College students, with an environmental conscience are paving 
the way for a brighter future. Their observation of the energy waste on campus, and their positive actions towards its eventual elimination, propels the green movement where it is needed most…in the hearts of America’s youth. With 18-22 year olds courageously voicing their environmental concerns and implementing changes on behalf of the planet, there is hope for a better world.
Marianne Williamson, in A Return to Love, writes:
“Externally, the universe supports our physical survival. Photosynthesis in plants and plankton in the ocean produce the oxygen that we need in order to breathe. It is important to respect the laws that rule the physical universe because violation of these laws threatens our survival. When we pollute the oceans or destroy plant life, we are destroying our support system and so are destroying ourselves.”
It appears that college students understand what their grandparents and parents have done to their beautiful planet, and what must be done in order to counteract and rectify the damage. Students at Seattle University led a 3-year initiative which campaigned against bottled water because of its effects on social justice and environmental impact. Their efforts resulted in a campus-wide ban on bottled water. Eliminated from vending machines, athletic concessions stands, the bookstore, on-campus restaurants and catering services, bottled water is no longer an environmental concern on the Seattle University campus.
Campus-wide bottled water bans can also be found at Jesuit University, University of Portland, Belmont University, Upstate Medical University, the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point and Oberlin College. Gonzaga University, New York University, Stanford University, Stony Brook University, and University of Maryland are five educational institutions where bottled water has been banned specifically from dining halls. At Brown University, Cornell University, Pennsylvania State University, and Evergreen State College, student campaigns are presently working to ban bottled water on campus. The green momentum is alive on these colleges and universities, and the positive environmental impact made by students is undeniable.
Environmentally-Friendly Hydration Stations have become the sustainable solution to the bottled water problem on campuses. These systems eliminate one-time use bottles, as well as the cost and energy waste associated with the production and transportation of bottled water. Using re-usable glasses provided by the cafeteria, or re-useable BPA free plastic bottles or other stainless steel re-usable bottles, students fill up and go, hydrating while reducing their school’s carbon footprint.
The health of our planet is a serious issue, and it is not uncommon for people to shrug it off, as if the problem isn’t theirs to address. That is likely the case because most adults never received the education or the role modeling necessary to do what is right by our environment. When life-long patterns are threatened and change is involved, a lot of people get uncomfortable. It takes massive amounts of courage to face problems square on and to move into action. If the young adults of today had the same mentality as so many of their parents and grandparents, our world wouldn’t stand a chance. However, we are seeing great environmental concern and positive green initiatives come from America’s college students. These people have great courage and willingness to take action on behalf of our planet. What they do now on their campuses, reaches far beyond the walls of their colleges and universities.
These bright students are our future, and our hope for a cleaner, greener world. They are our future teachers and role models. Their present work will carry over into their lives off-campus, possibly fueling their brothers and sisters, their parents, their co-workers, and likely even more, to be environmentally responsible. When they have families, businesses, companies and a community of their own, doing what is right by the environment will be second nature. This is how our world will significantly change for the better. It takes making small steps now, even when doing so is uncomfortable and foreign. To our nation’s college students, thank you for your vision and action. You ARE transforming the world.
Saturday, February 26th:
Location: Crave Restaurant, Orlando Florida
Chris Shymanski, Midwest Account Manager from AquaHealth interviews Mike Opalenik, General Manager, from Crave Restaurant in Orlando.
Crave Restaurants only serves Eco-Friendly Vivante Waters from AquaHealth in their 5 Restaurants. Crave Restaurants are located in Minnesota, Nebraska and Orlando.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Newark Academy - Madison, New Jersey
AquaHealth's Healthy Beverage Program
Douglas Brower on Aquahealth, "The kids love it.They combine our sparkling water with other flavored drinks to create their own sodas"
The finest hydration source on planet earth is purified, filtered water. Our cells are bathed in this cleansing elixir, enabling us to survive and thrive.
Give the human body pure, clean water, and it can function, some times with ample energy for days, weeks even, without food. Try and reverse that equation and go without clean water, and the resilient human body will be fighting to stay alive. We don’t need food every single day in order to survive, but we do need water. If the water we choose to drink is pristine, our health will reflect that. If not, our bodies will suffer the consequences.
We hear about the advanced filtering processes used 
by some bottled water companies, and we think, as we should, that the water is crystal clear and superior to that of other water sources. Our health and wellness is of utmost importance, so we pay a pretty penny for what we believe is perfect water. Striving to keep ourselves optimally hydrated, we purchase and drink, purchase and drink this purified bottled water. We’re doing well, aren’t we?
