What’s The Best Water Filter For Your Home?

What’s The Best Water Filter For Your Home?

When Professor Marc Cohen (AKA ‘Dr Marc’) asked what the best water filter was for his home, the answer was, “It depends”.  Every type of filter has pros and cons and there is no one filter that ticks all the boxes.  As Dr Marc says though, “you can either use a filter, or become one” and he set out to find the best technology currently available.

 

The Importance of Water

We know that water is essential to life.  We have all heard that humans are around 70% water.  While that’s true based on volume and mass, Dr Marc says that on a molecular level, we’re actually 99% water.  As such, the quality of the water that we’re exposed to can significantly impact our health.  According to an analysis just released by the EWG, substances in drinking water can even increase your risk of cancer.

Clean water is the cheapest way of improving health.  On a large scale, this involves adding chlorine &/or chloramine to Municipal water supplies to kill common pathogenic bacteria.  It does the job well, but with all we’re learning about the microbes responsible for 90% or more of our genetic expression, now the question is what effects are these chemicals having on our gut microbiome? These microbes help to control our thoughts, mood, diet, appetite, what food we want to eat and even who we want to be with.  They also impact our gut permeability, nutrient uptake and immune function.

It’s not just the water we drink that matters, though.  We’re exposed to 10x more water through bathing each day than what we drink and when water is heated, the chlorine and its by-products (such as trihalomethanes, or THMs) become volatile and are easily inhaled.  The skin surface area of an average adult is around 2m2 and we’re covered is beneficial microbes. Our lungs have a surface area of around 150m2, or nearly the size of a tennis court, with a high permeability to allow the normal exchange of gasses to & from our bloodstream.  As such, there’s probably no part of our body not affected by the chlorine.

Here are the ‘10 Calamities of Chlorine‘ by Dr Marc:

1) Chlorine is a potent poison
Chlorine is so toxic to bacteria it makes great disinfectants, antiseptics, pesticides and antibiotics. The acrid smell of chlorine can be detected above 0.1 ppm, inhaling 1- 4 ppm damages the lungs, above 40 ppm causes acute chest pain, shortness of breath, and cough, and above 400 ppm is fatal.

2) Chlorine has many toxic forms
Chlorine gas was used to kill soldiers in the First World War. Chlorine bleach and disinfectants produce toxic disinfection by-products. Organochlorines like DDT are persistent pollutants that accumulate in the food chain. Chlorofluorocarbons are volatile compounds toxic to the ozone layer. PVC releases dioxins and other hazardous waste into the environment.

3) Chlorine is toxic when ingested
Chlorine forms poisonous acids in the body and its disinfection by-products such as Trihalomethanes are known to cause cancer and birth defects. Persistent exposure to low levels of chlorine and its by-products in contaminated drinking water and food may lead to gut dysbiosis and a wide range of chronic diseases.

4) Chlorine is toxic on skin
Chlorine in bathing water directly irritates and dries out skin and hair and may alter the skin microflora leading to skin dysbiosis. Chlorine may cause or aggravate many diseases including psoriasis, allergies, eczema, contact dermatitis, acne, poor wound healing, skin ulcers, dandruff, yeast and fungal infections, rosacea, and accelerated skin aging.

5) Chlorine is toxic when inhaled
Chlorine and its volatile by-products are released when chlorinated water is heated and are easily inhaled. Chlorine irritates the mucous membranes in your eyes, nose and respiratory tract and causes immediate or delayed symptoms including watering eyes, sneezing, sinus congestion, coughing, choking, wheezing, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing and death.

6) Chlorine is volatile
Chlorine and its volatile by-products avoid the first-pass metabolism in your liver by being directly absorbed into the bloodstream through the large surface area of your lungs and skin. Exposure to hot water through bathing, showering, dishwashing or other activities, therefore, produces greater exposure to disinfection by-products than exposure through drinking.

7) Chlorine is more toxic for the young
Chlorinated water is associated with higher rates of stillbirths and birth defects. Infants and young children’s skin, eyes, respiratory tract and developing microbiome are more sensitive to chlorine and its by-products, which may contribute to the development and aggravation of asthma, hay fever, allergies, skin irritation and gut dysbiosis.

8) Chlorine leads to leaks
Chlorine and its volatile by-products can erode flexible, braided water hoses leading to leaks and plumbing failure when chlorine-based cleaners and disinfectants are stored nearby. Chlorine can also cause pinhole pitting in copper pipes and cause leaks and water damage to buildings and the development of dampness, moisture and mould.

