How To Make Alkaline Water
Before we discuss how to make alkaline water, we should talk about a couple things first: what alkaline water is and how to test the pH level of water.
Before making alkaline water, you should better understand alkaline, its benefits and why you should drink alkaline water. The next step would how to test the pH level of your water. If you want to learn how to make alkaline water it is very important that you know how to test the pH level of the water you’ve ionized.
You do not want your water to be too acidic or too alkaline, either of these states can be unhealthy and even dangerous to your body. Having an alkaline body is good, but you don’t want to go overboard and drink excessively alkaline water as it can harm you. Too much of anything is not good. Alkaline drinking water should have a pH level ranging from 8 to 10. After you know about alkaline water, and how to test the pH level, then we will show how to make alkaline water.
Alkaline Water – A Brief Explanation
We generally measure how healthy water is by looking at the pH level. Drinking water can be in three different states: Neutral, Acidic or Alkaline.
| State | pH Level |
|---|---|
| Acidic | 0 – 6 |
| Neutral | 7 |
| Alkaline | 8 – 14 |
Alkaline water is water that has a pH that is higher than 8. If you want to learn how to make alkaline water, you should first know that if you intend to drink it (which you probably do), then you should ensure the alkaline water has a pH ranging from 8 to 10. Any higher and it can be unhealthy for the body (too much of anything is not good for you).
The human body should have a pH level of 7.25 – 7.35, but with today’s lifestyle it is usually lower than this causing it to be acidic. Things like stress, smoking, drinking pop and eating fast food and processed foods all contribute to that acidity. Pollution such as exhaust fumes from cars, trucks, and motorcycles, and a lower amount of oxygen in highly populated areas also contribute to acidity.
Acidity is not entirely bad, but too much of anything is not good for you, and right now, chances are you are too acidic. When the body is in an acidic state, it is more susceptible to infections, viruses, bacteria, and you get sick much more easily. Cancers, bacteria and viruses all prefer an acidic environment, and will thrive in it, so it’s a good idea to ensure that your body is not acidic.
Even when we try to make healthy choices by drinking bottled water, we are still adding to acidity because we think that the bottled water is neutral and healthy, but it actually tends to be on the acidic side. Drinks like coffee, tea, pop, root beer and alcohol are all on the acidic side. Beverages like these are very hard to avoid with our daily lifestyles. Plus, we are eating less alkalinizing foods like vegetables and fruits, and are eating more meats and processed foods, all of which only adds to the acidity of our bodies.
By drinking alkaline water, we can help to restore the acid/alkaline balance of our bodies.
How To Make Alkaline Water
There are various ways of how to make alkaline water, we will go into detail of each one, but here is a quick summary of the most common methods:
- Add Baking Soda
- Alkaline Drops & Tablets
- Use A Lemon
- Water Ionizer
The pH level of your body can go from a very acidic state to an alkaline state in as little as a week if you drink about 20 ounces of alkaline water a day. Of course this timeframe will vary from person to person, but it only takes a week on average.
Testing Your Water
Once you’ve made your alkaline water, you should test its pH level before consuming it. To test your water’s pH level, you will need pH test strips. You can buy a small box of pH test strips (also called litmus paper) for about $10, and you’ll only need about half a strip for each test that you do, so it’s pretty inexpensive.
To test your water’s pH level, pour a glass of the alkaline water. Take a pH test strip (or half a strip) and dip in the water. Make sure you don’t stir or swirl the strip around in the water, just place it in the water and hold it there for about five seconds. After five seconds, the test strip has absorbed the water, and you can take the test strip out of the water to let it dry. Again, don’t blow on the strip or wave it around to help dry it, and don’t put it down on anything as it will change the results, just hold it steady for about 10 seconds or so until the color changes.
Once the color of the test strip has changed, match it to the color chart provided with the pH test strips, and you will know what pH level your water is. If the strip doesn’t change color, it usually means the water is neutral (has a pH level of 7).
Like we mentioned before, if you intend to drink alkaline water, it should have a pH between 8 and 10…no lower than 8, and definitely no higher than 10.
Make Alkaline Water
Now that you know what alkaline water is, and how to test for it, let’s get to what you came for…how to make alkaline water! Here are four of the most common methods of how to make alkaline water explained in a bit more detail.
Add Baking Soda
By adding some baking soda to water, you can make it alkaline water. With this method you must be precise with your measurements, otherwise the water may be too alkaline or not alkaline enough. Before you drink it, always test the pH level of the water. Here’s how to make alkaline water using baking soda:
2. Next, add 1/2 a teaspoon of baking soda to the 1 gallon of water inside the jug.
3. Seal the container and shake thoroughly.
That’s it! Before you drink the water, test its pH level to ensure it is in the pH 8 – pH 10 range. If it is below pH 8, then you can try adding 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda to bring the water into the pH 8 – 10 range.
Alkaline Drops & Tablets
This method is fairly straightforward and simple. You can purchase alkaline tablets and/or alkaline drops from any health store, drug store, and even online. The method of preparation is very easy, it generally is:
2. If you are using:
Alkaline Drops: Add 2 drops of alkaline drops tablet to the 8 ounces of water
Note: Only do one OR the other…Never use both drops and tablets together!
Also, you should always read the manufacturer’s instructions on how to make alkaline water using their product before you actually use it. This way, you can make sure you do it right, and don’t end up with water that is overly alkaline…remember, too much of anything is bad.
Use A Lemon
A fresh lemon can make your drinking water alkaline. All you need to do is buy a fresh lemon from the grocery store. Wash it and rinse it before using. Here’s how to make alkaline water using a lemon:
2. Next, add the juice of 1 lemon to the water inside the jug.
*You can cut your lemon in half or in quarters so it is easier to squeeze, or you can use a manual juice squeezer to extract the juice.
3. Seal the container and shake thoroughly.
This lemon water can stay in the fridge for about 3 days. You can drink it on ice, or you can drink it at room temperature. Generally, it is better to consume your beverages at room temperature because you use more energy to process cold drinks. If you only want a glass of lemon water, then you can use one teaspoon of fresh lemon juice for every 10 ounces of water.
Some people think that lemons are acidic, and therefore make the body acidic…but they are wrong. Even though lemons are naturally acidic, they actually alkalinize our bodies as they are metabolized.
Water Ionizer
A water ionizer is a great solution if you want to enjoy the benefits of alkaline water over a long period of time. A water ionizing unit is about the size of a shoe box, and it can sit on your countertop, mount to a wall, or hide beneath the sink. It connects to your faucet, with a valve that has a switch that allows you to alternate between regular tap water and ionized water. The ionizer plugs into an electrical outlet, and uses a very low voltage when operating so it won’t affect your electricity bill by much. All ionizers are flow through units, meaning water is sent from the tap to the ionizer, it gets ionized, and then sent back to the tap where it is dispensed. The average water ionizer can produce about 2 gallons of ionized water per minute.
A great feature of a water ionizer is that it can produce both alkaline water and acidic water. Acidic water has many external uses: it can disinfect wounds, promote the healing process, and is good for the skin and hair. When the water is more acidic, it is great for disinfecting and sterilizing countertops, cutting boards, cleaning the bathtub, cutting dirt and grime, and many other uses.
Another great thing about the water ionizer is once it is installed, you don’t need to do a thing, just pour alkaline water into a glass anytime you want, no need for tablets, no need for drops, no measuring, no squeezing, and no hassle…just pour, drink and enjoy! A water ionizer is the absolute easiest method of how to make alkaline water.
