Tag: filtered water

Drink Filtered Water for Active Wellness and Reduce Bottled Water Use for Earth Wellness

Published on by Nikken

For the first time in history, human use and pollution of freshwater have reached a level where water scarcity will potentially limit food production, ecosystem function, and urban supply in the decades to come. The primary reason for this shortage is population growth, which has increased at a faster rate than food production for some years and will add up to three billion or more people by the middle of the 21st century, mostly in poor and water‐short countries. Water quality degradation has also contributed significantly to a number of problems of global concern, including human drinking water supply and species survival.1

Here are some daunting facts2:

  • Today one in three people or 2.2 billion people around the world lack safe drinking water. (WHO/UNICEF 2019)
  • Over half of the global population or 4.2 billion people lack safe sanitation. (WHO/UNICEF 2019)
  • Approximately 50 liters of water per person per day are needed to ensure that most basic needs are met while keeping public health risks at a low level. (WHO, 2017)
  • 207 million people spent over 30 minutes per round trip to collect water from an improved source. (WHO/UNICEF 2019)
  • Hygiene promotion is the most cost effective health intervention. (World Bank 2016)
  • Two out of five people or three billion people around the world lack basic handwashing facilties at home. (WHO/UNICEF 2019)
  • In urban areas, for every $1 invested in basic drinking water, an average of more than $3 is returned in saved medical costs and increased productivity. For every $1 invested in basic sanitation, the return is $2.5. In rural areas, the return on investment is even higher: with every $1 invested in basic drinking water, an average of nearly $7 is returned in saved medical costs and increased productivity. And in the case of basic sanitation in rural areas, every $1 returns on average more than $5 in saved medical costs and increased productivity. (Hutton et al. 2015)

Clean water is not something we can take for granted. And for those of us who have easy access to drinkable water, now more than ever it’s our responsibility to help decrease our plastic waste and carry water bottles everywhere instead of drinking single-use bottled water. With an eco-friendly PiMag® Sport Bottle, you not only get clean pi water, you help decrease plastic waste and your personal carbon footprint!

This March, Nikken Registered Customers get a US $50 cash discount on any PiMag® Water Pack purchase as Nikken participates in World Water Awareness.

 

1 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0065211307950014

2 https://www.unwater.org/water-facts/water-sanitation-and-hygiene/

 

The Horror of the World’s Plastic Footprint

Published on by Nikken

The discerning mind understands the importance of drinking filtered water and commits to using a good filtration system. Unfortunately, the success of the bottled water industry continues to grow, even with the knowledge that plastic bottles are a huge potential health hazard. As reported in the Japan Times earlier this month, the world’s leading brands of bottled water have been contaminated with tiny plastic particles that are likely seeping in during the packaging process.1

There’s also the matter of conscience. Every one of us can choose to contribute to the preservation of our environment or expedite its demise. As recently as earlier this month, the Ocean Cleanup Foundation—with researchers at institutions in New Zealand, the United States, Britain, France, Germany and Denmark—published in the journal Scientific Reports, that 79,000 tons of plastic debris, in the form of 1.8 trillion pieces, now occupy an area three times the size of France in the Pacific Ocean between California and Hawaii.2 It’s known as the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch.”

According to the Ocean Cleanup Foundation researchers, the plastic is coming largely from Pacific countries, but they also believe that some of the debris comes from elsewhere, moved by ocean currents. Based on prior examinations dating back to the 1970s, the study finds that the plastic in the patch is growing, as more flows in than out. 2

Plastic pollution is so far-reaching that even the pristine Arctic has been infiltrated. A study published in 2017 in the journal Science Advances, estimates that 300 billion pieces of tiny plastic are suspended in Arctic waters, with even more on the seafloor. 3 Because the population in the Arctic is so small, it is unlikely that it directly contributed to so much waste. Instead, researchers believe the aged and weathered state of the plastic waste suggests that it has been traveling the seas for decades, breaking down along the way. The study was led by Andrés Cózar of the University of Cádiz in Spain, together with researchers from universities in Denmark, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Environmental engineer Jenna Jambeck at the University of Georgia conducted a study on plastic waste processes in 2015 and found that humans were filling the oceans with an estimated eight million tons of plastic annually. Projections are that this will increase 22 percent by 2025.4 In addition, the study found that much of the plastic was sinking and damaging the lower depths of the ocean as well as the seafloor. As the plastic footprint enlarges, the future of our planet diminishes.

For Active Wellness and for the planet, quit the bottled water habit. Share the benefits of the PiMag® Waterfall, indisputably an amazing deal for PiMag® water technology.

1 https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/03/16/business/top-bottled-water-brands-contaminated-plastic-particles-report/#.Wr0YvrT83zI

2 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-22939-w

3 http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/4/e1600582.full

4 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/02/12/humans-are-putting-8-million-metric-tons-of-plastic-in-the-oceans-annually/

 

What’s in Your Water?

Published on by Nikken

There are three different types of drinking water: tap water, filtered water and bottled water. In many countries, tap water is not potable, so it has to be boiled first. Even in North America, not all tap water is potable—for example, the Flint, Michigan water crisis1 and the First Nations indigenous water crisis in Canada2 are still not fully resolved.

Water is supposedly tasteless, but everyone knows tap water can taste nasty. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) conducted a study in 2003 that showed public water supplies in 19 of America’s largest cities delivered drinking water that contained contaminant levels exceeding EPA limits, including rocket fuel, arsenic, lead, fecal waste and chemical byproducts.3

According to the NRDC, approximately 25% of bottled water is nothing more than tap water. The best way to find out is to read the label and see whether it tells you how the water is filtered. If it doesn’t say, chances are it’s straight from the tap.

