THE MYSTERY OF WATER;

The subject of water is not without controversy; you may not detect the difference via your physical senses, but not all water is the same.  The problem is that science, as advanced as it may be, seems to miss some pertinent aspects when attempting to unravel the mystery of something as simple as water.  In other words; they ‘miss the forest for the trees.’  I quote Tesla; “The day science begins to investigate non-physical phenomena, it’ll make more progress in one decade than all of its centuries of existence.”  I once relied on scientific equipment to discern what was going on with water, only to find out that the results of my experiment were incorrect… or better said; ‘out of bounds.’  Come along and i’ll share with you what i learned about this so important wet stuff.

According to my training; water is categorized as either; soft or hard, depending on the amount of… and of what minerals it might be containing/carrying.  Science is able to measure this difference.  Numbers are used to determine the degree of hardness; lower numbers indicate softer water (less minerals) and higher numbers indicate harder water (more minerals).  The difference between soft and hard water can be physically seen and felt, as well.  The most obvious sign of hard water is the condition of one’s plumbing fixtures.  Calcium and iron are particularly visible in a toilet reservoir and mineral build up around the faucets.  Calcium is evident by a creamy coloured accumulation around the faucets and taps similar to cement… and iron will manifest as a reddish stain and/or accumulation, depending on its concentration.  Furthermore, the difference can be felt when showering in particular; with soft water your skin will feel slippery when soap is applied, whereas with hard water you will not.  Nevertheless; soft water has a much more cleansing and rinsing potential than hard water regardless of what you feel.

The next characteristic of water that is of importance… and can be easily tested is its PH; we’ll be discussing PH in more detail as we go.  Suffice it to say that PH correlates with the mineral content of the water; both the concentration of minerals as well as the types of minerals it contains.  For example; rain water, because it harbours little to no minerals, will register more acidic on a PH scale, whereas heavily mineral concentrated water will register more alkaline.  Other baggage that water might be carrying is a tad more complicated to test, such as; industrial waste, antibiotics, hormones and radioactivity to mention but a few.  You’d need a lab to to detect these.

Where water escapes radar of so called; science, is the water’s characteristics.  Allow me to explain; however, i must first introduce you to some jargon/terminology revolving around this aspect.  Pay attention to the following terms;  Ionized water, structured water and energized water, to mention but a few.  This characteristic of water is measured according to scale known as; oxidation reduction potential (ORP); a negative ORP is the desirable reading. Let’s explore.

Bear in mind that there is no new water on the earth; it has all passed through somebody’s body… worst; through somebody’s toilet bowl, at one point in time… hmm… am i popular yet?  The water that comes out of your tap is the very same water that fell from the sky at one point in time.  Nature’s cycle is as such; water falls from the sky, flows downhill, pools and then evaporates again; we merely interrupt it at various stages of its cycle.  Although water will always remain wet, its characteristics will differ depending on where its at in that cycle.  Freshly fallen water (rain, snow) is considered to be soft water with an acidic PH simply because it is void of minerals.  However; as it travels downhill and eventually pools at some point in time it becomes mineral laden; this is when its reading changes from soft water to hard water of varying degrees, depending on its mineral baggage.

MY EUREKA MOMEMT:

I once operated my own water business; it involved the distribution of filtered, bottled water and the sales/service of water conditioning appliances, for the most part.  It began with testing people’s water; i’d then offer my advice and services as how to practically improve its quality.  It wasn’t rocket science for the most part; it was already well mapped out protocol as to how to remedy various water conditions; howbeit, one day, i was challenged.  I came across a rather unique device of which the owner claimed could re-program his water.  Huh… say what… it sounded hokie to me but i’m no stranger to hokie-dokies and so i pursued his claim.  The gizmo was called; Grander Living Water.  It was about the size of miniature football and was attached to his incoming water line.  It had no filters, magnets or electrical connections.  Okay… so let’s see how this thing measured up to my miniature, mobile, testing lab.  I first tasted the water and could detect an obvious iron taste; iron is a real nuisance to remedy and so i gave it a, ‘D’ and went on to the next test.  The next test was for minerals/ hardness, PH and nitrates.  Along with a higher than normal iron reading his water was high levels of calcium and magnesium, as well.  These minerals are notorious for making water register high on the hard/soft water scale.  Furthermore; they can raise hell in your plumbing as well.  Overall, i was not impressed with his hokie device, and so we parted company on a mutual agreement to disagree; something i’ve learned to do in my life’s journey.  I reckoned his water treatment device to be just another; ‘trinket;’ there’s certainly enough of them on the market.

Bear in mind that all of my training in water conditioning up until that point revolved around conditioning water to be both safe for drinking and soft for effective household use.  However; upon leaving, i noticed that his garden was seriously out of control… in a good way; it was a jungle compared to his surrounding neighbour’s gardens.  However, i eventually dismissed the observation as mere coincidence… a disease scientists can get.  One year later, i just happened to be in the area and decided to visit the old fella and snoop out his hokie gizmo again; of course, with the same testing equipment.  Hmm… isn’t the definition of insanity that of performing the same action over and over again and expecting different results?  I dunno; however, this was only my second time around and so there was still hope for the likes of me, i guess.  Nevertheless; nothing changed; the same numbers came up as did a year prior… but dang… his garden was still outrageously, plush compared to that of his neighbour’s again.  “Okay… so what’s going on here,” i thought?  I decided to break the golden rule of ‘science’ and investigate outside the normal protocol for some answers.  The fella happened to have an extra water gizmo, which he agreed to sell me; it was a pricey gadget for its size but then good things often come in small packages.

