When you get pneumonia or a really bad bug do you change anything in your less than green life? When I checked myself into Emergency a few days ago, the M.D.  diagnosed me with pneumonia and then went holistic on me by sending me to a Compound Pharmacy. I thought I was visiting a doctor, not a naturapathic holistic nutritionist.

I’m not judging anything yet, until I try for more than a week, what he recommended, including probiotics, lots of vitamin D, fish oils and Alkaline water to cure my burping problems. The pricey water tastes better than tap until you get on the internet where experts rip it big time.   

Here’s one Doctor’s opinion with quite the notariety.

“Taking calcium supplements or drinking alkaline water will not change the pH of your blood. If you hear someone say that your body is too acidic and you should use their product to make it more alkaline, you would be wise not to believe anything else the person tells you.”

He continues with “no foods change the acidity of anything in your body except your urine. Your stomach is so acidic that no food can change its acidity. Citrus fruits, vinegar, and vitamins such as ascorbic acid or folic acid do not change the acidity of your stomach or your bloodstream. An entire bottle of calcium pills or antacids would not change the acidity of your stomach for more than a few minutes.”

Mayo Clinic tells us…

“Alkaline water has a higher pH level than normal tap water. Some proponents say that alkaline water can neutralize acid in your bloodstream, boost your energy level and metabolism, and help your body absorb nutrients more effectively. Others say that alkaline water can help you resist disease and slow the aging process. However, there’s no scientific proof that any of these claims are true. For most people, plain water is best.”

What do you believe about Alkaline water?

We know our tap water provides us with safe levels of toxins, so any improvement with filtering is a smart green choice.

We know PLASTIC bottled water, like “Fiji”, which is supposedly “carbon-negative,” and the Lexus of PLASTIC bottled spring waters can’t be that good for us.

According to the company’s website, this product is carbon-negative – implying the planet would actually be worse off without it – for numerous reasons.

Starting in 2010, for instance, Fiji “will require 25% fewer emissions to produce and deliver; 50% of our energy will come from renewable sources like wind, to power their bottling facility in Fiji and biodiesel to replace traditional fuels used in transportation.”

The company is also investing in “forest carbon (e.g., reforestation) and renewable energy projects that prevent the release of carbon into the atmosphere; these add up to at least 120% of our remaining product lifecycle emissions.”

While carbon-offsets are a great way to make up for green sins, the fact remains that shipping water across the world in plastic bottles is far from environmentally sound. Tap water in a reusable stainless steel bottle is still a far better option.

I think the Fiji water thing is a joke. It’s a textbook example of using one so-called green aspect of a product as marketing tactic. I could maybe see this making sense if they were shipping it to countries that don’t have drinking water readily available, but we’ve got lots of water in America. At least for now.