GO NATURAL: How to Balance Your pH to Heal Your Body

Information courtesy of MindBodyGreen

One of the things I keep hearing about regarding chronic illness is how necessary it is to balance your pH. But why? I did some research, and here’s what I found:

1. Digestive System – Most digestive disorders, such as indigestion, nausea, bloating, gastric reflux, are symptoms caused by excess acid in the gastric region and not enough alkaline minerals in the intestinal tract. If the alkaline minerals from enzyme rich foods are missing then the pancreas will become exhausted, and once the pancreas is exhausted, it loses the ability to decode the food and tell the body what to do with it. This will lead to a degenerative spiral of entropy where organs become confused and inflamed.

2. Circulatory System – Acidity is the principal cause of heart disease. It is well established that many fats are extremely important and essential for cardiovascular health. Good fats can actually help heal the inflammation that underlies arteriosclerosis. When the arteries thicken with plague it is not as a response to good fats, it is inflammation created by the internal acidic environment. The body responds to the acidity by lining the vessels with fatty plaques to prevent life-threatening leaks, which arrest imminent death, but strain the heart because the aperture for the blood to flow through is narrower. When the heart becomes completely exhausted, this is known as a heart attack.

3. Immune System – Acidic environments are breeding grounds for anaerobic pathogens whereas the high levels hydrogen of rich body fluids keep bad bacteria inactive. As the great scientist, Antoine Béchamp famously observed ‘The germ is nothing, the terrain is everything.’ Whether bad bacteria and pathogens incubate or remain dormant, all depends on the ratio of cellular pH. The germ theory is a narrow view that has been adopted by the current medical establishment, which conveniently relies on a profitable cut, burn, and poison approach to sickness. Surgery, radiation, and pharmaceutical drugs are an invasive approach that is ineffective because they works against the body’s natural functions to heal itself, and it fails to address the underlying cause and only treats the symptoms.

4. Respiratory System – When the tissues and organs are overloaded by acidity the transport of oxygen is strangled. This suffocation means the cells cannot breathe properly. Every cell in our body needs to breathe new oxygen and to clear acidic carbon dioxide to function correctly. When the ratio of acidity is too high then wastes in the form of mucus and infections and viruses build up in our lungs, which leads to colds, bronchitis, asthma, etc.

5. Skeletal System – Arthritis is one of the most disabling diseases in developed countries. The word arthritis means “inflammation of the joint” and is used to describe pain, stiffness, and swelling in the joints. The two main form of arthritis are Rheumatoid and Osteoarthritis. Both forms are related to pH imbalance and accumulation of acid deposits in the joints and wrists. It is this accumulated acid that damages cartilage. When the cells that produce the lubricating synovial fluids and bursa fluids are acidic, this condition causes a dryness that irritates and swells the joints. When uric acid builds up it tends to deposit in the form of crystals, like broken glass in the feet, hands, knees and back.

6. Integumentary System – Commonly know as the skin. When the body’s pH is out of balance then the buildup of acid causes inflammation and the skin is less able to function as a natural barrier against infection. As a result, the skin tends to develop lesions and sores open to the surface of the body, and the formation of skin eruptions occur like pimples or rashes.

7. Nervous System – Acidity weakens the nervous system by depriving it of energy. This is also known as ‘devitalizing’ or ‘enervation’. It makes the physical, mental, and emotional body weak.

8. Excretory System – This is also known as the urinary system. It is made up of multiple organs, the main one being the kidneys. The kidneys perform the task of filtering fluids and purifying our blood. If the body is overwhelmed by excess acids, compensatory mechanisms spring into action, one of them is the pulling of alkaline minerals from your bones and dumping them in the blood. If this occurs frequently enough, the minerals build up in the kidneys in the form of painful kidney stones.

9. Muscular System – When acidity increases in the muscle cells, it disrupts the metabolism breakdown of glucose and oxygen to energy. This means muscles perform poorly in an acidic environment. An alkaline system on the other hand allows for much better aerobic metabolism and energy for the body’s recovery from strenuous exercise. I can often observe when someone is acidic from their breathing because they take large gulping inhales while doing the simplest tasks like walking and talking, which suggests their body finds it difficult to adequately deliver oxygen into the cells – a symptom of acidosis.

10. Reproductive System – Still much research is being done to discover the exact link between sexual dysfunction and acidity and also infertility and acidity.

