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The majority of the cells, fluids and tissues of the body are slightly alkaline (approximately pH 7.3). You need to maintain the body’s pH balance to enable the body to effectively perform thousands of chemical reactions, including absorbing essential minerals, for optimal health.

 

Where the body is too acidic, the body leaches essential minerals from the bones and essential organs of the body to safely remove the acid from the body in an attempt to maintain its optimum pH level. This can lead to bone mass loss and can cause degeneration of the discs in the back over time. It can also make you: feel lethargic, moody, have aches and pains, gain weight, prone to illness and feel old before your time.

 

For further information on the Acid v Alkaline balance and its effects on the body, please see this great Wellness Works video.

 

A quick test to check whether your body is too acidic is to test either your urine or saliva using pH test strips and follow the instructions on the packaging over a period of approximately 7-10 days. A pH of above 7 is alkaline and below 7 is acidic. A pH of 7 is neutral, in other words, neither acidic nor alkaline. The optimum pH of the body is approximately 7.35 - 7.45.

 

The following foods contain the main four alkalising minerals: sodium, potassium, calcium and/or magnesium and can, therefore, help to reduce

acidity in the body and keep it healthy.

 

Alkalising Foods

 

• Green leafy vegetables – kale, salad leaves, spinach, carrot tops, endive, herbs

• Fruits – apple, banana, berries, figs, grapes, lemon, mango, melon, papaya and pineapple

• Other Foods – asparagus, cayenne pepper, fermented soy, fresh juices, sauerkraut, seaweed and yoghurt.

 

Limit acid forming foods from your diet that contain the minerals: phosphorous, sulphur and/or chlorine, such as: animal protein, processed foods, sugar, grains, peanuts, dairy products including cheese and fizzy drinks containing phosphorous.

 

A stressful lifestyle can also increase the acidity in the body, making diet even more important to control.

 

Please see the Food Target for foods so that you can choose more alkalising foods in your diet.

 

For some easy tips on how to change your diet so that it is more alkaline-forming, please see 5 tips from Kris Carr from Crazy Sexy Cancer who had to radically re-think her diet when she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at just 31 years old.