We have the safest drinking water in the world-except for the pesticides that sometimes sneak in. OK, I’m sure you are wondering why I am bringing it up to see if it’s really safe. I have to admit I drink from tap water all the times where I live at. I usually pour tap water into the big fat water cooler jug and put it in the fridge. It tastes good when it’s very cold.

My friend from Maryland, but a Texas native, visited us here last summer in Austin; she asked me if I had some water bottles. I shook my head. She looked at the faucet and I said “yeah that is it.” She gave me a look, tasted it, eyes crossed, her tongue sticking out, saying phew. She looked like a yellowish face smiley with eyes closed, tongue out, on the Wal-Mart sign. Of course, we went to buy some water bottles for her.

What’s risky, what’s not, and what’s just plain hooey? Is bottled water really any better than tap? How can you make water safer in your home-and around the world?

I went to the Half-Price Book store nearby and, to my surprise, there were some Readers Digest issues laying around on the “coffee” table display. I used to subscribe them while I was in college, and my early years of marriage, and I loved to read them. I stopped because the subscriptions were increasing over the years. However, my curiosity got to me and I browsed a few, finding one article! The article was “Bottled Water Vs. Tap Water” by Janet Jemmott, published on February 2008. I had to buy the issue. I went home, my nose was buried on the pages, specifically on what was on my mind.

What I learned from the article, let me summarize what I read, what I see these days now:
• More than 25% of bottled water comes from a public source.
• Remember the drinking fountain? It seems quaint now. Instead, bottled water is everywhere, in offices, airplanes, stores, homes and restaurants across the country. We consume over eight billion gallons of water.

It’s refreshing, calorie-free, convenient to carry around, tastier than some tap water and a heck of a lot healthier than sugary sodas. (I even carry some water bottles when I hike, bike, and sometimes apparently no reason, I do carry it while photo shooting, with the Propel powder for flavor.

Worry uncaps the water bottle.

“Sales of bottled water have skyrocketed from around a gallon per person per year in the early 1970s to over 30 gallons today. There are four main reasons: We’ve become increasingly fearful of tap water, we don’t like the taste, and it’s become easier to find bottled water at the same time that it’s become harder to find water fountains. A football stadium in Florida was built with no water fountains-the day it opened, 60 people got heat stroke because they ran out of bottled water. The fourth reason is that we’ve been bombarded with ad campaigns telling us that bottled water will make us skinnier or sexier or healthier. But no one should assume that bottled water is better than tap water. Some bottled water isn’t monitored at all.” If you live in a big city, you should be confident of your tap water. If you live in a small rural community with a little water system, you’re much more likely to be at risk. These small systems are more vulnerable to things like agricultural runoff and septic tank leakage.” – Peter Gleick

What’s in That Bottle?

Yes, some bottled water comes from sparkling springs and other pristine sources. But more than 25 percent of it comes from a municipal supply. The water is treated, purified and sold to us, often at a thousand fold increases in price. Most people are surprised to learn that they’re drinking glorified tap water, but bottlers aren’t required to list the source on the label. Labels can be misleading at best, deceptive at worst. Water coming from a well located near a hazardous waste site was sold to many bottlers. At least one of these companies labeled its product “spring water.” H2O sold as “pure glacier water” came from a public water system in Alaska.

• These chemicals, phthalates, used to make plastic softer, are found in cosmetics and fragrances, shower curtains, even baby toys, and are under increasing scrutiny. They’re endocrine disrupters, which mean they block or mimic hormones, affecting the body’s normal functions. And the effects of exposure to the widespread chemicals may add up. When exposed to high levels of phthalates during critical developmental periods, male fetuses can have malformed reproductive organs, including undescended testicles. Some experts link phthalates to low sperm counts.

• Water bottles do not contain the chemical, which means the phthalates probably got into the water during processing at the bottling plant, or were present in the original water source (phthalates have been found in some tap water).

• Bottlers don’t have to let consumers know if their product becomes contaminated, but sometimes they pull their products from stores. In fact, among the reasons for recall: contamination with mold, benzene, coliform, microbes, even crickets. (Hmm, crickets?)

But scientists say when stored in hot or warm temperatures, the plastic may leak chemicals into the water. High temperatures in your storage space aren’t the only potential risk; so are the other things you keep there. Experts advise against storing water in the garage, near gas fumes, pesticides and other chemicals that could, at the very least, affect the smell and taste of the H2O.

• It’s not just where you store your water, but what you do with it as you carry it with you. Many people sip from a bottle that’s been sitting in a hot car, a potentially dangerous move. (oh, oops, I left some water bottles in the back of my truck, in the icebox, dang that’s bad news!)

• The potential health risks are important to understand, but bottled water also affects the health of the planet.

• Some brands of water come from islands and countries thousands of miles away, and shipping bottles can cause carbon pollution to spill into the water and spew into the air.

