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I’ve heard that question posed a few times. I’m sure you have too. You may have even said that you lean more toward one or the other yourself. Particularly if you’re a person who struggles with weight gain or who simply has a seemingly insatiable appetite for, shall we say, “goodies”.

It’s sort of a sad commentary on life in our society that we even have to posit the question. After all, shouldn’t we do both? I believe so. But in our society, a society that seems so drawn to the whole “body image” issue, there are people who only eat to live. That is to say, they eat what is absolutely necessary to sustain life and that is it. They stave off hunger (at times they don’t even do that) by eating just enough to give them the strength they need to carry on through life’s daily activities. Ever conscious of the calories they consume, they often forgo taking in the right amount of nutrients. They stay thin, but at what cost to their overall well-being?

There are also people who only live to eat. They love to eat. They crave food of any and every kind. They eat at every opportunity…a snack while driving in the car perhaps, three meals a day no matter what, along with whatever snack or “treat” they can fit in between meals. As long as they have something to eat - doesn’t matter what - they are satisfied, until the next craving strikes.

As I said, shouldn’t we do both? Shouldn’t we eat to live but also live to eat? I guess what I’m asking is, shouldn’t we have balance? Of course, people who are at the extreme ends of the “diet” spectrum very often have mitigating factors that result in the eating behavior they display. Psycho- logical or emotional issues are often the root cause of their eating habits. Once those things are recognized, a person may be able to strike a balance after undergoing some type of treatment. But, I’m speaking in general terms, to the every-day you and me. Since I am not a psychologist or medical doctor and I don’t play one on TV, I cannot speak to those disorders. But speaking strictly from the viewpoint of someone who simply enjoys food and desires balance - feng shui, so to speak - I would address the issue of “live to eat, eat to live” from my own perspective.

Obviously I need to eat to live. We all do. I can vaguely remember a number of years ago, someone making the statement that he had discovered that one only needed water and air to sustain a healthy life. I think it showed up in one of those “news of the weird” segments somewhere. Anyway, he was going to prove it by only drinking water and “eating” air - deep breathing, for the rest of his life. To be honest, I don’t even remember how that turned out but I can imagine someone seeing this wafer thin, emaciated body blowing down the street like a pile of Autumn leaves, never to be heard from again. We need to eat to live. And since we need to, then doesn’t it make sense that we try to make it as healthful and nutritious as possible? Doesn’t it also make sense that we try to make it as interesting, as diverse and as enjoyable as possible? When we do that then we both eat to live and live to eat.

The bottom line is this - try to be mindful of what you are eating. Think about getting a balance of nutrients. Speaking from a vegetarian standpoint, that means trying to get the right amount of vitamins, minerals and protein from the food you consume. It may also mean taking a supplement to make up for what you may not be getting enough of from your food sources - vitamin B12 comes to mind. But, you say, I can’t possibly mosey through the grocery store or the farmer’s market constantly thinking about which things have the right amount of nutrients. What should I buy? What shouldn’t I buy? No. You’re right. You can’t do that. But what you can do is take a small amount of time and do some research if you don’t already know. Simply learn what foods are rich in certain vitamins, minerals and protein. You don’t have to be “scientific” with it but simply have a rough idea about what different greens, root vegetables, legumes and so on have to offer. As an example, see the information at the end of this article. It outlines what some nutrition experts believe is the correlation between the color of food and it’s nutritional merit. Shop for a variety of those colors. Then - and here’s the word again - try to balance your meal planning. I’ve found it to be most helpful if my wife and I do actually take some time to plan a weekly menu. Of course, it makes it that much simpler when we are only here for one or two meals a day and there are only two of us. But having a meal plan seems to work really well. Then, before you even need to go to the market you can tweak the plan and decide what to eat and when to eat it. And, you can “balance” the nutritional aspect with the “creative” aspect of planning, shopping and preparing your meals.

The “creative” aspect is the fun part. It’s also where the “live to eat” idea takes off! I enjoy cooking! I also enjoy experimenting. It’s great fun to go through a number of cookbooks and plan the weekly menu while trying to be as diverse as possible. It’s fun to try a dish you never tried before. Preparing it is fun and tasting the result is even more fun. If you like it, bookmark it for another time. If you don’t - chalk it up to “practice” and cross it off your list. But, whatever you do, enjoy the experience. It’s also fun to try to create your own recipes. Or take a time-tested recipe from your mom or grandma and change it to fit your needs - make it a vegetarian or vegan recipe by substituting the items in the recipe that contain non-plant-based ingredients with those you know are acceptable to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. You may come up with a dish that you would rather feed to the garbage disposal but you may also come up with a new and fun way to enjoy some of your “old favorites”.

