Water, Wellness, And A Winter Chill

We explore how small choices shape health, from clarifying attachment styles to making safer hydration decisions. Community shoutouts and a local business spotlight keep things grounded in joy, gratitude, and practical action.

• feedback on attachment styles and quiz clarity
• why microplastics matter and how heat worsens leaching
• bottled water vs tap vs reverse osmosis trade-offs
• budget-friendly steps to improve water safety
• fitness after injury and building strength with age
• classroom motivation and simple rewards that work
• local spotlight on Papo’s Popco kettle corn
• gratitude to listeners, creators, and supporters

Please remember to like, comment, and feel free to share if it doesn’t strike a chord with you. Maybe you know somebody that could benefit from this helpful information that I talked about today or in one of my other podcasts. If you can remember to like and comment, it helps the algorithm and it helps me.

Chapters

• 0:00 Hellos, Birthdays, And Aquarian Shoutouts
• 1:47 Clarifying Attachment Styles Feedback
• 3:55 Winter Blues And A Wellness Check
• 5:13 Fitness After 57 And Rehab Goals
• 7:26 Bottled vs Tap: Microplastics And PFAS
• 10:45 Reverse Osmosis And Affordable Options
• 13:44 Practical Hydration Tips And Habits
• 15:26 Local Spotlight: Papo’s Popco Kettle Corn
• 17:30 Encouraging Students And Small Acts Of Care
• 19:03 Community Thanks, Future Topics, And Support
• 21:28 Creator Shoutouts And Local Nightlife
• 26:00 Closing Gratitude And Share Reminder

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Wow wow. What's up, party people? Welcome to another episode of LG Vate Your Life. I am your hostess with the most S. L is in the letter L and key as in the key to your heart. Thanks for tuning in to another episode of Mindful Monday. I want to do a couple birthday shout-outs before I forget. First and foremost, Ajay Kapoor, my daughter's boyfriend of three plus years. Anyway, happy birthday to you, Ajay. Happy birthday to my friend Edmer. Oh my gosh, countless others. Susan Campion. Um oh my gosh, too many to list. But happy birthday to all the Aquarians out there. You are the dreamers of the world, the doers, the entrepreneurs, the all that. So shout out to the Aquarians. Um, hopefully you guys are doing something fun, exciting, romantic, whatever the case may be, depending on your status. Happy birthday. Okay, so on this mindful Monday, I wanted to sort of revisit a couple of things before I forget. So on my last podcast episode, which was Wisdom Wellness Wednesday, by the way, mindful Monday, January 26th, is if you don't know the date, but just in case. So last week I talk about, I was talking about relationships, about emotionally immature or unhealthy signs to look for. Then on Wednesday, I done I discussed the different attachment styles. And the feedback I received was helpful because I was told some of it was a little bit murky that when it came to like fearful, avoidant, or anxious attachment, that that part became a little bit murky. So I do want to do a more in-depth episode where I talk about it more, but not tonight, because I have some other things I want to discuss. But I do want to let you know, I encourage you to go online and take the quiz. If you type in attachment styles, there's all types of quizzes that are available. And obviously, the more honest you are, the more likely you will find out what your style is. And there are some styles that can change and or evolve if you are still going through the healing process. For example, I took the quiz and it said I'm a secure attachment style. However, that I still have some wounds that have me falling into another category of saving andor wanting to help others. Um, so it's a good idea to take the quiz and be completely honest so you can find out your attachment style to help you better understand yourself and get into a healthy relationship for yourself and for your partner. And it's just another tool to provide insightful information for how you andor people you interact with may do things differently. Moving right along because it is Mindful Monday, I came across some information that I wanted to talk to you guys about. Um firstly, oh my gosh, what's up with the freezing cold weather here on the West Coast, East Coast, all kinds of storms. Uh yeah, no fun. Is anybody tired of winter yet? Is anybody ready for spring? Because I know I am. Anyway, but those of you that listen to me on the regular, you all know that I am a summer baby through and through, born in July, love the heat, love the sun, love the beach, swimming, sunbathing, tanning, hot sand. Yes, I will take that over the cold any day. So, which brings me kind of segue into my next topic. So, because I am on this wellness journey, uh I talk about it a lot in all of my TikToks and my videos, how I'm consistently watching my health, my fitness, my