Is Bottled Water Truly Safe?

Fact: Drinking Water is Healthy.  Drinking from Plastic Bottles is Not.

The Natural Resources Defense Council, or the NRDC, have made a four-year study on the bottled water industry and the safety of their products. It turned out that there is no safety assurance in drinking from your bottled water, and there is no clear proof that it is cleaner than tap water. Studies have shown that an estimated 25% of commercially-produced bottled water is simply - your tap water in a plastic bottle.
People have been lured by the convenience of these plastic bottles, which is truly handy when it comes to traveling to work, to school, or even to the outback.  Research has found that the majority of people loves drinking from plastic bottles out of the need for better-tasting water and a belief that it is healthier than tap.
Fact: Water is NOT toxic, but the materials used on your plastic bottles ARE!
Bottled water looks harmless and pure, especially in clear plastic. The very image of it can evoke the feelings of drinking from a mountain stream after a day of walking in the midst of a desert heat. There is still an ongoing debate on the health risk posed by drinking from plastics, and it has something to do with chemical leaks. Those who have a weak immune system like infants, elderly people, and patients suffering critical conditions are at higher risks.  For this reason, a campaign against chemical leach is being waged and proposed for the FDA to reconsider.
Bisphenol A: The Unseen and Controversial Plastic Danger

Many health specialists in the public sector have growing concerns over the use of Bisphenol A or BPA in hard, clear, polycarbonate plastics. There is a call to make plastic products BPA-free, especially when they made up everything that we see in our homes - from baby bottles, food containers, to that over-hyped bottle where we drink our waters.
What's very alarming with BPA is its tendency to mimic the body's estrogen, disrupting your healthy hormones and cells. These endocrine disrupters have been known to expose people to breast and prostate cancers, not to mention a decrease in sperm count among males.  Infants, toddlers, and kids are at greater risk of exposure. In fact, the more you reuse these harmful plastics, the more you unleash those harmful chemicals. When mothers boil their children's baby bottles, they unknowingly help the release of toxins with heat.
A recent research made by the Harvard School of Public Health have found that those who have drank water from these clear plastic bottles have a high amount of Bisphenol A in their urine - up to 69%. BPA has been invented to replace canned products that are easily corroded, giving consumers a better way of storing their food and drink. There is just a few options that people have right now when it comes to food storage.
Bisphenol A is first approved by the FDA in the early 60s. This chemical is what makes most plastics hard and clear. It was in August 2008 when a draft is released stating that these chemicals are safe to use in food storage. Canada have already banned this chemical and many other countries in the EU. Due to rising numbers of concern and a recent testimony made on June 3, 2009 by FDA commissioner Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, the questions about BPA has been raised and a team of scientists will be having a new look on the case of Bisphenol A. There are still gaping holes in the regulations of tap and bottled water, and all we can do is to stay vigilant on matters that concerns our very health.

Bottled Water: Is it Pure Water?
The question is always a tricky one to answer, especially when many bottled water labels are misleading. Here's the truth behind your labels (source: NRDC ) :

1. Spring water with all those mountain and lake photos are made by industrial warehouse facilities, which can contain hazardous solvents that are above what EPA and FDA considered as standard.
2. Be wary of bottled waters with false therapeutic claims that are not regulated or approved by the FDA. Imported bottled waters are beyond local safety inspection, so double your precaution. 
3. Bottled water and tap water are both inconsistent in quality. Whereas, tap water is inspected by certified government labs, bottled water is less monitored.
4. There are documented lists and reports of contaminants found in bottled water, which means that they're not as safe as you believe them to be. In fact, an outbreak of cholera in 1994 that happened in Saipan, a U.S. territory, has been linked to bottled water consumption.
5. Smart people will tell you that you are what you drink and eat. Yet, smarter folks will question the quality of what the food and water they take. Pure water comes with a pH level of 6.8-7.2. Lower than that means putting yourself at risk for diseases caused by acidity.

Beverages pH Test Results:

( Source: Beverage Test, July 2008 in California, using a calibrated pinpoint combo ORP meter )

• Coke = 2.8 pH Level ( Acidic )                                             
  
• Pepsi = 3.2 pH Level
• Vitamin-Enriched Water = 3.34 pH Level
• Propel Fitness Water = 3.6 pH Level
• Distilled Water = 5.8-6.5 pH Level
• Reverse Osmosis Water = 5.5-6.3 pH Level
• Ionized Water = 8.5-9.5 pH Level ( Healthiest )

Facts about Bottled Water: You Have the Right to Know

Over 45 million plastic water bottles a year end up in the trash and 90% end up in landfills.  250 million barrels of oil per year are used to produce plastic bottles. These bottles can leach dioxin, a known carcinogen, into the water, adding to toxic environmental waste.
Water is Life - the saying goes, and if you do not have access to clean, pure water, then, you are maimed for life. The saying health is wealth is an old cliche and it means having a healthy body to live life to the max. Would you drink poison if you know it's toxic for you? The same principle goes with your water.