Worried about the toll your bottled water habit has on you or the earth? Take these steps.

• Try the tap again. First, check it out. If your water comes from a public source (rather than a well), you should get a water-quality or consumer-confidence report from the water company once a year. It’s also available at any time from the local water utility. Read the report carefully, making sure not only that your water has received a passing grade overall but also that contaminants haven’t exceeded the maximum allowable levels, even for a short while. If you have well water, get it tested every year, visit the website for the Campaign for Safe and Affordable Drinking Water.

• Get a canteen. Carry your plain or filtered tap water in a reusable stainless steel or lined drinking container, and clean it between uses. Some come with an easy-to-tote strap. We like the stainless steel versions from Klean Kanteen and New Wave Enviro, and the colorful bottles from SIGG.

• Shop smart. When you must have bottled, look for brands that have NSF certification or belong to IBWA. Check out the lists at nsf.org or bottledwater.org. If the brand you’re looking for isn’t there, contact the bottler. Ask where the water is bottled and what exactly is in it.

• Keep it cool. Don’t drink from a bottle that’s been subjected to high temperatures (sitting in your car, for example), don’t store it anywhere it will be exposed to heat or chemicals, and don’t reuse plastic bottles.

• Go with glass. Choose glass containers (Eden Springs and Voss are two popular brands) over plastic whenever possible. When you’re done, recycle!

• Do You Need a Filter? The water that comes out of your faucet is probably safe. In general, toxins in drinking water don’t exceed EPA limits, but there are still legitimate concerns. From a funny taste to lead contamination from aging pipes, your tap water may have picked up some unsavory additions along the way.

• Do it yourself. Some water is treated with chlorine to kill bacteria, but the taste turns people off. The fix? Pour water into a clear glass container and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator for 24 hours to let the chlorine dissipate into the air.

Fluoride Facts

• Most bottled water doesn’t contain added fluoride (if it does, it will say so on the label). Kids are drinking more bottled water and less fluoridated tap, and some say that’s behind the recent rise in dental decay. While the cavity link hasn’t been confirmed, pediatric dentist Mary Hayes, DDS, says, “I tell parents that if they choose bottled water without fluoride, they’re losing an opportunity to protect their child’s teeth. We know fluoride has a great track record in diminishing the risk of decay.”

• If your tap water is fortified, you probably don’t need fluoride in bottled. But if your family has well water without fluoride, drinks only bottled or uses a filter that removes fluoride (many do), ask your dentist about supplements for your child.

Drinking extra water is said to reduce urinary tract infections, improve skin tone, help with weight loss (fill up with water first), reduce headaches and fatigue, eliminate constipation and improve concentration. There’s no robust evidence for any of this. The kidneys are wonderful things (that don’t need flushing with lots of water) and will make concentrated urine to save water.

The thing about it is, we don’t often focus on this habit. We end up drinking coffee, and lots of soda, and alcohol, not to mention fruit juices and teas and milk and a bunch of other possibilities. Or just as often, we don’t drink enough fluids, and we become dehydrated — and that isn’t good for our health.

Here are 9 powerful reasons to drink water:

1. Weight loss
Water is one of the best tools for weight loss, first of all because it often replaces high-calorie drinks like soda and juice and alcohol with a drink that doesn’t have any calories. But it’s also a great appetite suppressant, and often when we think we’re hungry, we’re actually just thirsty. Water has no fat, no calories, no carbs, no sugar. Drink plenty to help your weight-loss regimen.

2. Heart healthy
Drinking a good amount of water could lower your risks of a heart attack. A six-year study published in the May 1, 2002 American Journal of Epidemiology found that those who drink more than 5 glasses of water a day were 41% less likely to die from a heart attack during the study period than those who drank less than two glasses.

3. Energy
Being dehydrated can sap your energy and make you feel tired — even mild dehydration of as little as 1 or 2 percent of your body weight. If you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated — and this can lead to fatigue, muscle weakness, dizziness and other symptoms.

4. Headache cure
Another symptom of dehydration is headaches. In fact, often when we have headaches it’s simply a matter of not drinking enough water. There are lots of other causes of headaches of course, but dehydration is a common one.

5. Healthy skin
Drinking water can clear up your skin and people often report a healthy glow after drinking water. It won’t happen overnight, of course, but just a week of drinking a healthy amount of water can have good effects on your skin.

6. Digestive problems
Our digestive systems need a good amount of water to digest food properly. Often water can help cure stomach acid problems, and water along with fiber can cure constipation (often a result of dehydration).

7. Cleansing
Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body.

8. Cancer risk
Related to the digestive system item above, drinking a healthy amount of water has also been found to reduce the risk of colon cancer by 45%. Drinking lots of water can also reduce the risk of bladder cancer by 50% and potentially reduce the risk of breast cancer.