The truth is, the water we drink is only as pure and safe as the vessel. The source of the water may be ridiculously clean, and the filtering and purification process, ideal, but if the vessel holding the water is unfit for human consumption, so too is that once pristine water.
Have you heard of Bisphenol A? Stay tuned, I’ll tell you in my next post just what it is and why we should avoid it.
Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson unabashedly shared his sentiments about bottled water: “Bottled water makes no sense, it's the greatest marketing scam of all time.” In an attempt to eliminate the cost and waste associated with this nonsensical product from Salt Lake City, Utah, Anderson has asked city employees to refrain from purchasing bottled water, and instead fill reusable bottles with tap water. 
Many other American cities have taken similar steps to keep the damaging effects of bottled water at bay. San Francisco is one such city. Due to the efforts of Mayor Gavin Newsom, the city government no longer purchases bottled water for state employees, saving San Francisco $500,000 a year.
Small town America is also taking responsibility for the messy state of the environment, as well as citizens, both young and old. Take historic Concord, Massachusetts, where the sale of bottled water is now illegal. 82 year old activist Jean Hill worked tirelessly to get this bill passed in Concord, lobbying neighbors and acquaintances for months to bring about the change. "All these discarded bottles are damaging our planet, causing clumps of garbage in the oceans that hurt fish, and are creating more pollution on our streets. We only have one planet and I just don't want to see it spoiled," said Hill.
Erik Olsen from the Natural Resources Defense Council also believes that bottled water is environmentally irresponsible. “It (the sale of bottled water) causes 60 million plastic bottles A DAY to be manufactured, transported and then disposed of in U.S. landfills. It’s killing our planet, and for no good reason.” On top of being damaging to our environment, bottled water is also expensive, with the lowliest of brands costing at least $1.00 for a half-liter bottle. However clever the marketing, most bottled water is simply rebottled tap water, and certainly not worth the selling price.
Here we have it: Bottled water is dirtying up our planet and thinning out our wallets, while providing hydration equal to that of tap water. Isn't it time to choose an Earth Friendly Bottled Water and eliminate the damaging plastic waste? Are you ready to jump on "ban the bottled water" bandwagon? If so, here are some great resources to check out:
Food And Water Watch
Take Back The Tap
The Story Of Bottled Water
Ban The Bottle
Tapped The Movie
Inside The Bottle
On January 20, 2011, Steve Donaghy, Executive Vice-President of AquaHealth, spoke with Quentin Incao, Director of Food & Beverage at the Woodmark Hotel in Kirkland, Washington:
Steve: How long has the Woodmark Hotel used AquaHealth’s Sustainable Bottled Water?
Quentin: ‘Bin on the Lake’ Restaurant installed the program in September of 2009. We put in the banquet program about a year ago.
Steve: You use custom bottles, a different one for each program. How is that working out for you?
Quentin: Fantastic! People want to take the bottle home because they have such a unique look. It gives an identity to the bottle and keeps our brand foremost in our guest’s mind.
Steve: What kind of feedback from guests have you received about your sustainable bottled water program?
Quentin: At ‘Bin on the Lake’ it has been extremely positive. It has been a real ‘Wow’ factor and an easy sell for our servers.
Steve: How is your sustainable bottled water sold at ‘Bin on the Lake’?
Quentin: It’s $2.50 per person, all you ca
re to drink, which makes it a fantastic value. It’s a cool concept that is not seen in many local restaurants, but it ensures that most people are drinking it.
Steve: Have you recommend AquaHealth’s sustainable bottled water to others?
Quentin: Yes. I recently gave a tour to managers at the ‘Bellevue Club’ and they are following through with it. I have also recommended the program to other members of the MTM Collection.’
Steve: Quentin, we certainly appreciate the business and thank you for your support
Water replenishment is essential for the human body to look and feel great, in addition, it enables and maintains optimal levels of health. With our body composition being over 70 percent water, adequate daily water intake is a necessary discipline. Here are a handful of reasons why:
- Our lungs expel up to four cups of water every day just by normal breathing, and if it’s cold out, they expel even more.
- Our feet sweat out one cup of water even before the sweat of exercise kicks in.
- Depending on how many times you visit the bathroom, each visit equates to the loss of one cup of water. So six bathroom trips a day = the loss of six cups of water.
- Regular daily perspiration, not the exercise-induced kind, expels two cups of water. Add exercise to the equation, and you can double the amount of water loss.