9) Chlorine leaches lead
Chlorine and its by-products are corrosive agents and they combine with pH, alkalinity, temperature, oxidation potential, and other chemicals to leach lead from pipes, solder and ‘lead-free’ brass plumbing fixtures. Lead in drinking water leads to neurotoxicity, and stunted cognitive development, learning disabilities, attention difficulties and antisocial behaviour in children.

10) Chlorine makes hazardous waste
Chlorine-based products such as PVC produce dioxins and other hazardous Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) when they are burned. POPs are toxic to human and wildlife at low levels, do not degrade easily, are distributed around the globe through long-range environmental transport, and bioaccumulate up the food chain in fatty tissue.

 

An Increasingly Toxic World

Chlorine and chloramine are not the only toxins in our water.  There’s a saying that “the solution to pollution is dilution”, and for the last century in particular, humans have discharged all sorts of toxins into sewers, streams, rivers and oceans with this idea that it would just wash away.  However, we have now created so much pollution that it doesn’t just disappear.  Testing was done on the breastmilk of a native tribe in New Guinea who lived 2000km away from agriculture and an elevation of 2000m and DDT (an organochlorine) was found that they’d never been exposed to in any other way.  These chemicals are part of the water cycle now and fall in rain and enter underground aquifers world-wide.  In the last few decades, we’ve seen an average loss 2/3 of all species on Earth, increasing to around 78% near ‘fresh’ water.

Common pollutants in our drinking water include:

  • pharmaceutical drugs (including the oral contraceptive pill and antibiotics)
  • pesticides
  • herbicides (such as glyphosate)
  • heavy metals
  • viruses
  • bacteria
  • parasites
  • protozoa
  • cysts
  • mould spores
  • sediment
  • radioactive materials
  • fire retardants
  • VOCs

Thirsty yet?

Even if you are on tank water, many of these pollutants are still in the water, so filtration is becoming more of a necessity than a luxury.  I find our garden plants suffer when watered with tap water, my gut issues get so much worse and when I run a bath for my young daughter, the bathroom smells like an indoor swimming pool.

 

Whole-House Water Filters

 

Dr Marc’s motto is “drinking less poison is good for you”.  The man has a point!  However, as we can see above, we also need to consider what’s in ALL the water coming into our homes.

Clean Water | www.unitywellness.com.au

Aragon filter cartridges offer the latest in water filter technology, being 20x more effective than common ion-exchange filters.  Testing in both Europe and America show they remove 100% of viruses and chlorine, 99.999% of sediments, around 95% of chloramine, pathogens, pesticide residues, pharmaceutical drugs, and parasites, and reduce fluoride by about half.  As a bonus, the calcium in the water is reduced to a smaller, more crystalline structure that does not form scale deposits, which means less scrubbing of tiles and shower screens, your hot water cylinder and appliances will last longer, your skin and hair will feel softer and less irritated, and it’s kinder on your digestive tract and kidneys.

Whole House Water Filter | www.unitywellness.com.auBig Blue Whole House Filter | www.unitywellness.com.auHaving a whole-house filter will give you the comfort of knowing you can drink, cook, shower, bathe, groom your pets and irrigate your plants using water free from toxic contaminants such as chlorine, chloramines, pesticides, heavy metals, hardness salts, dissolved and colloidal iron, radioactive materials, sediment, and a range of viruses, bacteria, protozoa, cysts, mould spores and residues from pharmaceutical drugs.

Those of you who create your own ferments & sourdough will also know how important it is to use purified water, free from chlorine and other substances that may damage the beneficial microbes.

The Big Blue twin filter system is designed for use where a high flow rate is needed, either domestically or in commercial premises. With a flow rate of 50 L/min, the whole family can enjoy filtered water at the same time (most showerheads have a flow rate of 7-9 L/min to give you an idea).  They come with a 5 year warranty and you can choose between UV-stabilised polypropylene casing that should last outdoors around 15 years or stainless steel casing that will likely last a lifetime.  Big Blue filters also meet AU/NZ WaterMark Standards.

View the brochure HERE.

 

I know a lot of people are concerned about fluoride and I’m one who’d love to see the end of mass medication through water fluoridation (a topic for another day).  However, the only way to remove 100% of fluoride is through reverse osmosis which does not allow for the fast flow needed for showers, baths, dishwashers and washing machines.  If you do want a reverse osmosis system for drinking and cooking water, there are countertop or below sink systems available.  The reverse osmosis process takes out everything from the water, but that can leave it “dead” and devoid of minerals that help the water get into our cells to hydrate them.   The systems I’ve linked to have an extra cartridge to add alkaline minerals back into the purified water which help the water to enter your cells for proper hydration.

