You are what you eat.

You know this saying.

Here I want to concentrate on

pH balance in your body.  

What Is "pH"?

The body is largely made up of water, a medium which is biologically useful in allowing nutrients, oxygen and biochemicals to be transported from place to place. This water-based medium can have either acid or alkaline properties which are measured by a graduated scale called pH (for "potential hydrogen"), wherein 1.0 to 6.9 is considered acidic, 7.0 is neutral, and 7.1

to 14.0 is alkaline. The lower the pH number, the greater the acidity, and the higher the pH number,

the greater the alkalinity.

Why Should I Be Concerned About My pH Levels?

Since most of the body is water-based (making up 50-60% of our total body weight), the pH level has profound effects on all body chemistry, health and disease. An imbalanced pH describes the pH level of the body when it becomes too acidic or too alkaline

for long periods of time. Extended pH imbalances of any kind are not well tolerated by the body. Fundamentally, all regulatory mechanisms (including breathing, circulation, digestion, hormonal production, etc.) serve the purpose of balancing pH, by removing caustic metabolized acid residues from body tissues without damaging living cells. If the pH deviates too far to the acid side or too far to the alkaline side, cells become poisoned by their own toxic waste and die.

Can An Imbalanced pH Cause Serious Problems?

Yes, especially as a person grows older! Although

it may generally go unnoticed and undetected for years, an imbalanced pH (either consistently too acid or alkaline) leads to the progression of most, if not all, degenerative diseases including Cardiovascular Disease (the #1 killer in the UK), Cancer (the #2 Killer in the UK), and Diabetes, as well as the never ending frustration of excessive systemic weight gain.

What Causes pH to Become Imbalanced?

Most diets cause an unhealthy Acid pH. In fact, DIET appears to be the major influence in maintaining appropriate pH levels throughout the body. Research shows that when food is metabolized and broken down, it leaves certain chemical and metallic residues,

a noncombustible "ash" which, when combined with our body fluids, yields either acid or alkali potentials of pH. Certain foods are "acid-forming" in nature, whereas others are known to be "alkali-forming."

Article adapted from ‘Acid Alkaline’ by Herman Aihara

Every good reflexologist will ask you about your diet.

As it was said, your diet has a major contribution

to such diseases as: cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes. People who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis

or osteoarthritis are advised to have an alkaline diet. Generally now in our diet we need more fresh fruit

and vegetables that grow locally (alkaline).

Below there is a pretty comprehensive list of acid

and alkaline foods. 

Any comments or supplements are welcome: bet@artofreflexology.co.uk 

Acid or Alkaline

Acid-Alkaline Forming Foods

Foods may be classified in relation to the metabolic process as acid alkaline. Alkali's are soluble salts and acids are corrosive agents which have trouble combining with other things. A balanced diet contains 35% acid forming foods and 65% alkaline.
 

Highly Alkaline

Mineral water, Potatoes, Bananas, Figs, Orange juice, Spinach raw, Watermelon, Dandelion Greens, Dates, Prune, Raisins, Swiss Chard.
Almonds, Avocado, Banana-Yellow, Bean Fresh, Beet, Blackberries, Carrot, Chives, Cranberries, Endive, Grapes Sour, Kale, Peach dried, Persimmon, Pomegranate, Plum, Raspberries, Spinach.

Alkaline

Apple & Fresh Apple Cider, Apricot fresh, Artichokes globe, Bamboo shoots, Bean snap, Beans sprouted, Berries most, Blueberries, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cantaloupe, Cauliflower, Celery, Cherries, Chestnuts, Chicory, Coconut Milk, Collards, Corn fresh and sweet, Cucumbers, Daikon, Eggplant, Escarole, Garlic, Ginger root, Gooseberry, Grapefruit, Guava, Horseradish fresh and raw, Kelp, Kohlrabi, Leek, Lemon and Peel, Lettuce, Lime, Loganberry, Mango, Melons, Milk raw, Acidophilus Yogurt, Whey, Goats Milk.

Neutral Oils

Cold Pressed, Expeller Pressed, Almond, Avocado, Coconut, Canola, Cottonseed, Linseed, Olive, Sesame, Soy, Sunflower, Walnut.
 

Highly Acid

Alcohol, Caffeine, Tea, Sugar, Tobacco, Drugs,

Meat: Bacon, Beef, Lamb, Pork, Veal, Liver

and other organ meats,

Poultry: Chicken, Turkey, etc.

Fish, Seafood, Shellfish

Artichoke root, Barley, Bread, Buckwheat, Wheat grain, Corn dry and products, Custards, Flour all, Ginger preserved, Honey, Lentil dry, Mate, Millet, Oatmeal, Peanuts, Rice all, Rye Grain, Soy Bread, Soy noodles, Sorghum, Grain, Spaghetti and other Pasta, Sugar Cane, Beet Raw, Nuts: Walnut, Hazel, Brazil, Pecans, etc., Gravy, Broth.

Yogurt with active cultures

Buttermilk, buttermilk pancakes and biscuits

Sour cream

Most fermented foods and aged cheeses

Acid

Chocolate, Cereals,

Dairy: Cheese, Cream, Pasteurized Milk Products,

Yoghurt; Mayonnaise,

Asparagus, Beans dried, Cashews, Coconut dried, Cranberry Juice and concentrate, Egg yolk, Filbert, Fruit Jellies (Jams Canned, Sulphured, Sugared, Dried), Grapes Sweet, Dry Peas, Plums Damson, Tofu fries, Water-chestnuts.

Acid Fats

Butter, Margarine, Lard.