If your body doesn’t have a proper pH balance, then you may be battling sickness, cancer, fatigue, arthritis, diabetes or more. The vital key to maintaining health and resisting disease is a pH of 7.365. This slightly alkaline balance can improve energy levels and memory, remove headaches, bloating, heart disease, muscle pain and insomnia.
Unfortunately, many people in our modern society suffer from an acidic pH in their body, thanks to a lack of alkaline foods, too many acidic foods and a slew of environmental factors like stress and toxins, leaving the body in a weakened condition.
If your body has a balanced pH, then you’re privy to a host of benefits like decreased cancer risk. Find out if your diet is making you sick and tired and how alkaline foods can balance you out.
The 411 on pH
Your pH levels control how much oxygen is let into your body, and your body works hard to maintain the right balance so it can keep oxygen flowing. A proper balance of alkaline foods and acidic food ensures that this is the case. However, the modern diet is full of acidic food, making it easy for our bodies to fall out of whack. There are a lot of acidic that you may eat nearly every day, but the most common ones are:
- Butter
- Bacon
- Corn Syrup
- Ice cream
- Sugar
- White and wheat flour
- Corn
- Cheese
- Cranberries
- Animal protein
- Blueberries
- Soft drinks
What are Alkaline Foods?
You might never guess that “acidic” foods like lemons and apple cider vinegar are in fact alkalizing. However, when nutrients from these, and all other alkaline foods, reach your kidneys, they produce bicarbonate (alkaline), as opposed to ammonium (acidic). So, in regards to your body’s acid-base balance, they’re actually not “acidic.”
- When these and all other alkaline foods are processed in your kidneys, they balances your pH without needing help from other vital minerals like calcium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sodium. Taking from these stores can cause a number of health problems, so nosh on these alkaline foods to keep your body balanced and healthy.
- Raw leafy greens
- Vegetables: broccoli, carrots, celery, green beans, cucumber, beets, mushrooms
- Apple
- Lemons
- Cantaloupe
- Herbs and spices: basil, parsley, cayenne, ginger
- Sprouts: mung bean, broccoli, pea
- Almonds
- Apple cider vinegar
- Garlic
- Lemons
The Benefits of a Balanced Body
A body that is all alkaline and no acid is no better than being too acidic. This leads to allergies, hypothyroidism, fatigue and diarrhea. According to Dr. Ragnar Berg, a Swedish nutritionist, “… We should be eating about 80% alkaline forming foods and 20% acid forming foods at each meal.” Some of the most notable benefits of balancing the two include:
Lower cancer risk
This is the most commonly discussed alkaline benefit; however, it’s lacking concrete evidence for many health professionals to get on board. The theory originated when the 1931 Nobel Prize winner Otto Warburg found that cancer cells can’t survive where there are high levels of oxygen. Because alkaline foods increase your body’s oxygen levels, the connection between the two was made.
Increased Energy
Anything with caffeine is considered acidic, yet most people drink at least one cup of coffee a day, not to mention tea and soda. The high levels of acidity cause your body to reach for its natural stores of magnesium, potassium, and other vital nutrients which leads to fatigue.
However, a diet rich in naturally alkaline foods increases your energy all day long. If your breakfast and lunch are 80% alkaline, you can avoid the late morning and early afternoon slump, when you would otherwise turn to alternative energy methods.
Bone Formation
A recent seven-year study conducted at the University of California, San Francisco, on 9,000 women showed that those who have chronic acidosis are at greater risk for bone loss than those who have normal pH levels. The scientists who carried out this experiment believe that many of the hip fractures prevalent among middle-aged women are connected to high acidity caused by a diet rich in animal foods and low in vegetables. This is because the body borrows calcium from the bones to buffer excess acidity, which becomes a significant factor in the development of osteoporosis. By keeping an alkaline body pH, you can maintain healthy bones.
Though some of these benefits are lacking concrete evidence, a diet high in alkaline foods is already considered healthy. Marjorie Nolan, an American Dietetic Association spokeswoman tells WebMD, “It’s [the alkaline diet] a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, plenty of water, avoiding processed foods, coffee, and alcohol, which are all recommendations for a generally healthy diet anyway.”
Stop feeling sick and tired every day. Instead, focus on an 80% alkaline to 20% acid ratio to ensure your body is operating with an optimal pH balance and help to reduce chronic disease.
By: Joe Barton
Joe is the founder of Barton Publishing, Inc., a leading natural health company specializing in publishing cutting edge reports that show people how to cure and treat themselves using safe, natural, and proven remedies. He is also a contributing writer, helping thousands of people who suffer from acid reflux, diabetes, high blood pressure, gout, and 20+ other disease and ailments enjoy healthier lives.
