Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 Maintain pH balance to Prevent Disease Understanding pH pH (potential of hydrogen) is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. It is measured on a scale of 0 to 14-the lower the pH the more acidic the solution, the higher the pH the more alkaline (or base) the solution. When a solution is neither acid nor alkaline it has a pH of 7 which is neutral. Water is the most abundant compound in the human body, comprising 70% of the body. The body has an acid-alkaline (or acid-base) ratio called the pH which is a balance between positively charges ions (acid-forming) and negatively charged ions (alkaline-forming.) The body continually strives to balance pH. When this balance is compromised many problems can occur. Please note that we are not talking about stomach acid or the pH of the stomach. We are talking about the pH of the body's fluids and tissues which is a totally different matter. Energy and Acidity Balance Most of us desire to have an abundance of energy. Chi/Energy does not flow properly when there are energy blockages in the body, in addition energy is not properly generated in each cell's mitochondria (the cells' power sources) when the body's acid-alkaline balance is abnormal. In fact, when the cells are too acidic (extremely common for those eating the so-called Standard American Diet - SAD), energy is not produced properly in the cells of the body due to lack of oxygen. Oxygen and Alkalinity Oxygen and energy is tied to alkalinity. Ideally, the body should be slightly alkaline, aside from a few acidic areas such as the acidic fluids in the stomach and colon, as well as the urine (often acidic when it contains acids from our foods) and saliva (sometimes acidic). Overly acidic bodies mean overly acidic blood. Mildly alkaline body fluids are capable of carrying twenty times more oxygen as slightly acidic fluids. Therefore, maintaining the proper acid-alkaline balance of the blood and other bodily fluids is critical to chi, energy and health. In general, the more alkaline the body is, the more efficiently the body utilizes oxygen. Cells of the Body Need Oxygen The oxygen in the body fluids must be ingested in our air or food. The lungs allow oxygen from the air to be absorbed into the blood. Any oxygen in food is digested, then goes into the blood. Oxygen is transported by the hemoglobin in the blood to the cells of the body. During all this, the valuable cargo of oxygen must be protected from free radicals by antioxidants. However, if enough oxygen is not available to the cells, things go wrong, resulting in an "energy crisis." The pH of your blood, tissues and bodily fluids affects the state of your cellular health and inner cleanliness or morbid wastes. When your pH levels are in proper balance, you will experience a high level of health and well-being. You will be able to resist states of "dis-ease" and the onset of chronic symptoms. Every metabolic and system function - including all regulatory mechanisms such as digestion, respiration, hormone release, neurotransmitter release and immunity - depends entirely on delicately-balanced pH. Fermentation In oxygen-deprived cells, the body is forced to replace the normal method of burning of oxygen and glucose by an inefficient and incomplete method of combustion known as fermentation. Energy production by fermentation leads to the production of lactic acid as well as other acidic substances, which are toxic. These oxygen-deprived cells are always starved for energy and have a huge appetite for sugar used in fermentation. According to Dr. Otto Warburg, a two-time Nobel Prize winner, these acidic and toxic cells can then become cancerous (he also stated that these anaerobic cancer cells are destroyed in the presence of oxygen). Excess acidity in the body is a condition known as acidosis. Most people who suffer from unbalanced pH are acidic. This condition forces the body to borrow minerals including calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium from vital organs and bones to buffer (neutralize) the acid and safely remove it from the body. Because of this strain, the body can suffer severe and prolonged damage due to high acidity; a condition that may go undetected for years. Acidosis Over acidity is very common today. Acidosis is a dangerous condition that weakens all body systems. It promotes an internal environment that contributes to disease, as opposed to a pH-balanced environment which allows normal body function necessary for the body to resist disease. A healthy body maintains adequate alkaline reserves to meet emergency demands. When access acids must be neutralized our alkaline reserves are depleted leaving the body in a weakened condition. Our blood has a normal pH of 7.41 that is fairly stable. When this shifts, because of respiratory changes or metabolic changes via the kidneys, our body goes through further metabolic and respiratory changes to try to correct our acid-alkaline balance. The reason acidosis is more common in our society is mostly due to the typical American diet, which is much too high in acid-producing animal products like meat, eggs and dairy, and far too low in alkaline-producing foods like fresh vegetables. In addition we eat acid-producing processed foods like white flour and sugar and drink acid-producing beverages like coffee and soft drinks. We use too many drugs, which are acid-forming; and we use artificial chemical sweeteners like NutraSweet, Equal, or aspartame, which are extremely acid-forming. One of the best things we can do to correct an overly-acid body is to clean up the diet and lifestyle. Mild acidosis can cause such problems as: Choosing Foods that Balance Your pH Foods are classified as acid or alkaline, not according to taste but to the residue left after they have metabolized in the body. A diet that is too acidic affects our blood and tissues, and our body will try to clear unwanted elements through enhanced elimination via the colon and kidneys and secondarily through the skin, sinuses, or other mucous membranes. The congestion of mucus we experience in different body areas may often be caused in part by this acid-alkaline imbalance, usually because of too much acid food intake. More alkaline foods should be consumed and acidic foods should be reduced. Recommendation: 70 - 80 % alkaline and balanced foods in spring and summer months. During late autumn and winter, at least 65 - 70% alkaline and balanced foods would be acceptable. Acid-Alkaline Foods
Sources: PreventDisease.com Acid/Alkaline Balance, retrieved 11/2004 from http://www.preventdisease.com/fitness/nutrition/articles/acid_alkaline.html Tunsky, Gary. pH Balancing What In the Cell Is Going On?, retrieved 6/2005 from The Battle For Health Is Over pH. http://www.jaynesgarden.com/Body/body-ph.htm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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