Practical Practitioner

By: Pamela Egan, FNP-C CDE

Alkalizing Foods Help Your Body Stay Healthy

MARCH 15, 2008 – Illness and disease are directly linked to overacidity in the body. Air pollution, pesticides, plastics, chemicals that are added to food & water that we consume, and stress cause the body to over produce acid wastes, upsetting our delicate alkaline/acid balance.

So you may ask, what is ph?

The body is made up of water, which allows nutrients, oxygen and biochemical’s to be transported from place to place. Our body can have either acid or alkaline properties which are measured by a graduated scale called pH (for potential hydrogen), wherein 1.0 to 6.9 is considered acidic, 7.0 is considered neutral, and 7.1 to 14.0 is alkaline. The lower the pH number, the greater the acidity, and the higher the pH number, the greater the alkalinity.

Since most of the body is water-based (60%), the pH level has extreme effects on all body chemistry, health and disease. An imbalanced pH describes the pH level of the body when it becomes too acidic for long periods of time. Extended pH imbalances of any kind are not well tolerated by the body.

Sometimes, simple positive changes to our lifestyle such as eating more alkalizing foods can lead to better overall wellness. A chemical basis of alkaline and acid-forming reactions in the body is really a very simple process and can provide a reliable way to prevent health problems or even cure disease. It is a matter of drinking water with ½ lemon vs. a soft drink. One alkalinizes the body, the other acidifies the body.

Bacteria, viruses, fungus, & cancers thrive in an acidic environment. They are not able to survive in an alkaline environment. When you change the diet to more alkaline-forming foods, and supplements, tissue acid wastes are eliminated by the lymphatic system. Toxins (like chemicals & soft drinks) that are stored in your tissues are discarded into the general circulation for removal.

Although it may go undetected for years, an imbalanced pH leads to the progression of most degenerative diseases including Cardiovascular Disease (the #1 killer in the U.S.), Cancer (the #2 killer in the U.S.), and Diabetes, as well as the never ending frustration of excessive systemic weight gain.

What are alkalizing foods? And what can we eat to become more alkaline? Most high protein foods (such as meat, fish, poultry and eggs), nearly all carbohydrates (including grains, breads and pastas) and fats are “acid-forming”. And most fruits and vegetables are “alkaline-forming.” Citrus fruits, such as oranges and grapefruit, contain organic acids and have an acid taste, they are not acid forming when metabolized, leaving no acidic residue. Amino Acids on the other hand, are not acid forming, but buffer the body to help offset acidity.

You can test your pH with Medical pH-Test Strips. Most health food stores carry these strips. When urinary pH is continuously between 6.5 in the A.M. and 7.5 by evening, you’re functioning in a healthy range. When continuously above, you’re too alkaline, and when continuously below it, your too acid. For more information read, Alkalize or Die by Dr. Theodore A. Baroody.

Pamela Egan, FNP-C, CDE is a board certified Adult & Family Nurse Practitioner, Certified Diabetes Educator & Clinical Specialist in Mental Health. She practices in Women’s Health with Kathy Posey, MD & can be reached at 985-867-1700 or www.pamelaegan.com.

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