Ah yes, that's the key word: extreme. Too many extremes out there these days - all the various specialty diets that promise glowing skin, long life, beautiful bowels. Boring as it may be I'll stick with moderation and balance.
I would imagine any extreme
OK, I have a question. I know the body works to keep a balance whether it's acid vs. alkaline, hydration levels, vitamin levels and so on. Would a person feel bad because the body is working harder to maintain a balance with an acidic diet vs. a more alkaline diet? I don't drink alcohol but I understand a person feels very bad when they drink a lot and the body tries to process it and get back to normal. Maybe a poor example but just wondering.
if you feel better, go for it. Some people feel better chanting Hare Krishna. Whatever works.
I'm new be nice to me! :0) I felt really compelled to respond to all of this, so here goes! I was reading in a health remedy catalog and noticed several different items geared toward alkalizing the body, and decided to google the subject. The reason I was reading the book in the first place, was because I felt AWFUL....Anyway, after reading SEVERAL articles online, I realized that I was suffering from Lactic Acidosis (too much acid in the blood), I also read that my HIV meds CAN and often DO cause such a thing, (I am also bipolar, just for the record ). I'm taking care of my mom who has leukemia, and I had such pain and burning/throbbing in my legs that there were times when I actually could NOT move....I have vericose veins in my left leg and they were actually HOT to the touch! (my doctor actually confirmed this ). I thought I would give the baking soda method a try, and now I am able to do basically everything I need to, and feel 100% better. We as Americans eat way too much acidic food and our diet (generally) is way off the mark. There is a reason that the world doesn't push the "American Diet", but pushes others such as the Mediterranean diet and Eastern diets, it's because our diets simply are not balanced... I believe it was a change in my diet, sleep pattern, and stress (all due to taking care of my mother) that caused this problem in my legs, because it hit me all of a sudden about a month after I started caring for her. I read PAGES on this subject before I decided to do this. (I also had been suffering from I.B.S and am actually not suffering NEARLY as bad as before). It's true that your body regulates your PH...it is in a constant struggle to buffer all of the acid that plagues our bodies, be it whatever the cost. Since the online articles, I have heard on television and read in books about the affects of our acidic diets....So believe what you will, but I am someone who KNOWS about health because EVERYDAY is a struggle to be healthy, be it mentally or physically. I have been HIV positive for over 18 years and have NEVER had symptom....My parents BOTH have HORRIBLE diets and are BOTH sick as dogs....I.E: Heart Disease (my father has 4 stints and my mom has 1), I.B.S (mom), High Blood Pressure (both), Fatigue (both), Acid Reflux Disease (both), Arthritis (both), Constipation (both), Leukemia (my mom), Isomnia (both), Diabetes (mom), High Cholesterol (both), Obesity (my mom), (Dad yo-yo diets). My mother will be 56 Aug. 18th., and my dad just turned 60. I am sure that I have probably forgotten some things, but I suffer from none of these things except the occasional IBS, and Insomnia but 3 of my drugs cause those too...That is proof enough for me...... Sorry this was so long, but hopefully it helps someone....
I always thought of PH imbalances as a sign of disease. Mine was slightly off (per bloodwork in the ER) after a severe bout of anorexia back in college that I am, to this day, amazed I survived. Felt fabulous. (Note: sarcasm.) I can't imagine anyone attempting to intentionally alter their PH, the doctors seemed quite concerned with mine being a hair abnormal.
"Being direct is important !!!!!!!!!" Yes ! But very dangerous on these boards ! One can be kicked out for it like our surfgirl was "blocked out".:( I sure would like to see the names of those complainers...or their pictures. :)....or to know what blocked out means? ...for ever?...for a while?
I am not sure what that means, but I agree in principle. :)
There is a way to speak to people & a way NOT to speak to people. Kindness should always be used. Whether a person is correct or not in what they "think" they know, rudeness is never acceptable. - Being direct is important, I am being direct now. I will not base what I think on one comment from a forum. I'll check it out for myself. LOL!
