On a daily basis you would easily buy a cup of coffee, a burger meal, or a simple t-shirt for 200 pesos. But would you invest the same in your health?
Considering how important water is to your body and health this should be a priority for every Filipino household but for some reason water is not valued but rather taken for granted.
Is clean water the same as healthy water?
In the Philippines tap water is not safe to drink and historically it has been difficult to trust the water sources that people rely on for their daily hydration need. Before purified (reverse osmosis) and distilled water became the norm, Filipinos would have to boil their water enable to get rid of any toxins and chemicals but what was often left were the impurities such as rust and other small particles, which could affect the overall wellbeing and health of people. It is therefore not surprising that most Filipinos today focus on only one thing – how clean is the water they drink? Water companies seem to compete on this one criteria emphasizing that their water has passed through several stages of filtration, purification, distillation to get rid of even the most miniscule particles in the water. However, in this process, also removing vital minerals from the water, which are essential for our bodies and cell health.
What is the importance of water?
Since most people in the Philippines only focus on water being clean or extra clean they don’t value the even more important aspects of water such as how it is absorbed by the cells in our body and how this affects the overall wellbeing and health of people. There are seldom any discussions about the importance of vital minerals in the water and how these interact to carry out all the important functions in our bodies. Or how an acidic lifestyle combined with drinking low pH water will only increase the level of acidity, which can lead to several deceases and discomfort.
Do you know the quality of your water?
Most people rarely question the quality of their water or even ask for test reports from the provider. Does the water actually contain the promised benefits such as having minerals or being alkaline? Does your provider offer test reports on the claimed minerals and alkalinity of the water? Is the water station clean and how are they handling the refilling of water?
Will I be contaminated with microplastics by drinking my water from an old, used water container?
The answer is probably YES. At least according to research showing that repeated re-use of plastic bottles increases the chance that chemicals will leak out of the tiny cracks and crevices that develop in the containers over time.
Microplastics can lead to inflammation, which is linked to cancer, heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis – just to name a few.
This is why many people resort to trusted brands such as Wilkins or Absolute, which they can buy in the supermarket but will have to eventually carry home themselves and often in smaller containers of 8-10 Liters. The price for these brands when you compare it to a 5-gallon easily exceeds 200 pesos and your choices are only purified or distilled without the beneficial minerals or alkalinity.
In conclusion
In the end, the value of your health is how you perceive what is healthy and good for you as well as your family. People spend a lot of money on buying supplements, subscribing to a gym membership, or eating healthy food. Everything comes with a cost and the question is how much you believe that the most important source to your health should be valued – water.