14 Tips for a Healthier and Energetic Life

14 Tips for a Healthier and Energetic Life

14 Great Tips – The Essential Guide To Being Healthy and Gaining More Energy 

Working moms, dad, and adults are the modern-day superhero; every day, they put others’ needs in front of their own.

If you feel overwhelmed by juggling kids, work, and the household, this essential guide will help you slow things down and start enjoying your life again.

It is full of tips and tricks- some you will already be doing and others that will seem so obvious it will be a surprise they aren’t already part of your daily routine.

 

Find the right job to suit your lifestyle

It sounds easy enough, but if you find yourself in a working environment where taking time off to look after your sick child is looked down on, it might be time to find a new job.

Having frequent conversations with your supervisor about your schedule, priorities, and options is the only way to keep the communication lines at work open.

Your boss and colleagues need to know how much time and effort you can commit. Honesty is the best policy as committing yourself to too much will mean your work and family life will both suffer.

Only you know what you need to balance your roles as Mom and employee, so make sure you make yourself heard.

BUILD YOUR SUPPORT NETWORK

It is impossible for you to do everything. No matter how hard you try. If a loved one offers their help, accept it. If your Mom offers to babysit the kids after school, thank her and accept the generosity. Just make sure you don’t abuse their help as grandparents aren’t full-time babysitters.

No matter how hard it seems, it’s so important to have an open, frank, and honest conversation with your partner or parents in your support network about your vision for a work/life balance. If your loved ones understand what you want and what you need, then there is less likely to be miscommunications down the track.

You need to strengthen your relationships to save your time and energy. Open communications are the only way. You will be surprised when you open the boundaries. Open communication lines with those close to you are the only way. Trust!

Ask a little help from your friends

Get Organized

You need to put in place an organizing system that helps you run your home a little easier. Having a system is the best way to stay under your family budget while keeping your children comfortable with the routine.

Create a weekly meal planner

Having a weekly meal planner means you won’t be rushing out and spending money on last-minute meals. To make sure this runs smoothly, you need to sit down with all family members and see what they would like on the menu. Of course, take their suggestions with a grain of salt as your five years old might want waffles for every meal.

 

Keep an updated shopping list and take it with you to the supermarket!

To stay under the family budget, make sure you write a shopping list that works with your weekly meal planner. If you ever run out of something, make sure it goes on the list, be that milk, bread, or toilet paper. The second you run out, that item should be written on the list. This way, you won’t forget anything, and those last-minute trips to the supermarket will be a thing of the past.

 

Prepare for your day the night before

Lunches- When you make your kid’s lunches in a hurry, it is less likely to be healthy and contribute to a balanced diet. To reduce your stress, make the lunches for your entire family the night before. The easiest option is to use leftovers and put them straight into your kids’ lunchboxes.

If your kids are old enough, get them to make their own lunches. Set out the ingredients, let them choose their veggies, and another chore of yours disappears.

Not only will they are more likely to eat their lunch if they have made it themselves, but you are also teaching them a life skill!

 

Clothes- If you rush around first thing in the morning trying to find something clean to wear that day, then lay your clothes out the night before. It is so much more comfortable at night as the level of frustration is dramatically reduced as you are not rushed to find the missing sock!

Teach the kids this life skill and prepare as much as possible the night before they won’t be screaming or getting upset in the morning, turning the house upside down for that forever missing school shoe.

Backpacks– When your cell phone rings at 9 am, you know that your little one has forgotten that all-important book for the class she has every Monday morning. Help yourself and your kids by checking all books, pencils, pens, and rulers- everything that is needed for the next day is ready to go the night before.

Conquer your weekly Everest, the laundry mountain

It’s too bad fairy godmothers only exist in storybooks because once that laundry starts piling up, you wish you had one!

To relieve yourself of that heavy load, get yourself three clothes hampers-one each for darks, lights, and delicates. These should be communal hampers for the whole family, and to make sure this system works, you need to teach your kids and your partner where different colored clothes go. This will save you a lot of time and gives you some extra breathing space!

Another great tip is to fold the laundry while you do something fun. You and your spouse should talk about your day or watch TV while you fold. This really works. I find iron shirts while watching TV makes it goes really quick and quite therapeutic and less like a chore.

Get Active

Life goes past so fast, and it’s essential to make every moment count. Being healthy goes a long way. It means being active and doing everything you want! Sometimes fitting exercise into your schedule seems impossible, and it is usually the first thing to be left behind when things get busy.

Still, a healthy mom is a happy mom, so exercise is incredibly important. 

Research has found that short exercise routines of 5-10 minutes can be just as effective as routines that last for 40 minutes-1 an hour, so that’s excellent news for time-poor moms. Having a routine has been found for individuals more likely to exercise. A routine of shorter bouts of exercise during their week, so don’t ever feel like a short bout of exercise won’t help you out. 

It is surprising where you can do exercise. It can be done almost anywhere. It can be integrated and performed during everyday tasks. Try the hints below to add some subtle exercise into your day.

  • Perform sets of squats while brushing your teeth in the mirror.
  • Run up and downstairs as fast as you can.
  • Park your car ½ mile further away from your work location. The extra distance does the incidental exercise.
  • Perform lunges in your kitchen while waiting for food to cook.
  • Perform pushups against the wall while in the shower.
  • If you can catch the bus to work, try and do it at least once a week.

