food and nutrition 63
professional help.
It’s diffi cult to tell exactly what is fi ltered out by the local water company
or by home water fi lters. Regularly found in tap water in the past was a
chemical called nonylphenol, which mimics estrogen and causes disruption
in the endocrine, nervous, and immune systems of both people and ani-
mals. There has been a 30 percent increase in prostate cancers over the past
several decades, and many more male genital deformities are occurring.
This has been coupled with a huge drop in male fertility.
Buying bottles of water can be useful for easy access to good-quality water.
Compared to the rest of Europe, Britain buys the least bottled water — we
are still committed to our tap water, it seems (according to 1998 statistics).
Some people opt to use some kind of home water fi lter. This system gener-
ally relies on regular changing of fi lters and cleaning of equipment to
ensure that the bacteria levels themselves do not become a hazard. Not all
fi lters are capable of removing all the undesirable chemicals. Water distill-
ers are yet another choice. They remove approximately 99 percent of im-
purities such as arsenic, barium, cadmium, nitrates, chlorine, and chloro-
form. They work by heating water placed inside the unit; as the temperature
rises, light gases start to discharge through the ventilating system. When the
water temperature reaches the boiling point, bacteria and viruses are killed,
and the boiling water produces steam. As the steam rises into a stainless
steel cooling coil, chemicals, salts, and other water contaminants are left
behind. As the vapor is cooled, it recondenses as water. This water passes
through an activated carbon fi lter in the spout, and the purifi ed water is
then collected in a storage container. Meanwhile, the contaminants are left
behind in the stainless steel interior and can easily be cleaned away. They
appear as a greeny, yellowy-gray sludge.
homemade barley water
Barley water rejuvenates the kidneys. To make it, use half a cup of whole
barley to fi ve cups of water. Add one-quarter of a cinnamon stick and
some grated ginger, and simmer for twenty minutes; then, after cooling,
strain, add fresh lemon juice for extra fl avor, and drink once a day.
Vegetables
Vegetables should be organic, and a proportion should be eaten raw.
When cooking, use a steamer, as the vegetables retain their color, shape,
texture, and fl avor, not to mention all the vitamins and minerals. Try to
eat a wide variety of vegetables to ensure a broader sweep of nutritional
and medicinal needs.
63 The Complete Home Guide to Herbs, Natural Healing, and Nutrition