Contaminated Tap Water - Challenges to Our Health

The problems that stem from having contaminated tap water are something that we all must face. The challenges to our health that these impurities cause us are a reality that we simply cannot ignore any longer. It is time to finally see that our drinking water system is in a state of crisis.

This crisis did not happen overnight, but has built gradually over the last century. There was a time when we won a victory over the waterborne diseases that were taking so many of our lives, but this time the enemy that we face is different. We also must face that it is an enemy of our own making.

It has been our reckless disregard for nature that sent this whole problem into motion. We have mishandled, poorly stored, and senselessly disposed of the chemicals that we created to help us to make life easier for ourselves that has led to us having to deal with severely contaminated tap water.

Now we somehow have to figure out a way to clean up this mess that we have made, if for nothing else for the wildlife that depend on these tainted water sources in order to survive. Our blatant arrogance has threatened the very existence of life on this planet; at least as we now know it.

It amazes me sometimes to think of the degree of the damage that we've done in such a short period of time, just a little over a hundred years. Now many of us are feeling the brunt of our misdeeds in the damage that we have done to our own health through drinking contaminated tap water.

What can we do to fix this crisis that we are in? The damage that we have done to our environment and the resources that are precious to us has become a global issue, and it is going to take a global community in order to set things straight again. Until this is done, our resources are limited.

Waiting for a solution to the problem of contaminated drinking water to come from the municipal level could take a considerable amount of time. There doesn't seem to be enough money in the coffers to give the water treatment facilities the kind of major overhauls that they have long needed.

That leaves us as having to take responsibility for the health of ourselves and our families, but where do we begin? The first thing that I would advise everyone to do is to purchase either a point of use home water purification system, or a whole house model. This way at least, you can guarantee the purity of the water in your own home.

There are a lot of things that we need to work on if we are going to finally free ourselves from the problems that contaminated tap water brings to the table. The first thing that we need to make sure of is that we have all angles covered at home. That is where the most important people are.

Judith Pratt is passionate about maintaining optimum health naturally.To find the results of her extensive research on the best value for money, top quality, Water Filter Systems at factory prices go to: http://www.clean-water-filtration.com

The Best Place to Find the Purest Drinking Water

Pure radiant skin, Healthy complexion...These are some of the benefits of using clean drinking water.

We all know what using the purest drinking water can do for our bodies but the problem is on finding a good source.

If you think that drinking tap water is fine, then you probably haven't read the recent USA Today Special Report article titled "How Safe is Your Water" stating: "Each day, millions of Americans turn on their taps and get water that exceeds the legal limits for dangerous contaminants." What concerns me the most about the harmful tap water is that we have developing children with weak immune systems that will be more vulnerable than adults.

Drinking bottled water isn't much of a viable alternative as well. The sad truth is that most bottled water comes straight from the tap. The regulation standard for bottled water isn't even as high as your regular tap water. In addition to not being safer than tap water, land pollution due to plastic bottled water is also becoming a concern.

Thus, the basic sources of clean drinking water for most Americans have some problems that won't be solved in a short time frame. Now the only solution is to filter our water ourselves. Your own filtered faucet can be the top place to find clean drinking water.

There are a couple of different purifiers, filters in the market, each with its own method for filtering water. These include distillers, reverse osmosis filters and carbon block filters. Determining the best system can be simply done by comparing the product's performance to other alternatives. The performance of a particular water filtration system can be easily verified by reviewing its Performance Data Sheet, which lists all the contaminants it is certified to remove and to what degree.

By comparing each products contaminant reduction capabilities & cost, it is easy to determine which system is right for you.

I have taken the liberty of describing some of these system's good points and shortfalls.

Distillation systems remove contaminants by using a steam condensation technique which involves heating water, filtering out contaminants and then cooling the water back into the liquid form. The only problem with this technique is that it also strips the natural minerals in natural water that our body needs to maintain homeostasis. In fact there is also research suggesting long term consumption of demineralized water can lead to long term health problems.

Reverse osmosis, by use of a membrane, selectively removes contaminants only if their molecular size is larger than water's. However, many bacteria and other harmful organisms are even smaller than the size of water. These organisms can get through with such regularity it defeats the purpose of filtering your water.