"Being direct is important!!!!!!!!!" Yes! I could say a lot of mean things, but I won't. It's sad, really, what some people believe. Of course Surfgirl is right.
surfgirl can be my alter ego. I think being direct is important It is interesting to read all the different topics that come up.
Thank you, canihelp..........(I needed to know this stuff for work. lol.)
Thank you for your intervention. It's so hard to know what to believe when they have Dr. before their name. Surfgirl comes across rather brass & sometimes abrasive, but she seems to know alot through some avenue. I am close to the same age as she is and have degree, plus other credentials, so I consider myself an informed person, but I realize that I certainly don't know it all. I respect & admire surgirl for all she's been through medically & she still hangs tough. Of course, I've had PVCs now for over 25 years myself and done loads of research (that's why I got my herbalist diploma & opened a shop). I try to be open to new concepts and ideas and admit when a REAL doctor or professional sets me straight. Thanks again for your comments. And I still intend to try to eat the foods that calm my system instead of sending more acid into it. There are actually many web sites that agree with Dr, Young, so that is really something to consider also. Maybe they are all "quacks" as surgirl commented. She could be right! Thanks again. Hang in there Surfgirl, somehow you seem to know your stuff!
the enzymes in your body only work in narrow range of temperature and pH. If these balance is either to acidic or alkaline, you cannot function. Is it possible to change the your pH tenths of point, yes, can you change it to 6 or 8, no.
For the record, Dr. Young is not a MD or DO, he is a Ph.D. I would skeptical of any idea where the only literature is written by the same two people (married) and they have 10 books on the same subject and no one else is writing about the same topic, certainly not in the medical literature.
It is an interesting post though -- I have never heard about this concept until today.
Dr Young is not a medical doctor and is considered a quack by the medical community. He got one of degrees from a goofy online "course". He is a joke, and the sad part is he is raking in the money. He even has a 3 day retreat, for which people can pay good money . He has never had anything published in a medical journal, or had any peer review. The fact is, you cannot change your PH, the body regulates it, just like it adjusts your temperature.
I believe there is a way to make your entire body more Alkaline from what I've seen & read. I don't know, but I'm not an expert in that field. I knew that Rolaids only make the acid less in your stomach. My diploma in herbal medicine that tells me which herbs can make the body more alkaline like Burdock, .... Maybe it's all a falsehood. I still think we should really research it more before we jump on the band wagon. Below is an actual "DOCTOR" who tells you his opinion. I know we're really not suppose to print quotes, but an exception in this case to prove my point. Actually we may not be speaking about the same thing?? I know you're pretty strong in all your opinions, but hey here is the Doctor on his.
Dr. Robert Young author of “The pH Miracle” .
Here are some aspects regarding pH you may find useful. The body’s pH is measured on a scale of 0 – 14. Midrange at 7 is where the pH is balanced. Anything below 7 is acidic and a state where your body does not function as designed. Above 7 is called Alkaline. Alkaline is the state in which your body thrives. Disease cannot live in an alkaline environment.
Here’s how to rid your body of that over-acidic state:
Alkalizing Secret #1 -- Drink Pure Alkaline Water – lots of it! Pure water meaning water that is filtered. At a minimum, you should be drinking 7 ounces of water for every 10 lbs of your body weight. So, if you weigh 130lbs, you need to drink a minimum of 91 ounces of pure water (that’s about 3 liters). Pure water meaning water that is filtered – the finest choice is an alkaline ionization unit (Jupiter is one of the finest on the market). If you don’t have this resource available, distilled water is a great choice with reverse osmosis coming next. Alkaline water means water with a pH over 7.5. Alkaline water adds oxygen to your water and helps to neutralize acids. A simple way to alkalize your water is with a dash of baking soda. There are also wonderful alkalizing agents you can purchase to buffer and alkalize the water.
(P.S. Avoid: coffee, black tea and sodas. – These drinks are highly acidic and do not count towards your daily water intake)
Alkalizing Secret #2 --- Eat Celery…. This is one of the most alkaline foods you can eat. It quickly neutralizes acids. Eat it before, after or during a meal. Celery is so high in water content that is also works as an excellent thirst quencher. Celery is excellent for digestion.