Meanwhile; i did some online research; several commercial industries were apparently using the same Grander device back in Austria presenting some pretty amazing results.  To name but a few; the appliance managed to successfully restore a dead lake to the degree that the salmon returned to spawn there again after a several year span of abandonment.  It had also put an end to the expensive and tedious maintenance process of a chocolate factory of having to scrape clean the excess minerals that had been accumulating in the smokestacks.  A film processing company also reported a drastic reduction in mineral stained equipment, commonly associated with hard water, after installing the Grander Water Unit.  Their screens remained completely clean and mineral free as opposed to the before picture where they had to shut down and facilitate an expensive demineralization process.

There were many more testimonials… but the ones that really caught my attention… and one which i could relate directly to the health benefits for the body, was a commercial vegetable grower’s impressive crop year after year, much like the old fella’s garden.  The other was that of two brothers living side by side and sharing the same water supply comparing the difference in their septic tanks.  Bear in mind that a septic system functions much on the same principle as the human body where a healthy balance of micro-organisms facilitates the break down (digestion) of solid waste.  Anyway, one brother’s septic tank was dead-full, reeked of a foul odor and required pumping of the excessive waste.  His brother’s septic system on the other hand presented remarkably crystal clear fluid, emitted no odor and did not require pumping, but rather was functioning the way a septic system was designed to do.

GARE’S LABORATORY:

Now… i’m aware of the fact that a scientist could easily object to any, or all of the aforementioned results of my experiments on the grounds that all of the variables weren’t scrutinized.  It’d be different if this was a murder investigation i suppose, but i was convinced enough to simply try it for myself… and so back to my lab… my own living quarters, i went to perform a few interesting experiments.

I purchased 3 roses, all at about the same early stage of opening up, prior to blooming.  You can be sure that it wasn’t Valentines Day when ya have to sell off one of your kids in order to afford one rose, let alone three of em.  Nonetheless;  i placed one rose in a vase of water containing reverse osmosis water (bottled water), another one in a vase containing municipal tap water and a third in a vase containing the very same tap water that had passed through the energized device.  *** Note the photos.  I was nothing short of amazed at the results.  The rose in the vase containing bottled water opened up immediately, went into full bloom and then immediately wilted within a period of approximately, 7 days.  The rose in the plain house tap water bloomed slowly and much later, and then began to wilt after about 12 days.  However; the rose in the energized water also slowly bloomed but remained bright and pink in full bloom for 32 days… and then was just beginning to wilt on the edges a tad.  Needless to say; i was flabbergasted… a disease unscientific scientist can get; the one flower came through the challenge… ‘smelling like a rose.’  The owner of flower shop too was flabbergasted at the results; hmm… a double flabbergast… that’s gotta tell ya something.  Nonetheless; he commented that the longest he had ever witnessed a rose remain bright and colourful was 18 days.  I then placed three bowls containing each  type of water down on the floor to see which one my dog preferred.  Diddo began lapping up the Grander water until it was all gone.  The mere fact that Diddo was just a dog dismissed any suspicions of the power of suggestion being at the helm.  I mean, Diddo was one smart dog and all but he had no way of knowing the difference cognitively.

The second experiment involved my plumbing.  I installed the Grander water conditioner inline but continued to drink water from a water distiller that was installed in the basement.  Hey… what can i say… i was a dedicated water tech if nothing else.  There were no noticeable changes for approximately 6 weeks… and then all hell broke loose… well… some of it anyway; not just one… but both, my kitchen and bathroom water taps sprang a minor leak… like all on the same day.  “Hmm… now, that’s strange”… “What’s with that? I thought.  It was no biggy… i grabbed my handy dandy crescent wrench and tightened all of the tap nuts about a half turn, and all was good again.  Hmm… i wish it was that simple of a fix for all the loose nuts that i seem to encounter from day to day… i’m talking about people.  Seriously though; i then opened up my water distiller to perform a routine cleaning.  Something was different… very different.

The protocol for cleaning my distiller normally involved major scraping of a mineral accumulation from off of the heating elements.  That is because minerals in the water normally/routinely become welded to the heating elements in the distillation process… normally.  You may have noticed this if you ever peeked into a kettle; the element will often be coated; well… that’s mineral residue.  There were two things that were evident during my routine distiller cleaning.  First of all; a significantly larger amount of minerals had accumulated in the heating chamber than normal, and secondly; the elements did not require any cleaning/scraping whatsoever; rather, a heavy handful of minerals conveniently dropped out of the heating chamber right onto my bench.  Furthermore; the heating elements this time were super clean; they required no scraping… not even wiping.  ***Note the photo of ‘heavy metal in a jar.’  It didn’t stop there; my hot water heater then sprang a leak; ugh… i was considering calling in a priest to conduct an exorcism; i mean; this was all so bizarre.  Albeit; there was a logical explanation to it all; the explanation involved minerals… mineral deposits to be specific.

