Great advice! I dont like mineral water,but like other things,it probably is an acquired taste. I do drink most days, 6-8oz of water,purified.I'm doing WW and thats what they recommend.I have never been a water drinker(tap) because of the taste.I tell people that before i started making the effort,I was probably in a constant state of dehydration! I would drink a glass of milk,and maybe 1 diet coke/day and that was it!

I shall give it a try, I would love to lose some weight

I have never understood some people can drink sodas in eating ! They kill the taste of the meal . Only water is good  ( or wine of wich the flavor blends itself in harmony with the scents and the taste of the dish    ) . About wine , a bit only , of course !.

  Love  to both you

Michel

Excellent post and great advice. It's very timely for me, as I gave up diet sodas about two weeks ago. I just read an article about the fact that diet sodas actually cause weigh gain and realized that I struggle the most with my weight when I make them a regular part of my diet. I also struggle more with anxiety and depression when I drink them regularly. Thank you for posting this!

Natural Spring Water...I would do as much research as possible on the spring water, the source in which it comes from and if it is bottled at the source or elsewhere.  Spring water is a wonderful and natural resource and I would definitely take advantage of it if you have it available to you.  We have a few natural springs not too far from us that we will be utilizing.  I have been saving up a few of my glass bottles to use for storing.

Michel...I am with you on the mixing the flavors of our foods with the right drink.  We mainly have water here and wine is not as easily accessible as it once was.  We live in a dry county which means we have to find a "wet" county to purchase wines or alcohol.  With that said...I have had to be a bit more creative in making my favorite sauces without the use of wine when we do not have it on hand.

xoxo Cat

Depends where you live on your tap water! Where I live I am blessed with some of the best tap water from cold wells from off of mountains. We used to have an artisan well where we used to live and that water was 40 degrees flowing 6 gallons a minute naturally and tested better than I think bottled water would, which alot of bottled water was Artisian well water.

Joy...what a blessing to have!  When we had our cabin in Blue Ridge...we had the same type of water and what a huge difference in taste and in how we felt.  Going back to our Florida home to the very chlorine smelling water was hard a hard adjustment to make.  Our realtor in Blue Ridge shared with us the statistics of the people who lived in the area and the ages they lived to be  - well into their 90's with very little health problems. 

xo Cat 

This is a great post!! I have been consuming Gerolsteiner since we came back from living in Switzerland. I wondered why the Europeans all drink water "with gas". In doing some research, naturally carbonated waters, such as Gerolsteiner, help the body to absorb the mineral content. For this reason, I would not make a practice of drinking "spring water" as, though the minerals may be present, they may, indeed, not be absorbed.

I always recommend Gerolsteiner because it is the highest in magnesium and usually the least expensive. After reading Dr. Carolyn Dean's book, "Miracles of Magnesium", along with Dr. Andrea Rosanoff and Mildren Seelig's book, "The Magnesium Factor" I realized that drinking Gerolsteiner, even along with a little fruit juice for variety, is one of the MOST healthful and beneficial things I can do throughout my day.

I encourage everyone to make mineral water, particularly Gerolsteiner, a regular part of your day.
Every blessing~
LadyLiberty

Timely topic!!  I just recently started drinking mineral water and then was told by a friend that the gas they put into it is unatural and bad for my body.  She said carbon dioxide is meant to be breathed out by us and that it is dangerous to put carbination into our bodies.  I haven't had time to do any research on her claims.  Has anyone heard this??  Thanks for any advice.

Carbonation works differently when in the stomach and will aid in digesting foods.  Like with anything...everything in moderation. Try to find naturally carbonated waters which is a process/chemical reaction that occurs when leaves are broken down, etc...and the water runs through it providing the CO2 or can be provided by underground volcanic carbon dioxide carbonates the water.  Look for words conditioning vs. carbonation...Conditioning is a natural process while carbonation means it went through a bottling process to recreate the carbonation.

Carbon Dioxide can be found in drinks that are produced naturally caused by a "natural" process of simple fermentation.  If carbon dioxide has been added chemically...it becomes carbonic acid.  Ohhhh I could go into the functions and balances...it is rather fun to do the research!!!  Love that!

