The Consumerist reports that New York City water contains microscopic shrimp-like organisms called copepods. They’re about 1 mm long and transparent, although they’re visible under a microscope after staining. (Click on The Consumerist link to see an image.)

Why in the world are New Yorkers drinking these tiny creatures that feed off mosquito larvae? Apparently the EPA does not require NYC to mechanically filter its water. Wow.

Needless to say, if you live in NYC, you should invest in a home water filter ASAP! (Unless you enjoy that extra bit of protein in your diet. Yum.)

In May I had the opportunity to attend the public forum “Where is Nutrition in Health Care of the Future?” in Atlanta, where Dr. Andrew Weil, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and Dr. David Kessler discussed the most pressing issues in nutrition and integrative medicine.

I am happy (although not surprised) to report that Dr. Weil first said “I purify my water” when asked how he protects his family against environment toxins and carcinogens. That’s how important it is to filter your water and remove dangerous contaminants! Dr. Weil also said that he grows much of his own food at home, buys organic produce when possible, uses the “Dirty Dozen” list from the Environmental Working Group when shopping, has phased plastic products out of his life as much as possible, and doesn’t keep poisons like pesticides around his home.

Much of the discussion revolved around the modern food industry. A lot of what we call “food” simply is not real food! It’s an industrial product designed to be addictive. How do they make it addictive? Dr. Kessler, former Commissioner of the FDA and author of The End of Overeating, points out that sugar is an addictive substance, especially when combined with fat and salt. And that’s just what the global food companies are doing. Plus, via billion-dollar marketing campaigns, they’re making it socially acceptable to eat these industrial products. Dr. Kessler compared processed food to adult baby food and said that many people overeat for self-stimulation and self-medication to relieve stress. It’s hard eat too much natural food – because you eventually feel full and satisfied – but processed foods are designed to make us eat fast and never feel satisfied. You just keep eating more and more.

Dr. Weil summarized the key message of the forum: “Stop eating refined, processed, manufactured food.”

Eat real food! That’s the best thing you can do for your health. Unfortunately, eating real food in our society can be challenging.

Many people, for example, are addicted to eating low-nutrient, high-carb junk foods (especially at night). That’s how they relieve stress and calm down at the end of the day. If you’re addicted to junk food, you can break the cycle! One way to break the cycle is to go on a “real food only fast.” Stop eating all processed food (for at least a week). Eat only natural foods – fruits, vegetables, lean, meats, beans, nuts, etc. Yes, you’ll have to prepare most of your food at home, but it’s worth it. You’ll feel great after eliminating processed foods from your diet! During your “real food only fast,” you’ll need to drink plenty of purified water to help clear all the toxic junk food leftovers out of your system. Heed Dr. Weil’s advice and invest in a quality home water purifier. Also eat plenty of vegetables; they should be the foundation of your diet. When you eat real, nutritious foods, you don’t have to overeat. But next time you see a television commercial that shows happy, beautiful people stuffing their faces with fast-food burgers, remind yourself that it’s not reality.

CNN reports that the President’s Cancer Panel concluded that exposure to cancer risks is widespread and underestimated, especially for children. Many people are unaware of common cancer causing chemicals such as formaldehyde, benzene, and radon.

According to the Panel’s report, 80,000 chemicals are used in the U.S but only about 200 of them have been tested for safety. The rest are unregulated. Bisphenol-A (BPA), for instance, is found in food can liners, plastic bottles (including baby bottles), food wraps, and other containers even though exposure to BPA has been linked to cancer and several other diseases. Children are especially vulnerable to such environmental toxins.

Formaldehyde is present in almost all homes. The tight seals that make our homes energy efficient trap pollutants indoors. Formaldehyde, a probable carcinogen, is used in plywood, furniture, carpet, and other home goods. Open doors and windows to air out your home periodically.

Benzene, a known carcinogen, comes from vehicle exhaust and industrial pollution. If you walk or jog outdoors, try to do so away from busy roads and in the early morning hours before the air is polluted.

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking. Radon is gas that seeps from some rock formations and can collect in homes. Invest in a radon detector for your home.

