Alkalising is the new “buzz” word going around. You may have heard of it, you may have read about it, you may even be doing it. So what is Alkalising and what is all the fuss?
- pH is the number used to determine the acid /alkaline balance of something be it water, soil or our body.
- In the body the ideal pH is around 7.38. Anything over is acidic and under is alkaline.Some parts of the body need to be acidic to function such as the stomach (which has digestive acids).
- All sorts of bugs thrive in acid conditions including cancer, diabetes and even high blood pressure. A system that is too acidic will cause the body to go into overdrive, leech minerals from other areas which in turn can leave you feeling tired, bloated and sick as the body works hard to compensate for the high acidic load. Your body actually needs these mineral to function optimally so an alkaline diet can give your body a reserve of minerals to make up for the ones that inevetably have to be lost even in the healthiest person.
- An easy way to test your own pH is get some pH test strips from pharmacy or health shop and test your second pee of the morning before food. But don’t be fooled if the pH is great on first reading. The body could be in a state of compensating for a high acidic meal you recently consumed and this can give a false positive so keep a record of your readings over 1 week to get an accurate pH number.
THE EFFECTS OF TOO MUCH ACID
- Lack of energy / fatigue
- Weight gain
- Muscle aches and pains
- Frequent colds and flu
- Nasal congestion and excess mucus production
- Anxiety and irritability
- Poor digestion
- If your body is already out of balance with illness such as increased body inflammation, soft tissue degeneration or bone loss, an increased pH can results in an increase in pain and damage to body tissues. You can obviously see the cycle here.
WHAT ACIDIC THINGS CAN AFFECT US?
- Our western diet and lifestyle is loaded with foods and stresses that are ACIDIC. The chart below can give an idea of how our diets are loaded with acidic foods.
- The problem is not so much eating these acidic foods as eating more acidic food than alkalising foods. A good ratio to aim for is 60%alkaline and 40%acid foods.
- The body also has a lot of naturally occurring acidic waste that is a byproduct of normal body function (such as breathing) so when we also overload on acidic foods our bodies freak out and work super hard to correct the imbalance the acidic food has caused.
- Anger, exercise, drugs, cigarettes and stress all cause acidic environments in our body and these are rampant in most peoples life.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP OUR BODIES TO GET A LITTLE MORE ALKALINE LOVE AND THEREFORE INCREASE OUR ENERGY AND WELL BEING?
- The top dog is Chlorophyll. This is the part that makes the plant green. It sucks the sunshine and feeds the plant. It is the plants blood and it is loaded with magnesium. It is a powerful blood builder and great at alkalising our bodies.
- Where do we get Chlorophyll? A supplement will do the job but the best place is green vegetables. All kinds. Kale, broccoli, spinach, asparagus, leeks, green olive, snow peas and the list goes on. Green + vegetable = alkalising. But you might think you could never eat enough of these puppies to get much benefit.
- Well lets start with juicing. If you invest in any appliance a juicer is the one you need. (of course this is just my opinion but really you can’t go wrong). Juicing is great way to get an amount of alkalising green veggies that will be of great benefit.
- Stress Less. Meditate more. Move your body as much as you can. Get walking and KEEP walking. Do it daily to see instant benefits.
- Walking is the first thing I ensure all my clients are doing. Everyone has an excuse! Just walk even if it just around the block 5-10 minutes. This is better than nothing, but realistically most people can pull off a 30 minute walk no worries. It is about prioritising in life.
- I guarantee you after 1 month of walking a few times a week and green juicing daily you will feel amazing. No pill can replicate these 2 simple steps to losing weight and feeling great.
- The more alkaline foods you eat the less you have to worry about ageing, allergies and your health. Although any changes in the acid to alkaline food list will benefit you. Making lifestyle changes to eat foods that are more alkaline with every meal (the 60/40 rule) eliminates the need to diet.
- CASE STUDY: My sister is a chronic dieter. After having her first child she was compaining of the weight she had gained. I had talked to her about making lifestyle changes to her diet and activities however it was a melanoma diagnosis (stage 1) last month that made her sit up and pay attention. In one month of juicing and increasing her alkaline foods at each meal along with moderate exercise she feels great, has lost weight and is glowing.
- We all have a motivation we just need to seriously consider it before we get a serious wake up call.
- Lastly you need to consider portion control. I will chat more about his later as it is a whole blog unto itself. As an example an avocado is a great food full of good fats however if you snack on heaps of avocado you inevitably give your body excess calories that it needs to store somewhere. Then these excess calories need to be deposited somewhere and so your fat cells put up their hand. I have seen this in life often, a client can’t understand why they are doing all the right things but not shifting weight. AKA excess calories of any kind = excess body fat = unhealthy you.
- So the key is small meals containing 60%-80% alkaline foods often, drink plenty of filtered water and enjoy your body in optimal health.
For more information there is a lot of great resources on Alkalising out there. A favorite of mine is Kris Carrs Crazy Sexy website and the Acid/Alkaline diet for optimal health by Christopher Vasey. xx
Alkalising green smoothie
Banana, Full fat / almond milk, 500ml filtered water , 2 teaspoons Barley Grass powder, fruit (I use 1 banana, 1 pear and 2 dates), leafy greens (1 use a mix of silverbeet, spinach and dandelion tops)
The smoothies and juices you make are only limited by your imagination and what is in your garden or fridge! You don’t actually taste the greens in this smoothie. I dare you to try it.
I am new to the marketing world. My background is as a Naturopath and a Nutritionalist but I am fascinated by marketing. It is something I NEED to use to run any of my successful businesses. When I found this opportunity to work with Better Womens Network and tap into the wonderful generous women who also work at BWN I was stoaked and did not hesitate. So far I have definitely not been disappointed. There is more than enough information to keep me working 24/7 on my marketing skills.
Energise, Nourish and Achieve. These are three things I constantly strive for. I am passionate about health, movement and living life fully (this third aspect is sometimes compromised by running a household of 3 young children and a teenage husband) but I try.
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