Do you use a refillable water bottle? If so, what kind do you use? The reason I ask is at Kingdom Health, prevention is paramount for promoting positive health and wellness. The containers we use for our foods and drinks make a difference. I'm going to dive into that below.
Also using a reusable or refillable "anything" is a great way to be respectful to God on this Earth by being less wasteful, so if you use a refillable water bottle, my hat is off to you! We can't control it all, or throw the baby out with the bath water, yet we can do our part! Everyone's small contribution makes a big one at the end of the day!
Types of Water Bottles
There are several types of water bottles on the market today. Maybe at this point you might be thinking, "Marie, why are you writing about water bottles? Don't you have more serious topics to write about on this blog?" I will say to please bear with me. Remember I spoke about doing our small part, and how it makes a difference? Well, this has EVERYTHING to do with that idea.
Back to types of water bottles, the material it is composed of can vary. Perhaps you were conscious of this fact, or maybe you just needed a container to hold water in while you worked out so you didn't really think about it. Now, I'm asking you to think about it.
Common Types of Material Used
- Plastic
- Aluminum
- Stainless Steel
- Glass
Below I will discuss each one, it's properties, pros and cons.
Plastic
Plastic has become the material of the future. It is light, doesn't break easily, and is cheap. Unfortunately, plastic while it doesn't crack easily, isn't all it's cracked up to be. The dangers of the toxins in plastic have made it's way into the public eye over the past few years. My concern is that we aren't looking at the big picture. There are two toxins that we hear about the most: BPA (Bi-Phesnol A) and phthalates. BPA is a chemical used to keep plastic hard and phthalates is a chemical used to keep it soft. BPA is an endocrine system disruptor. Basically it's messing terribly with our hormones. It's really difficult to avoid all BPA. Plastic is around us everywhere. Think about toddlers sipping on juice, water, and milk all day in sippy cups. We are inundated even in infancy. Consumers have made a conscious effort over the years to switch water bottles to BPA free plastic choices. While I applaud this effort, plastic has other chemicals to be aware of as well as the treatment of plastic. Plastic has numbers listed on it to tell you what it is made out of for awareness. Read more here.You should never heat any container made from plastic, especially baby bottles. Most baby bottles have BPA in them, and heating these plastics releases even more BPA. This is so dangerous to our children. Reduce plastic usage in the home over-all as a safety precaution, especially where food and drinks are concerned.
Stainless Steel
While more expensive and heavier than plastic and aluminum, steel is extremely durable. Steel is a safe metal, not lined with plastics, does not leach, and is a wonderful conductor of heat and cold. If you take good care of your stainless steel water bottle, it should last forever. This is a much safer option and practical for kids.
Glass
This is my favorite choice. The downsides are it is heavy and breakable. The upsides far supersede the negatives though. Glass is a very sustainable and safe resource. While at one time the only option for glass water bottles was an old mason jar (which I do all the time anyway), using glass bottles has become so trendy that now there are many options. You can find designer water bottles with protective casings at Target, Walmart, Whole Foods, local health food stores, and online. More and more ready made drinks are being sold in glass. If you are environmentally conscious, you can easily reuse one of these for your own personal water bottle. Then if it breaks, just buy another beverage of your choice ;) Baby bottles are also available in glass. If at all possible, try to use glass bottles for infants. While babies are in the womb they are exposed to so many chemicals. Every effort we can make to reduce this count is a step in health's direction.
