Why We Don't Drink Fluoride & GIVEAWAY!!

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When traveling in the states last fall... I had a few gals ask me why we filter water with our little Travel Berkey System and what was wrong with tap water. They also asked what was wrong with drinking fluoride when I mentioned it also had arsenic/fluoride filters.


Here, I am going to talk about that... well, write about it. I find that sometimes it is easier for me to write out my reasons than explain them. I'm sure some of you are the same way  :o)


The issue about fluoride is somewhat controversial because so many believe what the dentists and FDA has been telling us for years, "Fluoride is good for your teeth!"... um, then why isn't it really helping? Kids are breaking out in cavities with their baby teeth, for crying out loud! Some might say, "Well, you aren't using enough fluoride."


Ha! That's a lie and let's talk about that...

Let's Talk About Fluoride
How much do you really know about fluoride? Do you really believe that fluoride is healthy and will prevent cavities?


Would you believe it if I say that fluoride can destroy bones, damage fertility and cause early puberty in children? Even Germany's Nazi knew that and used fluoride in their camps to sterilize the people and more!


Did you know that water fluoridation has been banned in many countries such as China, Japan, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Scotland, Sweden and Switzerland (While some European countries add fluoride to salt, the majority do not.). So, rather than mandating fluoride treatment for the whole population, western Europe allows individuals the right to choose, or refuse, fluoride.


Should that tell us something?


You need to know that fluoride is the only chemical added to drinking water for the purpose of medication (mainly to prevent tooth decay, which is bogus) and has very little benefit (and many risks) when swallowed.


Finally, did you know that fluoride is an active ingredient in many pesticides and rodenticides? It is a powerful poison and more acutely poisonous than lead!


And they are telling us to give this to our kids?! Thankfully they are no longer recommending fluoride for babies under a year, but no one should be taking in fluoride at all!


Yet, fluoride is prevalent in America... it's in the water, juice, soda, wine, coffee, baby formulas, food and processed food. On top of that, majority of the cities have fluoridated water.

Its in Almost Everything

Many of us think we can avoid fluoride by simply using fluoride-free toothpaste, but you can't stop there. Almost all beverages sold in stores and restaurants are made with tap water. So, if you are drinking those beverages... you are still taking in a fair amount of fluoride.

Fluoride is being consumed from many things, even things you would not have thought possible... Toothpaste (w/ fluoride), baby formula, foods cooked in fluoride, soups, cigarettes, fluoridated salt, anesthetics, packaged & processed foods, food cooked in Teflon cookware, sodas & soft drinks, fruit juice (unless it is freshly squeezed at home), beer & wine (unless imported from outside of USA), coffee & tea (when made with fluoridated water) and the list goes on.

And don't think you can simply buy bottled water to avoid fluoride. It has been found in bottled water along with many other contaminants. Bottled water is also typically "dead water", read more here.

Thankfully we don't have to worry about fluoride as much here, but we still have the special fluoride & arsenic reduction elements in our Berkey System for safety reasons. Our water comes from a well, but who knows what might be in the soil around us! We also bring our own filtered water when we head into the city to do our monthly shopping.

The 11 Health Dangers

Now, let's take a closer look at fluoride and dig around to learn that not only does it not prevent tooth decay, but also the many health problems it creates. I linked each to information found on the Fluoride Action Network. Their research is intensive and they are fighting to expose the truth.

1. Allergy/Hypersensitivity
2. Arthritis
3. Bone Disease/Fractures
4. Brain Damage
5. Cancer
6. Dental Fluorosis
7. Gastrointestinal problems
8. Compromise Immune System
9. Kidney Disease
10. Interferes with Reproductive System
11. Impairs Thyroid Function

Source

What Really Causes Tooth Decay?

I'm sure that is one question that is running through your mind... what causes tooth decay then? If fluoride doesn't prevent it and only causes more damage, what can I do to prevent tooth decay in myself and kids?

It all comes down to the diet... what you eat to nourish or not nourish your body will affect your teeth. 

To explain it all will make this a very looong post. So, I rather recommend an excellent book, "Cure Tooth Decay: Heal and Prevent Cavities with Nutrition, 2nd Edition". Reading this book is a good place to start to understand how your diet effects your teeth and how you can cure tooth decay through simple, yet sometimes hard, changes in what you and your family eat.

Filtering Out Fluoride & The GIVEAWAY!

There really are only three ways you can filter out fluoride... reverse osmosis, distilling or buying a Berkey System with the PF-2 Fluoride & Arsenic filter attachments.

Using a reverse osmosis or distilling is not ideal as they are void of vital minerals needed for the body to properly digest the water. Making it dead water... which can be dangerous for anybody to drink long-term, especially if you have a family history of osteoporosis.

So, my only recommendation is getting a Berkey System with the PF-2 Fluoride & Arsenic Reduction Elements. This filtering setup does not remove all the vital minerals like the reverse osmosis or distilling, yet it reduces your intake of fluoride up to 95% to 99.75%!! What very little you do take in, your body is able to remove naturally.