These are simply everyday tips that help fit exercise into your busy schedule. However, it would help if you still aimed to do at least ten minutes a day of a cardio workout, whether running, skipping, kickboxing, step classes, or cycling. Ten minutes a day isn’t much, considering it will transform your life.

Remember to stay flexible with your exercise regime as there will always be something that comes up. Instead of having a structured plan, simply take advantage of any free time you have and exercise. The half an hour before your kids get up in the morning is the perfect time to get active as you are relaxed and not yet weighed down by the stresses of your day.

 

Eat a Balanced Diet

Food is the most critical part of our existence. Sure, exercise is essential, but eating is the best way to get what your body needs to thrive. A balanced diet with not too much meat, low in fried food, sugar, and salt can dramatically increase the benefits of all that exercise.

We all know the temptations are out there. Everyone is working long hours and doesn’t have the time or energy to make something healthy and, ultimately, time-consuming. However, healthy eating doesn’t need to be about strict nutritional planners or staying unrealistically thin, or even going without the foods you love! It is about having more energy and feeling great, and the way to do it is to learn some of the nutritional basics before finding out what works for you.

Remember that healthy eating isn’t about what you eat but rather how you eat. Your choice of food types can help protect your body against illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and defend against depression. If you eat correctly, you can boost your energy levels, improve your memory, and stabilize your mood.

 

You need to simplify your balanced diet:

  • Forget counting calories or measuring your portion sizes- start thinking about your diet in terms of freshness and color. This way, it will be easier to make healthy choices. Find a recipe you love and try to incorporate as many fresh ingredients as possible.
  • Don’t go cold turkey- attempting to change your diet overnight is the way to set yourself up for failure. Make small steps like adding a side of salad or switching chocolate to natural mixed nuts as a snack.
  • Having the right balance and being aware of your foods is essential. There is no need to take out foods you love to have a balanced diet. Your long term goal is to have more energy and feel happier. Don’t let any mistakes make you fall off the wagon; every healthy choice you make is a step towards a better lifestyle.

Water and exercise should be included in your healthy food pyramid.

  • Water is an integral factor in a healthy diet. Water is a critical ingredient for our bodies. It flushes out waste and toxins from your body. Most of us don’t drink sufficient water each day. It has a detrimental effect on our kidneys. Often we mistake thirst for hunger. Make sure you keep hydrated, so you aren’t mistakenly eating when you are really just thirsty. Have at least 2-4 glasses between meals and have a glass of water just before snack or coffee or tea breaks
  • Find something active that you love and add it to your daily plan. Whether that is going for a walk, run or taking a gym class.

A healthy staple diet is about moderation and consideration. A myth exists that you need an all or nothing approach to eating healthily, but this isn’t the case. You simply need to moderate how much you eat.

  • Do not label certain foods as off-limits, as this will make their temptation that much stronger. If you love sweet or salty foods, try and reduce your portion size or how often you eat them. You will gradually crave for these foods less often.
  • It is all about smaller portions. When you are at home, use smaller plates and visual cues. For example, your portion of meat or fish should only be the size of a deck of cards. While eating out, though, portion size can be a lot harder, so try sharing a meal with a friend, or choose an entree instead of the main meal. Try buying smaller plates to dish out the main meals.

This truly works.

It is not what you eat but how you feel about your food that affects how well your healthy diet will stick.

  • Try and eat with others whenever possible. You will receive the social benefits of being with others while picking up on other healthy habits. Having distractions often leads to overeating. Examples of this include eating meals and snacks in front of the TV or PC. It leads to mindless overeating.
  • Cook for others. It will help you re-establish your relationship with food. If you love to cook, you will soon realize how fantastic it is to cook fresh and delicious ingredients rather than shelf-life products. Your recipes will taste better for it, and before you know it, you will be eating healthier.
  • Stop rushing through meals and savor each bite. Chew your food slowly and learn to reconnect with the joy of eating.
  • Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for a reason, and that’s why you can’t miss it. A healthy breakfast in the morning and smaller meals throughout the day will speed up your metabolism.

Fruit and vegetables are the main ingredients of a balanced diet; Harvard’s School of Public Health recommends you eat a least nine servings of fruit and vegetables a day. Below are some ideas to keep your family full of fruit and veggies!

  • Keep fruit and vegetables out where you can see them. That way, your family is more likely to eat them.
  • Remove temptation away from you and your kids. The secret chocolate stash has got to go! Don’t buy it!
  • Get some fruit and vegetables in every meal of every day. That means there should be fruit in your breakfast and veggies in your lunch and dinner.
  • Choose something new and exotic that will spice things up in the kitchen.
  • Put the fruit and vegetable center stage of a meal.

These ideas and tips will help your family to be healthier and happier.

Keep Hydrated

Water is probably the most vital resource your body needs to perform at its best. You are being dehydrated with many side effects, including being tired and lethargic. Avoid being exhausted at the end of the day by drinking water throughout the day. You will be more energetic a the end of the day if your body is hydrated.

Some facts about water and your body:

  • Your body is made of up to 60 percent of water. Every organ in your body relies on it.
  •  Your brain is 75 percent water; according to the Registered Dieticians of the Suntory Good Health Advisory Board, even the slightest dehydration can cause fatigue, headaches, and dizziness.
  • According to the Department of Environmental Quality, the average adult needs to drink at least ten water cups a day.
  • You lose a lot of the water in your body through breath, sweat, urine, and bowel movements. So if you are exercising or are having an incredibly stressful day, you need to be drinking even more!
  • Plain clean drinking water is the only way to hydrate. You can drink tea, or coffee can actually dehydrate you, and juices have higher sugar content. Water is the best source to keep you from dehydrating.

