Find Your pH Balance - Find Your Health

Many people are familiar with testing the pH (potential hydrogen) of their drinking water. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. In general, water with a pH less than 7 is considered acidic and a pH greater than 7 is considered basic or alkaline. When a solution is neither acid nor alkaline it has a pH of 7 which is neutral. The measurement of alkalinity and pH is needed to determine the corrosivity of the water. In general, water with a low pH (less than 6.5) could be acidic, soft, and corrosive, while water with a pH greater than 8.5 could indicate that the water is hard. Hard water does not pose a health risk, but can cause aesthetic problems. These problems include the formation of a "scale" or precipitate on piping and fixtures.  Alkaline water can have an alkali flavor which may cause coffee to taste bitter, but it is safe to drink.

Our bodies, too, require a pH balance in order to preserve our health. Most people who suffer from unbalanced pH are in the acidic range. This acidity is not referring to stomach acid or the pH of the stomach. It is referring to the pH of the body's fluids and tissues. An unbalance in the body's pH level forces the body to borrow minerals—including calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium—from vital organs and bones, to buffer or neutralize the acid and safely remove it from the body. This borrowing of minerals to neutralize high acidity causes the body to suffer severe and prolonged damage and may go undetected for years.

Mild acidosis can cause such problems as immune system deficiency, chronic fatigue, slow digestion resulting in weight gain and even obesity, yeast infections, bladder and kidney conditions, osteoporosis and joint pain with lactic acid build up in the muscles and even constriction of the blood vessels resulting in a reduction of oxygen and ultimately cardiovascular damage. Some hormone imbalances are related to acidosis as well.

Severe acidosis, naturally, can cause much more serious conditions and/or illnesses.

Acidosis is very common in our society today, mostly due to the diet we eat, which is far too high in animal products like meat, eggs and dairy, which are acid producing,  and far too low in foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, which are alkaline producing.  Additionally, we eat acid-producing processed foods like white flour and sugar and drink acid-producing beverages like coffee, soft drinks, sweetened juices, beer and liquor. We use too many drugs, which are acid-forming; and we use artificial chemical sweeteners which are extremely acid-forming. It is interesting to note that mild acidosis can cause diabetes and yet the diabetic patient is encouraged by the medical profession to use artificial sweeteners as a sugar replacement which have the highest acidity level of all sweeteners.

You may test the pH level in your body in two different ways.

• Urine testing may indicate how well your body is excreting acids and assimilating minerals, especially calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium. The urine is the perfect way for the body to remove any excess acids or alkaline substances that cannot be neutralized. If the average urine pH is below 6.5 self poisoning due to acid accumulation in the body exists and attention should be given to lowering acid levels.
• Saliva testing may indicate the activity of digestive enzymes in the body which are primarily manufactured by the stomach, liver and pancreas. A saliva pH below 6.5 indicates that the body may be producing too many acids or may not be adequately removing the acids through the urine. If the saliva pH over 6.8, the body may reflect it in conditions such as excess gas, constipation and production of yeast, mold and fungus.

It is recommended that you test your pH levels to determine if your body's pH needs immediate attention. By using pH test strips, you can determine your pH factor quickly and easily in the privacy of your own home. If your urinary pH fluctuates between 6.0 to 6.5 in the morning and between 6.5 and 7.0 in the evening, your body is functioning within a healthy range. If your saliva stays between 6.5 and 7.5 all day, your body is functioning within a healthy range. The best time to test your pH is about one hour before a meal and two hours after a meal. It is recommended that the pH test be done two days a week.

If you find that your pH levels are out of balance, you should seek the advice of a medical professional, who believes in healing through diet, that can help get you back to a more balanced state.

One of the best things we can do to correct an overly-acidic body is to balance our diet and lifestyle. Our body is able to assimilate minerals and nutrients properly only when its pH is balanced. It is, therefore, possible for you to be taking healthy nutrients and yet be unable to absorb or use them if your body in is an unbalanced pH state.
The following chart helps to categorize foods into alkaline or acidic categories. Note that a food's acid or alkaline-forming tendency in the body has nothing to do with the actual pH of the food itself. For example, lemons are very acidic, however the end-products they produce after digestion and assimilation are very alkaline so lemons are alkaline-forming in the body. Likewise, meat will test alkaline before digestion but it leaves very acidic residue in the body so, like nearly all animal products, meat is very acid-forming.

Sweeteners

Most Alkaline - Stevia, Alkaline - Maple Syrup, Rice Syrup, Lowest Alkaline - Raw, Honey, Raw Sugar, Lowest Acid - Processed Honey, Molasses, Acid - White Sugar, Brown Sugar, Most Acid - Nutra Sweet, Equal, Aspartame, Sweet 'N Low

Fruits

Most Alkaline - Lemons, Watermelon, Limes, Grapefruit, Mangoes, Papayas, Alkaline - Dates, Figs, Melons, Grapes, Kiwi, Blueberries, Apples, Pears, Raisins, Lowest Alkaline - Oranges, Bananas, Cherries, Pineapple, Peaches, Avocados, Lowest Acid - Plums, Processed Fruit Juices, Acid - Sour Cherries, Rhubarb, Most Acid - Blackberries, Cranberries, Prunes

Beans, Vegetables, Legumes

Most Alkaline - Asparagus, Onions, Vegetable Juices, Parsley, Raw Spinach, Broccoli, Garlic, Alkaline - Okra, Squash, Green Beans, Beets, Celery, Lettuce, Zucchini, Sweet Potato, Carob, Lowest Alkaline - Carrots, Tomatoes, Fresh Corn, Mushrooms, Cabbage, Peas, Potato Skins, Olives, Soybeans, Tofu, Lowest Acid - Cooked Vegetables, Kidney Beans, String Beans, Acid - Potatoes (Skinless), Pinto Beans, Navy Beans, Lima Beans, Most Acid - Chocolate

Nuts and Seeds

Alkaline - Almonds, Lowest Alkaline - Chestnuts, Lowest Acid - Pumpkin Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Acid - Pecans, Cashews, Most Acid - Peanuts, Walnuts

Oils

Most Alkaline - Olive Oil, Alkaline - Flax Seed Oil, Lowest Alkaline - Canola Oil, Lowest Acid - Corn Oil

Grains and Cereals

Lowest Alkaline - Amaranth, Millet, Wild Rice, Quinoa, Lowest Acid - Sprouted Wheat Bread, Spelt, Brown Rice, Acid - White Rice, Corn, Buckwheat, Oats, Rye, Most Acid - Wheat, White Flour, Pastries, Pasta

Meats

Lowest Acid - Venison, Cold Water Fish, Acid - Turkey, Chicken, Lamb, Most Acid - Beef, Pork, Shellfish

Eggs and Dairy

Alkaline - Breast Milk, Lowest Alkaline - Soy Cheese, Soy Milk, Goat Milk, Goat Cheese, Whey, Lowest Acid - Eggs, Butter, Yogurt, Buttermilk, Cottage Cheese, Acid - Raw Milk, Most Acid - Cheese, Homogenized Milk, Ice Cream

Beverages

Most Alkaline - Herb Teas, Lemon, Water, Alkaline - Green Tea, Lowest Alkaline - Ginger Tea, Lowest Acid - Tea (Black), Acid - Coffee, Most Acid - Beer, Soft Drinks, Liquor, Sweetened Juices

The secret to good health is to balance your alkaline and acidic intake to maintain a pH level as close to 6.5 and 7 as possible.

Learn more about maintaining or recovering your health by reading

• http://hubpages.com/hub/Exercise-For-Wellness

• http://hubpages.com/hub/Striving-For-Wellness