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Alkalize Your Body or Die

Note from Carolyn:
Study after study shows that cancer cannot thrive in either oxygen or alkaline environments. Keeping our bodies in balance is a big step towards preventing all sorts of diseases. If you notice in the chart probiotic formulas are listed. One I keep handy is ProBiotic with FOS. Along with the Plant Enzymes and the other Enriching Gifts products I have seen a great improvement in my ph balance.
 
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The author of "Alkalize or Die," Dr. Theodore Baroody, says we "are facing the largest health crisis in recorded history." It's not heart disease. It's not cancer. It's not even obesity. It is overacidity in our bodies -- and it's linked to all kinds of illness and disease.

Though it sounds more like a chemistry lesson than a health warning, Baroody says that we must alkalize our bodies, thereby restoring our alkaline-acid balance, if we are to reach high levels of vitality and strength.

Piling on the fresh veggies can make your body less acidic.

"The countless names of illnesses do not really matter. What does matter is that they all come from the same root cause... too much tissue acid waste in the body!" Baroody says.

And he's not alone. Many holistic doctors and nutritionists believe finding this balance is key to fighting cancer and other diseases and reaching optimal health.

The Acid-Alkaline Balance

The healthy blood pH level of the human body is a slightly alkaline range of 7.36 to 7.44 (a pH value under 7 is considered acid and above 7 alkaline). While your body has mechanisms to keep your blood within a narrow pH range, your tissues may become acidic.

To put it simply, proponents of the theory hold that when your body becomes too acidic it can become depleted of alkaline minerals like sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium, paving the way for chronic and degenerative disease.

Further, says Dr. Virginia Worthington, ScD, many functions of your body require certain levels of acidity or alkalinity to be carried out, as enzymes and chemical reactions work best at certain pHs.

For instance, as your body becomes acidic, the ability of your muscles to contract goes down while hormones like adrenaline increase. Even slight changes in pH can have a profound effect on your body function, Worthington says.

Your system's pH can be measured not only from the blood, but also from the urine and the saliva, using pH paper. Your morning urine should ideally be between 6.4 and 6.8 while your first morning saliva pH should range from 6.8 to 7.2.

What Makes a Person Too Acidic?
 
A key factor is eating too many acidic foods and not enough alkaline ones.

Says Raymond Francis, author of "Never be Sick Again," "The traditional diets and lifestyles of our ancestors kept pH in balance. Tragically, the bizarre diet consumed by most Americans is guaranteed to alter cellular pH and cause disease."

The foods that are causing all of this acidity include animal protein, sugar, caffeine and processed foods, while most vegetables and fruits are alkaline.

Ironically, even citrus fruits, which most would consider acidic, are actually alkalizing in the body. That's because once their citric acid is metabolized, it becomes alkaline.

Following is a more specific list of some alkaline and acid foods, but for a complete list, refer to "Alkalize or Die."

ALKALIZING FOODS
VEGETABLES
Garlic
Asparagus
Fermented Veggies
Watercress
Beets
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard
Chlorella
Collard Greens
Cucumber
Eggplant
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Mustard Greens
Dulce
Dandelions
Edible Flowers
Onions
Parsnips (high glycemic)
Peas
Peppers
Pumpkin
Rutabaga
Sea Veggies
Spirulina
Sprouts
Squashes
Alfalfa
Barley Grass
Wheat Grass
Wild Greens
Nightshade Veggies
FRUITS
Apple
Apricot
Avocado
Banana (high glycemic)
Cantaloupe
Cherries
Currants
Dates/Figs
Grapes
Grapefruit
Lime
Honeydew Melon
Nectarine
Orange
Lemon
Peach
Pear
Pineapple
All Berries
Tangerine
Tomato
Tropical Fruits
Watermelon

PROTEIN
Eggs
Whey Protein Powder
Cottage Cheese
Chicken Breast
Yogurt
Almonds
Chestnuts
Tofu (fermented)
Flax Seeds
Pumpkin Seeds
Tempeh (fermented)
Squash Seeds
Sunflower Seeds
Millet
Sprouted Seeds
Nuts
OTHER
Apple Cider Vinegar
Bee Pollen
Lecithin Granules
Probiotic Cultures
Green Juices
Veggies Juices
Fresh Fruit Juice
Organic Milk
(unpasteurized)
Mineral Water
Alkaline Antioxidant Water
Green Tea
Herbal Tea
Dandelion Tea
Ginseng Tea
Banchi Tea
Kombucha

