Maintaining Optimal Alkalinity: A Cornerstone of Good Health

Diet is one of the single most important factors in health and healing. The Western diet places heavy emphasis on concentrated animal proteins and processed, grain-derived carbohydrates, which have a relatively low nutritional value. This way of eating is sometimes referred to as the Standard American Diet (SAD), and produces a chronic low-grade, overly acidic state in the body, according to many well-documented studies. By understanding the impact your diet has on your overall health in terms of pH balance, you will see that an alkalizing diet can offer numerous benefits for wellness and vitality – both immediately and for the long term.

Acid/Alkaline Levels in the Body
The body, in its wondrous intelligence, maintains very specific acid/alkaline levels in its various organs, tissues and fluids. Many of the body’s key systems and organs, including the kidneys, lungs, bones and others have “homeostatic” mechanisms in place to respond to pH changes and readjust alkaline/acid levels as needed. A chronically acidic state can tax these homeostatic mechanisms that work hard to keep our systems in balance. Over acidity compromises health over time and contributes to a number of chronic degenerative conditions such as gastrointestinal issues, osteoporosis, kidney disease, muscle wasting, and many others. For example, bone is called upon repeatedly to help buffer an over acidic environment, and thus becomes de-mineralized because the alkaline minerals calcium and magnesium are continuously removed from the bone to help the body adjust acidity back toward a more alkaline state.

What Exactly is “pH”?
This term refers to the “potential of hydrogen.” Hydrogen ions contribute acidity to any tissue or organ, such as the contribution of hydrochloric acid to the high acidity of stomach secretions. The scale used to measure pH is a logarithmic scale, which means that there is a 10-fold difference between each number -ranging from 1 to 14. The lower numbers (1-6.99) represent the acid (or H+ donating) range and the higher numbers (7.01-14) represent the alkaline (or H+ accepting) range. Neutral is “7.0.” Some body systems such as the blood (7.35-7.45) are more tightly regulated than others. Urine has a broader pH range, from 4.5-8.0, which makes it an ideal body fluid for keeping track of adjustments in pH with dietary modifications.

Factors That Affect pH Levels
Food intake is one of the primary ways that pH is influenced. Dietary modifications can positively influence pH values within various systems of the body, and therefore positively influence the health of the organs that work so hard to maintain pH values within their optimal ranges. For example, a high intake of vegetables, which are for the most part alkalinizing, will neutralize over-acidity and result in a positive influence on bone metabolism, increasing the retention of phosphates and calcium, while reducing markers of bone resorption. Most fruits are acid forming, with the exception of a few such as lemons and limes. Lemons and limes certainly have acidic properties, but are actually alkalizing once digested, which is why these fruits are so highly recommended during a seasonal cleanse or detoxification program.

How Can You Test and Monitor Your pH Levels?
There are various types of tests and pH paper or test strips are widely available at your local pharmacy or online, so you can experiment with both body fluids to see for yourself what the correlations are for your system. A fasting urine sample will give the most accurate reading. However, a first-morning urine may be overly acidic due to the retention of urine in the bladder for an extended period of time, so a second-morning urine, prior to breakfast, can give a good baseline. It is also important to note that any one reading has limited value, being just one data point, and since you are looking for a pattern you should check your urine several times throughout the day and record your results over time. Think of yourself as your own laboratory, and experiment with different foods and testing times. Two hours after a meal is a good time to test to see how your dietary intake has impacted your pH. Studies have shown that urine pH can show modifications in as little as two hours after a meal. Your goal is to be in the “green” or slightly alkaline range, which should be fairly easily accomplished by consuming a diet high in green leafy vegetables (alkalinizing foods) and lower in proteins and carbohydrates (acidifying foods).

Alkalinizing the Urine Increases the Excretion of Toxins
An added benefit of alkalinizing has been demonstrated in ongoing studies that show an enhanced detoxification effect with urine alkalinization. In the Western medical setting, intravenous sodium bicarbonate (alkaline) is used to treat cases of acute drug poisoning. Other studies have shown that alkaline urine enhances the excretion of a number of pharmaceuticals and other chemicals, and inhibits the reabsorbtion by the kidney of xenobiotics (hormone-mimicking chemicals). It makes sense that adopting a dietary lifestyle of ongoing alkalinization can encourage smaller quantities of toxins to be removed from our bodies on a daily basis. We know that cruciferous vegetables, which include broccoli, kale, cauliflower, collards, and Brussels sprouts, have powerful compounds that aid the liver in its Phase I and Phase II detoxification processes, and alkalinize the urine. Alkalinizing the urine while following a seasonal fall cleanse is a perfect adjunctive combination for safely excreting toxins. One of my favorite recommendations within this approach is to use a lemon olive oil drink, which has an alkalizing effect and also stimulates the liver and gall bladder to discharge toxins.

