Acid/Alkaline Balance
When the body is too acidic as a result of acid forming foods, high fat, mucus forming foods, and toxic food residues, disease and infections proliferate. This is especially true in cases of arthritis and rheumatic situations. If your body is frequently in an acidic state, you will tend to suffer from fatigue, emotional stress, aches and pains, frequent infections, and have digestive problems and allergies.
An alkalizing diet is one in which 65% of our food intake should come from alkaline-based foods like fruits (except for plums and prunes), green-leafy vegetables and other vegetables, and tubers (root vegetables). These foods help to alkalinize the blood and other tissue fluids in our body. The other 35% of our food intake can come from acid-producing foods like cereals, dairy, eggs and meat, though very acid-forming foods such as refined sugars, soft drinks, caffeine and alcohol are best cut out altogether. And we do well to drink plenty of the neutral water.
The main goal of an alkalizing diet is balanced eating in order to avoid acidosis. When acidosis occurs, our blood reduces its ability to deliver oxygen to the cells and eliminate carbon dioxide from the body. When we reduce the alkalinity of our blood, it creates symptoms like hunger, heartburn, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, headache and drowsiness. Acidosis is the breeding ground for many disorders, and can interfere with the way our glands and organs function. When blood becomes too acidic, our bodies pull calcium from our bones and teeth to neutralize the acid and this contributes to bone loss or osteoporosis. Also, cancer cells prefer highly acidic environments and do not do well in healthy, alkaline environments.
The correct ratio of acid and alkaline forming foods is difficult to difficult to determine for every individual since the balance is altered by chewing, food preparation, individual lifestyle, genetics, exercise, and mental outlook. However, those prone to infections, viruses, excess mucus problems and other toxic acidic conditions need to increase their alkaline diet.
In general, fruits, vegetables, lentils, seeds, sprouts, roots, and tubers are healthfully alkalinizing, while grains, grasses, fowl, fish, seafood, dairy products, meats, and most beans are acidifying. Here's information about testing for acidosis and a list of the acid-producing and alkaline-producing foods, to help you plan a balanced and healthy diet...
Food pH List - Balancing Acid/Alkaline Foods.