Alkalizing Secret #3 -- Eat Green Salads – forget the cheese and croutons! Always have a green salad on hand. Make a huge salad every 3 days and keep it in your fridge to make it very easy to alkalize your body. Some greens that have the highest water content are: cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, celery, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, cauliflower, carrots, and onions. A great dressing would be cold pressed extra virgin olive oil with some lemon juice and Braggs Amino Acids. Keep this in a bowl in your fridge (tip: add cucumbers and tomatoes right before eating). Eat a HUGE salad with every meal!
Alkalizing Secret #4 - Switch from cow’s milk, to almond, soy, or rice milk. Cows milk has shown to produce an abundance of mucous in the human body. There are also few adults who can metabolize the protein in cow’s milk properly. This protein, casein, is what a cow’s metabolism needs for proper health, not for a human beings health. Also note that most dairy cows are injected with hormones such as the Bovine Growth Hormone to increase their milk production. Many of these hormones have potentially horrific side effects that can be passed on when consumed. Almond, soy and or rice milk are excellent alternatives to dairy. They are well worth trying out.
Alkalizing Secret #5 – Avoid artificial sweeteners! This includes: NutraSweet, Sucralose, Aspartame, Saccharin…. Not only are these acidic they also have other highly detrimental effects on the nervous system and neurological disease. Saccharin even tells you right on the package that it may cause cancer.
There is one natural sugar substitute that has had no reported side effects: Stevia.
Alkalizing Secret #6 - Eat a grapefruit in the morning wait 15 minutes before ingesting a carb or protein. Grapefruit, similar to lemons, is also alkalizing when ingested. Some people believe grapefruit to be a miracle fruit and I tend to support that group. Grapefruits have a very high water content and are highly alkalizing. Eat one first thing in the morning, and wait 15 minutes before eating a carbohydrate or protein (one or the other – do not mix). (The 15-minute suggestion is in accordance with proper food combining and allows your system to more easily digest. This recommendation applies to eating any fruit – fruit shouldn’t be combined with any other food type. Once eaten, wait 15 before consuming any other food type…ie: protein or carbohydrate).
Alkalizing Secret #7 - Eliminate consumption of red meat, pork, lamb…substitute chicken, turkey or fresh fish in small quantities. Red meats, pork and lamb are highly acidic a very low water content, not to mention being hard on the digestive system. If you must have meat, opt for chicken or turkey. Fresh wild fish is another excellent route to take.
Alkalizing Secret #8 - Reduce stress daily by adding yoga, tai chi, meditation, and proper breathing. An additional factor that adds to acidosis (acidic bodies) is stress. When the body moves into stress mode the digestive system shuts down and toxins cease to be eliminated. Thus the more toxins you keep in your system, the more the body will store them away (acids) in fat cells! Anything we can do to calm the mind/body will have a huge impact on alkalizing the body.
Alkalizing Secret #9 - Drink a top quality super green supplement. : Organic super greens are known to be some of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. They infuse the body with easily absorbed vitamins, minerals, amino acids chlorophyll, enzymes, phytonutients and alkaline salts that help neutralize acids in the blood and tissues. There are several I recommend on my website. www.transformitnow.com.
Alkalizing Secret #10 – Minimize/Avoid…. processed and refined foods. That means anything made with white flour and white sugar or food coloring. Our bodies were not designed to digest these chemicals and so it must do one of three things: 1. Eliminate them (if you are not hydrating properly this is very hard to do) or 2. Neutralize them by pulling alkaline buffers where it can – like from your bones leaching calcium, or from your blood, leaching iron. Or: 3. Park them away (in fat cells). Bottom line here – stay away from processed food as much as possible.
In Summary: If you will start out by going down the list of tips and add one secret each day, there’s a tremendous possibility that you will be amazed with what you experience. Simply increasing the amount and type of water you drink can and often will be a HUGE shift in how you feel. Let me tell you – it only gets better! And remember…the name of the game is progress not perfection. Be gentle with yourself – for many people, these secrets represent a huge life change. I urge you to educate yourself on pH balance with the acid/alkaline dance.