9. Better exercise
Being dehydrated can severely hamper your athletic activities, slowing you down and making it harder to lift weights. Exercise requires additional water, so be sure to hydrate before, during and after exercise.

How to form the water habit

So you’re convinced that water is healthier, but you’d like to know more about how to make drinking water a daily habit.

Here are some tips that have helped me:

• How much water?

This is a debatable question. What’s clear is that the old recommendation of “eight 8-ounce glasses a day” isn’t right, for several reasons: that amount includes all dietary water intake, including food and non-water beverages; it also ignores a person’s body weight, which is an important factor in figuring the amount; it also varies if you are sick or exercise. It’s also not good to just drink when you’re thirsty — you’re already dehydrated by then. Best is to form a routine: drink a glass when you wake up, a glass with each meal, a glass in between meals, and be sure to drink before, during and after exercise. Try to generally keep yourself from getting thirsty.

• Carry a bottle

A lot of people find it useful to get a big plastic drinking bottle, fill it with water, and carry it around with them all day.

• Substitute water

If you would normally get a soda, or an alcoholic beverage, get a glass of water instead. Try sparkling water instead of alcohol at social functions. (well, in my case, its hard to break the habit, every time I go to the store, there are a lot of drinks, of course I fall into the temptation, a pretty aqua-colored M can, the Monster or Dr. Pepper catches my eye. I admit I’m weak. )

• Filter

Instead of spending a fortune on bottled water, invest in a filter for your home faucet. It’ll make tap water taste like bottled, at a fraction of the price.

• Exercise

Exercising can help make you want to drink water more. It’s not necessary to drink sports drinks like Gatorade when you exercise, unless you are doing it for more than an hour. Just drink water. If you’re going to exercise, be sure to drink water a couple hours ahead of time, so that it will get through your system in time, and again, drink during and after exercise as well.

In my observations, I should browse the filter for my house faucet and that, saves my money from spending on water bottles, get some colored bottles from Target or REI, and stay healthy, but my trips to the bathroom will be more frequent than before. ☺

Want to share your opinion with Christy? She can be reached at christysbuzz@gmail.com.

What are fibroids?
Fibroids are small, noncancerous growths that appear in the vast majority of female uteri. Most American women will die at a ripe old age without ever experiencing problems from their fibroids, or even knowing they had them. Fibroids are usually not a problem, but they can grow to produce bothersome symptoms such as bleeding, pain, or infertility, which can lower a woman’s quality of life. The symptoms of fibroids can be troublesome, or even unbearable. The good news is that many new treatments can control symptoms without surgery. Hysterectomies are often recommended for women with fibroids, but there are many other options.

When I said “I have fibroids,” and I found out that the others say “I have them too.” I know I’m not alone. I researched what I could find about fibroids and I came up with the facts about them.

Facts about Fibroids
* As many as 77 percent of all women have fibroids.
* Between 20 and 40 percent of fibroids create symptoms such as excessive bleeding or pain.
* Over six hundred thousand hysterectomies are performed in the United States each year, 89 percent of them for benign conditions.
* Fibroids account for approximately 45 percent of all hysterectomies.
* Women using hormone replacement therapy are at greater risk for continued symptoms of fibroids compared to women who do not use hormone replacement therapy.

Risk Factors for Fibroids
* Fibroids develop more commonly in women who began menstruating at younger ages.
* Black women are two to three times more likely than white women to be diagnosed with fibroids.
* Women who have never had children develop fibroids more than women who have.
* Women who have had four to five children are at the lowest risk of all: 70 to 80 percent less likely to develop fibroids than those who have no children. (Miscarriages or abortions do not change the risk of getting fibroids.)
* Obese or overweight women tend to have more problems with fibroids.
* Use of birth control pills has no effect on the development of fibroids.
* Fibroids run in families. One study suggested that women are twice as likely to develop fibroids if they run in the family.
* Women who have gone through menopause are less likely to be diagnosed with fibroids.
* Women who smoke are less likely to develop fibroids (even so, the adverse health effects of smoking far outweigh any possible benefits).

Treatment of Uterine Fibroids
Most uterine fibroids don’t need any treatment, because they don’t cause symptoms or problems. Uterine fibroids causing problems may be treated with non-surgical or surgical options.

Non-Surgical Treatment Options
I’m put on birth control to manage irregular bleeding. I feel like a kid again. I also told the pharmacist when I gave him my prescription. He said it was normal for 30 years old or above that we use the birth control pills. That was a tell-tale fact that he didn’t know that I was near 50. I told him to check on my database that caused him to mumble something I didn’t understand, but people waiting the line behind me also looked at me. I smiled when I walked away with the contraceptives. What I came up from researching online.

Watchful waiting: A minority of fibroids will naturally shrink over time. Most uterine fibroids will either stay the same size or grow, however.

