pH (Small Changes to Better Health)

 When it comes to our overall health...What we EAT matters, what we SAY matters, what we DO matters, what we THINK matters and how we handle STRESS most definitely matters!!

We are alkaline by design, but acid by function (breathing, digesting, thinking, stressing...the list goes on) and many of our beverages and foods today are very acidic, like fast foods, sodas, caffeine, and the list goes on. So as a result of poor diets, degraded food, water, and air, consequently we've become too acidic. 

 (The thing I read that got me interested in pH balance in the first place was that "disease and illness cannot exist in a pH balanced body." I am on a journey to see for myself if this statement is true!!) 

Food isn't just something we fill our stomachs up with...YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT-literally...

Perspective: If you can shift your perspective of food from simply being fuel and hydration from simply to quenching thirst, to understanding it's individual values as healing properties, you will begin to exchange not only your body water (about 70% of weight), but also make other small changes in your main and side courses and the way you prepare them, convert acidic snacks into alkaline snacks, etc., in ways you never imagined.

Remember acid to alkaline is a 20:1 ratio. This means it takes 20 parts of alkalinity to diffuse 1 part of acid. Or, 20 ounces of pure water to diffuse 1 part of acidic coffee. You can see why reducing acidity intake of soda pop or other "acid" hot spots you may have is critical to the majority of acid you have incoming.

How do we help ourselves? First target your acidic hot spots, what's causing you the most incoming acid? Then, create an exchange or a shortcut to diffuse that acid. At the same time we can work on some fundamental foundational changes that will enhance our alkalinity.

Exchanges:

Transitional Acid Conversions

Common Acids Hot brewed coffee          Sugars                         Fast Food                     Vinegar                         Meat (red & white)         Orange juice,soda           Starches (pasta/rice Processed Oils  Food Preparation

Conversion Option Cold pressed coffee Stevia, Agave Whole Food Fresh Lime or Lemon juice Cold Water Fish Water with fresh lemon squeezed into it Minimize, add veggies Cold pressed Oils eat raw, steam, roast or grill instead of fry

Foundational Application:

• Start exchanging your body water (you are 70% water – think about a flower vase when you don’t exchange the water). This means begin drinking pure water or water that has been pH enhanced or a green drink when you wake up in the morning, stop before meals and resume an hour after meals. You can also make lemonade with stevia as your alternate drink of choice.
• Rehydrate yourself through sipping a little bit often. Fresh Lemonade, Rooibos Tea, pure water, are all great ways to rehydrate. Pouring a glass of each with a straw (yes at the same time), will allow you to rehydrate by sipping until your thirst signal turns back on, usually about a weeks worth of sip, sip, sip.
• Add fresh lemon or lime to your water. Both are pre-digestively acidic, post digestively alkaline, and  are great for healing, alkalizing, and softening gunk and helping cleanup our organs.
• Make your salad dressings with fresh limes or lemons and good cold pressed oils like Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil, and lots of spices.
• Add cold pressed oils everywhere you can...
• Make sure you are taking in enough Omega 3,6,& 9 oils everyday through your butter exchange, condiments, fish, avocados, or capsules/liquid supplements.
• Add vegetables and everything that is green, at every opportunity.
• Simplify your food preparation – keep salad greens loose in a refrigerator drawer, unwashed, but mixed and ready to go. You can rough cut lots of different veggies each week and keep in a large bowl of water in your refrigerator, ready to grate, chop or dice.
• Stir frying in avocado oil, or steaming, and even baking are great ways to prepare veges, fish, etc. (avocado is a high heat cold pressed oil) and a major shift from frying and boiling.
• Make dinner your most important meal – minimize the acid (meats, potatoes) digestion should cease before retiring, your healing cycle requires it. OPTIMAL DIGESTION PERIOD IS 12 HOURS! GIVE YOUR BODY a 12 HOUR FAST BEFORE YOU "BREAK"FAST!
• Digestion creates acidity, so..........Chew your food many, many times, the more you chew the less acid your digestive tract has to produce to break it down.

Most of this info was pulled straight from pHbodybalance.com.  There is so much info out there about creating a healthier balance in your body. Check it out and let me know if you find something good!