Iowa Department of Public Health
State of Massachusets, Board of Plumbing
Water Quality Association Gold Seal
California Department of Health Services
State of Wisconsin, Bureau of Building Water Systems
State of Colorado, Department of Health, Drinking Water Program
The Multi-Pure� Drinking Water Systems are certified by NSF International and UL to remove the widest range of contaminants. Both NSF International and UL (Underwriters Laboritories) are independent, not-for-profit organizations that are the premier safety certification companies in the U.S. They test and certify a wide variety of consumer products to ensure that the claims they make can be supported. They have had experience for over 100 years in product testing and safety certification and are well known for their commitment to the environment, public health and safety, and work with government and other environmental and public health professionals on standards and code development for consumer products related to safety considerations.
They are the only organizations that certify drinking water purification systems for consumer use. NSF International has been certifying drinking water systems for over a decade. Recently, UL has introduced a new certification mark specifically for its Environmental and Public Health (EPH) Programs as it relates to drinking water systems.
The Multi-Pure� Drinking Water Systems have passed stringent certification standards which means:
Periodic inspections are made of manufacturing plants and advertising materials to ensure that the manufacturer is complying with the terms of certification.
It is important to note that manufacturers can make claims for water treatment systems that cannot be supported. We have found in our experience that some manufacturers do so. We also have experience with manufacturers who claim their system is certified when in fact it is not. Do not be mislead if a system claims it has been tested according to NSF or UL standards - this is not certification. If it is truly certified, the seller is able to provide you with a Performance Data Sheet that outlines which contaminants it will reduce.
The purpose of certification is to give you, the consumer, verifiable evidence that these products will in fact reduce the contaminants that the manufacturer claims. If a particular drinking water system is not certified, you cannot be assured that the claims made can be supported.
The following is a partial list of contaminants the Multi-Pure� Drinking Water System is certified by NSF International and UL to reduce:
Alachlor
Arsenic (880 Series only)
Asbestos
Atrazine
Benzene
Bromodichloromethane
Bromoform
Carbofuran
Carbon Tetrachloride
Chlordane
Chlorine
Chlorobenzene
Chloropicrin
Chloroform
Chloramines
Cryptosporidium
Cysts (Giardia, Entamoeba, Toxoplasma)
2,4-D
DCP
1,2-DCA
1,1-DCE
Dibromochloromethane
Chlorodibromomethane
Dibromochloropropane (DBCP)
o-Dichlorobenzene
p-Dichlorobenzene
1,2-Dichloroethane
1,1-Dichloroethylene
Cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene
Trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene
1,2-Dichloropropane
Cis-1,3-Dichloropropylene
Dinoseb
EDB (Ethylene Dibromide)
Endrin
Ethylbenzene
Furadan
Giardia
Haloacetonitriles
Haloketones
Heptachlor
Heptachlor Epoxide
Hexachlorobutadiene
Lead
Lindane
Mercury
Methoxychlor
Methylbenzene
Monochlorobenzene
MTBE
Ortho-Xylene
PCB's
PCE
Pentachlorophenol
Perchlorobutadiene
Propylene Dichloride
Simazine
Silvex
Styrene
1,1,1-TCA
1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane
Tetrachloroethylene
Toluene
Toxaphene
Toxoplasma
Tribromoacetic Acid
1,2,4 Trichlorobenzene
1,1,1-Trichloroethane
1,1,2-Trichloroethane
Trichloroethylene
Trihalomethanes
TCE
2,4,5-TP
Turbidity
Vinylbenzene
Xylenes
Particulates (Class 1 particulates 0.5 tp <1 UM)
Effectiveness
Documented Product Performance
|
Solid Carbon Drinking Water System |
Delivered Bottled Water |
|
Unlimited Quantity |
5 gallons per bottle |
|
51 cents per gal. (1st year) |
$1.40 per gallon (avg. cost per bottle) |
|
7 cents per gallon after 1st year |
$1.40 per gallon (avg. cost per bottle) |
|
No stand required |
Stand required $3.50 per month avg. |
The following excerpts are from various sources about water quality problems around the country and in Canada. Although certain problems may seem isolated, I would encourage all moms concerned about health to remember that you can not take drinking water quality for granted! Water filtered by the Multi-Pure system could resolve these quality issues at a very economical price and far more conenvient ly than bottled. I encourage all readers to check your local papers for stories about your local drinking water.
LONDON, ONTARIO, August 26, 2004 (Water Tech) - About 2,300 Kilworth-Komoka residents are without drinking water after a possible diesel leak was detected in an area where well water is drawn, The London Free Press reported.
The municipality, Middlesex Centre, is working on a plan to distribute free water today. The advisory was issued yesterday by the Middlesex-London Health Unit after London city workers detected diesel fuel in the Thames River near an old London water well field, Dale LeBritton, operations manager of the Ontario Clean Water Agency, said in the article.
Dale LeBritton told the paper that he didn't know where the diesel may have spilled into the water system. The agency is investigating to determine the source of the fuel.
According to the article, officials aren't sure if diesel made its way into the water system, but issued the advisory as a precaution.
LeBritton said in the article that early samples will be back within 24 hours, but more must be taken before the advisory can be lifted. That means residents will have to wait until at least Friday afternoon to see if the advisory will be lifted, the paper reported.
Drinking water may be mystery outbreak culprit
PUT-IN-BAY, OH, August 27, 2004 (Water Tech) - More than 1,000 people have come down with a mysterious gastrointestinal illness after visiting the area, and now investigators are turning their attention to drinking water as a potential source of the outbreak, The Associated Press (AP) said in an article reported by Mlive.com.
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency officials have ordered private well testing to determine whether they are connected to and contaminating the village of Put-in-Bay's drinking water system. The concern is that leaking septic tanks could be contaminating well water and then flowing back into the clean drinking water, the article said.
Officials from the Ohio EPA had tested drinking water from public wells, which had tested negative. In the case of the private wells, there is no evidence yet that they are being contaminated by septic intrusion, Heidi Griesmer, an EPA spokeswoman, said in the article.
"We know what's coming out of the plant is meeting water quality standards," she told the AP. "We don't know if there's contamination being introduced somewhere in the distribution system."
The Ohio Department of Health said Aug. 26 that investigators have talked with 1,020 people who say they fell ill after visiting South Bass Island and the surrounding area, which is about halfway between Toledo and Cleveland. Some say they were sickened after visiting within the last week, according to the article.
About 40 people spent time in a hospital, the health department said in the report.
The department has tested a handful of samples from those who say they suffered from chills, fever, diarrhea and vomiting. Those test results led investigators to begin focusing on whether there could be any cross-contamination between private wells and wastewater systems, the article stated.
In addition to inspections of auxiliary wells, the EPA asked for increased monitoring of private water supplies. The health department recommended island residents use bottled water or boil their well water, according to the paper.
Lead contamination caused by fixtures, not pipes
ROCKVILLE, MD, August 30, 2004 (Water Tech) - Montgomery County's initial school drinking water test results showed that high lead levels were the result of fixtures, not pipes, NBC-4 reported.
The county may not begin remediation of thousands of school plumbing fixtures found to have high levels of lead until the end of the school year, officials said in the report. The Maryland county is located next to Washington, DC, where widespread lead testing took place earlier this year.
The county has tested lead levels in every public school water source, including drinking fountains. Richard Hawes, Montgomery schools' director of facility management, told The Washington Post that the county will not begin to replace fixtures until it has retested the 27,000 or so water sources in the schools.
"This could reach until the end of this year and even beyond that," Kate Harrison, school spokeswoman, told the news station. "We want to get a sense of the entire situation before we begin a systematic solution to the problem."
