The pH Cleanse

Your pH level is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of your body. Although you might not realize it, pH can cause toxins to build up in your body and is actually a major contributing factor to poor health.

Many people with health problems are too acidic, making their vulnerable bodies an ideal environment for viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites to flourish and replicate. They put a great deal of strain of the body and are responsible for reactions like inflammation, irritation and fatigue. Excess acid in the body also puts a lot of stress on your organs, especially the liver, and can even weaken your bones.

pH level and your health

The pH scale measures from 1 to 14. A pH level from 1-7 is considered acidic and from 7-14 is considered alkaline. The pH in your stomach is naturally more acidic, to break down and digest food. However, the pH level we normally measure is the pH of your body tissues and fluids. Here, 7.3 to 7.4 is the optimal pH level.

A Western diet typically makes us too acidic, which becomes a real burden for our bodies. Your body will try to rebalance itself back to an alkaline state, and by doing so it wreaks all sorts of havoc on the body. If neutralizing minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium and sodium are unavailable, the body will take these minerals from bones or tissues, which can cause a host of problems. For example, if your body needs calcium it might take it from your teeth and bones, putting you at risk for osteoporosis.

An acidic environment is also a fertile breeding ground for many harmful microorganisms. These micro forms don't generally cause problems in the body themselves, but their wastes and toxins do.Candida Albicans is one example. This is an opportunistic yeast that causes a wide variety of problems, including chronic yeast infections, weight gain, fatigue and digestive distress.

Fortunately, by simply switching what you eat and drink you can easily adjust your pH levels. A few dietary changes will raise the pH levels of the body and can drastically improve your energy levels. It will help any unresolved health problems such as fatigue, depression, inflammation, digestion issues, or the inability to shake off those last extra pounds.

Is this a widespread problem?

The average American diet contains 80 percent acid-forming foods and 20 percent alkaline-forming foods, with an overall pH level of between 5.0 and 6.5. This is far too acidic and creates a great environment for disease.

To maintain a healthy pH level we should be reversing those proportions, i.e. eating 80 percent alkaline-forming foods and 20 percent acid-forming foods.

Which foods should I eat to rebalance my pH level?

Cutting out coffee, alcohol, sugar and white flour products will naturally bring up your pH level, and help to cleanse your body of excess acid.

There is another group of acid-forming food that you should be a little careful with - animal products like eggs, fish, chicken, red meat etc. You can eat them in small portions, but try to balance them with lots of vegetables to prevent your pH from getting too acidic.

Regulating your meat intake is a good healthy eating habit anyway, as diets containing high amounts of meat have been linked to higher cancer and cardiovascular mortality rates. That doesn't mean that you should cut out meat products completely - they're just more healthy in small portions.

You will feel much more revitalized if you increase the amount of raw salads, leafy greens, and lightly steamed vegetables in your diet. They contain powerful antioxidants and improve energy levels by increasing the amount of oxygen in your body. They're also loaded with detoxifying properties and rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and powerful antioxidants, all important stuff for keeping your immune system strong.

Another tip for increasing oxygen and raising your pH levels is to do some deep breathing. Practice breathing deep down into your belly as often as you can, whenever you have a quiet moment in the office or at home. Cardiovascular exercise or even a brisk walk also encourages deeper breathing.

How do I test my pH level?

You can test your pH level with a pH test kit, available at your nearest health food store or Amazon.com.

Which foods are Acid-forming and Alkaline-forming?

Alkaline-forming foods

These are the foods that will promote a more alkaline pH level in your body.

These are the foods that will promote a more alkaline pH level in your body, slowing down or preventing a Candida overgrowth.

Veggies A-K	Veggies L-Z	Fruits	Grains & Legumes	Nuts & Seeds	Herbs, Spices, Oils
Alfalfa	Lettuce	Avocado	Chestnuts	Almonds	All Herbs
Asparagus	Leeks	Banana, unripe	Millet	Sesame seeds	Chili Pepper
Barley Grass	Mushrooms	Coconut, fresh	Buckwheat	Sunflower seeds	Cinnamon
Beet Greens	Mustard Greens	Lemon	Tempeh	Fennel seeds	Curry
Beets	Onions	Lime	Tofu	Caraway seeds	Ginger
Broccoli	Parsnips	Umeboshi Plums	Lima Beans	Cumin seeds	Mustard
Cabbage	Peas		Soya Beans		Sea Salt
Carrot	Peppers		Lentils		Olive Oil
Cauliflower	Pumpkin				Borage Oil
Celery	Radishes				Linseed (flaxseed oil)
Chard Greens	Rutabaga				Evening Primrose Oil
Chlorella	Sea Veggies
Collard Greens	Spinach, green
Cucumber	Spirulina
Dandelions	Sprouts
Dulce	Sweet Potatoes
Edible Flowers	Turnip
Eggplant	Tomatoes
Garlic	Watercress
Green Beans	Wheat Grass
Green Peas	Wild Greens
Horseradish	Zucchini
Kale
Kohlrabi

Acid-forming Foods

These are the foods that will promote a more acidic pH level in your body, which can create a breeding ground for Candida. Scroll down for the second part of the table.

Fruits	Grains & Legumes	Nuts & Seeds	Animal Protein	Vegetables
Apple	Amaranth	Cashews	All animal products	Corn
Apricot	Barley	Hazelnuts	Eggs	Olives
Banana Berries	Hemp Seed Flour	Macadamia	Dairy
Blackberries	Kamut	Peanuts	Fish
Cantaloupe	Oats and Oatmeal	Pecans	Poultry
Currants	Quinoa	Pumpkin	Meat
Dates, dried	Rye	Walnut	Game
Figs, dried	Spelt
Grapes	Wheat and flour
Grapefruit	Black Beans
Honeydew Melon	Chick Peas
Nectarine	Kidney Beans
Orange	Pinto Beans
Peach	Red Beans
Pear	Rice Milk
Pineapple	White Beans
Raisins
Raspberries
Rhubarb
Strawberries
Tangerine
Tropical Fruits
Watermelon

Fats & Oils	Condiments	Beverages	Sweets
Avocado Oil	Ketchup	Beer	Artificial Sweeteners
Butter	Mayonnaise	Wine	Barley Malt Syrup
Canola Oil	Mustard	Liquors	Brown Rice Syrup
Corn Oil	Soy Sauce	Coffee	Chocolate
Hemp Seed Oil	Vinegar	Tea (black)	Fructose
Safflower Oil			Honey
Sesame Oil			Malt Sweetener
Sunflower Oil			Molasses
			White Sugar