PH Balance

Food is a form of potential energy in that all foods carry either a positive (acidic), negative (alkaline) or neutral charge. PH (potential of hydrogen) is the measure of acidity or alkalinity of a solution such as blood, sweat, saliva, urine, etc. The PH scale goes from 0 to 14, with 0 being the most acidic, 7 being neutral and 14 being the most alkaline. In general, the human body requires an average PH of between 7.35 and 7.45, except for the digestive and urinary tracts, which should be slightly acidic. A healthy diet consists of about 60-80% alkaline foods to 20-30% acidic foods. Much like a battery or electrical circuit, all human cells must be charged with both positive (acidic) and negative (alkaline) energy, or the cells simply degenerate, mutate and die. With cellular degeneration comes mutation, and with cellular mutation comes a whole host of potential diseases (including but not limited to all forms of cancer), some of which can be passed on to the next generation... because just one "bad apple" (cell) can spoil the rest.

ACIDOSIS

Acidosis (over acidity) has been said to be the underlying cause of many diseases, especially inflammatory, arthritic and rheumatic disorders. Acidosis also causes the body to borrow alkaline minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium from the teeth, bones and organs to neutralize the acids, so they can be safely eliminated from the body via detoxification. Consistent over acidity can (and usually does) also lead to bone loss, osteoporosis, tooth decay and osteonecrosis (not fun). Germs thrive in an acidic anaerobic environment, whereas alkaline foods help kill germs and prevent them from growing. However, acids are essential for energy, cellular function, digestion and many other processes throughout the body and no cell (and hence, no body) could survive without them.

ALKALOSIS

Alkalosis (over alkalinity) can also cause disorder and disease due to a lack of acids to help digest food. Undigested foods sit in the bowels, waiting to be eliminated while the body tries ineffectively to absorb and metabolize the nutrients it can from these foods, but lacking the acidity to digest them, the digestive process is prolonged and inhibited. The longer digestion takes, the longer these foods wait to be eliminated. This leads to rancidity, putrefaction and fermentation of the undigested foods in the bowels, causing such symptoms as indigestion, heartburn, nausea and other digestive disorders. Simply put, these undigested foods rot in the intestines, creating a breeding ground for disease-causing bacteria, virus, fungus, parasites and protozoa.

ACID/ALKALINE FOODS

Generally speaking, acid foods include nuts, seeds, oils, grains, beans, legumes, coffee, alcohol, fermented foods, animal and dairy products. Alkaline (or alkaline forming) foods include most sprouts, fruits and veggies. Though most foods are either neutral, acidic or alkaline, some are also acid or alkaline forming foods. For example, a lemon in and of itself is highly acidic, but once digested it produces a highly alkaline effect. Acid foods containing malic, citric and/or tartaric acids are good examples of alkaline forming foods. Foods containing malic acid include apples, pears, pineapples, apricots, peaches, cherries, berries and grapes; foods containing citric acid include oranges, lemons, strawberries, raspberries and cherries; foods containing tartaric acids include grapes and pineapples. Saliva is highly alkaline; but regardless of a food's PH, saliva becomes highly acidic (the first step in the digestive process) while in the mouth and for up to twenty minutes after eating.

An easy way to determine whether foods are acidic or alkaline is by the color of the food in its raw state; greens, blues and purples usually indicate an alkaline nature, while reds, oranges and yellows usually indicate an acidic nature. But again, foods containing malic, citric and/or tartaric acids actually produce an alkaline effect. In addition, unlike most acids (which bring on disease if in excess, by providing an environment for germs to live and grow in), foods containing malic, citric and/or tartaric acids help kill off and prevent germs from growing, as do alkaline foods. But as with all things, balance (PH Balance in this case) is an absolute necessity for natural health and immunity.

ARTICLES & RESOURCES

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» PH Balance
» Detoxification
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