5 Tips For Choosing A Water Filter

We are fortunate to live in a country where water is piped directly to our homes. The days of hauling water from an outside source are over for Americans. However, there is a price we pay for this convenient and somewhat safe system. Somewhat safe because we make a trade - our water is disinfected and much disease is prevented, but what we disinfect with has its own dangers.

Chlorine is universally used to chemically disinfect water. It kills germs, bacteria and other living organisms. Chlorine readily passes through the cell wall and attaches to the fatty acids of the cell, disrupting the life sustaining functions. Chlorine doesn't distinguish between a bacteria cell in the water or pipe and a human cell in your body. We know chlorine kills, that's why we use it; that it doesn't stop killing cells just because it enters our body is an important piece of information.

Chlorine also transforms into some very dangerous carcinogenic substances, like, trihalomethanes. These form when the chlorine interacts with organic material in the water that is being disinfected. Nearly all municipal water sources have been tested and shown to have trihalomethanes. The removal of these is recommended before drinking, washing or bathing in water.

One half of our daily chlorine (and trihalomethane) exposure is from showering. Chlorine is not only absorbed through the skin, but also re-vaporized in the shower, inhaled into the lungs, and transferred directly into the blood system. In fact, the chlorine exposure from one shower is equal to an entire day's amount of drinking the same water, according to some estimates. Add to this the fact that vaporized chlorine forms toxic compounds, such as chloroform that remains in the air in your home long after the shower is over.

"Almost two decades have passed since known or suspected human carcinogens were first found in municipal water supplies. One of them, chloroform, produced by the chlorination process, exposes millions of Americans. The potential for a major public health problem is unquestionably there, and yet, progress has been slow." 
-Dr. Peter Isacson, M.D., Professor of Epidemiology, Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Iowa College of Medicine.

Families with young children, people with compromised immune function and the elderly are particularly at risk when exposed to toxic chemicals. 

There are many point-of-use filtration devices which reliably remove harmful substances from household tap water. The EPA has a pamphlet available online and further information can be found at the National Resource Defense Council's website.

The ability to control your family's water quality is priceless, but the cost of the tools to do the job doesn't have to be astronomical.

Use these 5 Tips For Choosing A Water Filter

• Research a variety of providers and technologies. 
• Make sure the system doesn't waste water while cleaning it. 
• Make sure the filtration system doesn't strip the water of all minerals and energy. 
• Choose a system that provides water of the proper pH for the body. 
• Confirm the manufacturer's claims with the Water Quality Association and the National Sanitation Foundation.

Remember, doing a little is more fulfilling than  thinking that a little won't matter.    

Best Way To Reduce Arsenic in Your Rice

Courtesy FDA

Recently the FDA and Consumer Reports have shown dangerous levels of arsenic in our rice. It doesn't appear to matter very much if the rice is grown organically or by synthetic-farming methods. 

The source of the arsenic is in the water used to irrigate the rice, and that was contaminated when arsenic-based pesticides were used in the past, and that overall, many drinking water sources contain arsenic. 

There is a proven method for reducing your family's risk:

"High volume water : rice cooking did effectively remove both total and inorganic arsenic for the long-grain and basmati rice (parboiled was not investigated in high volume cooking water experiment), by 35% and 45% for total and inorganic arsenic content, respectively, compared to uncooked (raw) rice."

Based on this research, enjoy this recipe from Saveur.com:  

Perfect Brown Rice 

Cooking brown rice, or at least cooking it well, is tricky. The goal is to soften the texture of each grain's fibrous bran coating—a process that takes longer than that called for in the cooking of white rice—without causing the rice to become mushy. 

Unfortunately, the labels on most packaged brown rice recommend an ineffective method that suggests boiling water and rice in a two-to-one ratio, then allowing the mixture to simmer for 40 minutes or more, until all the liquid is absorbed. 

We followed those directions and ended up throwing away more than a few pots of unsatisfying rice. What we ultimately found is that brown rice looks and tastes the best when it has been boiled and drained like pasta and then steamed in the small amount of moisture that remains in the pot. 

The boiling cooks the rice, while the subsequent steaming allows the grains to retain their integrity and come out light and fluffy. 

MAKES 2 CUPS INGREDIENTS 1 cup short, medium, or long-grain brown rice Kosher salt, to taste 

 INSTRUCTIONS 
1. Rinse rice in a strainer under cold running water for 30 seconds. Bring 12 cups water to a boil in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid over high heat. Add the rice, stir it once, and boil, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Pour the rice into a strainer over the sink. 

2. Let the rice drain for 10 seconds, then return it to the pot, off the heat. Cover the pot and set it aside to allow the rice to steam for 10 minutes. Uncover the rice, fluff with a fork, and season with salt.