The best filter to get the purest drinking water by far is the carbon block filter. These work by chemically or physically bonding the contaminant to the surface of the filter used. Activated carbon is recognized by the U.S. EPA as the best available technology for filtering bio organisms and volatile chemicals.

If you want better health and better skin, it's not too late to consider carbon block filters to clean your water to get the refreshing taste of clean drinking water.

William Lin is an avid proponent of optimum health through high quality water sources. Break free from the typical low quality water sources by visiting William's site at Pure Filtered Safe Water to see his latest free research on health through cleaner, healthier water.

Personal Air Purifiers and Reasons to Own One

Personal air purifiers are something that every person should consider having in their homes. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) tells us that the air inside our homes is up to five times more polluted than the air outside. Indoor air contains pollutants such as bacteria, allergens, mold spores, pet dander, and much more. And you are breathing all of this stuff into your body right along with the 3,400 gallons of air that you breathe every single day.

Indoor air is not healthy air for anybody, but it is even less healthy for somebody with allergies or respiratory illnesses, and it is important to keep the air in our homes clean. Clean indoor air can also help to prevent some respiratory illnesses by keeping out much of the bacteria that we breathe into our lungs. The American Lung Association has set forth clean house guidelines that pertain to the air that we breathe inside our homes.

Air cleaners can eliminate almost 100% of the pollutants and particles in the air inside our homes, depending on what kind of air purifier you get and where it is placed. There are a few different types of purifiers to choose from. You can choose one with a carbon or HEPA filter, one with ionic technology, or one with ultraviolet light and ozone production.

Filtered purifiers are great options, particularly if the filters are carbon and/or HEPA. Some come with both types of filters to clean even more of the air in the best ways that are known. These are a bit more expensive, but the clean air benefits may be worth the extra money. You will have to change the filters regularly or the unit won’t perform optimally. Make sure to find a unit that lets you know that the filter needs changed for the best performance and to keep you from wasting money by changing the filter too often.

Fresh air outside is made fresh by the production of negative ions, which is what an ionic air purifier does inside your home. Yes, they have filters, too, but they are permanent filters that can just be wiped clean and reinserted into the machine. These personal air purifiers might be more expensive than a filtered machine, but you save the cost of replacing the filters.

Many air purifiers have filters or ionic technology along with UV light technology. The ultraviolet light does two things. It releases a small amount of ozone to clean the air and it deodorizes the air by killing the odor causing bacteria that linger around after you cook or smoke or bring the dogs in from the rain.

Personal air purifiers can range in price from a few dollars to a few thousand dollars. Even if you can’t afford the top of the line purifiers, it is a good idea to have something cleaning the air in your home, for your comfort and your health. Can you afford not to?

For more information about the different types and benefits of owning Personal Air Purifiers, visit http://www.personalairpurifiersonline.com

Symptoms and Treatments of Rotator Cuff Syndrome

Extensive use of body parts may put them in danger after years of use. People using the shoulders frequently face the risk of experiencing shoulder pain or a condition referred to as rotator cuff syndrome. The shoulder pain becomes so acute that the patient becomes unable to move his shoulder or arms beyond a certain point.

Freestyle swimming, basketball, javelin throwing, shot-put throwing, weight lifting, and tennis can cause rotator cuff syndrome in athletes and sports persons. People involved in certain occupations are also prone to this condition. These vocations include but are not limited to: tree pruning, fruit picking, nursing, grocery clerking, longshoring, and warehousing.

Four muscles namely: supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis surround the shoulder. Any of the four muscles that form the shoulder could be involved in a rotator cuff syndrome. Most tears are associated with the supraspinatus muscle. It's not the muscle but the muscle tendon that experiences a tear leading to rotator cuff syndrome. The condition may start with a small tear. Minor pain may be present in the patient for years in such cases. There may also appear a sudden big tear in the shoulder tendons due to a spurt in shoulder activity.

People suffering from rotator cuff syndrome are mostly advised non-operative treatment. Applying of pain relief creams to the affected area, ice packs, taking pain relieving anti inflammatory pills or injections, adequate rest, and desisting from shoulder related activities are advised to patients.

