HFactor Water: Worth the hype?

"I have been given this product by HFactor as part of a product review through the Chronic Illness Bloggers network. Although the product was a gift, all opinions in this review remain my own and I was in no way influenced by the company."

As a lupus patient, I tend to have more fatigue than a healthy person. I'm always relying on naps, sleeping in, caffeine, and exercise. And water. Lots of it. I like my water plain: none of that fruit-infused stuff, please (though I will try to make some for the extra boost of health benefits). I'm always on the lookout for food and drink that will only help my lupus get better, as I want to take more holistic approach to healing in addition just taking medication (instead of not taking medications at all, because they are my lifeline). So of course I agreed to try a 6-pack of HFactor Water bottles when Julie Ryan of Chronic Illness Bloggers emailed me regarding the amazing benefits of hydrogen rich water.

Here is the back description of the water.

Instead of plastic, the HFactor Water is contained in an aluminum pouch (that looks like a Hi-C drink!) that has a much smaller carbon footprint than a plastic bottle. It's also BPA-free, which is something I am more aware of after a warning sign at the Walgreens Pharmacy states how products with BPA can damage female reproductive organs. So if you are really environmentally conscious, you will love this. The top of the pouch has a perforated slip that you can tear apart to drink with the attached straw. You have to be extra careful because the water squirts all over. So I have to cut it with scissors. For a product that is supposed to be on-the-go, this is extremely impractical...especially if you have a chronic illness and have limited movement in your hands (not saying I do, but for others who do)

According to the HFactor website, hydrogen-rich water has a numerous amount of benefits, including:

Clear Skin
Reduced Inflammation
Improved blood circulation
Peak performance for exercise
Faster recovery

I agreed to try 2 packs of water a day for 3 straight days.

On the first day I tried it twice (the day it was delivered), I found it to have a weird metallic taste. It's supposed to be tasteless, but I could definitely taste something that is not found in my bottled waters (like Crystal Geyser). It was also lukewarm, which I don't mind because I drink room temperature water all the time, though I do love my cold water! I stored it in my room (which is the warmest room in my house), and tried it the next day, and was surprised to feel that it tasted colder! Maybe it could've been the way it was delivered the day before and stored much warmer? And I didn't taste the metallic taste! I can say the same about the last day.

How did I feel?

I wanted to like it. I tried my first pouch on the first day before my Ballet Beautiful Backstage Workout DVD, and honestly, I didn't feel much of a difference. It could be because I got the DVD on the same day, and the moves were much harder than other Ballet Beautiful DVDs I have. And because you might see an improvement in performance if you were doing a cardio/endurance-based workout. But three days isn't enough for me to see a huge improvement in my exercise performance, my lupus inflammation, or my kidneys (where my lupus affects the most). Plus, I would've liked to test this before I see my rheumatologist on June 6 because I get my lab tests (blood and urine samples) done every time I see her. I would want to see if this makes a difference in my labs.

Maybe I will give it another chance, but one thing I do know is that it's not cheap, with the 6-pack of being $18 and the 24-pack being $64.99, and you can shop for them here. I do like how it is BPA-free though. I will just stick to my good ol' regular water.