If you choose to drink distilled water...please be sure to supplement your diet with the proper minerals your body needs.  Distilled water is the softest water because there is nothing in it which also excludes the harmful chemicals but...the process of distillation may also increase the toxicity of some of the chemicals found in our water.

So what does one do?  Do the research and find what works for you and your family and most importantly...

I follow the example given to me in the Bilble in that knowing that I have thanked God for the food before me and that He bless it and that it bring health, healing and nourishment only to our bodies.  This doesn't mean I can do that over the yucky foods and it be a cover all for it if that is all I eat.  God wants us to be wise.  Enjoy the treats but in moderation.  Find out what I can with the sources I have available to me.  Asking God to show me or bring to me the information I need in order to make a better and healthier choice.

xoxo Cat

I happen to love all three brands, San Pell the best.  It depends on the batch, though, because sometimes there's more sodium than I like, especially with Gerolsteiner, my husband's fave.  We buy sparkling mineral water by the case in this house, LOL. Actually, I would suggest my other favorite, and that's La Croix.  It comes in cans, which is convenient for moms (and kids) on the run!  :) 

Here is a copy of the email I sent my group regarding carbonated water:

This is pieced together from a few different websites.

Just what Carbonation does is hardly explained anywhere, but this is in fact what it does, and why it is important to our Health.

This www.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/134/5/1058 is a recent health study using a premium sparkling mineral water.

You will notice that we've once again circled back to the issue of pH and Oxygen. Hydrogen is not the answer, and oxygen alone is not enough to prevent Cancer these days, although it likely helps. Hungary has many carbonated hot springs and healing waters in their country. It is not far-fetched at all that they can heal. Lourdes certainly has more going for it than just the Virgin Mary..... Miracles are things we simply don't understand yet, provided by the Grace of God.... and Mother Nature.

Subject: Why Carbonate...? December 2005

Carbonic Conversion is the process of pH change and alteration down at the blood and tissue level. In order to do this in a simple fashion, let's look at the process of food metabolism and how your body handles metabolic by-products from food intake. One of the by-products of food metabolism is CO2, carbon dioxide. As you know, lung respiration is one way in which your body eliminates carbon dioxide - it happens every time you exhale. However, in order to eliminate all of the carbon dioxide that is generated from normal metabolism, the lungs would need a respiration rate far above normal breathing. Holding this constantly accelerated rate would indeed be very difficult. Therefore, other mechanisms comes into play for handling the excess. 1) The CO2 combines with ammonia (produced from the oxidation of glutamine) and converts to urea in the liver and is excreted by the kidneys. 2)The carbon dioxide combines with water through a process utilizing the enzyme carbonic anhydrase and the co-enzyme mineral ZINC. Through this process, carbonic acid is formed, which breaks down into hydrogen and bicarbonate atoms/molecules.

What does pH stand for?... Potential Hydrogen. When we talk about hydrogen, we are talking about potential ACIDS. When we talk of bicarbs, we are talking bases (alkaline substances). ACIDS are a normal by-product of metabolism. The body has the mechanisms in place to eliminate these acids. BUT, through poor dietary habits, shallow breathing, lack of excercise, toxicity exposures, etc., which can lead to liver stress and kidney malfunction, the ACIDS in the body do not always get eliminated as they should. In this case, what's a body to do? Well if it can't eliminate them, then it has to store them. And store them it does. We are starting to scratch the surface for the aging mechanism in our body.

When the body has an excess of acid it can't get rid of, the acid gets stored for later removal. Where? In the interstitial spaces, also called the extracellular matrix - the spaces around the cells; the mesenchyme. When the body stores a hydrogen molecule/atom/proton (the acid) in the extracellular matrix, it believes that one day the acid is going to be removed. Therefore, in order to be in balance, it knows that for every molecule of acid that gets stored in the tissues, an equal molecule of bicarb or base needs to be put into the blood because one day it will be needed to escort the acid out of the body. This is the body's amazing compensatory mechanism at work.