Rotator cuff rehab programs include mild physical therapy involving the shoulder. Steroids are given in certain cases to relive pain too. In extreme cases surgery is performed to cure rotator cuff syndrome. A magnetic resonance imagery or MRI scan determines whether or not surgery is required for treating the condition.

If you want to learn more about rotator cuff or more specifically rotator cuff syndrome then check out http://www.rotatorcuffreview.com

The Digestion Wars - Probiotics VS Indigestion, Constipation and Heartburn

Louis Pasteur was the Mick Jaeger of nineteenth century science.

And rightly so. But rock star that he was, he made the word bacteria synonymous with disease, a misimpression that is still with us today.

Make no mistake, there definitely are bad bacteria. But in a healthy body, there are also trillions of good bacteria (yes, that's a T) that provide many of the critical elements to good health and vitality. These microscopic mighty microbes are called probiotics (for life), and without them or without enough of them, the bad guys take over and life can get down-right miserable.

While Pasteur's discovery of the germ theory of disease received great notoriety and acclaim, the discovery of the healthy side of the force has taken a great deal more time to permeate the public consciousness.

Oh, the years of needless heartburn.

Maybe it was because the discoverer of the life enhancing benefits of probiotics, a microbiologist and 1908 Nobel Prize Winner named Ellie Metchnikoff, was a Russian - not popular PR celebrities even then.

But, whatever the reason, Metchnikoff, curious as to what made some people live longer than others, studied the astonishing number of individuals in Bulgaria that were living to be over 100 years old. He traced the secret of their longevity to the probiotics that were contained in the fermented yogurt they ate.

Ellie, we love you, Man.

How, you might ask, could a bunch of bugs, microscopic bugs at that, help people live longer?

Let us count the ways:

Probiotics - beneficial microbes - break food down into its most basic elements allowing nutrients to absorb through the digestive system:

They strengthen the immune system, which enables the body to better fight disease;

They help relieve constipation;

They reduce the chance of infection from common pathogens (bad bugs);

They increase the bio-availabity of nutrients (which means they help the nutrients get into the cells with greater ease where they generate the physical energy of life);

They promote recovery from diarrhea;

They clean the intestines;

They help kill viruses and parasites;

They help prevent yeast and fungal infections;

They improve the digestion of vitamins;

They inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria;

They help make certain B vitamins.

Not bad for a bunch of bugs the size of a micron (there are one million microns in a meter - or, side by side, about 25,000 bacteria in an inch - we're talkin' very, very, small).

Your intestines should have about 85% good bacteria and 15% bad. But chlorinated water, the presence of antibiotics in the food we eat and as medical treatments we take, and other factors can wreck havoc in the gastrointestinal track, throwing your digestive system completely out of balance.

On days like that you'd rather be burned at the stake.

As noted, yogurt can be a good source of probiotics. But some years ago a revolutionary discovery was made using a unique combination of probiotics - a team of beneficial bacteria so coordinated, so in harmony, so dedicated to enhancing life that Vince Lombardi would have kissed their feet (if they'd had any.)

Pasteur, who discovered the effects of bad bacteria, was French. Metchnikoff, who discovered the benefits of good bacteria, was Russian. But it fell to a little known Japanese scientist named Teruo Higa to discover this combination of beneficial microorganisms that operate in a revolutionary relationship with each other and in so doing make human bodies hum like Lance Armstrong at the Tour De France.

Which means?

Stay with me here because this gets good.

The most extraordinary microbe in this serendipitous gathering of bacteria from the Far Side - the leader of the pack, so to speak- is the phototropic microbe. Fascinating creature, this bug has been here since before there was oxygen on the planet. In fact, it is anaerobic (hates oxygen).

How, you might wonder, does a living organism survive without oxygen?

In a simple act of adaptive Darwinian brilliance, it consumed what was in the environment: epicurean delights like carbon dioxide, ammonia, methane and hydrogen sulfide. And still does.

And in case the light-bulb didn't go on as you read that, take note that these are all modern-day toxins. In other words, we have here a microbe that thrives on poisons and pollutants.

But that's only half the fun: in a performance that confirms Mother Nature as the planet's true environmental Magic Maker, these microbes excrete oxygen, amino acids, antioxidants and other substances that enhance life.

