PH Balanced Diet
Explanation of the diet
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The body functions best with a slightly alkaline pH. The normal pH of human blood ranges from
7.35 to 7.45. For pH values, 1 is the most acidic, while 14 is the most alkaline. A pH of 7 is neutral, which means it
is right in the middle of the acid base scale and is neither acidic nor alkaline. When the body chemistry turns too
acidic, we see many disorders and diseases develop.
For example, cancer thrives in an overly acidic body chemistry.
Every single case of arthritis and every type of arthritis (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, polyarthritis, lupus,
psoriatic arthritis, etc.) I have ever seen was associated with an overly acid body chemistry. People with more acidic
body tissues experience more pain. If they can alkalize their body more, they experience less pain, or sometimes even a
disappearance of pain. Generally speaking, when the body tissues and blood are at a healthy pH, a person is in good health.
The pH balance of the blood is very rarely disturbed because the body has so many backup systems that regulate the pH
of the blood. The body places a high priority on balancing the blood pH since too much variation in the pH of the blood
can be fatal. It will always balance the blood above all other things because, if not, it will mean death.
Occasionally we see a dangerous acidic condition in diabetics called diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening condition
caused by too many acids in the bloodstream.
Another overly acid condition of the blood is called metabolic acidosis that can occur in patients who suffer from
chronic pulmonary obstructive disease as they are not able to exhale carbon dioxide and carbon dioxide breaks down into
an acid (carbonic acid). Too many acids overload the kidneys' ability to eliminate them.
The higher the metabolism, the more acid wastes are generated. We see that in hyperthyroidism, the thyroid turns up the
body metabolism too high: the heart beats too fast, the breath rate increases, the bowels move too quickly and more
acid wastes are generated as a result. In the extreme case of hyperthyroidism, we see thyrotoxicosis, a condition
marked by fever, exhaustion and overly acid blood (yet another cause of metabolic acidosis).
Yet, much more common than these rare pH conditions of the blood is a situation caused by excess acids stored in the body
tissues (such as muscles, joints, bones, connective tissue, kidneys, liver, brain and other organs) while the blood
remains pH balanced. This overly acid situation happens to most Americans due to the standard American lifestyle.
Acids accumulate in vital organs and attract calcium deposits. These calcium deposits show up as arthritis, bone spurs,
gallstones, kidney stones and calcification of tumors (which are always very acidic areas).
Calcium is attracted to very acidic areas because it is so alkaline. The body uses calcium as a buffer to neutralize
excess acid. This is simple acid/base chemistry principles taught to all medical doctors all over the world. All chemists
are familiar with these concepts as well. The body will pull calcium out of the bones, if needed, to neutralize excess
acidity in the blood and tissues. For this reason, too much acidity in the body over a long enough period of time will
result in osteoporosis.
How does the body accumulate these excess acids? Some of the most common causes are the following:
1. Shallow breathing
2. Lack of exercise
3. Not enough sleep/ burning the candle at both ends
4. Stimulants - caffeine, cocaine, speed, diet pills, pills taken to stay awake
5. Not drinking enough water
6. Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)
7. Consumption of excess protein in the diet.
Proteins break down to amino acids which must be eliminated by the body in order to keep the blood at the proper pH
balance. The only two ways to eliminate acid from the body are through the breath and through the kidneys. When the
kidneys fail, they may only be able to eliminate a tiny amount of acid or maybe none at all. The body then tries to
eliminate the acid through the breath. The breath rate increases dramatically. A normal breath rate is about 10 to 14
breaths per minute.
A high breath rate is one of the ways we can tell if a person is in ill health. The more times a
minute a person breathes, the sicker they usually are. According to Ayurvedic medicine, a very high breath rate can be
a sign that a person will die soon. In kidney failure, breathing more often is usually not near enough of a
compensation to eliminate all of the acids, and if the person in kidney failure does not get kidney dialysis to
eliminate the acids and waste products in their blood, they can die in as little as a few days.
Excess protein can turn the body chemistry to an overly acidic state. Animal proteins are sulfurated amino acids that
are particularly acidic that can overwhelm the kidneys and cause an accumulation of acids in the body tissues. Meat can also be very high in uric acid, a normal byproduct of metabolism, stored in the muscle tissue of an animal. Excess consumption of foods containing uric acid can cause gout. The
average American diet contains about 3 times more protein than what is recommended for a healthy adult. Athletes
commonly overload themselves with excess protein by consuming large amounts of protein powders that are not needed and
cause a strain on the kidneys to eliminate them.
