Hey everyone, thought it was time for us to talk about something critical to our health and out life: water!
On today's podcast, I discuss the top 10 chemicals and unwanted things in our drinking water.
Here is the short list:
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Here are the show notes from today:
Frank: 00:01 Hey everyone, and welcome to unconventional wellness radio. It's a powerful and inspiring podcast set to revolutionize and disrupt healthcare. It's trying to put you in the driver's seat and be the force of change necessary for the lifestyle you've always wanted. Hello and welcome to unconventional one. That's radio. I am your host, Frank Ritz. I am a certified pa, but more so I am a veteran of the United States army and a person who lives an unconventional wildness lifestyle every single day that I possibly can. And I want to share that with you. The purpose of this podcast, if you're listening for the first time, is that I want to go ahead and explore some of the things that are going on inside of our world and choices that we could be making in order to live the lifestyle that we have always wanted. And so the purpose of today's podcast is that we are going to talk about hidden perils that may be inside of your water supply.
Frank: 00:58 You know, we take water for granted except for one it's missing or it's not even there. That's about the only time that we really care about water. Water is thankfully a very good commodity here in the United States. I cannot speak about the type of commodity that it is that it is around the world because there are unfortunately folks who are stricken with water shortages and they don't have access to clean water. There are a lot of really great agencies out there that are trying to deliver water to those people who absolutely needed, but for us folks in the United States, I would offer to you that we are very blessed with the water supply that we actually have. The problem is though is that along with other things, once we started making products and having these other manmade contraptions, we start unfortunately tainting at different things and it's this concept of robbing Peter to pay Paul and so today I wanted to talk about the top 10 different things that we can find in our water that may in fact actually be making you sick and so we're going to start off this list by saying that it is crucial that you consider drinking water from a source.
Frank: 02:10 That is actually well tested. And so what I mean by that is, you know, don't just assume that wherever you're living that you can just go and turn on the tap and that everything is completely fine. Even the environmental protection agency standards for water that is treated may in fact still have some chemicals that are inside of it that over time man fact cause you problems. And so I would urge you to sort of become a very astute, well-educated, researched individual, really looking for those hidden perils that might be inside of your water. Uh, I'm not also advocating that you hurry up and go out and go get your water tested, but if that is something that is, you know, that you're inclined to go do, there are definitely testing kits that are available to, there's actually companies that will come out and test your water as well.
Frank: 03:02 They'll test it for Ph, they'll test it for these different types of chemicals. They'll test what is called the hardness of it to determine is there a lot of things like iron and stuff like that in it as well. And give you options about ways to be able to actually have a better source of water. I myself out here in the country that we live in a country setting that we live in out here in North Carolina. We actually have a pretty robust water purification system, not only because we are drinking from a well, but we are also not hooked up to any type of city water whatsoever. And so obviously with any water that makes its way into the, well there is a purification process to kind of get down there deep inside of the earth crust and be able to, you know, remove a lot of the toxins, if you will.
Frank: 03:50 But the problem is though, is that with that being said, it's still got to run through a pump, still gotta run through piping and make its way into the house. And so we actually have a pretty robust system that uses different things like reverse osmosis and other, uh, ways to remove. Some of the would be harmful things inside of our water supply to include. What is actually really great about this system is that we have a UV light that should eradicate all forms of pathogens that may in fact be present in our water right before we drink in. So it actually goes through, it passes through that right there at the end and uh, and, and to make sure that our water will not make us sick. But I say all that because at the very least thing that we can do is look at the type of material in which we are drinking our water from.
Frank: 04:37 And so we want to take a look at, I want to first talk about plastics. Okay, now we're going to talk about, it's one of our top 10 is plastics in our, in our drinking water. But one thing that you can do immediately, here's a pro tip is drink your water out of glass or drink your water out of a stainless steel container. Actually, as I speak to you about this podcast, I have my stainless steel container right next to me and my mouth is getting a little dry from talking already. So I'm going to drink some if that's okay with you guys, but drank out of a glass or stainless steel and here's why. So plastics are full of different chemicals that allow them to d to be certain things like clear or allow them to be colorless or allow them to, you know, hold up to their shape.
Frank: 05:26 And then there are even different additives that will help them be more smooth and more pliable and stuff like that. And so it is very common that with increased temperatures that those types of materials can leak out or leach out into the water. One of the ones that we know about that we're going to talk about is called Bisphenol a or BPA. But the reason why I say that is because if you have water that has been transported in a, you know, in a, in a refrigerated truck, it will still, it still could have some leaching of that, you know, those materials inside of the water. But those trucks that are, you know, non refrigerated, just transporting cases of water, um, those trucks, if you've ever been in the back of a tractor trailer when it's been 80, 90 degrees out, it feels like you can cook yourself just like a Turkey on Thanksgiving Day.