Lead controversy spreads to CA school
NOVATO, CA, August 31, 2004 (Water Tech) - Rancho Elementary School has shut down its water fountains indefinitely after the discovery of dangerous levels of lead in some of the drinking water, the Marin Independent-Journal reported.
Novato Unified School District officials said in the article that because of the discovery, they plan to test the water at all 15 schools in the district, but no timetable has been established.
Preliminary tests ordered by the district revealed that the water from two fountains at Rancho Elementary School exceeded the state and federal standard of 15 parts per billion. A reading of 27 ppb was drawn from a porcelain drinking fountain, while a 15.9 ppb level was drawn from a fountain in one classroom. But 17 other samples drawn from fountains throughout the school showed readings of 7.2 or less. Thirteen were less than 5 ppb, the paper reported.
Jim Davies, a district water consultant, said in the article that the test results are preliminary and another round of tests has also been conducted. The tests were ordered after school officials received a call from ABC-7 News, which had commissioned its own water testing at schools throughout the Bay Area.
Channel 7 told school officials there was lead in the drinking water - the highest reading being 39 ppb - but it was unclear how the station's consultants obtained the samples. School officials sent notes home with students about the lead findings, and provided bottled water to children yesterday, which was the first day of their school year, the article said.
Lead contamination persists into new school year
SEATTLE, September 7, 2004 (Water Tech) - While the city's public schools continue an ongoing effort of repairs and upgrades to eliminate the lead contamination plaguing the district's water supplies, most students will still see a familiar holdover from last spring in the hallways: bottled-water dispensers, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported.
In January, the district turned off fountains and began supplying bottled water at those schools with plumbing systems more than seven years old and commissioned tests at all schools, the paper explained.
Students throughout the district also will see something new this year: signs in the lavatories warning them not to drink the tap water. The dispensers and signs reflect the consistent attempts by the 47,500-student district to cope with a multimillion-dollar problem of lead contamination in school water supplies, the article said.
According to the paper, 58 schools will continue to receive bottled water. Deliveries may stop at some of those schools within a few months, as repairs are completed; others will stay on bottled water for the entire school year or longer.
The Seattle schools recently signed a $683,000 contract with Mountain Mist Water Co. of Tacoma to supply bottled water for the 2004-05 school year to all schools currently receiving it. That sum could be reduced as schools go off the bottled-water program, the article stated.
States sue EPA over lack of water guidelines
ALBANY, NY and HARTFORD, CT, September 8, 2004 (Water Tech) New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal filed a federal lawsuit this week challenging the decision of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) not to issue national guidelines and standards for harmful storm water pollution discharges from construction sites that could effect drinking water supplies, according to a joint press release.
The legal action was filed Sept. 7 in the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Manhattan.
"Dirty runoff from construction sites is one of the largest sources of water pollution," Attorney General Spitzer said in the release. "EPA knows this and agreed to address the problem by setting strong national standards. But now EPA refuses to act. States need these standards to protect the water we all rely on for drinking, swimming, fishing and recreation."
Connecticut Attorney General Blumenthal said in the release: "We are vigorously challenging EPA to adopt a national policy to properly protect local and national waterways. While Connecticut has strong rules and tough enforcement, a lack of stringent nationwide standards creates an unfair economic development advantage for states with flimsy regulations."
Sediment and other storm water pollutants, such as oils, pesticides, and heavy metals associated with the construction and development of land, can significantly impair drinking water reservoirs, lakes, rivers and coastal waters.
According to the release, EPA has acknowledged that polluted runoff from construction sites can exceed that from undisturbed sites by 1,000 times or more.
Under the Clean Water Act, EPA is required to promulgate technology-based standards for industrial pollutant discharges, including discharges associated with construction and land development, the release said. Once issued by EPA, state agencies incorporate the standards into permits for local construction and development activities.
Many states, including New York and Connecticut, already regulate storm water pollution discharges associated with construction and development of land. According to the release, by failing to set minimal national standards for reducing these discharges, New York and Connecticut allege that EPA has undermined these states' efforts to protect their own waters and endangers interstate waters.
On June 24, 2002, under a court order, EPA proposed guidelines and standards for storm water pollution from the construction and development industry, the release said. Despite EPA's legal obligation to finalize these pollution controls, EPA announced on April 26, 2004 that it would withdraw its proposal.
State to increase lead testing for school water
SEATTLE , September 9 2004 (Water Tech) - Gov. Gary Locke announced on Wednesday that the state will provide $750,000 to help school districts test for lead in elementary-school drinking fountains, The Seattle Times reported.
According to the article, districts will be required to provide a 25 percent match to receive the money, but such an assist should help cash-strapped districts like Seattle, which has spent about $2.25 million and estimates it could cost more than $6 million to remedy its lead problems.
Locke said that there are no known cases of lead poisoning caused by drinking water in the state, the article reported. Still, the governor urged school districts to test their water.
Locke directed the state Board of Health to consider the issue when it looks at school environmental standards later this year, the paper stated.
In Seattle, what is perceived as "safe" could mean the difference between the public spending $1.7 million for plumbing fixes that meet health standards for lead and cadmium contamination or more than $6 million to clean up drinking water, the article explained.
MULTIPURE DRINKING WATER SYSTEMS reduce a wide range of contaminants of health concern plus chlorine, choramine and particulate matter. Below is a summary of the tested contaminants that the Multi-Pure System is certified to remove and thier noted health effects. Please write to marilyn@urbanhomemaker.com for a copy of the Performance Data Sheet for the specific claims for the Multi-Pure model you are interested in.
CONTAMINANT / POSSIBLE HEALTH EFFECTS
PESTICIDES
2,4-D - Nervous system, Liver and kidney damage
Carbofuran - Nervous system, kidney, reproductive system, and liver damage; anemia, leukemia
Chlordane - Nervous System and muscle damage; cancer
cis-1,3-Dichloropropylene - Bladder and kidney damage
Endrin - Nervous system, kidney, liver, heart damage; anemia, cancer
Heptachlor - Cancer
Heptachlor Epoxide - Cancer
Lindane - Nervous sytem, liver, kidney damage
Methozychlor - Nervous system, kidney, liver damage; anemia, cancer
Toxaphene - Endocrine Disruptor, cancer
HERBICIDES
Alachlor - Cancer, nervous system damage
Atrazine - Cancer, nervous system and mammary glands damage
Dinoseb - Thyroid, reproducitve organ damage
Pentachlorophenol - Liver and kidney damage; cancer
2,4,5-TP - Nervous system, liver, and kidney damage; cancer
WHAT ARE THE QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD ASK?
1. Ask for the NSF listing for the specific product(s) you are evaluating. Is the product listed under NSF standard #53 for Health Effects or under NSF Standard No. 42 for Aesthetic Effects or both? NSF standards offer a meaningful comparison to help a consumer understand the standards which were developed by NSF International and adopted by many States for drinking water treatment devices.
2. Ask for the product Performance Data Sheet (PDA). Many states require that Performance Data Sheets be provided to all prospective customers of water treatment devices. The data sheet will list which contaminants can be removed.
3. Ask about the service cycle (stated in gallons of water treated) of the device. How often will you need to change the filter and what will replacement filters cost.
4. Ask about the product's flow rate.
5. Ask if the manufacturer or distributor provides a customer satisfaction guarantee or warranty.
6. Ask about the range of contaminants which the unit can reduce under standard #53. (Note: most water purifying devices are certified under Standard No. 53 for turbidity and cyst reduction only. Look for a system that also reduces pesticides, trihalomethanes, lead, mercury, and VOC's. These contaminants are usually the most dangerous and are odorless, tasteless, and colorless.)