We could give you the usual tricks to help you keep hydrated, like putting a slice of lemon in your glass to create some flavor, but the one thing that is important when it comes to keeping hydrated is whether what you are drinking is clean and safe.

 

Some taps and bottled water has bacteria, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, which can be fatal to your health.

As an added precaution for yourself and your family, the best product to give you purified water is through a SureAqua product www.SureAqua.com

 

The Sure Aqua straws and water bottles use innovative membrane technology to stop harmful waterborne bacteria from entering our drinking water. It acts as a barrier, so 99.9999% of the harmful bacteria can’t make it through the straw and into your family’s bodies.

The water bottles are so handy that your kids can take them to school, and at home, the filtration straws can be used just like any ordinary straw. Sure Aqua can filter below 0.1 microns, so none of the little nasties make their way through the Survival Straw. Plus, it works under your family budget as it costs less than $0.03/litre to have filtered and safe water for the whole family!

To look after yourself and your family, you need to ensure you are drinking enough water. Make sure the water is free from bacteria, viruses, and unwanted chemicals. Use Sure Aqua products is an acceptable means of having assurance.

The water bottles are so handy that your kids can take them to school, and at home, the filtration straws can be used just like any ordinary straw. Sure Aqua can filter below 0.1 microns, so none of the little nasties make their way through the Survival Straw. Plus, it works under your family budget as it costs less than $0.03/litre to have filtered and safe water for the whole family!

To look after yourself and your family, you need to ensure you are drinking enough water. Make sure the water is free from bacteria, viruses, and unwanted chemicals. Use Sure Aqua products is an acceptable means of having assurance.

Technology is Here to HELP!

It can be exhausting feeling like your mobile phone is a surgical attachment to your body, but that little box of technology really can be a blessing!

Think back to how much more difficult life was without your techy pals when everything was written down? Shopping lists and paper were flying around everywhere, and the post-it note with that actual number always disappeared when you needed it!

Now you can have your entire life organized; you can carry around a library of books, music, documents, do your banking, go shopping, and chat with friends- all on the one piece of techy gear, so really the possibilities are there. It is just up to you to get yourself organized in the new techy world.

Manage your finances

Paying your bills online is one of the simplest ways the internet has changed people’s lives. If you organize your bills properly, it means those rushed trips to the bank between work and picking up the kids from school becomes a thing of the past. No more waiting in line for a teller or running to make it to the post office by 5 pm.

Keep better track of your monthly finances by checking your accounts each day online, so there are no more nasty shocks. If you have multiple accounts and credit and debit cards, it may be worthwhile to have some kind of financial management software that integrates all your monies.

Virtually every credit card company and many other services, including insurance firms and energy companies, also provide this option. Most companies and banks even provide automatic reminders via email or text messages to remind you when something is due.

Stay in touch with your friends

Although you love your kids, many women feel like they get lost in an alternate universe of baby talk, forts, basketball training, and ballet lessons. When you aren’t at work, you step into the role of chauffeur, chef, and nurse, and those who meant a lot to you disappear from the picture.

Your friends you lose are not only the adult conversation that doesn’t center on diapers or math lessons.

One of the best ways to stay involved in your friend’s lives is to join Facebook or other social media systems. You can compare your schedules and reconnect with old friends while getting lost in the cyber social world.

 

Facebook is like a bar where everyone you know is there. You can chat with one person, drop into another’s conversation, or avoid the guy who wants to show you 20 photos of his new car. Escaping onto Facebook once a day will make you feel more social. Be careful not to compare yourself to what people are doing or saying on social media. It is often over-exaggerated. And it is a way to get back something you thought you had lost.

Another reason to jump on the Facebook bandwagon is that a recent Cornell University study showed that the site positively influences our self-esteem. When we set up a profile, we choose what we reveal about ourselves and filter out anything that we think is negative. Public feedback and compliments from our Facebook friends also boost our self-esteem.

Learn to Say “NO”

Everyone is vying for a working mom’s attention- her kids, partner, friends, boss, and colleagues. Requests and demands are coming from everywhere, and there is little chance you can keep everyone happy. You don’t like saying no to anyone because you don’t want to disappoint them. Saying yes to everyone, you will still disappoint people because you can’t do your best if you’re spread too thin. It hard to say no, but people will respect you for it. You will realize it is to the benefit of everyone.

It would help if you learned to say ‘no’ to people’s requests, it might seem obvious, but it isn’t easy. Prioritize your life, goals, and tasks. Say no to requests and demands that aren’t pressing or essential. Saying no is probably the biggest favor you can do for yourself and your family. Surprisingly, you will realize how much more free time you will have to be able to enjoy life more freely.
 

Saying “no” and not eventually saying “yes” is difficult for most of us. Try these steps to help you let people down efficiently and successfully.