Green Peace loves you Baby!

Now watch this...

The other members of the group are aerobic (oxygen loving) bacteria. Check out this teamwork. The aerobic bacteria consume the oxygen generated by the phototropic bacteria. They in turn give off, that's right...carbon dioxide, food for the phototropic bacteria - which they readily consume. And so you have this revolutionary relationship - this symbiotic union of beneficial bacteria - that, like an organic PacMan, goes charging through the environment in which it finds itself, devouring toxins and pollutants and giving off amino acids, vitamins, trace minerals, enzymes and antioxidants.

Think about a team of microbes that are: 1) thriving on toxins and polluting elements in your digestive track; 2) generating antioxidants and other healthy by-products while doing so and 3) overcoming pathogenic (bad) bugs all at the same time.

Who'd have thought...ancient, toxin-eating microorganisms and their organic by-products bringing life-enhancing benefits to people in the 21st century. Something kind of cool about that.

Note: Neither the statements in this story nor the products described have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, but rather are dietary supplements intended solely for nutritional use.

Michael Richard Burke has a Masters Degree with Honors from the California State University at San Jose, is a lifetime credentialed educator, the author of both fiction and nonfiction books as well as newsletters and articles on human health and marketing. Further information about this probiotic product can be found at the link below. http://www.mightymicrobes.com/probiotic-supplements.html

Contaminated Tap Water - 7 Important Facts That Everyone Needs to Know

Contaminated tap water is a hot topic these days. My wish is that you take the time to view the facts in this article and give them a little consideration. Contaminated tap water does affect your health however, view the facts first and then take some action to protect yourself and your family. Once you have read all the facts you'll know what to do.

1) There has been a tremendous increase in the number cases of degenerative disease due to contaminated tap water. Low levels of SOC's (synthetic organic chemicals) are a major contributor. There are many reasons our water becomes polluted such as improper
disposal of common chemicals used in our homes to farm runoff as well as a whole host of other reasons.

2) Before we started using chlorine in our water as a disinfectant in the early nineteenth century the average American had about a 2% chance of getting some sort of cancer. Since we started use herbicides, pesticides, and many other chemicals that people are exposed to on a daily basis that figure has figure has risen to 33% for everyone, and about 50% for men.

3) Almost every country in the world shows traces of SOC's in its tap water. In one of the biggest studies ever done the Ralph Nader Study Group reviewed nearly 10,000 official documents and discovered that there are more than two thousand one hundred toxic chemicals that are cancer causes in our tap water.

4) Studies have shown that almost any chemical used by humans will at some point end up in our supply of water. Because there is no new water (mother earth uses the same water over and over) and as the use of chemicals increases to contamination of our water becomes even more toxic.

5) The infrastructure of our drinking water facilities is becoming outdated. They are unable to keep up with new forms of chemicals and microorganisms and were never intended to deal with the chemicals they are now faced with.

6) The regulations for the safety of our tap water are based on people ingesting only one chemical in their tap water, and it is also based on a 175 pound adult. It does not take into consideration the combined toxicity of more than 2 chemicals.

7) This is really bad news for babies and small children. The systems of babies and small children that help filter out toxins are not fully developed. Because they take in more water on a pound for pound basis the toxins do more damage. Is there any wonder why cases of childhood asthma, cancer, leukemia and immune disorders have all risen in the last decade?

- The Simple Solution -

Now that you know the facts about contaminated tap water you may see the need for using water filtration product. A good quality water filter offers the best method of protecting your health. Look for a quality water filter that uses a combination of carbon filtration, ion exchange and sub micron filtration. This is the best type of water filter you can buy. They are not very expensive if you buy direct from the manufacturer and well worth the money you invest in it.

Visit http://www.BestH2oFilter.com for more information on contaminated tap water and where to buy MANAFACTURER DIRECT TOP RATED WATER FILTERS using the technology mentioned in this article. Expert author Steve Waters has done extensive research on water filtration to save you time and money.

Pull Back Or Leap Forward?

