At first glance the PUR 2 Stage Dispenser (purchased at Target) didn’t really seem all that impressive. No shiny metals or fancy flashing lights, just a plastic water reservoir, drip chamber, lid and a cylindrical “two stage” filter element. Although, as we all know, you can’t judge a book by its cover. So after giving it a quick wash and rinse, I filled it with my “undrinkable” tap water and waited…

I certainly didn’t have to wait long, as most of the water dripped through into the dispensing chamber in well under 20min. I decided to give it a bit more time though, as I wanted to let my new non chlorinated and contaminant free H2O reach a more appropriate drinking temperature.

After an hour or so of patiently waiting, it was time to give it a go. The result? Well, honestly, I can’t say that it was a “eureka!” moment. As the purified and perfectly chilled water flowed between my parched lips, I would like to tell you that I was magically transported to some far away glacial mountain top where the water is pure, the sky is blue and the air is clean; but, unfortunately, that simply did not happen.

Now honestly -in my opinion- my tap water was not that bad to begin with. So your individual results may vary. However, I do not in any way doubt the claim made by PUR to remove 99.9% of this, that and certain other chemical contaminants swirling around in the municipal water supply making it so supposedly death dealing to drink.

The real question waiting to be answered is would I recommend this product to a friend? More importantly, would I recommend it to you? The answer is a resounding YES.

Like me, you may not be able to immediately taste the difference, but I honestly believe that after years of reduced exposure to chlorine and other chemical agents, our bodies will definitely feel the difference. Numerous studies have shown that people who live longer not only drink more water than the rest of us, but water that has far less chemical contaminants.

While the saying it’s not easy being “green” still holds true in some areas, it is becoming easier to be green than ever before. That’s because of an increasing education of the general public regarding the environment and the growing willingness of local governments to take on greater ecological responsibility.

Whether you live in one of America’s greenest cities such as Eugene, Oregon, or, in a place where the infrastructure isn’t so environmentally friendly, you can still have a positive impact on the environment at the grocery store. Here are a few ways to make more environmentally friendly choices.

Bring Your Own Grocery Bags

One of the worst things for our environment is plastic. Most plastics take hundreds of years to decompose. An easy way to limit the amount of plastic bags that you use, and ultimately, throw away, is to purchase reusable grocery bags.

Purchase Less Packaging

Try to buy products with as little packaging as possible. Instead of multi-packs, purchase large jugs of juice and use your own containers. Look for a block of cheese instead of individually wrapped slices.

Organics

Organic foods are grown without the use of chemicals or other pesticidal agents that harm the environment. If you are purchasing organic meats, these have been raised apart from the ecologically destructive factory farming systems.

Buy Local

Supporting your local farmers market can save a significant amount of carbon emissions. Instead of foods being shipped hundreds and even thousands of miles, most farmers markets offer fruits and vegetables grown by members of your own community.

Veg Out

Going vegetarian is a great way to help the environment. Animal agriculture is the largest producer of greenhouse gases. In addition to being responsible for some eighteen percent of total greenhouse emissions worldwide, animal farms are the number one producer of methane gas. Methane has twenty one times the warming potential of carbon dioxide. Further, meat production can use up to twenty times as much energy and ten times as much water as growing grain. However, even if you do not completely eliminate meat from your diet, you can still “green” up your meals so to speak by eating vegetarian a few times each week.

Plan Ahead

Plan. Don’t fall into the trap of making random trips to the grocery store. Make a list, and plan your meals and purchases accordingly. Planning ahead for grocery shopping will save both fuel and the associated greenhouse gases. It will also eliminate waste. By sticking to your planned grocery list you are less likely to make sporadic purchases that will possibly go uneaten and have to be discarded.

Get Fit

A great benefit of “green” grocery shopping is that most ecologically friendly food items are quite healthy. You will often find yourself eating foods that are both nutritious and tasty, while also being low in harmful additives, artificial flavors and fat. Combine healthy eating habits with 30 minutes of daily exercise and chances are, you’ll be around long enough to see the positive effects that both you and others like you are having on the environment.

Experts say that a vegetarian diet is healthier than an omnivorous one because of the excess of meat eaten by meat eaters. But now it appears that vegetarians may very well be smarter too. A study published by a Southampton University team appears to establish a link between higher than average childhood IQ and becoming a vegetarian in adult life.

In their report published by BBC news the researchers concluded that: “Those who were vegetarian by 30 had recorded five IQ points more on average at the age of 10.” Further, “men who were vegetarian had an IQ score of 106, compared with 101 for non-vegetarians; while female vegetarians averaged 104, compared with 99 for non-vegetarians.”

Of note are the statements of the lead researcher Catherine Gale when she said: “The finding that children with greater intelligence are more likely to report being vegetarian as adults, together with the evidence on the potential benefits of a vegetarian diet on heart health, may help to explain why higher IQ in childhood or adolescence is linked with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease in adult life.”

Source: “High IQ Linked To Being Vegetarian,” BBC News