As I’ve studied Functional Medicine, I’ve been careful about avoiding toxins across the board. Toxins and chemicals can disrupt our immune system, gut, thyroid, hormones, and brain, all of our body’s processes to keep us alive and healthy! Many of you have heard me talk about cleaning up your environment and making your home your haven. There is absolutely no way to avoid all the toxins we’re exposed to, but what we can do is minimize our exposure. So, today I want to talk about good old-fashioned, high-quality H2O. The #1 BEST thing we can do for ourselves above clean eating, exercise, and supplements, is drinking CLEAN water. Why? Because we are constantly bombarded with environmental chemicals that continue to fill our toxic bucket.  Think of your body as a bucket. With each toxic exposure, drop by drop, your bucket becomes full. A slip here and a drop there isn’t so significant as our immune systems are built to handle a degree of toxicity. However, chronic exposure to toxins and chemicals and physical and emotional stressors fill your daily bucket, and it begins to overflow at some point. It may take a few years or a few decades before the bucket spills over, but once it does, inflammation and cellular damage are triggered, symptoms emerge, and disease manifests. Why? Because our bodies cannot keep up with the increased toxic burden. Our tissues and lymphatic system become congested, detoxification organs become overwhelmed, and we can’t maintain normal detox functions. Therefore, drinking CLEAN water is the #1 BEST thing we can do to reduce our daily toxic exposure. When you decrease your toxic burden, your body has a chance to SHED all that toxic buildup hanging out in your tissues and fat cells. The body is a fantastic vessel that can heal with the proper nourishment!

“The disturbing truth shown by data is when most Americans drink a glass of tap water, they’re also getting a dose of industrial or agricultural contaminants linked to cancer, harm to the brain and nervous system, changes in growth and development of the fetus, fertility problems, and hormone disruption.”

TIP  Enter your zip code into the Environmental Working Group’s “Tap Water Database,” click here to see what’s in your drinking water!

I did more research and discovered that our water contains fluorinated chemicals called PFAS, lead from old pipes, prescription drugs, and even farmland runoff–which sends millions of tons of pesticides and fertilizer chemicals into rivers and streams. Even though the federal government regulates drinking water standards, it’s not enough. The safety of our water can vary depending on who is in charge of our government due to political and economic compromises. And even if those standards were steady, it’s up to often-underfunded cities and counties to care for poor water quality. You only must look at Flint, Michigan, to understand how lack of funding and political pressure can compromise your and your neighbors’ health.

So, what can you do?

First, check out the Environmental Working Group’s guide to safe drinking water. The EWG’s standards are “based on what’s necessary to protect human health, with an adequate margin of safety,” according to their website. You can enter your zip code to learn about the safety of drinking water where you live. You can do what I do: Filter your water to ensure you and your family have the cleanest, safest water possible.

Some of my favorite water filters 

• Berkey Filters: Offers countertop units, travel units, and shower filters.
• Clearly Filtered: Offers pitchers under the sink system and refrigerator filters.
• My Pure Water:  Offers countertop units and whole home distillers. A distillation system has become my top choice.
• Klennatap: Reverse osmosis system and alkaline water
• Crystal Quest Filters: Addresses specific support based on your water quality

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact our office. We can do various tests to see how water is affecting your system. Click here to schedule an appointment.