'Chemical Free Drinking'...

'Chemical Free Drinking'. - Originally published via Life of a mamma visit her blog here

Does this title make you sit back and think when do I ever drink chemicals? I don't drink chemicals?

Did you know each time you reach for a plastic bottle to drink out of it is likely you are drinking chemicals?

The chemicals
Reusable plastic water bottles are washed and used over and over again, thats what they are designed to do.
I know myself I had bottles from at least 3 years ago that I had been using almost daily over a long period of time.
What I didn't know is that over time, after the bottle has been washed repeatedly in hot detergent water, reheated and used over again, the plastic begins to break down. As the plastic becomes more and more 'worn', the bottle begins releasing the chemicals used to make the bottle into the water or liquid we are drinking. WHAT?

The most common plastic that is easily broken down is BPA (bisphenol).
You probably recognise this word from the stickers that say 'BPA free' that you may have seen on water bottles and storage containers when in the shops.
I know I had seen the stickers and never knew what it really meant!

So what is BPA?
BPA is a chemical used to produce a lot of our plastic water and food storage containers.
According to health news.org, BPA can alter hormones and effect other areas of our health, hence why some brands have removed the chemical altogether from their products. BPA is easily absorbed into our drinks when we leave plastic bottles in hot cars, when bottles are stored in hot places (such as a retailers shed), when we reheat foods in plastic containers or keep using reusable containers and bottles for a long period of time.

BPA stickers
So seeing the BPA free stickers on our plastic goods sure does feel like you have found a goodie doesn't it!
That product instantly stands out from the others, it's BPA free, it has a special sticker! It must be better for us! I'll pick that one!
The truth is we shouldn't be being exposed to chemicals like this in the first place. Seeing one chemical taken out of the plastic bottle is not really a bonus, we still have other chemicals in there that we are unaware of and don't even consider. An example of one of these products: petroleum products. Did you know over 151 billion litres of oil (enough to run 500,000 cars for a whole year) is used each year to produce plastic water bottles?

Other common chemical contaminates in our water bottles are: 
Barium (not dissolvable in water but does dissolve in the human stomach which can be harmful in large doses), Chromium, Copper, Cyanide (common poisen), Nickel, Ethylbenzene (petroleum product), Monochlorobenzene, Styrene, Toluene (exposure may cause liver and kidney damage in large doses) and Xylenes.
Although these chemicals may not cause immediate harm on our bodies or our health in small doses, they are still chemicals.
Chemicals we are exposing ourselves and our little ones unnecessarily.
It's not just chemical exposure that is no good either, its the waste and land pollution.

The waste and land pollution effects
Not only do we have the problem of these plastics effecting our health, we also have a HUGE (bigger then we are aware of) problem with where this plastic water bottles end up after we have used them.

HERE ARE THE REAL EFFECTS … DID YOU KNOW -
- The average person uses 167 plastic bottles a year. How much are we spending in plastic bottles a year?!

- The price our earth pays? 1500 plastic bottles end up in our oceans EVERY SECOND.

- To make one water bottle it takes about 3-5 litres of water!

- 78% of plastic water bottles JUST IN New Zealand alone are NOT recycled.

- Theres an estimated area in the Pacific Ocean, at least the size of Texas, called the 'Great Pacific Garbage Patch', which is literally
a huge area of floating plastic rubbish.

- Each year millions of our wildlife die from this plastic trapping them in some way or the animal trying to ingest it.

- In turtles, the plastic has been shown to block the intestines and make the animals float, meaning they are unable to dive for
their food.

- Testing on the animals who have ingested the plastic have showed (using 180 species) that the chemicals used in these products
are so bad that the animal has been seriously injured or died as a result of the poison used in the products to make our plastic
bottles.

- Up to 24% of bottled water comes from the tap, not from a beautiful pouring stream in the wild like pictured on the bottle.

What about stainless steel or aluminium bottles?
We also have the reusable stainless steel or aluminium bottles which still do pose some risks.
Stainless steel bottles can corrode over time and use and can release iron into the water/liquid.
Although iron isn't greatly harmful, it can add an unpleasant taste to the water, and who really wants to be drinking iron particles anyway?

So obviously staying hydrated is an essential, as is coffee for those surviving #mumlife.
We can't just stop drinking fluids when we are out or when we are on holidays.
What we can do is use SAFE re-usable bottles, saving money and waste.
So how can we make a real change? Switch to glass!

