What’s this? Drugs in the Water! Well, lately I’ve been thinking about water. Water is a gift of life and beauty…but unfortunately there are so many issues with water today. I was away from my own shower whilst being in LA, which is equipped with a fabulous shower filter to filter out all the chlorine and heavy metals from the shower water.
I always notice an incredible difference! Especially with my hair. My hair is so much softer showering with the filtered water, and it doesn’t get so weighed down. My skin also doesn’t dry out so much. From a health standpoint, when we take hot showers our pores open up and we can absorb lots of chlorine from the shower water!
We don’t want this toxin in our body. So yes please! We’ll take the shower filter- or maybe 2. :) I was in Home Depot recently and noticed that even they now carry chlorine-free shower filters.
We also have to be extra careful these days about the water we are ingesting! Among many issues, did you know that there are a TON of pharmaceuticals floating around in the water supply? Frightening! Metabolites are the chemicals that break down as the end result of our bodies’ drug metabolism after we ingest them, and they literally get flushed down the drain into the sewage system every time we pee.
These chemicals get into OUR bodies, even when we don’t even take these medications. They also pollute the ecosystem for decades. It is said they pass right through wastewater treatment systems. In 2008 the Associated Press conducted an investigation and found that pharmaceuticals in the form of antibiotics, sex hormones, anti-depressants, anticonvulsants, and more were found in the drinking water of at least 24 major metropolitan areas tested. Don’t think there is enough to really affect us in a significant way? Guess again! In England one study attributed the huge rise of male infertility to the massive amount of estrogens from remnants of birth control pills in the water supply, so much so that they said that even the fish in certain areas were transmuting sexes from male to female!
Unfortunately, bottling companies do not test for the presence of these pharmaceuticals, so we can be sure that they are not going to remove them. There has been some information that bottled water can actually be more contaminated than tap water. Nasty! So what are we going to do about it?
1. Get a shower filter– like this weekend! Get one for every shower in your house, so your guests and kids can revel in clean water…and have softer, shinier hair to boot!
2. Leave nothing in the hands of Big Business water companies. Get a really top notch home water filtration system, such as a reverse osmosis system, that cleans your water to the nth degree. You can carry your own water in stainless steel water bottles to work and to the gym or yoga class, which is better for the environment anyway. You can rest assured you won’t be adding to the compiling issue of water bottles everywhere! Even when they are recycled there is lots of energy involved, so best to avoid plastic water bottles when possible anyway.
And BTW, hats off to the studio Warner Brothers!! They now have a no water-bottle policy for their movies, and give stainless steel water bottles to everyone working on each film, with fill up stations instead of individual bottles of water. :) I’ve started a collection of cool stainless steel water bottles I’ve gotten. Each step is progress! If you work at an office or group setting of sorts that hands out individual water bottles maybe you can suggest the same policy!
I know it is a hot topic and probably provides some headache relief but always do your research and think progressively!
I’ll write more soon.
I send my love! Kimberly
Can those filters be installd in apt? Where did u buy yours
hi kimberly…this is a really important post! i’ve been meaning to get a shower filter for a while, and you just may have spurred me into action.
have you heard of annie leonard and “the story of stuff”? if not i think you’d enjoy it. also, she’s releasing a new internet video focusing on bottled water and it’s health, environmental and justice issues on 22 march. you can find it here: http://storyofstuff.org/bottledwater.php
be well, dear!
Great reminder! We installed a filter in our shower when we moved in our house last year. It was pretty simple and I do notice a difference with my hair and skin!
We drink filtered water that we get from Whole Foods, and we have been meaning to get a shower filter. Thanks for reminding us we need too!
@nilaja Yes they can! There are many differebt types of water filters. Just find the solution that works right for you.
Kimberly – great post I’m glad you can enjoy the benefits of clean water!
Hi Kimberly,
Are glass water bottles ok?
Thanks!
Hello there Kimberly,
What are your thoughts on Culligan Reverse Osmosis from the machine at Whole Foods as well as the Aquasana shower head filters?
Thank you for an amazing website! Love getting your daily tips and updates!
