Ph Acidic— is it making you sick and fat?

You probably heard by now the term Acidic and Alkaline ph — a term used now quite often to explain the relationship between the food that we eat and the chemistry it creat in our body.

I first research the topic 6 years ago while I was the scientific editor of the NY Times bestseller author, and wellness activist Kris Carr’s book; “crazy sexy diet”, (Focus Publication). In this post, I am going to explain the relationship between ph and our health, without getting too technical because it can get confusing. Nevertheless, understanding how to balance your ph is a huge advantage and, a tool for keeping your health, and youthfulness at peak performance.

What is ph?

Ph is a measure of acidity or alkalinity of a solution, measured on a scale of 0–14. The lower the ph number -the more acidic the solution is, which in turn affects how well our body functions. Here is something crucial for our understanding; the ph indicator is an exponent of 10 — therefore, a small difference in ph will translate into a big difference in our health.

For example, a difference of 1 in the ph value means ten times more acidic, and a difference of 2 -means 100 times more acidic, so when it comes to lowering our body natural ph from 7.35 to 6.9 it may look like a slight change, However at ph of 6.9 the body can no longer survive, and death occurs. In between the range of 7.34–6.9 the body loses its well-being gradually.

In this post, we will discuss a healing strategy to regain that wonderful balance that translates into radiant well-being.

Dr. Warburg — the Ph warrior

First let me introduce you Dr. Otto Warburg, a leading cell biologist — who discovered in the 1930s that the root cause of cancer is too much acidity in the body, meaning that the ph in the blood is below the normal level of 7.35–7.45. Cancer is the most extreme form of acidity, however, there are degrees that range between the spectrum of health and sickness. In other words, before becoming ill there are warning signs that your body needs help.

Some of the Symptoms can include heartburn, acid reflux, weight gain and inability to lose weight, poor metabolism and assimilation of foods, poor digestion, bloating, frequent urination, hormonal imbalance, and the list goes on. these same symptoms can be masks for years by taking generic medications, nevertheless, we can choose a different healing path by making significant lifestyle changes.

The food ph connection

The food that we eat, what we drink. the level of stress we have and the environment we are exposed to are all external factors that contribute to the formation of the acidic/alkaline environment within our body. The industrial pollution, food, dyes, waxes, preservatives, additives, artificial sweeteners, fertilizers, water, and even chloride in tap water are just some of the highly acidic chemicals that are ingested by us, without our awareness.

The principal source of acid buildup is the metabolism of waste produced as a bye- products of cellular activity-this acid must be balanced, neutralized and removed by the body buffering and detoxification systems.

So, what we eat, drink and, breath effect our internal ph. which in turns effect how we look and feel.

Food chart measuring acidity alkaline.

Once you have reviewed the above food chart it is obvious that most plant-based foods and natural foods are alkaline- forming in the body, while processed foods such as pasta, bread, beers, cakes are acidic forming. Animal products such as eggs, dairy and meat are acidic forming as well. Yes, it looks like most of the popular American Standard Diet (ASD)is acidic. Think about your typical breakfast: eggs, toasted wheat bread, cream cheese, coffee with milk, and a glass of Orange juice. Now, look up the chart.

Not great news.

So, let’s keep in mind that Natural plants based food, and good fats all support the body ideal ph which is slightly alkaline 7.35–7.45. when the body ph is slightly alkaline, it can effectively assimilate vitamins, minerals, and food supplements, as such our ph is the leading “ruler” who determines our health, well-being, how we look and feel.

What keep us alive is -Homeostasis

Luckily, our body have a natural balancing-act it is called Homeostasis- it constantly acts to balance its composition of minerals, fats, hormones and Ph, thus creating a dynamic cellular exchange, whereas the body eliminates access acidity, and replenish itself with food rich in antioxidants, minerals and oxygen. it is when our body’s mechanism can no longer cope with the overload of acidity that we start getting sick.

Getting sick and Fat

Remember the documentary “Super-Size me”? Morgan Spurlock, nearly killed himself eating a McDonald’s meal three times a day for a month, his health records were increasingly alarming, weight gain, liver dis-function, headaches, fatigue. His documentary movie demonstrates clearly how processed food (acidic) contributes to weight gain.

Within 30 days his body fat increased from 11% to 20 % body fat. In the absence of a diet rich in green leafy vegetables, fruits, grains, good fats, and minerals the body can’t carry oxygen to the cells, and other essential compounds vital for a healthy cellular. So, remember what Otto said? cancer cells thrive on Acidic environment — fortunately, Morgan diet’s experiment lasted a short time.

So, what really happens between the range of 7.35-6.9 to our body?

At first, the body tries to get rid of excess acidity through the various system -liver, kidney s and respiratory systems -once the body loses its efficiency to detoxify and eliminates the toxins, it will then store them in the fatty tissue as a measure of protection. The increase of fat tissue happens because of higher levels of acidity, as well as Insulin in the body.

Acidity disrupts Lipid and fat metabolism which leads to weight gain, diabetes, and obesity. It also increases free radicals and premature aging.

Some of my runners’ friends may dislike the fact that diet which is excessive in complex carbohydrates increases acidity in the body. they may be surprised to discover that only 20 % of the complex carbs that they eat is being converted to energy, the remaining 80% will be converted to triglycerides which can also add to build up of acidity, or in the lack of physical activity, will be stored as fat.

Furthermore, long endurance training such as Iron-man, Marathon, Tri Athlon all increase lactic-acids build -up in the body which adds to overall acidity.

The Good News put in practice -The rule of 80/20

Here is the good news -Our condition is reversible to some extent; the body has the power to heal itself if we give him the right conditions- So now that you got the facts so let’s try to design an eating strategy that can help us reach an optimal shape.

You may be familiar with the 80/20 Pareto rule in business as a guideline for how to work effectively. In a similar fashion, the 80/20 rule is a guideline for how to eat right. If you follow the 80/20 rule, where you consume 80 percent alkaline foods and only 20 percent acid-forming foods, you should see a difference in your pH balance, and how you look and feel. So, don’t worry — your pH level is not permanent. You can make smarter choices with food and learn to balance acidic foods with alkaline ones to get your whole body in optimal shape.

To maintain the alkaline balance of your blood, your meals should be made up of 80% alkaline-forming foods, like vegetables, fruits, avocado, chia seeds, flax seeds, almonds, nuts- with 20% acid-forming foods, like meat, eggs, dairy, bread, caffeine, alcohol.

How to heal your body and lose unwanted fat

• I believe that we all have an acidic metabolic condition in various degrees, so my general recommendation is to emphasize the consumption of Alkaline forming foods 70–80% Alkaline and, the rest should be acidic forming foods.
• Study the Food ph chart, so that you can become familiar with the value of the food you eat, and finally become more consciousness to what you put in your body, it is the most important thing you will ever do for yourself.
• Learn which foods are more acid or more alkaline so that you can choose balanced meals where ever you are.
• prepare daily green shake, using leafy green vegetables, sprouts together with fruits, fat such as chia, avocado or flax seed.
• Minimize alcohol, coffee, soft drink, artificial sweeteners -too acidic
• use Apple cider vinegar to balance ph. /1 spoon with a glass of water daily
• wash your veggies with sodium bicarbonate to wash out the acidic pesticides from vegetables and fruits.
• Choose exercised such as Yoga, Tai -chi, Pilates where breathing is expended.
• Reduce stress, remove toxins from your home.
• Keep a positive attitude, love yourself.