Love Water... Without Plastic Bottles!

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Why You Should Consider Eating Sugar Free Candy

As much as most people love candy, for some folks, sugar is not an option due to medical reasons such as diabetes.

For those affected by this disease, consuming excess sugar leads to unbalanced blood sugar levels. This in turn can do long term damage to kidneys, eyes nerves and the cardiovascular system. For healthy people, candy is often avoided because sugar can put a major dent in their waistlines if not consumed in moderation. Thankfully, there is an alternative out there for those adverse to consuming candy due to health or dietary issues. With no sugar versions candy no longer needs to be the proverbial forbidden fruit. Instead, everyone can enjoy an occasional sweet treat without putting their health at risk.

For folks who just cannot bear the thought of life without candy, candy versions are definitely something to consider. The main benefit to going the candy route is that they are less caloric than their sugar-laden counterparts. Now granted, just because you save some calories because of the absence of sugar does not mean you can eat the entire bag in one sitting. Chocolates still have calories from fat so while they are waistline friendlier, they will pack on the pounds if eaten to excess. Non-chocolate sugar free candy gives you a bit more play in the calorie department, though as they do not usually have a high fat content. On average, sugar free candy has an average of 40% less calories than their regular counterparts.

Another benefit to taking the sugar free candy route is that Xylitol, the chemical used to sweeten many of these treats, has some positives things going for it as far as your health is concerned. Xylitol is a 100% natural sweetener that is found in berries, fruits, and vegetables. It is not an artificial sweetener like saccharine or aspartame. Xylitol is also naturally found in our bodies with the average adult manufacturing up to 16 grams of it during metabolism. Pure Xylitol is a white crystalline substance that looks and tastes like sugar. On food labels, Xylitol is classified as both a carbohydrate and more narrowly as a sugar alcohol or polyol, which can be confusing because it is considered a sugar free sweetener.
The main benefit of Xylitol sweetened candies is that they have 40% less calories and 75% fewer carbs than regular sugar. Xylitol will not raise blood sugar so candy sweetened with it is safe for diabetics.
Folks who chew sugarless gum sweetened with Xylitol also benefit because this it has been found to reduce the risk of tooth decay. Tooth decay happens because sugar feeds bacteria in your mouth, which causes them to multiply. This metabolic process then produces acids that cause cavities to form. Using gum or mints with Xylitol stops this acid attack for over a half hour. This is because mouth bacteria cannot ferment xylitol in their metabolism, thus reducing their growth, inhibiting acid formation and keeping the pH of saliva steady.
Another reason to opt for candy is on par with the old beer commercial tag line "tastes great, less filling." While in the past anything labeled sugar free had that medicinal, chemical aftertaste, advances in how today's products are made have improved the taste significantly. The use of xylitol, stevia, or Sucralose as sweeteners puts these candies on par with their sugar-laden counterparts so the taste factor is no longer a valid reason to shun candies This is great news for people who cannot consume sugar, as they are no longer stuck with subpar products.
So now that the benefits of candy are clear, and you are considering making the switch, it is time to explore just what kinds of confections are out there. For folks in need of a chocolate fix, movie theater favorites like chocolate covered peanuts or raisins are two great choices. Delicious milk chocolate will satisfy your craving just as well as the classic Goobers or Raisinets but with less calories and no sugar to bust your belt.

Folks who want sweet but are not in the mood for chocolate can get their candy fix with classics like gummy bears and jellybeans. Gummy bears look, taste and have the texture of their regular counterparts and come in the traditional gummy flavors or cherry, lime and pineapple. Or, for an Easter treat any time of the year, Gourmet jellybeans are the perfect choice. Enjoy classic flavors like cherry and grape or go for more exotic tastes like buttered popcorn, cream soda, juicy pear, pomegranate and tons more!

For those who want a sweet treat that is long lasting, curbs cravings, and is incredibly diet friendly, sugar free gumballs are the way to go. Pop a few in your mouth and you will immediately think back to when you were a kid begging for a quarter at the old grocery store gumball machines. The only difference is that the gumball of yore could warrant a trip to the dentist while sugar free xylitol sweetened gumballs help to prevent tooth decay.
No matter what your reason is for considering a switch to sugar free candy, the benefits to your waistline, teeth and overall health are undeniable. In addition, with the improvements in the types of sweetener available and the actual candy processing, the difference in taste between sugar free and regular varieties are virtually indistinguishable. No more bitter aftertastes or waxy textures. Today's sugar free candies are the real deal and a perfect example of how a product adapts to fit society's needs.

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