Frank: 06:18 And so that increased temperature of plastics does in fact cause those materials to leach out into the water. Then you put them under refrigeration, doesn't mean that they're still not there. You consume that plastic bottle of water and all of a sudden you're not consuming that stuff that's in that water. So I urge you, please go get a glass container or a stainless steel container that you can drink your water from instead. But with that being said, let's jump right in to our list of different things that may in fact be present in your water. Okay. The first and foremost is let's start off with some heavy metals that might be present in your water. The first of which could be lead, lead is toxic to your body. Okay. It was originally, uh, found out that a lot of different paints that were being used in new construction back decades ago actually had lead in them.
Frank: 07:09 There was actually a lead in our gasoline at one point back in the sites say 70s and 80s, especially. There was lead in the gasoline. And so, excuse me, I say that because it's still present in our water. It causes our, excuse me, it is corroded in our pipes and so the water may pass through old pipes that were led lined and that water may in fact now pick up that, uh, led from that pipe and bring it out into your tap. Uh, and its causes quite a bit of issues. Okay. It is, um, it is known for causing developmental issues, deafness, learning disabilities, and even brain damage. Uh, it is actually causing, or it can cause premature birth and women that are, um, that are pregnant. Okay. So it actually causes a lot of troubles. It's also been linked to prostate cancer and reproductive problems and it actually causes problems with the cardiovascular system as well.
Frank: 08:09 And so I really want to urge you to consider the piping that might be inside of your house. Um, we moved over to something called Pex Piping. Uh, it is a plastic type of piping, but it's like a very good, hard, durable noncorrosive plastic, uh, with different types of fittings that make it to where it's like, you know, we're probably not exposing ourselves to lead whatsoever. Uh, so let is number one. Number two for heavy metals, his mercury mercury is a naturally occurring element. But the thing is, is that just because it's called natural doesn't necessarily mean that it's safe for the human body. It is one of those really weird elements that if you touch it, it can be absorbed through your skin at a very rapid rate. It can cause things like cognitive disability and nerve damage, headaches, memory loss, skin rashes. The list goes on and on.
Frank: 08:59 It's a byproduct of mining. And it was actually used originally in, uh, not just manufacturing processes, but it was originally he was in thermometers as well. So like those thermometers could break cause they were made out of glass and then that mercury can get inside of the home. And thank goodness we have moved to a lot of digital thermometers. Mercury is also present and still a lot of the fillings that people have in their mouth. It's a, it's, it's made an amalgam fillings. And now not to say that your dentist is using a mill amalgam fillings that has mercury in them, but it requires a conversation to simply ask. And there are some holistic dentists, dentists out there that can actually help with the successful and safe removal of those mercury fillings out of your mouth. So watch out for mercury. It's extremely toxic and it could be present inside of our water supply as well.
Frank: 09:51 The last one that I wanted to talk about heavy metal wise is arsenic. Arsenic is point is poisonous to the human body, but it's used a lot in industrial manufacturing. Uh, the problem with the contamination is that it makes its way into our water supplies because of improper disposal. Okay. It can cause things like vomiting and diarrhea, death longterm exposure have been linked to cancers like bladder cancer, lung cancer, skin cancer, all right. And it, and it can cause really significant gangrenous issues with like say feet or hands if it's exposed to, um, you know, for a long period of time. And so our Synack is one of those ones that we really need to watch out for us. So those are three heavy metals then maybe present, then let's move on to some of the chemicals that are used to treat our water. Okay.
Frank: 10:38 Uh, one of the biggest ones is chlorine or simply bleach. Uh, it is extremely great at disinfecting. It's wonderful for cleaning things as well. But of course, with that being said, it's one of those things it's found inside of our swimming pools. It sanitizes the sewage and stuff like that. It is able to help purify the water. But the problem is is that it never necessarily goes completely away in order to be able to purify that water. It is a polar substance, meaning that it actually will in fact bond with water and it can actually cause inside of the gut of the body. It can actually turn it into hydrochloric acid. And so, um, it is one of those players that, you know, it does its job, it disinfects and it can disinfect your body as well. And so you want to watch off for the amount of chlorine that you might actually have in your water.
Frank: 11:31 Uh, that would be number four in our list. Number five is going to be fluoride. Fluoride is known as a neurotoxin. It's known as an endocrine disruptor. It still used though as a protected on our teeth in a lot of dentists. I'm still widely recommended because it can help reduce tooth decay. Uh, the thing is though is that there is, um, access fluorine fluoride in our water supplies. And so some of the countries have actually banned it, uh, where you're not allowed to fluoridate the water. Okay. A lot of cities have caught on it here in the U S and they've actually also started to reject fluoridating the water. Do your research. We as a family do not want fluoride in our water and we prefer that the dentist is not put flora on our teeth. That is our personal, uh, belief. Uh, we understand that there is, um, you know, the use of it in order to help prevent tooth decay.
Frank: 12:28 But once again, folks, the way that we like to see it as we like to do things naturally, so brushing your teeth, flossing appropriately according to the American dental association is the number one thing that we can do to help prevent tooth decay. The other thing is, is like, you know, nutrition and exercise and eating the right foods a along with supplements if necessary. These all in fact helps. So we avoid fluoride. But that could be another thing that is found in your water. Let's move on to some of the chemicals that are sort of like not, you know, sort of more well known or common. Okay. One of the ones that we're thinking about is a PCB, which stands for a polychlorinated by fennel. Okay? These are used in things like oils and paints and and machinery and fluorescent lights, even in some electronics.