Dr. Robert Young author of “The pH Miracle” has shown that fat is actually an over-acidification problem. What does that mean? The body creates fat cells to carry acids away from your vital organs, so these acids literally don't choke your organs to death. Fat is saving your life! Fat is actually a response from the body to an alarming over-acidic condition.
sorry, I must have hit the send button twice.
I believe there is a way to make your entire body more Alkaline from what I've seen & read. I don't know, but I'm not an expert in that field. I knew that Rolaids only make the acid less in your stomach. My diploma in herbal medicine that tells me which herbs can make the body more alkaline like Burdock, .... Maybe it's all a falsehood. I still think we should really research it more before we jump on the band wagon. Below is an actual "DOCTOR" who tells you his opinion. I know we're really not suppose to print quotes, but an exception in this case to prove my point. Actually we may not be speaking about the same thing?? I know you're pretty strong in all your opinions, but hey here is the Doctor on his.
Dr. Robert Young author of “The pH Miracle” .
Here are some aspects regarding pH you may find useful. The body’s pH is measured on a scale of 0 – 14. Midrange at 7 is where the pH is balanced. Anything below 7 is acidic and a state where your body does not function as designed. Above 7 is called Alkaline. Alkaline is the state in which your body thrives. Disease cannot live in an alkaline environment.
Here’s how to rid your body of that over-acidic state:
Alkalizing Secret #1 -- Drink Pure Alkaline Water – lots of it! Pure water meaning water that is filtered. At a minimum, you should be drinking 7 ounces of water for every 10 lbs of your body weight. So, if you weigh 130lbs, you need to drink a minimum of 91 ounces of pure water (that’s about 3 liters). Pure water meaning water that is filtered – the finest choice is an alkaline ionization unit (Jupiter is one of the finest on the market). If you don’t have this resource available, distilled water is a great choice with reverse osmosis coming next. Alkaline water means water with a pH over 7.5. Alkaline water adds oxygen to your water and helps to neutralize acids. A simple way to alkalize your water is with a dash of baking soda. There are also wonderful alkalizing agents you can purchase to buffer and alkalize the water.
(P.S. Avoid: coffee, black tea and sodas. – These drinks are highly acidic and do not count towards your daily water intake)
Alkalizing Secret #2 --- Eat Celery…. This is one of the most alkaline foods you can eat. It quickly neutralizes acids. Eat it before, after or during a meal. Celery is so high in water content that is also works as an excellent thirst quencher. Celery is excellent for digestion.
Alkalizing Secret #3 -- Eat Green Salads – forget the cheese and croutons! Always have a green salad on hand. Make a huge salad every 3 days and keep it in your fridge to make it very easy to alkalize your body. Some greens that have the highest water content are: cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, celery, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, cauliflower, carrots, and onions. A great dressing would be cold pressed extra virgin olive oil with some lemon juice and Braggs Amino Acids. Keep this in a bowl in your fridge (tip: add cucumbers and tomatoes right before eating). Eat a HUGE salad with every meal!
Alkalizing Secret #4 - Switch from cow’s milk, to almond, soy, or rice milk. Cows milk has shown to produce an abundance of mucous in the human body. There are also few adults who can metabolize the protein in cow’s milk properly. This protein, casein, is what a cow’s metabolism needs for proper health, not for a human beings health. Also note that most dairy cows are injected with hormones such as the Bovine Growth Hormone to increase their milk production. Many of these hormones have potentially horrific side effects that can be passed on when consumed. Almond, soy and or rice milk are excellent alternatives to dairy. They are well worth trying out.
Alkalizing Secret #5 – Avoid artificial sweeteners! This includes: NutraSweet, Sucralose, Aspartame, Saccharin…. Not only are these acidic they also have other highly detrimental effects on the nervous system and neurological disease. Saccharin even tells you right on the package that it may cause cancer.
There is one natural sugar substitute that has had no reported side effects: Stevia.
