Cleanse your Body to Achieve the Optimal Acid Alkaline Balance
Posted by Meadow Summers on Friday, May 21, 2010
Under: Healing
Humans were, until relatively recently, hunter-gatherers. This means that in uncivilized times their diets consisted of lean animals and fish as well as raw fruits and vegetables. The average diet of ancient humans was made up of 55% animals and 45% plants. Animal foods provided protein and healthy fats while the plants consisted of roots, tubers, seeds, fruit, stalks and leaves – all healthful, nutrient-rich elements.
We did not consume foods such as cow's milk or grains until between 7,000 and 10,000 years ago. This is not long enough for our bodies to adapt genetically to this change in diet. Foods that are highly processed entered the picture even more recently. The last 50 years or so have brought about the onslaught of convenience foods which are highly processed and stripped of nutrition.
We did not consume foods such as cow's milk or grains until between 7,000 and 10,000 years ago. This is not long enough for our bodies to adapt genetically to this change in diet. Foods that are highly processed entered the picture even more recently. The last 50 years or so have brought about the onslaught of convenience foods which are highly processed and stripped of nutrition.
This shift in diet has created an acid effect. People are not consuming enough of the foods that will raise the alkalinity in their systems. When our bodies are highly acidic, they cannot fight disease or inflammation. In order to maintain proper alkaline balance, we need to consume at least 35% of our calories from fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables.
Foods that are nutrient-poor need to be cut back to reduce acidity. Pastas, breads, grain-based foods and foods that are high-glycemic (such as potatoes) should be eaten on a limited basis. These foods lack the nutrient content that protein and vegetables will provide.
Our long-term health may depend on our bodies pH balance. When our system is more acidic, we have an increased risk of developing illness such as kidney disease, heart disease, weak muscles, osteoporosis and cancer. There is a solution. By simply consuming a diet that is more alkaline producing and less acidic we can prevent the onset of these diseases.
Remember what your mother always said, "eat your fruits and vegetables!" Guess what, mom was right, again! It should not be a surprise that consuming a diet that is rich in organic fruits and vegetables will cleanse your body and keep you in good health. When we consume foods that produce acid, such as highly processed junk foods, we deplete the minerals in our bodies.
As we digest foods, they are sent to the kidneys, which is responsible for the balance of fluids and maintenance of a neutral pH balance in our systems. Consuming too many foods that yield acid will lower the pH balance in our bodies. It is the kidney's responsibility to buffer the acid that comes through. If the body is too acidic, our bones try to reestablish proper alkalinity by releasing calcium and magnesium. Our muscles get in on the action by breaking down in order to produce strongly alkaline ammonia. In the end, minerals in our bones and muscle that has been broken down are excreted into our urine.
An example of pH testing strips
This is why long term, excess acidity will lead to a thinning of our bones and a lower muscle mass. As we age, these problems become compounded and these losses of calcium and magnesium create deficiencies which will have devastating ramifications.
Foods that are nutrient-poor need to be cut back to reduce acidity. Pastas, breads, grain-based foods and foods that are high-glycemic (such as potatoes) should be eaten on a limited basis. These foods lack the nutrient content that protein and vegetables will provide.
Our long-term health may depend on our bodies pH balance. When our system is more acidic, we have an increased risk of developing illness such as kidney disease, heart disease, weak muscles, osteoporosis and cancer. There is a solution. By simply consuming a diet that is more alkaline producing and less acidic we can prevent the onset of these diseases.
Remember what your mother always said, "eat your fruits and vegetables!" Guess what, mom was right, again! It should not be a surprise that consuming a diet that is rich in organic fruits and vegetables will cleanse your body and keep you in good health. When we consume foods that produce acid, such as highly processed junk foods, we deplete the minerals in our bodies.
As we digest foods, they are sent to the kidneys, which is responsible for the balance of fluids and maintenance of a neutral pH balance in our systems. Consuming too many foods that yield acid will lower the pH balance in our bodies. It is the kidney's responsibility to buffer the acid that comes through. If the body is too acidic, our bones try to reestablish proper alkalinity by releasing calcium and magnesium. Our muscles get in on the action by breaking down in order to produce strongly alkaline ammonia. In the end, minerals in our bones and muscle that has been broken down are excreted into our urine.
An example of pH testing strips
This is why long term, excess acidity will lead to a thinning of our bones and a lower muscle mass. As we age, these problems become compounded and these losses of calcium and magnesium create deficiencies which will have devastating ramifications.
You can test your pH simply by using testing strips that are available in health food stores and drugstores. The strips provide a scale ranging from 4.6 to 8 where the lower end of the scale indicates acidity while the upper end indicates alkalinity. To be properly balanced, we need to fall into the 7.0 – 7.5 range. The package insert on the testing strips will provide further information on how and when to perform the testing. It is typically as simple as holding the strip in your stream of urine or placing it under your tongue to test your saliva.
In : Healing
Tags: "cleanse your body" "acid alkaline balance" "acidic foods" "alkaline foods"
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