Jessica's Journey to Further Weight Loss with Alkaline Ionized Water

Jessica's Journey to Further Weight Loss with Alkaline Ionized Water

Jessica has already lost 40 pounds on her own in the last 6 months. But now that the holidays are over she wants to kick her healthy eating habits into high gear and drop another 60 pounds. And this time she's going to be blogging her successes. The main difference in her routine is going to be adding 3-4 quarts of alkaline ionized water to her regimen each day. She is going to track the differences between eating healthy without alkaline ionized water and how adding it to her lifestyle changes is affecting her weight loss and overall health.

Jessica's diet

Prior to changing my eating habits I would eat what I wanted, when I wanted. Fast food, lots of sweets, more soda than I care to admit, very little water each day, chips and dip, fried foods, you name it.

About 1 ½ years ago my mom gave me a book called The No-Grain Diet by Dr. Mercola and it really made sense. This blog isn't here to get into why I chose that diet, but it really hit home on why I was so overweight and why other diets weren't working very well.

I started eating a diet of meat, vegetables, limited fruit, some dairy, nuts, seeds and LOTS of water. The weight just started melting off and I was ecstatic. I have been overweight since about the age of 8 and it has only gotten worse as an adult and especially after having 3 kids. Trust me, it was really hard at the beginning. I was so used to consuming massive amounts of carbs and it took me about a month to be able to feel full without all the breads, biscuits, potatoes, etc.

Before and After the First 40 Pounds

Here is a picture of me before and after my first 40 pounds:

Adding Alkaline Ionized Water to My Diet

I'm really super excited about adding 3-4 quarts of alkaline ionized water daily. I have been doing a lot of research on the benefits of alkaline ionized water and it really is an important factor in maintaining overall health.

I will be using the WellBlue Alkaline+ PH Ionizer Pitcher. It holds 3.5 quarts and I will be drinking a pitcher every day.

Eventually I would like to upgrade to a water ionizer machine that I hook up to my faucet, but while I save up the money for that investment I will be using the pitcher as a portable water ionizer that I can bring to work with me.

Tracking my Successes and Noticeable Differences

Stay tuned and check in each month as I will be writing on my weight loss and all the differences I have noticed since incorporating the alkaline water. I can't wait to see what's in store for me.

I have another 60 pounds to lose and I'm hoping to get it done in about 6-8 months! :)

And if there is anyone out there who would like to start this exciting journey with me, you can reach me at jessica.reel@me.com. I would love to have others follow along with me and encourage each other during this exciting and rewarding time.

I look forward to talking to you all next month!

 Jessica

Are Alkaline Water and Alkaline Ionized Water the same thing?

Are Alkaline Water and Alkaline Ionized Water the Same Thing?

So, what is Alkaline Ionized Water? Is it different than Alkaline Water? It is very common to hear these two terms used interchangeably, but they are, in fact, two very different things.

Alkaline Water simply has a pH above 7.0, and it can be created in many ways by adding minerals to it (such as baking soda, which we have discussed previously), lemon juice, Himalayan Salt, to name a few, to make the pH higher. You can also purchase expensive bottled alkaline water at stores such as Wal-Mart.

Alkaline Ionized Water is water that has been ionized and made alkaline by a procedure called Water Electrolysis. It is full of antioxidants and is far more absorb-able and hydrating than regular water or water that has minerals added to it to make it alkaline.

As you can see in the Alkaline Water Plus Blog simply adding baking soda to alkalize your water is not an effective measure. In fact, the high level of sodium alone is detrimental to your health, especially if you already deal with such conditions as high blood pressure or water retention.

The many great benefits of Alkaline Ionized Water aren't simply from the fact that it is alkaline, but that it is ionized. Drinking water that is merely alkaline is not providing anywhere near the benefits as drinking alkaline ionized water.

The Benefits of Drinking Alkaline Ionized Water

There are several different qualities to Alkaline Ionized Water that make it so beneficial to your body and health.

These qualities are:

• The water raises the alkalinity of your body
• The water is rich in antioxidants and very oxygenating
• The water is far better at hydrating than any other water

Let's take a look at each of these qualities separately.