Here’s my take on it all.  The original water servicing my house… like, for mega years was DOA (dead on arrival); therefore, it was continuously depositing its baggage (minerals) throughout my entire plumbing circuit.  However; after that same water passed through the Grander device, the opposite presented; the water became energized, rendering the character of the water to be such that it now had the potential to attract those minerals.  Subsequently; the minerals became fluid, ‘one with the water’ again, so to speak.  The dang hot water tank sprang a leak simply because it was seriously old and tired, held together by years of accumulated minerals… which of course, mysteriously disappeared after installing the Grander water unit.  And so it was… with all of the aforementioned evidence, I came to the un-scientific conclusion that this Grander Water Conditioning device did actually change something in the water.  It all boils down to this; the properties of the water… specifically, the frequency/vibration (signature) of the water was altered by this device; subsequently, the water and minerals remained intact until such time that the water was drained of its energy.  It reminds me of the Beach Boy’s song; ‘Good, good vibrations.’  Johan Grander had apparently invented a device that was able to reprogram, restructure and revitalize stale, dead water by applying frequency.  Subsequently; the memory of the water was restored and now reflected all of the characteristics of water that had gone through nature’s cycle.  Perhaps, you can see the health benefit of consuming such water; afterall, we are made up of 75 ish% water.  Other inventions have since surfaced that boast of similar results; you’ll have to do your homework regarding their claims of effectiveness.

CONCLUSION:

My portable lab missed it… and perhaps, you may not be convinced; however, i am sold.  If the pipes in my house, a rose and a dog detected and reacted to the difference, then it was enough evidence for me to accept the facts.  It’s called revitalized/restructured water and it truly is different.  The proof is in the pudding.

Speaking of scientists, another experiment that baffled science and stirred yet more curiosity and of course; criticism to the science of the unseen was the research of a scientist by the name of Dr. Masaru Emoto.  He documented some impressive and challenging information, revealing these unseen forces at work.  His work is called, The Memory of Water.  Masaru was able to capture a photo via an advanced technique called ‘Kirlian Photography.’   A frozen water droplet expressed several different forms after being exposed to a variety of environments.  For example; a glass of water was placed in a controlled setting and exposed to a variety of spoken words, music and/or gestures.  The water droplet was then froze, at which time it was photographed.  It was nothing short of fascinating to observe the variety of shapes that had developed from the same water droplet as it reacted to each environment that it was subjected to.  For example, the droplet on the left was subjected to mellow classical music whereas the one on the right, to heavy metal rock music.  I’m guessing that illustration to have upset some of you Woodstock, rock-n-roll refugees after reading this… but hey… what can I say; the flowers just didn’t apparently care for our type of music.  Hmm… they were probably… wall flowers.

Moral of the story; we are made up of an extremely high content of… water… be nice to yourself!

WATER PURIFIERS AND CONDITIONERS:

It has been my experience that there is no one-simple-fix for all circumstances.  It all boils down to the lesser of the evils; the evil being; water that might be downright unhealthy for human consumption.  The fix depends on the condition of one’s water to begin with… and of course, one’s budget.   Let’s explore.

FILTERS:

The lesser of the evil in treating water begins with a filter.  These come in a variety of types to facilitate the removal of just about anything.   Most people are familiar with ‘Brita.’  These types of filters consist of mainly charcoal and really only remove chlorine and a few impurities effectively.   ***Note that Chlorine is a gas; therefore, its removal will always require filtration.  A simple charcoal filter is most often employed to effectively do this.  I strongly suggest this to be employed for not just drinking water but also as a shower accessory as well; the amount of chlorine ingested via your lungs during a shower is significant; therefore, worth paying serious attention to.  ***Note; fluoride cannot be removed via any medium/filter… that i am aware of anyway, and so beware of products claiming to do so.  This additive, regardless of what so called; science claims, is a poison; one that can only be removed via Distillation or Reverse Osmosis.  We’ll be explaining those processes in a bit.  Water with a rotten egg odor (Sulfur Dioxide) is similar to that of chlorine; it’s also a gas, and therefore requires special/complicated filtration to remove it.

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY:

One filter that i strongly recommend is a British Berkefield (BB).  This type of filter is a serious survival aid indeed.  BB filters can effectively remove an incredible amount of toxic substances, including parasites; they’re ideal for camping.  I have personally used a BB to filter swamp water in the remote north for well over a week and am still alive to talk about it.  It is essentially a large canister that employs a pair of silver coated, small membrane ceramic filters, known as candles.  The idea is to pour questionable water in the top of the container and allow time for it to seep through the candles and eventually fill up the bottom portion of the unit for clean drinking water.  BB devices were originally designed and used by the British army for effective and portable water filtration.  One can buy the filters (candles) in a variety of sizes and quality all on their own without a dispensing container if you should choose.  Just attach a length of surgical tubing to one end of the filter and immerse the candle into a container or body of yucky water.  Once the filter is fully saturated it will begin to seep and drain through the tubing into a container located below.  Bear in mind; the container must be situated well below the pool of water in order to activate the syphoning process.  It doesn’t happen real fast but it will eventually happen.  They now sell primers that can suck water into and ultimately saturate the filter much faster, thereby, hastening the flow… a smart tool for the outdoorsman.  Hmm… girls can use it too.