For more general information on why we need to reduce our exposure to toxins, you can also read a great article by Dr Marc about the ‘10 Toxic Truths‘.

What's the Best Water Filter?  |  www.unitywellness.com.au

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER

Unity Wellness provides health-related information to assist people in making their own choices.  While we have exercised due care to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, it is not intended to be used as medical advice and it is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes or as a substitute for your own health professional’s advice.  Unity Wellness does not accept any liability for any injury, loss or damage incurred by use of or reliance on the information provided on this website.

AFFILIATE & ADVOCATE LINKS

This post/site may contain Affiliate links or links to my Independent Advocate store. By clicking these links, you pay no more for the products/services, but I will receive a commission on purchases to keep this site running & support my family (thank you!).  I will never promote any products or services that I would not be happy to use myself.

This website is owned and operated by an independent InnerOrigin Advocate and is not endorsed by InnerOrigin Pty Ltd or InnerOrigin Australia Pty Ltd or any of their respective associated companies. Any opinions expressed on this website are made by, and are the responsibility of, the individual Advocate and should not be construed as a representation of the opinions of InnerOrigin Pty Ltd, InnerOrigin Australia Pty Ltd or any of their associated companies.

The Best Boxing Day Sales For a Healthy New You

The Best Boxing Day Sales For a Healthy New You

Christmas is done for another year and Boxing Day Sales are everywhere we look.  As you potter around the house in your stretchiest clothes, picking at leftovers & packing up all the mess you begin to take stock of everything.  How much STUFF did the kids get yesterday?  Why does it ache there?  Why is energy wasted on the youth?

To save you some time & mental load, I’ve done the research and have found some of the BEST Boxing Day Sales from businesses I know & trust to help you save money and reach your wellness goals in 2019.

 

InnerOrigin has up to 25% off + FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $99 until midnight AEDT Friday 28th December.  Make sure you sign up (free to join) before adding anything to your cart.

THE SALE INCLUDES gluten free cookies, lupin food products, natural & organic baby skin care, natural & organic adult skin care, organic herbal tea, glass tea flask, pet supplements, magnesium oil spray & lotion, tooth cleaning powder, dental care, medicinal mushroom liquid extracts, drug-free pain relief, essential oil diffusers, superfoods, natural perfumes & mineral cosmetics sets. 

If you want to look younger, protect your skin from sun damage, balance hormones and boost your energy, consider the Intrametica 21 day detox (skin, gut, liver cleanse with free menu planner).  The next Community Detox starts 7th January, so grab your kit now!

 

Changing Habits are offering 25% off their own range of products and 15% off everything else, but only until midnight 26th December.  This is the first time I’m aware of that the 4 Phase Fat Loss Protocol products have been discounted this heavily, so this is an amazing offer! (Read this post if you don’t already know my experience with this protocol)

THE SALE INCLUDES  4 Phase Fat Loss Protocol, Hunter Gatherer Protocol, 6 Weeks No Wheat Program, superfoods, food-based nutritional support, herbal formulas, organic pantry staples, gut health products, chemical-free cleaning products, natural skincare, eco-friendly household products, health & recipe books.

 

 

Until midnight on New Year’s Eve you can save 26% on essential oils, synergy blends, accessories and the signature diffuser, and 15% on skincare packs, essential oil packs and gift packs online at Twenty8.  It’s the perfect time to stock up on your favourite Twenty8 products and get yourself ready to make self-care a priority in 2019!

 

 

 

Save 10% on Gift Cards at Biome until Midnight 26th December.  Be sure your gift will be wanted and not wasted, by letting your gift recipient choose their own! Nominate the amount and send the gift card immediately by email 24/7, or print it out and give to them in person. (Please be sure to let the person know you’ve sent one so they can check their junk folder just in case!)

ONLINE: Enter the code GIFT10 at checkout to apply the 10% discount
IN STORE: Please purchase in a store & mention this exclusive offer.

No buying limit. Gift cards valid for 12 months. Gift cards purchased online can be redeemed online only. Gift cards purchased in store can be redeemed in any of their  stores.

 

Don’t forget, too, that the Functional Nutrition Academy is offering 15% off all courses for their February 2019 intake PLUS the chance to win a Macbook Air when you enrol & pay in full by 20th January, 2019.  Perfect whether you just want to know more about the best way to nourish your family with the ‘Introduction to Nutrition’ course, or you want to start a career as a Health Coach with the full program.

