BITESIZE HEALTH HACK #2

Crappy tasting or less than pristine water in your area? I highly recommend getting a water filter. You can start researching the best reverse osmosis under the counter system if you like, but you’ll get up and running far quicker if you keep it simple for now and grab yourself one of those filter jugs from the supermarket. It makes all the difference to the taste of even ‘good water.’

You could also add a squeeze of lemon or a sprinkling of sea or rock salt.

And here is a little trick recommended by the WHO in developing countries – allow your water to sit in a clear container for 6 hours in the sunshine to kill pathogens6

Plastic Fantastic – so many issues here relating to water bottles, from the destruction of our planet, to the toxins in many plastics and the fact that sooner or later, all plastic bottles seem to grow mould on them. Please avoid plastics if you can5 and don’t reuse plastic bottles that have been lying in a hot car.

I use glass bottles (with little rubber padding, because I break things a lot) and also metal bottles, which keep the water nice and cool. I have a small lightweight one to take out and about with me (as I've sadly discovered, throwing a glass bottle into your bag is a sure-fire way to smash your phone) and long thin metal bottles work well for sliding into kids school bags.

Mould, mould, mould – for many people, mould has been identified as contributing to many long-term chronic illness (but more about that another time) with debilitating impact. While mould may be hard to avoid in our living environment, we can at least reduce our chances of drinking it by storing empty bottles with the lid off and brushing regularly with a bottle brush. For glass and metal bottles, check the lids carefully for mould, especially in the crevices. Throw out anything mouldy – it is just not worth it.