Filters are pretty straight forward; they simply separate the good, the bad and the ugly for the most part.  Water ‘ionization‘ is one step further when it comes to conditioning. Ionization simply means to electrically and/or chemically alter.  Rather than delve deep into the physics of it all, suffice it to say that all of the following water conditioning appliances/devices will lay claim to this process of ionization in some way, shape or form.

WATER DISTILLERS:

Distillation is the result of water being heated to its boiling point at which point the steam is transferred to another container, leaving all of its baggage behind, being the contaminants and minerals… both good and bad.

There is controversy regarding the benefits of distilled water.  The upside of distillation is that you are removing contaminants from your water, including fluoride.  The downside is the overall condition of the water afterwards.  First of all; distilled water will be acidic.  I’m hoping that you are familiar with PH.  The quick definition of PH is that a substance will register a specific PH of either acidic or alkaline; acidic being anything below 7 and alkalinity being anything higher than 7.  The lower the number, the more acidic it’ll be… and vice-versa with alkalinity; the higher the number; the more alkaline a substance will be.  An extreme of either is not a safe substance to be tossing down your gullet.  Why distilled water is acidic is simply because it no longer contains minerals, many of which are alkaline in nature.

Here’s where the controversy lies; freshly fallen rain water follows the same principal as distillation in that it evaporates from a body of water, leaving its baggage of minerals behind and then falls to the ground again; therefore, it too is acidic in nature; however, there is a difference between the two… a biggg difference.  The difference is that something happens to the mist of water in nature’s cycle with rain that does not happen by simply boiling water.  We’ve already covered much of this in sharing my water experiment with the Grander Water Conditioner, and we’ll be discussing this aspect of water conditioning further on down the line, but suffice it to say that the by product of artificial distillation renders the water a ‘dead entity’ whereas the by product of nature’s evaporation cycle renders the water vibrantly alive.

You might come across a distiller designed by a fella named, John Ellis.  He claims his distiller to be unique and the ‘best in the west.’  Ugh… I dunno… it seems to be a disease inventors can get; where theirs is the bestus and everything else is… inferior.  Howbeit; I’m very familiar with John Ellis’s distiller; I used one for several years and I can’t say as I am impressed with it.  It now sits boxed up in storage, along with several other questionable appliances.  The main difference between his distiller and that of others was; that his distiller was designed to fluctuate in temperature.  His claim was that this heat-altering function was vital for the removal of both; the high and low boiling point metals, carcinogens etc.  I hate to be critical as to whether or not his claims are legitimate; however, i will share my own experience.  I personally found it to be a nuisance to operate.  First of all; it required a constant trickle of water to enter the boiling pot, resulting in a lot of water going down the drain.  Secondly; it did not have a sealed boiling chamber like normal distillers; this seriously increased the humidity in my house.

***Note; if you’re on municipal water supply, i recommend a charcoal filter unit be installed inline with your distiller to filter the Chlorine.  That is because Chlorine is a gas and can sometimes transfer over with the steam and contaminate the distilled water.

REVERSE OSMOSIS:

The next water purification process to investigate is; Reverse Osmosis, RO for short.  RO processing accomplishes similar results to that of a distiller, only it does so by membrane seepage (osmosis) rather than evaporation.  It is capable of separating approximately 99% of the impurities from the water.  Electricity is not required in this process but water pressure is.  Most, if not all of the bottled water plants will employ this process due to its cost effectiveness.  The minerals and impurities remain trapped in a plastic compound while the remaining water, minus approximately 99.9% of the hitch hikers, seeps on through a membrane resulting in, so called, purified water.  These do not require a charcoal filter to remove the gases such as chlorine.  However they most often do come with a charcoal filter in line.

These types of conditioners are a must if you are using a water softener to treat your home.  Sodium, like fluoride is difficult to remove; RO processing removes both… bonus.  My own personal concern regarding RO processed water is twofold; first of all, much like distilled water, the finished product is acidic and void of energy.  This is simply because we’ve removed all of the minerals.  Minerals are necessary for both an alkaline PH, as well as to conduct any electrical current, however subtle that might be.  This is what constitutes the fore mentioned, vibration/energy aspect that make water so unique and effective.  Secondly; the process of Reverse Osmosis successfully removes 99.9% of the water’s minerals and contaminants, and so the question stands; what about the remaining .0001% residue of contaminants, can they perhaps negatively affect us?  Let me be specific; just how much of any toxic substance constitutes a threat?  Don’t bother inquiring with Health Canada about this; they’ll always suggest a little bit of any poison to be harmless.  This is the propaganda attached to vaccines; “It’s such a minuscule amount of mercury, aluminum, formaldehyde etc that you’re getting with each injection, hardly enough to cause any harm,” they’ ll advertise.  Is this true or is it false?  What do the cells in your body see… what happens when they detect a poison?