There isn’t a single cell or system in our body that doesn’t require water. Without this precious liquid, our body is incapable of performing normal and necessary bodily processes and functions. Have you ever experienced excessive thirst, dry mouth, headache, fatigue, dizziness, muscle weakness, or little to no urination? If so, you’ve experienced the telltale signs and symptoms of dehydration. Fortunately, by hydrating your body with adequate water supplies, these uncomfortable symptoms will quickly pass.
Through the years, we’ve been advised to drink eight, 8-ounce glasses of water a day. (about 1.9 liters) It’s called the “8 x 8” rule, and though not backed by scientific evidence it’s commonly used by many to gauge their daily water intake. The Institute of Medicine poses different numbers, recommending that men should consume 13 cups (3 liters) of total beverages a day, and women, a total of 9 cups (2.2 liters). If you feel well, consistently quench your thirst with pure water, and you produce a colorless or slightly yellow normal amount of urine, your body is likely well hydrated, and you have no reason to worry.
Nowadays, sugar and caffeinated drinks are far too popular, and unfortunately for those drinking them, these beverages are inadequate hydration sources. Superior hydration comes from pure water and natural, fresh foods. Ideally, we should aim to get 80 percent of our daily water intake from purified water, fresh fruit and vegetable juices, coconut water, and other healthy beverage options. The remaining 20 percent should come from the foods we consume, like fresh fruits and vegetables, which pack in more than just purified water, with fiber vitamins and minerals to boot.
Drinking adequate water each day has numerous benefits. It keeps our skin hydrated and clear, our joints loose, our energy levels up, and our appetites in check. It also lessens our chance of developing uncomfortable and unhealthy problems like kidney stones, constipation, colds and flu.
With so many benefits, wouldn't it be smart to start upping your own water intake? Then, when you feel and experience the amazing benefits, you can share your story with your friends and family, and inspire them to drink more water too. Within easy reach, we have the most affordable and powerful health elixer available. Fill it up, drink it up. Water, it does a body good.
Nature has a way of providing us with everything we need to be healthy and happy. We have the food and drink of gods in abundance at our fingertips, fruit, vegetables, and clean water, and yet there is an obesity epidemic plaguing our country?
Though there are a great number of noble folks out there tirelessly working to educate us about the importance of health and wellness, there are even more businesses with a vested financial interest in keeping Americans fat. If everyone got healthy and knew how to maintain that health through the years, these businesses would be forced to close shop. Of course, they don’t want that, and they use the magic of marketing to keep us locked into buying and consuming their products.
Soda, no matter how cleverly marketed, is not and will never be a healthy caloric and hydration source. In fact, this sugar and acid drink plays a definite role in the American obesity drama. Is it possibile for Americans to significantly improve their health simply by eliminating this empty-calorie beverage? Definitely, as long as its replacement is nature’s finest weight-loss elixer…pure water.
The American Chemical Society recently presented research stating that portion control at meals, combined with drinking two 8-ounce glasses of water before breakfast, lunch, and dinner would result in maintained weight loss. By “preloading” with water before eating, 
your stomach is filled, making you less hungry and less likely to overeat. It also frees up your liver, giving it a much-needed break. The liver, whose main function is to metabolize fat, is called in to support the kidneys when they are water-deprived. Once the kidneys receive adequate hydration, the liver happily goes back to its primary job of converting stored fat to energy. Nothing fancy or expensive is needed to rid our bodies of that stubborn and depressing fat. With good, clean hydration and responsible portion control, our bodies will naturally get lean and healthy.
Brenda Davy, Ph.D., was the leader behind the “preloading” study. She took 48 overweight or obese men and women between the ages of 55 and 75 and put them on a low-calorie diet (1,200 calories per day for women and 1,500 calories per day for men), with half of the participants being instructed to drink 16 ounces of water before meals. After only 90 days, the participants drinking water lost an average of about 15.5 pounds, compared to the 11 pound weight loss of the participants in the control group. A year later, while still following the same regimen, the water drinkers lost an additional 1.5 pounds, while the controlled group gained about 2 pounds.
Drinking more water makes drinking soda and other calorie-laden beverages less likely. According to Stephen Cook, M.D., and obesity expert at the University of Rochester Medical Center, in N.Y., “drinking more water is a low-risk way to lose excess weight, especially if it takes the place of other liquid calories.” For instance, a ‘two can a 
day’ soda drinker who chooses to swap his sugary beverage for cold, refreshing water, will save about 300 calories a day. Couple that with increased consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables, and significant weight loss in inevitable.
