What Are Spring Water Flavors?
Spring water flavors are concentrated, water-soluble liquids that add delicious taste to life’s natural drink.

Do I Need Spring Water?
No, you may use the flavors in any type of water, but you will experience the clearest taste when using spring water.

How To Use Spring Water Flavors
This is one of the most frequently-asked questions. However, because everyone has different tastes, the answer is never definite. The simple answer given: conjecture. In other words, you get to determine how much you flavor you use in the water, but we recommend that you follow a short exercise to determine the perfect recipe for you:

1. Get an 8 oz. glass of water.
2. Add one drop of flavor to the water.
3. Taste the water.
4. Repeat steps 2-3 until it satisfies your tastes.

How Long Does One Bottle Last?
Many times, you will only need two drops per 8 ounces, but sometimes you’d like it stronger. As long as you stay within a reasonable number of drops per eight ounces of water, a single bottle of water flavor might provide up to 1000 drops of water flavor.

Still Can’t Taste the Flavor?
Sometimes, certain flavors can hide in the taste of the water. You can bring out that flavor by adding a natural sweetener such as agaver, and mixing up the drink a bit. A little bit of sweetener can go a long way in these cases, so start with small amounts.

You may be wondering how hydrotherapy is related to personal development. The truth is, water has many healthful and beneficial properties to it. The human body is made up of mostly water, so it makes sense that we need to drink plenty of water.

Water has been used in physical therapy because it’s so comforting and easy on stiff joints without causing too much resistance. It’s also great for exercise because it does add some resistance. Water has other ways of being helpful too.

Each day you are inundated with electromagnetic fields, positive ions, pollution and other harmful chemicals in the environment. We live in a world that is comprised of too many electric lines overhead. All of this electricity can have a negative effect on our body and mind.

Water, in a sense, discharges all of these positive electrical fields and creates negative ions. I’m sure you’ve noticed how much better you feel when you get in the shower. It feels like your daily cares are washed away. Or perhaps you head to the lake on the weekends because it makes you feel so much better. Maybe you’ve passed a water fountain in the mall and felt better, even if you didn’t realize the fountain had anything to do with it.

Creating negative ions in the air can make us feel much better. If we feel better, we’re more likely to work on personal development tasks and have a better attitude. You can even buy ionic breeze machines for your home. They can be quite expensive, but all they do is emit negative ions. You can accomplish the same thing with a small decorative fountain in your home, or by running water to wash dishes or take a bath.

Ions are naturally occurring. Some are positive and some are negative. However, with so many power lines and high voltage sources, there is an over abundance of positive ions. These can cause an imbalance in the atmosphere as well as our bodies. When there’s an imbalance, it leads to free radicals being present. We need to balance that out with a source of negative ions. This is where water comes into the picture, it creates negative ions and therefore creates balance.

These days we see far more cases of allergies, depression and other ailments. Many of these can be related to too many free radicals wrecking havoc in the environment. Mild depression is a result of too little seratonin being produced in the brain. Being around ionized air can increase the levels of seratonin in the bloodstream, thus lowering levels of mild depression or maybe even alleviating it altogether.

If you suffer from allergies or mild depression, it may be difficult for you to work on your personal development and create a better mindset for yourself. Hydrotherapy can help induce a more relaxed state, make you feel better and help get you in a better frame of mind to work on creating the lifestyle you desire.

According to the EPA, there is likely to be some toxicity in your groundwater no matter where you live. In fact, one in five Americans consumes water that violates EPA safety standards.

Many people are concerned about the purity of the water they drink, hence the popularity of bottled water and water filters. However, there’s a lot of confusion about water purification, filtration, and the like.  One popular form of filtration is reverse osmosis – also known as R/O. The following are the answers to some frequently-asked questions about reverse osmosis.

What is reverse osmosis?

A. Reverse osmosis is a process where water is stripped of minerals and other impurities by forcing it to pass through a semi-porous membrane using pressure. It is the opposite of osmosis, the natural process where water seeps through a semi-porous membrane where liquid is of higher concentration.

What comes out of the reverse osmosis process is fresh, clean water ready for use.

Q. How does industrial reverse osmosis differ from those units used in homes?

A. None, except that the materials used are of industrial strengths for bigger institutions. The big systems usually use spiral wound membranes in high pressure containers. These provide larger surface areas.