Glass bottles are much better for our health. They don't leak chemicals. They don't ware out after continuous use.
They don't absorb your drinks taste or smell, which means after a clean it'll smell like a bottle, not like your last soft drink or coffee.
Glass bottles last for so long, but they can also be recycled using 40% less energy then if a new glass was to be made.
Also up to 80% of recycled glass can be reclaimed! This is a much better way to keep hydrated, keep enjoying our amazing beverages or cool refreshing water WITHOUT ingesting chemicals, without it decreasing the animal population and without it effecting the earth we live on.

MY CHOICE OF GLASS BOTTLE
& ITS NOT YOUR AVERAGE GLASS BOTTLE!

MADE BY FRESSKO 

fruit infuser - tea infuser - coffee infuser - water bottle - chemical free 

INTRODUCING…
The bottle of all bottles
The flask of all flasks! 
The fruit infuser, the tea infuser, the coffee infuser, the water bottle, the smoothie carrier, the juice chiller.
The change for our animals and earth.
Say no to chemicals -  Say yes to safe

How does it work? 
Say hello to your new LEAKPROOF bestie and say goodbye to spilt water through the handbag or gym bag!
These super cute flasks keep your choice of hydration hot for 6 hours or cold for 12 hours.
Inside is a removable infuser that is used to put your favourite tea bag, coffee or fruits inside to infuse the flavour into the water creating the perfect TAKEAWAY beverage. The outer of this flask is a hard stainless steel, inside is a silver lined glass inner.

What can i make? Take your pick:
Fruit water? Remove the Fressko 2-in-1 infuser/filter, unscrew the bottom component, add your favourite fresh fruits or vegetables, 'lock it in eddie' by replacing the lid and let your flask do the infusing!

Tea? Remove the Fressko 2-in-1 infuser/filter, unscrew the bottom component, add your favourite tea bag or fresh tea leaves, screw the filter back on and let your flask do the infusing! Can be used for iced-tea too!

Coffee? Remove the Fressko 2-in-1 filter, add your favourite instant coffee blend, screw the lid back on and off you go!

Smoothie or juice? Make your favourite smoothie or juice your favourite fruit, pour it into Mr. Fressko and off you go!

There are some AMAZING recipes listed on the website at the bottom of the page, your welcome! :-)

Benefits of fruit infusion
Not a big fruit eater like me?
You'd have to force me to eat fruit but I honestly love fruit infused water. Its not too strong of a taste but just gives water that extra boost of flavour without adding sugars or artificial flavours (such as lemon or lime cordial).

By infusing fruit and vegetables into your water you are:
- flushing toxins from your system
- improving your mood
- filling your belly to reduce hunger, aka less binge eating
- boosting your metabolism
- naturally helping your body release fat cells for water weight loss
- improving organ health whilst working out
- reducing muscle fatigue
- fastening workout recovery
- boosting energy in the afternoon

Another love of mine is lemon water. We all know lemon water is good for us and it is so easy to do with Fressko!
For those who love a good coffee or tea whilst out at the park, make your coffee/tea at home and brew on the go, saving money and saving waste by using multiple takeaway cups!

With every Made-by-Fressko comes a 360ml glass flask and a 2-in-1 infuser used for your coffee, tea or fruits!
I have had my Fressko for about 2-3 months now and I use it daily. Hands down the best bottle and flask I've ever owned.
Even my husband has tried on numerous occasions to steal it to take to work!

No more chemicals
LEAKPROOF
Brew as you go
Less plastic and cup pollution
Reusable
Safe 
PRETTY! 

Prices
Now for me i went with the 360ml flask, priced at $59.95 NZD.
Now BEFORE you go oh thats expensive for a bottle, think about this.

Each water bottle or takeaway coffee you buy is commonly around $5. How many bottles of water or coffees would you buy a week? I'd bank on at least 4? maybe even more in the colder seasons?
Lets work with the number 4.
4 purchases per week at $5 is $20.
In just under 3 weeks you have spent enough to purchase a reusable safe and more environmentally friendly beverage holder that will last for a lot longer and is so much cuter then a plastic bottle or coffee cup!
I take mine along in my handbag for shopping trips, use it at the gym, use it for day trips and use it for my smoothies every morning. Fressko will 100% make your life so much easier, especially on those rushed can't finish my coffee have to go do school drop off type mornings.

Check out the links below for some more information or scroll to the bottom of the page for some recipe ideas!

Enjoy, and let me know if you join in on the Fressko way!
Stay tuned for our next blog, all about our choice of children's plates, cutlery and cups!

Amber xx

To discover the amazing recipe ideas for your Made-by-Fressko flask, scroll down the page or check out: The Made by Fressko Recipe collection HERE