  • Say, “I am sorry, but I can’t do this right now.” Use a firm but sympathetic tone so that the person knows you are serious, but you are still apologetic about declining their request. If you are pressured to answer, why reply that it doesn’t fit into your schedule at the moment and then change the subject. Most people will leave the situation at that but if not, just repeat that it doesn’t fit into your schedule and try to change the subject again. If you continue to feel pressured, walk away. It is wrong for someone to pressure you to say “yes,” and it is your right to say “no.” You do not owe anyone an explanation.
  • For very pushy people, they often don’t like to be rejected. A good strategy says, “I will get back to you.” This works well if you aren’t very good at dealing with a pushy person. It is okay for you to tell them you will think about it and get back to them. This way, you can look at your priorities and determine whether you want to give them a “yes” or “no.” This is a good strategy as you don’t usually find yourself a double booking.
  • If you really do like the offer but don’t have the time, it is okay to offer a lesser commitment. The phrase, “I can’t do this, but I can help you with.” would work well in this situation. This way, you get the best of both worlds by being partially involved but not missing out.
  • When it comes to saying no in the working environment, it can be challenging. We usually feel as if we have to always say yes to our boss

Smile, Life isn’t as bad as it seems

One of the best things you can do for yourself is to view the world positively. A terrible finding in many recent studies has shown that over 97 percent of women are likely to think and speak negatively about themselves than view themselves positively.
Negative thoughts can damage self-esteem and affect the quality of relationships. What’s worse is that all that negativity is detrimental to your physical health by increasing your risk of high blood pressure, stress, and other medical conditions. Fortunately, though, it can be easy to turn that frown upside down!

  •  There is no benefit to degrade yourself on any aspect of life, from career to family, to intelligence to the body. It only makes you feel bad in so many ways. Accept yourself for who you are and all the good things you represent. You can acknowledge that the weakness may not be ideal but that it is a part of your life, and you accept it.
  • Quit comparing yourself to your peers or those in television and magazines. This is unfair to yourself. They live very differently under entirely different circumstances. Comparing yourself is not justifiable. Each individual has their own strengths and weaknesses. This can become a very unhealthy habit, so try and catch yourself out to try and quit.
  • Feel happy after looking at photos of your loved ones? If so, surround yourself with their photos so that their smiling faces will be looking back at you whether you are at your desk or in the kitchen.
  • Small things like setting up a vase with fresh flowers in your home will lighten your mood.
  • Try and catch yourself out if a negative thought about yourself crosses your mind. When you look in the mirror, don’t let your mind say, “I’m too fat/I hate my legs/my boobs are so small/my belly is too large.”

    You need to cease this negativity immediately. And say the reverse aloud. If you wouldn’t say it to others, then don’t say it to yourself.

Have positive energy in a household is contagious. The family and friends will thrive off your energy, and you will be a better person for it.

Keep Motivated

As we have discussed above, positive thinking is the key to a happy life, but how do you keep up the motivation to stay positive. Is there a way to wake up every morning and smile? Yes, there is! Even though there is a long list of things you need to get done each day, we have a choice
We know we can! Here are some tips that we use to try and get the most of each and every day! 

Sometimes when I am not motivated to do something, I think about how this opportunity or moment will disappear and that once it is gone, it’s gone forever. That usually is a pretty good way to get yourself into the mindset that it is essential to embrace life to the maximum, take advantage of anything that comes your way. Sometimes the most important things you will experience in life are hidden behind an unappealing task.

  • Do less and do more of the things you want to do. This way, you are more motivated to perform your tasks as they are things you really enjoy.
  • Get excited. The positive energy that comes with getting excited about an event, task, or goal is immeasurable to your happiness.
  • Call for help if you feel yourself sinking into a slump. Your loved ones are there to help. A glass of wine, along with some laughs, will restore your faith in no time.
  • Think about the benefits of doing something and ignore the difficulties you may face. A huge obstacle is thinking about how hard something will be rather than just getting up and doing it. For example, don’t think about how tiring exercise can be. Think about how fantastic you will look if you continue to do it.

Take some time for yourself and enjoy life!

You are being run off your feet, and everyone is vying for your attention. With the organizing tips mentioned above, life should slow down a little, but what you really need to do is relax and do something for yourself.

Working moms put their needs last, but if you want to be the best mom/partner/employee, you can be, you need to take time for yourself.

Relaxation is unique to the individual. For you, it could be taking a slow walk around the block, listening to music, reading a book with a cup of tea, or having a bath.

If you are stressed out, your negative energy will affect your family. Basically, if you aren’t happy, your family isn’t happy. If you take half an hour out of your day to do something you really enjoy, then you will be a lot happier for it.

Your family will respond much better to a mom who is refreshed, relaxed, and content.

Moms, if you follow this guide, it should make your life a little easier, but each household is different, and you need to figure out what works best for you and your family.

You just need to make sure you take a step back, relax, and do something for yourself.

Enjoy your life!

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Bushwalking Safety, a Must

Bushwalking Safety, a Must

Bushwalking Safety, a Must!

Bush walking is a fabulaous way to enjoy the unique display of flora and fauna that NSW has to offer and get a bit of exercise along the way.

Unfortunately, the importance of safety is often overlooked. Too many people lately are going out into the wilderness inexperienced and alone and paying the price for it.

Since temperature records started in 1880, 2019 was the second warmest year.

Bush walking in Blue Mountains

A simple phone call to a family member, close friend, or police detailing when and where you are planning your walk may save your life. It is essential to bushwalk with three or more people; if someone is injured, one can stay, and the other can go in search of help.

An appropriate supply pack is an absolute must. This should include: plenty of food (fruit and nuts are great for quick energy), map and compass (and the knowledge to use them!), mobile phone, First aid kit (thermal blanket included is wise), water (a portable water filter solution is an option) a portable water filter I have been using lately is the Sure Aqua Bottle which allows me to source safe water no matter where I am, I can literally go up to a puddle of stagnant water and fill my bottle up!

