Which Water Filtration System is Best?

There are many types of water purification systems.  Years ago, I had a Multi-Pure system, which utilized a solid carbon block filter.  I thought that was great, until I realized that it was not removing the fluoride that is added to most communities’ tap water.   Many folks and practitioners believe adding it to drinking water decreases tooth decay.   However, the form of fluoride that is added to drinking water is not naturally occurring.  Based on all I have learned over the years, regarding healing and health, I believe the best way to discourage tooth decay is maintaining a proper diet and tooth care.  I want a filter that removes this synthetic form of fluoride.  Solid carbon blocks, such as that used in the Multi-Pure Filtration Systems, though better than granulated carbon, does not remove all that concerns me, in particular chloramine and fluoride, so I continued to search.

Many people swear by reverse osmosis and water distillation.  True, both forms of purification remove additional unwanted substances.  However, I am concerned that they may be removing too much.  Some minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, and other alkaline elements, are beneficial, and their removal may not be ideal for our health and well-being.  And if you sprout or use your filtered water to water plants, you don’t want these minerals removed, as this would not allow proper growth….

Then a friend told me about LivingWaters™ Engineered Water Treatment Solutions.   Their owner and developer, Lono Ho’ala ND, a graduate of University of Colorado Medical School, a biochemist, Kahuna Priest, and naturopath (a healer in every sense of the word), developed these systems because he did not see ideal options on the market.   As Lono explains on their website, “Faucet mounted filters, drinking water pitchers, and refrigerator filters can't remove chloramine, many chemicals, fluoride, nitrates, arsenic, or pathogenic bacteria. In fact, they are a breeding ground for dangerous bacteria. Reverse-osmosis systems can't remove chloramine or dangerous bacteria.  They actually breed bacteria in the storage tank and post-filter. Because of a phenomenon called ‘break-through’, they can't be relied on for safe drinking water.  Water Ionizers can't remove chloramine or many other dangerous chemicals.   In fact, they actually concentrate dangerous cations like arsenic, lead, mercury and cadmium in the water - sometimes to very dangerous levels. Neither can they remove pathogenic microbiological organisms…” 

I believe Lono is one of the most knowledgeable folks out there on water, filtration, and much more….  His company, Living Waters, sells a variety of water filtration systems…above and below the counter filters, whole house filtration systems, and more.  I like the LWCT4 Premium Countertop filter because it reduces chloramine, fluoride, and arsenic, as well as pathogens in the water.  Though initially, it was a chunk of money at $499, when I added up the amount we used to spend on bottled water, and my frustration with how much plastic was being produced to support our water “habit” this was well worth it.  Replacement filters are available at $276.75, and needed every 1 – 1 1/2 years.  This averages out to about 75 cents a day, after the initial investment for the whole filter is made (and even that first year, spending about $1.35 per day was so much less than what we had been giving the bottled water industry…).  

If you are intrigued, check out http://consciouslivingsystems.com/livingwaters_systems.  Find a coupon code at the end of this blog post that will save you 10% off the list prices on their site!  Read about the technology behind the systems that Lono developed.   After reading more about water and filtration on their site, before making any decisions, I recommend calling and asking for Landon, their in-house water specialist.  He can help you pick the most ideal system for your needs.  If you have well water, you likely need not worry about removal of fluoride, chlorine, or chloramine but might need to be concerned about pathogens or run off from a nearby farm.  If living in a city, likely removal of the chemicals that are added to “treat” the water are your biggest concern.  After speaking more to Landon, I am reminded that their filters are adept at cleaning up the tap water after natural disasters, such as hurricanes, as well as removal of radon, pesticide residues, and disposed medications that have been detected in drinking water, as mentioned in the previous blog post.  To receive a 10% coupon toward your purchase, just enter (or tell Landon)  LTHL when you are asked for “Coupon Code”.  So consider the options, choose health, and make sure that the water you drink is pure!  Let’s drink to your health!  

What is in Our Water?

Water is the staff of life….  While we can live for weeks without food, without water, we would die in a matter of days. 

Today, I ponder, where does our drinking water come from?  Many of us live in cities or towns that have municipal water supplies.  That means there is a reservoir from which our tap water is drawn.   And we are told that tap water is safe to drink.  But what is in that water?  

Lead can enter water supplies, due to corrosion of pipes.  Pharmaceuticals have been detected in tap water http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-03-10-drugs-tap-water_N.htm.  Radon, though naturally occurring, is a radioactive gas which may be linked to cancer, and has been found in water that some of us are drinking.  http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/rulesregs/sdwa/radon/index.cfm.  Pesticide runoff making its way into drinking water is of concern and not just in agricultural areas.  There is documentation of runoff from golf courses and even lawns http://dspace.library.cornell.edu/bitstream/1813/22853/2/Assessment%20of%20Risk%20to%20Drinking%20Water%20from%20Turf%20Pesticide%20Runoff.pdf.  And who among us has not walked past a lawn in our neighborhood with one of those yellow signs which warn of pesticide application?   But my concern lies not just in what is making its way into our water supply by accident.

