I had a chance of a life time. Working as a program developer and coordinator for EartH2O in Costa Rica these last 5 weeks has taught me so much. A mixture of beauty, travel, and work and to add that I got paid for it all. Kind of hard to believe. I have met so many people across the globe, learned so many cultural and business lessons it is really surreal. I would tend to say that I have learned so much and experiences so much in the last couple of weeks that I feel as if I have been here for 3 months. I am sorry for only blogging about my time in CR minimally. That just means you will have to ask me in person ;)
I'm sitting here now in the airport waiting to board the plane. As I am doing so I am thinking about all that I have learned, all that has changed since I have been away from the states, and all that has changed me while away. Time flies, yet time still changes things. To think that I will be returning to my grandma and college friends getting married, friends having babies, and friends continuing to graduate programs. Life's a roller coaster, seeming to never slow down.
I am so ready and excited to come to Texas, California and Oregon to see the people I love and cherish. I am thrilled to start a new beginning and life out of school. Thanks to my time abroad I know my own visions have matured, my cultural perspectives shifted, my spiritual walk strengthened, and that I as a person have become stronger.
I love you all. Thank you so much for following me on this journey and keeping me in your prayers.
Con Amor,
Lindsey
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Saturday, June 6, 2015
pH and Water
Yesterday while preparing presentation material for students I found myself on a learning rabbit trail. One of the activities we will be doing is taking water samples at various locations along Costa Rica and measuring for the basic water quality parameters of Dissolved Oxygen (DO), turbidity, temperature and pH. In so preparing a brief lecture on the importance of these parameters I got stopped by pH as I chose to look more into the importance of pH in water.
I found out a couple more details about pH from being curious. Guess I had apparently forgotten about them in my chemistry class. First off, being that the pH (potential of hydrogen) scale ranges from 0-14 (0-6 being acidic and 8-14 being alkalinic) the pH of our bodies should normally be 7.35. This means that our bodies are slightly more alkaline than acidic.
The importance of pH and our human health is surreal! When we eat more acidic things, aka soda, fried meals, salt, and greases our pH levels drop. When we eat more alkaline foods our pH levels rise. It must therefore be a system of balances. What I learned from my research is that it is better for our bodies to be on the more alkaline side. Why? Well, diseases, viruses and bacteria thrive in acidic environments and CAN NOT persist in alkaline environments. Think of the average American diet, where consuming sodas, fries, fried chicken and chips is the norm. Now think of how acidic that person's pH level is as a result. A Coca-Cola soda for example sits on the pH scale as 1.5! It takes a lot of water and green vegetables to rebalance that level.
How does water play into all of this? WELL LET ME TELL YOU! Water sits on the pH scale as neutral at 7. The more water we drink the more we are able to neutralize our bodies and for better health stay away from the acidic scale. However, many people turn to bottled water as it is the most convenient commodity around. But there is one problem with bottled water: it is most times acidic! How? Well all of the chemicals from the bottle itself over time leach into the water itself increasing the sources acidity. Furthermore when water sits in a container for a long period of time it looses oxygen and becomes heated. The heat impacting the stagnant water actually breaks the hydrogen and oxygen bonds in the water creating free radical hydrogen molecules not connected to the other HO molecules. Since H are + , these free radicals increase the pH of the water (see diagram above on the left column to visualize how added H+ decreases pH). Therefore when drinking bottled water, most of the times you are actually contributing to the acidity in your system. (Different bottled water brands have been different levels of pH most around 5 and 6 but some going as low as 3 and 4 on the pH scale). When water is oxidized, oxygen molecules are able to reconnect to the free floating hydrogen radicals thereby reforming a stable H2O molecule--decreasing acidity in water.
Since it is the acidic environment that disease, bacteria and viruses inhabit it is important to maintain a level of alkalinity in your system. Alkaline water has been proven to actually cure diseases!
Here is an example chart of the foods that can improve and harm your health based on the pH scale. Helpful:
You should at least be drinking half of your body weight in oz. of water.
When we however are conscious of what enters our body, we are in turn being mindful of the pH scale--and there are benefits!
I found out a couple more details about pH from being curious. Guess I had apparently forgotten about them in my chemistry class. First off, being that the pH (potential of hydrogen) scale ranges from 0-14 (0-6 being acidic and 8-14 being alkalinic) the pH of our bodies should normally be 7.35. This means that our bodies are slightly more alkaline than acidic.
The importance of pH and our human health is surreal! When we eat more acidic things, aka soda, fried meals, salt, and greases our pH levels drop. When we eat more alkaline foods our pH levels rise. It must therefore be a system of balances. What I learned from my research is that it is better for our bodies to be on the more alkaline side. Why? Well, diseases, viruses and bacteria thrive in acidic environments and CAN NOT persist in alkaline environments. Think of the average American diet, where consuming sodas, fries, fried chicken and chips is the norm. Now think of how acidic that person's pH level is as a result. A Coca-Cola soda for example sits on the pH scale as 1.5! It takes a lot of water and green vegetables to rebalance that level.
How does water play into all of this? WELL LET ME TELL YOU! Water sits on the pH scale as neutral at 7. The more water we drink the more we are able to neutralize our bodies and for better health stay away from the acidic scale. However, many people turn to bottled water as it is the most convenient commodity around. But there is one problem with bottled water: it is most times acidic! How? Well all of the chemicals from the bottle itself over time leach into the water itself increasing the sources acidity. Furthermore when water sits in a container for a long period of time it looses oxygen and becomes heated. The heat impacting the stagnant water actually breaks the hydrogen and oxygen bonds in the water creating free radical hydrogen molecules not connected to the other HO molecules. Since H are + , these free radicals increase the pH of the water (see diagram above on the left column to visualize how added H+ decreases pH). Therefore when drinking bottled water, most of the times you are actually contributing to the acidity in your system. (Different bottled water brands have been different levels of pH most around 5 and 6 but some going as low as 3 and 4 on the pH scale). When water is oxidized, oxygen molecules are able to reconnect to the free floating hydrogen radicals thereby reforming a stable H2O molecule--decreasing acidity in water.
Since it is the acidic environment that disease, bacteria and viruses inhabit it is important to maintain a level of alkalinity in your system. Alkaline water has been proven to actually cure diseases!
Here is an example chart of the foods that can improve and harm your health based on the pH scale. Helpful:
You should at least be drinking half of your body weight in oz. of water.
When we however are conscious of what enters our body, we are in turn being mindful of the pH scale--and there are benefits!
Friday, June 5, 2015
Sailing
This last Sunday I had the opportunity to go out sailing on a small catamaran with some friends. It seems like everyone here around the lake are friends or are connected in come way. The boat we went sailing on was a friend of JPs. Lake Arenal is a beautiful and pristine lake. I am amazed of how clean the water and beaches are. There are hardly any boats on the water and very few docs. It is as if this lake is untouched--something unheard or unseen within the pollution and overuse practices of the 21st Century.
My opportunity to be on the lake, and this beautiful Costa Rican lake at that, is a reminder to me of how the Lord has blessed me in so many ways. As if I haven't been blessed enough, I felt as though this was something extra special. The air was fresh, water clear, and no other people out on the water. Its amazing how God speaks to us when away enjoying His beautiful creation. Just had to share!
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