The Color of your Food *

Orange / Yellow food items contain vitamin C and betacryptoxanthin. These are thought to protect cells Some examples are oranges, tangerines, papayas and nectarines.

Orange food items such as carrots, mangoes, winter squash and sweet potatoes contain alpha and betacarotenes. Again, these serve to improve cell-to-cell communication and may slow cancer.

Other food colors include:

Yellow / Green - contain lutein and zeaxanthin - spinach and other greens, yellow corn, green peas and avocados - contrinute to eye health.
White / Green - have flavonoids - onions, garlic, celery, pears, white wine, endive and chives - protect cell membranes.
Green - sulforaphane, isothiocyanate and indoles - broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, bok choy and kale - stimulate liver genes to make compounds that break down cancer-causing chemicals.
Red / Purple - lycopene - grapes, red wine, blueberries, strawberries and red apples - may reduce risk of cancer.
Red - lycopene - tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit - may reduce risk of cancer.

* Source: What Color Is Your Diet? author David Heber, MD, PhD and founding director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition.

R.C. Heiser is an artist and author and a vegetarian.
He is the creator and webmaster for not-just-recipes.com, a vegetarian website.

http://www.not-just-recipes.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rich_Heiser

Wonky cakes are designed to be exactly the opposite of traditional cakes, with their straight sides and flat tops. Instead Wonky cakes have both sloping sides and top. This type of cake is usually round, and preferably a fruit or Madeira mix - and ideally four inches deep. An electric carving knife comes in handy when cutting cakes. It makes a clean cut and is quick to use. Some types of cake start to crumble when cut, so freezing them for an hour or two will make them easier to handle.

There are two ways of making cakes look ‘wonky’ one design is more extreme than the other, as not only are the cakes wider at the top than the bottom, but they also look as if they are about to topple over! To arrive at this shape place a thin cake board, 2″ smaller than the size of the cake - or use a saucer, of the same size - in the centre of the top surface of the cake.

Then, starting at the edge of the card carefully cut the cake so that it gently slopes from the top down to the base, which should be end up 2″ wider than the top. Next turn the cake upside down so now the wide surface is now at the top. Then cut the top edge of the cake into a small curve. Your cake should now resemble a traditional plant pot.

The method given above, is a relatively easy way of cutting cakes into a type of Wonky cake. A different style is to use the same design as above but with the cake cut at an angle - giving the it a topsy-turvy look. When cutting a cake to make it ‘wonky’ the angle of the cut must be quite acute, otherwise it will look as if the cake should to be level, but something has gone wrong! It is a good idea to make a paper pattern of the height and width of the cake and try out the angle on paper before you begin cutting. Using this method will leave a spare piece of cake - this can always be frozen and used for trifle or truffles in the future.

Another method entails cutting the cake at an angle, then removing and reverting the top section. For instance, on a four inch deep cake, make a small mark one inch from the base of the cake. On the opposite side of the cake - one inch from the top - make another mark. If necessary, make several more marks to use as a cutting guide. Next carefully cut from the base mark to the top mark. Remove the top layer and coat the surface of the bottom layer with either apricot jam or butter cream, depending on the type of cake. Now, instead of replacing the top section back in its original position, revert it, so that the narrowest edge of the top section now rests on the narrowest of the bottom layer of cake. The cake should now slope from two inches at one side to six inches at the other.

If Wonky cakes are being stacked on top of each other, place each cake, apart from the bottom cake, on a thin cake board he same size as the base of the cake. The cakes - apart from the top cake - will need plastic dowels in to support the weight of the cake, or cakes, above. Dowels are always cut level with the top surface of a cake - after it has been iced. And remember, the dowels on a Wonky cake should be cut at the same angle as the cake.

A Wonky wedding cake will be a talking point at any wedding - and in years to come, although other memories may fade, the Wonky Wedding Cake will always be remembered!