As more acid accumulates in our body, it gets stored and pushed further, and ultimately it gets pushed into the cell. When it gets pushed into the cell, the first thing it does is displace POTASSIUM and then MAGNESIUM and then SODIUM. Those are critical minerals in our body. The potassium and magnesium will leave the body, but as a preservation mechanism the sodium will be retained. Remember, the body knows it must place an alkaline molecule in the blood to escort out this increasing acid that is being stored in the tissues and cells. What it will often do (when mineral reserves are low, which is often the case when eating a modern American diet) is draw CALCIUM (the most alkaline mineral known) from the bones and put it into the blood. This leads to something called free calcium excess. This is something you don't want and it is what's behind osteoporosis, arthritic pain, etc. It is brought about by the body compensating for an ever increasing tissue acidosis somewhere in the body. Those with cystic fibrosis, asthma, or any conditron with "heavy mucous" would benefit greatly, along with an oxygen machine or special breathing exercises. A Russion doctor named Buyteyko discovered that Asthma sufferers hyper-ventilate which causes severe loss of carbon dioxide, and the bronchial tubes close up to protect the excessive loss www.kickasthma.com. Another good source is the Sorvino Foundation. This is Paul Sorvino the actor, who says Asthma can easily be cured. "In 1992, I founded the Sorvino Asthma Foundation as I suffered also from asthma for 25 years...and recovered fully with respiration exercises. There is a videotape and a book How to Become a Former Asthmatic (1985).. Call the Sorvino Foundation (212) 941-8686 or see our website www.sorvinoasthmafound.org for further information.''

What the body needs to normalize and alkalize is more Oxygen and Carbon, that can easily be supplied by Sparkling Mineral Waters www.finewaters.com/Bottled_Water/Germany/Apollinaris.asp made at home. Filtered water with liquid fulvic www.vitalearth.org/fulvic_minerals.htm minerals and then aerated by adding CO2 bubbles with a Seltzer Maker www.sodaclub.com will hold its precious oxygen load, and provide a superior healing water. If you use a Nikken water maker, the fulvic factors are added for you. (I really love my PiMag.) Choose from Dr. Wallach's Majestic Earth Minerals, www.MarineMinerals.com, or Concentrace® Cherry Trace Mineral Drops - 8 oz - Liquid, Inland Sea Water - I gal - Liquid, ConcenTrace Trace Mineral Drops - 8 oz - Liquid if you just want a premium water using bottled water. RO and Distilled water systems www.herbalconsults.com/water.html require these products for health, as these waters are highly acidic, and need balancing. Being "empty" they will eventually draw minerals out of the bones and serum if drunk on a regular basis. Fortified oxygenated waters will not only mineralize and de-calcify the body properly, but help synthesize the ormic (precious metal) elements that keep Mercury from harming the human form. These same principles are shown to be effective in www.ourcivilization.com/smartboard/shop/flknreh/chap11.htm soil science and metallurgy. Too often there are reports of toxins and solvents in bottled waters and carbonated beverages. CO2 tanks are not to blame for the quality of what is being carbonated. Distillata, Aquafina and SmartWater are some of the very best brands at a reasonable price that you can trust,...and they have flavors, ... but It costs less, and you know exactly what you have when you do it yourself.

Carbonic acid dissolves minerals more readily than water alone and forms the more soluble bicarbonates. The family of mineral compounds which neutralize acids are carbonic minerals that contain any one of the four basic or alkaline elements: Na (Sodium), Ca (Calcium), K (Potassium) and Mg (Magnesium). When these minerals meet with strong acids such as sulfuric, phosphoric, acetic or lactic acid, the alkaline minerals making up the carbonic minerals combine with the acids, forming salts no longer harmful to the kidneys, intestinal walls or other elimination channels. ...

Low physical energy / vigor?

Intestinal Gas, when eating vegetables or fruit?

Hyperness you're always on the go, internal tension?

It is this lowered concentration of alkaline elements that is referred to as an "acidic condition" of the body fluid. Extra-cellular fluids contain Na (sodium) and Ca (calcium). If the intracellular fluids are lowered significantly in K (potassium) and Mg (magnesium), nerves will not transmit messages and a coma may result.

