Water Composition
Water to the naked eye looks all the same, but appearances are deceiving. If you read
the ingredients on some water bottles it might list minerals such as calcium, magnesium,
sodium, and potassium. Or it might say the water is ‘pure’ with no listing of minerals
and still say the water is healthy. Are minerals in water healthier or less healthy?
Perhaps you describe water as hard or soft. Maybe you've tasted and disliked the amount
of chlorine added to tap water, which led to using bottled water. The pros and cons of
fluoridation of water is another subject that may sound familiar.
I studied all of these aspects of water, and also pH levels (acid vs alkaline), electrical conductivity,
and how this relates to mineral content. On the left is pictured one of the meters
I used to study water quality. In the end, I learned that the closer we can get to drinking
alkaline spring water, the better it is for our health. Spring water without plastic
residue, no chlorine or fluoride, and only the primary minerals listed above (trace of others
is ok). Read about how I created this water on the next tab.
Do I worry if I don't always drink this ideal water? No, but armed with this knowledge I
can make a healthier choice when I am able to. My taste buds can even taste the difference
between water that is more acidic (no minerals or 'old' water usually) vs more alkaline
due to the reconditioning of my taste receptors from drinking more alkaline water over a long period of time.
Water Treatment
Once I learned what kind of water was better for me, I set about to create a steady supply of
it inexpensively. My strategy was to implement a reverse-osmosis system that outputs
high pH water at home.
An internet search on alkaline water will turn up many devices / machines that can treat water
at home. These are often electronic and quite costly, I found a cheaper way to do it.
Pictured here is the portable reverse osmosis system that I had built to my specifications.
A 3 stage system with pre-filter, RO filter, and calcium carbonate remineralizing cartridge.
I was able to do this as I have an understanding of how alkaline spring water is created as
rainwater falls to the ground, seeps into the earth, then percolates upwards into rivers,
streams, or springs.
If you would like to learn more about the subtleties of water, I recommend learning about
the work of Viktor Schauberger. One of the videos noted below, Viktor Schauberger - Comprehend
and Copy Nature - shows how powerful water can be when we understand its subtleties.
UV Light
My investigation into learning about light turned out to be more difficult. My standard approach
is to gather as much information as I can find and just start reading & watching without
immediate judgement. With the Internet this can be easier, but also inaccurate, as many articles are
just slight variations of other ones - copy & paste versions. Sometimes I go through at least 10 pages
of search results to find insightful information.
For light, the work of John Ott, and later others, caught my attention. His book -
Health & Light, and video production - Exploring the Spectrum, were eye opening, to say
the least. I learned that contrary to popular opinion, UV (ultraviolet) light is critical to our health,
well being, & happiness. Cross referencing my research on SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) also confirmed
this for me, as well as my own experiential knowledge.
I realized that the basis for my knowledge of UV light in large part came from sunscreen and sunglass
manufacturers, which have their place, but in my opinion have gone too far in vilifying UV light.
Inadequate knowledge about light isn't just about the UV part of the spectrum, but about exposure to
non full spectrum light.
One way to understand light is to think of a rainbow, which is an example of the many colors that make up
visibile light. Light is energy, and this energy affects us on a subtle level, just as light can be used to
power batteries, cars, and even airplanes today (Solar Impulse plane pictured here). Click on the next tab to learn more.
Light Spectrum
If you want to study the spectrum yourself, you need a spectrometer. I found this inexpensive
spectrometer - Project Star - to study everyday light sources that affect us. Below is a website
that summarizes one user's results with it. It really helps to get one for yourself and
look at everyday light sources in your own office / home though.
Project Star light
spectrum results from various household, work, and public light sources
I learned that the healthiest light for us is natural sunlight which is composed of the full spectrum
of colors. Artificial light tires us out compared to natural sunlight, but many of us are so used to
non-natural light, that our 'baseline' relative to our health is low. In essence, one may not fully
appreciate how much better we feel with natural light!
With this in mind, I made several changes to my lifestyle. Changing to full spectrum light bulbs at home,
taking more breaks from computer use, and also weaning myself off sunglasses. I don't own
sunglasses any more. This has been crucial in improving and keeping me healthy. My eyes have adjusted so well that I don't
even need sunglasses at high altitude (11,000 feet+) or in the desert. I should note that depending on one's
dietary choices (which affect our bloodstream), prolonged lifetime exposure to high intensity UV light
(usually high altitude living outdoors) we could develop cataracts. But, this is not applicable to most.
I still use sunscreen and sun protection for my skin if outdoors for a prolonged period of time
as my diet / internal system is not optimal yet. Susceptibility to skinburn / skin cancer is related to diet.
Google - sunburn diet - for more information. A documentary called - Forks Over Knives - is also insightful in
connecting diet with cancer.
Water & UV Light
The next lesson was to understand how water and light relate to each other as it applies to our
health. A marvelous tool to help explain this is the Steripen, a portable, inexpensive water purifier
that is marketed toward backpackers and hikers. I own one and have used it while in the wilderness.
UV light is proven to kill 99.99% of viruses and bacteria in water.
The Steripen is a consumer product that can make contaminated water drinkable.
Did you know our blood is at least 80% water? When we open our eyes, what comes in? Light from the outside
comes in, this includes UV light that will help kill unwanted viruses and bacteria in our body. Experienced
hikers also know that in the absence of water treatment (filter, iodine, etc...), it is safer to drink
only from the top surface of a water source, as sunlight / UV light will only penetrate so far down in water.
By wearing sunglasses, UV blocking prescription glasses / contact lenses, or by not
spending enough time outdoors (Home, office, and auto window glass also block UV to a certain degree
depending on the material) we miss out on this free health improvement gift from nature.
Air
Another "unseen, we take it for granted" aspect of our health is the air we breathe. We often only
think of it when we don't have enough of it, we have too much of it (windy days), it's obviously polluted,
it's stinky, or if you're a SCUBA or free diver. There is plenty of research on air quality, but
for the purposes of health, perhaps a more simplified and personal perspective would be insightful.
We breathe in oxygen, we breathe out carbon dioxide. We use oxygen to burn the food we eat. The more
food we eat, and/or the more "heavier meals" we eat, the more oxygen we need too. I suspect most people
can identify with that lethargic feeling after a big meal with heavy breathing. It can be relaxing,
and it can feel good. But, sometimes 'good' is just temporarily good -
Indoor Carbon Dioxide Sleepiness (Daily Mail)
I hope you found these short little information tabs on water, light, & air interesting.