What needs to be added to municipal supplies to make the water “fit to drink”? Pathogens may be present in “untreated” water and hence the determined need for chlorination.  To prevent and control the growth and presence of these unwanted organisms in the water supply, chlorine, or more commonly chloramine, is added as a disinfectant.  Chlorine has been found to break down and create harmful by-products.  Chloramine (chlorine, bound to ammonia) is more stable than the form of chlorine that was used more commonly in the past; it does not dissipate prior to arriving at the consumer (coming out of your tap).  Unfortunately, that means you are consuming this substance.  If you are receiving water from your town or city's municipal supply, you can contact them via phone or visit their website for a list of what is added to the water in your area.

  

What about well water?  The concern of unwanted chemicals added to treat the water is likely not your issue.  Well…. your well is only as good as the ground water from which it comes.  So run off from farms or industry may be present and therefore taken in to your body, when you drink or even when you bathe…..   And micro-organisms, such as bacteria and viruses can pose health risks. 

Then there is bottled water.  Do we really know how much plastic leaches in to what we are drinking?  If that plastic gets hot, sitting in a warehouse, could that be polluting its contents even further?  And where does that water come from?  We may actually ingest what we are so diligently avoiding from our taps.

The answer lies in a reliable filtration system.  What is out there and what is best?  Tomorrow I am going to tell you more about my favorite water purification system.  It is the best I have found and I have been looking for years!  Tune in tomorrow for more details….. 

Dental Products to Assist in Tooth Remineralizing

In my search for dental products, I have found a company, Dr. Harry's, that seems quite interesting.  The ingredients look quite natural.  I have not tried them out yet, but they are currently number one on my list.  You can check them out at  http://www.uncleharrys.com/store/index.php/mouth-care-remineralization-c-48_55.  They offer a variety of products including tooth powder, mouthwash,  remineralization  liquid, and even a probiotic tooth powder.  I can't say that I have found a company that offers an equivalent selection of products targeting rebuilding tooth enamel,  and their ingredients look more natural than any others I have seen.  So, if you are struggling  with cavities or are told that your teeth are losing mass, in addition to the eating suggestions, consider adding some natural products that aim to help you in your efforts to rebuild!

A Bit More on the Dietary Link to Remineralizing Teeth

I realize quite a bit of time has passed since my last post, but I guess when we "live the holistic life" sometimes life takes precedence over writing.... I am still pondering remineralization of teeth and will be posting soon more about the natural products out there that seem promising.  But I want to do a bit more research and that requires time, which lately has been a bit stretched.

So do stay tuned and if you enjoy this blog, read the past posts that you have missed, while you await more current ones which will become more regular again.... Summer can be quite busy as we all know.... Children home.... Trips..... Life's little and big challenges as well.....

But still on topic of teeth, I thing the issue of not getting enough calcium may be a huge bit.  Though I have researched where calcium exists in my plant based diet, I also realize I don't eat as much as I once did.  I had two pregnancies and nursed both children extended times, and now with all the business of life, I often eat less then ideal at times and not always enough of what I need.... So anyone with a similar issue..... I think focusing on the calcium rich foods and supplementing additional calcium when needed, based on your personal intake from food.  And make sure to also get a variety of the other needed minerals that assist with its absorption, including magnesium... https://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/SR24/nutrlist/sr24w304.pdf
 and trace minerals,  as well as enough vitamin D - sunlight without sunblock - there is an earlier post that discusses this, but in a nutshell, at least 10 minutes of sunlight, between the months of March and October, at least in the Northeast US - other regions may be more or less, on as much exposed skin as possible, helps build up your stores.  Longer periods are safer after 3 or before 10, as there is risk when you get too much sunlight during peak hours of 11-2.  And later in the day, such as after 4 and before 9 am, the amount of vitamin D we can make from sunlight exposure is lessened, and likely not quite adequate on its own..  Of course supplements are available, as well as fortified foods, though this is a bit less holistic than that making it from the rays of that bright star in our day sky....    Vitamin K is also important, though many plant foods are great sources.... Actually they are the best! https://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/SR24/nutrlist/sr24w430.pdf

So until the next post, sometime within the next week.... I wish you a glorious day, and remember to eat your dark greens and lots of them... They are good sources of so many important nutrients, many of them important for healthy bones and teeth, such as calcium, magnesium, and vitamin K!