Thanks to the generosity of LPC Survival... 2 winners will each receive one set of PF-2 Fluoride & Arsenic Reduction Elements (valued at $44.99 each)! This is great for those of you who already own a Berkey System, yet don't have these filters or do and need to replace them. For those who don't have a Berkey System... don't let that stop you from entering! If you win, that might just be the motivation to get yourself a Berkey System  :o)

How to Enter...

For the giveaway I am going to use the Rafflecopter. Simply sign in using your Email Address or Facebook Account. Follow through the list of options to enter and increase your chances of winning!

Giveaway starts now and ends on August 10th. I will only announce the winner on Facebook (not on my blog) and will contact the winner via email within 2 weeks.Thanks for participating and spreading the word about the giveaway.  Hugs!

Note: I am not affiliated with LPC Survival and all opinions are my own.

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Hard Truths About Water & Sport Berkey Water Bottles Giveaway ($50 value!)

As missionaries, filtered water is vital for our health and survival in a third world country where natural water sources are questionable and usually unsafe to drink.


Water is so necessary for life, but is being treated with much disregard... especially in third world countries. Black water and human waste are being dumped in the rivers and lakes, factory farms dump their manure waste close to water sources where antibiotics and parasites can contaminate surrounding water wells, chemical runoff from farms overusing pesticides & herbidcides, industrial wastes, pollution and garbage dumps from the cities always end up leaching all sorts of metals, arsenic, poisons and petrochemicals into the water.


Thankfully, there are resources available to provide clean, healthy water... but they aren't all easily accessible or affordable for most people in the world! It all seems depressing when I think how far we've come to cause so much damage through simply being wasteful, unthoughtful and unwise. Our actions are causing others to not be able to have access to clean water that is safe to drink.


That is a problem that we are actually excited to tackle in a small way this month with our local community. We will keep you posted through RO4Y's website (and probably here) about our BioSand water filters that we are gathering for the local people to help build for themselves and their families! Prayerfully it will happen soon. Stay tuned!

Traveling With the Berkey
Whenever my family and I travel we never leave the house without our Sport Berkey Water Bottles which contains portable water filters inside. We can safely fill our bottles with tap water wherever we are. The Sport Portable Water Purifier eliminates or reduces up to 99.9% of:

• Unpleasant taste and odors, cloudiness, silt, sediment and chlorine.

• Toxic chemicals: Trihalomethanes, VOCs, detergents, pesticides, etc.

• Harmful microscopic pathogens: Cryptosporidium, Giardia, E-coli 99.99999% and other pathogenic bacteria.

• Heavy metals: Aluminum, Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Lead, and Mercury.

• Radiologicals: Radon 222

Most people wonder why we even bother to do that when we can just buy bottled water. Some even think we are crazy for doing such a thing like that!


Unfortunately, bottled water isn't even the best option when searching for safe, clean water to drink. I trust my Berkey water bottle way more than I trust a bottle of RO (Reverse Osmosis) water. 

The Hard Truth About Bottled Water
In third world countries, bottled water is heavily used by foreigners & locals alike and most never question the companies who produce the filtered bottled water. Most people believe that bottle water is perfectly safe & healthy to drink. I am sorry to say that this is far from the truth. Besides it being expensive and harmful to our environment, it is also dead water.


I've learned to question where my source of water is coming from. With bottled water there are two questions you should be asking... Where do they get their water and how are they filtering it?


To answer the first question, a majority of companies simply use regular tap water and filter it. Right there, you should be concern. Why? Because not everything gets filtered out. Most water sources in third world countries are already coming from contaminated rivers and lakes that go through a questionable process of being cleaned & "treated". Independent studies have found that contents of bottled water contains chemicals from the plastic containing the water, caffeine, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals and minerals including arsenic & radioactive isotopes, fertilizer residue (nitrate and ammonia) and a broad range of industrial chemicals used as solvents, plasticizers, viscosity, degreasing agents and propellants.


Now, I know the article linked up there is mostly talking about bottled water in the USA (which is scary and wrong), but if they are finding contamination in US bottled water... how much more can be found in bottled water in third world countries where corruption, greed, lack of care and lack of sanitation is so common?!


Yeah, think about that for a minute.


I could go on and on about how bad bottled water is with all the information I've found through my research (did you know that water companies are taking water from other countries to bottle and sell in the USA?!), but maybe another time  :o)


The Risks of Drinking Dead Water 
Now, my second question... how do most of these companies filter their water sources? Most likely with a reverse osmosis (RO) system which is supposed to filter out everything, but in the process all the good stuff that needs to be in the water to make it living, reviving, refreshing and life-giving also gets filtered out. Naturally, water contains calcium, potassium and magnesium that is vital for our bodies to absorb the water. Without them the pure water is basically dead and acid.