Then there is always the question of whether to get a Solid Carbon Block Filter, a Reverse Osmosis, Granular Activated Carbon Filter, a Distiller, or a Ceramic filter. Download the brochure, The Challenge for a comparison of the pros and cons of the different water purification technologies.
I believe the Multi-Pure Drinking Water System can offer superior performance at a better price.
I invite you to consider some of the many features the Multi-Pure system offers:
* The Solid carbon Block filter removes scores of harmful pollutants
* Removes over 99% of microscopic organisms.
* Removes lead.
* Removes a wide range of toxic chemicals plus asbestos fibers.
* Removes 98-100% of chlorine, chloramines, and trihalomethanes.
* Has been extensively tested by both NSF International and UL to confirm product superiority.
* Filters water conveniently at your finger tips. No need to store bottles of water.
* Requires no electricity; runs on household water pressure.
* Easy to install.
* Low initial cost with 0% financing.
* Offers low maintenance costs, average filter lasts 8-12 months.
* Low operating costs: approximately 7 cents per gallon.
* Built to last and comes with a 25 year warranty on the housing and one year warranty on the parts.
Multi-Pure has re-instituted their popular FilterMania Program for obtaining a F.REE Multi-Pure System. Here's how it works:
Prepay for ten Multi-Pure filters for the system you desire. (That's ten years of filters.) Multi-Pure will send the housing and accessories for the system desired plus one filter, along with 9 replacement filter coupons. When you are ready to replace your filter (average filter life is one year) simply send in a coupon along with the shipping/handling fee.
MULTIPURE DRINKING WATER SYSTEMS reduce a wide range of contaminants of health concern plus chlorine, choramine and particulate matter. Below is a summary of the tested contaminants that the Multi-Pure System is certified to remove and thier noted health effects. Please write to marilyn@urbanhomemaker.com for a copy of the Performance Data Sheet for the specific claims for the Multi-Pure model you are interested in.
CONTAMINANT - POSSIBLE HEALTH EFFECTS
PESTICIDES
2,4-D - Nervous system, Liver and kidney damage
Carbofuran - Nervous system, kidney, reproductive system, and liver damage; anemia, leukemia
Chlordane - Nervous System and muscle damage; cancer
cis-1,3-Dichloropropylene - Bladder and kidney damage
Endrin - Nervous system, kidney, liver, heart damage; anemia, cancer
Heptachlor - Cancer
Heptachlor Epoxide - Cancer
Lindane - Nervous sytem, liver, kidney damage
Methozychlor - Nervous system, kidney, liver damage; anemia, cancer
Toxaphene - Endocrine Disruptor, cancer
HERBICIDES
Alachlor - Cancer, nervous system damage
Atrazine - Cancer, nervous system and mammary glands damage
Dinoseb - Thyroid, reproducitve organ damage
Pentachlorophenol - Liver and kidney damage; cancer
2,4,5-TP - Nervous system, liver, and kidney damage; cancer
Chicken Soup for Colds and Flus
An effective traditional home remedy for colds and flus. I make a large pot of this chicken soup when we get sick. Garlic, ginger, and cayenne stimulate the immune system. Use as many of the ingredients as you have.
6 cup chicken stock (homemade bone broth is best)
2 cup diced chicken or turkey pieces, (optional)
5 or more gloves garlic, crushed
1/2 - 1 cup chopped onion
1" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 cup carrot rounds
1 cup celery, chopped
2 cup rice or noodles, cooked
1/3 cup flour
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. cayenne (optional)
1 tsp. thyme (optional)
1 tsp. savory (optional)
1 C. peas
salt and pepper to taste
Saute the onion and celery in 2 Tbsp olive oil until softened, add the garlic and ginger and saute another 1-2 minutes. Add the stock or broth, and the carrots and simmer until the carrots are tender - 15 to 20 minutes or 2- 3 minutes in a Duromatic at full pressure. Add salt and herbs. Mix 1/3 Cup flour with 1 cup cold water thoroughly so there are no lumps. Bring the soup to a boil, slowly add the water flour mixture while stirring constantly to lightly thicken the soup. Add cooked rice or noodles, and peas, adjust seasonings to taste. This soup is the perfect thing for helping to recover from colds and flus.
If you haven't tried my blue ribbon winning Marilyn's Famous Whole Wheat Bread Recipe, here is the link to the recipe.
by Lorrie Flem, Publisher, teachmagazine.com
"Do you know what causes this?" asked the lady who thought she was asking an innovative and witty (Believe me. Neither is true.) question while looking at our 6th sweet baby, Kiley. At times you want to avoid an uncomfortable question, one you would rather not answer for one reason or another. Maybe it's too personal; "Are you going to have any more children?" Perhaps it would require too lengthy a response; "Well, we were going to add on to the house but then Jim fell off the roof and broke his . . ." Or you are afraid the answer may offend the one who asked the question; " Do you believe women should wear pants?" asks the nice lady wearing slacks. A good way to divert a question and possibly avoid answering it entirely is to ask a question of your own.
Recently I was questioned about the wisdom of having such a large family in today's economy. The questioner was concerned that we were probably depriving our children of vital things. Let me ask you a few questions. Not to circumvent the answer to her question, but to answer it.
Am I depriving my children of social interaction? They live in a family with 8 brothers and sisters and a mom and a dad. They have a grandma and grandpa that live across the street and 2 more that spend a few days with them at least once a month. They go to church once a week if not more often and we have a weekly Bible study in our home. We have swimming, piano, and Spanish lessons weekly and participate in a weekly homeschool co-op.
We have found that time spent with a variety of ages, like God designed the family, is healthier for positive, unselfish attitudes than in artificial environments with children of all one age group. So am I socially depriving them by surrounding them with these people and activities? They learn on a daily basis the fun that can be had with people of all ages and the give and take that goes with it. They are learning to understand that their activity desires are not always going to be met. Sometimes what they want is not the best choice for our family. They are learning about real life.
Am I depriving my children of love and attention? I make sure to have some one-on-one time with each of them weekly. John loves to keep me up with current events. Levi and I can wash dishes together. Drew often accompanies Jay and I on errands. Dessaly folds laundry with me. Kiley and I go high and low together and get the dusting done in half the time. Haley likes to walk up to the mailbox with me. Luke loves to sing songs with me. During all of these we have time to talk alone together. I give them individual attention whenever one of them is hurt, disobedient, or tells me that they need it either verbally or non-verbally.
Perhaps the best answer to this question would be to tell you that each time we have had a new baby the other children embrace the newborn with open arms. They argue over the honor of holding him and later playing with him. My little ones look up to their older siblings and the older ones happily help care for their needs, most of the time with no parental prompting. They learn from living in a large family that their needs are not always going to be met as soon as or in the way they want. They are beginning to learn that it is more blessed to give than to receive.
Am I depriving my children of a 'normal' family life by having a large family? Soon after James was born our nearly sixteen-year-old son, John answered this question eloquently, "You know Mom, before James was born I was nervous about our big family. We already stick out so much in public and another baby would even make it worse." I'll remember this poignant moment the rest of my life, then he lovingly gazed down on his fourth brother closely cuddled in his arms against his chest, "I hope we have a whole bunch more." In a large family children learn that life does not revolve around them, their desires, or their preferences exclusively. They learn that mommy and daddy's love for them, and their love for each other is not diluted by having more children, but that it is a given they will always be able to count on. They are learning about real life.
Am I depriving my children by having them eat a banana or an apple for a snack instead of a bag of potato chips? I try to feed them the best fuel for their growing bodies. Which of these is superior? Child obesity is a problem on the increase in the United States. By cutting back on just a single bag of potato chips each week you will save $104.00 a year and make the better choice. Their taste buds do not always call for the best decision. They are learning that what we want is often not the wisest choice. They are learning about real life.