Alkalizing Secret #6 - Eat a grapefruit in the morning wait 15 minutes before ingesting a carb or protein. Grapefruit, similar to lemons, is also alkalizing when ingested. Some people believe grapefruit to be a miracle fruit and I tend to support that group. Grapefruits have a very high water content and are highly alkalizing. Eat one first thing in the morning, and wait 15 minutes before eating a carbohydrate or protein (one or the other – do not mix). (The 15-minute suggestion is in accordance with proper food combining and allows your system to more easily digest. This recommendation applies to eating any fruit – fruit shouldn’t be combined with any other food type. Once eaten, wait 15 before consuming any other food type…ie: protein or carbohydrate).
Alkalizing Secret #7 - Eliminate consumption of red meat, pork, lamb…substitute chicken, turkey or fresh fish in small quantities. Red meats, pork and lamb are highly acidic a very low water content, not to mention being hard on the digestive system. If you must have meat, opt for chicken or turkey. Fresh wild fish is another excellent route to take.
Alkalizing Secret #8 - Reduce stress daily by adding yoga, tai chi, meditation, and proper breathing. An additional factor that adds to acidosis (acidic bodies) is stress. When the body moves into stress mode the digestive system shuts down and toxins cease to be eliminated. Thus the more toxins you keep in your system, the more the body will store them away (acids) in fat cells! Anything we can do to calm the mind/body will have a huge impact on alkalizing the body.
Alkalizing Secret #9 - Drink a top quality super green supplement. : Organic super greens are known to be some of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. They infuse the body with easily absorbed vitamins, minerals, amino acids chlorophyll, enzymes, phytonutients and alkaline salts that help neutralize acids in the blood and tissues. There are several I recommend on my website. www.transformitnow.com.
Alkalizing Secret #10 – Minimize/Avoid…. processed and refined foods. That means anything made with white flour and white sugar or food coloring. Our bodies were not designed to digest these chemicals and so it must do one of three things: 1. Eliminate them (if you are not hydrating properly this is very hard to do) or 2. Neutralize them by pulling alkaline buffers where it can – like from your bones leaching calcium, or from your blood, leaching iron. Or: 3. Park them away (in fat cells). Bottom line here – stay away from processed food as much as possible.
In Summary: If you will start out by going down the list of tips and add one secret each day, there’s a tremendous possibility that you will be amazed with what you experience. Simply increasing the amount and type of water you drink can and often will be a HUGE shift in how you feel. Let me tell you – it only gets better! And remember…the name of the game is progress not perfection. Be gentle with yourself – for many people, these secrets represent a huge life change. I urge you to educate yourself on pH balance with the acid/alkaline dance.
Dr. Robert Young author of “The pH Miracle” has shown that fat is actually an over-acidification problem. What does that mean? The body creates fat cells to carry acids away from your vital organs, so these acids literally don't choke your organs to death. Fat is saving your life! Fat is actually a response from the body to an alarming over-acidic condition.
also, vomiting, diarrhea, some diseases and organ failure.....the body will do all it can to compensate by adjusting the PH.
You are wrong. Rolaids do not alkalize you body. This is just plain false. Rolaids neutralize your stomach acids, which is not even really your body........your stomach contents are part of the environment. The only way your could really change your PH to alkalosis would be to hyperventilate, but that be self correcting.
It's true our bodies set our own PH, but alot of it is by what we eat also. I know our systems are prone one way or the other. If taking a Rolaid can help alkalize the body, why not foods we eat? There are alot of products on the market today that need to be be sued if they are not any use to help with the acid in our overproducing bodies. Maybe a professional could help settle it. When I had my Herb Shop- I had alot products on this stuff. I'm an herbalist and studied alot in the vitamin world too, but never got that much into this part of it. I guess we need to research it further. huh? When I drink the Alkalizing tea, I can tell a difference in the way my body feels too. I'll research further, as I know you will & other readers.
i believe in the acid/alkaline diet...we eat too many acidic foods and it causes our bodies not to be in balance...
That's rubbish..........your body sets it own PH. there is a small window or normalcy..........anything out of that is not compatible with life. Don't believe everything you read.