This is a great safety precaution.

Jeans may seem like the perfect tough wearing answer for bushwalking, but in fact, if you become caught in wet, windy weather, you will be far more comfortable in the water and windproof gear. This point comes in handy when exploring some amazing yet colder trails in the Blue Mountains area.

Global deforestation contributes 11 % to global greenhouse emmissions

If there is a Ranger or ranger station on your trail, stop in before you leave. The ranger will be chock full of info. On which are the best trails, poisonous plants, and animals to steer well clear of and which track will fit your fitness ability.

Be sure to check in on your way back to ensure they don’t think you’ve gone missing!

As mentioned earlier, there is an incredible display of wildlife in NSW, it’s a must to remember that Australia has some some of the most deadly spiders and snakes in the world.

You need to be careful whilst bushwalking, for example, don’t walk around in bare feet or dig holes with unprotected hands.

I believe bushwalking to be one of the most inspirational adventures Australia has to offer us, so most of all, get out there and get into it!
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Water and Climate Change

Water and Climate Change

Water and Climate Change

As stated recently, CBS news, there’s no more denying the facts of Climate Change . The world has experienced adverse and extreme weather conditions over the last few years. The year 2019 alone saw significant damages incurred, vital infrastructure destroyed, and sadly, lives lost.

The effects of Climate Change are continuously occurring and growing in intensity. Even more so, it has been found that Climate Change is rapidly worsening at a greater rate than initially anticipated. The past no longer seems fit to make predictions for the future as this phenomenon escalates on a global scale

Since temperature records started in 1880, 2019 was the second warmest year.

Affects of Global Change
According to the Australian Government National Water Commission, there has been much doubt and disbelief surrounding the facts of Climate Change. Today the concept of Climate Change and the effects are thankfully more accepted amongst scientists, leaders, policy-makers, and the public.

Climate Change is something that has and can affect almost every aspect of the economy, environment, and community. The world is in a more vulnerable than ever position, posing unique challenges to human health and well being.

The impacts of climate change and all the natural disasters to come and have happened all will relate back to the water, from droughts to storms to floods. We have seen an increase in extreme rain events over the last 50 years that have greatly affected and will continue to affect the availability and quality of our water.

Different ways t Filter

Global deforestation contributes 11 % to global greenhouse emmissions

What is climate and Climate Change?

To put it simply, the climate is the average of the weather over a period. Our climate is determined by temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, and precipitation. The weather is the short term representation of these elements . Climate Change is the change in weather patterns over a long term period.

Our ability to sustain our water systems and resources such as irrigation systems, and agriculture systems, stormwater systems, and water catchment systems depend on the climate. Climate Change can jeopardize the integrity of these systems and ultimately places our communities at economic and social risk.

What are the causes and consequences of Climate Change?

Climate Change is being caused by emission gases caught in the earth’s atmosphere. These are a combination of natural and man-made gases, called greenhouse gases.

The Sun’s heat is trapped by this layer of gases, or pollution, in the atmosphere, which causes the planet to warm up.

Over the years, our gas emissions have increased mainly through industrial activities, in turn increasing the effects of climate change.

Climate Change affects our water supplies explicitly through droughts and storm or heavy rainfall events.

These contrasting natural weather occurrences can lead to a lack of water, and on the other side of the leaf can provide an over-supply of water.

Green house emmissions
Droughts are caused when natural water resources dissipate due to increased evaporation caused by Climate Change. This, coupled with a decrease in precipitation occurring in the earth’s atmosphere, leads to drought. Droughts can lead to a decrease in water supplies, crop failures, famine in livestock, increases in food prices due to low supply of certain foods, and even death in humans, livestock, and wildlife.

At the same time, overall rainfall will increase as well as storm conditions. This may seem like it would cancel out the droughts? However, there is, unfortunately, such a thing as too much rainfall. In circumstances where there is torrential rainfall, the capacity of our sewer systems and waste-water treatment plants will overload. This will result in sewer overflows and stormwater run-offs. This means that our environment is subjected to more water pollution from pesticides, pathogens, and sediments, as discussed in the SureAqua article, ‘The Effects of Polluted Water.’

Changes in rainfall and water run-off primarily affect natural aquifer systems. Excess rainfall leads to more water running off the surface of the land rather than seeping into the ground where they would pass through natural aquifers. This facilitates the continuous ‘recharging’ of the aquifer. Instead, the water runs straight off into our water supplies, contaminating the water.

Save our world

Shaping a Global Solution

It is clear that further Climate Change is inevitable . Harmful greenhouse gases are said to remain in the earth’s atmosphere for anywhere up to 300 years after they are emitted.

Therefore we shall be facing changes that we can neither stop nor control . The only option we have to reduce, reuse, recycle, and adapt to Climate Change.

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The Global Effects of Polluted Water

The Global Effects of Polluted Water

The Global Effects of Polluted Water

“Contaminated water supplies are killing more people daily than the 2020 Pandemic. It is the biggest health risk to all of mankind …threatening both quality of life and public health. It’s the biggest and most difficult crisis the world has to face.

Even though drinking water quality may vary in different parts of the world, water pollution is a problem that all of us should be aware of. Water Pollution and contamination is an increasing topic of concern, and all the health risks involved should be well understood.

It is estimated that over 90% of all water ways is contaminated.