The Water is Alkaline

Our bodies tend to be very acidic. This is due to the average diet, smoking, alcohol, stress, pollution, etc. We store deposits of acidic toxins in our body that can (and do) cause disease, malnutrition or, if you are lucky, just an overall since of not feeling well.

Drinking alkaline ionized water has been shown to prevent and reverse disease, malnutrition, lack of energy, etc., by ridding the body of these acidic waste build-ups and creating an environment in the body that disease and malnutrition cannot survive in.

The Water is Rich in Antioxidants and is Oxygenating

Antioxidants seek out and neutralize the free radicals in your body. Since the antioxidants have an excess of electrons, they can give these electrons to the free radicals that are in need of them, which keeps them from leeching electrons from healthy tissue. The body is then left with an excess of oxygen molecules that it can use for energy production and oxygenating the tissues in the body.

The Water is More Hydrating

When the water is ionized, the water molecules are made smaller, called “microclustering”, and are therefore easier for your cells to absorb. This provides even greater hydration than drinking tap, bottled, distilled, filtered or reverse osmosis water. And right along with this, if you have, for example a powdered vitamin supplement mixed into your alkaline ionized water, this vitamin supplement will be absorbed by your cells in a greater amount than it would otherwise be if you were drinking regular tap water.

As you can see, there are many great benefits to be had from drinking alkaline ionized water. These same benefits cannot be found by simply alkalizing your water by adding minerals to it. I very highly recommend obtaining a water ionizer for you and your family as soon as possible.

Also, I will be writing blogs in future weeks that go over in greater detail some of the points we have covered here, like what exactly a free radical is, what antioxidants are, water electrolysis and so forth. So stay tuned...

How Alkaline Ionized Water Helps with Digestion

When you think of digestion, you often think of the stomach, but this is only a small part of the digestive tract.  Digestion starts with the mouth and goes all the way to the large intestine. So how does alkaline ionized water help your digestive tract?

Alkaline water helps the digestive system in many ways.  The intestines need an alkaline pH to be healthy.  And there are many other organs that benefit from alkaline water as well.

When is the right time to drink alkaline water?

The right time to drink alkaline ionized water is almost always! The general rule of thumb is if you're eating meat or dairy it will want an acidic pH in order to trigger the proper enzymes, so during such a meal it's not suggested to consume alkaline ionized water [or 20 min. before/after]. Other than that the stomach likes alkaline ionized water, just like the other organs and cells in your body. 

Alkaline ionized water is fine to drink at all other times, and does not harm the stomach in any way. Because water has no calories, the stomach doesn't recognize it as anything that requires digestion. Water also doesn't stay in the stomach generally; it passes right through in a few minutes.  

Alkaline water and the effects on different organs:

The stomach is the only organ in the entire digestive system that requires a low acid pH level in order to do its job, and it produces it all by itself by injecting HCL, or hydrochloric acid, into the stomach as food arrives.

Water, by itself, does not trigger the production of HCL or digestion, so is allowed to pass through the stomach quickly and undigested without upsetting the overall pH balance of the stomach. If you are just eating an apple or other piece of fruit, there is no concern about drinking alkaline ionized water right along with it. But if you are eating a meal with meat in it, you should not drink alkaline water 

Maintaining an alkaline balance in the intestines can make a great contribution to a person’s colon health as well as their overall health an well-being.

It will assist the small intestines to maintain a healthy 8.5 pH so as to inhibit the growth of parasites, funguses, and other undesirable microorganisms. Parasites going unchecked are often a large contributor to mal-nourishment and weight-management problems.

In the large intestine the main job is the absorption of water into the body, production of B and K vitamins, absorption of a few more nutrients, and then quickly eliminating the waste. A good, healthy, alkaline pH level in the large intestine helps to inhibit the growth of bad-bacteria and maintain the proper balance of good bacteria [intestinal flora].

As you can see, alkaline water does in fact help at many points along the digestion line.  

For more information on alkaline water and digestion, http://www.alkalinewaterplus.com/digestion.