Alkaline Bodies Are Much Healthier Bodies

Written by Julie Taylor

Every body needs healthy water, good nutrients, clean air and exercise...

Luckily, before my injury I studied nutrition, vitamins and supplements. I had a theory: if you fed the body every single thing it could possibly need, it would heal itself. This theory proved itself to be right. For me and for hundreds of other people who needed to heal from trauma - as diverse as brain injury (several friends and I), cancer (my grandpa and my best friend Rose), heart valve replacement (my dad), heart attack (my dad, at the end), stroke (my grandma), spinal cord injury (my great friend Marilyn), Parkinsons (my grandad), Alzheimers (my nanny), the loss of a loved one...  I'm sure you have your own list?  To raise the quality of life, while we have it, is my ultimate goal.

One of the most important things a human body needs is the right environment to process the nutrition it receives. This is almost as important as receiving all the elements it might need. And by the way, if I take too much in the way of vitamins (with one or two exceptions) my body will just naturally excrete them (expensive pee). 

The ‘environment’ of the body that is perfect for healing... Human blood pH should be slightly alkaline ( 7.35 - 7.45 ). Below or above this range means symptoms and disease. A pH of 7.0 is neutral. A pH below 7.0 is acidic. A pH above 7.0 is alkaline. Not every acid body feels sick.  But every sick body is acid.

An acidic pH can occur from, an acid forming diet, emotional stress, toxic overload, and/or immune reactions or any process that deprives the cells of oxygen and other nutrients. The body will try to compensate for acidic pH by using alkaline minerals. If the diet does not contain enough minerals to compensate, a build up of acids in the cells will occur.

An acidic balance will: decrease the body's ability to absorb minerals and other nutrients, decrease the energy production in the cells, decrease it's ability to repair damaged cells, decrease it's ability to detoxify heavy metals, make tumor cells thrive, and make it more susceptible to fatigue and illness. A blood pH of 6.9, which is only slightly acidic, can induce coma and death.

The reason acidosis is more common in our society is mostly due to the typical Western diet, which is far too high in acid producing animal products like meat, eggs and dairy, and far too low in alkaline producing foods like fresh vegetables. Additionally, we eat acid producing processed foods like white flour and sugar and drink acid producing beverages like coffee and soft drinks. We use too many drugs, which are acid forming.

To illustrate how important such things as the pH of the body and vitamin supplements are, think about this: In days gone by, sailors frequently suffered from scurvy - which is serious and causes teeth to fall out and suppurating sores to appear on the skin (and more). Yet it can be totally cured - and avoided - by the addition of just a little vitamin C to the diet. Easy and inexpensive.

When the body is sick or has experienced any kind of trauma, the natural pH of the body is disrupted. Extra acid is produced - often from a lack of oxygen, cellular breakdown or from an imbalance of proteins and carbohydrates. At these times our body is most vulnerable and needs every single bit of help for rebuilding. To create an alkaline environment in the body is so necessary.

And it’s really not so hard...

Drink an alkaline water - not just any old Spring water. The taste is identical - although I don’t like drinking water and yet somehow I find myself drinking this water easily? It works out cheaper than bottled water but the really important thing is that this water helps to alkalize your body.  So that everything you eat is healthier.  This water does far more than just hydrate you - although, because your body is able to quench its thirst with this water, it does hydrates better.  This water helps your body to make the most of everything else you give it and is a priceless addition to your everyday health - and that of your family and friends...

When your doctor orders blood tests, sometimes they will ask for an electrolyte panel. Contained in this panel is a test for pH of the blood. Optimal pH of the blood is 7.2. Inherently the body will do everything it can to maintain that pH. This is necessary to run the entire body's biochemical pathways for detoxification, building, and general maintenance. The body has several control mechanisms to keep it at this pH and they include getting rid of excess acid or base by-products through the lungs, saliva and urine.  Like everything, the body often requires better conditions than scientific medicine dictates in order to be really healthy. But even traditional medicine acknowledges the importance of pH.

