Many doctors and nutritionists believe that an acidic environment in tissues, caused by prolonged intake of unhealthy foods, weakens all body cells and leads to numerous diseases.
Excessive acidity forces the body to borrow minerals such as calcium, sodium, potassium, and magnesium from vital organs and bones to reduce and neutralize acidity and remove it from the body. Substances are classified as acidic (like lemon) or alkaline (like soap) based on their taste.
If a substance’s pH level is below 7, it is considered acidic; if it is above 7, it is alkaline. Water has a pH of 7 and is considered neutral. This value is measured on a scale from 0 to 14. Our body is slightly alkaline, with this pH level being optimal for maintaining health and proper bodily function. An imbalance can lead to numerous health problems, both physical and psychological. Water is the most prevalent component of the human body, making up 70% of the organism. It is not surprising that the body’s pH balance is maintained when the pH level ranges from 6 to 7.5. It is important to note that this is not about stomach acid and stomach pH, but about the pH of bodily fluids and tissues.
The most common cause of an acidic state in the body is an improper diet. More and more people are adopting a Western-type diet that includes large amounts of meat, eggs, milk, and dairy products, foods rich in white flour and sugar, large quantities of carbonated beverages, and small amounts of fresh vegetables and fruits. The disruption of the body’s pH balance is also significantly contributed to by increasingly prevalent medications, artificial sweeteners, and preservatives in daily life. A general guideline for meal preparation is: 25-30% acidic foods and 70-75% alkaline foods (if some foods disrupt digestion or cause allergies, they can be excluded). Also, try to reduce stress in the body in every possible way. pH is fundamental to the body’s functioning; establishing an optimal pH level creates a foundation for the recovery of all other ailments and damages in the body.
You can perform a simple test at home to determine if your body’s pH levels are balanced. When assessing the body’s condition, urine and saliva are tested. The optimal morning pH factor for urine and saliva is 7.0. Anything below this is considered metabolic acidity. If the urinary pH factor is below 6.4, the body cannot assimilate vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Using pH test strips, check the pH of your urine and saliva. If the morning urine pH is between 6.0 and 6.5, and in the evening between 6.5 and 7.0, your body functions within a healthy range. If your saliva’s pH remains between 6.5 and 7.5 throughout the day, your body is also functioning within a healthy range. The best time to test your pH levels is one hour before and two hours after meals, twice a week. Urine pH indicates how well your body assimilates minerals, especially calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium (as they are acidic buffers used by the body to control acid levels). Saliva pH is an indicator of digestive enzyme activity, particularly liver and stomach function.
If you’re unsure what to eat to balance your pH levels, we’ve prepared a sample recipe for a delicious smoothie that’s ready in just a few minutes! Ingredients:
Lemon, watermelon
Asparagus, melon, red pepper, celery, figs, fruit juices, grapes (sweet), kiwi, mango, papaya, parsley, pears (sweet), pineapple, raisins, seaweed, seedless grapes (sweet), umeboshi plums, vegetable juices, watercress
Clover sprouts, apples (sour), apples (sweet), apricots, avocado, ripe bananas, fresh beans, beets, bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, carob, cauliflower, currants, dates, fresh figs, garlic, fresh ginger, grapefruit, less sweet grapes, sour grapes, guava, leafy green herbs, leafy green lettuce, pale green lettuce, nectarines, oranges, peaches (less sweet), peaches (sweet), less sweet pears, fresh peas, less sweet peas, potatoes (with skin), less sweet pumpkin, sweet pumpkin, raspberries, sea salt, squash, strawberries, fresh sweet corn, beets, apple cider vinegar
Almonds, artichokes, Brussels sprouts, cherries, dried chestnuts, fresh coconut, raw cow’s milk and whey, cucumbers, eggplant, eggs, raw goat’s milk and whey, raw honey, leeks, margarine, mushrooms, neutral butter (fresh), oils (excluding olive oil), ripe olives, onions, homemade pickles, poultry (white meat), raw radishes, sea salt, sesame, dried soybeans, soy cheese, soy milk, spices, sprouted grains, tofu, less sweet tomatoes, sweet (unsalted) tomatoes, vinegar, nutritional yeast flakes, plain yogurt
Adzuki beans, green bananas, barley (rye), golden beans, dried coconut, fructose, blueberries, bran, butter, (unrefined) cereals, cheeses, (unrefined rye) crackers, cranberries, goat’s milk, pasteurized honey, ketchup, kidney, unprocessed maple syrup, homogenized milk, molasses, most nuts, mustard, oats (rye), pickled olives, whole-grain pasta, dough, plums, popcorn (with salt and/or butter), potatoes, plums, rice (basmati and brown), wheat, seeds (pumpkin, soy sauce, sunflower), sprouted organic wheat
Artificial sweeteners, beef, beer, bread, brown sugar, carbonated soft drinks, refined cereals, chocolate, cigarettes and tobacco, coffee, flour cream (unrefined), cream (with white sugar), venison, medications, fish, white wheat flour, sugary fruit juices, jam, jelly, lamb, liqueurs, processed maple syrup, white pasta, cakes and pastries made with white flour, store-bought pickles, pork, dark meat poultry, white sugar, refined and ionized table salt, black tea, white bread, processed white vinegar, food made with whole wheat, wine, sweetened yogurt