Pat Lock is a cake decorating expert with over 25 years experience who runs the excellent Cake Decorating Ideas website. She has won awards at the prestigious international competition at Hotel Olympia, London and is also an accomplished author.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pat_Lock

British cuisine, and especially English cuisine, has not always had the highest reputation internationally. For example, in 2005, the then French President, Jacques Chirac, described English food as the second worst in Europe (he considered Finnish cuisine to be the worst). This reputation is undeserved and rather unfair, as the country has many excellent dishes and foods to offer. Additionally, it should also be remembered that the United Kingdom is actually a union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, each with their own unique culinary traditions, and of course Britain has many historical links around the world, so there is actually a great variety in British cuisine.

The traditional British Sunday meal, is roasted meat with vegetables, especially potatoes. There are several different varieties, each with their own traditional accompaniments. In the past it was very common to use the leftovers from the Sunday meal to make several other dishes during the subsequent week, such as casseroles and soups.

* Roast beef - Beef roasted with roast potatoes, gravy, horseradish sauce and mustard. It is usually accompanied by Yorkshire puddings, which is made from baked dough.

* Roast pork - Roasted pork, with “crackling” (crispy pork fat rind), and apple sauce.

* Roast lamb - Roasted lamb with mint sauce or red currant gravy.

* Roast chicken - Roasted chicken with chipolata (small) sausages, bread sauce or gravy, and cranberry sauce or red currant jam.

Some other popular British dishes include:

* Bangers and mash - Sausages accompanied with mashed potatoes.

* Chicken tikka massala - An Anglo-Indian dish of chicken in an Indian-style curry sauce. It is one of Britain’s most popular dishes, and variants of it are even used as sandwich fillings and pizza toppings!

* Cornish pasty - A meat pie with a distinctive shape, containing meat and vegetables. Traditionally, the lunch of the men working in the Cornish tin mines.

* Fish and chips - Deep fried cod or plaice in batter with french fries. Usually flavored with salt and vinegar.

* Full English breakfast - Sausage, fried egg, bacon, baked beans, toast and/or fried bread, served with fried mushrooms or fried tomatoes.

* Haggis - A traditional Scottish dish made from sheep’s heart and lungs with oatmeal, onions, suets and spices, which are all cooked in a sheep’s stomach.

* Lancashire hotpot - A casserole containing meat, onion and potatoes.

* Pie and mash - Pies containing ground (”minced”) meat, with mashed potatoes. Traditionally, this dish is from the East End of London, and then pies were cooked with water left over from stewing eels. The stewed eels were served cold as a side dish (”jellied eels”).

* Shepherd’s pie - Ground (”minced”) lamb covered with a layer of mashed potato and sometimes cheese, then cooked in the oven.

* Cottage pie - Like shepherd’s pie, but made using beef instead of lamb.

* Fisherman’s pie - Like shepherd’s pie, but made using white fish such as cod. Sometimes corn is also used in the dish.

* Toad in the hole - Sausages cooked in batter.

* Welsh rarebit - Grated cheese mixed beer, butter and milk, and then put on toast and grilled.

Discover more about British Cuisine at http://www.recipesmaniac.com/cook_british.php - visit this site for more information, pictures and details of British cookbooks.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sunil_Tanna

Italy is famous for several things in the world from the early periods. Italy presented itself as having the best creative brilliance like Michelangelo, the great chapel of the Sistine and several other contributions in the field of art and architecture in the renaissance period. It is also famous for its cooking skills. The country lies in the list of having largest number of bakeries in it. The main items which are famous of the Italian bakery shops are the cakes, cookies, pastries and the classic breads. The main Italian bakery shops which provides these mouth watering items for the customers all around the world are located in the main cities of the country such as in Rome of Florence, Milan and in Venice.

The Pastries of the Italian Bakery Shops:

The pastries of the Italian bakery shops are the most preferred sweet dish by the people all around the world. The country consist of several well reputed bakery shops in different parts of the nation and all of them are famous for their mouth watering recipes throughout the world, it indicates that these bakers have a large number of recipes to catch the attention of all kind of people. Now there several Italian bakers shops available in several countries for providing their special pastries for the customers. The most popular and preferred pastries by the customers in these Italian bakery shops is the tiramisu pastry which is made of lady fingers filled with the cream, cheese and covered in coffee they are very soft. The other popular things which are mostly sold in these bakery shops are Pasticiotti the pastry cups which is filled with the vanilla cream or chocolate.