Everyone needs some protein and we cannot have a perfectly alkaline diet. But the body easily eliminates the acids
created by normal metabolism as well as from a diet that contains a healthy amount of protein. The problem is excess protein. In the early 1900's, meat was consumed more as a luxury item. As the years have gone by, the American consumption of meat has reached an astoundingly high frequency - instead of once or twice a week, Americans are consuming meat at every meal. Many research studies who that the consumption of excess protein causes premature aging of the kidneys and a
deterioration of kidney function.
Because the kidneys must eliminate the acids that result from eating protein, medical doctors (nephrologists) always
recommend to patients in kidney failure to follow a low protein diet. If a person in kidney failure tried to consume
a high protein diet, it could be life-threatening because their kidneys could not eliminate enough of the acids
generated in the body by the high amount of protein. This is another case of metabolic acidosis. Kidney dialysis
removes not only metabolic wastes, but acids from the body as well. I don't think anyone wants to go through regular
kidney dialysis in order to remove acids from their body.
A diet that is pH balanced contains proteins in the proper proportion. No one, not even people who are a Type O Blood,
needs meat 3 times a day. This is far too much protein to consume in a day and far exceeds any recommended daily
allowance for protein. I do not believe in Blood Type Diets because for every single one of my patients who followed a
Blood Type Diet, they stayed sick and did not get well. Recently I discovered that the author of this book wrote another book and reversed many of his earlier beliefs.
The following are recommendations for a healthy alkalizing diet. A pH balanced healthy diet is high in plant foods and
low in animal foods. Plant foods are high in antioxidants (meat contains no antioxidants whatsoever), fiber (meat
contains no fiber whatsoever), phytonutrients that fight cancer (again, meat contains none of these). The healthiest,
most alkaline diet contains foods as close to their original state as possible. This means that they have not been
processed, refined, or canned. They are organically grown without the use of pesticides, insecticides, fungicides,
hormones, or antibiotics.
None of us is perfect,and sometimes availability is a problem. For example, when I request whole grain bread at restaurants, I am told they don't have it because no one ever asks for it. It's time for everyone to start asking for it! We can still do our best to eat healthy most of the time. It is what we do (eat, drink,
sleep, breathe, feel, and believe) 6 days out of the week that largely determines our health. If we have healthy food
and lifestyle habits most of the time, we can be reasonably healthy.
Whole, Unprocessed Foods
vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, nut butters, nut milks,
seed butters, and seed milks.
seed and grain milks such as rice milk, oat milk, almond milk,
pecan milk, and cashew milk can frequently take the place
of pasteurized, homogenized cow's milk, a highly acidic and mucus-forming food.
fresh raw foods should be included in the daily diet since
they place the least amount of strain on the digestive organs, are the most alkaline,
and contain the most vitamins and minerals.
- The most highly
alkalizing foods are leafy green vegetables, algae (spirulina,chlorella, etc.), cereal grasses (wheat grass, barley
grass, alfalfa) and lemons. Although lemons are acidic when they are tested outside of the body, when they are consumed,
they have an alkalizing effect on the body. Most herbs have an alkalizing effect on the body (except for stimulant and
caffeine-containing herbs). The Essential
Nutrients Formula is a highly alkalizing formula that often results in a beneficial shift to a more alkaline body
Essential oil of Lemon
is also highly alkalizing. Unlike lemon juice, which is made by pressing the pulp, Lemon Essential oil is pressed
from the peel, giving it a different phytonutrient profile and a stronger alkalizing effect than lemon juice .
a Juicer and Start Juicing
juicer is an excellent tool that can greatly improve health,
and can sometimes work faster than herbs when used as part
of a juice
are concentrated, so many people need to dilute them half
and half with water to reduce the natural sugar content.
- Sweeteners should be as close to nature as possible. Including some fresh fruit in the diet during the day can sometimes stop cravings for sweets later on in the day. The best sweetener is whole fruit. Next to this, the natural sweeteners I like the most are brown rice syrup and date sugar. Second only to whole fruit, they seem to have less of an effect on the blood sugar.
Of course, stevia is the best option for many people as it does not raise the blood sugar at all, but some people complain of a funny taste. For me, the taste of stevia depends on the quality. If you're not enjoying the taste of stevia, perhaps try another brand.
Honey, maple syrup - these are natural, especially if the honey is raw, unheated and unfiltered and if the maple syrup is Grade B organic and formaldehyde-free. We are looking at alkaline substances here, but they can still have an effect on blood sugar and some people with blood sugar issues may need to limit them.
Soft drinks/soda pops are highly acidic and are full of simple carbohydrates that contribute to obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis and metabolic syndrome. I am amazed at the soft drink/soda pop consumption in America. I do not believe there is a safe level of soda pop consumption. They should be eliminated from the diet completely.
Try sweetening less and less. Learn how to be happy with less "sweet" in your foods. You might be amazed to find out that many recipes that call for a certain amount of sugar could actually be reduced or even cut in half without much affect on the taste. It's good to experiment.
Artificial sweeteners: we have enough research now to show that these are harmful, can cause cancer and can damage the nervous system. It's not a good idea. Do not consume artificial sweeteners. I do not believe there is any safe level of consumption. I've known several people with memory problems who stopped their diet soda intake and their memory came back. Quit now before it's too late and the damage has been done! We need to stop the thinking that there is a miracle synthetic chemical out there that's going to allow us to continue to eat junk food without repercussions.
Learn to be happy with good quality, organic, unprocessed foods. Taste buds are highly adapted and can easily be changed. Your taste buds are not that different from anyone else's. After a while of eating pure, unprocessed foods, it becomes natural - sugar and soda pop will seem too sweet and even unpleasant and "too chemical."
Water helps flush out excess acids through the kidneys as well as other waste products created by metabolism.
Water is best drunk between meals or about 15 - 30 minutes before a meal. Drinking large amounts of water with a meal
typically dilutes the stomach acid too much and can create indigestion. However, drinking water 15 to 30 minutes
before a meal begins helps supply the body with enough water to manufacture the enzymes and acids that are needed
for optimal digestion.
- The best amount of water to drink: half of the body weight per day in ounces. For example, a
person who weighs 100 pounds should drink around 50 ounces of water per day, and a person who weighs 150 pounds should
drink around 75 ounces of water per day. An infant's water needs are typically met through breastfeeding (the
breastfeeding mother should stay well hydrated in order to keep the water content of her breast milk at a healthy level
for the infant.
- Drinking caffeinated beverages causes a loss of water from the body; therefore, if one consumes coffee,
black tea, caffeinated green tea, or soft drinks containing caffeine, they should drink extra water to make up for the
dehydrating effect of caffeine. Caffeine also turns up the metabolism, which creates slightly more acid in the body.
or Eliminate Processed Foods:
that are highly processed are more acidic. They include white sugar, enriched flour,
white rice, pasteurized and homogenized dairy products, luncheon
meat, artificial sweeteners, foods that contain artificial
colorings and flavorings, monosodium glutamate (MSG), canned
foods, and processed foods containing ingredients that can't
be pronounced. If a health food store is available,
it is best to shop there than to shop at a regular grocery
or Eliminate Meat:
includes both red meat, white meat and fish:
(ground beef, hamburger meat, steak, steak tartare, sirloin,
filet mignon, beef broth, beef boullion, veal, corned beef)
(turkey, chicken, chicken broth, chicken boullion, duck,
Cornish hen, wild game, etc.)
and Seafood (lobster, shrimp, scallops, molluscs, shark,
swordfish, trout, salmon, halibut, sushi, eel, squid, oysters,
(ham, bacon, pork rinds, pork chops, ham hocks, pork sausage)
meats (pates, kidneys, liver, sweetbreads, tripe, giblets,
giblet gravy, etc.),
meat (hot dogs, frankfurters, salami, bologna, pepperoni,
sausage, bratwurst, canned spreadable meat, etc.)
meats: lamb, lamb chops, buffalo, venison, snake, frog,
and anything else that had muscles and/or a face
meat is to be eaten, it should only be eaten once or twice
- America's annual meat consumption has risen dramatically, as well as their rates of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. According to the USDA Agriculture Fact Book (2001-2002), America's total meat consumption (including red meat, poultry and fish) in the year 2000, reached 195 pounds per person - a whopping 57 pounds above the average annual consumption in the 1950's. In all, Americans consumed about 7 pounds more red meat, 46 pounds more poultry and 4 pounds more fish and shellfish than in the 1950s. This is far too much protein!
- Amy Jamieson-Petonic, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association and an employee wellness manager for the Cleveland Clinic, says many people don't realize that the body can't store protein. If you consume more than you need, you'll just eliminate it through your urine and put an extra strain on your kidneys to metabolize it.
- "Would we all be better off if we dramatically reduced meat to the point of one meal a week? I would say yes," says Dr. Bob Lawrence, director of the Center for a Livable Future at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
The regular consumption of meats of all kinds (even organic or free-range meats) have been proven time and time again
in research study after research study to cause many health problems including acne, increased risk of cancer
(especially colon, prostate and breast cancer), constipation, diabetes, diverticulosis, diverticulitis, fibroid tumors
of the uterus, food poisoning, intestinal flu, obesity, gallstones, gouty arthritis, heart disease, hemorrhoids, high
blood pressure, high cholesterol, hormonal imbalances, increased hostility, acute indigestion, irritability, kidney
stones, worsening of kidney diseases, premature aging of the kidneys, worsening of liver diseases, mercury and arsenic
poisoning (fish and seafood), osteoporosis, enlarged prostate (BPH), premature puberty, parasite infections, stroke,
and many types of colon and rectal diseases. All meats, even if organic and free range, are still very high in protein,
and because of this, they are still acidic in the body, although less dangerous to consume than conventional meats
sold at regular grocery stores.
or Eliminate Dairy Products:
- Dairy products
(especially homogenized, pasteurized cow's milk) are not as acidic as meat, but they are acidic in the body and
can aggravate colitis, asthma, childhood ear infections,sinus infections, COPD, emphysema, cystic fibrosis, lung
diseases, psoriasis, acne, eczema, and many skin and colon diseases.
- Milk allergy is a
very common food allergy and many people are lactose intolerant- including people who are Blood Type B - supposedly
the Blood type that can digest dairy products. I've never found a person who had a Type B blood type that did well on
- The consumption of
dairy products has been found in research studies to be the most common cause of constipation in children.
- If symptoms are
caused by dairy products, or if suffering from any lung or intestinal ailment, they should be eliminated.
Otherwise, for most healthy people, reducing intake of dairy products should be sufficient.
- High calcium foods
can be substituted such as beans (all beans are high in calcium - soy beans are not the only beans that contain
calcium!), seaweeds, kale, broccoli, almonds, and carrot juice, or the herbal
Calcium Formula. If there is a soy allergy,
one can easily substitute other types of beans to meet calcium and protein needs.
- The least acidic
type of dairy products are raw milk from goats and sheep. There is a slight risk of serious bacteria infection that
can be caused by the consumption of raw milk, so caution is advised with raw dairy products, especially in people who
have a weak, underdeveloped or compromised immune system - the elderly, infants, HIV/AIDS patients, bone marrow
transplant recipients, patients undergoing radiation therapy or cancer chemotherapy, or patients taking
The urine pH is a good general indicator of the total body pH. According to Carey Reams, a biochemist who tested
thousands upon thousands of people in various stages of life in disease and in health, the urine pH of a healthy
person is 6.4. The urine should be slightly acid because the body is always eliminating a small amount of acid
that is generated by normal metabolism. However, when a person undergoes an herbal detoxification program, the
urine pH can vary widely.
The urine pH can turn too alkaline when the kidneys are not doing their job of eliminating
acids and can be a sign of kidney disease. However, the urine pH can also turn too alkaline when the liver is being
cleansed and the person doing the liver cleanse has no kidney problems at all.
The liver produces bile containing
highly alkaline digestive enzymes. When the liver is being cleansed, it can release large amounts of old accumulated
toxic bile. This can temporarily turn the urine pH too alkaline.
On the other hand, the body can release large
amounts of stored up acid wastes, and these will end up in the urine, turning it too acid. This situation can make
it look like a person is not doing well on an alkaline diet, when in fact, they are doing very well and their body is
So, during a healing and detoxification program, one should not be discouraged by an overly high or low
urine pH. We look for broad general trends instead. Charting the first morning urine every day over a month's time
and even over several months gives us more of a trend that is more accurate than a single high or low reading.
Healthy Lifestyle Makes a Difference
Getting healthy does not have to be complicated.
What I have found in my practice is that healthy lifestyle habits
go a long way. Most of us have not been taught these healthy
lifestyle habits. We have been brought up with processed,
denatured foods and many synthetic chemicals, and all of the experts
tell us that this is "normal." What's even more
confusing is when we hear medical doctors telling us that diet doesn't
matter. However, my clinical experience has shown me that
it DOES matter. Adequate rest, stress reduction and regular
exercise can be major factors in determining whether or not someone
gets well or gets worse. Many chronic insomniacs and those
suffering from clinical depression have overcome their problem merely
by taking up a regular exercise program.
Healing Reactions Versus Allergic
Whenever a person makes
enough positive changes in diet and/or herbs so that the body releases
toxins, those toxins can sometimes be felt as a "healing reaction."
A healing reaction is NOT the same thing as a side effect
of a medication. A healing reaction can feel uncomfortable,
but it is actually a sign that the body is healing itself. As
toxic wastes are released from fat cells, liver cells, brain cells,
kidneys, and other organs, they go into the bloodstream. Sometimes
during herbal therapy, people can taste in their mouth drugs that
they have not taken in many years. This is an indication that
old medication residues have been released and are now working their
way out of the body. Many symptoms from the past can temporarily
reappear during an herbal cleansing program - fatigue, joint pains,
muscle aches, headaches, dizziness, weakness, itching, etc. This is nothing to be concerned
about, but rather something to be glad about.
healing reaction is usually easy to recognize.
Initially, symptoms begin to feel better. We feel better and have more energy. During this time, the body
is gathering vital energy. It is this energy that the body is going to use to cleanse and heal itself.
Enzyme systems are activated, including not just digestive enzymes, but the very important metabolic
enzymes, such as the P-450 enzyme system, the cytochrome oxidase system and glutathione. These enzymes are
responsible for dissolving any foreign substances in the body. With this newfound strength and energy, the
body then does what it needs to do in order to get disease out of the way. It's not always pretty or pleasant,
but it is absolutely crucial for healing. The enzymes begin to dissolve, stones, calcium deposits, tumors,
bile sludge and other wastes. Suddenly,we begin to feel badly again - or even worse than we did originally.
This is a classic healing reaction, and it is wonderful! Finally we are able to get into a sick, diseased
area that we couldn't reach before with weak, mass marketed products. If we don't stop, but keep on going,
we will eventually get to the end of it and be healed once and for all.
the other hand, it is not necessary to have severe healing
reactions when we are usually able to reduce them through
the use of intestinal cleansing formulas. This is why the
first step in any herbal cleansing program is to cleanse the intestines.
This makes way for more advanced herbal healing that might
otherwise be very uncomfortable and filled with intense healing
reactions. If taking an herbal formula or green nutritional
formula, and unpleasant symptoms occur, it is most likely NOT an
allergy, but a healing reaction. In this case, it is important
to do the intestinal cleansing formulas more and/or reduce the dose
of the formula that caused the problem so that the detoxification
happens more slowly and is better tolerated.
I knew one lady
who had a severe skin disease with multiple boils all over her body
that appeared from time to time. She drank a spirulina smoothie
at the health food store, and broke out in boils all over again.
The spirulina was simply too strong for her to take at that
particular time since she had not first begun with intestinal cleansing.
Whenever the intestines contain large amounts of toxins, the
body will try to rid itself of toxins in other ways besides through
the colon. This usually ends up being a detoxification through
the skin which can be very uncomfortable. This is avoidable
if intestinal cleansing is done first. After a thorough intestinal
cleansing, one should be able to handle strong detoxifying substances
such as spirulina and other herbs without their causing any discomfort
In the case of severe
or chronic disease, there may be multiple healing reactions or reactions that are more prolonged.
In these cases, it is important NOT TO STOP in the middle of the cleansing process, otherwise, the
healing benefits stop and the health issue never clears up. Most people grossly underestimate the
amount of toxins in their bodies. They are impatient to get out of pain when they should be focused
on cleansing away the toxins that are causing the pain. Any doctor can prescribe pain medication that relieves pain;
however, pain relievers do not cure health issues, but merely force them deeper into the body while giving a false
sense of security. Meanwhile, disease continues to worsen unless we have the courage to follow through on a program,
experience some unpleasantness while the body is cleansing and readjusting itself. Toxins do not simply evaporate; they
must come out of the body. We cannot expect it to be a walk in the park. However, when the cleansing process is completed,
people finally regain their health, strength and vitality.
allergic reactions do occur. Some people are so allergic to
peanuts that they cannot even inhale the aroma of peanuts on an
airplane or they will have a severe allergic reaction. For
people who have a tendency toward severe allergies, it is best to
use small amounts of herbs when trying them for the first time,
and always cleanse the bowel first. It is said that people
who are allergic to ragweed should not have chamomile since they
are in the same plant family. However, I've been severely
allergic to ragweed my entire life, and I've consumed plenty of
chamomile without having an allergic reaction at all. On the
other hand, there is one case in the medical literature that describes
a woman with a ragweed allergy who consumed chamomile tea and had
an allergic reaction. So, individual reactions can vary and
caution still applies here. Allergies in general are mostly
due to internal toxicity that overloads the ability of the immune
system to function properly. The adrenals are typically weak
along with the kidneys, liver and the entire endocrine system. When
these areas of the body are cleansed and nourished, allergic reactions
usually greatly diminish or disappear. We have had one client who had severe anaphylactic reactions to vinegar.
After completing one liver cleanse routine, he was no longer allergic to vinegar, and had no further anaphylactic reactions.
"Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on
after others have let go"
- William Feather