Am I depriving my children by having them drink water with each meal instead of milk, juice, Kool Aid, and soda? Americans don't drink nearly enough water. Besides, who made water? Do you want to argue with Him? By cutting out just one glass of soda per person per day would save $136.87. For a family of our size with 9 drinkers � well of soft drinks � $1231.83 a year would be saved to say nothing about our health. They are learning that the smart financial decision does not always involve large sums of money; a penny saved is a penny earned. They are learning about real life.
Am I depriving my children by not taking them out to eat at fast food restaurants very often? The quality of this food is appallingly low and the caloric content is atrociously high. Not to mention the mixed message I send by trying to teach them to make healthy eating choices by encouraging them to snack on carrot sticks and then feeding them French fries. Besides, I am blessing my children with a healthy marriage relationship. By not grabbing a bite to eat for lunch or a pizza on the way home even once a week at $10, I save $520 a year and Randy appreciates that. They are learning that a woman can be a helpmate to her husband in the decisions she makes. They are also learning that the advertising we are surrounded with is not necessarily showcasing the smartest thing to buy. They are learning about real life.
Am I depriving my children by not buying them every toy they like? Do I let 3-year-old Lukey eat all the chocolate he wants? Not unless I want him to be sick! I don't give my children everything they want. It isn't good for them and as a mother who loves her children, I try to give them what is good for them rather than what they want. Besides, watch them and you will see that they tend to play with a few favorite toys over and over. They are learning that often less is more. They are gaining a valuable life skill, the joy that comes from sharing your blessings. They are learning about real life.
Am I depriving my children by not purchasing each new piece of attire they see and want? Do I buy them the sweater that "everyone else has?" Not if I want them to learn that Godly attire is more often than not, not "like everyone else's." Just like with toys, they tend to wear a few beloved pieces of clothing anyway and they are learning how to carefully pick what to spend money on. They are learning that new clothes are new whether they come from the local thrift store, a friend, or a trendy department store. They are learning about real life.
Am I depriving my children by not buying them each a car or paying for each of them to go to college? Speaking from personal experience here, a car and 4 years of private, liberal arts college education does not ensure they learn to give it the best care and appreciate them. In fact, it probably has the opposite effect. A college degree does not equip you with the most important knowledge, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Cars and college education are probably more effective when they are paid for, at least in part, by the student. They will gain an increased awareness of the value of a dollar. They are learning that you have to work for what you want. They are learning about real life.
Am I depriving my children by choosing to stay home with them? I don't work outside of our home in part to protect them from the detriments that come from having lots of interaction with children of the same age, multiple cans of soda pop, bags of potato chips or Big Mac's a week, expensive (not necessarily the best because expensive is not synonymous with better) toys and clothing, and becoming latch-key children. If I were to go to work so my children can have these things the world would not consider me to be depriving them. If I become so active in church and other outside the home commitments that I am not there to kiss Haley's owies and listen to Drew's jokes, even most of my Christian acquaintances would not consider me to be depriving my children. But I believe I would be.
So am I depriving my children? Am I aware of what causes this? Thank you for asking and yes, I most certainly am.
Visit Lorrie at teachmagazine.com
Early Death Comes from Drinking Distilled Water
(This is an excerpted article by the following author, with web link below.)
by Zoltan P. Rona
During nearly 19 years of clinical practice I have had the opportunity to observe the health effects of drinking different types of water. Most of you would agree that drinking unfiltered tap water could be hazardous to your health because of things like parasites, chlorine, fluoride and dioxins.
Many health fanatics, however, are often surprised to hear me say that drinking distilled water on a regular, daily basis is potentially dangerous....
A growing number of health care practitioners and scientists from around the world have been advocating the theory that aging and disease is the direct result of the accumulation of acid waste products in the body.
There is a great deal of scientific documentation that supports such a theory.
There is a correlation between the consumption of soft water (distilled water is extremely soft) and the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Cells, tissues and organs do not like to be dipped in acid and will do anything to buffer this acidity including the removal of minerals from the skeleton and the manufacture of bicarbonate in the blood....
The longer one drinks distilled water, the more likely the development of mineral deficiencies and an acid state. I have done well over 3000 mineral evaluations using a combination of blood, urine and hair tests in my practice. Almost without exception, people who consume distilled water exclusively, eventually develop multiple mineral deficiencies.
Those who supplement their distilled water intake with trace minerals are not as deficient but still not as adequately nourished in minerals as their non-distilled water drinking counterparts even after several years of mineral supplementation.
The ideal water for the human body should be slightly alkaline and this requires the presence of minerals like calcium and magnesium.....
Water filtered through a solid charcoal filter is slightly alkaline. Ozonation of this charcoal filtered water is ideal for daily drinking. Longevity is associated with the regular consumption of hard water (high in minerals). Disease and early death is more likely to be seen with the long term drinking of distilled water. Avoid it except in special circumstances.
About the Author
Dr. Rona is a leading proponent of natural, harmless, health-building alternatives to conventional medical care. He has a general practice where he has provided preventive medical counselling for seventeen years and is a past president of the Canadian Holistic Medical Association.
Read the entire article here: http://chetday.com/distilledwater.htm
Last month we purchased a Multi-Pure water filter from you and I just wanted to let you know how pleased we are with it.
My husband said it was very easy to install and the water tastes great. Best of all, it has relieved a problem of burning, itching, skin on my legs that I was having with the water from our old filter. ( I had resorted to bottled water, but when I began to need NINE gallon a to get through the week--and a separate shopping cart just to carry the water--we knew it was time to do something!)
We're also pleased with the shower filters and laundry capsules. Thank you for all your help! Roxanne Kirby
In Deuteronomy 28 we find a listing of blessings and cursings; blessings for obedience and cursings for disobedience. God told His people that he would bless the work they did, the food they grew, the security of their homes, their prosperity, their financial health, their international affairs, and their children. In short, it would go well with God's people, but the catch was that they had to be obedient to His commandments and His calling as the people of God.
On the other side of the coin, if they disobeyed, cursings would come upon them. Confusion, poor food quality, famine, drought, breakdown of the family, disease, and more would reign if they disobeyed. Examples of diseases are given: consumption (our modern day degenerative diseases), inflammation, tumors, skin diseases, psychological disorders, and more.
In James 5:14-15 we find that when we are sick the command is to go before the elders so they can pray for us. In the Old Testament the priests were an integral part of the prescription when someone was diseased. Why? Because the Bible addresses disease within the context of sin and rebellion.
It's been estimated that up to 80% of our diseases are spiritual in origin. Medical science has been able to show us, for example that the mechanism in our immune system that fights cancer are enzymes called anti-oncogenes. When these enzymes are compromised, cancer may develop.
But what causes these enzymes to be compromised? In Parkinson's Disease, research suggests a deficiency of dopamine, a neurotransmitter. Again, what causes that deficiency? A growing body of evidence is suggesting that when the bodily systems are not operating the way God intended them to, the cause may be due to the fears, resentments, self-hatred, rejections, bitterness, unforgiveness, and other such manifestations of sin that we harbor, dwell on, ignore, suppress, or otherwise have become part of our internal spiritual condition.
The fruit of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, faith, and self-control) in Galatians 6 then takes on new meaning when it comes to Paul's admonition in I Cor. 11 that "...for this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep."
Want to know more? Check out the book A More Excellent Way by Pastor Henry Wright on our web site.We as a people have deferred the knowledge of many things in our modern day to science and medicine because we have not been taught the relevancy of God's Word to our daily lives. Maybe it's time that we start taking the Bible at it's word.