The cakes Italian Bakery Shops:

The other famous thing which is mostly sold in the Italian bakery shops are the cakes. There are different types of cakes found in these bakery shops. These cakes are sold mostly for the celebration of different occasions. These cakes produced in the Italian bakeries are even transported to several other parts of the nation as well as to the other countries for celebrating occasions like wedding ceremonies, birthday parties etc. The specialty of the Italian cakes is that that they use quite less amount of fruits for preparing the cakes as compared to others. The fruits in this recipe are just used for the purpose of decorating them. The other main thing which makes it quite different than the other is that it is having the underneath layer made of the ice. Thus it provides coolness to the cake when it is kept out side for the celebrations. The layer of ice also helps in restricting the cake to melt easily in the open air. There is a wide range of cakes available in these bakery shops in which the rich chocolate cakes are most preferred by the people of the country.

Katie Appleby is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about italian bakery shops, please visit Holiday Catering Today for current articles and discussions.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Katie_Appleby

Bakery products are becoming famous day by day. They are so popular due to its taste and easy to digest. Bakery products are generally liked by all. For nowadays people have no time to spend much on making breakfast; it is the bread and bun or biscuits that had taken place rather than other kinds of stuff. Celebrating any moment of joy is incomplete with bakery products. They are good source of snacks and are widely available. Bread is the staple diet of all. Bread is the essence of all bakery products. Without bread no bakery products are complete. It is prepared by baking dough of flour and water. With bread with vegetables, butter, fruits and spices makes a perfect combination of sandwiches. Bread includes white and brown bread.

Then there are pastries which are of flaky or crumbly texture. The feather-light pastry is filled with cream. Yeasted pastries are light flaky pastries. There are other types of pastries available like chocolate pastry, pineapple, orange, and puff, Croissants made from delicious savory or sweet fillings. Brownies are other bakery product which is liked by all made from nuts and chocolates vanilla or mint extract. They are served with hot with milk or ice cream and whipped cream with coffee makes perfect taste. Biscuits are the common bakery products. Filled with cream and icing biscuits often refer as cookies. They include variety of nuts and are accompanied with tea or coffee. There are Chocolate chip cookies (Tollhouse cookies), peanut butter cookies, and oatmeal cookies. Even Rusk is common product are hard, dry biscuit. Cookies can be referred to biscuits, which are soft to eat and can stored long for days in jar.

Cakes are the most popular bakery products. Moment one hears the name of cake or chocolate mouth is filled with water. Cake serves the purpose of celebrating joy and happiness. Cakes refer to round, flat, unleavened breads that were cooked on a hot stone. Which is made with chocolates, vanilla, strawberry, sugar and eggs? Even cake also have wide range includes Blackberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake, Boston cream pie, Carrot Cake, Chocolate Almond Torte, Chocolate Banana Cake, Chocolate Meringue Cake, Coconut Cake, Orange Chiffon Cake. If birthday is incomplete without cakes then snacks without cookies is not good. Both cakes and cookies complement each other.

Other bakery products includes drinking chocolates, pizzas, candy, jelly, ice cream, Conches, Ballios, Empanadas, Sweet Biscuits, all made from dried fruits, flour, nuts, honey, and eggs, flour, sugar, flavored for taste. Bakery products are used in daily life and are liked by all. Whether it is any special occasion or not bakery products due to their sweetness and attractive colors fills the air with sweet aroma of love.

Artimex Artisan Mexican Bakery offers a wide-array of delicious, freshly baked Mexican breads and authentic Spanish bakery recipes like Conchas, Bolillo, Rosca de Reyes, Pan de Muerto, Empanadas, Polvorones and Puerquitos for any meal, occasion, or special celebration. For more information please visit:- http://www.artimexbakery.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ray_Flores

Over the last few months public concern has been growing, amid press reports about drugs in our drinking water, and quite rightly too as we all have to drink water.

What with our general worries about the damage to our environment from such things as global warming, this man made health menace should sound some alarm bells amongst us all.

We need to look at what are some of the causes, how have they happened, and what should we be concerned about in particular? This article will explore some of these points in a little more detail.

The health and medical industries have just simply flushed away, down the toilet in many cases, so many different types of pharmaceuticals that the mind boggles. Don’t be surprised then, when you read your daily newspaper and headlines like ‘Drugs found in US drinking water’ are front page news.

Numerous tests have shown up the appearance in our water of things like antidepressants, hormones, birth control pills and so the list goes on. Hey, after reading these so called reports you’ll probably feel like taking a headache pill!

Joking aside, it’s often difficult to point the finger at any one organization and big businesses are good at covering their tracks, using clever PR tactics and sidestepping the issues. But, the people that do work in these industries have come forward and actually voiced their own concerns, and admit to these practices having gone on for many, many years, not just now.

