pH - What's Your Number? Part 3 of the Series
The good news is…because our bodies are constantly regenerating, it is never too late to improve your pH levels.
To summarize my previous pH articles, pH is a measurement of how acid or alkaline your internal environment is. Your body is a human laboratory with millions of biochemical reactions taking place every second. In order for your body to function at a healthy state, it is important for you to have a balanced body pH at a slightly alkaline level. This level should be about 7.0 – 7.5 as measured by your saliva with litmus paper.
If we were to ask “Why are Americans so unhealthy?” The answer might be Acidosis! Scientists have demonstrated that an acidic body encourages the breeding of illness and disease. Let’s take a look at your refrigerator. If you were to unplug your fridge and leave all the food inside for a couple of weeks, what would you find when opening the door? Mold, bacteria and microscopic bugs… growing and multiplying. The question is…where did they come from? Remember the fridge door was shut tight for 2 weeks!
The answer is…they were always there. The surroundings changed to a more inviting one for these unhealthy critters to survive in. We can compare this to a healthy human body whose environment is slightly alkaline, to an unhealthy body whose environment is acidic. It is important for you to understand, what is healthy for us is unhealthy for foreign invaders (illness and diseases), and what is healthy for them is very unhealthy for us! Therefore, acidity in our tissues creates a breeding ground for all illness and disease.
The truth is, the human body is very intelligent. As you become more acidic, your body sets up protective mechanisms to prevent the damaging acid from entering our organs. Researchers have found that acid wastes accumulate in fat cells. And that’s not all…as a defense mechanism, your body may actually produce more fat to protect an overly-acid state! Fat cells and cellulite store the acid and try to keep it away from your organs. Sounds incredible? Many people have found that a return to a slightly alkaline pH level will help them lose excess fat!
Over acidity also leads to unhealthy “skinny” people. The yeast and fungus produced within an overly acidic body robs you of your nutrients and can reduce your absorption of nutrients by as much as 50%. This excessively thin person is just as unhealthy as the overweight person, resulting in fatigue and illness.
In last months article I spoke of the 80/20 Rule to increase your pH for better health! If you want to restore your health, your diet should consist of 80% alkaline forming foods and 20% acid forming foods. Most Americans have eaten “backwards” all their life! Simply stated, they eat about 80% meat, breads, dairy, pastas/grains and only 20% fruits and vegetables. Alkaline producing foods tend to be fruits and vegetables. Think of acid foods as protein rich foods and alkaline foods as calcium rich foods.
What is your solution to “backwards” eating?
Well the truth is, completely change your diet around and eat 80% fruits and vegetables and 20% meats, breads, dairy, pastas and grains. I’m sure you’ll agree that this is a difficult if not impossible challenge. As a doctor of chiropractic, I even have a difficult time following this plan due to my busy schedule and what I have available to eat at any given moment. However, I’ve created a resolution for myself and my patients. That is, adding supplemental alkaline type products to your diet to force your pH into a more favorable range.
Treat yourself to a daily “greens” drink which is packed full of fruits and vegetables. I’ve tried many green drinks over the years and the truth is, most taste like sawdust and unfortunately are loaded with unhealthy sugar. The best tasting and healthiest greens drink I’ve found is “Natural Greens” available from Chiropractor’s Blend. The price is also great!
A high quality calcium supplement is also a great alkalizing agent. The purest and most absorbable form of calcium is microcrystalline hydroxyappatite. An overly acidic body will try to neutralize your tissues by taking away calcium from places where calcium should be in high quantities, specifically your bones and muscles. And it doesn’t stop there…years of robbing calcium from your bones to alkalize a diet high in protein eventually leads to osteoporosis and arthritis. Years of robbing calcium from your muscles leads to pain and muscle spasms. The way I look at it…your body will rob Peter to pay Paul. It’s a big price to pay if you don’t alkalize!
Supplementing your diet with alkaline minerals will help to buffer excess acid and toxins in the body. The main alkalizing minerals are calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium. These minerals complement each other. For instance, calcium is needed to contract a muscle and magnesium is needed to relax it. At a cellular level, your cells maintain a balance of potassium inside and sodium outside, but this pumping of potassium and sodium requires magnesium. The calcium concentration in cells is controlled by sodium. All four of these minerals work together in the body. Problems arise in the body when one or more of the minerals are deficient or when the minerals are out of balance with each other. Acidity in the tissues robs us of these essential minerals!
As you grow older, your chemical and physiological pH balancing mechanisms begin to weaken. And if that’s not enough, your acid-forming Western diet and lifestyle develops an overall acidic pH profile, which leads to the progression of most degenerative diseases. Lack of rest and exercise, chronic stress and not eating enough fruits and vegetables all contribute to an overload of acid in your body. Remember…a can of soda has a pH of 2.5 which is similar to battery acid.