Oral contraceptives (birth control pills): These contain hormones (estrogen, progesterone, or a combination) that can help reduce heavy periods caused by uterine fibroids.

Lupron: This hormone treatment stops menstrual periods and shrinks uterine fibroids. Lupron is usually used as a temporary treatment before surgery.

Intrauterine device (IUD) with levonorgestrel: Mirena is an IUD that releases a hormone that reduces heavy periods.

Pain relievers: Motrin or Aleve can reduce the pain caused by uterine fibroids.

Iron: Heavy periods caused by uterine fibroids can lead to iron-deficient anemia tablets iron can help the body replace the blood lost during menstruation.

Exercise I haven’t gotten around with exercise for a long while except walking. It’s not really brisk walking. That explains that I am gaining some weight lately. I also looked around to see if there are any suggestions for limited exercise methods for someone living with fibroids. What I found is that has been found in a clinical study that women who are physically active and are athletic are less prone to have fibroids as compared to less active women. The ideal exercise program is to increase physical activity without producing undue fatigue. You may begin with 10 to 15 minute several times a week. This should gradually be increased to 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day. Moderate exercise improves your cardiovascular system, helps keep off extra pounds, lowers cholesterol and reduces high blood pressure. Exercise also helps to improve your mental outlook and reduces stress. While there’s no way to prevent their development, exercise may help reduce your risk, especially when used as a tool to manage your weight. Exercise may also help ease some of the common symptoms associated with this condition.

Find something that you enjoy and remember to continue your program. Brisk walking is a favorite activity of many people. Other exercise to consider is swimming, aerobics, and cycling. If you are physically limited, I suggest you to consult with your doctor on other activities.

It has been a month now that I am taking oral contraceptives, it helps manage the irregular bleeding so far, and I realize that there are no refills on that prescription so I will follow up with the doctor to see what should help me to continue or not. Exercise is something that I haven’t started yet but I am working on it as soon as possible, uh er, when weather cooperates again with warmer weather this week.

Want to share your opinion with Christy? She can be reached at christysbuzz@gmail.com.

Athletes are often faced with punishment to teach them to be more disciplined or perhaps even punish them for behaviors that are inappropriate. As an athlete in high school, I came up with one type of punishment that I despised. If one of us were late to practice, we, yes, the whole team, had to dash several times on the basketball court. When the timer started, we ran, turned back, ran, touched baseline, ran, ran further, turned back, ran, touched baseline, ran, ran further, turned back, ran faster and touched the baseline. If we don’t succeed within one minute, we had to do it all over again. We were in pain, clutching our teeth, sweating, gasping for air, eyes crossed (ok I exaggerated), and of course, swore profanities. I still remember one of the girls who was wrenching in pain from cramps. I felt so bad for her. The coach ignored her. It went on until we finally made it less than one minute after probably trying three times. The fourth time was a charm. No, it didn’t happen on the third time by the way. The other type of punishment we’ve experienced was running around the gym floor ten times if the individual player comes in late or mouthing off. There was nothing worse during my years of playing sports in the high school.

I heard other types of some more severe punishment on athletes that they experienced getting: running up and down the steps or running around the track until a player throws up, excessive exercise, or denial of receiving fluids. I researched it and it came up with the types and definitions of abuse on the athletes. Verbal abuses, psychological or emotional abuse, physical abuse, bullying and hazing are the types of the abuse on athletes.

1. Verbal abuse is the most common type of abuse on the athletes includes name-calling, hurtful comments regarding performance, swearing at the player and comments meant to demean a person’s integrity.
2. Psychological or emotional abuse includes having unrealistic goals or expectations from athletes, keeping athletes from participating in games or practices, issuing threats or continually making demeaning statements.
3. Physical Abuse includes using any type of hurtful touch causing pain, use of excessive exercise, and denial of fluids as a form of punishment or a way of creating team discipline.
4. Bullying is a form of verbal, physical or psychological abuse and includes the deliberate, repeated and sometimes health-endangering mistreatment.
5. Hazing is expected of any activity for existing team members of someone joining a team, that would humiliate, degrade or risk emotional and/or physical harm, regardless of the player’s willingness to participate.

Coaches exercise power over athletes whether in giving them praise or criticism, evaluating them, making recommendations that further their athletic goals or conferring any other benefits on them, in the same way, some athletes may exert power over other athletes as a function of the bullying individual’s status. The use of derogatory language and internationally hurtful statements from coach to athlete or among athletes is wrong because coaches and sponsoring schools have a professional responsibility for the players.

I do not intend to hurt any of you who participated in sports and I’m here to ask one of you if you have or had the experience of receiving any type of punishment and what is your opinion of today’s punishment, which is better or worse?

Want to share your opinion with Christy? She can be reached at christysbuzz@gmail.com.