The Importance of Filtering Your Water & Knowing the Why Behind It

Thank you for joining The Holistic Alternative, a holistic health community geared towards providing you with applicable tools for your health and well-being 💪. This bi-weekly newsletter will provide you with resources and information that you can use to positively impact your overall health 🙌.

Welcome to “The Water Series” where we'll take you on a journey through the world of water, exploring its importance, sources, purification methods, and the role it plays in our health and well-being.

Consider this: How frequently do you utilize items that require water in your daily routine? Water is the most abundant and one of the most important compounds on Earth 🤯.

Let’s start by examining tap water. Is it safe? Can we maintain optimal lifestyles with just any water source? 🧐

The short answer is no. Here’s why:

The majority of municipal water systems, including New York, comes from reservoirs, streams, rivers and lakes 🌊. Due to the limitations of typical municipal filtration systems, the majority of tap water contains contaminants. When present in high levels, these contaminants can have negative effects on health. The national tap water regulations do not require the removal of all contaminants 🤔.

Contaminants are allowed to be in our tap water up to a specific level established by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The concern we have is the accumulative effect of these contaminants and poisons within our bodies over time. Is any level of poison actually safe?

Some of these contaminants include:

• Lead - impairs brain and nervous system function.

• Fluoride- negatively impacts thyroid health (fluoride at ≥0.5 mg/L can disrupt thyroid function).

• Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs)- endocrine disruptors that can impact male and female fertility.

• Perchlorate- negatively impacts thyroid health.

• PFAS (or “forever chemicals”) - has been linked to congenital disabilities, infertility, tumor growth, and advanced onset of puberty 🤯.

• Pharmaceutical Residues - there is a growing concern about pharmaceuticals in our water drinking systems.

P.S. this is not to scare you. This is only to inform you so you can decide to incorporate better quality water into your daily life 🙌.

Water Analysis

For a water analysis of your tap water, visit the EWG tap water database and enter your zip code. This will show you an entire breakdown of water contaminants that are in your municipal water supply and at what levels. Let me warn you, the levels of contaminants are alarming 😳.

Note: In the U.S., water reports should be provided for free by the city, and you should not have to pay for results. However, if you choose, you can also test tap water at home (approximately $25) or send a water sample for independent laboratory analysis (approximately $100+).

Let’s Cut to the Chase: What Can We Do to Steer Clear of These Hazards? 🤔

Short answer: Filter your tap water!

Not all filtration is created equal although here’s what we recommend:

• Reverse Osmosis: The most economical and budget-friendly option we use ourselves is reverse osmosis. You can install a reverse osmosis water filtration system right underneath your sink. We personally use a 5 stage under the sink system. For lack of space underneath your sink, there are also countertop options for reverse osmosis systems. Our holistic alternative team uses APEC water systems for our homes. We have no affiliation with this company, however, they have great affordable and effective options that we personally have used for many years now with great success. A whole house reverse osmosis filter is the most convenient option to ensure all of your water coming from the tap is filtered and ready to drink but these systems can be much more expensive, although highly worth the investment.

  • APEC water systems: They have excellent options from under-the-counter, over-the-counter, complete home systems etc. They provide great customer service and have a variety of online resources to help you install and troubleshoot any issues you might come across.

• Water distillers: Water distillation is the process in which water is boiled until it evaporates and condenses, leaving behind impurities. Water distillation removes 99.9% of dissolved materials. Water distillation is the best way to guarantee there are close to 0% contaminants in your water. H2o Labs offers great water distillers.

Side note: I just recently changed the filters for my reverse osmosis system under my sink, this is just one stage of the 5 stage system! 🤢

We value authenticity and transparency with our recommendations 🙏🏽. While other water filtration options exist, our knowledge base is primarily in reverse osmosis and water distillation. We highly recommend you continue to research other available options and share them with our community!

The Holistic Alternative Pro Health Tip 💪

While some filtration is better than none, we personally use reverse osmosis and water distillation as these filter and purify your water the best based on our research thus far. There are tons of different remineralization products out there. We are not against any of these options, however, they can get complex and expensive.

Supporting Local Business and Resources

• Mountain Valley Spring Water home delivery service to the five boroughs! 👏

• Green Valley Marketplace in Queens, NY has a Reverse Osmosis refilling station for $0.35 a gallon 💸

Our philosophy: Here at the Holistic Alternative we foster a culture of open-mindedness and continual growth while avoiding absolutes. We understand the dynamic nature of all things and that with more education and knowledge, recommendations and practices may change and evolve. With that being said, all of the information presented here is formulated through our own life experiences, as well as research of peer-reviewed literature. We continue to further our research and try new things as technologies continue to improve and new inventions become more widely available. Our goal is to build this community together and create an environment where we can all share new research and ideas to enhance our health and happiness.

DISCLAIMER: The Holistic Alternative Newsletter is for general educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of giving medical advice, and no nurse/patient relationship is formed. The content of this newsletter is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.