My Geology 101 professor told our class that the Detroit Water Treatment Plant was the best in the country, if not the world.
Based on what happened in Flint, it would appear this is still true.
He went on to explain that visitors came from all over to learn about their methodology. Well, that’s great…to a point. You see, what comes out of the treatment plant isn’t necessarily what comes out of your tap.
I don’t live in Flint. Even if you live in Detroit, there could be copper, lead, or other metals leaching into the pipes or in the delivery system.. Old houses and buildings may have excess copper or lead leaching into their water.
In other words, your water is as good as your weakest point.
What about those in the burbs? It depends. You are still going to be as clean as your weakest link, whether it’s in the delivery system traveling beneath the streets, or the pipes in your home.
What about those who have wells? Not so fast! Well water can be contaminated and even if it isn’t,, hard water is known to come with health problems, often due to heavy concentrations of calcium and other minerals.
That’s okay, we drink Reverse O water! Not a solution! Reverse osmosis removes all minerals. Drinking water is an important source of minerals for humans and animals.
I know a Detroit Area family who has a well and installed a fancy “take out everything” water system. The husband experienced severe cardiovascular issues. The doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him and were about to do a pretty major intervention. I explained the symptoms sounded like severe magnesium deficiency. Restoring the magnesium – not the invasive intervention – resolved the issue; quickly, too.
If you insist on drinking Reverse O water, you’d better remineralize it or find a very reliable (read NUTRITIONAL – NOT SUPPLEMENTAL) source of minerals.
Supplements may not be broken down by the body, nor absorbed fully, making them pretty much useless in some cases.
What’s the big deal? Without minerals, the body cannot make the enzymes and hormones it needs to function. Deprived long enough, the body breaks down.
Autoimmune disease!
The body cannot repair itself. It cannot build new cells (i.e. muscle, bones and developing teeth in children). It cannot make enzymes.
Hard to digest food and absorb minerals without enzymes.
It cannot make hormones.
Infertility, insomnia, inability to produce insulin.
For decades, there has been a focus on vitamins but the truth is, human health is dependent on minerals.
This is true for pets as well. If you have toxic or troublesome water – it will hurt them, too!
Flint. Parents are rushing their kids to get blood tests. This isn’t enough!
Even if the blood doesn’t show elevated levels of lead, there could be serious issues. This is because lead and other metals will displace important nutrients. They will take up the space meant for magnesium, potassium, zinc, and other crucial minerals.
So, what’s a parent to do? First, don’t panic!
If you panic, your kids will despair, and they are relying on you to help them feel safe and okay.
You can’t do anything about the past but you can direct the future. You can be empowered.
Hint: You won’t feel helpless, which will reduce sooooo much stress! Reduces anger, too!
As a parent who has been through this type of nightmare, I can share with you how I handled it.
This is not to replace a physician’s advice , but to complement it.
Detoxify. Not wanting to have harmful chemicals dump too quickly into their bodies I took a conservative approach. I used fresh juices and liquid mineral supplements to help chelate the heavy metals from their bodies.
This also helped replenish the lost minerals.
I began adding cilantro to almost everything, including the juice. I also added broccoli sprouts ,to meals.
I did not use supplemental chelators as this was too strong.. I did not use chlorella either.
I included vegetables and fruits as often as possible.
Fruits are excellent detoxifiers and fructose is a natural sugar. The body knows how to handle it. If you have difficulty digesting sugar – pay attention to your potassium – it’s too low.
In it for the long haul. This is a lengthy process. You don’t want to cause harm by dumping toxins into the bloodstream too quickly or leaching precious minerals. Slow and steady wins the race. It’s important to replace depleted minerals.
They will force out the metals.
Water is important – so have them drink clean water to help flush the body.
Have your doctor verify their kidneys have not been damaged and can handle the load.
Beware – drinking reverse osmosis water can cause the body to dump toxins at a faster rate. This can bring about detox symptoms which are no fun.
Look into Gerson therapy! You do not need to follow a strict Gerson protocol. Taking cues from the therapy can bring great healing.
Max Gerson understood the importance of detoxifying heavy metals and restoring nutritional balance. He also understood the importance of a healthy sodium-potassium balance in the body; something most US doctors don’t have a handle on.
Reducing sodium to reduce high blood pressure does not solve the underlying issue – low potassium.
Gerson therapy includes many delicious juice and soup recipes that may help restore nuteitional balance.
Too much… For those who say it’s too much hassle, too much money, etc? There is no simple solution. The body is a complex system and balance is important. If you had to do just one thing, add cilantro (inexpensive) and broccoli sprouts to just about everything you/they consume.
But I need help! realize not everyone has my background. Dr. Brownstein and his staff at the Center for Holistic Medicine in West Bloomfield, MI will definitely know how to guide worried parents.
Parents should be concerned about themselves, too. They were drinking the same water! The same treatment applies. Detox and replace depleted minerals!
What to expect? I asked my kids about their experience. They shrugged, said it wasn’t scary or difficult, and offered the following:
- I could focus better when I was studying.
- I had more energy
- My mind wasn’t as racy
- I sleep better than I did before
- I didn’t like the taste of the juice
I had the kids pick out shot glasses they liked and had them drink one glassful per day.. My husband and I drank the rest. I varied the juice as we went along, tweaking as appropriate.
I will write more in Part 2…
Filed under: Holistic Living
