Thursday, November 15, 2012

pH BALANCE

pH Balance
Acid Alkaline Food ph chart

One of our major nutritional goals for optimum health is maintaining a proper acid/alkaline balance. It is important that our diet is slightly more alkaline-forming than acid as this is the environment which is most conducive to health and the body's natural repair process.
We are talking about the acid or alkaline ash that remains in the body after metabolism, not the actual content of the food. For example, lemon is an acid-containing food, but it leaves an alkaline residue. In fact,an excellent way to combat acidosis would be to drink water with fresh lemon juice or squeezed lemon.
The body always strives to maintain a proper acid/alkaline balance; the more we help it along by eating the right balance of foods, the less wear and tear on the system. If an acid condition persists, however, the body will draw minerals from other areas to try to neutralize the situation. For instance, calcium, an alkaline-forming mineral, may be released from bones. This is a short-term solution which, over time, can lead to osteoporosis. Chronic over-acidity removes oxygen from the blood and can result in lowered immunity and premature aging, kidney stone formation, muscle loss, back pain, gout and other joint diseases. Chronic degenerative conditions, like cancer, tend to develop in an over acid environment. Over acidity also can produce that tired, headachy, fuzzy-headed feeling many people get, especially after eating.
Mucus is formed from the body protecting itself from a highly acidic environment and toxic substances such as drugs (especially aspirin and alcohol) salt; heavy metals; chemicals; antigen-antibody complexes and the toxins produced by bacteria, yeast, and parasites. When we eat, drink and take too many acid-forming substances (including thoughts and emotions) the body signals to form mucus in our stomach, small intestine, and colon as a way to protect and maintain the alkaline pH balance needed for it to function properly. When this happens often, the mucus keeps coming and layering on top of itself, forming a hardened layer of mucoid plaque, while trapping the toxic substances like drugs, chemicals and negative emotions. This new toxic environment feeds, or rather depletes, the blood and cells.
We lose our pH balance as a result of:
1) taking drugs (either medicinal or recreational) which can cause metabolic stress
2) being stressed, for emotional stress drains electrolytes just as if we were eating acid-forming foods
3) eating acid-forming foods
To replenish the alkaline minerals and your health become conscious of your thoughts and emotions; cleanse your body; eat raw organic plant based foods (at least 80% of your diet) and limit acid-forming substances to under 20% of your diet, listed here:
Alcohol, all processed foods, anger, barley, bread, cake, canned fruit, cereals, chickpeas, chocolate, cigarettes, coffee, complaining, cooked grains (except millet and quinoa), corn, cornstarch, dairy products, drugs, eggs, foods cooked with oils, glazed or sulfured fruits, ketchup, legumes, lentils, meat, fish, birds, shellfish, mustard, nuts, seeds, beans, oatmeal, pasta, black pepper, popcorn, salt, soda crackers, soft drinks, soy products, stress, white and processed sugar, artificial sweeteners, black tea, overcooked vegetables, distilled vinegar, all forms of wheat.
When what we digest is overly acidic, the body has to deplete its own alkaline reserves (also needed for exercise, illness and stress) to handle these acids.
A simple way to eat well: just stick to a wide variety of whole, unprocessed foods (vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, whole grains) with small amounts of organic flesh foods, a daily dose of fermented veggies (like raw sauerkraut or kim chi). Avoid processed/junk foods, refined sugars/carbs, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, soda, caffeine, alcohol and the routine use of pharmaceuticals.

Food For Thought
The most important thing to keep in mind is why you are eating, how you feel about what you are eating and how you feel while you are eating.
 Source: Eat Raw Foods