 

The other thing you may find valuable is the upcoming Herbs & Essential Oils Bundle, where for two days only, you can save 95% on an amazing collection of 34 resources that will help you to safely and confidently utilise herbs and essential oils to support the health of you and your family.  See the timer below to know when the sale goes live, and keep an eye on my Facebook page for a reminder.

Get your bundle now!

 

My wish for you is a happy, healthy, vibrant and abundant New Year.  If at any time you feel like you need some extra support to get there, feel free to contact me to send a message or book your complimentary 20 minute call, and join The Healthy Household group on Facebook to become part our community.  Here’s to your best year yet! 🙂

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER

Unity Wellness provides health-related information to assist people in making their own choices.  While we have exercised due care to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, it is not intended to be used as medical advice and it is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes or as a substitute for your own health professional’s advice.  Unity Wellness does not accept any liability for any injury, loss or damage incurred by use of or reliance on the information provided on this website.

AFFILIATE & ADVOCATE LINKS

This post/site may contain Affiliate links or links to my Independent Advocate store. By clicking these links, you pay no more for the products/services, but I will receive a commission on purchases to keep this site running & support my family (thank you!).  I will never promote any products or services that I would not be happy to use myself.

This website is owned and operated by an independent InnerOrigin Advocate and is not endorsed by InnerOrigin Pty Ltd or InnerOrigin Australia Pty Ltd or any of their respective associated companies. Any opinions expressed on this website are made by, and are the responsibility of, the individual Advocate and should not be construed as a representation of the opinions of InnerOrigin Pty Ltd, InnerOrigin Australia Pty Ltd or any of their associated companies.

Healthy Christmas Gift Ideas 2018

Healthy Christmas Gift Ideas 2018

If your kids are anything like mine, you’ve been hearing the Christmas countdown for a few months.  I’ve been fobbing them off until now, not being even remotely interested in hearing how many weeks or days (we’re not quite down to hours and seconds yet) until Christmas.  However, now we’re half-way through November, it’s time to start getting organised.

The thought of going to the shops with a 4yo who wants ALLLLLLL the things fills me with dread!  I always end up buying all sorts of things that aren’t actually what I went to buy and at this time of year, there’s plenty of things on shelves to get their attention.

Thankfully, I am able to get pretty much everything I need online and support some great ethical, Australian businesses in the process.  If you’re looking for presents that also deliver the gift of good health this year, check out the catalogue below.  With ideas to suit all tastes and budgets, it’s a smart way to shop because you can order from anywhere, anytime, and have everything delivered to your door.  Sooooo much easier!

Just select ‘Sign Up’ at the top of the marketplace homepage to register for a free customer account.  You’ll receive a discount voucher by email that will give you Free Shipping on your first order if you spend $99+, which you might like to take advantage of if you have a few gifts to buy.

If you need assistance with finding just the right thing, feel free to contact me or book a free 20 minute call via phone or Zoom.

Days until Christmas

Day(s)

:

Hour(s)

:

Minute(s)

:

Second(s)

A bonus free gift for you!

 

Would you like a FREE Holiday Recipe Guide with 33 delicious, healthy recipes from people such as Chef Pete Evans, David Wolfe, Therese Kerr, Kirk Pengilly & more? Perfect for entertaining or just keeping your energy levels up over the Holiday period.

Just visit InnerOrigin & sign up for a FREE customer account and your FREE Recipe Guide will be emailed to you  😀  (AU & NZ residents only).

 

Free 2018 Holiday Recipe Guide | www.unitywellness.com.au

 

 

2018 Healthy Christmas Gift Guide | www.unitywellness.com.au

Click image to Pin It!

 

 

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER

Unity Wellness provides health-related information to assist people in making their own choices.  While we have exercised due care to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, it is not intended to be used as medical advice and it is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes or as a substitute for your own health professional’s advice.  Unity Wellness does not accept any liability for any injury, loss or damage incurred by use of or reliance on the information provided on this website.

AFFILIATE & ADVOCATE LINKS

This post/site may contain Affiliate links or links to my Independent Advocate store. By clicking these links, you pay no more for the products/services, but I will receive a commission on purchases to keep this site running & support my family (thank you!).  I will never promote any products or services that I would not be happy to use myself.

This website is owned and operated by an independent InnerOrigin Advocate and is not endorsed by InnerOrigin Pty Ltd or InnerOrigin Australia Pty Ltd or any of their respective associated companies. Any opinions expressed on this website are made by, and are the responsibility of, the individual Advocate and should not be construed as a representation of the opinions of InnerOrigin Pty Ltd, InnerOrigin Australia Pty Ltd or any of their associated companies.