If you’re familiar with the science of Homeopathy, you’ll come to understand that the body will react to something even if such is presented in a minuscule amount.  Sorry to discourage any white smock advocates out there, but we’re talking about amounts not even detectable in a laboratory.  It is my suspicion that, even though the  potable water from the RO process contains only .0001% of carcinogens, each of those will contain a signature, one that I perceive our cells are very aware of.  What they do with that signature is where the rabbit trails of theories begin.  It’s like I said; “Science cannot determine exactly what occurs within the cell, it can only measure the results of such activity,” and even then; there are far too many variables involved in those results to ascertain what may have been ultimately responsible for the change.  This is why the Pharmaceutical companies literally get away with murder with their vaccination program.  It’s nigh impossible for an injured victim to claim sole responsibility of any specific vaccine for their injury.  A fancy talking lawyer can so easily divert suspicion due to this very aspect; too many other possible causes for the reaction.  I’d best stop there; otherwise, I’ll be forever chasing scurrying rabbits around a rock quarry of possibilities, rendering you totally confused about how to treat water.

***Refer to section entitled, ‘Homeopathy’ under ‘Alternative Health Practice‘ for more information on this subject.

WATER SOFTENERS:

Most everyone is familiar with water softeners.  You’ll often see these appliances used in conjunction with RO filter units.  This is because minerals in the water such as; calcium, magnesium and iron in particular are considered hard minerals, which are notorious for their wear and tear on the main filter membrane of an RO unit.  Therefore, it’s best to remove these antagonist prior to RO processing.   Water softeners operate on a principal of exchange.  They come in a variety of formats.  Older style softeners are mechanical, operating on a physical timer, whereas newer appliance operate automatically.  Some will incorporate two tanks and others will do it all with one container.  Regardless of how fancy they might be, the same principal applies to all of them.

Softeners require a constant supply of either salt or potassium.  Why salt or potassium?  These particular agents contain an electrical charge that is necessary to facilitate a process of mineral separation… or better said; exchange in the water.  Most softeners use salt.  Rather than go too deep down the rabbit hole of how softeners work, suffice it to say; a salt/potassium solution (brine) attracts and holds onto the harder minerals and thereby separates them from your water supply, rendering your household water to be; soft.   You may be surprised to hear this; the most prominent agent found in most soaps, especially powdered laundry soaps, is a softening agent; guess what it is?  It is most often; sodium.  Hmmm… tt makes you wonder what you’re actually paying for… and how much for such… when you buy commercial soaps.  Most softeners are designed to efficiently remove calcium, magnesium and small amounts of iron.  If there is an exceptionally high volume of iron going on then you will want to shop out a softener to match the job.  It’s like I said; there is no one system to fit all applications; it’ll depend on the condition of one’s water… and one’s budget.

The downside to water softeners is that the water, although great for cleaning, is not the best water to be drinking.  If the medium used to soften the water happens to be salt then you will be consuming excess sodium… probably not a good idea, especially when there’s so much sodium being added to our entire food chain already.  Some may argue that there is absolutely no sodium residue remaining in the potable supply and so you’ll have to validate that.  Howbeit; this is where… and why a Reverse osmosis filter system in union with a water softener make a great team.  The RO process will serve to effectively remove all of the minerals from the water, including; sodium.

WATER IONIZERS/PH ALTERING:

This is where the controversy and %&$# &%@# with water conditioning really takes off.  Up until now, we’ve been investigating devices with the potential of altering the water by removing and/or separating its baggage, be it minerals or unwanted substances to varying degrees.  Now, we can dig a bit deeper into that ionization process and reveal yet another aspect of water conditioning; that of molecular altering, again to varying degrees.  We’ll first need to root through some terminology in order make some sort of sense out of these devices; otherwise, none of this is going to make sense.  Don’t worry about wrapping your head around it all, there won’t be a test at the end.  Some of the following terms will come up when shopping for water ionizers; surface tension, water clusters, restructuring, energy and/or the vibration/signature.  Let’s dig in!

Let’s begin with PH Water Conditioners.   Most all Ionizers provide a similar service; the only difference being the quality of the appliance… and of course… the price tag.   Unlike water softeners, which employ a medium to exchange and eventually remove the hard minerals, PH ionizers utilize electricity, a process known as electrolysis, for the purpose of separating the minerals.  Rather than laboring through the process, making my brain hurt and boring most of you with the ins and outs of exactly how these devices work, suffice it to say this; the purpose for this mineral separation is to rearrange/separate the baggage (minerals) in the water so as to produce a choice of either acidic or alkaline water.  A PH of 7 is considered neutral; anything below 7 is considered to be acidic in nature while anything above 7 is considered to be alkaline.  Most municipal water is between 6-8 PH whereas pretty well all commercial purified water, both distilled and RO water will register a PH of approximately 5.8, slightly acidic.  The reason for this is because the minerals are often removed in their processing, and the minerals are what make the water alkaline, more or less.