Frank: 13:14 Okay? They were band back in the late seventies but the problem is that there's still inside of the landfills and they can break down inside of those landfills leach out and get into the environment. And of course, because of the wonderful ability of water, it can be transported hundreds to thousands of miles away from a landfill and still in fact be tested for and found to be in that water supply. It causes problems like cancer. It can bother the reproductive system, the nervous system. It's an endocrine disruptor as well, so watch out for PCBs than may be present inside of your water. Also, number six is per chlorate. Now, I knew about perchlorate when I heard about rockets going off or explosives, right? Because when I served in the military, there was a lot of perchlorate exposure that could actually happen. Well, military sites fire off rockets and test different weapons systems and stuff like that.
Frank: 14:14 And so those perchlorates can get into our water supply. Okay. The problem is is that it are so pervasive and they've been around for so long that if you get, if you were to say get tested for perchlorates, there's a pretty good chance that you actually might in fact turn out to be positive for perchlorates in your body. But not to sweat it. It's a president our supply, we just need to try to eradicate where we can. So testing is probably the best way to see if there's perchlorate in your water. Okay. Moving on now to dioxins, dioxins are one of those things that if there is something that is going on like a combustion type of process, um, you know, like waste removal or cigarettes or even a forest fire, it can actually cause there to be dioxins released out into the environment, those dioxins, then we'll settle and move into different water sources.
Frank: 15:05 Okay. Um, you know, short term exposure can cause problems with respiratory symptoms, but longterm exposures, uh, it can actually cause, you know, uh, cancers, I mean, they international agency for research on cancer is actually called them carcinogenic matter of fact. And so, um, it can wreak havoc. It's an endocrine disruptor. It can wreak havoc with a reproductive systems as well. So, um, another thing just to consider, um, you know, reverse osmosis water purification if you will get that out of your system. Okay. One of the last chemicals, this is I believe number eight or number nine, if I'm not mistaken, or um, you know, keeping track is going to be a HCB. HCB is hexachlorobenzene it's a pesticide. It's been eradicated, you know, um, now you're not allowed to use it whatsoever, but you know, uh, this was mainly eradicated in 19, mid 1900. 1960s is when it was radicating.
Frank: 16:03 Right. It's still formed as a byproduct. A large dose is actually toxic to the human body. It can cause death and it's a, it's the environmental protection agency as a caused it or has called HCB a probable cancer source. Okay. It sticks around for years, it can actually hang out in, um, grasses and pastures and things like that. Um, and it could still be, you know, present in different animals and things like that. So, um, just watch out for HCP as well then. Then last but certainly not least is Ddt die. Chloro die. Fennel try chloro ethane are a, uh, a really very important insecticide in the 1940s to beat back like, you know, mosquito issues, mosquito issues like malaria and typhus, right? It was using an agricultural insecticide, but then it was banned in the early 1970s because of the environment. It causes reproductive problems, liver damage.
Frank: 17:01 And then the international agency on research and cancer is actually caused it call called DDT cancer risk as well. So, um, just to wrap up and we'll leave where we started. Watch off for the lead, mercury, arsenic, fluoride or chlorine, a also PCBs and per chlorine, dioxins and DDT inside of your water. Uh, these are some of the toxins that actually could be hanging out. And so like I said, ignorance is not bliss. If you wish to go out and go get a testing taking care of, then please consider. So because we want to make sure that if you are eating right, getting on, getting exercise, removing those toxins, we got to do it from our water as well. And so without further ado, that is the end of this podcast. I hope that you have enjoyed listening to it. Um, be scared. Okay. Um, get out there, figure out where you can find good, clean water sources and uh, and be able to drink to your health.
Frank: 17:59 Okay. So if, uh, if you can, we love receiving, um, you know, comments. Uh, we love hearing those from you. Next week. I am bringing on if you are interested in listening to what acupuncture is all about. It is something that I myself did for a short period of time, multiple times throughout the course of at least the last five years, um, gotten the benefits of acupuncture for stress and anxiety and chronic pain in my back and my knees. And so we're going to ring, ring in a gentleman by the name of Jim Rohr onto our next podcast. He's an acupuncturist the practices out of the state of New York. And, uh, I'm very excited to have my conversation with him. And so please stay tuned for that. In the meantime, leave us a rating, leave us a review, uh, send this podcast to somebody who, you know, it could help and by all means, subscribe.
Frank: 18:55 So you can always receive this content as soon as I release it. And so we're working diligently on the entire program. I'm on conventional wellness. I am actually recording more stuff even today and I want to make sure that you guys are able to get all the information that you deserve so you can make sure that the choices that you make for all of the things that you want to do in your lifestyle or the best ones that you possibly can. So without anything else, I am frank, this is unconventional on this and I hope that I will hear and see and be able to reach out to you in the very near future, both with podcasts as well as the program of unconventional wellness here in the very near future. Take care. Everybody. Have a great day.
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