Let’s just stop and consider how many hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, doctors offices and re-hab clinics there are in our country. A staggering total I imagine and, if just half of them got rid of their old drugs this way we ought to be shouting stop! Meanwhile, I have not seen any public spirited citizens walking around with placards saying ’stop drugs in our drinking water’.

As you might suspect, it’s no secret that doctors seem to be prescribing more medicines to more and more people, often when it’s not completely necessary. This data is coming in from a wide range of sources.

As you can probably tell, because we need water to live we should all be worried about any chemicals in our water, not just drugs in our drinking water. Perhaps the solution is to examine how our water supplies are treated.

Peter Foremski is Editor of http://www.water-filter-guide.com and cares passionately about the quality of water that he drinks and uses at home. He runs an informational website that uncovers the best products, and where to buy them with the best discounts. So begin your ‘thirst’ for knowledge here.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Foremski

Line by line, the pastries sit and wait to be eaten. Every one puts a smile on a face. It’s amazing how you can take simple ingredients plus a lot of hard work and come up with delicious baked goods. Bakery display cases play an important role in their life too. Once all of the treats are baked, they have to be protected, well lit, and accessible. Keeping baked goods inside of a bakery display case will protect them from the elements until it is time to serve them. If the goods need to be refrigerated, then the refrigeration system in the bakery display case will keep them cool and the icing from melting.

Baked treats also need to be well lit so that your customer can see every bit of their tastiness. Many bakery display cases come with top lights but some don’t come with shelf lights and rely on ambient light to filter to the lower pastries. It always pays off to have shelf lights under each shelf so that all of your pastries can be seen. Your staff spends so much time on making them look and smell great. Shelf lights will help your customer see them better. One option to consider is accessibility.

Do you want your bakery display cases to be front opening and able to be opened by the public? These would be self serve bakery cases. Some are front and rear opening and the staff side or service side of the display case is primarily used to restock the case. This is typically standard in wall display cases that sit in front of a kitchen or bakery. Customers can retrieve the pastries of their choice.

This is great for fast paced restaurants with little customer service needed. If you sell really high end pastries, you might want to have your staff serve them as this adds to the experience. Your staff will also be able to keep the pastries in neater rows inside of the bakery display case while they are being sold and refilled. If customers are getting their own pastries, they are more likely to get messy. When it is time to clean up for the day, make sure you bakery display case comes with high pressure laminate bottoms that will stand up to years of cleaning. You want them to last a lifetime.

Joseph Nelson helps restaurant owners and retailers make and an impact with bakery display cases and acrylic bakery showcases. Visit Achieve Display at http://www.AchieveDisplay.com and see a business dedicated to service, integrity, and reliability.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_Nelson

Bulgaria is a Balkan country, located in southeastern Europe. The country has a unique cuisine, which combines influences from Bulgaria’s native Slavic culture, as well as influences from the cuisines of neighboring Greece and Turkey. Additionally, some people say that can detect other influences too in Bulgarian cuisine - such as Hungarian influences, and Mediterranean influences such as Italian.

Some popular Bulgarian reciopes include:

* Shopska salad - This is a traditional Bulgarian salad made using diced vegetables. Typically it contains cucumbers, onions, peppers (either roasted or raws), and tomatoes. It is usually topped with diced or grated sirene (a white Bulgarian cheese somewhat similar to feta).

* Shkembe chorba - This is a traditional Bulgarian tripe soup. Some people consider a national treasure, whereas to others it is uncouth or even vulgar. The soup is made using the stomach lining of a cow, milk, vinegar, garlic and chili peppers.

* Tarator - This is a cold soup that is served chilled or even with ice. It contains cucumbers, nuts, and yoghurt, as well as vegetable oil or water. It is flavored using garlic and dill.

* Soujouk - A spicy beef sausage. It contains quite a high fat content, and hence can be cooked in its own juices without the addition of oil.

* Sarma - A rolled leaf containing meat, rice and onions.

* Selska turshiya, Tsarska turshiya - Combinations of pickled vegetables.

* Gyuvetch - A beef and vegetable casserole.

* Garash - A walnut cake with cream and bitter chocolate frosting, and then covered with chocolate icing.

