Let's talk about Acid...

PH Balance is an extraordinarily important aspect of human health.

When PH is out of balance due to highly acidic food... diseases and disabilities proliferate.

We're going to discuss how pH works and what it really is. As well as some basic guidelines as to which foods you should/should not consume for a healthy pH.


So, What is pH??

First off, PH literally means "Potential Hydrogen."

pH is a scale that measures how acidic or alkaline a substance is. The scale ranges from 0 to 14 with 1 being very acid, 7 neutral and 14 very alkaline.

Now, what does any of this mean to you? Well, for starters.. pH is extremely important to your blood and immunities. Listen to this...


You are a machine:

The human body is basically a huge "Bio Electrical Engine", this engine runs on an electro magnetic current. In order to sustain the body properly from the many busy functions it performs in a day, your body must fire pulses of electricity.


Where the heck do we get electricity from?!

Now, you may be thinking... "what the heck is this woman on? Electricity?! Where does it come from?!?!"

A good question! The electricity is produced by an intricate balance that exists in your bio chemistry. Well, what does this affect? Everything! But most importantly, your blood.


Why it's important for your blood:

Your blood has a strict pH level. Now, say that level were to vary 1 or 2 points up or down, the entire electrical chemistry in your body would become askew. The electrical power would be cut off. Somebody at the switchboard would disconnect you. In short - You would literally, drop dead. Henceforth; balancing the pH level in your blood is crucial to a healthy life.

But, why would it kill you? Well, let's see... what are red blood cells? What do they do?
Red Blood cells transport oxygen to the rest of your body How they go about this, is they travel through little, and I mean little, capillaries that lead to important organs and functions in your body.

Because these capillaries are so small, it's very important that the blood cells can maneuver their way through, swiftly and with ease. Fortunately for us, our blood cells have an amazing built-in feature... a negative charge. This charge, like magnets, allows the cells to remain separate from each other, so they can pass through the capillaries smoothly. No accidents on the capillary highway!

However, when acid strikes... this amazing mechanism is devastated. Acid literally strips away the negative charge from the red blood cells, resulting in cells that stick, bump, and clump together. You can imagine how difficult it is for these guys to pass through the small capillaries like this. This, my friends, results in something you are all familiar with - poor blood circulation and the ever-dreaded blood clots.

Poor blood circulation contributes to numerous health conditions. Some of which most of us have experienced at one time or another in our lives. For instance, cold hands and feet, improper digestion, dry/flaky skin and brittle nails.

Not only will excessive acid result in clumping blood cells, but it also weakens them... causing them to die. I'll give you one guess as to what happens when they die. Yep, they release more acid into your system

So what have we learned?

1. We are bio electrical engines, and blood circulation is very important.


2. When too much acid is in our bodies, blood circulation is decreased.


3. Decreased blood circulation results in disabilities and even a drop in energy levels.

All of this is regulated by taking care of your pH.


So, How do I maintain my pH levels and What is my pH level?

The first place a pH imbalance begins, is in your mouth. What you eat and drink. Now, this may confuse you. But a pH imbalance is not caused from consuming foods that are too "acidic", but rather from foods that, once digested, leave an acidic residue or ash, if you will. A good example, Lemons. Lemons are acidic before you consume them, however, once consumed actually become alkaline. Nifty huh?

To find out your pH level is pretty simple. First, you'll need pH Hydrion test paper, which can be found at your pharmacy or health food market.

When liquid comes into contact with the paper, it will turn a colour that corresponds with a chart that is provided in the package. This chart ranges from blues to yellows, with blue = alkaline and yellow = acid.

You can take the test with urine or saliva. However, I personally believe that saliva is a little more reliable.. not to mention more convenient! =-)

When you use the test strip, make sure it has been at least 2 hours after eating/drinking (aside from water). You must use the strips 2-3 times a day, for a week, to ensure an accurate reading, as your pH can fluctuate throughout the day. What you want to find out is your average pH level.

Once you have your average, compare it to the recommended pH level and adjust your diet accordingly. Remember, nothing will change overnight. You must have patience and stick with it for at least one month, in order to see a change in your pH.