What is Demineralizing Teeth and More Ideas to Replete Minerals

As I have spent the last few days pondering  what I learned on remineralizing teeth, the natural question is, in those of us whose teeth are prone to cavities and / or those of us who suffer from receding gums and loss of tooth mass, what is causing the loss?  Now we all have heard that sugar can cause cavities.   But I found a site that explains the process simply and clearly.  Basically the sugar sitting on our teeth provide food for bacteria that produce acid as a result.  This acid is what wears away our teeth.  And lack of saliva can compound this process, as saliva helps wash away the bacteria and provide minerals for remineralizing teeth. And I would just add to what they write regarding calcium,  as they recommend dairy products for calcium, and we certainly can obtain calcium from the plant world, though  in  the last post we discussed soaking and sprouting, as well as fermenting for increased mineral availability in grains, beans, seeds, and nuts.  Here is the link for the dental website http://www.redrockdental.org/lp/tooth-decay.html.

Though there is a push for getting calcium from dairy products,  there are many down sides to a diet high in  dairy, which we will address in a later post.....   Good plant sources of  calcium (providing at least 25% of the average adult’s adequate intake) include 1 cup cooked green soybeans and 1 cup cooked collards.

Significant food sources of calcium (contributing at least 10%  of the average adult’s adequate intake) include 1 1/3  ounces almonds, 2 tablespoons sesame tahini, 2 ½ cups roasted chestnuts, 1 cup cooked great northern beans, 1 cup cooked navy beans, 1 1/3  cups cooked pinto beans, 1 ¼  cups cooked chickpeas, 2 cups cooked kidney beans, 2 ½ cups cooked black eyed peas, 2 cups soymilk,  60 grams firm tofu,  90g soft tofu, 2/3 cup cooked turnip greens, 2/3 cup cooked beet greens, ¾ cup cooked dandelion greens, 2/3 cup cooked pak choi, 1 cup cooked mustard greens, 1 1/8 cups cooked kale,  2 cups cooked parsnips, 2 cups cooked broccoli, 2 cups cooked Brussels sprouts, 2 ½ cups cooked kohlrabi, 1 cup cooked okra,  1 ½ cups cooked cabbage, 1 ¼  cups cooked rutabaga, 1 ¼ cups mashed sweet potato,  2 cups cooked turnips,  2 1/8 cups cooked winter squash, 2 1/8 cups cooked summer squash, 1 1/8 cups tomato paste, 2 oranges, 4 kiwis,  4 figs and 2 ½ cups blackberries.

Specific amounts of calcium, contained in a variety of common foods can be found on the web page for the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 21, athttp://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=22114

http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=17477.  Nutrient profiles for specific foods can be accessed at http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/.

All this research has me pondering if just getting powdered calcium, or perhaps calcium with other minerals, in a powdered form, and swishing it around in my mouth  several minutes a day would assist directly with remineralizing.  Eating foods is logical, but if the goal is to have the calcium close to the  teeth, swishing it in a mouth that is in need would seem like a good idea.  So this I might ponder....

So check back within the next few days.... My next post should be some of the interesting, less commonly heard of oral care products that appear promising....

Remineralizing Teeth Naturally

If you read yesterday's post, you now are familiar with my favorite dentist and the sorry state of my teeth and gums.  As I mentioned yesterday, I have visited numerous dentists over the past few years and generally they depress me, speak of a future of possible, or likely tooth loss, due to the progression of receded gums and tooth loss.  I ponder whether it is an over consumption of sweets in the past, a commentary on my present diet, some how related to the 6 plus years of  nursing and two pregnancies...... or a combination of these ad perhaps some other unexamined aspects of my life.... Truth is, we might not know for sure.  But many spoke of a procedure where they take gums from the roof of your mouth and attach it where it used to be around your teeth.... Just writing this makes me queasy and I say "No thank you."  But I realize something needs to change so that I can at least slow or perhaps reverse this situation.  Up until now, I consoled myself that my diet is pretty good, to say the least.... I eat lots of whole foods, an abundance of dark greens..... many nutrient dense foods.  But yet the situation has not improved.

Just a few days ago, I visited Dr. DeSantis, assuming something needed filling.... Ironically nothing was urgent and after some conversation about my teeth she sent me on my way, no money or procedure required.  Though thrilled about that, I was also concerned.  She observed many tiny areas of what appeared to be cavities just beginning.  Her suggestion, though she is not one to push such, was fluoride.... in toothpaste and perhaps a rinse, several times a day to help remineralize those spots.  She explained that fluoride can take the place of calcium in teeth and is more resistant to potential decay. .  I might have grimaced, as if you read this blog regularly, just 2 posts ago, I blogged about the fluoride they add to water and oral care products and how I believe proper oral care and diet are ideal and I prefer to "hold the fluoride".   But here I am now, needing to think it all through.  Knowing that I tend to avoid fluoride, Dr. DeSantis also mentioned a product now available which  utilizes calcium in a similar way.  This sounded interesting....