cardio health, my skin health. Um, you know, being 57, you notice all kinds of things happening. Your knees start to hurt, your hip hurts, and working at a school and chasing after middle schoolers and setting an example in PE class, it has just you know, it's keeping me young, but it's also reminding me of the aches and pains and you know, the lines in my face and all of that. But also I am always trying to be very aware of my food intake and my fitness journey. I've recently upped my fitness game, I guess for the past year. I have really been focusing on just getting stronger. I've had a bad hip and a bad knee, and I don't want to have to have surgery. And like I said, I want to be able to set a good example and I want to be able to play with my grandkids and all that fun stuff. So eating healthy, going to the gym, which I am not a gym rat. I just became a gym rat because I can't hike the hills that I used to one during the winter months. It's kind of hold when kind of hard when it's cold or wet or muddy, or you know, having a hip and knee injury that I'm rehabilitating. Uh it's not so easy. So have I had to become a gym person. So the struggle is real, y'all. Anyway, um, so I was reading something in the Washington Post. Should you drink bottled water or tap? The answer may surprise you. If you're concerned about microplastics, PFAS and lead, there are certain ways to make your drinking water safer. So the article talks about, you know, I've been drinking bottled water, but now I'm worried about microplastics. What's the best choice for your health? And bottled water often feels like a healthier choice, but there's a problem, particularly if it's the only type of water you drink. Plastic. Last year, stunned by the mounting data on how often microplastics accumulate in the body, I stopped heating my food in plastic, frozen micro microwaveable vegetables. Now I steam them on my stovetop, plastic food containers gone, replaced by a set of glass ones instead. But there was one other big source of plastic exposure I had thought less about, and that is plastic water bottles. While bottled water may reduce exposure to some contaminants, it may increase intake of microplastics. Microplastics are so widespread that the average American adult consumes or inhales in the ballpark of a hundred thousand particles annually, and heat is one of the most potent triggers of microplastic shedding. Experts estimate that people who drink only bottled water may be ingesting an additional 90,000 microplastics every year, compared to around 4,000 extra particles for people who rely solely on tap water. While the health risks are still being studied, I try to reduce my intake where I can. The irony is hard to miss. Many people choose bottled water for their health. 40% of Americans believe bottled water is safer than tap water, and hope to avoid contaminants like lead or PFAS, or forever chemicals, which are present in almost half the county's tap water. These concerns are especially important if your house uses private well water, which serve about 13% of the United States, and isn't routinely tested or treated for contaminants like municipal water. Anyway, so um Jill Calora, a spokesperson for the International Bottled Water Association, said in an email the truth is microplastics are ubiquitous, and bottled water is just one of the thousands of food and beverage products, including soft drinks and juices packaged in plastic. And she says that conclusions of drinking water is a major route for oral intake of micro and nanoplastics and are not justified based on the current science available. In addition, there are currently no certified testing methods and no scientific consensus on the potential health impacts of micro and nanoplastics. After talking to multiple experts about the data, what's known and what is still emerging, it's unclear that no water solution is entirely perfect. Some systems nicely address one problem, but aren't as great as mitigating others. But the most comprehensive option? If you're looking for the broadest protection across multiple contaminants, reverse osmosis filtration stands out. These systems are different from the common activated carbon pitcher filters many already own. Reverse osmosis filters force water through a semi-permeable membrane and have been shown to successfully filter microplastics, PFAs, and over 99% of lead. You can get a countertop system or under the sink option, depending on space and budget. The biggest problem is that reverse osmosis filters are also expensive. They cost anywhere from$150 to$600 up front. That's a real barrier for many households. But compared to a year's worth of individual plastic water bottles or at-home water delivery with plastic jugs, the investment may pay for itself within a year or two while also cutting down on plastic waste. The cheaper low-tech ways to make water healthier, even if a reverse