SWEETENERS
Stevia

SPICES/SEASONINGS
Cinnamon
Curry
Ginger
Mustard
Chili Pepper
Sea Salt
Miso
Tamari
All Herbs

ORIENTAL VEGETABLES
Maitake
Daikon
Dandelion Root
Shitake
Kombu
Reishi
Nori
Umeboshi
Wakame
Sea Veggies
Chart from The Wolfe Clinic

ACIDIFYING FOODS
FATS & OILS
Avocado Oil
Canola Oil
Corn Oil
Hemp Seed Oil
Flax Oil
Lard
Olive Oil
Safflower Oil
Sesame Oil
Sunflower Oil

FRUITS
Cranberries

GRAINS
Rice Cakes
Wheat Cakes
Amaranth
Barley
Buckwheat
Corn
Oats (rolled)
Quinoi
Rice (all)
Rye
Spelt
Kamut
Wheat
Hemp Seed Flour

DAIRY
Cheese, Cow
Cheese, Goat
Cheese, Processed
Cheese, Sheep
Milk
Butter
NUTS & BUTTERS
Cashews
Brazil Nuts
Peanuts
Peanut Butter
Pecans
Tahini
Walnuts

ANIMAL PROTEIN
Beef
Carp
Clams
Fish
Lamb
Lobster
Mussels
Oyster
Pork
Rabbit
Salmon
Shrimp
Scallops
Tuna
Turkey
Venison

PASTA (WHITE)
Noodles
Macaroni
Spaghetti

OTHER
Distilled Vinegar
Wheat Germ
Potatoes
DRUGS & CHEMICALS
Chemicals
Drugs, Medicinal
Drugs, Psychedelic
Pesticides
Herbicides

ALCOHOL
Beer
Spirits
Hard Liquor
Wine

BEANS & LEGUMES
Black Beans
Chick Peas
Green Peas
Kidney Beans
Lentils
Lima Beans
Pinto Beans
Red Beans
Soy Beans
Soy Milk
White Beans
Rice Milk
Almond Milk
Chart from The Wolfe Clinic

For best results, most experts say you should choose foods so that your diet is 75-80 percent alkaline and 20-25 percent acidic.

Eat lots of fast food? You may be too acidic.

Other Things Make Us Acidic Too

Diet is a major factor, but it's not the only one. Other factors that also encourage the body to produce acid wastes, which contribute to overacidity, include:
  • Breathing polluted air

  • Drinking contaminated water

  • Physical, emotional and mental stress

Once you become too acidic, your body will probably let you know. According to Cathy Wong, N.D., the following symptoms may indicate excess acidity:


  • Low energy, chronic fatigue

  • Excess mucous production

  • Nasal congestion

  • Frequent colds, flus and infections

  • Nervous, stressed, irritable, anxious, agitated

  • Weak nails, dry hair, dry skin

  • Formation of cysts, such as ovarian cysts, polycystic ovaries, benign breast cysts (fibrocystic breasts)

  • Headaches

  • Joint pain or arthritis

  • Neuritis

  • Muscle pain

  • Feeling better after a detox diet

  • Hives

  • Leg cramps and spasms

  • Gastritis, acid indigestion

Something Worth Trying?

It should be mentioned that there are no scientific studies proving much of the benefits of an acid-alkaline diet, and some conventional doctors dismiss it entirely.

That said, at the heart of the theory is increasing vegetables, fruits and other whole, fresh foods in your diet while reducing processed foods and oils, sugar and caffeine. Admittedly, most of us could stand to eat a few more vegetables (and a few less cheeseburgers and doughnuts), so converting your diet to a more alkaline one may be something worth trying out for yourself.

For more extensive information on the topic and a plan for how to balance the alkaline/acid in your body, check out the comprehensive guide, "Alkalize or Die."

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