What is the Best Way to Alkalinize?
The most safe and natural way to increase your alkalinity is to balance your diet. Some advocates of alkalinizing tend to make proteins and carbohydrates into the “bad guys.” This is an extreme view that doesn’t acknowledge the importance of these types of foods for normal metabolism, immune system support, muscle repair and building, ongoing detoxification, and energy metabolism. However, the carbohydrate category in the Western diet tends to be highly processed, lacking nutritional value and containing chemical additives. Similarly, the protein category in the Western diet tends to be overused with large portions of commercial animal proteins. An excellent alternative is to consume organic nutrient-dense complex carbohydrates, along with smaller portions of organic and grass-fed animal protein sources and high quality plant protein sources, which are less acidic than their over-processed, commercial counterparts. These substitutions are not problematic in terms of alkalinization; however, they do need to be balanced with frequent abundant portions of fresh organic alkalizing foods, mainly vegetables. You can ensure you’re achieving an alkalinizing balance by testing your pH levels regularly.

Increase your intake of vegetables and fruits high in alkalinizing minerals, such as potassium, magnesium and calcium. Foods that provide excellent sources of potassium include red potatoes, avocado, Brussels sprouts and many others. Green leafy vegetables have high magnesium content, and broccoli, sea veggies, collards, chard other greens are rich in calcium. An alkalinizing mineral broth can be easily made by combining potatoes, celery, parsley, green beans, zucchini, beet tops, kale, onions, and seaweed in a full pot of water, simmering for an hour or two, and pouring off the liquid for use. This makes a wonderful mineral-rich liquid for a seasonal fall cleanse. Other alkalinizing food sources include liquid chlorophyll, green powder supplements which can be added to smoothies, soups, or warm water, or the highly alkaline umeboshi plum paste, which is a sour plum commonly used in Japanese cuisine.

Which Supplements Can I Take To Alkalinize?
While sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) is often recommended for alkalinizing, studies show that potassium bicarbonate and potassium citrate have a much more potent protective effect on reducing the excretion of calcium in the urine. Potassium chloride on the other hand, which is most commonly found in processed foods, does not have the same alkalinizing ability as potassium citrate. Studies conducted on post-menopausal women show that potassium chloride has a detrimental effect on bone mineral density, while potassium citrate increased density and was more effective in reducing calcium excretion in the urine. Products like “Alkala” provide a combination of potassium and sodium bicarbonates, and can be used to help maintain alkaline urine. Always check with your health care provider before using any concentrated mineral supplement such as this. Some conditions or drugs can cause an accumulation of potassium or sodium in the body, which can be dangerous for some individuals.

Advice on Choosing Health Food and Healthy Foods and Reading Nutrition Labels

Health food doesn’t need a definition, does it? We all know what health food is it’s yogurt and granola, whole-grain cereal and organically grown vegetables and fruit. It’s 100% natural, no preservatives or dyes, unadulterated, pure. When you put all that together, you should have healthy food, yet all too often, what’s marketed as health food these days barely classifies as food, let alone health food.

Take a look at one of our favorite health food choices – yogurt. It hit supermarket shelves in the early seventies, though it had been available before that in health food stores and restaurants. Real yogurt has two ingredients: milk (whole, skim or low fat) and live yogurt cultures. That’s health food – calcium, vitamin D, vitamin A, protein. Next time you’re at the supermarket, take a look at the dairy case. You’ll find row after row of hyper-sweetened brightly colored rainbow swirled and candy-sprinkled yogurt packaged in ways that appeal to our littlest consumers – children. Millions of parents buy the enticing packages, secure that because it’s yogurt, they’re buying food that’s healthy for their children.

One look at the label, though, and it’s clear that these kiddy yogurts (as well as most of the yogurt that’s marketed to adults) are a far cry from heath food. Some of the most popular yogurts for children contain anywhere from 3 to 10 added teaspoons of sugar. Considering how many teaspoons of yogurt are in a single serving, you might as well hand your child the sugar bowl. In addition, most yogurts include “natural” ingredients that have little to do with health food. Ingredients like pectin (to thicken yogurt), carrageenan (a seafood extract that gives some yogurts their body, and annatto (for color) add little nutritionally to yogurt. They’re in the mix to serve one main purpose: to help yogurt survive its trip from the factory to your table.

