The idea that over-acidity in the body can cause illness and disease was first exposed to Western health professionals in the 1930s by William Howard Hay, a New York doctor. He believed all diseases are caused by what he called "auto-toxication." That is when the body is poisoned by the accumulation of too much acid.
The body's acid/alkaline levels are measured using the pH scale on a level of 1 to 14. The lower the pH, the more acidic the body is. A neutral pH is 7.0. To maintain health, the diet should consist of 60% alkaline forming foods and 40% acid forming foods. In a case of low PH, to restore your health, the diet should consist of 80% alkaline forming foods and 20% acid forming foods. Let's learn why this is important to know and how this relates to your healthy weight and diet.
Alkaline forming foods include: most raw fruits, raw green vegetables, peas, spices, herbs and seasonings, and raw seeds and some nuts.
Generally, acid forming foods include: meat, fish, poultry, eggs, grains, and legumes, asparagus, cooked vegetables.
The most important fact to remember is that the body self regulates. As long as body obtains the right nutrients it will naturally maintain itself at a healthy pH level. Enzymes are absolutely essential to the maintenance of our health. Thus, it is important to ensure that we consume raw foods, such as vegetables and fruits, for sufficient enzyme levels.
Calcium is also an important element in the pH level. Vitamin A and D help retain calcium within the body, so taking some supplements is considered optimal. The typical American diet is high in meat and animal by-products and has little vegetables and fruits. Also, the latest weight loss theories made people to stay on the high protein diets (falsely, in my opinion.) Therefore, the American diet is favorable to acid forming environment, which is why so many individuals suffer from health problems and weight gain.
As you know, I am studying yoga. With that, I came to learning about Ayurveda, a 5000 year old traditional Indian medicine. Ayurveda suggest we divide human mind-body types (doshas) into three major groups. The doshas (those three groups) express particular patterns of energy—unique blend of physical, emotional, and mental characteristics. The types are:
Vata
Pitta
Kapha
Let’s quickly review the types, just to give you an example. But, you can learn about the three from a number of websites and books available on the subject.
Vata Characteristics:
Mind: Creative, quick, imaginative
Body: Thin, light frame
Skin: Dry
Hair: Dry
Appetite: Delicate, spontaneous, often miss meals
Routine: Variable, spontaneous
Temperament: Welcomes new experiences, excitable, friendly, energetic
Conversation Style: Loves to talk!!
Shopping Style: Buy, buy, buy.
Stress Response: Tendency to blame
Pitta Characteristics:
Mind: Sharp, intellectual, direct, precise, discerning
Body: Medium build, warm, muscular
Skin: Sensitive, flush, acne-prone
Hair: Tendency towards early graying or thinning
Appetite: Strong, can eat just about anything, anytime
Routine: Very precise and organized
Temperament: Passionate, driven, courageous, strong sex drive, good leader
Conversation Style: Speaks to convey a point
Shopping Style: Spends on luxury items
Stress Response: Irritable, tendency to blame.
Kapha Characteristics :
Mind: Detail orientated, steady, consistent
Body: Sturdy, gains weight easily, has trouble losing it
Skin: Smooth & oily
Hair: Thick, oily
Appetite: Loves to eat but has a slow digestion
Routine: Methodical and sturdy, resistant to change
Temperament: Thoughtful, forgiving, sweet, patient, loving, content, slow moving
Conversation Style: Simple and profound
Shopping Style: Saves
Stress Response: I don’t want to deal with it! Withdrawn
According to Ayurveda, an overly acid condition is associated with a pitta dosha.
Clinical examination and their conclusions play an important role in the diagnosis and Ayurveda. I think we all should understand our own Ayurveda body type. Knowing it can help us to maintain optimal health and also help us lead a balanced personal, family and professional life.
You can take the mind-body test on internet. One of the websites that offers it without asking you for email or a subscription to the newsletters: http://www.prokerala.com/health/ayurveda/prakriti-analysis/prakriti-test.php
Back to PH!
pH: What does it mean? pH is the abbreviation for potential hydrogen.
Human blood stays in a very narrow pH range right around (7.35 - 7.45). Below or above this range means symptoms and disease. If blood pH moves to much below 6.8 or above 7.8, cells stop functioning. The ideal pH for blood is 7.4. The pH number is an exponent number of 10; therefore, a small difference in pH translates to a big difference in the number of oxygen.
Blood with a pH value of 7.45 contains 64.9% more oxygen than blood with a pH value of 7.30.
