: Natures Clinicals Wellbeing by World Organics :

Lower Acidity Through Diet

• What are the symptoms of over -acidity
• Factors which increase body acidification
• How to test your pH
• How do I lower acidity through diet?
• Additional measures to promote alkalization
• Meal suggestions

What are the symptoms of over-acidity

General exhaustion, touchy, sensitive.
Muscle aches and pains, ‘heaviness’ in the limbs
Migraines/headaches, poor sleep.
Indigestion, ulcers, frequent sighing.
Water retention, low immune system.
Very low blood pressure, low blood sugar episodes.
Strong perspiration, foul-smelling stools.
Burning sensation in the anus or mouth.
Teeth sensitivity to acidic, hot or cold foods.

Factors which increase body acidification

High protein diets
Poor food digestion
Constipation
Tobacco smoking
Stress, noise, nervous tension
Excessive exercise
Low alkaline mineral intake
Acidic minerals, e.g. chlorine, phosphorus, sulphur
Medications and drugs function best in an alkaline state. Acids have a corrosive nature and can irritate tissues which they come in contact with, causing inflammation, burning, tissue hardening or redness. For example, skin irritations form acidic sweat, urinary burning, arthritis and colitis (bowel).

How to test your pH

This can be done by measuring your urinary pH with litmus paper, purchased form chemist. Keep a record for four to five consecutive days of four pH readings.. the first urination on waking, the second urination in the morning, before lunch and before dinner. The day’s first urination should be acidic with all the acids accumulated overnight being eliminated, but the other three readings are representative of your body’s pH.

A pH between 7-7.5 is normal and what you are aiming for.
A reading for 6-6.5 indicates a slight degree of acidification.
A pH of below 6 indicates extreme acidity of the internal environment. Consistent readings of this range, require immediate measures to reduce your acid intake and to eliminate excess acids. See below.
A pH above 7.5 usually occurs when someone’s diet is particularly alkaline.

What about alkalines?

They are ‘gentle’, non-corrosive elements. Alkaline minerals include calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium and iron, which are used to neutralise acids in the body and found particularly in most vegetables, fruits, sprouts and almonds. Eating predominantly alkaline foods has been shown to help decrease the craving for cigarettes, alcohol and sugar, and hence make it easier to give up addictive substances.

How do I lower acidity through diet?

Start the day with fresh lemon juice in a full glass of warm water.
Drink at least 8-10 glasses of unchlorinated water each day.
Ensure that each meal and snack contains alkaline forming foods – never just acidifying foods.
Ideally work on a 70 to 30 percent rule, so that you are including more alkaline than acid-forming foods at each meal or snack.
If your pH test shows that you have a very acidic internal environment, this percentage of alkaline foods should be higher. However, do not eliminate protein completely.

Additional measures to promote alkalization

Teas of kidney supporting herbs or plants, e.g. black currant, artichoke, cranberry and golden rod. Artemis have a ‘Kidney Tea’ sold in health food stores.
Saunas, hot thermal baths or a weekly hot Epsoms salts (1 cup) a sea salt (1/2 cup) bath, for 20-30 minutes.
Do not use antiperspirants which block acid elimination in sweat. Use natural deodorants from health stores.
Aerobic exercise to stimulate deeper breathing and promote sweating. A daily 30-minutes walk outdoors is ideal.
Promote good bowel movements (at least twice a day) with high fibre foods and plenty of pure water.
If your urine pH is consistently below 6, you should accompany a highly alkaline diet with a course of an alkaline supplement treatment. Products available at health food stores, include barley grass, alfalfa, Nat Phos. Tissue Salts No 10. for other suggestion see your natural health practitioner.
Chew food thoroughly and if you have been experiencing poor digestion (e.g. indigestion, bloating, stomach heaviness after me you should take a digestive support supplement.
Multivitamin and mineral supplements are helpful to provide nutrients important for detoxification and to replace minerals use for acid buffering.
Vitamin C should be taken in a buffered form (an ascorbate not ascorbic acid).
Depending on the individual and level of acidity, it can take six months to two years to be alkalized. The urine test can be used assess progress.