Looking back, about a year after first writing about Commanders of Change™ as a progressive new breed of doctors, little did I realize how prophetic it would be. The doctors in private practice we see doing the best even in this brave new world are commanding their own change, and reinventing themselves, and their practices. Despite the outside world. They have indeed learned to Practice by Design ™.

Those having extraordinary difficulty in private practice are instead practicing by default.

Its no secret, things are very different in your patient's lives now too. More than just an election year uncertainty. Entire pillars of American society are shifting very, very quickly.

So, here's the simple choice. Learn new systems, grow, and become more patient-centric while reinventing your practice, yourself and your future.

Or, do nothing, and wish things were like they used to be. Either way, recognize it is a choice that will have profound consequences on the rest of your life.

I am not saying it's easy. If it were, all doctors in private practice would easily gross six and seven figure incomes. For some of us, it's the most difficult issue in life right now.

I do however speak from experience when I tell you that the direction you take now, because it is such a pivotal time can mean dominating your given market area, building a powerful, profitable practice knowing you are fulfilling your professional destiny, and having that extra income committed to permanent interest bearing investments that can give you a lifetime of freedom.

Or, failing to act decisively, quickly, while gathering all the tools and information you must have regardless of who or what tries to dissuade you can mean closing your doors. It's this simple.

Do you hang around with naysayers or dwell upon how tough things are while distressing about loss of income and your investments?

It's your choice.

Or, have you instead asked for help where you need it, moved forward with a clear vision of the future instead of regrets about the past.

While you are reviewing or reformulating your game plan, here are some of the critical areas that need special attention.

First, are you and your entire team communicating the true value, the most meaningful benefits about what you do, and simultaneously making it easy for those who want more of what you have to offer raise their hands and buy more?

Do you talk only about pain, covered visits, or 'Longer, healthier life with the energy and physical capacity to engage your passions to their fullest'? Do you teach them how to be continuously "Looking and feeling spectacular?" And "Having more energy than people 10-15 years younger'?

Because doctor, this is exactly what your care does for people.

If you are not currently fully engaged along these lines, this is where I advocate you spend lots of time investigating how the practice development programs we have developed for you can best be deployed to make all this your reality too.

Always remember, these are the patients that tell everyone about their doctors. And gladly pay for everything you do. And come back year after year with their kids and grandkids.

Next, is your team crisp, efficient, friendly and understanding? Do they go out of their way to make the office a place people love to come to, and tell everyone they know? Do they also fully support you or stress you out way too much? This also, is a choice. Your choice.

As a vital referral driving and expanded patient care network, what is the quality of your healthcare professional relationships? Have you aligned yourself with like-minded MDs, DMDs, DPMs, etc? Do they refer easily back to you in complete confidence? Do you work to continue to help them as well as their patients?

Most importantly, do you have a clear vision, and a step-by-step game plan to make this all a reality?

Not too long ago, I wrote how to develop a step-by step implementation game plan. If you are having difficulty with any of these critical areas instead of going into overwhelm dedicate some quiet time, a day or two out of the office if need be, use the simple system I developed for you and just get it done.

And remember, this is where good coaching and modern tools and systems are priceless.

I look forward to hearing your success story!

Learn About What is in Tap Water and Protect Your Health

Here, you can learn about what is in tap water This is important, because we buy far too many bottled beverages and should be drinking clean and pure water. But, the purity of tap water is always a major concern.

Did you know that all bottled waters are either heavily treated groundwater or municipally supplied and run through a reverse osmosis filter? Did you know that companies like Coke and Pepsi are literally reselling YOUR tap-water to you?

If you are drinking Dasani or Aquafina, because you are worried about what is in tap water don't bother. The chemicals that are in publicly treated supplies are not removed through their reverse osmosis filters and they don't take additional steps to remove them.

The purity of tap water is unquestionable when you have an effective point-of-use or home filtration system. You don't have to spend a lot of money. You simply have to shop for quality and compare product performance data. The details speak for themselves.

What affects the purity of tap water today, includes chlorine, parasitic cysts resistant to chlorination and other public disinfection methods, traces of lead and other metals, but the biggest long-term health threat is the constant exposure to thousands of chemical toxins and carcinogens.

We are exposed to these chemicals in many ways throughout the day. Efforts are being made to prevent some of them from being used in beverage containers, food wrappers and cosmetics, but they take so long to break down in the environment, that our water will always be contaminated with them.