The pH in the human digestive tract varies greatly. The pH of saliva is usually between 6.5 - 7.5. After we chew and swallow food it then enters the upper portion of the stomach which has a pH between 4.0 - 6.5. This is where "pre-digestion" occurs. After the food mixes with these juices it then enters the small intestine where the pH changes to 7.0 - 8.5. This is where 90% of the absorption of nutrients is taken in by the body while the waste products are passed out through the colon (pH 4.0 - 7.0).
If you have a health problem, most likely you are acidic. Research shows that unless the body's pH level is slightly alkaline, the body cannot heal itself. So, no matter what type of modality you choose to use to take care of your health problem, it won't be as effective until the pH level is up. If your body's pH is not balanced, you cannot effectively assimilate vitamins, minerals and food supplements. Your body pH affects everything.
An acidic balance will: decrease the body's ability to absorb minerals and other nutrients, decrease the energy production in the cells, the ability to repair damaged cells, the ability to detoxify heavy metals. It will make tumor cells thrive, and make it more susceptible to fatigue and illness.
The body has to have a balanced pH like most living things on earth or it does not function correctly. The alkaline level is very important because research has already proven that disease cannot survive in an alkaline state and yet they thrive in an acidic environment.
Health Issue from Being Over-Alkaline;
Bladder infections
Lower blood pressure
Allergies get worse
More colds and sinusitis
Diarrhea / upset stomachs
Athlete's foot fungus
Easily tired
Night sweats
Itchy skin
Mold allergies
Muscle pains
Headaches
Cramps
Irritability and hyper excitement
Also: Acute alkalosis may be caused by damaged kidney, hyperventilation, and use of steroid drugs, vomiting or gastric drainage.
Poor pH balance may lead to:
Hormone concerns
Cardiovascular weakness
Weight gain/loss
Bladder and kidney concerns
Immune deficiency
Brittle bones, hip fractures and joint discomfort
Stressed liver function
Low energy
Slow digestion and elimination
Yeast/fungal overgrowth
Tumor growth
Recommendations:
1 Test your acid/alkaline levels by using pH strips. These are available at most pharmacies and on the internet. Test your urine first thing in the morning, and again in the evening. The ideal range is between 6.0 and 6.5 in the morning, and 6.5 to 7.0 in the evening. Do this over a few days to get an accurate general reading. Urine can provide a fairly accurate picture of body chemistry, because the kidneys filter out the buffer salts of pH regulation and provide values based on what the body is eliminating. Urine pH can vary from around 4.5 to 9.0 for its extremes, but the ideal range is 6.0 to 7.0.
If you find that your body PH is on the low side, that means you have acidic environment. And if you believe in the presented case here, you will conclude that your body has too many toxins.
2 Change your diet. If you are too acidic, which is generally more common than too alkaline, eat alkaline-forming foods, such as lemons, watermelons, grapefruit, mango, papaya, raw vegetable, spinach, broccoli and garlic. It is important to understand that the alkaline-forming effect on the body is not the same as the pH of the food itself. Although lemons have an acid pH themselves, when eaten they are alkaline-forming in the body. Spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, snap peas, celery, parsley and cabbage are some high alkaline vegetables.
Eat high alkaline grains. Barley, millet, brown rice, buckwheat and spelt are excellent choices. Sprouted grain bread and tortillas add variety to a alkaline meal, but the breads are in generally slightly acidic. Try to avoid fruit with high levels of sugar like pineapple.
3. Eat more acid-forming foods if your results show you are too alkaline. These include prunes, cranberries, blackberries, peanuts, walnuts, shellfish, beef, pork, cheese and wheat-based products. Other acid-forming foods include turkey, chicken, lamb, milk, pasta, potatoes, lima beans. The idea is to reach a balance between the acid and alkaline. If your results show a pH of between 6.0 and 7.0, eat foods from both groups to keep these levels stable.
4. Take supplements to counteract an overly acidic constitution. It is important to replace calcium and magnesium that might be lost as the body tries to re-balance itself. Women with chronic acidosis have a higher risk of bone loss than those with normal pH levels, according to Studies carried out at the University of California, and reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This might be because the body uses calcium from the bones to balance pH. Extra vitamin D helps with calcium absorption. Magnesium can be lost in the urine if the body is too acidic.
There is a large number of websites and books that cover the subject of alkaline and acidic diets, their effects and symptoms. The purpose of this letter is to make you aware and provoke your curiosity and your further studying and investigation on the subject; hopefully, leading all of us to making healthier choices and long happy lives.
Namaste~
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