The report also makes the following recommendations to reduce cancer risk:

- Remove shoes before entering the home to avoid tracking in toxins like pesticides.

- Use a home water filter to remove toxins from tap water.

- Use stainless steel or glass bottles.

- Never microwave plastic containers. [Better yet: get rid of your microwave!]

- Eat organic meats and produce to minimize exposure to toxins like pesticides, genetically modified proteins, and antibiotics.

- Minimize consumption of charred and well-done meats [as well as processed deli meats].

- Minimize exposure to radiation from x-rays and other medical imaging technologies.

Note: While sunburns increase the risk of skin cancer, lack of healthy sun exposure lowers vitamin D levels and increases cancer risk. Have some fun in the sun this summer; it’s good for you!

Frank Caldario of Crestwood, IL, is just 30 years old, but he’s already had a gumball-size tumor removed from his kidney.

“I can’t help but wonder if what happened to me had something to do with the water,” he said. “It’s just unreal for someone my age to get that.”

Illinois released a report last week which found that toxic chemicals in Crestwood’s drinking water could have contributed to Crestwood’s cancer cluster, or elevated cancer rates. The community of approximately 11,000 shows higher than average rates for kidney cancer, lung cancer, and gastrointestinal cancer.

Why was this community drinking toxic water? Last year the Chicago Tribune revealed that the community’s water supply came from a “secret” taiinted well. Unbelievable!

For years, residents of Crestwood were told that they were drinking treated water from Lake Michigan, when they were really drinkign water from a polluted well! Property values in the village have dropped since last year’s revelation, and citizens are worried about their health.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: You just can’t trust government authorities to provide your family with safe water. You have to take matters into your own hands and invest in a home water filter.

The Poughkeepsie Journal reports that the IBM Corp. Campus in Wiccopee is dealing with lead contamination in the drinking water. The lead in the drinking water is likely coming from old pipes.

The Poughkeepsie water treatment plant adds chloramines to the water, and scientific evidence shows that chloramines can accelerate the leaching of lead from pipes. Many water treatment plants across the country have begun using chloramines (chlorine combined with ammonia) as the primary disinfectant (as opposed to chlorine). Chloramines offer some advantages over chlorine, but both chlorine and chloramines in drinking water may cause serious health problems. For instance, chlorinated water is linked with increased cancer risk. Chloramines have also been associated with skin rashes and lung irritation.

Professor Marc Edwards of Virginia Polytechnic University has found that lead contamination rises after water treatment plants begin using chloramines. He explains that chloramines release ammonia, which provides food for certain types of bacteria that produce acid, which makes the water more corrosive of lead in pipes.

Lead contamination in drinking water can make people sick and interfere with mental development. For now, IBM is providing bottled water for their employees. I think it’s time for IBM to invest in eco-friendly bottle-less water coolers for their employees. These coolers have built-in filters to remove contaminants like lead.

In January, citizens of Fremont, Ohio, were warned for the third time in less than six months that their drinking water contained high concentrations of nitrate.

Nitrate (NO3) is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. It’s found naturally in the environment, and it’s harmless in small amounts. However, when large amounts of nitrates from agricultural operations and waste dumps contaminate drinking water, they make the water dangerous. In the body, nitrate is converted to nitrite, which can reduce oxygen supplies to organs like the brain. This is especially dangerous for infants. Nitrate levels of 10 mg/l or higher can cause methemoglobinemia, or “blue baby syndrome,” in which the ability to utilize oxygen is reduced.

Nitrate levels in the water of Fremont, OH, were found to be 11.3 mg/l, and officials issued an advisory and warned that infants under the age of 6 months should not be given tap water.

Symptoms of blue baby syndrome include blue skin (especially around the eyes and mouth), shortness of breath, weakness, dizziness, and headache. If you suspect methemoglobinemia, take the baby to the hospital immediately. If left untreated, blue baby syndrome may cause permanent brain damage or death.

Elevated levels of nitrates in drinking water have also been linked to thyroid problems, increased risk for birth defects, increased risk of diabetes, and increased mortality rates for several different types of cancer.

