Is water from refilling stations safe?
It all depends on the station that you choose. A recent report shows that seven out of ten (441 out of 630) refilling stations in two key cities in Metro Manila are in violation of the guidelines of the Department of Health for safety and water quality. Majority of these violators did not use proper attire, mask, caps, gloves, and did not follow proper procedures in their filtration system for clean and safe water. This could be symptomatic of a national scope of this malpractice because of laxity in the implementation of the law by governmental agencies.
So, choose your refilling station very well because the quality of water you drink greatly impacts your health. You can also check on the quality of water from your refilling station with the fantastic device we described below.
A few years back, we have written about the bottled water scam, where vendors on the street were selling faucet water in re-used (resealed) water bottles.
Now, to protect ourselves, we can get a gadget called TDS meter.
To test the water ourselves in our home, at work, or even at a restaurant, we can purchase a TDS water meter, which is around $15, which tests for Total Dissolved Solids (chemical, minerals, metals, and other contaminants, not microorganisms). This method of instant water testing, using this pen-like portable devise is very accurate in quantifying the amount of TDS in the water. TDS level that is lower than 500 ppm is deemed safe by the US Food and Drug Administration, but the lower the better, even down to 50 or to zero.
The multi-stage reverse osmosis (RO) water filtration systems with membranes and UV filters used by refilling stations that remove Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), both organic and inorganic solids such as salts, minerals and metals, and also other contaminants like bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoan, also improve the softness, clarity, taste, odor, besides providing clean water. This is, of course, predicated upon the proper handling and proper use of this system.
Recently, ZeroWater filters for city faucet water at homes and offices became available. They are sold in many department stores ($15 for the personal tumbler, $35 for 10-cup pitcher, and $39 for 23-cup dispenser). The last 2 come with a “free” TDS meter. This wonderful filter could bring the total dissolved solids in city faucet water to zero, yes, zero, like in distilled water or in Absolute brand of bottled water in the Philippines. City water filtered by ZeroWater could also be used for irons, clothes steamer, humidifiers, CPAP machines, or any other sensitive devices that use distilled water only.
This zero water removes all minerals, but as long as one eats nourishing food well everyday which contains a lot of minerals, this water is safe.
If in doubt, or for curiosity, use a TDS meter to test for the water quality at home, at a restaurant or anywhere. The ZeroWater filter and the TDS meter are truly amazing.
Do we have an obesity epidemic?
No, not an epidemic but a pandemic. Since 1980, obesity has doubled globally. Worldwide, today, there are more than 1.9 billion adults, ages 18 and older, who are overweight, 600 million of them are obese. In 2013, 42 million children under 5 were overweight or obese. BMI (Body Mass Index) is the person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of his/her height in meters (kg/m2). The WHO defines normal weight as a BMI of less than 25, overweight as a BMI greater than 25, and obesity as a BMI greater than or equal to 30. This is a rough guide since the degree of fatness differs in every individual.
Does rice contribute to obesity and illnesses?
Yes, rice is the major culprit in causing obesity in Asia and countries where it is the staple food. This is why there are more than 4 million Filipinos with type 2 diabetes, ranking 15th in prevalence, among the 387 million diabetics worldwide. Carbohydrates in general, like rice, bread, cake, ice cream, desserts and other sweets and starches, are the leading causes of obesity. Carb are responsible for high blood triglyceride level and they, especially rice, increase the risk for type 2 diabetes, heart attack, stroke, Alzheimer’s, and even cancer. Carb with high glycemic index (GI), like rice, rapidly elevate the blood glucose (sugar) level, which is unhealthy. Most pastas have medium (more than 55) GI. Foods with very low glycemic index (GI 20 or less) or low GI (55 or less) are healthier, causing slower absorption and gradual even rise in glucose level. Consuming food with low glycemic index has been shown to decrease the risk for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular illnesses, metabolic syndrome, kidney disease, stroke, depression, gall stone and uterine fibroid formation, and cancers of the colon, breast, prostate, and pancreas. High GI foods increase the risk for those diseases.
For those trying to lose weight, cutting down on rice intake, or eliminating it altogether, amazingly speeds up weight reduction. Minimizing other carb with high glycemic index is also healthy.
Most vegetables and spices, salmon, cod, sardines, tuna, shrimp, oats, quinoa, yogart, tofu, olives, berries, nuts, grass-fed beef, pasture-raised chicken and turkey, have low glycemic index. For a list of other foods and their glycemic index, go to www.whfoods.com or Google it.
Does my doctor know which drug is best for me?
No. The truth is we, physicians heretofore, actually did not know precisely how effective (to what degree) or exactly how each patient would react to drugs we prescribed. And I am talking about precision and specificity here. We had been prescribing medications on the basis of our training, experience, and information we learn from continuing medical education meetings.
We now have a precise way to obtain the information through genetic coding. With each individual’s genetic code, physicians today can predict which drugs would work best for each patient, which ones would be ineffective, and which drugs would result in adverse side effects for the person. (It is not uncommon to hear persons taking a prescribed drug and having allergic reaction to it. This could now be a thing of the past.)
On the website of the US Food and Drug Administration there are “more than 150 drugs for which DNA screening could be performed to prevent the use of medications not best for the patient, which could lead to treatment failure, and which drugs would provide optimal result, at what dose….this genetic testing is a life-saver for countless medications, including antidepressants, blood thinners, high blood pressure pills, etc.”
***
Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: [email protected]