These are some of the conditions that benefit from an alkaline diet. Remember though that by the time you experience symptoms, there is quite a long history of the problem and you may need several natural building blocks to help rebuild your body - in addition to a medical remedy on occasion.

Almost every ailment is helped by alkalizing the body but here is a partial list:

Appendicitis

Hot flashes

Back/Disc disease

Joint pain

Blurred vision

Nasal drip

Chest pains

Numbness in legs

Continuous mucous

Osteoporosis

Corneal Ulcers

Rectal itching

Crying spells

Rheumatic pains

Deafness

Ringing in the ears-tinnitus

Elbow pains

Sensitive skin

Estrogen imbalances

Sensitive stomach

Extreme acidity

Skin breaking out

Fasting often

Stiff joints

Finger pains

Swollen ankles

Gallbladder problems

Tense shoulders

Hardening of the arteries

Tired legs

Hemorrhoids

Ulcers

Herpes

Weak spells

Hip pains

Gout

So, to be chronically ill and have diseases such as cancer, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, arthritis, etc., the body is usually in a very acid state. The answer is to Alkalize, alkalize, alkalize.

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To maintain health, the diet should consist of 60% alkaline forming foods and 40% acid forming foods. To restore health, the diet should consist of 80% alkaline forming foods and 20% acid forming foods.

Generally, alkaline forming foods include: most fruits, green vegetables, peas, beans, lentils, spices, herbs and seasonings, and seeds and nuts.

Generally, acid forming foods include: meat, fish, poultry, eggs, grains, and legumes.

Shifting Your pH Toward Alkaline...

This chart is for those trying to "adjust" their body pH. The pH scale is from 0 to 14, with numbers below 7 acidic ( low on oxygen ) and numbers above 7 alkaline. An acidic body is a sickness magnet. What you eat and drink will impact where your body's pH level falls. Balance is Key !!!

Foods That Increase Alkalinity - the Healthiest pH for the Body

Listed from most alkaline (best) to less alkaline...

This chart is intended only as a general guide to alkalizing and acidifying foods.

ALKALIZING VEGETABLES

Alfalfa

Barley Grass

Beet Greens

Beets

Broccoli

Cabbage

Carrot

Cauliflower

Celery

Chard Greens

Chlorella

Collard Greens

Cucumber

Dandelions

Dulce

Edible Flowers

Eggplant

Fermented Veggies

Garlic

Green Beans

Green Peas

Kale

Kohlrabi

Lettuce

Mushrooms

Mustard Greens

Nightshade Veggies

Onions

Parsnips (high glycemic)

Peas

Peppers

Pumpkin

Radishes

Rutabaga

Sea Veggies

Spinach, green

Spirulina

Sprouts

Sweet Potatoes

Tomatoes

Watercress

Wheat Grass

Wild Greens

ALKALIZING ORIENTAL VEGETABLES

Daikon

Dandelion Root

Kombu

Maitake

Nori

Reishi

Shitake

Umeboshi

Wakame

ALKALIZING FRUITS

Apple

Apricot

Avocado

Banana (high glycemic)

Berries

Blackberries

Cantaloupe

Cherries, sour

Coconut, fresh

Currants

Dates, dried

Figs, dried

Grapes

Grapefruit

Honeydew Melon

Lemon

Lime

Muskmelons

Nectarine

Orange

Peach

Pear

Pineapple

Raisins

Raspberries

Rhubarb

Strawberries

Tangerine

Tomato

Tropical Fruits

Umeboshi Plums

Watermelon

ALKALIZING PROTEIN

Almonds

Chestnuts

Millet

Tempeh (fermented)

Tofu (fermented)

Whey Protein Powder

ALKALIZING SWEETENERS

Stevia

ALKALIZING SPICES & SEASONINGS

Chili Pepper

Cinnamon

Curry

Ginger

Herbs (all)

Miso

Mustard

Sea Salt

Tamari

ALKALIZING OTHER

Alkaline Antioxidant Water

Apple Cider Vinegar

Bee Pollen

Fresh Fruit Juice

Green Juices

Lecithin Granules

Mineral Water

Molasses, blackstrap

Probiotic Cultures

Soured Dairy Products

Veggie Juices

ALKALIZING MINERALS

Calcium: pH 12

Cesium: pH 14

Magnesium: pH 9

Potassium: pH 14

Sodium: pH 14

Although it might seem that citrus fruits would have an acidifying effect on the body, the citric acid they contain actually has an alkalinizing effect in the system.