Q. Is any pretreatment required?

Ideally, yes. Water should have very low silt (solids) content to keep the membranes from plugging up. This is done by way of pre-filters that remove these solid sediments.

Other TDS (total dissolved solids) like chlorine have to be removed by active carbon filters because it attacks the main R/O membranes. Some, like calcium and magnesium, chokes the membranes, and have to be removed at pretreatment.

Q. How much pressure is required to purify water?

The pressure needed is dependent on the concentration of the sediments and salts on the feedwater (the water to be purified), which is in turn dependent on the pressure from the source.

Q. How pure will the water be?

Purity is determined by two things. One is the reject ratio of the membrane which is pegged at 92% up to 99.5%. The other is the type of TDS (total dissolved solids) present in the feedwater.

However, through length of use, the efficiency (and life span) of the membranes shortens, and leakages occur over time.

Q. How do I clean a system?

Water treated with a cleaning agent is re-circulated on the high pressure side of the system for an hour or so. Then, the membrane is flushed to drain.

Small systems will have to shut down during cleaning, but in larger systems, the individual banks of membranes can be cleaned one by one.

Q. How much maintenance is involved with a system?

A properly set system, with a good pre-treatment in place, usually needs a one-hour cleaning routine once a month. Pre-filters can be checked weekly.

Q. How much does it cost to run a reverse osmosis system?

The cost is dependent on three areas: power, materials, and labor. Check your area on power and labor costs. (Labor is usually low since the system is more or less automated.) Materials are more or less the same everywhere.

Q. What about bugs (bacteria) growing in the water?

Water storage in R/O systems is optionally passed through an UV sterilization system to kill bacteria, usually during cleaning. It is good to have the tanks black or opaque to prevent algae growth.

Q. How long will my reverse osmosis membranes last?

R/O membranes usually last many years. However, they slowly start leaking ions after a time, and have to be replaced once ion levels are not acceptable. Some membranes have been reported in continued use for 20 years.

About a year ago I resolved to make water my drink of choice and wean myself off soda and juice. This isn’t my first time at the rodeo with this particular struggle. I didn’t grow up drinking water. We always had soft drinks in the house — sodas, juices, lemonade, iced tea. I only drank water when there was nothing else around. However, this time I had a few new tools in my repertoire. Being a new devotee to the Law of Attraction, I focused on what I wanted. I bookmarked web sites, read books, news articles, etc.

I bought a water bottle and carried it to work with me. I stopped buying sodas and allowed myself one glass of juice in the morning. I thought I had removed all the barriers to drinking water. I seemed to finally have this water thing whipped. For several weeks things went as planned, then I noticed the taste of the water changed. It smelled and tasted strongly of chlorine.

Our local newspaper carried a story about a child that had gotten lead poisoning from drinking the water. The water utility responded by dumping chlorine among other things, into the water. Besides tasting awful, it was wrecking my body. My skin felt like sandpaper and my hair was bone dry. No moisturizers or conditioners seemed to help. Undaunted, I bought water filters. They helped somewhat but the problem didn’t go away.

This is when I got discouraged. All my planning and resolve seemed for naught. Once again circumstances were working against my resolve. For a month or so I drifted back into my old habits. My weight went up accordingly, and mild depression set in. I needed a bridge — a holistic methadone so to speak. I found a company that sold natural flavorings for water and bought some. That helped, but I remembered from all my research that chlorine and fluoride weren’t good for you. I went back into research mode and what I found was pretty disturbing.

The most common chemicals water utilities add to the public water source are fluoride and chlorine. Fluoride is added to toothpaste and mouthwash to fight tooth decay;  however, ingestion of too much fluoride causes dental fluorosis. Dental fluorosis causes brittle, discolored tooth enamel. Also, there are studies dating back to the 1950s showing a link between fluoride and Down’s Syndrome.

As for chlorine, I had a close encounter with chlorine many years ago. In a former lifetime (it seems) I was in the Army. I spent 6 months in Honduras and the Army, being overzealous, dumped copious amounts of chlorine into our drinking water. The chlorine killed the bacteria and damn near killed me too. I ended up in the hospital with severe diarrhea and dehydration for about 10 days.

So, what to do? I bit the bullet. Right now I’m having my drinking water delivered. I’m still looking for a suitable filter for the bathroom as my hair and skin haven’t quite recovered, so if you know of a good one let me know. I do feel good about my resolve to drink water though.

