Acid and Alkaline

What are acid and alkaline?

God created the cells in our bodies to function in a certain chemical state. Our bodies should contain both acid and alkaline in a perfect balance for us to maintain good health. All fluids of the body are alkaline except stomach acid. A simple example will help you to understand what the difference is between acid and alkaline. Biocarbonate of soda (baking soda) is alkaline; it can neutralize the burning effects of strong acid. Vinegar is acid; it can neutralize the corrosive effects of very strong alkalis. An abundance of either acid or alkaline in your body can cause tissue damage and pain. Alkaline substances that naturally occur in your body are weak and acids that are produced are relatively strong. The scale when testing the PH (what level of acid or alkaline) of urine or blood runs from the numbers 0-14. A proper balance of PH in urine would be a score of 6.0 and for blood it would be 7.4.

Why does it matter?

As mentioned previously, an overabundance in your body of either acid or alkaline is unhealthy and can lead to death eventually. But, on a more practical level, we need to understand how it affects our day to day life and health. The more common problem in our country is Acidosis or an overabundance of acid in our bodies. Acid creates inflammation which in turn causes disease. When our bodies are acidic, they naturally pull calcium from our bones to neutralize the acid to maintain the proper PH balance. This can lead to osteoporosis. A sampling of other health problems that occur from too much acid in the body:

• Damage to arteries, veins and heart tissue

• Formation of cholesterol plaque and build up

• Disrupts blood pressure, dilates arteries

• Disrupts lipid and fatty acids which means it leads to nerve damage especially conditions such as MS and macular degeneration

• Inhibits regeneration of RNA and DNA synthesis, in other words inhibits the growth of health cells. This leads to cancer

• Inhibits oxygen getting to tissues making cell less healthy

• Inhibits life giving electrolyte activity which harms the cardiovascular system

• Accelerates aging

• Free radical damage

• Weight gain

• Diabetes

• Obesity

Weight gain and obesity happen for a variety of reasons. One reason is stress produces high cortisol levels which bump up the acid level. High acid signals a response in the body there could be an impending ‘famine’. When the body gets this signal it creates more insulin which causes the body to store more fat.

High acid PH is the core of degenerative disease: cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, Alzheimer’s, senility, immune deficiency, osteoporosis, arthritis, tooth loss, hormonal imbalances, and prostate problems.

What causes too much acid?

3 key areas which produce acid are: food, stress, and our thoughts. A food outwardly may be acidic but what is important is to know how your body processes the food and this is what makes it have an acid or alkaline effect internally. For instance, a lemon is considered acid but when used internally, it has an alkaline effect. Raw tomatoes are alkaline but cooked, they become acidic. Food charts are available which show how much acid or alkaline ash is produced by the food when processed by your body. High protein foods are very acidic and this is an easy thing to keep in mind. Stress and negative thoughts can produce more acid in the body than the foods you consume.

“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” Prov. 17:22

“A tranquil heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones.” Prov. 14:30

What can you do to keep the proper balance?

Some practical ideas for increasing the alkalinity of your body:

• Increase your water intake. Include lemon or lemon oil in your water every morning to help alkalize your body.

• Add raw fruit to your morning routine

• Eat a small salad a few minutes before dinner. This puts alkaline in your body, gives you enzymes to help with digestion and adds fiber to your diet.

• Increase your green vegetable consumption especially sea vegetables such as kelp.

• Cut back on coffee and soda/pop. The phosphorous in pop pulls calcium from your bones. Coffee is very acidifying to your body;

• Reduce your intake of acid producing foods. Limit them to 15-25% of your diet. These foods include: animal proteins (meat, dairy), wheat, refined white sugar, corn syrup, brown sugar. Raw honey and date sugar are alkaline.

• Don’t use artificial sweeteners of any kind

• Try to replace pharmaceutical drugs with natural alternatives such as Essential Oils. Antibiotics kill healthy bacteria and create an acidic intestinal environment which then allows fungi/yeast to multiply in your body.

• Spices, herbs and Essential oils are alkaline.

• Practice deep breathing techniques.

• Exercise, get outdoors

• Pray

• Spend time around positive people and be more aware of how positive or negative you respond and change the way you respond.

• Get enough sleep

How can you test your PH?

You can’t do a blood PH test but you can test your urine. Buy PH testing paper which is available at many drug stores and online. You tear off a small strip and dip it in your first morning urine. There is a chart on the side of the paper roll that you compare the strip to after a minute or so. A more thorough way of knowing what is going on in your body is to do a 3 day test. For 2 days eat highly acidic foods and test your first morning urine. If your body is using normal reserves to combat the acidity, your urine will be 5.5-5.8. If your body doesn’t have alkaline reserves it will produce ammonia which is highly alkaline (9.25). Your urine would then test at a high alkaline level above 6.0. If you have ever been around someone with terminal cancer, they smell of ammonia. This is their body trying to balance the PH to keep them alive. You need to constantly be filling your alkaline reserve so the body isn’t pulling alkaline from your bones or producing ammonia to balance your PH level.

What Young Living Products can help with your PH balance?

• YL Essential Oils used topically will neutralize the acid layer just below the skin. Then, the oil goes into the blood stream to produce the medicinal effect. This process lowers the acid effect in the whole body. If you are not getting a medicinal effect from an oil it is because the oil is working its way through the acid in the cells before it can heal. You need to increase the amount of oil you are using to get to the healing aspect. Most YL products contain EO’s which enhance the PH balancing process.

• Multigreens-a blend of several green foods including sea vegetables plus EO’s.

• Ningxia Red-grabs acidity and pulls it out. Take on an empty stomach followed by a glass of water. For more info on Ningxia Red go to www.ningxiared.com

• Peppermint-good for acid conditions such as: indigestion, arthritis. It is an anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenetic. Good for taking inflammation out of the digestive track. Rub on feet, back of neck, drink in water, ingest in capsules.

• Di-gize-ingest in capsules, in water, rub on feet, rub on stomach.

• Essentialzyme-digestive aid to release nutrition from food

• Life 9-probiotic

• Juva Power and Juva Spice-both alkaline based. They bind acid and are high in antioxidants.

• Super B’s-especially if you are under high stress

• Megacal-will increase alkaline in your stomach and replace calcium lost due to acidity

• Idaho Balsam Fir reduces cortisol levels by 20%

• Cortistop

• Alkalime-balances PH, regulates acid in the digestive system and counteracts food the turn to sugar in the body. Pulls acid from the body, may reduct heartburn and other acidic conditions. Take as needed or at night before bed.

Studies have shown disease cannot live in an alkaline environment. Work to keep your PH in balance so you can live a healthy life.

Other sources of information on this topic:

• Essential Oil Desk Reference

• Your Health Your Choice by Dr. M. Ted. Morter, Jr., M.A.

• Acid & Alkaline by Herman Aihara