Tag: Health

Filtering Cysts from Drinking Water

Water is a vital source of life to many organisms, some good, some bad. The water that we drink can harbour harmful microorganisms like microbial cysts, which can cause us to become ill. Find out a bit more about cysts and how to filter them out of your drinking water.

What are microbial cysts?

Microbial cysts are parasites, bacteria or viruses that exist in a specific, almost egg-like, state. The most common ones that are of concern when it comes to drinking water is Cryptosporidum and Giardia lamblia. These microbes can enter into our water supply from run off of contaminated organic material like animal feces.

The major problem is that these two waterborne parasites are highly resistant to the chlorine typically used by public water treatment facilities to treat our drinking water.

Public water treatment uses chlorine to disinfect our drinking water. However, chlorine has proven to be ineffective to removing certain cysts like Cryptosporidum and Giardia lamblia as these particular organisms have developed a hard outer layer that allows them to survive in tough conditions.

Effects of Cysts in our Water

If you drink water that contains cysts, your stomach acids break down their hard shell and they release their protozoa into your gastrointestinal track. There, they have the ability to reproduce, sometimes to the millions.

Consumption of water contaminated with these microbes can cause gastrointestinal complications, such as stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, dehydration, fever and weight loss. For people with wearker immune systems, such as children or the elderly, these infections could lead to larger issues.

How to filter Cysts out of Water?

WaterChef filters are proven to be effective in removing cysts such as Cryptosporidum and Giardia lamblia from our drinking water, as the public water treatment facilities are unable to fully do so.

Find out more about our drinking water filters here.

Sources:

http://blog.waterfilters.net/blog/what-are-cysts/

https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/crypto/

https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/crypto/gen_info/filters.html

VOCs – Hazardous Compounds in Your Air & Water

There’s a good chance you’ve never heard of VOCs. And yet, they’re found in the air you breathe and the water you drink.

What are VOCs?

VOCs, or Volatile Organic Compounds, are chemicals that occur as vapors at ordinary air temperatures. That means they are floating in the air you breathe as you read this article. Though they are mostly found in air, the chemicals that VOCs are associated with can soak into the ground and thus find its way into the city water supply.

Where do VOCs come from?

Some VOCs come from natural sources like plants. However, other non-natural products like paints, ink, cleaning & disinfencting supplies, pesticides, cosmetics, petrol, and more, can release VOCs.

What are the effects of breathing air or drinking water contaminated with VOCs?

The Environmental Protection Agency believes that VOCs can cause various negative health effects such as eye, nose and respiratory irritation, headaches, nausea and potentially damage to organs like your kidneys, liver and central nervous system. It is also a possible cause of cancer.

What can I do to reduce VOCs?

In a city like Hong Kong where there tend to be high levels of air pollution, it is especially important to protect your home from hazardous VOCs. The best way to reduce these contaminants is to use air and water filters.

We carry a wide range of products that reduce contaminants in the air. Find out more on our website.

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Sources:

Volatile Organic Compounds. American Water Works Association: http://www.drinktap.org/home/water-information/water-quality/ucmr3/volatile-organic-compounds.aspx

An Introduction to Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). EPA: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html

Indoor Environmental Quality, Chemicals and Odors. CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/indoorenv/ChemicalsOdors.html

The Benefits of Drinking Infused Water

We’re excited to start sharing some fruit and herb infused water recipes! But first, we want to explain what all the buzz surrounding infused water is about.

What is infused water?

You can make infused water simply by taking fruits, vegetables or herbs and adding them to an amount of water (a cup, a bottle, a jug, etc.). Then allowing the ingredients to sit for an extended amount of time and permeate into the water.

Why infused water?

Everyone knows that water is essential to a healthy lifestyle – our body needs water, and we often don’t drink enough throughout our busy days.

Infused water is a great way to get ourselves to drink more water by adding some delicious flavor combinations, and it’s much healthier than juices and sodas.

Not only that, but when fruits or herbs soak in the water, its natural nutrition can permeate into the water that you drink. For example, Vitamins B & C, which are water-soluble, can transfer to the water from the ingredients you use.

Some tips to infuse water

Infusing water is not difficult, but there are some little starter tips to keep in mind.

  • Use filtered water to ensure the water you drink is clean, pure and healthy. For more information on water water filtration system would work best for you, visit www.waterchef.com.hk
  • Buy organic & wash your ingredients well – we recommend using Soapnut Republic’s Fruit & Veggie Wash to make sure any contaminants on the surface of your fruits & vegetables are cleaned off.
  • Don’t let citrus with peels sit for more than 4 hours or they will get bitter
  • Slice harder fruits & vegetables (like apples & carrots) thinly because they tend to take longer to infuse. Softer fruits & vegetables (strawberries, orange slices, etc.) infuse much more quickly so can be added in large pieces.
  • Crush or tear herbs (mint, basil) and roots (ginger). If you have lots of herby leafs, use a tea infuser to contain them.
  • Infused water can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, just strain out the ingredients after the first day to prevent bacterial growth.