As governments around the world put tighter controls on industrial pollutants, the levels may decrease in a hundred years or so. But, right now, we have to worry about what is in tap water and make every effort to protect ourselves.

To insure the purity of tap water in your home, you don't need an expensive reverse osmosis step, regardless of the advertising hype. The brands to avoid include Ever-Pure, GE and Amway, because they are overpriced. Other brands, including Brita, PUR, Clean & Pure, Kenmore and Aqua-Pure should be avoided, because they do not provide effective contaminant removal.

Remember what is in tap water when you go shopping. You need submicron filtration to remove cysts. You need granular carbon and a multi-media filter to remove all of the chemical toxins and carcinogens, including chlorine. You need ion exchange to remove lead and other metallic traces.

Ion exchange does a great deal to insure the purity of tap water and to provide the best tasting, healthiest beverage that money can buy. But, you only have to pay about a dime per gallon. Imagine drinking and cooking with something that tastes fresh and natural, without having to carry in jug after jug of bottled water.

You can stop imagining and start getting healthier. Now, you have learned what is in tap water and I think you know what to do about it.

Dominic Anderton is a dedicated reseacher on the health benefits of purified drinking and bath water. Visit his site now at http://www.pure-and-safe-water.com to get the facts on how to choose the best water purification system.

Reverse Osmosis Filtration is Not the Best Buy For Homeowners, Today

While reverse osmosis filtration is the method of choice for large-scale treatment facilities and the bottled water industry, it should not be the method of choice for homeowners, despite what manufacturers like GE and Ever-Pure would have you believe. Let's look at a few honest questions and answers.

Is Reverse Osmosis Water Good for Your Health?

Home reverse osmosis filtration began during a time when the major contaminants that people had to deal with were naturally occurring substances. Most of them were removed through the system and people enjoyed better health by not ingesting things like lead, mercury and arsenic that had tainted their wells.

Today, the biggest issues that we have to deal with are synthetic and organic chemical contaminants, which are not removed through RO. Lead is still a problem in some areas, due to aging pipes. Lead is only reduced somewhat, through RO.

Homeowners with private wells should have testing completed and choose a system based on the contaminants present. RO is not the only option, today. Homeowners serviced by a public supplier do not need RO, plain and simple.

Is Reverse Osmosis Water Good to Drink, in terms of Taste?

No. The taste is stale or tasteless due to the absence of naturally occurring minerals. While, bad tasting chemical contaminants, such as chlorine, will still be present, ruining the taste.

Is Reverse Osmosis Water Good for the Environment?

Because it requires the use of more electrical energy and creates gallons of wastewater, osmosis filtration is not an environmentally friendly choice.

Is Reverse Osmosis Water Good for Your Pocketbook?

Home purifiers, including reverse osmosis filtration, cost more to purchase, more to maintain and increase energy consumption. So, no, they are not good for your family's budget. There are more effective, less expensive options.

Is Reverse Osmosis Water Good, Overall?

No. The best choice for homeowners serviced by a public supplier is multi-stage selective purification. These systems are advanced enough to remove more than 99% of any traces of lead, copper and other metals, chemical contaminants, such as chlorine and its cancer-causing byproducts and parasitic cysts, without reducing the natural mineral content.

Some of the cheaper systems on the market (PUR and Brita, for example) only include single stage granular activated carbon, so they will not remove many of the cancer-causing chemicals that are present. Read product performance data before you buy. You may think you are getting a good deal, when in fact you are not fully protecting your health.

In terms of taste, healthfulness and affordability, selective purification cannot be beat. It is naturally occurring minerals that give water a fresh taste. When selective filters identify traces of lead and other metals, they are exchanged for healthy potassium and sodium ions, through a process called "ion exchange".

You can buy a selective system for the kitchen tap for around a hundred dollars. Effective systems that include reverse osmosis filtration cost closer to "eight" hundred dollars. What sounds like the best buy, to you?

Dominic Anderton is a dedicated reseacher on the health benefits of purified drinking and bath water. Visit his site now at http://www.pure-and-safe-water.com to get the facts on how to choose the best water purification system.