The question is; are there any advantages of this type of water conditioning and if so; what may they be?  The alkaline water, which will vary in degrees of PH, lays claim to offering some significant health benefits internally when ingested, some of which we’ll be discussing alter… and the acidic water produced, also varying in degrees of PH is purported to offer some significant health benefits… externally.

The benefits of acidic water are pretty unanimously agreed upon; it is an excellent oxidizer, meaning that it is effective in breaking down; cleaning and disinfecting; however, the benefits of the alkaline water are not universally agreed upon.  Let’s investigate the pros and cons revolving around alkaline water.  The pro crowd will claim that they feel much better when consuming this type of water.  Some will attribute the consumption of such water to be directly responsible for reversing some pretty serious chronic diseases.  The pro researchers claim that disease is caused by an over-acidic cellular environment in the body, that an over-acidic cellular environment causes cancer, as well… etc; therefore, ingesting a seriously alkaline substance, in this case; alkaline water, will assist the body in becoming more alkaline and able to restore one’s health.  The con crowd on the other hand can be divided into two categories; those who claim alkaline water from these devices to be toxic and/or counterproductive to one’s health and those who claim there to be no difference whatsoever and that it’s just a gimmick… a crock of expensive and useless gadgetry.

They can’t all be right, and nobody wants to admit they’re wrong and so we may as well dig in and make up our own mind.  l personally own a PH conditioning appliance, although mine has a rather unique added feature, much like the one mentioned at the beginning of this section; a feature able to enhance the vibration/energy of the water.   I’m not a chemist and therefore cannot prove whether there be any benefits or deficits to alkaline water on a blackboard, however, I can share with you brief glimpses of what both the pro and con researchers claim… and of course, share with you my own personal experiences with alkaline water.

Let’s look at the PH factor first.  For those page hoppers, I’ll repeat the quick definition of PH.  A substance will register a specific PH of either acidic or alkaline; acidic being anything below 7 and alkalinity being anything higher than 7.  The lower the number, the more acidic it’ll be… and vice-versa with alkalinity; the higher the number; the more alkaline a substance will be.

The PH of the blood and cells tends to remain fairly constant; our body is in a constant balancing act of maintaining a blood PH of approximately 7.4 ish.  This is an automatic process; we can only assist it or hinder it in doing this.  Absolutely every thing that enters our body, and even that which surrounds us, both seen and unseen, will affect this Ph balance in some way, shape or form.  This includes the foods that we eat, the air that we breathe, the water that we drink, the electrical, magnetic frequencies (EMF) surrounding us, our attitude… and our spiritual beliefs.

Unlike the blood and cell PH, which remains fairly constant, the PH throughout other departments of the body can vary.  The mouth and saliva has a PH of approx 6.5 to 7.5, the upper portion of the stomach, from 4 to 6.5, the lower portion of the stomach from 1.5 to 4; it then jumps up to between 7 and 8.5 in the duodenum, while the colon is between 4 and 7.

When scrutinizing PH balance, we really should be factoring in one indisputable principal governing our body; to maintain balance, a process known as;  (homeostasis).  Our amazing body has been designed to maintain a balance; for every action, there will be an opposite and equal reaction.  You can liken this concept to loading one side of a canoe with rocks.  Many of us have experienced the woes of a rocking boat at one time or other; well… the same principal applies to the body… if it senses too much of something, regardless of whether or not such is considered to be healthy, you can expect a reaction… got it?

Let’s look at what enters our mouth for that is where the digestive process really begins.  Actually, it begins even before putting something in your mouth; I’m sure we’ve all experienced a bout of saliva at the very thought of consuming a mouth watering morsel.   Nonetheless, this digestive process is designed to alter whatever enters the mouth.  A lot goes on in the stomach; nothing remains intact there; everything comes apart, is balanced, neutralized, dismantled and then reconstructed to accommodate our body’s requirements.

Take lemons for example; they’re pretty acidic, right?  I mean just watch your face pucker up even at the thought of sucking on the dang thing… ugh!  Howbeit, upon ingesting this acidic agent, the body will perform all sorts of antics, the relevant function to our topic being that it will attempt to balance… to neutralize its severe acidity.  How it does this is where the mystery lies.  Furthermore, this is where PH test strips can be misleading.  These tools are not an accurate indicator of your over all PH condition, but rather an indicator of what your wonderful body might be doing at the very moment you apply the test strip.

What resources does the body have to buffer acidity?   Breathing is its first and most effective PH balancer.  The heavy breathing induced by strenuous activity is an indication of this magic act in action, where an exchange of oxygen for carbon dioxide occurs, resulting in a PH balance from acidic to alkaline.  Conversely, breathing excessively into a paper bag, a process better known as; hyperventilation, will create an alkaline response in the body… ugh… a serious alkaline response.  You don’t wanna do this too often, otherwise, you won’t have enough brain cells left to get through the rest of this book.  The next tool the body uses for balancing PH is your liver, kidneys and pancreas… and the show goes on.