Easy Starter Recipe – Cucumber Strawberry Mint

For one glass of delicious infused water with cucumber, strawberry & mint, follow these proportions:

1 Glass Filtered Water (ice optional)

5 Mint Leaves, tear each in half by hand

2 Strawberries, sliced

3 Slices Cucumber

Combine all the ingredients in a glass, let sit for 10 minutes or more, and enjoy! Note: if you are making a larger jug of infused water, let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Stay tuned for more infused water recipes to come!

Protect Your Family from Harmful Toxins in Your Water

Many of us are unaware of the hazards in the tap water that comes from our kitchen sinks and bathroom faucets. We think that just because the government regulates water, it is safe for us to drink and use. However, there are many toxins that do not get filtered out and can still make their way into your home.

“Filtering your tap water is the first step to protecting your family from toxins on a daily basis, whether it’s for drinking, showering or cooking,” said Amy Myers, MD, an Austin-based physician specializing in functional medicine. “Government regulations focus on protecting us from the big health risks like waterborne bacterial diseases. The long-term health effects of chronic exposures to trace elements of contaminants in our drinking water are something we all need to take personal responsibility for.”

These are some of the common contaminants found in tap water, all of which are filtered by our water filters:

Lead

Corrosion of pipes often lead to lead being in the water.

Chlorine

Municipal water systems are known to add chlorine to control other contaminants. However it can be damaging to your hair and skin.

Chloramines

Used as a secondary disinfectant, chloramine is created from ammonia and chlorine together. It has been shown in laboratory testing to potentially cause cancer.

Pesticides & Herbicides

These contaminants enter the water system through run off from pesticide & herbicide treated soil. The consumption of these chemicals are untested and could pose serious health threats.

Cysts

A parasite found in lakes and rivers, cysts enter the water system and are often resistant to water disinfection.

Petroleum Contaminants

An example of petroleum contaminants is MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether) which is used for cars to reduce carbon monoxide. However, the run-off can contaminate public water and be hazardous to our health.

To protect yourself and your family, make sure to invest in a premium water filtration solution. To find out more about the drinking water and shower filter products we distribute in Hong Kong, shop on our website or contact us.

Source: http://livehealthy.aquasana.com/2014/01/top-ten-worst-contaminants-found-in-tap-water/

Easy Tips to Stay Hydrated and Drink more Water

As the humidity in the air gets lower, it is important to drink at least 10 glasses of water a day to stay hydrated. Does 10 glasses of water sound like a lot to you? Even knowing about the many benefits of drinking water—increased fat burning, healthier skin, more energy, better digestion, fewer cravings—doesn’t make drinking it any less of a struggle for many of us.

If you feel like you’re barely treading water when it comes to drinking your water, don’t despair. There are lots of little secrets to transform yourself into an H2O-guzzling machine.

  1. Spice up plain old water by adding fresh mint leaves.
  2. Every time you pass a water cooler stop and take a sip.
  3. If you’re feeling hungry and you’ve eaten recently, drink a cold glass of water, and wait a minute or two. You could just be dehydrated.
  4. Make your water more interesting by infusing your water with fruits, vegetables, or herbs.
  5. Add ice cubes to your water – this helps to burn calories when your body brings the water temperature up.
  6. Make it a morning ritual. Start your day by drinking one or two glasses of water. Start early, feel better, set the trend for the day.
  7. Have a big glass of water at every transitional point of the day: When you first get up, before you leave the house, when you sit down to work, when you go to lunch.
  8. Invest in a water bottle that you’ll actually use and keep it close. Ideally one that is made of glass as glass is not reactive unlike plastic or aluminum.
  9. After each trip to the restroom, drink some water to replenish your system.
  10. Track it. Make a chart and tick it off each time you drink a glass. Do a chart for 30 days and you will have made drinking water a part of your routine.
  11. Instead of spending a fortune on bottled water. Save your money and the environment by investing in a quality filter for your home. Make sure it is efficient in filtering out nasty contaminants whilst healthy minerals are maintained to achieve maximum hydration.
  12. Freeze little bits of peeled lemons, limes and oranges and use them in place of ice cubes — it’s refreshing and helps get in a serving of fruit.

Sources :

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1014
http://www.canadianliving.com/health/nutrition/34_tips_for_drinking_more_water.php