Building a Strong Foundation
Story and photography by Hunter Burgtorf
We all want to be the epitome of health. We buy fancy skin-care products, go to classes such as Pilates and HIIT religiously, and look into every new-age trend as soon as it hits the market. For what? A sliver of a chance to be timeless. An elegant adage that tells us we’re the lucky ones. Face-to-face with our mortality, we put our faith into every dazzling thing as the next great way to look and feel younger. But the problem is, we’re missing out on the real secret: health and beauty come from a more foundational approach. We can layer all the creams and try all the juice fasts, but if we don’t have a strong structure, then what’s the point?
A return to lasting, vibrant health lies in the basics of how we take care of ourselves daily. It’s about nourishing our bodies with bioavailable foods, removing toxins from our homes that leach into our skin, and, most importantly, ensuring the quality of water we drink.
The water we consume today is infested with all kinds of contaminants, such as nitrates, arsenic, E. coli, and fecal material (ew!), to name a few. In reality, the EPA estimates that over sixty thousand chemicals are currently used in water in the US. Meanwhile, the Safe Drinking Water Act only oversees ninety-one contaminants.
When you drink this kind of supercharged water, you’re experiencing hydrogen broken down to a level that is easily absorbed into the bloodstream.
If you’re health- or eco-conscious, you may think this doesn’t apply to you because you have a purification or reverse osmosis system or bring your water bottle everywhere. But these types of water can also do damage by removing essential minerals for growing strong bones and filtering water through dangerous aluminum levels that could lead to degenerative diseases.
In addition, we’re chronically dehydrated as a society because water alone can’t break the barriers to hydrate our bodies on a cellular level. A 2015 study from Scotland’s St. Andrews University looked at various beverages to find exactly which one is the most hydrating and learned that regular water is missing key elements to absorb properly in human bodies, including fat, salt, and sugar. So, what’s the solution?
I believe it’s drinking electrolyzed-reduced water filled with molecular hydrogen, produced through a properly filtered system that doesn’t remove crucial minerals your body needs. Molecular hydrogen (H2) is an antioxidant that diffuses across cell membranes and can reduce free radicals, suppressing oxidative stress. When you drink this kind of supercharged water, you’re experiencing hydrogen broken down to a level that is easily absorbed into the bloodstream.
While you can’t just go out to a creek or put in a simple filter to access this healing water, you can get it from a water ionizer machine that produces six different types of pH-adjusted water. These types of water can do anything from disinfecting your counters to giving your skin a fantastic glow, being used as a laundry detergent, watering your plants, and more.
Alkaline water has undergone a chemical change, meaning substances were added to raise the pH level above 7.
For example, the 11.5 pH level setting is an oil emulsifier and can be used as a makeup remover, to wash pesticides off produce, to remove stains, and more. The 6.0 pH setting, which is the same pH level as rainwater, skin, and hair, can be used for conditioner, skin toner, and fabric softener and replace window and mirror cleaners. The 2.5 pH setting is hypochlorous acid and is used as an antibacterial cleaner in hospitals, hand sanitizer, and deodorant, as well as to treat skin conditions such as fever blisters, psoriasis, and acne. The 7.0 pH setting is clean drinking water for baby formula and taking medication. And finally, you can use the 8.5–9.5 pH settings for cooking, losing weight, boosting athletic performance, enhancing recovery, and, ideally, drinking. To put it in perspective, the antioxidant levels of drinking an eight-ounce glass of 9.5 pH water are the equivalent of eating one thousand blueberries.
“But isn’t this the same as those alkaline bottled waters I can buy at the grocery store?”
No, this is far from it. Alkaline water has undergone a chemical change, meaning substances were added to raise the pH level above 7. Ingredients include sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), dipotassium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, calcium, chloride, and electrolytes. Alkalized water (electrolyzed-reduced water) has undergone an electrical change by being run across electrically charged plates. This changes the ratio of OH- to H+ ions, making the water either alkaline or acidic. Again, the only ingredient is water.
When you invest in a water ionizer machine, you’re investing in your health and well-being for the next twenty-plus years. You’re also reducing your need for single-use plastics and doing your part to better the environment. Health is wealth. And when we break down the actual layers needed to thrive, we return to those fundamental principles of nourishing ourselves thoroughly, hydrating ourselves efficiently, and empowering ourselves to be influential beings in our communities and beyond.
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If you’d like to learn more about water ionizer machines, please email Hunter Burgtorf at hello@hunterburgtorf.com.
