Those of you with a background in chemistry may be familiar with the terms ‘acid’ and ‘alkaline’. They are used to determine the pH levels of water soluble substances. In human anatomical context, these terms refer to the level of acidity in the blood. The concept is simpler than you might think: the higher the acidity level of the body, the more prone to diseases it will be. Therefore, by contrast, the more alkalized your body is, the healthier the body will be. If the internal environment of the body is alkalized, it will hinder development and spread of diseases.

HOW TO CHECK THE ACIDITY LEVEL OF THE BODY?

Like foods and fluids, your body has a pH level, and it’s quite specific. The acceptable range for your pH is between 7.1 and 7.5, according to Alkalize for Health. Anything above this range is considered alkaline, while scores below the range indicate acidity. You can use any of your bodily fluids to test pH, but the best option is your saliva. It is best to keep a record of your pH levels for at least 15 days and ideally a month to get a reliable score.

The best time to test your pH levels is right upon waking. You will need to use a litmus paper to test your pH levels. Yep, the same humble litmus paper you used to check the pH levels of lemon and soap in 6^th grade!

This is how it is done…

1. Upon waking, swallow your spit. Wait until saliva accumulates in your mouth again, and then spit on to the pH test strips. This ensures that the saliva you test is freshly produced rather than saliva whose acidity may have changed with exposure to elements.
2. Spit onto the litmus paper, and wait for the color to change. The color will correspond to a pH score.
3. Determine your pH level using the color key that came with your litmus paper. If the color turns blue, this indicates a score of 7.4, which is where your pH level should be. If it is any other color, use the key to find it.

If you are unable to check your pH level first thing in the morning then the best time to test your pH is one hour before a meal and two hours after a meal.

Points to remember…

• Wait at least two hours after your last meal to perform this test. This ensures that no leftover food particles or fluids are present to influence your pH scores.
• Age and health affect the pH levels of the body. Young children frequently register pH scores of 7.5 and higher, while elderly individuals often score around 6.5. Cancer patients have been known to score 4.5 or lower, particularly when their cancer is terminal

WHAT IS THE IDEAL pH LEVEL?

pH stands for power of hydrogen, which is a measurement of the hydrogen ion concentration in the body. The total pH scale ranges from 1 to 14, with 7 considered to be neutral. A pH less than 7 is said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline. Our ideal pH is slightly alkaline; between 7.30 to 7.45.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Blood provides nutrients for the rest of the body. Think of it like the river that runs through all the organs and brings their food to them. If the river is clean, all the valleys it runs through will thrive. If the river is dirty, the valleys will suffer and will eventually die out. The same goes for the blood. If the blood is healthy and alkalized, it will help maintain and flourish the rest of the body.

Balancing body’s pH through proper nutrition and lifestyle adjustments has repeatedly shown that bodies and minds rebuild on their own from a variety of degenerative and chronic conditions that were previously deemed incurable. I have found that alkalizing the body is fundamental to bringing it back to vitality.

These are just some of the conditions that can be reversed simply by reducing the body’s acidity levels.

1. Digestive System – Most digestive disorders, such as indigestion, nausea, bloating, gastric reflux, are symptoms caused by excess acid in the gastric region and not enough alkaline minerals in the intestinal tract. If the alkaline minerals from enzyme rich foods are missing then the pancreas will become exhausted, and once the pancreas is exhausted, it loses the ability to decode the food and tell the body what to do with it. This leads to inflammation and digestive disorders.

2. Circulatory System –High acidity is the principal cause of heart diseases. When the arteries thicken with plaque it is not as a response to good fats, it is inflammation created by the internal acidic environment of the body. The body responds to the acidity by lining the vessels with fatty plaques which lead to heart becoming completely exhausted, and thus heart attack.

3. Immune System – Antoine Béchamp famously said, ‘The germ is nothing, the terrain is everything.’ Whether bad bacteria and pathogens incubate or remain dormant, all depends on the ratio of cellular pH. Surgery, radiation, and pharmaceutical drugs are an invasive approach that are ineffective because they work against the body’s natural functions to heal itself. Most importantly, it fails to address the underlying cause and only treats the symptoms. If the acidic environment of the body doesn’t change than even if the germs are removed, they will eventually return and thrive in the same environment that nurtured them earlier.

4. Respiratory System – When the tissues and organs are overloaded by acidity the transport of oxygen is reduced. This means the cells cannot breathe properly which is very important because every cell in our body needs to breathe new oxygen and to clear acidic carbon dioxide to function correctly. When the ratio of acidity is too high then wastes in the form of mucus and inflammation build up in our lungs, which leads to colds, bronchitis, asthma etc.

5. Skeletal System– Arthritis means “inflammation of the joint” and is used to describe pain, stiffness, and swelling in the joints. The two main forms of arthritis are Rheumatoid and Osteoarthritis. Both forms are related to pH imbalance and accumulation of acid deposits in the joints and wrists. It is this accumulated acid that damages cartilage. When the cells that produce the lubricating fluids are acidic, it causes dryness which irritates and swells the joints. When uric acid builds up, it deposits in the form of crystals, like broken glass in the feet, hands, knees and back. Osteoarthritis is not a ‘wear-and-tear’ condition as modern medicine would have you believe. It is preventable and reversible.