osmosis filter isn't an option, there are practical ways to improve water safety without overhauling your life. So there's a senior research associate, University of Toronto, doesn't think people should sweat the very low amount of microplastics coming from their tap water and focus their energy elsewhere. Water treatment facilities already provide excellent removal of microplastics. He said in a recent study of 10 Canadian water treatment facilities that the group found that more than 97.5% of microplastics were removed during treatment. I just wanted to share that with you because I am an avid water drinker, and I'll be honest, I hate bringing my thermoses to work and refilling them because they become heavy and I carry around multiple backpacks per day. One keeps all my kids' fidgets, all my students' fidgets, and school supplies if they need a pencil, a pen, an eraser, a white out, or whatever. Band-aid mask. And then my other one is usually my lunch stuff that I carry around because I take, I sometimes take a breakfast break and then I have lunch, and there's nowhere for me to put it. Unless I get to school earlier, which is a whole nother conversation. Anyway, and then I would still have to be having to go back and forth. But I I found that interesting and I wanted to share that with you. Um, they do recommend you get your well water tested. Don't drink bottled water that's been sitting in a hot car. If absolutely nothing else, consider making just this one tiny swap. Don't drink bottled water that's been out in a hot car. Remember, heat causes microplastics to leach onto the water. It's a quick way for those particles to multiply. What I want my patients to know when it comes to drinking water, it's a trade-off. Bottled water can reduce concerns about contaminants, but it may increase exposure to microplastics. Tap water is inexpensive and often well regulated, but it can contain PFAs or lead, depending on where you live and how it's treated. Filters such as the kinds I suggest in this column can help, but they vary widely in what they remove. I guess it makes sense well why they're switching to glass bottles, right? Um, I think that would be something to look at and consider. Anyway, I hope that some of you find this helpful for all you water drinkers out there. And if you're not water drinkers, maybe I shared some mindful Monday tips for you. Um I definitely think it's super important whenever I talk to my friends who are hungry or suffering a migraine or have poor digestion. I'm like, what's your water intake look like? Me, I drink about a gallon a day pretty religiously. I think the same goes for my husband, Mike Kaufman. That man is a frequent water drinker. I think that's one of the things that saves him from all his other health stuff that he may or may not be exposed to. He doesn't get as sick as I do, that's for sure. Um, so maybe there's something to that. I don't know. Uh anyway, I want to make sure that I talk about something else. So over the weekend I went to a pop-up I saw on my TikTok and Instagram. The my Instagram is elkivate podcast, and my TikTok is Elkievate Your Life. And I stumbled across this kettle corn guy by the name of Popo's and it's Popo's underscore popco. And he does kettle corn, popcorn drizzles. It's a family-built business. They do pop-ups. Uh the ones that I have been following are in Castor Valley or Hayward, uh, generally every Sunday, and they post their locations and times in their stories. And so I love a good kettle corn, and I wanted to go check out his business, and so I did. I visited and they actually do bowls, which are great for if you're going to the movies or watching a game or you know, Netflix and Chill at home, whatever the case may be. They have various different sizes. He also does cheddar and cheddar popcorn in addition to kettle corn. So I wanted to give a shout out to them. I ended up buying a shareable bowl where you can get all kinds of different drizzles and toppings. And me, I'm a sweet and savory girl, so I got a little bit of everything. One of his recommended recommendations in his video was most people like to add the pretzels for the sweet and savory. And so I added pretzels, sour patch kids, and butterfinger, I think. Which sounds like a weird combo, but actually turned out to be pretty good. Didn't go for the drizzle. And you can see the videos on my Instagram store. You can check it out, or you know, look them up. Papo's Popco. Um, yeah, very tasty, highly recommend, reasonably priced, really nice guy. Um, so just want to help promote. And you know, I always like to talk about family owned businesses that I frequent or am impressed with because that's their passion project. And so I want to, you know, help those businesses thrive just as I ask for all of you. To help me. I mean, one of my theories is dream it, do it. You know, if it's something that you love and you believe