"...devices like R.O. purifiers remove everything from the water, harmful bacteria ( if any ) as well as beneficial minerals. This mineral-stripped water cannot sustain life even in a fish bowl. Like humans all fish require minerals to prosper, and if allowed to live in R. O. types of waters they will all perish. If this type of water is consumed for long periods of time, it will certainly result in acute deficiency of essential mineral elements like calcium ( Ca ), magnesium ( Mg ), and the precious mineral---silica ( SiO2 ). Hence, mineralized water is needed for all cellular functions of the body, and if there are no minerals in your drinking water your body will try to rob the minerals from some other parts of your body system to satisfy its needs. Mostly the bones and teeth are the worst victims to lose calcium, magnesium, etc. Although we can take mineral supplements to replace them, but it is not easy to replace the minerals in our body with the same speed with which we have lost them." source

So, when you drink a bottle of water... do you find yourself enjoying the water and being satisfied? Does it taste good and refreshing? Make you feel energized? Or do you feel more thirsty and the taste is unappealing? Do you often suffer from headaches? Bone pain? Constant fatigue? Even feel dehydrated even though you drink a lot of water? Those are symptoms of your body lacking vital minerals needed to properly absorb the water you are drinking. In order for the body to absorb the pure (dead) water, it has to pull minerals from your bones and that is not good for women who have or are at risk of osteoporosis.

"Water is called the universal solvent for a very good reason.  Plain H2O is very good at dissolving a wide variety of substances.  Natural water is very rich in minerals because of this, and much of the minerals vital to our good health come from natural water.  Think of plain H2O like a sponge, needing to soak up minerals.  It will do this from your own body, making this an unhealthy long term choice to drink. It is especially bad for women with or at risk of getting osteoporosis." source

My Experience With RO Water
I lived on RO bottled water for almost a year when we first moved to Honduras and hated it. I felt like I was drinking plastic water and it was hard to even get my girls to drink it! I struggled mostly with fatigue and dehydration even though I drank several glasses a day. I also had headaches and hardly ever had them before I started drinking RO water! Through research I learned to put in a pinch of unrefined sea salt in my glass of water to put back the vital minerals needed to make the water taste & absorb better. It helped a lot, but the water was still "dead" and possibly "dirty" with contaminates... I knew we needed to find a better alternative for filtered water.


Thankfully, we were given a Royal Berkey System as a gift from our home church. We LOVE it and  are so grateful that we have it, but I will need to share more about this system in another post in the near future!

Travel Solution: The Sport Berkey Water Bottle
For those who travel a lot or have, ahem, a bad habit of buying bottled water. A Sport Berkey Water Bottle would be a smart buy for you. Not only will these bottles help put less plastic bottles in the garbage dumps, but it will also help you save $$ on bottled water filled with dead, worthless water and possibly "dirty".


We love our Berkey Water Bottles! My only complaint is that it is made of plastic, even though it is BPA-free plastic. For a while we were using the Ecousable Filter Water Bottles, but it seems they went out of business. I liked their bottles because it was made of stainless steel, but it was a little difficult sucking the water through the filter they provided in their bottles. Honestly, it was a pain and my husband was really annoyed with his Ecousable water bottle. He rarely used it unless he absolutely had to, but I am glad to say he loves his new Sport Berkey water bottle and takes it everywhere with him! It is so much easier to suck the water through the filter that even my young kids don't have a problem with it.


The only thing we have to remember about these bottles is that they don't filter out fluoride or arsenic like the standing Berkey Systems do when you purchase their fluoride/arsenic filters. It would be nice if they could create a filter that can do that, but it would take up too much room in the bottle. So, if you are really concern about these two poisons, then it would be a good idea to purchase a standing Berkey System and fill up a big water bottle to take around with you instead. You can even purchase a small travel Berkey System, we have one and used it for our travels when we were stateside last fall. It was great having it!!


For those who enjoy hiking... this is a great water bottle for you to carry along with you. You can easily fill your bottle from a river, lake or pond. Just remember that it can shorten the life of your filter and if you are concern that there might be sewage contamination... a few drops of chlorine or iodine will kill the bacteria and as you drink the water, the filter will clean out the few drops of chlorine or iodine so you will not have to worry about drinking those few drops.


All around, this is a great bottle to have on the run and for traveling!!


Now, the Giveaway!
Thanks to the generosity of LPC Survival, they not only gave me 3 bottles for my family to use (all my thoughts and opinions are my own), but they are going to give you a chance to win TWO Sport Berkey Water Bottles (valued $49.98)!!

How to Enter...

For this giveaway I am going to try out using the Rafflecopter. Simply follow through the list of options to enter and increase your chances of winning by how many points you collect.

Hope this goes well for our first try! Giveaway starts now and ends on May 31st. Thanks for participating and spreading the word about the giveaway.  Hugs!

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