Kale Chips with Sesame Seasoning

Kale Chips with Sesame Seasoning

 

My 3yo daughter can detect a single molecule of chlorophyll in her food and reject a meal because of it, so you can imagine my surprise when I made some kale chips one day & she pretty much inhaled the entire batch! Kids, hey?  🙄  😆

Luckily for her (and me) it’s kale season in these parts, so we can get beautiful bunches of organically-grown kale from the local Farmers’ Market.  Yes, ideally we’d grow our own, but until we get some more garden beds set up, we’ll enjoy the fruits……and vegetables……of someone else’s labour.

I tend to keep things pretty simple when making kale chips – olive oil, vinegar & salt – but tonight I remembered the tin of Pickld Sesame Seasoning that I recently bought.  It tastes fantastic on steamed & roast veggies, with a nice little crunch, so I thought it would be a good thing to try on the kale chips.  Boy, when I’m right, I’m right!  Sooooooooooo gooooooooooood!!!

There are several varieties in the Pickld range, all hand-blended using family recipes created over 9 generations of vegetarians.  They all have a base of activated lentils (hence the name ‘Pickld’) and superfoods to support your digestive health and add a boost of nutrients.

 

 

All the varieties except the chilli blend come with a little recipe book, but here’s how I created these super-tasty Sesame Kale Chips:

  1. Preheat oven to 125C (250F) (fan-only setting if you have one) & line a large tray with non-stick baking paper or a silicone mat.
  2. Strip kale leaves off the central stem (cut with a knife or use your hands) & cut/tear the leaves into chip-sized pieces.  They’ll shrink a bit in the oven, so don’t make them really small.
  3. Place kale leaves on the tray & sprinkle with other ingredients.  Mix well using clean hands, massaging the kale leaves until they’re fully covered & looking shiny.
  4. Place in the oven for approx 30 mins, or until dry & crispy, ensuring to stir the leaves a few times to avoid burning. (If you have a dehydrator, you can use that instead.  Follow manufacturer’s instructions.)
  5. Remove from the oven & sprinkle with a little more of the Pickld Sesame Seasoning…..because yum!!!
  6. Eat, then wish you’d made extra because those ones disappeared in under 2 minutes!

 

Kale Chips with Pickld Sesame Seasoning | www.unitywellness.com.au
3.04 from 1681 votes
Print

Sesame Kale Chips

Crunchy kale chips with an amazing sesame seasoning!

Course Snack
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Author Unity Wellness

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch Kale preferably organic
  • 3 spoons Pickld Sesame Seasoning
  • 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil or Coconut Oil
  • 1/2 tsp Salt or to taste
  • 1/2 tsp Onion powder optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 125C (250F) (fan-only setting if you have one) & line a large tray with non-stick baking paper or a silicone mat.

  2. Strip kale leaves off the central stem (cut with a knife or use your hands) & cut/tear the leaves into chip-sized pieces. They'll shrink a bit in the oven, so don't make them really small.

  3. Place kale leaves on the tray & sprinkle with other ingredients. Mix well with clean hands, massaging the kale leaves until they're fully covered & looking shiny.

  4. Place in the oven for approx 30 mins, or until dry & crispy, ensuring to stir the leaves a few times to avoid burning.

    (If you have a dehydrator, you can use that instead.  Follow manufacturer's instructions.)

  5. Remove from the oven & sprinkle with a little more of the Pickld Sesame Seasoning.....because yum!!!

  6. Eat, then wish you'd made extra because those ones disappeared in under 2 minutes!

 

Sesame Kale Chips | www.unitywellness.com.au

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER

Unity Wellness provides health-related information to assist people in making their own choices.  While we have exercised due care to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, it is not intended to be used as medical advice and it is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes or as a substitute for your own health professional’s advice.  Unity Wellness does not accept any liability for any injury, loss or damage incurred by use of or reliance on the information provided on this website.

AFFILIATE LINKS

This post/site may contain Affliate links or links to my Independent Advocate store. By clicking these links, you pay no more for the products/services, but I will receive a commission on purchases to keep this site running & support my family (thank you!).  I will never promote any products or services that I would not be happy to use myself.

This website is owned and operated by an independent InnerOrigin Advocate and is not endorsed by InnerOrigin Pty Ltd or InnerOrigin Australia Pty Ltd or any of their respective associated companies. Any opinions expressed on this website are made by, and are the responsibility of, the individual Advocate and should not be construed as a representation of the opinions of InnerOrigin Pty Ltd, InnerOrigin Australia Pty Ltd or any of their associated companies.