Who would you prefer to buy your water from?

A company that discloses the water’s source, how the water has been purified, and what pollutants each bottle of water may contain? Or a company that discloses nothing?

We’ll take option A please.

The good news is that it’s the cheaper option too. Way cheaper. Yes, the 50,000 tap water suppliers, whose “product” is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), have a high standard to adhere to. They are required to publish an annual report describing their water’s status.

In stark comparison, the bottled water companies, regulated by the FDA, aren’t required to disclose anything to anyone.

This, and other interesting details are available in a new report from the Environmental Working Group (a nonprofit research organization based in Washington, DC that uses the power of information to protect human health and the environment.)

What you need to know:

Bottled water is a textbook example of marketing genius. There is absolutely no reason to be drinking it in most parts of the US. As the recent report shows, from a health perspective, tap is scrutinized more carefully than bottled water. It’s a drain on your pocketbook. And the plastic bottles are an ecological nightmare.

What to do at the supermarket:

With all the cash you saved by not buying bottled water, how about splurging on some of those more expensive / exotic fruits and vegetables in the produce aisle?

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Do you want to start using more organic food in your diet?

A great place to start is fresh fruits and vegetables.

You don’t need to switch overnight from conventional to all organic. If you are switching to organic to reduce pesticide exposure, take a look at the “Shoppers Guide to Pesticides”, listing the produce containing the highest traces of pesticide residue. Not all veggies are created alike, and not all are sprayed in equal quantities.

The list is annually updated by the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting youngsters from toxins.

What you need to know:

Pesticides are toxic in high dosages, but the question is what happens with repeated exposures in tiny amounts. Evidence has been around for years that pesticide may be the cause of skin and eye irritations, various nervous system diseases, cancer, and hormonal imbalances. The argument is over the acceptable dosages.

Some plants are more resistant to predators than others, that’s why there’s a huge variation in pesticide use between onions and strawberries. Other factors include surface area for pesticide to linger on (lettuce leaves have much more than a kiwi), distance from the ground (roots and strawberries vs peas), and thickness of skin (watermelon vs peach).

What to do at the supermarket:

Don’t automatically give up on organic produce just because it sounds expensive. Ease in to organic produce using the list above. In addition you may find good prices on fruit and vegetables in season, when supply is very high.

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