Helping you to be a good steward of your health!~Marie A. Ligorria, HHC
Plastic has become the material of the future. It is light, doesn't break easily, and is cheap. Unfortunately, plastic while it doesn't crack easily, isn't all it's cracked up to be. The dangers of the toxins in plastic have made it's way into the public eye over the past few years. My concern is that we aren't looking at the big picture. There are two toxins that we hear about the most: BPA (Bi-Phesnol A) and phthalates. BPA is a chemical used to keep plastic hard and phthalates is a chemical used to keep it soft. BPA is an endocrine system disruptor. Basically it's messing terribly with our hormones. It's really difficult to avoid all BPA. Plastic is around us everywhere. Think about toddlers sipping on juice, water, and milk all day in sippy cups. We are inundated even in infancy. Consumers have made a conscious effort over the years to switch water bottles to BPA free plastic choices. While I applaud this effort, plastic has other chemicals to be aware of as well as the treatment of plastic. Plastic has numbers listed on it to tell you what it is made out of for awareness. Read more here.You should never heat any container made from plastic, especially baby bottles. Most baby bottles have BPA in them, and heating these plastics releases even more BPA. This is so dangerous to our children. Reduce plastic usage in the home over-all as a safety precaution, especially where food and drinks are concerned.
Aluminum
Why use aluminum? Well, for one thing it is light, so it is easy to carry. It is a metal that is abundant, so that also makes it inexpensive. Unfortunately, aluminum is also a neuro-toxin. Recently, I wrote a blog post on aluminum in our vaccines. Dr. Mercola, renowned osteopathic doctor, compares aluminum in the brain to cigarette smoke in the lungs. There was a recent medical study done directly linking Alzheimer's Disease to aluminum build up in the body. Aluminum is naturally occurring in our soil, however over exposure is a villain to our health. Vast amounts of aluminum is dumped into our drinking water, certain mining efforts have created an excess as well, and now aluminum is a common substance used to make cookware, deodorant, baking powder, and more including our portable water bottles. Heavy metals, especially aluminum has been known to leach into liquids. Aluminum bottles are also often lined with BPA. This definitely makes it a poor choice.
Why use aluminum? Well, for one thing it is light, so it is easy to carry. It is a metal that is abundant, so that also makes it inexpensive. Unfortunately, aluminum is also a neuro-toxin. Recently, I wrote a blog post on aluminum in our vaccines. Dr. Mercola, renowned osteopathic doctor, compares aluminum in the brain to cigarette smoke in the lungs. There was a recent medical study done directly linking Alzheimer's Disease to aluminum build up in the body. Aluminum is naturally occurring in our soil, however over exposure is a villain to our health. Vast amounts of aluminum is dumped into our drinking water, certain mining efforts have created an excess as well, and now aluminum is a common substance used to make cookware, deodorant, baking powder, and more including our portable water bottles. Heavy metals, especially aluminum has been known to leach into liquids. Aluminum bottles are also often lined with BPA. This definitely makes it a poor choice.
Stainless Steel
While more expensive and heavier than plastic and aluminum, steel is extremely durable. Steel is a safe metal, not lined with plastics, does not leach, and is a wonderful conductor of heat and cold. If you take good care of your stainless steel water bottle, it should last forever. This is a much safer option and practical for kids.
Glass
This is my favorite choice. The downsides are it is heavy and breakable. The upsides far supersede the negatives though. Glass is a very sustainable and safe resource. While at one time the only option for glass water bottles was an old mason jar (which I do all the time anyway), using glass bottles has become so trendy that now there are many options. You can find designer water bottles with protective casings at Target, Walmart, Whole Foods, local health food stores, and online. More and more ready made drinks are being sold in glass. If you are environmentally conscious, you can easily reuse one of these for your own personal water bottle. Then if it breaks, just buy another beverage of your choice ;) Baby bottles are also available in glass. If at all possible, try to use glass bottles for infants. While babies are in the womb they are exposed to so many chemicals. Every effort we can make to reduce this count is a step in health's direction.
Helping you to be a good steward of your health!~Marie A. Ligorria, HHC
Thanks Marie, I'll have to look for the glass bottles. I have tried the stainless steel option but I don't like how my water tastes. Now I use ceramic travel mugs for my hot tea and water. They come with soft plastic lids, which I mostly use to keep things from spilling, not to drink through. They are also easier to clean when you are transporting a shake or green juice!
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