Protect your water from nitrate contamination by using home water filters.

Today I venture outside the realm of home water filters to explore an interesting phenomenon dubbed the Avatar blues.

First of all, if you haven’t seen the movie Avatar yet, I urge you to go see it. This is one movie you’ll want to see in the theater.

If you’ve already seen the movie, you may (or may not) be surprised to learn that many viewers are leaving the theater feeling sad, depressed, and even suicidal. CNN reported on the Avatar blues recently and published several comments from fan forum sites.

“I wasn’t depressed myself. In fact the movie made me happy,” said Philippe Baghdassarian. “But I can understand why it made people depressed. The movie was so beautiful and it showed something we don’t have here on Earth. I think people saw we could be living in a completely different world and that caused them to be depressed.”

As CNN describes it, “the world of Pandora is reminiscent of a prehistoric fantasyland, filled with dinosaur-like creatures mixed with the kinds of fauna you may find in the deep reaches of the ocean. Compared with life on Earth, Pandora is a beautiful, glowing utopia.”

Indeed, the 3D film shows us the majestic beauty of floating mountains and allows us to sense the serenity of a forest glowing with bioluminescence.

“I was depressed because I really wanted to live in Pandora, which seemed like such a perfect place,” wrote Ivar Hill of Sweden. “But I was also depressed and disgusted with the sight of our world, what we have done to Earth. I so much wanted to escape reality.”

I would like to suggest that maybe we don’t need to escape reality; maybe we simply need to dive into reality and truly experience it. It can be easy to lose touch with reality – with nature – when we’re constantly immersed in television, twitter, and facebook.

Do you remember the scene in Avatar in which Sam first walks outside in his avatar body? He runs barefoot, elated, and his toes kick up dirt. When was the last time you ran barefoot and felt the soil between your toes?

Pandora is not just a fantasy world of unreal beauty. It is a reflection of the beautiful, real world in which we currently live. In fact, those floating mountains were inspired by the Huang Shan Mountains in China. And if you travel deep into the Southern Appalachian Mountains, far away from all artificial lights, you’ll see the blue-green glow of foxfire, a type of bioluminescent fungi that grows on wood.

But it’s not just the physical beauty of Pandora that makes moviegoers wish they were there. It’s the spiritual connection between the people of Pandora and their environment. The Na’vi share the same biological makeup as the other living creatures on their planet. They can even physically connect to some animals and plants through the neural tendrils at the tips of their hair braids. The Na’vi respect each other, all forms of life, and their environment. They recognize that their environment is part of their identity.

Actor Stephen Lang (who plays Colonel Miles Quaritch in the film), commented, “Pandora is a pristine world, and there is the synergy between all of the creatures of the planet, and I think that strikes a deep chord within people. That has a wishfulness and a wistfulness to it.”

“Ever since I went to see Avatar I have been depressed,” wrote a forum user named Mike. “Watching the wonderful world of Pandora and all the Na’vi made me want to be one of them. I can’t stop thinking about all the things that happened in the film and all of the tears and shivers I got from it. I even contemplate suicide, thinking that if I do it, I will be rebirthed in a world similar to Pandora.”

I have a message for you, Mike: You are already living in a world similar to Pandora! No need to off yourself. The beauty of nature is all around you, but you have to make an effort to experience it. You cannot experience the beauty of foxfire by downloading images on firefox. It’s just not the same. You’ve got to get your feet dirty.

Furthermore, we humans are similar to the Na’vi. Okay, so we can’t physically connect with others via neural tendrils, but we have an amazing bundle of nerves in our cranium that allows us to connect with others through empathy, compassion, humor, and love.

I think that the Na’vi show us, as a society, what we might have been like in the past and who we might become in the future. Will we continue to disregard our spiritual connection to our environment? Will we continue to poison our planet and our bodies? Perhaps we will realize that we can have our own Pandora here on Earth by respecting all forms of life – focusing on what we share rather than how we are different – by living with purpose, and by experiencing the beauty all around us.