Drinking water pollution

What exactly is contaminated water?

Water is said to be contaminated once pollutants are introduced to render it unsafe and unacceptable for human consumption, or unable to support human life. The contaminates can take several different forms, bacteria, chemicals, and pollutants.

A Worldwide Crisis

According to the Australian National Health and Research Council reports, there are too many examples that are directly contributing to drinking water pollution that cause an inexcusable adverse impact on human health. The most prevalent cause of widespread health risk associated with drinking water is contamination, either directly or indirectly, by human or animal excreta and the microorganisms contained in feces.”

Pathogenic microorganisms in the water are the most significant risks to your health. Waterborne pathogens can cause outbreaks of illness in communities, in some cases causing death.

Dangers and Consequences

Pathogenic microorganisms are disease-producing microorganisms such as viruses, bacterial diseases, and parasitic worms.

What is a virus?

A virus is a microscopic parasite of plants, animals, and bacteria in well water that can cause disease.

Some of the more common viral infections affecting world water today are Gastroenteritis (cause of diarrhea), Hepatitis A, Polio, Dengue Fever, Salmonella infection, and dysentery.

 

Different ways t Filter

What is a bacterial disease?

Bacteria are single-celled, microscopic organisms found in all environments. These environments include soil, water, and the bodies of animals and humans.
Some of the more common bacterial diseases affecting world water today are Cholera, E.coli, Dysentery, Salmonella, and Typhoid Fever.

What is a parasitic worm?

Parasitic worms are organisms that feed on their living host, using them as a source of nourishment and protection. Parasitic worms live in the intestines and other organs. They disrupt their hosts’ nutrient absorption, which causes disease and illness in humans.  Some of the most common by parasitic worm related diseases affecting world water today are Guinea Worm Disease, Schistosomiasis, Enterokinases, Ascariasis, and Tapeworms.

How are our waters polluted?

When it rains, the water picks up human and animal feces and harmful chemicals from the ground. These travel with the water and end up in rivers, lakes, and underground water supplies.

In most cases, water pollution begins at the water source. One source is above ground contamination known as Surface water contamination. The other is underground contaminants referred to groundwater.

Surface water contamination starts once the rain starts falling from the sky. The rainwater becomes contaminated from collecting air contaminates, known as acid rain, or collects pollutants in stormwater, pesticides from farming or gardens, or industrial waste. These all flow into rivers, lakes, and dams, our water source.

The groundwater, as the name implies, is from below the surface and retrieved wells or extracted from the ground for public water supplies. Groundwater can be polluted by contaminants that drain into the water source from; landfills and septic systems, careless disposal of hazardous products, chemicals used in farming and agriculture, and leaking underground storage tanks.

Virtually every water source for consumption on this planet is contaminated. Most developed countries decontaminated the water before providing for public use. The decontaminated water is processed through several modern water treatment techniques and extensive, large, and costly facilities.

However, this decontamination, in itself, introduces its own dangers. Often Strong chemicals are used in the water treatment process. These chemicals can be harmful when consumed over long periods.

According to the Global Healing Centre, some of the proven effects of long term exposure to strong chemicals in drinking water include brain damage, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and cancer.

Some of the most common chemicals affecting world water today are Fluoride, Chlorine, mercury, PCB’s (a man-made chemical), MTBE (contained in gasoline), Dioxin, HCB (hexachlorobenzene), DDT (an organochlorine insecticide).

In less developed countries where the toxic waste management is not as strict, toxic metals wastes are illegally dumped and allowed to leach into the water systems and supplies. The toxic metals include arsenic, barium, chromium, lead, mercury, and silver, and can cause acute poisoning and cancer, as well as other health effects.

chemical tasting water

Diarrhea – A Global Epidemic

The biggest world spread disaster of contaminated water is diarrhea.

The World Health Organization has pinpointed diarrhea as a prominent fatality, causing 4% of all deaths worldwide. There are over 4 billion cases of diarrhea worldwide every year and growing. In 2019, diarrhea was estimated to have killed over 3.2 million people. A large percentage are under the age of 5 years living in 3rd world countries.

In developed countries, it is also prevalent and should not be discounted by 2.3 deaths per 100,000 people in the US dying.

How an individual can help to Reduce Water Pollution

“…water pollution is a problem that all of us are aware of. It’s all around us, from the air we breathe to rubbish in our streets, to the waste from our factories, and to the exhaust from our cars. All this pollution eventually makes its way water sources, dams, lakes, and underground reserves. Water Pollution and its contamination must be a topic of concern for the community to business and community leaders. The health risks impact should be well understood.”

The world pollution and contaminants that leach into the water can be substantially reduced if everyone takes a little responsibility and action for their own contribution to pollution.

The leading cause of water pollution is the greenhouse gases created from the industry and the generation of power. China is the main culprit contributing over 30%, followed by a distant second in the US at 15%, then India at 7%. These three make over 50%. Australia contributes 1.07%.