The Great Proving Ground
Consider, the political process can affect our culture for better or for worse, the real focus of the forces that mold and shape society are taking place in our homes. It is in the sanctity of the home that we are able to teach, influence, discipline, educate, and demonstrate godly attributes to our children. The home and family are the great proving ground of life where relationships are made, values and ethics are formed, and character is built.
To the degree that we tolerate ungodly behavior and influences in our homes is to the degree that we contribute to the further slide of our culture into the godless, nihilistic void that is so indicative of our nation today.
It is a mistaken notion to think that the we need large efforts on a national scale to reverse that slide. We don't. A large movement with a national (or even regional) figurehead, although valuable for disseminating information and guidance, will never change the culture in and of itself. If it could, it would have by now.
Government cannot do it. Institutions cannot do it. All they can do is influence. This is not to denigrate that influence and the good, even noble, efforts of so many people in many good institutions, but rather to put the responsibility for the direction of the culture squarely where it belongs. That responsibility is in the hands of mom and dad, the biggest influence being the father.
An intact home where dad leads and loves his wife and family as Christ loves the church, and where mom respects and is the help meet to her husband in the work God has ordained for his family, is where true national renewal takes place. Is there poverty? Look to the home life. Is there a need for the elderly to be secure? Look to the family. Is there a need for better education? Look to the leadership of the father in the home.
What have become SOME of our favorite books are Reforming Marriage by Doug Wilson and The Fruit of Her Hands by Nancy Wilson. These books will challenge the reader to consider our responsibilities for our families.
10 (+1) Steps To Getting Started With A Lifestyle For Health
1. It is estimated that up to 80% of our medical disorders and diseases have spiritual roots. Diseases such as heart disease, cancer, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, osteoporosis, sleep disorders, and many more illnesses that medical science has an inability to heal have been demonstrated to have underlying roots of fear, bitterness, anger, jealousy and the like. Dealing with these on the spiritual level have brought hope and healing to many.
2. Use freshly milled whole grain flours. Everyone can start healthier living by utilizing nutrient dense whole grains. Blender batters for muffins and pancakes using a quality blender makes whole grain baking feasible for anyone. As you save your funds and let family members know what you want you will soon have enough to invest in a high speed electric grain mill. Investing in a grain mill should be your top long-term priority. After you master quick breads try moving on to Marilyn's Famous Whole Wheat Bread.
3. Drink and cook with pure water . Our bodies are 75% water and need at least eight glasses of pure water daily to cleanse away impurities and toxins. Chemical contamination of our water supply is increasingly being implicated in a wide range of medical disorders. Chief among these is chlorine and trihalomethanes (by-products of chlorine interaction in water). But it doesn't stop there. Over 1000 chemical contaminants have been found in our nation's drinking water supply. Choose a system that removes a wide range of contaminants and is certified to perform according to manufacturer claims. Most bottled water is reprocessed tap water and is even held to less regulation than tap water. In addition, it is much more expensive per gallon than a good filtration system. Pour-through pitchers are a great first step but usually only take care of a portion of chlorine and very few other contaminants of health concern.
4. Eliminate refined sugars from your diet. Cooking with sweeteners such as honey, sucanat, maple syrup, fructose, or stevia surprisingly offer great taste without adversely affecting the blood sugar levels.
5. Incorporate whole grain pasta and brown rice into your menus. Refined flour pasta and white rice adversely affect blood sugar just like refined white sugar. Whole grains used for many meals including breakfast are nutrient-dense with many essential vitamins and minerals and do not have the same effects on blood sugar as do refined flours.
6. Increase your consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits. Most nutrition experts recommend five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day. For some of us, this will take planning and effort. I have found that pressure cooking vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, potatoes, beets, artichokes, sweet potatoes, and cauliflower, saves so much cooking time that I can include these healthy choices even when dinner must be on the table in minutes. In addition, less cooking time with less water means more nutrients are preserved.
7. Eliminate hydrogenated fats from your diet. Did you know that most commercially produced baked goods contain hydrogenated fats? Even the FDA has considered labeling products that include hydrogenated fats as containing dangerous free radicals. The easiest way to eliminate or significantly reduce hydrogenated fats from your diet is to begin baking your own whole grain breads, muffins, quick breads, cookies, and even crackers with quality ingredients.
8. Eliminate preservatives found in fruits, vegetables, cereals, and commercial baked goods. Watch your labels, select organic choices in fruits and vegetables when possible. Grow and preserve as many of your own fruits and veggies as possible. Health and economy-minded cooks "can" or "dehydrate" whatever is in season year round including their own soups!
9. Learn to prepare family meals from basic whole food ingredients to promote health and save money. Your taste buds will gradually adjust to the new healthier ways of eating and you'll never go back to the old ways.
10. Use lots of freshly extracted fruit and vegetable juices for a refreshing, nutritious beverage. Drink two glasses a day for health maintenance and four glasses a day when you are sick or run down.
(+1). Reduce your use of fast food. Instead of getting commercially prepared pizza with it's white flour, hydrogenated oils, etc., what tastes better than home baked pizza for a Friday Night Family Treat? Saves lots of money too.
For recipes, inspiration, baking tips, and information in the Spirit of Titus Two Join our bi-monthly free newsletter subscription.
Phone Seminar hosted by Marilyn Moll, owner of urbanhomemaker.com
February 02, 2006
With Sally Fallon and Dr. Mary Enig, authors of Nourishing Traditions and Eat Fat, Lose Fat
Notes taken by Heather Tully
(Note to audience from Marilyn: We apologize to the many listeners who were unable to get into the discussion last night. The participation exceeded our expectations and the service we use allows for limited space. We will ask Sally to join us again soon. Watch the seminar schedule for more information.)
History Behind this Book: Sally said writing the book Eat Fat Lose Fat was an interesting experience because the publisher contacted she and Dr Enig and asked them to write this book. (Both Mary's and Sally's previous books had been self-published, Mary is the author of Know Your Fats and she co-wrote Nourishing Traditions with Sally Fallon who published the book under her own publishing company.)
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The publisher of Eat Fat Lose Fat was looking specifically for a scientist to be a part of the writing and research. Dr. Mary Enig has been a scientist of renown in the arena of fat and lipid research and noted for her knowledge about coconut oil in particular. So Sally and Mary were the authors of choice for the book the publisher had in mind.
It should be noted that Dr. Mary Enig, one of the first scientists, some twenty-five years, ago to believe that trans fats were harmful. She published a paper questioning the safety of trans fats and concluded her paper by calling for more research about these fats.
Since the story behind why the harmful nature of trans fats was suppressed for many years is complicated, and well covered in the book, we will summarize the main conclusions about fats.
Trans fats: They are artificially made fats through man made processes that change the structure of the fats so the body can not use them effectively. Hence trans fats contribute to illnesses in our bodies and the government, as of January 2006, is requiring trans fat content of commercially baked goods to be labeled. Among other things, trans fats cause inflammation and depress our immune systems. Examples of trans fats include most (if not all!) commercially processed foods and anything that is partially hydrolyzed. Canola oil is now hydrolyzed and contains the lowest number of saturated fats. Marilyn Moll, hostess, suggested that the presence of trans fats and hydrogenated fats in commercial baked goods makes a good argument to avoid most commercial baked good and bake your own!
Saturated fats: Contrary to popular myths promoted widely in books, magazines, and scientific journals over the last 30-40 years, these are the GOOD fats!!! Among other things, these fats decrease inflammation and boost our immune systems. Examples of saturated fats are butter, animal fats, olive oil, and coconut oil. A word of caution here: our bodies need a VARIETY of fats! Do not just use one kind of saturated fat for all our your cooking. This is critically important and was strongly stressed by our guests. More information is at the westonaprice.com website under an article called "The Oiling of America".
