Body pH balance and the alkaline diet - was it just a passing fad or does it offer transformative benefits for wellbeing?
When Water for Health started trading in 2007 one of the hot topics as far as health was concerned was body pH balance. It was seen as the ideal way to help protect the body against disease, to improve energy levels, to promote healthy weight loss and many other benefits.
Unfortunately, over the last decade body acid alkaline balance has largely taken a back seat. However, I still consider it to be as important now, if not even more important, as it was then.
Our bodies function optimally when we live in balance. Asian cultures understand this better than Western medicine. In fact, a lot of Asian approaches to health focus on balance.
Read on to learn more about pH levels and how to achieve optimum balance.
What is Body pH Balance?
When we talk about body pH balance we are talking about the pH of the blood and the tissues. The body has wonderful mechanisms to keep pH in balance. The blood pH should ideally be 7.36 or within a very narrow band of 7.30 to 7.45. If the pH deviates outside this very narrow band the body is more susceptible to disease, partially as this leads to lower levels of oxygen transfer. Although there are a number of mechanisms to help keep the body in balance, modern living puts a huge stress on the body’s buffering systems. As a consequence the pH of the blood can deviate outside the ideal range, normally towards acidity.
One point that is not commonly appreciated is that you can get significant variations in the interstitial fluids around the cells. Acidity can be higher in certain areas where there is a weakness. Scanning the body using electron interstitial scanning can highlight areas of increased acidity due to disease or prolonged inflammation.
Symptoms of Excess Acidity in the Body
One of the best books for the layperson that deals with body pH balance is called ‘In Balance for Life’ by Alex Guerrero whose background is in Traditional Chinese Medicine. In it he gives an extensive list of diseases that he understands from his research are due to imbalanced body pH balance. Of particular note were allergies, arthritic conditions, malignancies, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, fatigue, osteoporosis, kidney disease, respiratory disease, skin problems and weight gain. Poor pH balance is also a contributing factor to digestive problems as it is important for the gut environment. Without a properly balanced gut environment the healthy bacteria there will struggle to fulfil their vital functions for our health.
Lifestyle and nutrition choices are the prime contributors to excess acidity in the body. As well as poor dietary choices, prolonged stress is extremely acidifying on the body as it results in the production of biochemicals that push our body towards acidity. Pathogenic bacteria residing in the body metabolise foods and dump their toxic metabolites in the body which are highly acidic.
Looking for More Energy and Improved Immune Function?
If you are fatigued, struggling with ongoing immune issues, or looking to stop or reverse chronic disease then it is very good approach to follow a more alkaline diet and lifestyle to assess its impact on the body. Most people report that their energy begins to improve after a couple of weeks, which is often the catalyst to encourage continuation. If you are looking to reduce excess weight, then pursuing an alkaline diet is a healthy approach to proper sustainable balance.
From a dietary perspective it is best to eliminate sugar, processed foods, dairy products and reduce meat consumption. Instead eat a higher vegetable diet, particularly green vegetables which are very alkalising.
First Line of Approach - Drink Alkaline, Antioxidant Water with Good Structure
One of the most important things you can do to help better body pH balance is to drink adequate amounts of clean, alkaline, antioxidant water with good structure. This will help to flush out acidic toxins from the body. You can find suitable options at our Water Filter Systems Page.
Alkaline Supplements to Support Body pH Balance
There are a range of supplement products that can be particularly helpful. Most people find it difficult to consume adequate amounts of green vegetables. However Green Superfood Blends are a very useful alternative. Products such as Green Vibrance Powder gives you a concentrated blend of dehydrated powdered vegetables combined with other ingredients to give you a nutrient dense shake. You can take it mixed with water, juice or your favourite smoothie.
Alkaline minerals are vitally important to support the body’s pH balance. Sadly, our diets are becoming deficient and we are forced to supplement. Products such as Trace Mineral Complex offer a twin benefit. This formulation of naturally occurring fulvic and humic acids is a great source of trace minerals which are good for pH balance. The fulvic and humic acids are alkalising when metabolised.
Omega 3’s are also very important for proper balance. This is another nutrient that is sadly lacking in the majority of people’s diets. Fish oils such as UnoCardio 1000 and UnoCardio X2 are very good clean sources of Omega 3. If you are vegan there are now vegan alternatives to fish oils.
In Conclusion
If you are struggling with fatigue, or any of the disease issues already mentioned, I would strongly suggest that you consider improving body pH balance. Often it can make a fairly transformative difference to wellbeing.
Written by Roddy Macdonald, Founder of Water for Health Ltd
Water for Health Ltd began trading in 2007 with the goal of positively affecting the lives of many. We still retain that mission because we believe that proper hydration and nutrition can make a massive difference to people’s health and quality of life. Click here to find out more.
Leave a comment