You might be surprised to hear this but the body has far more resources to deal with excessive acidity than it does for excessive alkalinity.  It makes sense when you recognize the fact that the digestive process renders the constituents of so many foods down to… acids.  For example; protein is broken down to amino acids, fats are broken down to essential fatty acids etc.  When you get right down to it, there are far more acids than alkaline going on throughout the body overall.

The next question is; what happens when you ingest seriously alkaline water?  Well, the body is going to perform the same  antics as it would with the lemon, only opposite; it would attempt to balance/neutralize its PH the best it can to ensure that such enters the GI tract without causing too much of a problem.  A little of either acidic or alkaline substances would probably be negligible; however, substances with an extreme PH variable or if ingested over an extended period of time may be counterproductive… or worst… emphasis on ‘may‘ as I cannot verify for absolute sure one way or the other; I can only offer my personal experiences and common sense opinion on the matter.   In the case of ingesting extremely alkaline water and/or doing such on a continuous basis, Id suspect that the body would be prodded to access some more serious tactics in order to counter balance the extreme intro.

Well, we know that it doesn’t send it north back out of the mouth, as in inducing you to vomit, at least not according to my experience, and so I’d suspect that it would dump what it could not neutralize south down into the duodenum, the upper portion of the small intestine.  The good news is that this portion of the gastro-intestinal tract (GI Tract) is designed to handle alkalinity.  Howbeit, what effect might this PH shuffle have on the blood and cellular PH; would the results render a benefit or a deficit to your health?  The changes that occur at the cellular level is where the X-factor of ingesting alkaline water experience might lie.

Experience trumps science in my opinion.  Most all scientific theories are born in a laboratory environment using test tubes and fancy instruments.  Consequently, the complexities of the goings-on within our wonderful body are often missed and therefore, surmised to be the result of placebo or are dismissed as pure myth.  Placebo effect by the way is where beneficial results are experienced simply because one desires and or expects such.

Regardless, I would discourage the ingestion of alkaline water around meal time.  I say this because the presence of Hydrochloric acid (HCI), an extremely acidic PH of approximately three-ish in the stomach is essential for optimum digestion; therefore, it would be counterproductive to mess with this PH balance.

A bit off the topic but still relevant; an interesting test to determine the PH of your stomach at meal time is as follows; ingest a 1/4 tspn of baking soda mixed into an eight oz glass of cold water and then count how long it takes to burp.  A significant burp should be conjured up within 2 to 3 mins.  If it happens later than five-ish mins… or if it doesn’t happen at all, then you are seriously running a deficit in HCI.  If the later be the case, then you can supplement in this department.  Anywhere from 3 to 6 caps of Betaine HCI can be taken during or immediately after meal time.  You’d be pleasantly surprised at the difference that could make.

***Refer to section entitled, ‘Digestion‘ especially section on, ‘Acid-Reflux,’ for detailed information on how to balance this department naturally.

I don’t want to go too far down a rabbit trail of possibilities on all of the PH adjustments and their potential benefits and so we’d best move on to some of the other purported benefits of drinking alkaline water.   There are a few other potentially, claimed, beneficial characteristics that have been attributed to alkaline water that has undergone this process of separation by electrolysis.  One is the availability of hydrogen, an up and coming feature being seriously researched.  Hydrogen enriched water has been touted to offer some serious antioxidant qualities.

***Refer to section entitled, ‘Let’s go shopping,’ for more detailed information on, ‘oxidation, antioxidants and free radicals.

The short version of an antioxidant is that it is opposite that of an oxidant.  Oxidation is the result of cells dying due to an electrical/chemical imbalance.  The rusting of metal and the brown color that will manifest soon after biting into an apple are prime examples of oxidation.  A little bit of oxidation throughout the body is quite normal, and even necessary, however; too much of it and/or in too short of time, can send us to an early grave, hence why an antioxidant is a welcoming agent.

Another claimed, potentially, beneficial feature of water that has undergone this process of separation by electrolysis is that the surface tension or micro-cluster of the water has been altered, rendering the water able to enter the cells more readily.  Again, the con-crowd may paffoo such claims, but according to my experience with  water in particular, the proof is in the pudding.  The guys in the white lab coats are not always right.  I mean… look what they did with God, as creator of the universe; they can’t see it in a test tube and therefore, it must not exist… argoils!

HYDROGEN WATER:

Hydrogen infused water is a new kid on the block.  I emphasize, ‘infused’ simply because hydrogen is already a recognized component of water (H2O); however, there are devices that can separate it and then re-introduce it as a gas.  Most of these devices utilize electrolysis, similar to a PH altering device, although there are new and innovative techniques showing up each day.  The long and short of it is that hydrogen has proven to be an exceptional antioxidant that is able to salvage an inflamed cell due to its minute size.  Some will boast that the hydrogen produced in a PH ionizer is the factor that yields its benefits; however, the facts are that the amount of active hydrogen available with PH devices is normally quite low; much lower than that produced by hydrogen generators.  The problem with hydrogen is that it is extremely unstable… short-lived… and therefore requires extra care to preserve its effectiveness.

gare’s opinion; The down side to all of the above water conditioning appliances is that they require electricity to do their thing.  According to my research and experience, whenever electricity is involved, there’s going to be casualties.  I’d be betting a dollar to a donut that the vibration of the water is going to be affected, much like when a substance is exposed to micro-waves… not a good good vibration at all, hence why I recommend that some sort of a vibration enhancing device be considered with any of these devices.

