Balance: Key To Good Health, Part 2

Balancing the pH. According to Dr. Merced, balancing the pH level in our body is a major step toward well-being and greater health. This is true with the human blood, which should be slightly alkaline (7.35-7.45). Below or above this range means symptoms and disease. A pH of 7.0 is neutral. A pH below 7.0 is acidic, and above it is alkaline.

An acidic pH can occur from an acid-forming diet, emotional stress, toxic overload, immune reactions or any process that deprives the cells of oxygen and other nutrients. The body will try to compensate for pH by using alkaline minerals. If the diet does not contain enough minerals to compensate, a build-up of acids in the cells will occur. And because diet is crucial to overall health and quality of life, our diet should be plant-based enough to balance our body chemistry.

An acidic balance will decrease the ability to absorb minerals and other nutrients; decrease the energy production in the cells; decrease its ability to repair damaged cells; decrease its ability to detoxify heavy metals; make tumor cells thrive and make them more susceptible to fatigue and illness. A blood pH of 6.9, which is slightly acidic, can induce coma and death.

The reason acidosis (over-acidity) is more common in our society is mostly due to the typical Western diet, which is far too high in acid-forming animal products like meat, eggs and dairy, and far too low in alkaline-producing foods like fresh vegetables. Besides, we eat processed foods like white flour and sugar and drink coffee, including soft drinks. Also, we use too many artificial chemical sweeteners like NutraSweet, Spoonful, Sweet ‘N’ Low, Equal, or Aspartame (which are poison and very acidic).

One of the best things we can do to correct our over-acidic body is to clean up our diet and lifestyle.

To maintain health, our diet should consist of 60% alkaline-forming foods and 40% acid-forming foods.

To restore health, our diet should consist of 80% alkaline-forming foods and 20% acid-forming foods.

Generally, alkaline-forming foods include: most fruits, green vegetables, peas, beans, lentils, spices, herbs and seasonings; seeds and nuts. Acid-forming foods, on the other hand, include: meat, fish, poultry, eggs, grains and legumes.

Raw foods are alkaline, while cooked foods are more acidic.

Shift Our pH Toward Alkaline. Our goal is to live healthy and fit, mentally and emotionally stable – right up to our allotted number of years – before we let go… So let’s face it: An acidic body is a sickness magnet. What we eat and drink will impact where our body’s pH level falls. Balance is Key!

(Courtesy of Dr. Fe Jocelyn G. Merced, Lifestream Health Center. www.lifestreamcentre.com; jocelynmerced@yahoo.com; jocelynmerced@lifestreamcentre.com; tel (+632) 7060420 / 09178988226)