You’ve probably heard by now that bottled water contains all kinds of nastiness, from bacteria to dioxins that leach out of the plastic when heated (for example, on a long trip shipped cross country from the processing plant to your grocery store during the summer . Or sitting in your car in the summer), but did you know they also contain carcinogens?
Plastics are bad enough: the chemicals from plastics that leach into your water (or cooking oil or food) are also called xenoestrogens, which can affect your hormone levels and lead to certain cancers (especially of the reproductive system: breast, ovaries, etc). These chemicals have a structure similar to your body’s own estrogens and fit into the same receptors and are also stored in fat cells, so more and more estrogens build up in your system over time, causing hormonal imbalance (think worsening PMS and periods) and eventually disease.
Add this to the bacteria and the pollutants and the heavy metals and the fact that many tested waters are more contaminated than tap, and you’ve got a big ole mess. I am in no way advocating for tap water, which contains heavy metals and pharmaceutical drug remnants, but I am saying that water is one of the most important things you ingest every day. So make it the best possible quality – use a high quality water filter that attaches to your faucet (brita does not filter heavy metals). Drink it out of a glass, or if on the go, use a stainless steel Kleen Kanteen.
They come in colors now, too!
Drink half your body weight in ounces per day. Fresh, pure, clean water cleanses and flushes toxins from your body, maintains healthy blood pressure and regularity. Plus, it makes your skin glow and it makes you feel good!
Mary Vance is a Certified Nutrition Consultant and author specializing in digestive health. She combines a science-based approach with natural therapies to rebalance the body. In addition to her 1:1 coaching, she offers courses to help you heal your gut and improve your health. Mary lives in San Francisco and Lake Tahoe in Northern California. Read more about her coaching practice here and her background here.