Coconut Oil:
This fat's molecules are shorter than other fat molecules, which basically means that our bodies use them immediately for energy and do not store them as fat cells. This oil helps to increase your metabolism and is great in weight loss.
There are many sources of coconut oil on the market. Extra virgin coconut oil will have more of a coconut taste, whereas refined coconut oil is tasteless. This oil can become a solid if it gets too cold, usually below 76 degrees it becomes more solid. Try keeping it on top of your refrigerator to help keep it soft or liquid.
Animal Fat:
Butter and other animal fats are very high in the vitamins A and D critically important micro-nutrients for children and pregnant or lactating women. DO NOT use margarine!
Questions (Most all questions were submitted by email ahead of the seminar, sorry audience, we ran out of time to open up the discussion.)
1. What makes your "coconut" diet different?
The Eat Fat Lose Fat diet stresses nutrient-dense foods that are high in vitamins A and D and other important micro-nutrients needed for good health. Some examples are liver, fish eggs, eggs, cheese and raw whole milk.
Dr. Enig pointed out that most soy products should be avoided unless they are in a fermented form. For more information about the harmfulness of soy products and soy oil consult The Whole Soy Story or the article ISRAELI HEALTH MINISTER ISSUES SOY WARNING
for more information.
The book EAT FAT LOSE FAT is more than a "diet" plan but instead is a way of eating for life. The "diet" is safe for everyone and can be very beneficial for pregnant or nursing mothers. (Remember to try not to loose weight in this stage of life!)
Sally warned that if you have been on a low-fat diet, start by introducing coconut oil slowly and gradually in small amounts so your body can adjust to the change.
2. Please comment on other popular weight loss diets and contrast them with your program. In the book, Eat Fat Lose Fat , the authors evaluate popular weight loss programs. Here is just a summary of their evaluations- be sure to read the book for more information:
Weight Watchers: Leaves a person feeling hungry, because it is very low fat which causes the dieter to drop the diet.
Atkin's Diet: Causes carb cravings and is very low in nutrients.
Zone Diet: Is not based on any science and it is very difficult to stay on this diet due to specific cooking instructions.
South Beach Diet: The authors feel this diet is quite harmful because there are no saturated fats recommended or used, instead, the authors recommend vegetable oils (excessive amounts of polyunsaturated fats) and lots of protein is consumed, which can be very dangerous for your health.
3. What changes can I start to make to my families diet that would be most helpful?
Sally suggested the following changes are both cheaper and healthier for you:
1) Use butter instead of margarine
2) Start using bones in cooking- make soups
3) Make your own salad dressings. Commercial dressings are mostly made from inferior quality oils such as soy oil.
4) Stop using expensive breakfast cereals which are highly processed and devoid of most nutrients and switch over to oatmeal.
4. Could you explain why you recommend raw, whole milk?
Raw milk, is loaded with many nutrients and beneficial microorganisms when it comes from grass-fed cows, and helps our bodies get rid of bad bacteria which are lost when the milk is pasteurized! Pasteurized milk is twice as likely to cause illness than raw milk according to government statistics! Cows, kept in confinement for commercial milk production, are not healthy cows and require significant medical interventions, unlike grass-fed cows producing raw milk. Check out the following website for more information about raw milk: http://www.realmilk.com or the book The Untold Story of Milk
5. Could you explain why you recommend cod liver oil?
While not the best tasting oil, cod liver oil contains vitamins A and D and omega 3 fatty acids, which protect our bodies from heart disease and cancer. You can either take this oil in liquid form (for children, try juicing half of a fresh orange with the oil) or in capsule form. Recommended brands and resources are found in the back of Eat Fat Lose Fat
6. What do I do if my doctor wants me to start taking drugs to lower my cholesterol level?
Be sure to read the book The Cholesterol Myth and the article "The Oiling of America" which can be found at http://www.westonaprice.org.
Contrary to what is popular belief in our society, women are at NO greater risk of heart disease no matter what their cholesterol level! Read Eat Fat Lose Fat for the research behind this claim. In fact, elderly women need need a higher leve of cholesterol to promote long life. Young men need to make changes in DIET when their cholesterol levels reach 350 or higher.
Diet changes, NOT medications associated with harmful side effects, is the best way to lower cholesterol! The book goes into much more detail into why high cholesterol has been unfairly vilified. Dr Enig discussed being at a meeting where the "magic" ideal 200 level for cholesterol was determined, and this decision was based mostly on promoting pharmaceuticals rather than good science. Sally mentioned many harmful side effects associated with statin drugs and the fact the preponderance of unnecessary cholesterol lowering drug consumption could contribute to a "bankrupt" Medicare.
7. How can I find a video presentation of some of your cooking techniques?
At Sally's website: http://www.westonaprice.org, among other things, contains a DVD of Sally's seminars and a schedule of her upcoming seminars. Be sure to also check out membership in the foundation which includes their magazine subscription, with a number of helpful resources.
Disclaimer: The above information is offered for your entertainment and consideration and is not designed to take the place of your medical doctor's advice, but is offered as information to consider. Before making any dietary changes, please consult with your docto
Canning and Preserving with Lisa Vitello
Thank you for joining us Lisa! Tonight we are going to be talking about why preserve food, how to get started with preserving, pros and cons of canning, freezing, dehydrating and fermentation, what basic equipment is needed, and what foods can safely be water bath canned versus pressure canned.
Introduction:
My guest, Lisa Vitello, said she got interested in preserving and old fashioned skills before her first daughter was born and she knew, as a daughter of a working mom, that she wanted to learn how to scale back, save money, grow and preserve food. She started out with growing corn, tomatoes, and zucchini, vegetables usually considered "sure things".
However, Lisa is quick to point out that a garden is never a "sure thing", but if you learn to grow what your family uses, you will most likely have some things to can.
Lisa can be reached at NewHarv@aol.com, homesteadblogger.com/newharvesthomestead, where she is the editor of Putting Food By weekly column or at her website www.newharvesthomestead.com. In addition Lisa publishes a newsletter called New Harvest Homestead, with information available at her website.
Getting Started:
Lisa suggests that canning can be done in a large stock pot with a rack on the bottom, but water bath canners are widely available.
Tray Freezing of berries and other fruits is one of the easiest things to do if you have freezer space. Just freeze the fruit on a tray (after washing) and then transfer to Zipper Topped Freezer bags when the fruit is frozen. This method insures that you can just thaw what is needed not a whole solid package.
Dry Herbs Oven Method - To dry herbs in the oven - turn on the heat for 5 minutes and turn off, place herbs in the oven on cookie sheets and leave the herbs overnight. In the morning they will be dry.
Dry Herbs Microwave Method: Using paper towel, place herbs between paper towels in a microwave and turn the microwave on. Check their "doneness" every 30 seconds until dry. About two minutes depending on the amount and type of herb.
Obtain a good book on Preserving:
Lisa's top book recommendations are: Putting Food By by Janet Green and Stocking Up,by Rodale, and Putting It Up with Honey By Susan Geiskopf, now out of print, but available in used book stores or on line.
Marilyn's top book recommendations are: Stocking Up, and Busy Person's Guide to Preserving Food, and the Ball Blue Book. A book I really like about eating fresh foods in season is called Simply in Season.
Other Essentials for Canning:
Jars, of course, can often be found in thrifts stores and yard sales, of from older women who no longer are canning. Pectin for jams and jellies, Pomano's brand preferred, Ascorbic Acid to prevent browning, a good supply of canning lids, lemon juice (fresh if possible).
