Alkaline and acid in the body — what you need to know
There has been a lot of hoopla in the media about an alkaline diet and alkaline foods. The alkaline diet is based on foods that lower the acid load in the body and are associated with increasing bone density, healing gastro-intestinal problems and even killing cancer cells.
This seems like an attractive, easy fix, but there are other concerns when trying to change the alkaline-acid balance in your body. You must look at your environment, your stress level, as well as the type of water you drink.
The foods that are the most alkaline and easily digested are most fruits and vegetables. The foods that leave a toxic acid residue in the body and are harder to digest are meats, eggs, salt and sodas. Considering that most people are raised on meat, eggs and soda, over a lifetime of eating these foods, there is acid buildup in the body.
As we age, that acid residue causes inflammation, arthritis and other degenerative diseases.
Although it seems logical to switch to an alkaline food diet, eating healthier will not counteract all the acid in the body or help the body stay alkaline.
The body has an internal mechanism that keeps it at its ideal pH level, which is about pH 7.4. That’s good news.
The bad news is that our bodies will leach minerals from our bones and kidneys in order to maintain that life saving pH level. When this happens consistently, it can cause osteoporosis and kidney failure. If our pH level isn’t maintained because the body cannot keep it balanced, we can go into a coma, which may lead to death.
When balancing the alkaline-acid load in the body in order to help the body stop robbing itself of minerals, we have to consider environmental pollution and stress in addition to changing our diets.
Stress is the biggest culprit that causes our bodies to produce an acidic internal environment. Even if you ate the most clean, organic, alkaline foods possible, you could negate all the benefits from those foods by releasing a surge of adrenaline because a deer jumped in front of your car, which caused your Central Nervous System to put you in the “fight or flight” response. Boom! Acid toxins infiltrate your body and leave an acidic residue.
Because we don’t live in a stress free environment, acid builds up in our bodies over time. Few of us notice aches and pains or low energy levels in our 20s and 30s, but once we round the ages of 40 and 50, we begin to show signs and symptoms of acid imbalance.
For the first time in our lives, we have digestive problems, IBC, acid reflux, gerd. We start getting more headaches, gain weight, become obese. We develop bone pains, elimination issues, constipation, muscle tension, heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, fatigue, brain fog, pessimism, apathy, heavy metal overload and much, much more!
Constantly producing an acidic internal environment by overeating acidic foods, living in polluted areas, and not dealing with daily stress will speed up the aging process of our internal organs and tissues. Thus when we look in the mirror, we don’t recognize ourselves any longer and wake up with new aches and pains!
So, even though our blood pH stays alkaline, because the body is designed to keep us alive, the acid residues live in the fluids surrounding our cells and our tissues. When our interstitial fluids are acidic, the beneficial microorganisms in the intestinal flora die and aggressive microforms like yeasts and fungi multiply and mutate, becoming parasitic and pathogenic agents.
That is why an over-acidic internal environment is related to a decreased resistance to colds, flu, upper respiratory disease, gastro-intestinal illnesses, autoimmune disease and cancer.
There are ways to remove the acids from your body. Following a healthy diet that includes mostly fruits and vegetables and limits meats, salts, dairy and yeast breads is always a good idea because it will help you feel better by decreasing your toxic load.
Living in cleaner environments, like in the beautiful mountains, where air pollution is less than in the cities.
Making sure you avoid using toxic chemical cleaners in your home, office and garage.
Reducing stress by having a daily meditation practice, practicing deep breathing, walking in nature, doing moderate exercise or studying yoga or tai chi.
A lesser known way you can reduce the toxic residue and improve the absorption of nutrients in your body is by drinking ionized, high negative ORP (oxidation-reduced potential), alkaline, Electrochemically Reduced Water (ERW), also known or Kangen Water.
Kangen Water comes from a Japanese company called Enagic. Enagic began producing ionizing water devices for home use in 1974. In Japan, hospitals and clinics use Kangen water to treat many infections and digestive problems caused by over acidity.
Kangen water also has preventative and positive effects on diabetes, cancer, hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis), neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s), and side effects of kidney dialysis.
When you drink restructured ionized water, plus eating sensibly, avoiding environmental toxins, and reducing stress, your body will balance and your body will heal.
Dr. Theodore Baroody, author of “Alkalize or Die,” puts it this way: “Too much acidity in the body is like having too little oil in the car. It just grinds to a halt one lazy Sunday afternoon. There you are — stuck. The body does the same thing.”