It’s common knowledge that drinking water has tremendous health benefits. After all, our bodies are 60 percent water and water comprises about 85 percent of our brain. Water also:

• Serves as a natural appetite suppressant
• Serves as a joint lubricant
• Maintains the integrity of of skin and muscle
• Boosts the the body’s metabolism
• Regulate body temperature
• Keeps the digestive system in working order
• Transports nutrients throughout the body

So what happens to you when you don’t drink enough water? At 2 percent dehydration, we lose 20 percent mental capacity! The toxins that should be eliminated from your system get recirculated through your body. Chronic dehydration will cause your skin to be dry, toxins will cause breakouts, and overall your skin will appear unhealthy.

Severe dehydration can cause muscle spasms, exhaustion, excessive body temperature, heat stroke, and even death. Don’t wait until you feel thirsty to drink water. Early signs of dehydration are fatigue, loss of appetite, and loss of body weight. By the time you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated.

So how much water should you drink? Most sources recommend 8 glasses a day, but that’s not entirely correct. It really depends on several variables. Do you live at a high altitude or dry climate? Are you pregnant? Lactating? Male or female? How much do you exercise? How much do you weigh? Use this free water calculator to find out how much water you should be drinking.

Okay, we’ve established that water is essential to good health. The question now is where should we get our water. So what exactly is the difference between the various types of water? Tap water is usually river water, and although this type of water has a lot of contaminants and pollutants to start with, it is put through a variety of cleaning processes before it enters the home.

Well water comes straight from the ground, although it doesn’t go through the same cleaning process. The water is filtered naturally as it slowly trickles from the surface into underground reservoirs.

The biggest complaint about tap water is that it often arrives in our homes smelling strongly of chlorine. Just because it’s safe doesn’t mean it tastes very good. Nor does it mean the water is pure. Water from municipal sources often contains minerals that will give the water an unpleasant look, taste, or smell and may have undesired effects on your dishes, laundry and hair.

While it may cost a bit more, there are filters and additives you can get for your water that will make it look and taste better. There are several types of filters:

• Carbon filters – consist of activated carbon or charcoal that remove chlorine, organic compounds, pesticides, benzne and radon
• Ion exchange filters – contain resins that attract heavy metals
• Reverse osmosis – aka hyper-filtration; passes water under high pressure through a membrane with microscopic pores that filter out single ions

Some experts say the treatment solutions are as dangerous as the contaminants. Sometimes, even when treated, the water may become polluted in the distribution system before reaching your home. There are several organizations involved in checking city water and making sure it’s safe for you and your family, but if you doubt the safety of your water, you can have it tested to ensure its quality and safety.

Just as safe water might smell or taste bad, conversely, unsafe water may smell, look, and taste perfectly fine. There are many dangerous chemicals found in well water that have no taste or smell, and do not change the look of the water. In fact, there are a few that will make your water look and taste cleaner or more pleasant. Unless you go through the process of having your water tested, there is no way to guarantee well water is safe or free of bacteria and other dangerous chemicals.

Some people decide to give up on the whole well versus tap water debate altogether and just drink bottled. There are different kinds of bottled water as well:

• Spring water – must come from underground
• Artesian water – similar to spring water, but probably deeper underground and comes to the surface without pumping
• Distilled water – boiled water recaptured as steam; no minerals, chemicals, or bacteria
• Purified water – can be simple tap water than has been distilled
• Vitamin-rich, oxygenated, and enriched water – novelty water; minute amounts of vitamins or minerals added
• Flavored water – water and flavor from natural or artificial sweeteners

While bottled water usually does taste better, it doesn’t have to go through the same purity tests that tap water does. Also, manufacturers may overstate claims. In fact, if your bottled water has gone through the same cleaning and testing process, it’s likely because it actually is just city water. On top of that, the bottles add unnecessary waste to local landfills.

If you’re facing the decision between well or tap water, taste and safety are not the only issue you’re considering in your decision. One of the biggest factors in making the switch is usually cost. Bringing in water from the local municipality requires changing the pipes in and around your house.

Keep in mind that there is a global water crisis. As demand for fresh water soars, politicians are making decisions about its use. Golf courses, farms, and cities all compete for this finite resource. Whatever water source you choose, stay abreast of the issues and make eco-conscious decisions.

Resources:

• Water Filters
• Water Testing
• A Drinker’s Guide to Pure Water