pH Balance
Acidity and alkalinity are measured according to the pH (potential of hydrogen) scale. Water, with a pH of 7.0, is considered neutral. Any substance with a pH below 7.0 is acid, while anything with a pH above 7.0 is alkaline.
The body functions best when the pH of most of its fluids range between 6.8 to 7.0 pH. Within the body, different systems have their own optimum pH, with the stomach, for instance, being highly acidic with a pH around 4; the upper portion of the small intestine being an alkaline environment; and the large intestines and colon again being acidic.
All organs and fluids will fluctuate in their pH range in order to keep the blood at a strict pH of 7.35 to 7.45, even if it destroys “less important” body systems. This is the reason that saliva and urine pH levels are used to test the overall health of the acid/alkali system. If there is an imbalance within the body, excess levels can be detected in these bodily fluids as they are rushed to or away from the blood. Proper balance is the key to health.
Cause & Effect of pH Imbalance
When our eating choices are too high in fat, protein, and simple sugars, excessive acid may be produced in the body. To reduce the acid burden, the body links these acids with alkaline minerals (like potassium, calcium, magnesium, and others) and excretes them. Over time this can deplete the body of needed minerals and lead to a build-up of excess acids in your cells. This reduces the efficiency and effectiveness of your cells and tissues, not to mention explains bone loss and osteoporosis! Is it really due to a lack of calcium or too much acidity in the body that steals the calcium to stay balanced?
Our bodies can also produce excessive amounts of acid by being exposed to foreign elements by way of infection, pollution, and improper digestion. This burdens the immune system. When the burden exceeds the body’s reserves, a continuous state of distress can emerge. As a consequence, the chemical messengers associated with stress, like cortisol, adrenaline, and insulin, increase. Chronic elevated levels of stress hormones can be devastating to health.
With excess acid load, the delicate machinery of your body does not work very well. This cellular machinery is delicately balanced to work best within a narrow, slightly alkaline range. The efficiency of energy production in the cells reduce with even slight excess of cell acid. This induces loss of resilience and repair mechanisms, and you become more susceptible to fatigue, illness, and pain. While your body tries to remove excess acid, even more critical minerals are lost as well.
The Dangers of Chronic Acidity
To be too acidic in the body can have far reaching consequences that can wreck the body until blood pH is stabilized. Your body goes through many steps:
- It takes alkaline elements from the enzymes in the small intestine to stay balanced which leaves the intestines too acidic to digest food optimally. The pancreas, liver, and gallbladder are forced to make up for this deficiency. This has a direct bearing on enzyme production, which is literally involved in every biochemical reaction in the body. The result is lowered immune function, fatigue, hormonal imbalances, absorption and digestive problems.
- The bones will leach calcium, the most alkaline mineral. This can lead to reduced absorption of supplemental minerals and bone density problems.
- Insulin levels increase and fat is stored instead of being metabolized. When malnutrition or starvation sets in, the body becomes acidic and as a safety, insulin is over produced so that all available calories are stored as fat for future use. As a result, weight gain is common and weight loss becomes more difficult.
- Electrolyte imbalances occur which have a direct bearing on the “fluid transport system”. Electrolytes are important because they are what the cells, especially the nerve, heart and muscle cells use to maintain voltages across cell membranes. This further stresses the kidneys, gallbladder, pancreas, and other organs.
Eating Raw: The 80/20 Rule
A basic rule of thumb to follow to achieve and maintain pH balance is to eat 80 percent alkaline-forming foods and drinks and 20 percent acid-forming foods and drinks each day. If a pH test indicates that your body is too acidic, you should eat more alkaline-forming foods and omit acid-forming foods from your diet until another pH test shows you have returned to normal. Conversely, if your body is too alkaline, eat more acid-forming foods and omit alkaline-forming foods.
A self test is easy to perform using litmus paper—which can be picked up in our office or at Georgetown Market. We also have a step-by-step instruction sheet on how to properly take your saliva and urine pH that can be downloaded BY CLICKING HERE 
. Monitoring your pH gives you an indication of how well or how hard your body is working to survive your lifestyle.
***For a list of acidic and alkaline-forming foods please reference our
Tips to Maintain A Healthy pH Balance
- Chew your food slowly to fully soak and mix your food with saliva and do not overindulge.
- Do not drink fluids during meals, especially cold drinks.
- Eat a diet of 50% raw foods. Raw foods not only maintain the correct acid/alkaline balance within the body, but they are richer in nutrients that are easily assimilated into the body and neutralize the acidity to reduce acidosis. Check out our Acid & Alkaline Food Chart!
- Do not overcook vegetables, as this makes them lose not only their flavor, but also their nutritional value.
- Eat processed foods in moderation. They are low in nutrients, often contain lots of sodium, trans-fats, and preservatives, and overtax the digestive system.
- Avoid eating late at night, as this makes the body spend its energy on digestion instead of restoration and healing.
- Take digestive enzymes with meals, especially if indigestion is a chronic problem. Heartburn and indigestion are often the result of poorly digested food putrefying in the stomach. If you suffer from heartburn, take 1-2 teaspoons of natural apple cider vinegar in a glass of water. If the vinegar method works, this may indicate that you lack sufficient acid in your stomach.
- Practice deep breathing, especially before sitting down to a meal; postpone eating if you are angry, upset or overly stressed until you have taken time to calm yourself.
- Do a series of Ionic Footbaths to boost pH balance throughout your entire body & help purge unwanted, harmful toxins that keep your body acidic. Contact us for our Specials & Pricing!
- Check your pH levels regularly, especially if you are dealing with a chronic condition.