Canning and Preserving without Sugar: Pomona's Universal Pectin
is the pectin of choice when wanting to do jams and jellies without sugar. It is a low methoxyl pectin which means it does not require sugar to jell. Whereas a high methoxyl pectin, such as Sure Jell, requires high amounts of sugar for the jell.
Complete instructions for jam making with honey, sugar, fruit juice concentrate, or artificial sweeteners for a wide variety of fruits is included with Pomona's Pectin.
Hot Pack vs. Cold Pack:
Hot pack is when the fruit or vegetable is brought up to a boil with the canning liquid and then placed in jars for processing. Cold Pack is when cold fruit or vege is placed in jar and covered with the canning liquid. Marilyn's experience is that hot pack is essential if you do not want fruits to "float" up in the jars, and enables you to get more fruit into a jar.
Tips: Honey used in canning liquids will darken fruit.
Pickling brines used before canning cucumbers makes for "crisp pickles! Look for recipes that call for brining. Honey can be substituted for sugar in canning liquids, use half as much.
Lisa's Favorite Things to Can:
Includes green beans, apple pie filling, jams, chicken broth, tomatoes, pumpkin, apple butter, more!
Lisa's Favorite Tools:
Villa Ware Food Strainer, which used to be known as the Victoria Strainer (no longer mfg.) removes seeds and pulp and save countless hours and much effort. The Strainer is used for tomatoes, berries, pumpkins, apple sauce, salsa, grapes and more when equipped with the appropriate screens.
Cherry Pitter
Pressure Canner
Listener Tip:
To get lots of jars done in a day, have at least two canners going at a time.
MULTI-PURE™ The Best Consumer Value!
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Drinking filtered water is just plain inexpensive health insurance! Consider these recent stories in the news:
New contaminant 'stars' include perchlorate, PFCs
ORLANDO, FL, March 29, 2007 (Water Tech) - Perchlorate, endocrine disruptors and perfluorochemicals (PFCs) are among the "emerging contaminants" gaining the attention of state and federal drinking water regulators, the Water Quality Association's (WQA) technical director told water treatment professionals at the WQA Aquatech USA convention here this week.
The public and its water suppliers likely will look to the water treatment industry to develop technology to remove these contaminants, whether the treatment occurs at the municipal or point-of-use/point-of-entry level, according to WQA Technical Director Joseph Harrison. The public seeks the "peace of mind" offered by the fine-tuning of municipal waters for these often hard-to-remove contaminants, assurance that the industry can provide, he said.
"We are still looked upon as the industry that's on the cutting edge of water treatment technologies," Harrison told conference attendees listening to WQA's Industry Issues Report.
Harrison said perchlorate, which occurs naturally and as a man-made rocket propellant, has been released to the environment in at least 25 states, and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found it in samples taken from a number of public water systems.
Although the EPA has set a reference dose upper limit of 24.5 parts per billion (ppb) for perchlorate in drinking water, several states are setting their own lower limits. For example, California is about to establish a new state maximum contaminant limit of 6 ppb; Massachusetts has established
Quality of bottled and tap water under scrutiny
DALLAS, March 29, 2007 (Water Tech) - A sports nutritionist who presented a seminar at the American College of Sports Medicine 11th Annual Health & Fitness Summit & Exposition here said that bottled water doesn't always stack up when compared with tap water, according to a March 28 Medical News Today report.
Sports nutritionist Cynthia Sass, R.D., C.S.S.D., said in the report that although bottled water is perceived as a healthier, safer choice over tap water in consumer surveys, that is not necessarily true.
In her presentation, Sass noted that consumers need to gather more information on bottled and tap water to make more informed choices.
Sass, quoting bottled and tap water survey results from independent groups such as the National Resources Defense Council, said that both bottled and tap water may contain contaminants such as bacteria, arsenic, lead or pesticides, according to the report.
EPA cites NC city for high levels of lead in water
DURHAM, NC, March 29, 2007 (Water Tech) - State regulators notified city leaders here on March 27 that an excessive amount of lead in the city's drinking water fails criteria set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), according to a March 29 article in The News & Observer.
Deputy City Manager Ted Voorhees said that the city's water supply does not have a serious lead problem and the that the city is considering action to appeal the citation, according to the newspaper.
The EPA continues to investigate Durham, which, as reported by WaterTech Online™, recently was given a violation notice for withholding from the state drinking water test results that had revealed harmful amounts of lead.
USGS finds trace chemicals in L.A.-area wells
LOS ANGELES, March 30, 2007 (Water Tech) - State scientists said that they found traces of chemicals in almost all of the 35 groundwater wells they tested throughout the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys, according to a March 28 article in the Los Angeles Daily News.
The state survey, part of a 10-year, $50-million study conducted by the US Geological Survey (USGS) and sponsored by the California State Water Resources Control Board, measures contaminants at very low levels - smaller than 1 part per billion, according to the article.
USGS officials presented preliminary findings on the L.A. groundwater basin March 28, the article reported, noting that a USGS research hydrologist said the data is being used to characterize water quality before problems arise.
Scientists who tested water from the groundwater wells found volatile organic compounds in 33 of the 35 wells tested; the most commonly detected solvent was tetrachloroethylene (PCE), according to the article.
'Emerging contaminants' make the news
NEW YORK, April 3, 2007 (Water Tech) - An article published in the April 3 edition of The New York Times, carried on international news sources, details the threat emerging contaminants pose as well as the dilemma it is causing environmental officials.
As WaterTech Online™ recently reported, emerging contaminants, including constituents of personal care products, prescription drugs, pesticides and other substances, are showing up in rivers and other water supplies and some of them, called endocrine disruptors, can adversely affect the body's hormone production.
The Times article reports that US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) researchers have found traces of pharmaceutical and personal care products almost everywhere - including groundwater and surface waters - they have looked for them, and researchers are noting that the volume of emerging contaminants into the environment is increasing.
Researchers are torn on how to address the problem due to its magnitude and potential cost, as well as their view that there are no definitive conclusions yet over how the emerging contaminants are impacting both humans and resources, the article said.
TX city exceeds federal limit for arsenic
SAN BENITO, TX, April 6, 2007 (Water Tech) - The Military Highway Water Supply Corp., which supplies water to about 8,500 customers in Cameron County, recently notified many of its customers that tests indicate arsenic levels in the water exceed the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) limit, according to an April 5 KRGV-TV story.
The EPA maximum contaminant level for arsenic in water is 10 parts per billion (ppb); the water utility's supply tested at 11 ppb, according to the report.
Residents expressed concern because the utility company supplies water to four local schools, and the water is used for irrigating local farms and hydrating local livestock, according to the report.
US drank 9.5 percent more bottled water in '06
ALEXANDRIA, VA, April 10, 2007 (Water Tech) - Bottled water consumption in the US hit 8.25 billion gallons in 2006, 9.5 percent more than the amount consumed in 2005, according to a report released by the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) and the Beverage Marketing Corp. (BMC), a April 9 IBWA press release reported.
Wholesale sales of bottled water were about $11 billion for last year, which is 8.5 percent more than the previous year, according to the press release.
IBWA said 2006 annual per capita consumption of bottled water in the US increased by over 2 gallons, from 25.4 gallons in 2005 to 27.6 gallons last year.
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure's MP880 Series has been certified by NSF International, under Standard 53, to reduce Arsenic V.
Think that finding a good, high-quality dog food is important?
LAS VEGAS, NV, March/April, 2007 (The Vegas Dog) - All of the beneficial ingredients that go into dog food will not help your dog if it is not drinking enough fresh clean water. Water is the body's most important nutrient. Adult dogs' bodies are 60% water, and a puppy's is 84% water. Dogs can lose all of their fat and half of their protein without adversely affecting their health, but a loss of 10 % of their water can cause significant problems. Dog owners should place as much attention on the quality of the water their dog drinks as they do on the ingredients that go into the best dog foods; not all water is the same.
