Put the H (healthy) in Your H₂O
““Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.””
Water is Life.
March 22 is World Water Day.
World Water Day was first proposed in 1992 at the United Nations Conference for Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. It went into effect the following year and the first World Water Day was March 22nd, 1993
Each year a different theme is highlighted to bring awareness to water issues in several different areas. The day is used to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
The theme for World Water Day 2018 was “Nature for Water”, exploring nature-based solutions to the water challenges we face in the 21st century. In 2019, the theme was “Leaving no one behind” to emphasize that as a society, we cannot leave anyone behind as sustainable development progresses. The 2020 theme for World Water Day was “Nature and Climate Change”, which focused on the link between water and climate. This year’s theme is to answer the question, “What water means to you?”.
On this day we are all asked to “Take action, wherever you are and whatever you do on March 22, make it about water and what that means to you” For my part, and as a physiologist, water is life.
We are 65 to 70% water. It is essential for our existence and is vital to all physiological systems in our body. We need to maintain balance in our bodies, what we call homeostasis. To maintain a healthy body, we need to stay well hydrated with pure, healthy water the way nature intended.
We also need to Nurture the Nature of our planet to keep it in a state of balance and health or in other words, environmental homeostasis. Water is the most prevalent compound on earth and safeguarding this vital resource and awareness to act is the paramount goal of World Water Day. We must be diligent and make this part of our day-to-day activities and actions to help safeguard and improve our global water resources.
Here are few examples of simple actions that we can do to help with nurturing the earth’s water resources.
1. Take shorter showers.
The average American showers about 6 times a week for an average time of 8.2 minutes, using 17.2 gallons of water. Over the span of a year, this uses 5,336 gallons of water. Multiply this number to account for the other 328 million Americans and you’ll find the nation uses about 1.8 trillion gallons of water a year showering. This can be significantly reduced by shortening showers to 5 minutes.
2. Meat-free Mondays.
National Geographic calculates the average hamburger takes about 630 gallons of water to produce. Both animals and their feed sources require water, which means the meat has an especially large water consumption footprint, with beef being the highest. By comparison, plants use far less water which is why many environmentalists encourage people to go meatless at least once a week. In fact, Meat-Free Mondays have even become a popular trend among celebrities, chefs, and health advocates as well. Each meatless meal saves nearly 133 gallons of water, so do your part by going meatless at least once a week.
3. Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth and washing dishes.
On average, about two gallons of water flow from a faucet each minute—meaning you can save about three to four gallons of water per day by simply turning off the water while brushing your teeth. In addition, turn off the tap while doing other daily tasks such as shaving and washing dishes. These simple alterations add up, saving thousands of gallons of water each year by simply turning off the tap when you are not directly using it.
4. Filter your water.
Filtering water in your home is one of the best things you can do to help address the water crisis. Not only do you get to enjoy clean, healthy water—but filtering your water at home prevents the need for practices such as “flushing”—in which people run cold tap water for several minutes before drinking it. This process has not only been found to be ineffective, but it also wastes a significant amount of water. Instead, reduce contaminants using a dedicated water filter.
Many people choose bottled water or water delivery services because they do not trust their tap water or they object to the taste or smell of tap water. A filter provides a great way to eliminate those issues at home without the need to buy bottled water. You can eliminate bottled water and enjoy healthy, great-tasting water at home for a fraction of the cost while also making an environmentally conscientious choice.
5. Use your own water bottle.
Did you know that it takes at least twice as much water to produce a plastic water bottle as the amount of water contained in that bottle? Additionally, single-use, plastic water bottles take up to 1000 years to biodegrade and approximately 80% of these water bottles will end up in our landfills and oceans. The manufacture and distribution of single plastic water bottles are also a significant source of carbon emissions. Any way you look at it, bottling water is a tremendous waste as far as resources and a major contributor to the pollution of our planet and wasteful of our most essential nutrient, Water.
Rather than relying on single-use plastic bottles which wastewater in production and have huge environmental impacts, use a reusable water bottle to do your part and help the planet. Filter your water at home and use your favorite bottle of choice or use a water bottle with a built-in filter to reduce contaminants and provide pure, healthy water on the go.
The solution to our global water issues and the plastic pollution of our planet is very complex and people often wonder what they can do as individuals to make a positive impact. One thing we all can do is not to contribute to landfills by filtering tap water rather than purchasing bottled water. In recent blogs, we have talked about the pollution problem with bottled water and about how to choose a water filtration system.
Filtering our tap water is convenient, cost-effective, and the best way to provide ourselves and our families with healthy water. Our personal choice for water filtration is the Nikken Waterfall. Imagine if we could create fresh spring water in our own home or office? This is the strategy behind the Nikken Waterfall. The Nikken Waterfall System is an advanced, technically sophisticated, well-designed countertop home filtration system that converts tap water into fresh spring-like water. It’s as if Mother Nature poured you a glass of water.
For water on the go, the Nikken PiMag Sport Bottle is an excellent choice. Fill from any water fountain or tap and enjoy fresh spring-like water anywhere municipally treated water is available. The PiMag Sport Bottle uses patented nan-filtration and is made from bio-degradable materials. One PiMag Sport Bottle can replace 1400 single-use plastic water bottles per year that pollute our planet and consume our natural resources.
The Solution that is a Healthy Choice for our Bodies and our Planet.
Nikken considered fundamental aspects for its water systems including the application of the types of plastics used for water filtration and storage to provide clean healthy water free of pollutants found in bottled water and many other types of water filtration units. Equally important to our mission and philosophy is to reduce pollution by contributing to the reduction of the consumption of plastic bottles in the world. For more information read Environmentally Responsible Water Filtration.
For more information on the Nikken Wellness Home solutions for healthy water and a healthy planet, please join us for our next Healthy by Choice Masterclass on Tuesday evening, March 16th at 6 pm Pacific.
Be Healthy by Choice