Notwithstanding the above, every little bit counts. This is easier than most people may think. It all starts with taking precautions at home, traveling to work, and while doing leisure activities. Here are several small things you personally can undertake do help;

  • Don’t litter, and be sure to recycle.
  • Don’t throw chemicals, oils, paints, or medicines down the drain
  • Use environmentally friendly household cleaning products
  • Plant trees and plants around your home to improve the natural filtration process in the ground. This will stop nasty chemicals draining into natural water systems.
  • Don’t overuse pesticides and fertilizers
  • Reduce home power consumption by turning off lights, reduce heating levels, avoid air-conditioning
  • Consolidate car travel, plan better use of the car
  • Use public transport
  • Reduce the unnecessary buying of products like excessive clothing (significant energy is required to produce them)

Almost any every day household activity can translate into water pollution. From the fertilizers in your garden to the oil from driveways, to paint and solvent residues from walls and decks, and even pet feces. When it rains, these are all washed into the stormwater sewage systems as well as rivers, streams, and lakes. These are all water sources where we get our drinking water from and how contaminated the source determines the quality of our drinking water.

Here are a few easy and essential steps in preventing water pollution around the home and daily life activities:

Have fewer hard surfaces

Hard surfaces such as asphalt and concrete don’t allow the water to seep into the ground. It reduces the runoff of your property into the stormwater systems.

Good alternatives to solid surfaces would be grass, gravel, deck wood, paving stones, or interlocking bricks. These all allow water to run into the soil. You can also control where the water on your roof flows by redirecting your gutters. It’s best to position them so that rainwater flows off into the garden where it can seep into the soil.

In the Garden

You should always use chemical-free, natural fertilizers like compost. It is easy to create your own compost at home by buying a compost bin. This helps keep waste from becoming landfill. Alternatively, you could use natural fertilizers, soil conditioners, or rotted manure. These will all help your soil retain moisture and keep your minimize your pollution.

Be sure not to overwater your garden. A large percentage of household water use and wastage is due to home irrigation systems. If your garden isn’t flat, try not to use an inefficient sprinkler system that doesn’t cover all areas of your garden. Try soaker hoses instead.

By having a simple rain gauge, you will know exactly how much water your garden is getting and will require. This way, you know not to water your garden if you don’t need to.

Overwatering gardens is one of the main reasons for chemicals draining from the soil and running into water systems.

Recycle Recycle -Throw Away Household Products Properly

Ideally, before you choose your everyday household products, you should be looking out for non-toxic alternatives. You can research products on your chosen supermarket website and take note of the environmentally friendly products.

Please make sure the waste products that they make their way into the recycling bin or whatever recycling program your city or town offers. The central concept is to avoid as much as possible to recycle everything possible to ensure that it does not reach to the rubbish tips. It will make a difference.

Reduce your energy consumption

One of the significant contributions to water pollution is energy generation, vehicle, household, and factory greenhouse emissions. Not only it pollutes our waterways, but it also is a significant contribution to global warming.

Every individual on the planet can reduce emissions. Below are a few small tips that will make a difference.

  • Wear a jumper at home rather than turn up the household heating.
  • In hot weather, increase the air-conditioning temperature a few degrees higher
  • Plan your vehicle travels to be more fuel-efficient
  • Keep your showers time to a minimal
  • Turn power of completely from idle electronic equipment
  • Turn off household lights when not in the room
  • Use blinds to reduce heating of the home on hot days and heating loss on cold days
Tips for stopping water Pollution

Educate Yourself

Lastly, go onto local government websites to find information on your local water situation. This way, you can know the risks you face and aim to make a difference in your community.

Be an activist in all the movements for better protection of our environment. With your support, laws will be made, and ultimately, the change will be made for the better of our planet

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Ban bottled water?

Ban bottled water?

Ban bottled water? -Hydration with the Environment in Mind

As the movement towards a complete ban on bottled water becomes an increasing possibility in society today, we can no longer ignore or avoid the effects of bottled water on our environment. As the facts of the environmental consequences of bottled water are becoming more and accessible and apparent, certain communities are beginning to respond, such as the small town of Bundanoon in southern NSW, Australia which, on the 26th of September, became the first town in the world to ban bottled water.

Did you know  their is about 5.5 trillion macro and microplastic pieces in out our seas.  About 8 million plastic bottles get washed into our oceans each DAY!!

Plastic bottled water pollution
According to www.gotap.com.au, a website run by the not-for-profit organisation, Do Something, which promotes positive social and environmental change, these are the facts on the bottled water industry and why they believe things have to change:

  • 64% of all bottles consumed go to land fill with only 36% being recycled
  • The production of one liter of bottle water emits 100 times more greenhouse gases than a liter of tap water

Environmental Impacts

There is no arguing that bottled water has detrimental effects on the environment right from when it is produced right through to its consumption. According to Cleanup Australia it all begins at the source. Spring water used in bottled water is sourced from underground aquifers upstream from where the water surfaces. This interrupts the natural aquifer flow, effecting eco systems relying on the water for nourishment and growth.

In production, most bottles are produced from Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), a plastic resin which is derived from crude oil. It takes up to 250ml of crude oil to produce one liter of bottled water and in this process three litres of water is used.

The water is then transported all around the world, burning fossil fuels that otherwise would not be impacting on the environment if bottled water was banned.

According to the 2009 ‘Rubbish Report’ by Clean Up Australia, plastic bottles are amongst the ten most common rubbish items picked up on Clean Up Australia day. Bottles that are not recycled and go to land fill can take up to 1000 years per plastic bottle to decompose.

So what are the main reasons people insisting on turning to bottled water? Some would argue that bottled water not only tastes better than tap water, but that it is also a healthier alternative and is more convenient.

However, there is no evidence to suggest that bottled water is a healthier alternative. Unless your bottle of water is spring water from natural sources, then it is simply sourced from municipal water supplies, i.e. tap water, but has received extra treatment. Fortunately, as environmental awareness begins to rise, more people are beginning to wake up to the facts.