The criteria for clean drinking water for dogs is similar to the criteria for drinking water for people.
Dogs should have access to fresh clean water at all times. This is even more important than giving it the best dog foods on the market. Dogs need three times more water than they do food every day. They need even more water if it is extremely hot, if the dog is lactating or if the dog is exercising more than normal.
Healthy food and water choices for your pet will be the difference between a happy healthy long life or health challenges and an early departure...just like people.
Drinking filtered water is just plain inexpensive health insurance! Consider these recent stories in the news:
There are four main criteria to consider when evaluating a drinking water filter:
1. Who is the system certified by? What is the system certified to remove?
NSF, Intl, is a 3rd party private lab using calibrated standards to evaluate systems and most reliable.
Tested to NSF standards means the system was tested and failed the NSF test and is not certified by NSF. A big difference!
2. What is the initial outlay for the system and what is the annual upkeep?
3. How long has the company been in business?
Frequently companies will change models and you will no longer be able to obtain
replacement filters. For example, Multipure has been in business 37 years and current filters still fit
37 year old systems! Diane is frequently called to see if she can replace filters for systems whose model numbers have changed.
4. Is the warranty being given away or offered? In other words, are you paying a premium for the warranty and does the company stand behind the system.
With Diane Carson, R.N. and Marilyn Moll, moderating
April 5, 2007
An MP3 download of the recorded phone seminar is available if you CLICK HERE.
We talked about how to obtain Healthy Water, harmful contaminants commonly found in tap water, and how to select a drinking water system including what is NSF certification.
Diane said, as an RN she is very concerned about increasingly common occurrences of bladder, colon, rectal cancers occurring at younger and younger ages. Our bodies, are nearly 70% water and 92% of the water is at the cellular level which underscores the importance of drinking pure water in sufficient quantities for the body cells to be cleansed.
"Otherwise", said Diane, "it is liking sitting down in a mud puddle to take a bath and wondering why you aren't clean?"
Although chlorine is critical to making drinking water disinfected and pathogen free, chlorine is increasingly being associated with serious diseases including many forms of yeast infections and digestive disorders. Candida, athlete's foot, impetigo are all signs of yeast.
Contaminants
Increasingly municipalities are getting away from using chlorine to disinfect water because of the side-effects. Instead many utilities are using ammonia and chlorine, or bromines. Ammonia and chlorine combine to cause many neurological disorders and could possibly account for increasing incidences of brain tumors, ADD, Parkinsons MS, and other central nervous system diseases.
Ralph Nader has identified 4,000 contaminants that can be found in water, and only 89 of these are regulated.
Also, increasingly pharmaceuticals are being found in drinking water creating a new compound called Xeno-estrogens - substances that mimic estrogen and testosterone in the body.
All water utilities are required by law to send a water quality report every June or July, annually. The language of these reports always talks about how immune compromised individuals, AIDS and dialysis patients, pregnant, elderly, and infants may be more susceptible to contaminants found in drinking water.
Mineral free water produced by distillation and R/O systems produce water stripped of minerals and creates an acidic state in the body. In most cases these technologies should be avoided unless water is high in sodium or nitrates.
Generally speaking God put minerals in the water, why would man want to take them out?
Selecting a Drinking Water Device
There are four main criteria to consider when evaluating a filter:
1. Who is the system certified by? What is the system certified to remove? NSF, Intl, is a 3rd party private lab using calibrated standards to evaluate systems and most reliable.
Tested to NSF standards means the system was tested and failed the NSF test and is not certified by NSF. A big difference!
2. What is the initial outlay for the system and what is the annual upkeep?
3. How long has the company been in business?
Frequently companies will change models and you will no longer be able to obtain replacement filters. For example, Multipure has been in business 37 years and current filters still fit 37 year old systems! Diane is frequently called to see if she can replace filters for systems whose model numbers have changed.
4. Is the warranty being given away or offered? In other words, are you paying a premium for the warranty and does the company stand behind the system.
A compliation of this seminar and 11 others is available in MP3 format on CD or electronically downloadable formats. For more information on over 12 hours of Continuing Education for Moms CLICK HERE
Many people wrote to me asking me to clarify what the benefit of an R/O (Reverse Osmosis) Drinking Water System is, and how they can know which type of system is best for their family.
Today, I want to clarify the pros and cons of Reverse Osmosis water purification technology.
First of all, it is a HUGE misconception to think any R/O system will remove all known contaminants. R/O technology does not even remove chlorine nor most chemicals in water.
R/O systems are best known for removing minerals and were developed for desalination of seawater aboard Naval vessels. R/O technology will also remove cysts and bacteria.
Most R/O systems are combined with other technologies, that is, they include another filtering medium such as a solid carbon filter to remove the chemicals as well as chlorine, chlorine disinfection by-products, etc.
A two-page brochure called, The Challenge compares all the major drinking water technologies and shows which contaminant groups each is able to remove. This flier also shows you where to get more information about addressing the water purification problems unique to your home.
The cost of maintaining an R/O system is higher because you have to replace sediment filters, solid carbon filters and the R/O membrane on a regular basis to make sure it is working properly.
Most homeowners on city water do not need an R/O system because they usually
do not have bacteria or harmful minerals in their water that only R/O
will address. In general, the only time an R/O system is needed is
when the water is high in harmful minerals such as sodium or nitrates.
R/O systems, because they remove all the minerals from the water, create an acidic water which, as it goes through the body, tends to make the body more acidic. Some health researchers believe this acidic condition may be a precursor to degenerative disease.
Also, as this water goes through the body, it has been demonstrated on laboratory animals to pull minerals from the body.
We could sell hundreds of Multi-Pure R/O systems but we don’t believe in over - selling or selling a product that is more expensive than is necessary or that is not needed.
A solid carbon filter is more than sufficient for most drinking water issues and shows the most hope of addressing emerging contaminants, according to The Water Quality Association.
The Multi-Pure Solid Carbon Drinking Water System is a superior choice at a better price, in my opinion, because it has been certified to remove more contaminants of health concern than any other solid carbon system on the market according to third party, not-for-profit testing done by NSF, Intl. (nsf.org)
There is NO ONE BEST system for all circumstances. As a general rule, solid carbon technology is the best choice if you are on city water, however.
What Are the Questions Your Should Ask When Buying a Drinking Water System?
With every Multi-Pure Drinking Water System Purchase, we are offering a choice of one of a choice of two free gifts.
Option 1:
New! - H20 On the Go Bottles – Receive two of these attractive new insulated 17 oz stainless steel bottles to transport hot or cold liquids. A $39.00 value
OR
Option 2:
Multi-Pure Shower Filter
The Multi-Pure shower filter is an indispensable part of reducing exposure to chlorine in showers.
A $49.95 value.
Promotion ends – May 31, 2008
All Multi-Pure Products SHIP FREE! This special promotion is also good in conjunction with Filtermania. (Pre-pay for 10 filters and you will receive the stainless steel
The Urban Homemaker is a Multi-Pure™ Independent Distributor Distributor ID 103419
| To order a system, Click Here |
Multi-Pure™: The Best Value In Home Water Purification!!!
Here's Why:
For More information on the Multi-Pure Drinking Water System as well as third-party certification data, Click Here
Compare Drinking Water Treatment Technologies Describe the importance of NSF and UL certification The Importance of Pure Water Explain Solid Carbon Block Technology How to select a drinking water system
For other questions and more information on our High Quality Multi-Pure™ Drinking Water System please call us at 800-552-7323 or e-mail at UrbanHome@tds.net for more information.