Alkaline Water for Better Health
There has been much discussion over the past few years about the quality of the water we drink and the effects that this may have on our health. Many health experts believe that the low-quality of tap water in the UK can pose health concerns, particularly if we rely upon this as our main source of water when consuming the recommended 2+ litres each day.
As a result, millions have turned to bottled water - creating a £1.57 billion market in just one generation. However, with prices constantly on the rise, and serious question marks over quality (is it really any better than tap water) - individuals are now looking to increase the quality of water in their own home.
What is Alkaline Water? Why Make Our Water Alkalizing?
Water is one of the most important factors when becoming and staying healthy and vibrant. Our bodies are 70% water and our blood is 94% water - if we follow the recommendation to drink at least two litres of water per day and this water is acid and polluted - imagine what this will do to our bodies?!
As the majority of the foods we eat create acid wastes in our system, it is important to drink alkaline water in order to maintain a optimal health and energy, particularly as acid water ((less than pH 7) is a hotbed of microorganisms, bacteria and viruses.
Acid wastes (from the lifestyles we lead - not only from food and drink, but also from stress and other pollutants) are dumped into the bloodstream and lymph, and then are transported to the liver and kidneys for the detoxification processing and elimination. The pH level of our internal fluids affects every living cell in our bodies and the effect that over-acidification can have upon the health of our bodies is immense, with a chronically over acidic pH creating an extremely negative environment which affects all cellular functions from the beatings of the heart to the neural workings of the brain.
In order to hydrate your body optimally, you need to drink water that is alkalizing and mineral rich. Alkaline water helps to neutralize acids and remove toxins from the body. Alkalizing water also acts as a conductor of electrochemical activity from cell to cell. Ideally, water should have a ph between 9 and 10, and you should be drinking 3-4 liters of it daily. As you hydrate your body properly, you’ll develop more of a thirst for water. Food cravings are often the body’s cry for water. You might already have more of a thirst than you even realize.
Home Water Distillers, Ionisers and Filters
When we think of increasing the quality of our drinking water, we naturally think of a water filter such as a Britta™. Make no mistake, these handy and affordable filters go a long way towards making our drinking water more beneficial and healthful. However, if you are looking for life-giving, energy-boosting nourishment from your drinking water then these only really scratch the surface.
Taking your water from being something that simply quenches your thirst (or goes in the kettle) to being something that you crave due to the energy and vitality it gives you is not a complex, difficult process, nor does it have to be expensive. You can massively increase the quality of your drinking water using one of the following techniques:
Home Water Distillers
Water distillers heat tap water electrically to boiling point. The purified condensation then drains into a clean container - leaving all of the impurities behind in the boiling chamber. Distilled water comes closes to rain water, which would be our ideal water source if the atmosphere was not so polluted!
Distillation kills and removes bacteria, viruses, cysts and heavy metals. Although there is some debate about the effects of distilled water removing beneficial minerals as well as these disease forming metals and germs, it is useful to note that the mineral content in water is so minute that one would have to drink approximately six-hundred 8oz glasses of water to attain the RDA of calcium and 1,800+ glasses to fulfil their daily requirement of magnesium.
Another common myth surrounding distilled water is that it leaches minerals from the body. This is not only false, but impossible. The human body is incredibly efficient and effective and in no way could allow water to force out essential body elements. What distilled water does do, is transport inorganic minerals and toxins out of the body, helping to cleanse and purify the body's internal environment.
Distilled water also has more oxygen ions and fewer hydrogen ions, making the water far less acidic and more alkaline than other types of water.
Water Ionisers
Water ionisers are, unsurprisingly, products that ionise water. The water is ionised (electrically enhanced) by running it over positive and negative electrodes. This separates the water into alkaline (70%) and acidic (30%). This is exceptionally beneficial as the alkaline water is then used for drinking, while the acidic water can be used on the outside of the body as it is proven to kill many types of bacteria.
The quality of ionised water is reputed to surpass water from any other source. For instance, ionised water is the only type of water that has a low surface tension which allows for greater absorption of water and nutrients into the body.
Some water ionisers also come with an alkalinity adjustment which allows you to set your preferred level of alkalinity. This is an incredibly useful benefit which is unique to this type of machine.
Reverse Osmosis Water Filters
Reverse Osmosis utilises a fine membrane to filter water - known as hyperfiltration. This allows the removal of bacteria, salts, sugars, proteins, particles, dyes, and other damaging elements.
Reverse osmosis uses a membrane that is semi-permeable. This allows the water to pass through whilst the contaminants are removed. In the majority of reverse osmosis filters, this membrane is self-cleaning, allowing for the purest water to be provided.
Reverse osmosis units can use between 2-3 gallons of water to make 1 gallon up to as much as 10 gallons of water or more, to make 1 gallon of pure water.
As with distilled water, reverse osmosis water is far more alkaline than tap or bottled water.
How Else Can I Increase the Alkalinity of my Water?
Using home water distillers, purifiers or ionisers will give you pure water with varying degrees of alkalinity. To further increase the alkalinity of your drinking water the either of the following are recommended:
- squeezing fresh lemon or lime juice into the water
- adding an alkalizing, pH boosting supplement to the water such as Alkalive pH Booster
More Alkaline Diet Resources
Energise for Life is a health resource with a focus on the alkaline diet approach to health. You can find more free alkaline diet resources and alkaline water resources within our health resources section.
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