From Mrs. Cog's Corner

The content on this page is for discussion purposes relating to health and well being only and is not intended to be medical advice. Links and sources provided are for informational purposes and do not represent an endorsement of a person, product or treatment.

As with all good things in life, our pH levels require a balance. Yet another controversial and polarizing conversation raging in the mainstream vs alternative health debate is about the human diet and whether or not the amount of alkaline vs acidic foods we consume may cause or prevent disease.

To further complicate the discussion, whether or not food has an acidic or alkalizing effect on our body after being consumed doesn't always correspond with what it was before. As an example, some of the most alkalizing foods we eat are citric acid fruits. On the flip side, wheat, flour, dairy and chocolate convert to a more acidic influence when when our body processes them. As Western diets have shifted to more convenient foods, ranging from frozen pizza to  restaurant meals, the change to a predominantly acidic state is evident in the chronic dis-ease and obesity that is plaguing our society.

pH (short for the power of hydrogen ) is a sort of measure of oxygen in the blood.  Too much or too little oxygen can lead to problems and much of the time, we have too little. This leads to a state referred to as oxidative stress, which can cascade into a myriad of adverse conditions.

While this subject seems quite complicated at times, since you can test the pH or your saliva and your urine and still not know if your blood pH is balanced, how are we able to mindfully keep a balanced state? As with so many tried and true simple answers, it appears we just need to go back in time.

Adding fresh green vegetables and fruits to our diets while removing processed foods is essential. All of the classic food adages: You are what you eat and Food is medicine apply. Not only does food provide nutrients that are carried to all parts of our bodies, but it regulates the transporting of oxygen to our cells. It seems silly to me that we value a new car to transport our physical bodies to and from, but we pay little mind to the vehicle which transports substances to keep our body parts functioning. As above, so below?

While there are more extreme approaches to alkalizing an acidic lifestyle, such as a Paleo diet or regular use of Bentonite Clay, I am finding it is actually fairly simple to have more metabolic balance by being mindful of the choices I make. In my household, I have added a new healthy item and removed something processed from the grocery list once every other week. This has been a great way to ease the family into new ways to think about eating. At first it didn't seem to be a big change, but in a year's time, their diets were transformed and everyone is healthier without the need for immediate radical change.

The other advantage to making deliberate alterations to a healthier diet now is the empowerment it gives each of us over our own wellness. While the proverbial crystal ball cannot show us the accessibility or quality of "health"care down the road, this is just another way to be more self reliant and take back control of our own lives.

Read more:

This alkaline food chart lists foods by degree of alkalinity from high to low. Below it is an acidic food chart that does the same. A healthy diet should include 60-80% alkaline foods and 20-40% acidic foods, but the degree to which a food is alkaline or acidic matters. A diet of primarily pasta, bread, soft drinks is highly acidic and will not be easily offset by the list of very low alkaline foods. http://greenopedia.com/article/alkaline-food-chart-degree

Over acidity, which can become a dangerous condition that weakens all body systems, is very common today. It gives rise to an internal environment conducive 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 excess acids must be neutralized our alkaline reserves are depleted leaving the body in a weakened condition. A pH balanced diet, according to many experts, is a vital key to health maintenance. http://www.naturalhealthschool.com/acid-alkaline.html

One study from the Arizona Respiratory Center at the University of Arizona found that foods high in acid content (often those with an abundance of animal proteins and salt and low in fruits and vegetables) can lead to “a sub-clinical or low-grade state of metabolic acidosis,” potentially leading to an increase in the risk of cancer. http://naturalsociety.com/14-alkaline-foods-drinks-optimal-health/#ixzz2sFTpjAUU

Clinical study: In conclusion, the increasing dietary acid load in the contemporary diet can lead to a disruption in acid-alkaline homeostasis in various body compartments and eventually result in chronic disease through repeated borrowing of the body's alkaline reserves. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17658124

Another clinical study: From the evidence outlined above, it would be prudent to consider an alkaline diet to reduce morbidity and mortality of chronic disease that are plaguing our aging population. One of the first considerations in an alkaline diet, which includes more fruits and vegetables, is to know what type of soil they were grown in since this may significantly influence the mineral content. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3195546/

Welcome to "The pH Nutrition Guide to Acid / Alkaline Balance" by Jack Challem, the Nutrition Reporter. In this exclusive report, you'll learn one of the most important health secrets found in nutritional science: the pH secret to good health! Here's what's covered: http://www.naturalnews.com/report_acid_alkaline_ph_0.html

Very important role in maintaining a favorable pH value in our body plays our diet. A large part of the modern diet results in a decrease of the pH value towards acidic. The imbalance of the pH value interferes with cellular activities and functions, especially if the pH value continues to decrease. Very high acidic pH value leads to deterioration of the cells, which at the end leads to serious health problems, such as gastritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. The fact that biological life has better function in a non-acidic (alkaline) environment clearly supports the usefulness of baking soda. http://livefreelivenatural.com/baking-soda-true-enemy-pharmaceutical-industry