmosis) filtered water with drops to increase the pH and add positive chemicals. Bottled water is not dependably filtered and, besides, it is bottled in plastic bottles that leak toxins, especially when the bottle is heated. Tap (city) water is filled with chemicals and chlorine. Even well water, which contains a lot of good things, will often contain other not so good things, especially if you live in a farming area.

The nice thing about RO filters is that you can get all sizes. I have a small one that I set on the counter and connect to the kitchen faucet to filter several gallons of water (stored in glass containers) at a time. I got it from Free Drinking Water. You can also get one that stays under the sink and is available through another faucet.

When considering a filter, read closely how they are made. Some of them have metal parts inside that I can't help but think leach metal into the water.

Another thing to consider is electrolytes. I was told (and my experience follows) that drinking straight water washes the electrolytes out of your system. So it is better to drink water with electrolytes. The problem is that most drinks with electrolytes also have high fructose corn syrup (really bad stuff!) and other flavorings and chemicals. So for a while I was using Celestial Seasonings Zinger tea bags to add electrolytes to my ro water. That seemed to be okay but, honestly, I got tired of it and I didn't really notice any major improvements after several months. So I went back to straight ro water. I didn't really like it since I didn't feel hydrated even after drinking 1.5 to 2 liters a day. I was also concerned since I read a story about a marathon runner who died from drinking too much water and not replacing the electrolytes in her body.

Water pH
So, I continued to research. For details on this part of my journey, go to My Journey Blog. The bottom line is, I believe I have stumbled onto a major discovery, i.e. drinking alkaline water and eating food that increases the pH of your body is a major key to being healthy and feeling great. So, now I drink ro water with drops to increase the alkalinity. Fortunately, the drops do not make major changes in the taste (but I think I can taste a very minor aftertaste). Here is where I get the drops.

Water Temperature
Something else that I heard about drinking water is that you should drink it warm (room temperature, not iced). This was difficult for me at first since I LOVE ice water. I drank ice water because I had heard that you burn calories heating up the water after you drink it. (Good excuse, eh?) That may be true. However, I was told that cold or ice water slows down your metabolism. I don't have any research to back that up. So feel free to research that on your own. The source (my acupuncturist) I consider reliable and he does a lot of research, so I choose to drink most of my water room temperature. I still allow myself one glass of ice water a day just because I like it. When I do that, I find it easier to drink the lukewarm water. And I have learned to enjoy lukewarm water. Hmm ... as I am writing this I realize that I don't have my usual glass of ice water a day any more. That happened without me noticing. Interesting, eh?

How Much Is Enough?
Now comes the eternal question, how much water should we drink? There are all kinds of opinions out there. I'm going to tell you what I do and let you decide. I try to drink a minimum of 1/2 a gallon (about 2 liters) a day. I would like to drink a gallon a day. This is a goal and I am on my way. I used to go weeks (when I was much younger) without drinking any water. So I think 1/2 gallon is really good for me. You may want to try 1/4 gallon (about 1 liter) a day and then increase from there depending on your activity. Any increase in drinking water is good. So feel good about it if you increase, say, by 1 glass more a day.

Water Related Links
Here is a great article about bottled water. It is short enough to read quickly but also contains links to more information. Best And Worst Bottled Water Brands