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Wednesday 30 November 2011

Alkaline Food Benefits


In North America there has been an alarming rise of degenerative disease such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes in the last one hundred years. Factors that are influencing this rise include a sedentary lifestyle, stress, environmental toxins and an acidic diet. Consumption of acidic foods can be healthy when eaten in balance with alkaline foods.
The problem is that the typical North American diet consists of mostly acidic foods. Popular acidic foods include alcohol, cheese, milk chocolate, coffee, dairy products, white flour products, processed and refined foods, hydrogenated oils, meat, white pasta and sugar. Other major contributors are drugs and tobacco. Symptoms of acidosis include lack of energy, headaches and sleeplessness.
The power of hydrogen (pH) scale measures the levelof acidity of a system. The scale ranges from 1 to 14 with one being highlyacidic and 14 being highly basic. A perfect balance between acid and base is 7.The body is designed to be slightly basic with a pH of 7.43. When the body maintains this pH levelit is able to effectively perform all cellular activities necessary to keep thebody healthy.
The body has a natural buffering system that prevents it from becoming to acidic or basic, which would cause it to completely shut down. If this buffering system becomes overwhelmed from excess acid, the body can become acidic enough to cause gradualdeterioration of bone and organs which will lead to numerous diseases and health conditions.
The condition known as chronic acidosis developswhen the body is no longer able to dispose of excess acid. The body attempts tomaintain proper pH health by eliminating excess acid through the lungs, skinand kidneys or through digestive processes. When the body becomes overwhelmedit attempts to protect vital organs by transferring acid to joints, bones andtissues.
This leads to numerous skeletal problems such as rheumatoid andosteoarthritis, tissue problems such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue andskin conditions such as eczema and dermatitis. If these conditions areprolonged, eventually cell walls harden and solidify and organs begin todeteriorate.
The body’s chronic state of acidosis is theideal breeding ground for parasites, fungi, molds and bacteria, which aresustained by feeding off of diseased organs and tissue. The body attempts toneutralize excess acid by drawing alkalizing minerals from bones and organs.Bones become brittle, skin begins to age rapidly and the brain becomesforgetful and begins to lose the ability to learn and reason.
 The best way to restore and maintain pH balance is through a change in diet. A proper balance of 60 to 80 percent alkalizing food with 20 to 40 percent acid forming foods should be maintained. Fresh fruit and vegetables should be consumed daily. Although many fruits are acidic in nature, they become alkaline when digested. Juicing fruit and vegetables is an excellent way to quickly restore pH balance. Supplements (calcium, potassium, magnesium and pH formulas) can also help to restore pH balance. Restoring pH balance will improve and may completely reverse chronic conditions.
  The best alkaline forming foods include blueberries, carrots, fresh coconut, lemons, grapefruit, lettuce, oatmeal, pineapple, peaches, spinach, sprouts, strawberries, kiwi fruit, apple cider vinegar, oranges, brown rice, potatoes and most herbal teas. When cooking, it is important to avoid frying. When exercising, choose alkaline forming, low impact workouts and avoid over exercising, which can be acid forming.

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