I experienced the most significant improvements in how I feel by altering the acid/alkaline balance in my diet. I had been suffering for several years with joint pain and fatigue from an autoimmune response to a spider bite…to the point that I was limping and hip replacement and hand surgery were recommended (the cartilage in my hand and hip had deteriorated). I tried over a dozen natural therapies to little avail. When I participated in a wellness center’s Alkaline Liquid Feast, my joint pain (everywhere) ceased, my energy levels went sky high AND, as a wonderful and unexpected side effect, I lost 20 pounds!
I was a very healthy eater prior to the program, especially as compared to most of the population. My vices were frozen yogurt (haven’t had that in over a year…wow!) and dark chocolate (I still indulge more than occasionally). But, I learned, I was, as are most of us, an acid eater. All proteins, all dairy, all sugar, and many grains are acidic foods. What’s left, you may ask. Greens and alkaline grains. Many turn off at that point and say I want to eat what I want to eat…and to each his or her own. For me, I’ll eat cardboard to feel better.
In becoming gluten-free a few years ago (finding that did help a little and stopped the swelling of legs and hands I experienced most of my adult life) I turned to rice products as substitutes…rice cereals, rice crackers, rice pasta, rice based ice cream…all very acidic.
What was a new addition to my new alkaline diet was lots of healthy oils (and I don’t mean just olive oil in salads but adding to my vegetables, soups and cereals coconut oil, avocado oil, hemp oil) and pink salt which is high in minerals. Eating lots of the oils and salt completely decreased my sugar cravings and did not cause swelling at all. Avocado in quantity was also new. We were raised to think a portion was 1/8 of an avocado because of its high fat content. It turns out that the avocado is high in healthy fats and I eat one or two every day (in salads, in guacamole, in shakes).
Drinking a minimum of 3-4 liters per day of water containing alkalizing greens is also important, providing the hydration and chlorophyll vital to the blood of many processes in the body. I find if I go below 3 liters, I feel the difference. Chlorophyll reduces the binding of carcinogens to DNA in the liver and other organs. In addition, it breaks down calcium stones – stones that the body creates to neutralize and dispose of excess acid for elimination. Green plants provide protein, vitamins and minerals, fiber, electrons, phytonutrients, and alkaline salts.
I eat lots of green vegetables, alkaline grains such as millet, quinoa and buckwheat (available in pastas, cereals and crackers so not deprived of them, just substitute for them). I like to eat and I like to cook and I do plenty of both! When I went from being 100% alkaline to about 90%, which is where I am now, I began including wild salmon, trout and sardines (and this makes eating out much easier although when I asked for steamed or grilled veggies in restaurants I was presented with the most wonderful and creative dishes).
The Liquid Feast was exactly that…a feast. I was never hungry, and feasted on allowed foods. It was a good way to kick off the alkalizing process in the body until I segued into regular alkaline eating. The Feast consisted of almond milk smoothies, guacamole shakes, delicious and filling pureed vegetable soups. For the desire to eat something more solid we could eat cut up cucumbers, tomatoes and avocados with a delicious basil/lemon/olive oil dressing. No deprivation there!
Dr. Robert O. Young’s work in acidity/alkalinity is that the over acidification of the body is the single underlying cause of all dis-ease. Think of your body as a fish tank. Think of the importance of maintaining the integrity of the internal fluids of the body that we “swim” in daily. Imagine the fish in this tank are your cells and organs bathed in fluids, which transport food and remove wastes. Some of us have fish tanks (bodies) that are barely able to support life, yet we somehow manage to struggle from day to day…creating severe imbalances until there is the inevitable crash and debilitating, chronic symptoms to deal with.
The pH level (the acid-alkaline measurement) of our internal fluids affects every cell in our bodies. Extended acid imbalances of any kind are not well tolerated by the body. A chronically over-acidic pH corrodes body tissue, slowly eating into the miles of veins and arteries, as well as organs. If left unchecked, it will interrupt all cellular activities and functions, from the beating of your heart to the neural firing of your brain.
For further explanation, read Dr Young’s The pH Miracle. There are many printings but the July 2010 printing is best, I found, because of its clarity, simplicity, lists telling you what you can and cannot eat and recipes. It is available on Amazon.
PS…after 1 ½ yrs on the alkaline program I took a blood lipid test as this has been an issue for the past 30 yrs due to genetics (only trying natural remedies all these years, never meds). I had the best results ever, another testament to the alkaline life!
Andrea Candee, MH, MSC, is a master herbalist with a practice in Westchester County. She lectures throughout the country and at corporate wellness centers about taking charge of your health naturally. Media expert and author, her award-winning book, Gentle Healing for Baby and Child (Simon & Schuster), received The National Parenting Center’s Seal of Approval. Andrea is noted nationally for her unique and successful approach to Lyme Disease and works with The Liphe Balance Center in Weston, CT. She may be contacted through her website, AndreaCandee.com (to receive her free e-letter, click on Did You Know?), or at 877 856 7680.