Increasing Trend of Social Responsibility

As mentioned in the introduction, Bundanoon, was the first town in the world to ban bottled water. The town replaced bottles of water in their stores with refillable and reusable bottles that can be replenished from water fountains installed inside shops and in the streets.

Following in the footsteps of Bundanoon, in January of 2011, the University of Canberra, Australia, declared that they were set to ban bottled water across their campuses. They turned to the solution of vending machines called WaterVend, providing water refills for a dollar rather than students and university staff having to pay $3.00 for a bottle of water.

In the year 2013, Concord, a town in the USA state of Massachusetts passed a law making single serving bottle water illegal. According to Ninemsn, “…the ban is intended to encourage use of tap water and curb the worldwide problem of plastic pollution.”

Children cleaning bottled water bottles from beach

Final Say

In an economic and environmental climate that forces us to reconsider bottled water, Australian’s  are fortunate enough to have the alternative of purchasing reusable bottles.

Australian water is said to be world standard drinking water, but you are encouraged to adopt the use of water filters.

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Water and our Planet

Water and our Planet

Water and our Planet

Water covers 71% of the Earth’s surface. It exists in three different states being liquid, gas and solid. The natural water cycle drives life on this planet. Water evaporates from oceans, rivers and other water systems, which are fed from melting snow and rainfall. The water vapor then precipitates in the Earth’s atmosphere, and falls back down in the form of rain, snow and hail to nourish the earth and start the cycle all over again.

Water comes in many shapes and sizes. In some cases it is fierce and dangerous, but in some cases it is magical and jaw dropping. We cover at five of the world’s biggest, natural water features.

Did you know water is the most comon substance on this planet, spend 98% of its life in oceans, 1.8% in rivers and 0.2% in the atmosphere?

Who much water covers pour planet

The Biggest Ocean

Covering 33% of the Earth’s surface and 46% of the Earth’s total water surface, the Pacific Ocean is our largest ocean by a long shot. The deepest area of the ocean, called the Mariana Trench in the western North Pacific, is the deepest point in the world reaching 10,911 meters (35,797 feet). The Pacific Ocean holds a volume of 622 million cubic kilometers (386 million cubic miles).

The equator divides this volume of water into the North and South Pacific. The ocean reaches from the South Pole to the North Pole, and extends from west coast of America all the way to the shores of Japan. In 1951 Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan gave the ocean the name we know it as today, ‘Mare Pacificum’. This means ‘Peaceful Sea’ in Portuguese.

The Biggest River

It is not necessarily the longest river in the world, just short of the Nile River in Africa by 595 kilometers (369 miles), but the Amazon River certainly is the biggest river in the world.

With 120,000 cubic meters (74,000 cubic miles) flowing out of its river mouth as each second goes by, the Amazon is home to the world’s largest drainage basin which is 240 kilometers (150 miles) wide, covering a total surface area of at 7,050,000 square kilometers (2,720,000 square miles).

During the rainy season in South America, between early December and late March, the Amazon can widen up to 48 kilometers (30 miles).

The first bridge was built over the amazon in 2010 called the Manaus Iranduba Bridge, which covers a total length of 3500 meters (11,482.94 feet). Located in South America, the Amazon River cuts through the countries of Brazil, Colombia and Peru.

The Biggest Waterfall

At 979 meters (3,211.94 feet) tall, Angel Falls is the world’s largest waterfall. Flowing from the Auyantepui River into the Devil’s Canyon, the water free falls for 807 meters (2,648 feet).

Initially named Kerepakupai-merú by the local Indians, the falls were given their modern day name by adventurer Jimmy Angel when he discovered them in 1935 while looking for gold.

 

Water and the Biggest River Amazon

The Biggest Lake

Despite it’s name, the title of biggest lake belongs to the Caspian Sea. Perched on the borders of Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, the lake covers a total surface area of 371,000 square kilometers (143,000 square miles). All the water in the lake equals a total volume of 78,200 cubic kilometers (18,800 cubic square miles).

The Caspian Sea has no outflows at all, receiving all its inflows from the Volga, Ural, Kura, and Terek rivers, and only loosing water to evaporation. At its widest point, this inland body of water reaches 435 kilometers (270 miles) and stretches 1,030 kilometers (640 miles) in length.

Enormous Lake
The sea had previously been perceived as an ocean by ancient inhabitants due to its huge expanse and because it contains one-third the salinity (saltiness) of normal ocean water. In fact, 250 million years ago when the earth was still made up of two continents, Gondwana and Laurasia, the Caspian Sea was said to be part of what was called the Tethys Sea. An interesting fact is the Caspian Sea became land locked 5.5 million years ago due to shift in the continental plates, closing it off from the Tethys Sea. This same shift attributed to the creation of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans.

Last, but not least, The Biggest Glacier

To begin with, a glacier is a slow moving mass or river of ice formed by the accumulation and compaction of snow.

The Lambert Glacier is the biggest glacier in the world. Located in the Antarctica, this glacier measures in at 100 kilometers (60 miles) in width and 400 kilometers (250 miles) in length.

The most amazing aspect of this glacier is not in plain sight. The Lambert Glacier extends a total length of about 2500 meters (8202.01 feet) down.

Antartic Glacier

Final Say

For more articles on our world and water, head to the official SureAqua website.

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