What’s your PH?
Suffering from any of the following low energy, fatigue, headaches, acne, allergies, infections, digestion issues, brittle hair and nails or even mood swings and depression? …if so maybe your body’s PH balance is to be blame.
Last month I mentioned how plant foods are preferable since they are alkalising on the body whilst animal based foods tend to be acid forming so I thought it would be a good idea to explain this concept in a little more depth.
A little bit of science
You may recall from school that the PH scale ranges from 0 to 14 with 7 being considered neutral. A PH higher than 7 being alkalising and a PH lower than 7 being acidic.
The human body is naturally slightly alkaline reading at 7.365 on the PH scale, the different foods we eat and the different things we put into our body directly contribute to either a more alkaline or acidic environment.
Clinical studies have proven that an alkaline body is healthier than an acidic body but what does this even mean and if so how can we get our body to the optimal slightly alkaline state to help reduce the risk of falling victim to poor health.
Studies have shown that if the body is in an alkaline state this helps promote proper cell function, healthy tissue and bones whilst the body in an acidic state actually makes it more difficult for the body to function optimally and can even promote cancer cells.
When excessive amount of acid overloads the body over an extended period of time it depletes the oxygen from our cells, our PH level starts to drop which has a compounding effect throughout the body, the body attempts to neutralise and eliminate excess acid build through the kidneys. In an effort to bring back the body’s more alkaline state our mineral stores are depleted particularly calcium from the bones and magnesium from the muscles.
Health issues linked to a highly acidic body include obesity, high blood pressure, kidney stones, osteoporosis, arthritis, gout, diabetes and cancer.
A very common misconception is that because something tastes acidic or is acidic prior to consumption it then there for forms acid in the body but in fact this is not true, a great example would be the lemon, acidic in taste but surprisingly very alkaline once digested.
Some Alkaline forming foods are:
• Vegetables especially celery, spinach, kale, beets, cucumber and broccoli
• Fruits such as avocados ,lemons, limes, apples, berries, melons, dates, figs
• Herbs and spices like garlic, turmeric, ginger, basil, clove and cinnamon
Acid forming foods include:
• Processed foods
• Refined sugars and artificial sweeteners
• Refined grains
• Meat and poultry products
• Caffeine
• Dairy
• Alcohol
Testing your PH level is easily done by purchasing PH test strips either in the chemist or online, these can be used either on testing the saliva or urine with quick and easy results.
So if you’re looking to increased your energy levels, boost digestion, detoxify the body, enjoy easier fat loss and reduce pain from inflammation related conditions such as arthritis, have improved mental focus and reduce the risk of many other diseases then try adding more alkaline foods to your diet and see for yourself that food really is the forgotten miracle medicine.