There are many more diseases and disorders that are associated with an acidic condition – cataracts, osteoporosis, gout, cancer, migraines, constipation, morning sickness, stroke, allergies, diabetes, obesity, etc. With this awareness of how acidity affects us, we can all choose to make informed and empowered healthy decisions for wellness.

Now, you might be wondering how these items relate to chronic illness. I think it mostly comes down to inflammation, and how it can exacerbate any chronic illness, but since I’m not a doctor, that might be oversimplifying matters. In any case, keeping your pH in balance seems to be an important part of battling any chronic illness.

I use strips to test my pH level. They can be found here if you’re interested.

GO NATURAL: 11 detoxifying foods

Infographic courtesy of The Idea Room

Anyone looking to help flush out the bad stuff out of their bodies needs to read this post. Obviously there are more than 11 detoxifying foods, but these are a good place to start.

1. Green tea: Green tea contains antioxidants, which help fight the free radicals in your bloodstream that are responsible for some of the effects of aging, as well as being linked to certain kinds of cancer and heart disease. It also seems to amplify other detoxification methods.
2. Garlic: Garlic contains high amounts of vitamin C, which supports your immune system and your liver. It’s loaded with sulfur, a mineral that helps rid the body of toxins. Garlic has also been shown to reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels and has been used in the treatment of high blood pressure and other illnesses. Keep in mind, heating destroys many of the beneficial properties of garlic. If you can’t stomach raw garlic, you can find it in capsule form in most grocery or health food stores.
3. Onions: Onions have antihistamine effects due to quercetin, an antioxidant that acts like an antihistamine and an anti-inflammatory agent. Onions can also help reduce cancer risk when combined with turmeric. The essential oil of an onion lowers blood sugar levels by increasing the amount of free insulin that is available. Onions are involved in maintaining good blood pressure, inhibit hardening of the arteries, and keep the arteries elastic. And while this doesn’t sound appetizing, chewing a raw onion can strengthen teeth and eliminate bacteria that can lead to tooth decay.
4. Ginger: Ginger is thought to cleanse the body by stimulating digestion, circulation, and sweating. Its digestive actions may serve to cleanse the build-up of waste and toxins in the colon, liver, and other organs.
5. Lemons: Lemons are loaded with healthy benefits, and particularly, they’re a great vitamin C food source. Lemon juice also offers up a healthy serving of potassium, magnesium and copper. Because lemon juice’s atomic structure is similar to the digestive juices found in the stomach, it tricks the liver into producing bile, which helps keep food moving through your body and gastrointestinal tract smoothly. Lemon water also helps relieve indigestion or ease an upset stomach.
6. Apples: The soluble fiber in apples, pectin, helps prevent plaque buildup in blood vessels while the insoluble fiber, cellulose, helps the digestive system move waste quickly through the intestinal tract by adding bulk. Apples are rich in calcium, iron, phosphorus and potassium, as well as B-complex folates and vitamins A and C.
7. Grapefruit: Grapefruit contains high amounts of vitamins A and C (are you sensing a pattern here?). The red and pink varieties are especially packed with bioflavonoids and provide you with an extra immunity boost. It can also be used to help treat brain disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
8. Pineapple: In addition to being a diuretic and detoxifying fruit, pineapple is characterized by its content of vitamin C, B1, B6, folic acid, and minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese and iron. A large part of the composition of pineapple is water and it also has an important amount of fiber.
9. Kale: Kale is high in fiber and iron, as well as vitamin K and a bunch of powerful antioxidants. It’s also noted for its anti-inflammatory properties, and helps lower cholesterol. Lastly, like many of the other foods here, is high in vitamins A and C.
10. Asparagus: Asparagus is a very good source of fiber, folate, vitamins A, C, E and K, as well as chromium, a trace mineral that enhances the ability of insulin to transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells. It can even help fight cancer, since it’s packed with antioxidants. Like leafy greens, asparagus delivers folate, which works with vitamin B12—found in fish, poultry, meat and dairy—to help prevent cognitive impairment.
11. Beets: Beets contain a group of phytonutrients called betalains that support detoxification through an important phase 2 detox step in the liver. Additionally, beet greens are strongly anti-inflammatory, and have been shown to be much more powerful than almonds and carrots in that capacity. Beets are high in calcium and vitamin K, and are the best plant source for betaine, a compound which lowers C-reactive protein levels, a marker of heart disease and chronic inflammation.

In a series of future posts, I’ll give you all some recipes using these foods. Good luck, and happy detoxifying!