Recommended pH in saliva tests: 6.4 - 6.8
Recommended pH in blood: 7.5

The reason why we want a slightly more acidic readout in our saliva test, as opposed to our blood, is because our saliva is naturally slightly more acidic than our blood. So always keep that in mind.

Balanced pH, a more alkaline body, means being immune to all illnesses and diseases. A disease, sickness, virus, etc... can not thrive whatsoever in an alkaline environment. It can, however, thrive and spread... in an acidic environment.

It is this very reason that Doctors have adopted the use of Greens and fruit shakes for cancer patients, to alkalize their pH and make the environment less hospitable for the disease.


Okay, I get it. Now what do I eat/not eat?

Understanding the lists provided is quite simple. Begin by tracking the foods you consume on a daily basis. If your pH testing shows that you tend to be too acidic, see if any of the foods you eat regularly are in the middle or upper ranges of the acid foods list. If they are, cut back on/or substitute them for similar foods that are more alkaline.
Incorporating foods, that are near the top of the alkaline foods list, is the next step. Remember, it is unnecessary to go overboard with eliminating all acidic foods and making sure to consume only alkaline foods. We want a healthy balance.

Alkaline Foods:

(in order from most to least potent)

1. Raw Spinach
2. Beet Greens
3. Molasses
4. Celery
5. Dried Figs
6. Carrots
7. Dried Beans
8. Chard Leaves
9. Water Cress
10. Sauerkraut
11. Leaf Lettuce
12. Green Lima Beans
13. Dried Lima Beans
14. Rhubarb
15. Cabbage
16. Broccoli
17. Beets
18. Brussel Sprouts
19. Green Soy Beans
20. Cucumber
21. Parsnip
22. Radishes
23. Rutabagas
24. Dried Peas
25. Mushrooms
26. Cauliflower
27. Pineapple
28. Avocado
29. Raisins
30. Dried Dates
31. Green Beans
32. Muskmelon
33. Limes
34. Sour Cherries
35. Tangerines
36. Strawberries
37. White Potato
38. Sweet Potato
39. Grapefruit
40. Apricot
41. Lemon
42. Blackberries
43. Orange
44. Tomato
45. Peach
46. Raspberries
47. Banana
48. Onion
49. Grapes
50. Pear
51. Blueberries
52. Apple
53. Watermelon
54. Green Peas

Acidic Foods:

(in order from most to least damaging)

1. Scallops
2. Oysters
3. Dried Lentils
4. Sausage
5. Sardines
6. Oatmeal
7. Corned Beef
8. Lobster
9. Shrimp
10. Haddock
11. Soda Crackers
12. Codfish
13. Marconi Spaghetti
14. Peanut Butter
15. Chicken
16. Peanuts
17. Wheat Germ
18. Brown Rice
19. Whole Wheat Flour
20. Salmon
21. Beef Steak
22. Turkey
23. Barley
24. Veal Chops
25. Lamb
26. White Bread
27. Wheat Bran
28. English Walnuts
29. Lamb Chop
30. Bacon
31. Eggs
32. Whole Wheat Bread
33. Pork Chop
34. Honey
35. Fresh Corn

Neutral Foods:

(no order)

1. Milk (whole milk in particular)
2. Butter (unsalted and natural)
3. Corn Syrup
4. Sugar
5. Corn Oil
6. Olive Oil
7. Most Vegetable Oils

Now that you know what foods to consume, what about what you drink? Well, I've got something interesting to talk about!

Greens:

Ever heard of Greens? There are a bunch of these drink mixes on the market. Some are better than others, but most get to the point.

A few things to look for in a Greens drink are:

Spirulina
Alphalfa Whole Leaf
Barley Grass Powder
Blue-green Algae (Aphanizomenon flos-aquae)
Acerola
Organic Carrot Juice Powder
Japanese Chlorella
Organic Spinach Powder

Drink products I highly recommend using are Greens Plus and E3Live. (especially E3Live)

Greens drinks raise your Alkaline levels, effortlessly, over the course of 2 weeks to one month. All you need to do is mix it up into a shake with other alkaline fruits/juices and drink it before you consume breakfast.

A good drink mix is:
Strawberries
Blackberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Fresh Lemon Juice
Fresh Orange Juice
Apple Juice
and 1-2 scoops of your Greens product.

Blend WELL and ENJOY!