Did you know that the pH of your bodily fluids is very important to your overall health?  Think of pH as “Potential for Health.”

What is pH?

pH stands for “particles of Hydrogen” or “power of Hydrogen”. The maintenance of a stable hydrogen ion concentration in the body fluids is essential to life.

Medically speaking, pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity in our body fluids, such as urine or saliva.  It is measured as a number between 1 and 14. A pH value of greater than 7 is considered basic (alkaline), while pH values less than 7 are considered acidic. A pH of 7 is neutral.  “Normal” pH in our saliva is between 6.8 and 7.2.

What causes pH imbalance?

• A high protein diet (70 – 80% protein; 20 – 30% carbs)
• High levels of stress
• Diseases: diabetes, emphysema, prolonged vomiting
• Highly processed foods (coffee, sodas)
• High amounts of sugar in your diet

What happens when we are too acidic?

90% of us are too acidic and this can create major problems for our health.  When there’s too much acid in the blood, the body starts to pull calcium from your bones, which can in turn create over-alkalinity. You can test your pH using pH test strips.

Symptoms of Acidosis include:

• Tense muscles
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Acne
• Joint pain
• Aggrevation of osteoporosis
• See additional symptoms

Serious Health Problems created by overly acidic blood:

• Gout
• Arthritis
• Lupus
• Fibromyalgia
• Cancer
• Heart Conditions

How to Restore pH Balance?

1. Cut down or eliminate coffee and sodas. They leach calcium out of the bones (starting with jaw and hip bones), and can cause kidney stones and calcium deposits.
2. Eliminate highly processed foods and white sugar.
3. Eat less saturated fats and fatty meats. People with high protein diets (70 – 80%) are at risk for acidic blood.
4. Control your stress. When the body is stressed, it can exacerbate acid problems.  Anyone you may know with heartburn can attest to that!

A good rule of thumb for a pH balanced diet:

80% of your diet should consist of these alkalining foods:

• Fruits
• Vegetables, Green Drinks
• Brazil nuts, coconut and almonds
• Soybeans
• Lima beans
• Sprouted grains/ seeds

20% of your diet should consist of these acid-forming foods:

• Grains (unsprouted)
• All poultry, fish, meats and eggs
• Sugar and syrup, except honey
• Nuts
• Legumes

What supplements will help restore healthy pH?

Rather than juicing, you may choose a high-quality, ionized Green Supplement containing dark leafy greens with deep root systems. These greens are high in minerals (including iron) and alkalining to the body.  An isotonic ionized Calcium Supplement is also necessary, since the body is pulling calcium from the bones to neutralize the excess acid.  A Super-Antioxidant Supplement (one that contains bioflavenoids, pygnogenol, grapeseed extract, bilberry, red wine extract and citrus extract is best), is also recommended because it will help to cut down inflammation and encourage the kidneys to dump excess uric acid.  Choosing supplements with an isotonic delivery will ensure high levels of absorption.

• A high protein diet (70 – 80% protein; 20 – 30% carbs)
• High levels of stress
• Diseases: diabetes, emphysema, prolonged vomiting
• Highly processed foods (coffee, sodas)
• High amounts of sugar in your diet