Most of us don’t spend a lot of time (or any) thinking about our body’s’ pH level. Well why should we? What exactly is pH anyway? It kind of sounds familiar from high school science class, didn’t we test the levels of ponds or lakes in the area? And if that’s the case, how does it affect our health?
pH is actually the measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution – or in this case our body’s tissues and fluids. The pH scale ranges from 0-14, with neutral solutions (like pure water) having a pH of approximately 7, acidic solutions lower than 7, and alkaline solutions greater than 7.
Our bodies function at their peak with a level that is slightly more alkaline, with a pH of 7.35-7.45 (more alkaline). Deviation above or below this small range can actually result in illness over time.
weight loss and help prevent a lot of lifestyle diseases including cancer, heart disease
and Alzheimer’s just to mention a few!
Because you’re reading my blog, you are well aware that eating real, whole foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients are great for our bodies! The main thing we all strive for to keep our bodies happy is balance. Eating a variety of whole foods in a rainbow of colors is key to achieving balance in our bodies, and eating acid-alkaline balance of our foods is a great tool to help us get there, that 7.35-7.45 pH.
Our body tissues and blood are slightly alkaline. Stressors like poor digestion, pollution, infection, and a diet high in acidic foods (more on those later) can all lead to more acid in the body. Having too much acid in the body is harmful because the body links the extra acid to important minerals your body needs to stay healthy, and over time depletes the body of needed minerals. It also leads to acid build-up in cells. This is bad because it reduces the efficiency and effectiveness of the cells and tissues. In order to counteract and prevent this build-up of acid from occurring in our cells, it’s important to include more alkaline foods in our diet.
Use this as a guide:
Alkaline Foods:
Acidic Foods:
Bonus ways to alkalize your system:
