Do you need a cup of coffee in the morning to get yourself out of bed? Do you find yourself craving food at odd times of day? Does your energy level seem to be waning with every passing month or year? It’s time to take action! Revitalize yourself and feel more energetic than ever by alkalizing your body.

It is easy to do, doesn’t require any radical change to your diet, and will have a more profound affect on your well-being than any standard “diet” could ever have.

Your body’s chemistry and the acid-alkaline balance

The human body is a very finely tuned machine. It is highly adaptable, to new environments and situations, but only when it’s internal environment is in balance. For example, the human body operates effectively when it is held at an internal temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Above 104 degrees, or below 97 degrees, and you will experience some significant problems. Your body is even more sensitive to acidic conditions, than it is to temperature.

The blood in your body, which makes up about 8% of its total weight, is a key regulator and indicator of your overall health. The blood is the medium through which oxygen and other nutrients are delivered to each and every cell in your body. In order for the blood to do its job effectively, it needs to be maintained in a very specific pH range. Specifically, a pH of 7.36-7.44; which is slightly alkaline. Even a minor deviation from this small range can be DEADLY.

You may remember from junior high science class that pH (and alkalinity) is measured on a 14 point scale, from 0 to 14; where a low score is extremely acid ic (e.g. hydrochloric acid) and a high score is extremely alkaline. Pure water is neural, with a score of seven. You’ve heard about acid rain and environmental conditions that are causing death of all life in many of our world’s great waterways. Now imagine the same thing happening to the waterways inside your body, i.e. your bloodsteam. It isn’t a pretty story, but there is something you can do to fix it, RIGHT NOW.

The foods you eat have a major impact on your body’s acid-alkaline balance. Digestion of processed foods, for example, will create acidic byproducts that flow into the bloodstream. The more processed foods (sugars, refined carbohydrates, etc.) you eat, the more acid-byproducts will be created and the more acidic your bloodstream will become.

In fact, it is not just processed foods that are acid-forming. Many animal products (e.g. high protein foods) starches and grains are also acid forming. Nitrogen, a byproduct of protein digestion, is acidic. Caffeine is also highly acid-forming.

On the contrary, fresh vegetables and fruits (especially citrus fruits like lemon) are highly alkalizing to the body. The most alkaline foods are leafy green vegetables (wheat grass, spinach, kale, etc.).

How do you know if your body is acidic or alkaline? You can test yourself by measuring the pH of your urine or saliva (less accurate) using pH strips from any pharmacy. The most accurate method is to test the blood. Most clinics that do blood-work should be able to do this for you. Of course, there is an even easier way to know if your body is alkaline. Just think about your diet. Are you consuming a lot of caffeine or alchohol? How about meat? How about breads, pasta or other starches? If so, youre body is probably struggling to keep itself in an alkaline state. The impact on your overwell wellness is too great to ignore.

!

The impact of an out-of-balance body

As I said before, the human body is highly adaptable. A mildly acidic condition for a short period of time will not have a big affect on your body. However, most people have extremely poor diets and highly stressful lives, which leads to chronically acidic conditions. This can be devastating to your body and overall well-being. Some of the negative affects include:

• bloating and water retention
• acne and other skin conditions
• weak hair or nails
• trouble maintaining weight
• trouble losing weight
• joint pain
• headaches
• irritability
• cramps
• indigestion
• frequent colds
• allergies

Weight gain and/or loss are some of the more apparent conditions. Are you having trouble losing those final 10 pounds? Or are you having trouble gaining lean muscle mass? Your body might be in a chronically acidic state.

When the body is in a acidic state, it will do whatever it takes to protect itself. For some people, this means retaining water and fat close to the body organs to protect them from the acid. For others, this means flushing the body of water and excess weight to “purge” itself. If you are underweight or overweight, you could have an acidic condition in your body.

Furthermore, in acidic body environments, pathogens such as yeasts and bacteria will thrive in your digestive tracks. In fact, research has even shown that cancer cells thrive in acidic environments, but perish in alkaline environments. As these pathogens thrive in your body, they will steal away the precious nutrients and energy that should be going to your body! If you wonder why all the food you eat doesn’t seem to give you energy, here is your answer!

The body was created to hold a slightly alkaline state for a reason. It is in this state that it is highly disease resistant, capable of repairing itself and energetic. Luckily, you can take a few easy steps today to start the healing process.

Take action! Alkalize your body today!

Alkalizing your body does not have to take a radical change to your eating habits. The most important thing is that you take steps to add highly alkaline foods into your diet. GREEN VEGETABLES are the most highly alkaline foods on the planet. If you are going to have a steak for dinner (which is a highly acid-forming food) be sure to at least start off your meal with a big salad (with no cheese and light dressing), and have some steamed or fresh veggies as a side-dish instead of the baked potato (also acid-forming). This will help your body to counter-act the acidic byproducts with healthy alkaline byproducts.

Another tip is to supercharge your body with an ALKALIZING DRINK.

After a long night’s sleep, your body is often dehydrated and craving nutrients. Drinking some water with fresh-squeezed LEMON JUICE is highly alkalizing and nourishing for the body. In fact, you can get lemons anywhere: in a bar, restaurant or even at work. Just chop one up and create a highly alkalizing beverage. I often take fresh lemon water in the afternoon at work when my co-workers are running for a Starbucks. In fact, I’ve cut coffee completely out of my diet. I’ve found that once my body has detoxified from all the garbage I was putting in it, my need for caffeine has gone down a lot. This is not only healthier, but easier on your pocket-book than a twice daily latte habit!

Another way to super-charge your body, is to buy a GREENS POWEDER. There are many varieties out there, and most have dried greens from many sources, phytonutrients and lots of vitamins. You just stir a spoonful with some water or juice and you’re ready to go. I take 1-2 servings of a green drink every single day. In fact, I start off my day with one. I prefer to drink mine (I like the Essante Earth Greens**) on an empty stomach, about 1 hour before eating breakfast, right after waking up.  

www.essanteworldwide.com/elements4change website has a lot more information on produdcts for alklaine diets or general wellness. .

Lastly, if you are an athlete, you may be wondering how to keep the body alkaline while also getting in lots of protein every day. There are alkaline sources of protein, including tofu and lenils, certain nuts like almonds and brazil nuts and certain grains like Quinoa and Spelt. There are also some very good whole food supplements that are very high in protein. (Personally, I take 1-2 servings of Essante earth greens  every day. It tastes great, is highly alkalizing** )

In the end, I hope this article has peaked your interest in cleaning up your diet and really paying attention to what your body needs. Make a few small additions or changes to your diet and you are bound to see some incredible changes over the long term.

Note: I am not a doctor and this article is not meant to be medical advice. Please advice your physician before making any radical changes to you diet.

**Andrea Linaberry