Meal suggestions

Use the food chart to help create well-balanced meals. Here are some suggestions:

Breakfast

Fresh fruit salad with low fat, plain bio-yoghurt, seeds and chopped almond.
Whole grain bread with almond butter; sliced avocado or goat’s cheese and cucumber.

Lunch

Home-made vegetable soup with quinoa, millet or wild rice.
Mixed salad with some chicken, salmon, hummus or cottage cheese with parsley and chives.

Dinner

Stir fried vegetables with chicken or lean beef strips; fish or tofu, on brown rice.
Baked fish fillet with lemon, home-made baked kumara chips and salad.

Snacks

Fruit with some almonds.
Smoothie from fruit, yoghurt, almonds and water to thin.
Vegetables sticks with hummus.

NB When you change the diet to more alkaline-forming foods and supplements, tissue acid wastes start to mobilize into the general circulation to be eliminated. This may cause hot and cold fluctuations, sweating, diarrhoea, diarrhea and body aching. It is important to keep up good water.

	Acid Forming		Alkaline Forming
Food Category
Fruit	High	Slightly	Slightly	High
	Supher treated	Blueberries	Cherries	Dried Figs
	Dried Apricots	Cranberries	Grapes	Raisins
	Prunes	Plums	Kiwifruit	Melons
		Coconut	Oranges	Mangos
		Rhubarb	Bananas	Papaya
			Peaches	Limes/Lemons
			Pears	Sweet Apples
			strawberries
Nuts/seds/Oils	Oliver in bline	Green Olives	Black olives in oil	Almonds
	Vnegar	Pinenuts	Dates	Pumpkin seeds
	walnuts	Pecans	Chestnuts
	Hazelnuts	Pistachios	Most seeds
		Most seed/nut oils	Flax seed oil
Vegetables	Pickles	Tomatoes	Cauliflower	Olive oil
		Eggplants	Artichokes	Salad greens/herb
			Avocado	Cabbages
			Onion/garlic	Broccoli
			Peppers	Beetroot
			Leeks	Seaweeds
			Pumpkin	Carrots
			Potatoes with skin	Celery
			Asparagus	Kumara
			Corn	Zuchini
			Amaranth
			Arrowroot Flour
			Millet
			Quinoa
Grains/Cereals	White rice	Brown rice	Corn
	White pasta	Rye	Amaranth
	Wheat	Spelt	Arrowroot flour
	Pastries	Buckwheat	Millet
	White/yeast bread	Oats	Quinoa
	Sweetened cereals	Wholegain pasta
		Wholegrain/yeast free
		Bread
		Soaked wholegrain
		Cereals
Beans/Legumes	Red beans	Aduki beans	Fresh green beans
	Broad beans	Navy & white beans	Bean sprout
	Chickpeas	Lentils
	Soya beans	Tofu/Tempeh
Non-Dairy	Rice milk		Soya milk
			Almond milk
Dairy	Homogenised milk	Pasteurised milk	Raw whole milk
	Ice cream	Plain bio-yoghurt	Goats milk/cheese
	Matured pasteurised	Fresh cheeses	Fresh raw butter
			Fresh cottage cheese
Sweetners	White/brown sugar	Maple syrup	Raw honey
	Sweeteners	Processed honey
Venegars	Most Venegars	Balsamic venegar	Apple cider vinegar
Eggs	Whole eggs		Egg yolks
Meats	Animal meats	Carbonated water
	Lobster, shrimps	Black tea	Flat nineral water
Drinks	Chlorinated water		Green tea	Herbs teas
	Coffee		Fresh vegetable juices	Fresh lemon water
	Soft drinks		Fresh fruit juices
	Cocoa		Fresh ginger tea
	Alchohol