How green foods can reduce excess acidity

Friday, June 10, 2011 by: Leigh Erin Connealy, M.D.
Tags: green foods, pH balance, health news

(NewsTarget) How many times have you heard to eat fruits and vegetables? Well, there is a good reason to start as fruits and vegetables are at the top of the healthy foods list. Mother Nature has packed them with hundreds of different nutrients designed to keep our bodies in top working order. Nearly all fruits and vegetables help counteract excessive amounts of acid in the body which is another benefit.

Too much acid, or acidosis, is a condition marked by high levels of acid in the body. With symptoms ranging from fatigue, aches and pains, acidosis can be very disruptive to daily life. In spite of that, however, (it is seldom diagnosed) or even mentioned in mainstream medicine.

The health issues of Acidosis are complicated and stem from the fact that the body`s pH (potential of hydrogen) is out of balance, and proper pH balance is vital for good health. Ideally, the body`s pH should be 7.43. A lower pH is a sign of too much acid, or acidosis. A pH above 8.5 indicates excessive alkalinity, or alkalosis.

Myriad health problems are linked to both acidosis and alkalosis. But acidosis is especially problematic because it interferes with healthy cell functions throughout the body. One example is the production of white blood cells, essential for a strong immune system. Poor quality white blood cells are produced in an acidic environment, making it easy for infections. Fortunately, restoring a proper pH balance boosts the immune system and benefits the entire body.

A diet high in acid-producing foods causes acidosis. Not surprisingly, the Standard American Diet (SAD) is loaded with acidic foods, including meat, dairy products and grains and cereals - anything containing sugar, eggs, legumes, coffee, tea, wine, fish and fowl. Their acidic content needs to be balanced with alkaline foods.

Sugary foods are a special concern. Soft drinks, for instance, which contain as much as 12 teaspoons of sugar in the typical 16-ounce can, are highly acidic. To neutralize all that acid, the body takes alkaline substances, like the mineral calcium, and moves it from the bones into the bloodstream. Acidity is lowered, but the bones are being deprived of the calcium they need to remain strong and healthy.

If you`re concerned about acidosis, it`s easy to determine your own pH levels. The simple test involves using litmus paper that tests the saliva and urine; then check the second urine of the day.
If the test reveals 6.5 or less, then acidosis is a problem. The best way to change that is with dietary improvements designed to make the body more alkaline. That translates into eating more vegetables. An acid-reducing diet should consist of 80 percent alkalizing foods and 20 percent acid-forming foods.

Some fruits and almost all vegetables are alkalizing. So eat your vegetables or begin to take a multi green supplement that focuses on alkalinity. Tomatoes and citrus actually have an alkalinizing effect when consumed. So enjoy lemons, tomatoes and related foods without worrying about contributing to acid levels.

After a week or so on the acid-reducing diet, retest your urine to see if the pH level is higher to your goal level of 7.43. Maintain your alkalinity levels by eating properly and taking a multi green supplement.

RESOURCES

The pH Miracle Center: http://www.phmiracleliving.com

Yvas, Bharti and Le Quesne, Suzanne. The pH Balance Diet: Restore Your Acid-Alkaline Levels to Eliminate Toxins and Lose Weight. Ulysses Press; 2007.

Kliment, Felicia. The Acid Alkaline Balance Diet: An Innovative Program for Ridding Your Body of Acidic Wastes. McGraw-Hill; 2002.

About the author

Leigh Erin Connealy, M.D. has specialized in Integrative Medicine for over twenty years, using conventional and natural methods to determine and discover the "root of the cause" in her clinic, Center for New Medicine in Irvine, California, each and every day. Many people come in to the clinic from all over the world with severe chronic illnesses that conventional medical protocols have been unsuccessful treating. She realized early on that she can truly change lives through education as well as treatment protocols.
Leigh Erin Connealy, M.D. and her medical staff strives to look at the whole person while exploring the effects and relationships among nutrition, psychological and social factors, environmental effects and personal attunement. Out of frustration of trying to find the right products to help her patients she formulated the perfectlyhealthy brand of products. All perfectlyhealthy products are clinically tested. For more information on recommended products, please visit www.perfectlyhealthy.net or www.perfectlyhealthy.com.