The other problem with bottled water is the bottle itself. Many plastic bottles are created with a chemical called bisphenol A, otherwise known as BPA. It’s linked to numerous health issues, including infertility, obesity, diabetes, insomnia, arthritis, heart disease and more.4 And, the plastic bottles add to the trash that goes into landfills and the oceans, adding to environmental degradation.

Filtered water is clearly the best option for drinking. According to the Food and Water Watch Organization, even expensive water filters are more cost effective than bottled water, especially when evaluating costs over a 5, 10 and 20-year period.5

Water filters offer the last line of defense between the body and the more than 2,100 known toxins that may be present in drinking water.6 Experts recommend looking for a water filter that satisfies the standards of NSF International, a nonprofit organization that conducts safety testing for food and water industries. Look specifically for what type of contaminants the water filter will remove.

The PiMag Waterfall® complies with NSF standards as follows:

  • NSF Standard 42—Reduction of chlorine, chloramine, taste and odor*
  • NSF Standard 53—Reduction of mercury, volatile organic chemicals (VOCs)*
  • NSF Standard 372—Lead compliance

*Reverse Osmosis systems do not remove VOCs, chlorine or chloramine.8

The PiMag Waterfall® is an advanced filtration system that produces water with added minerals (unlike expensive Reverse Osmosis systems that leach out beneficial minerals) in a pH range of 8.5-9.5. Regular tap water typically has a pH range of 6.5-8.5, with 7 considered “basic” and below 7 as acidic.7

Because the PiMag Waterfall works without electricity or plumbing, it can be used in any location. As with all PiMag products, the Waterfall is made with recyclable and biodegradable materials, including a polymer that does not leach chemicals into water.

 

1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flint_water_crisis

2 https://news.vice.com/en_ca/article/3kpjby/canadas-indigenous-water-crisis

3 https://www.greenamerica.org/green-living/facts-about-water-filters

4 https://draxe.com/bpa-toxic-effects/

5 https://www.waterbenefitshealth.com/filtered-drinking-water.html

6 http://www.allaboutwater.org/water-filters.html

7 www.water-research.net/ph.htm

8 https://www.waterbenefitshealth.com/filtered-drinking-water.html

Jumpstart Your Nikken Business with Clean Water

Published on by Nikken

Health risks associated with water contaminants are real.  Some of the signs of water quality issues are perceptible—and some are not. Since 1972 when the Natural Resources Defense Council advocated for the Clean Water Act, public awareness has grown regarding the fact that even in first world nations, the tap water we use in our homes for drinking, cooking and bathing may well be contaminated with bacteria and viruses, chlorine and chloramine, nitrates and nitrites, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals and chemicals from personal care products as well as endocrine disrupting chemicals.1

A common fallacy is that bottled water eliminates contaminants. Numerous reputable studies have revealed that up to 40 percent of all bottled water is re-processed tap water. Another good portion of bottled waters are purified by reverse osmosis or distillation, resulting in demineralized water, which is considered unhealthy for long-term use.2 No matter what the bottled water label says, you never really know what you’re getting.

The more reliable and ultimately, more economical solution, is to invest in some type of water filtration system. Not only does filtered water help with digestion and detoxification of the body, but it also keeps the nervous system up and running.3 Filtered water is also quite important for young children, especially babies that don’t have the mature immune system that most adults do.

The PiMag® Water Set composed of one PiMag® Waterfall and one PiMag® Sport Bottle is an ideal way to get started with Nikken Active Wellness. You get a multiple filtration system that does not require electricity or plumbing for any room of your home, plus a portable filtered bottle that can be taken to the gym, on hikes, by poolside and to keep in the car. With the PiMag® Water Set, you have both a stationary and a portable solution for clean drinking water. In addition, neither filter leaches out beneficial minerals and the Waterfall actually adds minerals within a beneficial alkaline pH range.

 

1          http://www.waterbenefitshealth.com/water-contaminants.html

2          http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/nutrientschap12.pdf?ua=1

3          http://www.waterfiltering.com/health/benefits-filtered-water.html

 

How Much Did You Gain Over Thanksgiving?

Published on by Nikken

Okay, be honest. How much weight did you gain this past week? Popular belief finds that the average American gains around five to 10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. This starts off with approximately a little over a pound gained over Thanksgiving week. If it doesn’t sound like much to you, you’re probably one of those fortunate people with a fast metabolism that kicks into high gear once you get back on your regular eating regimen.

Unfortunately, many people—especially those who are middle-aged and older—gain a few pounds over the holidays every year and never take the weight off. Not to be an alarmist but multiply two by 10 and that’s 20 pounds in a decade! There’s no better time than right now to jump into Active Wellness!

Here are half a dozen tips for fighting the battle of the holiday bulge:

  • Drink water—lots of it. Water not only helps you feel full but it also helps your digestive system work more efficiently. A bonus of drinking more water than you might be accustomed to is an improvement in your skin, especially if you drink filtered water!
  • Don’t deprive yourself and abruptly cut out everything you think of as fattening. Instead, cut out a third of everything. Portion control is key. Too often, we think of what to eat rather than how much to eat.
  • Increase your consumption of green, leafy vegetables. They’re bulky and therefore filling, and they contain very few calories. In addition, you reap the benefits of their inherent vitamins and minerals, which are sources of natural energy.
  • Decrease your consumption of “white” foods, such as bread, rice, pasta and potato. Replace with organic whole grains.
  • Ditch anything that’s “ready-made” for the microwave. Chances are it contains too much sodium and some kind of preservative. Our bodies absolutely despise preservatives.
  • If you’re generally sedentary, take a brisk 15 to 30 minute walk every day. If you’re already on a good exercise regimen, increase whatever you do by two to five minutes. The trick is to be consistent.