Hey Kimberly (and other blogsters),
Congrats on the E! special before the Oscars, I saw it on Sunday, you were great! I have a question unrelated to this post, but thought I would ask. This topic is slightly embarrassing but I know you have done a post before addressing constipation, but I had a question more in depth. What do you recommend eating/taking/drinking to make elimination more frequent. I am 100% raw and already consume high soluble fiber foods, warm water with lemon in the morning, I get plently of greens, nuts and seeds, no dehydrated foods, I eat Chia seeds daily, raw fruits, and drink almost a gallon of water per day + exercise. I feel like I am doing all I can!
What can I do more than this to achieve a normal elimination cycle? Any sources of insoluble fiber that you recommend to add bulk?
Thank you so much!
Dawn
Hi, it sounds like you could use a colonic (or a series of them). You could also do a series of enemas at home, but colonics are so much better. It sounds like you have an excellent diet, but at this point your body needs some assistance eliminating waste. There is a product called Colosan that I think is great that I’ve used for colon cleansing and I use it weekly for maintenance. Oxy Powder is another product that is basically the same thing as Colosan. You can order either of them online. Another thing that helps me stay regular is aloe vera juice. I hope this helps! Good luck!
Just want to add a couple of other things. Massaging your lower belly can also help with elimination. Also, the place where I go to get colonics from time to time has small step stools next to their toilets which are supposed to allow the body to get into a more suitable position for elimination. So, maybe that will also help you out.
I believe Kimberly did a blog on Castor Oil packs some time last year that might also be useful to you.
Thank you so much for your advice Christi! I have tried colon hydrotherapy once before and it was great, but I just cant afford it all the time. I will try the aloe vera juice though :)
I’ll second the aloe vera juice idea…it works really well (but not in that scary extreme way that over the counter stuff does, if you get my drift). There’s a brand called George’s and it has no flavor at all, so you can just put an ounce or 2 in your green smoothie. Good luck!
what are your thoughts on the Brita water filter? this seems to be the most readily available/commercial (which often means it’s not good! lol)…or do i need a special “organic” one from a health food store? thanks so much!
Good ideas, good ideas!
This stainless steel bottle idea in particular is pretty exciting! :D
Kim, what exactly triggered your decision to move in this direction in life? I’ve read about your astounding backpacking adventure and its unsurprisingly epic impact on your life but can’t seem to find the origin of it all… yet!
With megagratitude,
Esop
Hello kimberly! :) I just love your blog and i am definetly going to see if they have shower filters in my area (somethings are hard to find in stores here) I know i cant even drink tap now b/c i have been useing a brita pitcher. My only problem is this-my metal water bottel makes my water tast like metal. It is 100% stainless steal from old navy. Any help? Thanks! :-D
There’s a documentary called “Flow”, I saw it and would highly recommend it to you since it applies to this topic.
Have a great day
Oh cool thanks, I’ll check it out!
hHallo there…i was wondering…do you know the NAME of a particular reverse osmosis water liter that is considered to be good or great???any specific suggestions???thank for sharing invaluable information,god bless!!!!
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I also would love to know which filters you use (for drinking water and for shower). Thanks for the great tips!!!
Hi Kim! Thanks for your tips on water. My husband and I have been wanting to get a reverse osmosis water filtration system as you mentioned above. We are actually going to buy it this weekend! But my husband just read an article where it was saying because it is such a great filtration system, it actually takes out some of the important minerals. Do you think this is true?
Hi Brooke, It’s absolutely true, reverse osmosis water filtration systems do a great job removing the harmful chemicals out of water but they also take out ALL of the important minerals which we need. Drinking reverse osmosis water for a few weeks is great for detox but it can become harmful as it causes your body to lose essential minerals. If using reverse osmosis filter system or water, it’s very important to get mineral supplementation. There are several types, I highly recommend Hydrocell or Hydrosport. Hydrocell is available through most homeopathic or nutraceutical doctors and Hydrosport is available at most healthfood or vitamin stores. They will add the minerals your body needs back into the water without any change in taste. They also removes toxins from your body and helps regulate (for almost all of us raise) your body’s ph.
It’s a great idea of Kim’s to use a shower filter and to filter your water at home for everything you do, the chemicals and contaminants in water is scary…
Another lovely read! I do have a R/O system installed under the kitchen sink for drinking and cooking, but nothing for the shower. I will check shower filters out and get one asap!
Thanks for reading, Beauty! xx