Research areas
Cell Biology >> Metabolism >> Vitamins / Minerals
Cardiovascular >> Hypoxia >> Associated Proteins

Relevance
Carbonic anhydrase (CA) is an enzyme that assists rapid interconversion of carbon dioxide and water into carbonic acid, protons, and bicarbonate ions. It is abundant in all mammalian tissues. Because of its functionality, it has become an important diagnostic marker for various cancers, most notably renal cell carcinoma (RCC). There are many genes that are inducible by hypoxia, via HIF-1 alpha. CA IX is one of the most inducible genes because of its stability and location within the membrane. Carbonic anhydrases have a widespread role in regulating pH in normal tissues, by regulating hydrogen ion (H+) flux. The pH is important in cell death under hypoxia, thus a blockade of CA IX results in increased cell death under hypoxia. Therefore, CA IX has become a reliable histochemical marker of hypoxia.

Water is a good solvent and picks up impurities easily. Pure water is often called the Universal Solvent. When water is combined with carbon dioxide to form very weak carbonic acid, an even better solvent results, that is not highly acidic. As water moves through soil and rock it dissolves very small amounts of pH ionic minerals and holds them in solution. Calcium and magnesium dissolved in water are the two most common minerals that make water "hard." It is certainly more healthful than softened water, which often promotes infection. Water described as "hard" is high in dissolved minerals, specifically calcium and magnesium. Hard water is not a health risk, but a nuisance because of mineral buildup on fixtures and poor soap and/or detergent performance. Filtering and treating your own water from the tap has huge benfits. You can then make seltzer water and have a truly healthful drink you can flavor to your heart's content. So why Carbonate...? ...for the Oxygen and the bioavailable Minerals that keep you healthy, and your overall pH balance, and to keep nasty water-borne Parasites from making a home in your body. This is not just a Third World problem. Think about New Orleans... Some critters are not killed by chlorine or even by boiling, possibly because they are in a soup of man-made chemicals before the municipal system gets them. See Protozoa as Human Parasites www-micro.msb.le.ac.uk/224/Parasitology.html and this www.scuba-doc.com/marif.htm if you scuba dive. Iodine will kill all parasitic species, even the cysts that are missed by most filters. These in-line refrigerator units cover all the bases for just a few dollars more www.freshwatersystems.com/products/index/p1056/1056/None/None www.filtersfast.com/Omni-Filter-R400-water-filter-cartridge.asp. Some water systems use iodine as a pre-treatment before the carbon filter. There are even amazing filters for campers and travelers www.survivalschool.com/products/Water_Filters/safewater_filter.htm. You can get good filtration now at a reasonable price if you shop carefully. It's worth it for huge health returns and relatively small effort. And it even tastes good.

Thank God we have a well.  When I use to travel i would always buy a gallon of water, It tasted like a swimming pool nothing worse than having a cup of tea that tasted like a pool ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.  In Europe I didn't like the gas in my water.  Oh well.  good post and informative.  thanks   Dawn 

Hey Cat glad to meet ya. I was directed to your site from Hillbillyhousewife and have been coming to it daily. I'm a fifty year old mother and grandmother and still learning, so I really love it when I come across such an informative site. And on so many subjects, it's great. I love when you write about your mother in love and wish you'd do more.Oh and thank you for your note on my site.I'm just getting started so it's not much yet.The granddaughter talked me into it and now I've got to learn how to jazz it up like yours.(ha ha)  .......Judy

This an outstanding resource. Glad I stopped by. I'm in total agreement with not using plastics when dealing with food and water. There is report that I read recently and uploaded to my site from Johns Hopkins University specifically referrencing, that you should not freeze your plastic water bottles and then drink from them. The reason being is that once the water freezes to the bottle, at melt down certain toxins in the plastic are absorbed into the ice/water and then release into what you are consuming. These toxins are harmful to you. You will also find some interesting articles on margarine vs butter and whether microwaving your food is really a good idea.

http://ghettocuisine.com

It's amazing how bad soda is. McDonalds food is bad, but it's that super sized soda that really made people fat. Burgers and fries don't help the heart much, but they can't put on the pounds faster than all that sugar in soda can.


Scuba World