in, then you should definitely pursue it. So shout out to him and his business. Go and check them out. If you're not in the area, I'm sorry if I tempted you with this delicious, tasty sounding popcorn. But to all of my students, you got to sample it. So I hope you enjoyed. I actually bought a couple of bags to share with my kiddos. That's how much I love them. And just like to reward them and, you know, offer them incentives and motivation, especially my sixth period PE class, but also my second period history. Sometimes they need a little kick, a little boost. So I'll bring them sweet treats or something. Something to get them motivated and let them know that I believe in them. And sometimes you just need that little encouragement, that little push, right? Anyway, I want to make sure that I give a shout out to all my loyal listeners, my fans, my elcuvadors. Thank you for being loyal listeners. Thank you for tuning in every Monday and Wednesday, or at least trying to. Thank you for your feedback, your comments. I always appreciate when people share their thoughts on my pod and or participate in the poll that I suggested last week. Um, I will revisit the attachment styles and elaborate maybe on wisdom wellness Wednesday, maybe. Hmm. Let's see. I'll think about it. I personally have to do much more research. I did a lot, but I want to do more so that I can better explain it to you, the different attachment styles, and elaborate on the different meanings. But I'd love to hear your feedback if anybody took the quiz or knows their attachment style and is willing to talk about their attachment style or the attachment style of others and or how it affected you in a relationship, whether it be, you know, your parents, your siblings, your friends, your significant other, fiance, boyfriend, girlfriend, partner, whatever. Um, husband, wife, um would love to hear your feedback. Uh so on that note, want to make sure I send a shout out to Mike Kaufman. Thank you for being a loyal subscriber. I appreciate you. He doesn't always comment, but he does definitely listen and he tries to comment a little something, something. He's a man of few words when it comes to commenting on my podcast, but you know, he makes an effort. He tries, he he comes up with stuff. So thank you. Um shout out to Kyle Few. Commitment to love, love is a verb, can be found on Amazon. It's an Audible and it's a book on commitment to love. Mister, you should really consider listening to this. I already have have it on my Audible and have listened to it and followed it and found it to be very informative, very interesting, very insightful. So thank you to Kyle Few for being a loyal subscriber to me. Moving on to Creative Cara. Creative Cara, lovemyartists.com. You can find her lovemyartists.edsy.com, but now she wants you to use her linked tree, which you can find in my podcast description. And yes, she has everything on her pages from oh my gosh, paintings, cooking, creating ornaments for every occasion, um clothing, shoes, boots, video montages, songs for every occasion. I mean, the girl has got something for everyone. So definitely check out her link tree at Love My Artist. And like I said, you can find her her link in the podcast description. It's always there. Shout out to Angie Germer, Thrive Lavelle. Angie, hope you're doing better. Hope your health stuff has improved. I know you lost a lot of weight, and the struggle is real, real girlfriend. I do understand it. And it is harder as we get older. Things come up and we have to pivot and find ways to get healthy. So I pray that you're feeling better. Lisa Roberts Corbello, thank you for being a loyal subscriber. Appreciate you. Hope to see you out on the town in the near future. I've only been karaoking, haven't really been out dancing. So um, hopefully we cross paths at what are in the local watering holes, which by the way, oh my God, so many of our regular places are closing. Main Street Brewery, Baronis, Middle Eight, R Place. Um, yeah, we're dropping like flies around here. So we need more people to open up some nightclubs. We're running out of places to go and dance and mingle and see the people we're used to seeing. So um, shout out to you, Lisa Roberts Carvello. Jeff Para, Namaste. I hope that Sprinter Life is treating you well, retirement treating you well, your other half, that you two are going strong and things are going well in that respect. I think I think that covers everyone. Again, thank you to all my elke veters out there for listening and tuning in. And please remember to like, comment, and feel free to share if it doesn't strike a chord with you. Maybe you know somebody that could benefit from this helpful information that I talked about today or in one of my other podcasts. But yes, if you can remember to like and comment, it helps the algorithm and it helps me. So thank you so much. Thanks for tuning in and ciao for now.