6. Integumentary System –this refers to the skin. Skin is the largest organ of the body. When the body’s pH is imbalancedit causes inflammation and the skin’s ability to function as a natural barrier against external harmful substances is reduced. As a result, the skin tends to develop lesions and sores open to the surface of the body, and erupts in the form ofacne, pimples, or rashes.

7. Nervous System – Acidity weakens the nervous system by depriving it of energy. Thisaffects the entire body and takes a toll on the physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing of the person.

8. Excretory System –This system is made up of multiple organs, the main one being the kidneys. Kidneys perform the crucial task of purifying our blood. If the body is overwhelmed by excess acids, it tries to fix the situation by pulling alkaline minerals from your bones and dumping them in the blood to try to alkalize the environment. If this occurs frequently enough, the efficiency of kidneys is compromised which affects overall wellbeing of the person.

9. Muscular System – When acidity increases in the muscle cells, it disrupts the metabolism breakdown of glucose and oxygen. This means muscles become weak and begin to degenerate. This can cause joint and muscle pains, muscle spasms, and sore muscles. An alkaline environment on the other hand allows for much better aerobic metabolism and energy for the body’s recovery from strenuous exercise. An experienced health practitioner can determine if someone has high acidity levels by simply observing their breath. If a person takes large gulping inhales while doing the simplest tasks like walking and talking, it suggests their body is having difficulty delivering oxygen into the cells – a symptom of acidosis.

Some other effects of high acidity levels on the body can be:

• Allergies and congestion
• Fatigue
• Frequent colds
• Headaches and migraines
• Inflammation
• Ulcers
• Weight gain
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Fibromyalgia
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Stroke

WHAT MAKES OUR BODIES ACIDIC?

Our diet and lifestyle choices have a direct effect on our body’s pH levels. These are some of the things that can cause our bodies to be acidic:

• Alcohol and drug use
• Regular use (or overuse) of antibiotics
• Chronic stress
• Declining nutrient levels in the body (especially common when a person does not take multivitamin/mineral supplements)
• Low intake of dietary fiber
• Lack of exercise
• Excess meats in the diet (especially red meat)
• Excess hormones from foods, beauty products, and even plastic
• Exposure to chemicals and radiation from household cleansers, building materials, computers, cell phones and microwaves
• Excessive exercising
• Pesticides and herbicides
• Pollution
• Poor eating habits
• Processed and refined foods
• Incorrect or shallow breathing
• Acid-Forming Foods
  • Cold cuts
  • Corn flakes and other breakfast cereals
  • Lentils
  • Oats
  • Conventional Meats: beef, chicken and pork
  • Milk
  • Pasta
  • Peanuts and walnuts
  • Rice
  • White bread
  • Whole wheat

HOW TO ALKAZLIZE THE BODY?

The problem is more a matter of not taking in enough alkaline-promoting foods rather than consuming too much acid. However, it has to be a balanced approach. Some methods to alkalize the body include the following:

1. Eliminate tea and coffee from your diet, or reduce it as much as possible.
2. Reduce the intake of grains; all grains, whole or not, create acidity in the body.
3. Calcium-rich dairy products cause some of the highest rates of osteoporosis. That’s because they create acidity in the body. It is best to refrain from milk and other dairy products, especially cow milk. It is best to use goat milk, followed by coconut and other nut milks.
4. Eliminate meat from the diet, at least for the first few months if your pH levels are acidic. Use vegetarian protein sources such as legumes, quinoa, chickpeas, beans, tempeh and tofu instead.
5. Drink one cup of water with 2 teaspoon of organic apple cider vinegar, 2 to 3 times daily. Take it first thing in the morning in empty stomach.
6. Drink a pint of FRESH carrot-lettuce-spinach juice daily.
7. Drink a pint of FRESH carrot juice daily.
8. Drink as much coconut water as he likes.
9. Drink alkaline water. Alkaline water has a pH of 9 to 11. The best is to get a proper water alkalizing equipment. Distilled water is just fine to drink. Water filtered with a Reverse Osmosis filter is slightly acidic, but it’s still a far better option than tap water or purified bottled water. However, you can make infused lemon/mint water, or add baking soda to the water as they have alkalizing properties.
10. Consume a lot of alkalizing foods. These include fruits, mushrooms and vegetables (especially citrus, dates, raisins and spinach) promote an alkaline pH.Interestingly enough, acidic fruits such as grapefruit and tomatoes create an alkaline environment in the body.
11. Eat a high quantity of raw foods. Uncooked fruits and vegetables are full of life and give life to your body. Cooking kills beneficial enzymes, vitamins and minerals.
12. Drinks made from green vegetables and grasses in powder form are loaded with alkaline-forming foods and chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is structurally similar to our own blood and alkalizes the blood.

Have you checked your pH levels lately?