Note that a food's acid or alkaline forming tendency in the body has nothing to do with the actual pH of the food itself. For example, lemons are very acidic, however the end products they produce after digestion and assimilation are very alkaline so, lemons are alkaline forming in the body. Likewise, meat will test alkaline before digestion, but it leaves very acidic residue in the body so, like nearly all animal products, meat is very acid forming.

ACIDIFYING VEGETABLES

Corn

Lentils

Olives

Winter Squash

ACIDIFYING FRUITS

Blueberries

Canned or Glazed Fruits

Cranberries

Currants

Plums**

Prunes**

ACIDIFYING GRAINS, GRAIN PRODUCTS

Amaranth

Barley

Bran, oat

Bran, wheat

Bread

Corn

Cornstarch

Crackers, soda

Flour, wheat

Flour, white

Hemp Seed Flour

Kamut

Macaroni

Noodles

Oatmeal

Oats (rolled)

Quinoa

Rice (all)

Rice Cakes

Rye

Spaghetti

Spelt

Wheat Germ

Wheat

ACIDIFYING BEANS & LEGUMES

Almond Milk

Black Beans

Chick Peas

Green Peas

Kidney Beans

Lentils

Pinto Beans

Red Beans

Rice Milk

Soy Beans

Soy Milk

White Beans

ACIDIFYING DAIRY

Butter

Cheese

Cheese, Processed

Ice Cream

Ice Milk

ACIDIFYING NUTS & BUTTERS

Cashews

Legumes

Peanut Butter

Peanuts

Pecans

Tahini

Walnuts

ACIDIFYING ANIMAL PROTEIN

Bacon

Beef

Carp

Clams

Cod

Corned Beef

Fish

Haddock

Lamb

Lobster

Mussels

Organ Meats

Oyster

Pike

Pork

Rabbit

Salmon

Sardines

Sausage

Scallops

Shellfish

Shrimp

Tuna

Turkey

Veal

Venison

ACIDIFYING FATS & OILS

Avacado Oil

Butter

Canola Oil

Corn Oil

Flax Oil

Hemp Seed Oil

Lard

Olive Oil

Safflower Oil

Sesame Oil

Sunflower Oil

ACIDIFYING SWEETENERS

Carob

Corn Syrup

Sugar

ACIDIFYING ALCOHOL

Beer

Hard Liquor

Spirits

Wine

ACIDIFYING OTHER FOODS

Cocoa

Coffee

Ketchup

Mustard

Pepper

Soft Drinks

Vinegar

ACIDIFYING DRUGS & CHEMICALS

Aspirin

Chemicals

Drugs, Medicinal

Drugs, Psychedelic

Herbicides

Pesticides

Tobacco

ACIDIFYING JUNK FOOD

Beer: pH 2.5

Coca-Cola: pH 2

Coffee: pH 4

Some foods leave an alkaline ash but have an acidifying effect on the body.

UNKNOWN:

There are several versions of the Acidic and Alkaline Food chart to be found in different books and on the Internet. The following foods are sometimes attributed to the Acidic side of the chart and sometimes to the Alkaline side. Remember, you don't need to adhere strictly to the Alkaline side of the chart, just make sure a good percentage of the foods you eat come from that side.

Brazil Nuts

Brussel Sprouts

Buckwheat

Cashews

Chicken

Corn

Cottage Cheese

Eggs

Flax Seeds

Green Tea

Herbal Tea

Honey

Kombucha

Lima Beans

Maple Syrup

Milk

Nuts

Organic Milk (unpasteurized)

Potatoes, white

Pumpkin Seeds

Quinoa

Sauerkraut

Soy Products

Sprouted Seeds

Squashes

Sunflower Seeds

Tomatoes

Yogurt

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