Discover more about Bulgarian Recipes at http://www.recipesmaniac.com/cook_bulgarian.php - visit this site for more information, pictures and details of Bulgarian cookbooks.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sunil_Tanna

If you aren’t adding a sauce or some kind of flavoring, many would say that you’re simply grilling meat, not having a barbecue. A traditional barbecue is a social event, involving the serving of meat that has been basted with some kind of sauce, and slow cooked for five to six hours at a low temperature (usually about 200F), over either wood or charcoal.

Traditional barbecue meats are cuts of steak or pork, but today, we more often think of hamburgers and hot dogs. In some regions, you might also see bratwurst or other kinds of sausage. You might also find kebabs including roasted vegetables, as well as meat. Texas, Virginia, both of the Carolinas, and Georgia, all claim to be the authentic home of barbecue and those claims may have some validity in each area, as each state has its own barbecue etiquette and traditions, as well as its own methods and sauces to make for a unique barbecue experience.

A Texas barbecue sauce is thick and sweet, with rich tomato flavor. The Texas dry-rub has a mixture of seasonings. Whether the sauce or the rub is used, each is typically applied to large cuts of beef, which are then hung to cook slowly over a well-controlled fire.

To the southeast, the sauce is thinner, and more vinegar is used, while the meat of choice is more likely to be pork. Additionally, the method of cooking typically is to place the meat in a pit or enclosure, which concentrates the heat and smoke, to give the meat a truly different taste.

Regardless of the area of the United States that you’re in, however, the barbecue is an American tradition, and there’s no chance of it declining in popularity. Almost every family has their BBQ favorites as to sauces and cooking methods. Kind of funny how people take in so closely their family secret recipes. Either way BBQ gatherings are some of the best outdoor activities you can do with friends and family.

At your next barbecue event, you can stir up the conversation and controversy by simply asking your local BBQ connoisseurs seeming simple questions such as what’s the difference between grilling and barbecuing or what’s better, wet sauce, or dry rub? Maybe, where did barbecuing originate? The answers may depend on the amount of alcohol the conversation participants have imbibed, but the responses you get are sure to be interesting!

Have you been thinking that drinking water containers are a good choice for simple and inexpensive way to take your water with you?  A drinking water container can provide you with a measure of convenience.  There are a few things that you should know before buying one; though.

I’m naturally going on the assumption that you’re already using a good home water purification system.  You know, one that removes such contaminants as chlorine, THMs, VOCs, lead, pesticides, herbicides, and bacteria from your water, right?  I’m assuming of course that you’ll be putting only the freshest, purest water you can get in your drinking water containers.

I’m certain you are also using a showerhead filter, because you understand that chemicals in the water are easily inhaled in the steam from the shower, and the chemicals are also readily absorbed into your pores.  If the water that was going into your new drinking water container wasn’t up to your standard of quality, why waste your time and money.

When you go shopping around for good drinking water containers, you might just be looking for a color that would accessorize you training outfit.  While getting one that pleases you aesthetically is fine, but it is not what you should be primarily concerned about.

The materials that were used in the manufacturing of your drinking water container are what should be the focus of your mind.  Glass is by far the best material for transporting or storing water.  Glass would be alright at the gym, but a little impractical for activities such as hiking or jogging.

The best material for drinking water containers for those kinds of activities would be polycarbonate or plastic.  There is too much of a chance that a glass bottle could get broken during vigorous activities such as these.  Then not only would you have no water left, but you would have nowhere to put the shards of broken glass so that the next person along the ppath would not get hurt.

If it sounds as though a plastic or polycarbonate drinking water container is the way for you to go, let me just warn you about one thing.  When water sits in a plastic container for a period of time the chemical compounds used in the manufacturing of the plastic can seep into the water.

Bisphenol A or BPA is a chemical compound which is used in the making of various polymers. BPA induces a chronic toxicity when consumed in low doses over a period of time.  It is responsible for causing cancer, endocrine system disruption, and raises estrogen levels in humans.

This substance was found in approximately 90% of the urine samples taken in clinical studies here in America.  This fact can probably be attributed to the switch to drinking bottled water, because it seemed to be a safer option that tap water.  If plastic drinking water containers are what you’ve got your mind set on, just make sure that it is one labeled BPA-Free.

Although inconvenient for some activities, glass is a much safer material for drinking water containers, and if the choice was up to me, that’s the path that I would follow.

Jesse Metzger is dedicated to research of pure, clean water products. He shares his research on his website; http://www.water-clean-and-clear.com

Looking for clean, pure water? Visit his site now to learn about water products Jesse personally recommends. drinking water containers

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