The Eagle Research Aqua Cure device have that we’ve just covered incidentally applies a frequency mode to their equipment to enhance what you are ingesting… BIGGG bonus!

***Refer to section entitled; ‘Gare’s Hall Of Fame” for more detailed information on its benefits.

Meanwhile; how about we discuss the frequency aspect in more detail.

ENERGIZED WATER:

If you struggled through the PH altering factor, you’d best buckle up cause the controversy gets even crazier with some of the following water altering devices.  Another popular method for energizing water is to direct the flow of water into a clockwise spiral, better known as a vortex.  It’s called the Coriolis effect.  Hmm… I’m not sure how to adjust this technique in the Southern hemisphere, where everything is opposite.  You’ll have to put your own white lab coat on to experiment that one.  Nonetheless, according to my experience, it does make a significant difference.

Perhaps the Beach Boys were on to something when they sang; ‘good… good… vibration;’ there are devices on the market that do not separate the water at all but rather, claim to energize it.  We’ve already covered this ground at the beginning of this section; however, the techniques for doing this tend to vary.  Some devices will employ magnets and others; quartz crystals.  The aforementioned, Grander unit that turned my head around, employs a built-in, healthy water sample to influence the signature of normally sick water… talk about influence.  Regardless of what technique is utilized, the question will always be; does it work; is their any proof in the pudding… or is it %#&$ %&$%?  One fact remains; freshly fallen rain is different than the water that comes out of your faucet.

In essence, everything will resonate a unique frequency, a vibration, if you will.  You may not hear it or even detect it but it’s there… and it can now even be measured.  It can be likened to a signature.  Water too will display a specific vibration.  This will vary, depending on the baggage that the water contains as well as on its environment; more specifically, on what it has been exposed to.  For example; water from a swamp will resonate a different vibration than water from a fresh rainfall or from that of a bubbling mountain stream.  We’ve discussed some of the techniques for rearranging and/or removing water’s baggage, but that’s the obvious stuff, that which is detectable by your physical senses; altering water’s vibration (signature) is a much different animal.  As fore mentioned; this is where science so often falls off radar.  Nonetheless, it has been my personal experience that water’s signature can indeed be influenced.  You may understand it… or not understand it… agree or disagree with my experience; howbeit, ‘the proof is in the pudding.’

How your body cells read and react according to these varying vibrations is where the rubber really meets the road.  If you were to ingest a poisonous substance like cyanide for example; your body would react according to its vibration… in this case… it’d be a baaad vibration, right?  The bottom line is to seek substances that contain… first of all; an identifiable vibration (signature) and secondly; a benevolent vibration.  It is then that your body systems can effortlessly utilize it and/or effortlessly eliminate it.   It’s for this very reason that I suggest that one also seeks minerals in their living format such as; plant or animal form, rather than elemental, as from rocks, shells or bones.  Our bodies were not designed to transport lifeless, inorganic compounds; otherwise, we could toss a handful of gravel into our mouth and be done with any mineral requirements of which our body may have.  Hmm… am I popular with the vitamin/mineral supplement producers yet?

***Research the work of Dr. Masaru, ‘The Memory of Water’ for insight into this.

GOLD OR TRINKETS :

I am well aware of the fact that there are many useless products being marketed out there in the field of water ionizers, in particular.  I presently own several water conditioning products, some of which are collecting dust on my basement shelves.  That is because they failed to deliver the goods as advertised… ugh!  The bottom line is; buyer beware!  Be careful to research a product… from unbiased sources, before purchasing it, bearing in mind that, ‘Skepticism is the extreme of caution… and naivety, the extreme of trust; neither extreme will serve you well.  As it is with PH, yer gonna wanna remain somewhere in the middle, fairly neutral… or you can expect an opposite reaction.

“I hate the taste of water and would rather just drink juice or pop,” I’ve heard some say.

As fore mentioned, the reason that you may not be enjoying your water could very well be because of its vibration, specifically if it should be dead upon arrival, as is the case with municipal water supplies of the stuff.  More often though, it’s simply because you never made it a daily habit to consume water all on its own.  Might I suggest that you consider adding a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime, as either of these will positively influence the vibration of your water?  I used to soak a cup of barley flakes into a gallon of water over night and strain the water from it in the morning to be used as my daily quota of water.  I was a vegetarian at the time and needed all of the vitamins, minerals and protein I could get without ‘killing the fatted calf.’  History reveals; the concept of barley infused water was the backbone, supporting the hard working men, while building the railroad across the country.   Such water supplemented the men with essential electrolytes, vitamins, minerals and protein to assist them in getting through the live-long-day.  If you want some extra energy then try adding a squeeze of lemon plus a teaspoon of blackstrap molasses to your bottle of barley infused water as well.  Either way… drink up… and whatever you do; avoid drinking soda pop!