subject: The Acid-alkaline Body Balance [print this page] An acid forming diet is more prevalent today than perhaps ever before and we owe it all to the foods we eat. The Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) is overloaded with acid-forming foods (processed and boxed foods being the biggest culprit!) and sorely lacking in alkalinity.
Besides food; emotional stress, environmental toxicity, allergies, colds, flus, medications, and other viruses all contribute to an acidic state in our bodies. An acidic lifestyle causes acids to build in our blood and in our cells which can lead to many diseases including heart disease, liver disease, cancer, arthritis, immune deficiencies, and other serious health problems as well as a general feeling of malaise.
Signs of high blood acidity include overweight, itchy scalp or skin, blotchy or discolored skin, acne, chronic headaches, muscle tension, chronic fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, depression, anger, irritability, frequent colds, allergies, and always feeling hungry.
The important thing here is to find balance. To maintain a healthy blood pH, our diets should consist of about 60% alkaline forming foods and 40% acid forming foods.
Boost your body's alkalinity by consuming lots of raw vegan foods like: fruits, green vegetables, cereal grasses such as wheatgrass and barley, spices, herbs and seasonings, seeds and nuts, and fermented foods, and fermented beverages like kombucha. If you're not familiar with kombucha, check out my blog to learn all about this healing beverage.
Over-alkalinity is more common on a raw diet in contrast to the over-acidic nature of the standard American Diet (SAD). Excessive alkalinity in the blood is just as dangerous as over-acidic blood. It is a breeding ground for candida albicans overgrowth (a type of parasitic fungus that can affect the mouth, intestines, and /or vagina) and can interfere with the absorption of the nutrients in your food. This yeast-like fungi is the culprit causing athlete's foot, thrush, and other yeast infections that may occur on the skin as well as throughout the body. I don't want to scare you, but if you even suspect you've got candida it is important to consult a health care provider and nip it in the butt. Candida albicans can eventually find its way into the blood leading to serious complications if left untreated.
Signs of over-alkalinity include lethargy, cold and/or heaviness of the limbs, muscle cramps, muscle spasms, mental spaciness, lack of drive or ambition, and little or no appetite.
Generally, acid forming foods are grains and legumes. Grains and legumes can be sprouted or lightly slow-cooked at 115 degrees in a dehydrator to keep their enzymes intact while providing you with the necessary acidic component of your diet.
Here is a helpful chart detailing certain foods and where they fall on the acid-alkaline scale:
You can test your own pH by urinating on litmus paper which can be purchased at health food stores, online, or wherever swimming pool and/or hot tubs supplies are sold. (It's the same thing used to check the pH in pools and spas).
Remember, balance and moderation are the keys to good health!
As Hippocrates said long ago, "Let food be thy medicine, let medicine be thy food!"
