Crazy Sexy Diet: Eat Your Veggies, Ignite Your Spark, and Live Like You Mean It! (34 page)

Although it’s oh-so-convenient to buy bottled water, it’s also a catastrophic waste on so many levels. Untold millions of plastic bottles clog our bloated landfills every year, and since space is extremely limited, we end up shipping our mountains of garbage to developing countries or simply dumping it far out to sea. Pound for pound, plastic bottles are one of the most ubiquitous forms of trash that pollute our oceans, rivers, roadways, and parks. Plastic bottles can last hundreds or
even thousands of years. In turn, marine life and birds mistake plastic litter for food and end up choking and dying in droves.

If I haven’t already gotten your attention, this might: That fancy $3 bottle of water is often nothing more than tap water. In fact, according to Food and Water Watch (foodandwaterwatch.org), tap water is actually better overall than most bottled water. The bottled water industry is subject to minimal regulation and oversight, and most bottling plants go uninspected for years on end. While the labels show serene and reassuring images of mountain glaciers and tropical waterfalls, you actually might just be guzzling from a big-city spigot or a hole drilled down the road from God-knows-what Superfund site.

Popular brands may contain the same toxic chemicals, pesticides, and pathogens that occur in tap water. And because the bottles aren’t always sterilized before filling, that supposedly “clean” product could have nasty fungi and bacteria growing in it. Hey, did I mention that most bottled waters are acidic? It’s true—many of the most popular brands test at a pH of around 5 or 6. Ultimately, you’re spending up to 1,000 times more per gallon for bottled water than tap water.

Of course, if you’re in a pinch it’s best to stay hydrated by buying a bottle than to go without. But if you can make a modest investment in a water filter and a reusable stainless-steel bottle, like a Kleen Kanteen, then do yourself and the planet a favor and buy them. Stay away from the reusable hard plastic bottles. They contain dangerous chemicals known as BPAs, which can wreak havoc on our hormones. (Many other products contain BPAs, including baby bottles and food containers. Federal and state laws are beginning to restrict their use, but for now, it’s best to stay vigilant. These plastics can usually be identified by RECYCLE #7 printed on the bottom.)

Compared to many poor countries in the world, the tap water in the United States is definitely better, but don’t think it’s completely safe. According to a 2009
New York Times
study, more than 20 percent of municipal water treatment systems violated key provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act in the previous five years, exposing tens of millions of people to unsafe water. Keep in mind that this act only regulates 91 out of more than 60,000 chemicals in use in the United States.

A typical glass of tap water might contain a rogue’s list of frightening things that shouldn’t be there: heavy metals, industrial solvents, pesticides, rocket fuel, and even pharmaceuticals your neighbors peed down their drains in the past. The chlorine that is put in the water to kill germs is itself controversial, because it also kills your intestinal flora. For the millions of homes relying on well water, unfortunately the story isn’t much different (except for the chlorine).

What to do? Install a water filter. While no filter guarantees absolutely purity, they can be a great improvement. Different types of filters remove or reduce different types of impurities. To figure out what you need, learn about your water first. Start by requesting your community’s annual waterquality report, available from the utility or from your local health department. You should also test the water from your tap, since it may have picked up junk on its journey to your sink. Your local health department or an independent lab can do it for free or for a small fee.

Next, you’ll want to consider which water you want to filter. Drinking only? Or cooking, bathing, and laundry as well? For most households, I recommend using filtered water at least for drinking and cooking. But keep in mind that your skin is your body’s largest organ and you absorb many substances through it, so if you can filter your bathing water as well, brava! For maximum filtration, a whole-house system can be installed. These usually connect to the main pipe shortly after it enters the house and can be hidden out of sight in a basement or closet. For kitchen use only, there are smaller, under-sink models.

Filtration systems range in price from about $60 on up to $400 or more, and should be installed by a plumber—or that sexy somebody who’s handy with tools. Finally, the simplest and cheapest way to treat drinking water is to buy a pitcher that contains a filter. Wellness Carafe, Brita, and Pur are three popular brands.

There is some debate about whether it’s better to drink water that contains minerals or water
that has been purified and the minerals removed. Trace amounts of essential calcium, magnesium, and sodium have been flowing in our mountain streams and nourishing us forever. So assuming you can still find clean, natural water, there’s nothing wrong with it. But compared with your food, drinking water delivers only a tiny fraction of these important minerals. It’s no big deal if you drink purified water, so long as you’re also eating a healthy diet. Reverse osmosis and distillation are two common filtration methods that remove minerals. They can be remineralized with a pinch of quality sea salt.