So I have decided to do a search and see what I come up with that is logical and sensible, that would fit in both with my holistic lifestyle, as well as with my goal or remineralizing teeth.  Interestingly, one of the first sites to pop up spoke of remineralizing teeth naturally with proper diet. http://wellnessmama.com/1756/how-toreverse-tooth-decay-and-avoid-braces-by-changing-one-dietary-factor/  This site focuses on making sure one's diet includes enough minerals (logical), enough fat soluble vitamins (interesting) and avoiding phytic acid (yikes that is high in a diet based on grains and beans).

This site made reference to Weston Price, a researcher who observed that native peoples tended to have healthy, white, well formed teeth, while those consuming a "western diet" had dental carries and very often the need for dental braces.  As my daughter was recently told she needed several teeth pulled and then that braces are needed due to "an overcrowded mouth," this site has now caused me to ponder, is it actually a malformed jaw due to a diet we follow that is so high in phytic acid?   However, in the tradition of Weston Price, this site does recommend trying to minimize phytic acid through soaking and or sprouting or fermenting high phytic acid foods (so consuming traditionally prepared sourdough bread or soaking and ideally sprouting beans, grains, seeds, and nuts before use).  This certainly seems doable, at least to some extent in our lives...

Alas, once again the post is getting long, so for those of you out there who prefer to avoid animal products, we can do our bodies and teeth apparently, a service by lowering our daily dose of phytic acid.   Soak, sprout, ferment foods high in phytic acid, and try to make a higher degree of your foods those that are naturally low in phytic acid.  Eat more vegetables, particularly the mineral rich dark greens, more so than anything  else.... Kale or collards anyone?  So tune in again soon to read the next post....to find out what other interesting sites I found detailing how to naturally remineralize our teeth...

Holistic Dentistry

Though I consider my diet and lifestyle very natural, my teeth and gums are not "happy campers."  I believe my challenges likely began during years of braces in my youth and then the situation was aggravated by my fondness for dried fruit and all things sweet (though organic and dairy free, such  treats are not tooth friendly....).  And then my avoiding x-rays during pregnancy and nursing likely made it more challenging for the dentists I visited over a period of 7 years to see what was going on within....  Our frequent moves likely just complicated matters, as I rarely saw the same dentist more than twice

One and a half years ago, the matter became critical.  I went to a new dentist (of course) in my area and finally allowed x-rays.  My youngest was now 2 and I decided  the risks of not knowing might outweigh the risks to my littlest one (not yet weaned).  I promised myself I would eat some seaweed and miso (my memory told me this might assist with "pulling radiation from the body" as at one point I read or heard that those who survived Hiroshima and Nagasaki had diets high in  naturally fermented food and seaweed, but we will save looking into that for a future post....).   So I allowed the x-rays and was horrified by the results. I was told that one tooth had a cavity so large, my only option at their practice was a root canal or having the tooth removed.  Neither option felt comfortable.  There are so many "unnatural" aspects of root canals, including the use of a bleach solution to "irrigate" the area and the use of "gutta percha" to fill the space (ironically, though gutta percha is named for the plant from which part of it is derived, there are other less natural ingredients included in the mix.... http://endodonticsjournal.com/articles/140/1/Biocompatibility-of-dental-materials-used-in-contemporary-endodontic-therapy-a-review-Part-2-Root-canal-filling-materials/Page1.html).  So suffice it to say  that I was driven to look further.

So I went on a campaign to find a dentist willing to fill this cavity rather than insist on extraction  or  root canal.  After much fruitless searching, I found a wonderful dentist, on the recommendation of a friend.  Located in Newton, Massachusetts, Dr. Michaela Neagu DeSantis, was (and is) worth the trip.  She offered me a free consultation and after examining my x-rays and teeth, told me she would do her best to fill the cavity.  And so she did!  The cavity that no one else would touch is now, nearly two years later, still filled thanks to my favorite dentist.  But my gums are quite receded still, and as I still dip into the treats occasionally and likely have not been as diligent with my oral care, the cavities still come, as my teeth are much more exposed due to the recession.  Though I still visit my local dentist for regular visits (free under my current insurance), I happily travel the extra mile for all my fillings (unfortunately not covered my insurance....).  I know Dr. DeSantis does her best, in all respects and incorporates holistic practices wherever possible.  And if not covered by your insurance plan, her prices are quite fair and reasonable.  I highly recommend her to all in the Boston, Massachusetts area.   Learn more about Dr. DeSantis and her practice at http://www.newtondw.com/about.html

Well this blog post is getting long, so tune back tomorrow, when I will be researching natural options for remineralizing teeth.  Apparently mine are crying out for such!