I challenge you this month, to eat more of the alkalizing foods listed in my article along with your “greens” drink and alkalizing minerals. Keep a journal and note how you feel at the beginning of the month compared to the end of the month. Let’s all alkalize together!
List of Foods
Extremely Alkaline
Lemons, Watermelon
Alkaline Forming
Cantaloupe, Cayenne Celery, Dates, Figs, Kelp, Limes, Mango, Melons, Papaya, Parsley, Seaweeds, Seedless Grapes (sweet), Watercress, Asparagus, Fruit Juices (pure & unsweetened), Grapes (sweet), Kiwifruit, Passionfruit, Pears (sweet), Pineapple, Raisins, Umeboshi Plums, Vegetable Juices
Moderately Alkaline
Apples (sweet), Alfalfa Sprouts, Apricots, Avocados, Bananas (ripe), Currants, Dates, Figs (fresh), Garlic, Grapefruit, Grapes (less sweet), Guavas, Herbs (leafy green), Lettuce (leafy green), Nectarine, Peaches (sweet), Pears (less sweet), Peas (fresh, sweet), Pumpkin (sweet), Sea Salt (vegetable) , Apples (sour), Beans (fresh, green), Beets, Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carob, Cauliflower, Ginger (fresh), Lettuce (pale green), Oranges, Peaches (less sweet), Peas (less sweet), Potatoes (with skin), Pumpkin (less sweet), Raspberries, Strawberries, Squash, Sweet Corn (fresh), Turnip, Apple Cider Vinegar
Slightly Alkaline
Almonds, Artichokes (Jerusalem), Brussel Sprouts, Cherries, Coconut (fresh), Cucumbers, Eggplant, Honey (raw), Leeks, Mushrooms, Okra, Olives (ripe), Onions, Pickles (homemade), Radishes, Sea Salt, Spices, Tomatoes (sweet), Chestnuts (dry, roasted), Egg Yolks (soft cooked), Essene Bread, Goat's Milk and Whey (raw), Mayonnaise (homemade), Olive Oil, Sesame Seeds (whole), Soy Beans (dry), Soy Cheese, Soy Milk, Sprouted Grains, Tofu, Tomatoes (less sweet)
Neutral
Butter (fresh, unsalted), Cream (fresh, raw), Cow's Milk and Whey (raw), Oils (except olive), Yogurt (plain)
Moderately Acidic (20% of Your Diet)
Bananas (green), Barley (rye), Blueberries, Bran, Cereals (unrefined), Cheeses, Crackers (unrefined rye, rice and wheat), Cranberries, Dried Beans ( pinto, kidney, garbanzo), Dry Coconut, Egg Whites, Eggs Whole (cooked hard), Fructose, Goat's Milk (homogenized), Honey (pasteurized), Ketchup, Maple Syrup (unprocessed), Milk (homogenized), Molasses (unsulferd and organic), Most Nuts, Mustard, Oats (rye, organic), Olives (pickled), Pasta (whole grain), Pastry (whole grain and honey), Plums, Popcorn (with salt and/or butter), Potatoes, Prunes, Rice (basmati and brown), Seeds (pumpkin, sunflower), Soy Sauce, Wheat Bread (sprouted organic)
Extremely Acidic (Avoid!)
Artificial Sweeteners, Beef, Beer, Breads, Brown Sugar, Carbonated Soft Drinks, Cereals (refined), Chocolate, Cigarettes and Tobacco, Coffee, Cream of Wheat (unrefined), Custard (with white sugar), Deer, Drugs, Fish, Flour (white wheat), Fruit Juices with Sugar, Jams, Jellies, Lamb, Liquor, Maple Syrup (processed), Molasses (sulphured), Pasta (white), Pastries and Cakes from White Flour, Pickles (commercial), Pork, Poultry, Seafood, Sugar (white), Table Salt (refined and iodized), Tea (black), White Bread, White Vinegar (processed), Whole Wheat Foods, Wine, Yogurt (sweetened)
Join me next month, and I will reveal shocking research that explains how too much acid in the body can lead to heart disease, cancer, serious blood sugar imbalances, bone loss and joint pain! I will also share with you how detoxifying your body can help to improve your pH…resulting in better health.
Embracing your new found knowledge about the alkaline-acid connection will give you the choices to create an internal environment that not only fights diseases but thrives today and into the future!
“The countless names of illnesses do not really matter. What does matter is that they all come from the same root cause…TOO MUCH ACID IN THE BODY!”
Dr. Theodore A. Baroody
Author, “Alkalize or Die!”
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Dr. Desirée, D.C.
4425 Jamboree Rd. Suite 118,
New Port Beach, CA 92660
(949) 391-7270