While each person's hydration needs are different, the Institute of Medicine encourages men and women to consume about 3.7 and 2.7 liters of water a day, respectively, including water found in food and other beverages. People trying to lose weight should take advantage of refillable water bottles and fill up and drink up throughout the day. It would also be smart to take the advice of Davy, who recommends drinking two cups of water 20 minutes before each meal.
Pure, filtered water will always be the best hydration option for the health and maintenance of our bodies. Some people however, have a hard time drinking unflavored water. Simply adding fresh lemon, lime or cucumber slices is a great way to add subtle flavor, while imparting alkalizing properties to water. Low calorie healthy beverage optio
ns are also available for those who savor flavor without sacrificing their waistlines. Across the country, schools, universities and corporate cafeterias are taking a healthy approach to hydration by eliminating all sugary beverages. Choosing to replace sodas with purified bottled water and healthy beverage programs is a leap in the right direction. With proper and quality hydration, weight loss and maintenance needn’t be such an arduous process. Choose your food wisely, fill up and drink up, and you will certainly attain your greatest wealth…your health.
On December 17, 2010, Steve Donaghy called Craig Traub, Director of Dining Services for The State University of New York at Oswego, as he was wrapping up the Fall Term before the Holidays.
Steve: Hi Craig! How long have SUNY Oswego customers been enjoying AquaHealth Beverages?
Craig: Since this past August.
Steve: What do you like best about having AquaHealth Products on your beverage line?
Craig: The healthy choices it offers my customers.
Steve: How has the service been?
Craig: We have had some bumps in the road. Your third party service provider isn’t the best. I have talked to Mike [Digilio] about it.
Steve: Thanks for that feedback. I will be sure to follow up on your comment. I also look forward to asking you again in a few months and getting a more positive answer. Are there any flavors that your customers enjoy the most?
Craig: The vitamin enhanced flavors, Kiwi-Berry Excel and Exotic Berry are very popular.
Steve: Are there any other flavor directions that you would like to see AquaHealth develop?
Craig: I think you have a really nice assortment of flavors.
Steve: What can we do as a company to make your experience with AquaHealth better?
Craig: I am glad that you asked that question. We need more nutritional information prominently displayed that stresses the healthiness of your products.
Steve: Great information, Craig! I will have Dave Flanders reach out to you to work on that request. Thank you for the business and have an enjoyable Holiday!
Corporate events, company picnics, holiday parties, galas, festivals, and meeting and conventions are a handful of significant events that require tremendous amounts of energy while producing loads of undesirable waste. Though it’s just shy of becoming a trend, green event planning is on the horizon.
Bottled water conservation efforts are powerfully Earth-friendly. Get rid of environmental waste connected to bottled water, and your event is on its way to being green. A sustainable solution is to enlist the help of an Earth-friendly portable water cart. With the cart’s built-in water purifier and chiller system, source water becomes premium filtered water. Guests, using re-usable glasses, freely pour water from re-usable glass carafes and bottles. Whether indoors or out, the portable water cart easily moves to accommodate any event space. This approach appeals to guests and is a sustainable solution to the bottled water problem.
There are also a number of other Eco-friendly ways to 'green' events. Using re-usable utensils, plates and glassware made from recycled glass is the best bet, and second to that, Eco-friendly compostable food service products. Some biodegradable service options will actually break down in just 95 days, as is the case with the non-GMO vegetable starch products. With stylish 100% recycled napkins, guests won't be missing the conventional ones made from virgin paper pulp.
Another positive green step is choosing organic, locally sourced food that has been produced using sustainable farming methods. Buying local food reduces transportation fuel costs, and organic ingredients keep harmful chemicals out of our soil and waterways. Minimizing meat products is another important green initiative because of the dangerous gases (carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide) that are emitted by the raising of livestock. If an event planner is truly looking to reduce an event's carbon footprint, vegetarian or vegan meal options are the way to go.
Buying disposable products, rentals and florals from certified Green Vendors and opting to compost leftovers and recycle trash are fantastic green initiatives. Beyond that, there are solar powered generators, stages and lighting for use at outdoor 
events, recycled paper invitations printed with soy based ink, menu cards embedded with seeds that guests can plant, and the use of recycled carpets instead of turf for flooring. With the number of creative and effective Earth-friendly ideas to choose from, it's definitely possible to host a successful green event.
Protecting our earth is always the right thing to do, and green event planning is yet another way to accomplish that. I’d like to know your thoughts, and any green ideas you have to share.