Zazen Pregnancy Blog Series #1: Pre-Pregnancy, Hydration And The Elimination Of Toxins From Your Diet & Lifestyle

By Kate Waterson, Expectant Mum, Nutritionist and zazen Water Hydration Specialist.

We are often asked by women if zazen Water is safe to drink while pregnant, or to give to their babies after pregnancy – the answer to both is yes!

We thought we would do a blog series for you to cover each important phase of pre-pregnancy, being pregnant and post-pregnancy over the next 3 months, and why staying hydrated during this crucial time when your body is changing & adapting is so important. Let’s start with pre-pregnancy and the importance of eliminating as many toxins from your diet & lifestyle as possible. 

Pre-Pregnancy – Eliminating Toxins

There is so much information available about what to do and what not to do when trying to fall pregnant that it can become very overwhelming and confusing. Some things are outside of our control and we need to accept & recognise these but we can learn alternate ways to help reduce the toxin load on our body. There are many things that are within your control that will help to eliminate toxins from your body so that when you are trying to fall pregnant, and do fall pregnant you are in a peak state of health. 

How to reduce your toxin load

Many products & foods that we are using and eating everyday (including cleaning products, personal care, fruits and vegetables), contain thousands of chemicals that have the potential to disrupt your hormonal function and cause long-term damage. These chemicals are absorbed through your skin, or breathed in and can impact your health and fertility.

The first step is ensuring you are hydrated.
All of us are exposed to these things at one time or another – directly or indirectly. If you are wanting to detox before falling pregnant, the zazen Alkaline Water System will assist with everything else that you are doing from a health perspective as it is designed for peak cellular hydration meaning that the water you are drinking can get into your cells and flush out the stored toxins that have built up over time helping to cleanse, nourish and hydrate every cell in your body. Cellular Hydration is critical for the prevention of and recovery from disease and illness.

Areas and products to avoid, and how to protect yourself

Non-stick chemicals – Remove these from your kitchen! Toxins are released when these pans are heated; Scientists have discovered women with higher levels of non-stick chemicals in their bloodstream take longer to fall pregnant.

How to protect yourself – cook with stainless steel, cast iron, glass, ceramic or stoneware.

BPA - A Hormone disrupting chemical which can cause widespread damage throughout the body, not only for fertility but for a developing foetus, babies and toddlers.

How to protect yourself - Opt for Glass, stainless steel, & BPA Free containers for eating (baby bottles included), drinking & storing food.

Phthalates - These are a family of industrial chemicals found in products containing artificial fragrances – scented products such as perfume, cologne, air fresheners, laundry detergents, fabric softeners, shampoo, soap, hairspray, body spray, lotion, deodorant, makeup and other personal care products.
Scientific studies have shown that high levels of phthalates are associated with altered DNA integrity in human sperm, reproductive development issues, and suppression of ovulation.

How to protect yourself – There are more and more organic & natural products that are appearing on the market with essential oils as the base for the fragrance, which can actually be good for you! Think calming Lavender and uplifting citrus scents like lemon. Natural laundry detergents, kitchen and bathroom cleaners & air fresheners are all available.

Pesticides, Herbicides & endocrine disruption chemicals – linked to reproductive issues, birth defects, cancers, Alzheimer’s, ADHD, miscarriage, & infertility. They are sprayed on our fruits and vegetables to protect them from pests, bacteria, moulds, insects and rodents.

According to an article published on CNN.com, children who are frequently exposed to a small amount of organophosphates (a pesticide found on commercially grown fruit and vegetables) are more likely to have ADHD and exposure to these pesticides has also been linked to behavioural and learning problems in children.

How to protect yourself – Shop at Farmers Markets where possible, buy organic and speak to the Farmers about how they grow their fruit and vegetables and what they feed their cattle and chickens if you are buying meat and eggs. If you don’t have access to a Farmers Market head to your local Organic Health Food Shop which should have a good range of organic produce including grass fed meats.

Water - Chlorine, heavy metals, herbicides, pesticides, industrial poisons, THMS (a known carcinogen) can all be found in your local water source (chemically treated tap water). By drinking water that contains these chemicals you will continue to remain dehydrated (if water is not in the right balance, just as your blood is kept in pH balance 7.369, it will not hydrate you) and this state of dehydration can lead to systemic long term health issues.

How to protect yourself – Change the water you drink so that your body is NOT the filter for the water you drink, rather you should be drinking a high quality filtered alkaline mineral water so that your body is able to hydrate at a cellular level which is critical for the prevention of and recovery from disease and illness.

Did you know that Children absorb up to 50% more heavy metals and toxins than adults do?

This is why it is just as important, if not more that children are not exposed to these chemicals and that their bodies are hydrated. Dehydration can lead to trouble with basic math, difficulty focusing, fatigue, yawning, erratic & moody behaviour, constipation, aches and pains, cravings for sugar and sweets. 

An imbalance of hormones is behind many fertility issues and mood disorders. Making sure you have enough high quality water in your system, that is hydrating you on a cellular level enables your body’s processes to function optimally especially ovulation, reproductive processes & fertilisation.

The zazen Alkaline Water System creates the correct structure and energy to allow for peak cellular hydration; zazen Water is a balanced alkaline mineral water! Water in this ideal state is used by the body to pull nutrients into your cells and pull metabolic waste out and rid the body of the waste (toxins and acids) through perspiration, regular bowel motions and urination– if the body remains dehydrated it cannot complete the “cleaning process” and these acids and toxins build up and are stored in the body and can lead to illness and disease over time!

Not all water is the same!
Remember, water must have the right properties to allow the body to hydrate. Our balanced range of natural minerals and salts are critical for hydration. For water to act as a nutrient to your body and increase your wellbeing, energy and vitality, it must be filtered (cleaned of toxins, bad bacteria and chemicals), be mineral and electrolyte rich, mildly alkaline, naturally energised and have smaller water clusters for cellular hydration. zazen Water mimics what Mother Nature does! Click here for more on Mother Nature’s Water Secret.

Peak Cellular Hydration will provide increased energy and vitality and can support a whole health strategy for a longer, healthier life!

Once you start to make the changes in your life by reducing/removing the above chemicals, and drinking a water that will hydrate you at a cellular level, your body will naturally start to release stored toxins, increase your general wellbeing and better support you falling pregnant.