| One of the single most important indicators to your | | | | example, are acid due to their citric acid content. |
| health is the pH of your blood and tissues-how acidic | | | | However, citric acid is completely metabolized and |
| or alkaline it is. The term pH stands for "potential of | | | | the net effect of eating an orange or a lemon is to |
| Hydrogen"-it's a measure of the relative acidity or | | | | alkalize the body, hence it is classified as |
| alkalinity of a solution. The pH of a substance is | | | | alkaline-forming. High-protein foods like meat, which |
| measured on a scale from 0.00 to 14.00. The | | | | make up such a large portion of the standard |
| midpoint, 7.00, is neutral: neither alkaline nor acid. | | | | American diets (SAD), leave acid ash. Fruits and |
| Water (assuming it is reasonably unpolluted) has a pH | | | | vegetables (with a few exceptions) leave alkaline ash. |
| of 7.0. The lower the number is, the more acidic the | | | | By reducing the amount of high-protein, acid |
| solution and the higher the number is, the more | | | | ash-producing foods, your internal environmental |
| alkaline the solution. | | | | conditions become right for optimum health. Roughly |
| All of the fluids of the body, with the exception of | | | | 80 percent of our diets should come from |
| those in the stomach, depend on an alkaline | | | | alkaline-forming foods, and 20 percent from |
| environment for the entire metabolic process to | | | | acid-forming foods. Let's take a look at the basic four |
| function smoothly. Chronic over-acidity corrodes body | | | | food groups that are the cornerstones of most diets |
| tissue, and if left unchecked will interrupt all cellular | | | | to see how they stack up in terms of their pH value: |
| activities and functions. The Oslo study also surveyed | | | | Meats, Poultry, Fish - Very Acid |
| patients with various rheumatic disorders, including | | | | Dairy Products, Eggs - Acid |
| FM, on disease symptoms and diet. What they found | | | | Cereals, Grains - Acid |
| was that 80% of the Fibromyalgia group reported | | | | Fruits, Vegetables - Alkaline |
| aggravation of their disease symptoms including | | | | When we follow the advice instilled in us throughout |
| increased pain, stiffness and joint swelling after the | | | | our lives on the importance of including a balance of |
| intake of certain foods. Some of the top offending | | | | each of these groups in our daily diets (for example, |
| foods were listed as meat, wine, and coffee-all of | | | | the Food Guide Pyramid), we can see that our daily |
| which are highly acidic. Similar findings by investigators | | | | diets contain 75 percent acid ash foods and only 25 |
| at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in | | | | percent alkaline ash foods. By switching these ratios |
| Pennsylvania on Fibromyalgia sufferers reported that | | | | around to favor fruits and especially green |
| highly acidic foods such as red meat, pasteurized | | | | vegetables as 75-80 percent of your diet you will see |
| cows milk, white flour products, sugar containing | | | | immediate improvement in your health. It will bring |
| foods, caffeine, and chocolate all seem to trigger | | | | you increased quality and quantity of life. Your |
| more muscle pain. | | | | energy will increase, many chronic health conditions |
| Because your internal systems operate in a slightly | | | | will improve or vanish, you'll find new mental clarity |
| alkaline environment the goal, then is to create the | | | | and powers of concentration, you'll build strength and |
| proper alkaline balance within your body. The way to | | | | stamina, and you'll lose excess body fat while |
| do that is by eating the proper balance of alkaline and | | | | increasing muscle mass. |
| acid foods. When foods are broken down by your | | | | Your entire body will function more efficiently, achy |
| digestive tract a residue is left called ash which can | | | | joints and tired muscles will disappear, and you will |
| alter the body's acidity or alkalinity. Depending on the | | | | regain all the effortless energy and wellness you |
| chemical composition of the ash it is acid, alkaline, or | | | | thought was lost completely. It truly will make all the |
| neutral. This is not to be confused with the | | | | difference to your health and happiness - guaranteed. |
| immediate acidity of a food. Oranges and lemons, for | | | | |