You’ll find the same situation with other foods that originally made their debut as health foods in the seventies. Granola has become granola bars with chocolate chips and gooey caramel. Whole wheat flour is bleached and denuded of its flavorful kernels. Sunflower seeds are roasted in oil and salted. Even brown rice comes in the instant variety.

Healthy food not health food

The secret to feeding your family (and yourself) a healthful diet of healthy food is to read the labels. The United States Food & Drug Administration has laid out strict guidelines for nutritional labeling of all food products. The nutrition label will tell you all you need to know to choose real health foods. Some things to keep in mind when reading nutrition labels for health foods:

* In the ingredient’s portion of the nutrition label, ingredients are listed in order by amount. The ingredient that’s listed first is the main ingredient, followed by the next largest amount, etc.

* The nutrition facts label must list each of the required nutrients even if the food provides 0% of the recommended daily value.

* The nutrition facts label must list what portion of the food’s calories is derived from fat, from sugar, from protein and from carbohydrates. It will also break down the fat into saturated and unsaturated fat.

Nutrition For Athletes

If you participate in sports, and you don’t properly understand nutrition for athletes, you are severely limiting your ability to perform on and off the field. It is absolutely essential that you know what your body demands, when it demands it, and how much to give it. Follow these basic principles, and I guarantee you will feel healthier, more vibrant, and more focused….

Nutrition For Athletes Rule #1: Eat Enough Calories

Put simply, calories provide you with the energy you need. Everything you do requires energy, from lifting weights to sleeping. Although I generally don’t think it’s necessary to count calories or even keep a food journal, I do think it’s critical to know how many calories your body needs and to know (approximately) how many calories are in your favorite foods. An easy way to determine how many calories you need:

Body Weight (in lbs.) x 15

For example, I weigh 170 pounds. So, 170 x 15 = 2,550 calories per day. This reflects how many calories an active person needs (3-5 vigorous workouts per week). This is the amount of calories to maintain your current weight.

(Note: If you need to “bulk up” or slim down for any reason, one of the safest and simplest ways to do this is by adding or subracting 500 from your daily caloric needs) By adding or subtracting your calories by 500 daily, you are either adding or subtracting 3500 calories per week, which is equal to one pound.

Make certain that you are eating “clean” calories. Load up on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy fats, and protein. These are the building blocks of a solid nutrition foundation. Cut out (or severly limit) anything that is overly processed, caffinated, salty, or otherwise known as “junk food.”

If you drink regular soda, consider switching to diet. If you drink diet, consider switching to tea or water. And, if you drink more than a few alcoholic beverages per week, consider cutting back or eliminating alcohol all together.

Don’t be too strict with yourself, but do make a conscious effort to begin or continue transforming your diet. (PS: I hate the word “diet.” Notice what the first three letters of diet spell.:) Instead focus on changing your eating and drinking habits, instead of bouncing back and forth between diets. Soon enough you will be making heathy choices automatically and unconsciously).

Remember, that if you are training hard, you need to EAT. Just be sure you’re eating healthy.

Nutrition For Athletes Rule #2: Focus On Meal Timing

Just because you train hard or are a regular at your local gym doesn’t mean you are getting the most out of your workouts (or even healthy for that matter!). In my opinion, nutrition for athletes accounts for nearly 80 percent of any health objective, whether that be: better performance, weight loss, muscle gain, and general wellness. If you’re not eating properly, and at the right times, you could be doing your body more harm by working out than by not working out. (When you do any sort of exercise you are causing “micro-tears” in your muscle fibers, that can only be repaired if there are the proper nutrients available)

So, one of the main topics of nutrition you should be concerned about, at least until it becomes habitual, is meal timing. American culture implies that 3 square meals a day will do. Your parents told you not to snack before dinner because it would ruin your appetite. If only this article were around back then!

The new rules of nutrition, and countless research studies, suggest that you should eat and drink every 2-3 hours. Remember that I’m not talking about mindless snacking on Hershey Bars and Reeces all day long. Supply your body with nutrient dense foods whenever you are hungry! The more often you eat, the more your body burns. Shoot for between 300-500 calories meals roughly 6 times per day. Alternatively have larger breakfast, lunches, and dinners – which are smaller than you’d normally eat – say, 70 percent or so, and then have 100-300 calorie snacks in between those meals.

If you want a metaphor, imagine a fire….

You need to consistenly supply the right amounts of dry wood throughout the life of the fire. You don’t want to use wet wood or spray ligher fluid on the fire (although I must admit, it is quite fun). Wet wood represents foods that your body can’t efficiently use for energy. Lighter fluid is comparable to a sugary or starchy food, or maybe a highly caffinated beverage). There is roaring amounts of energy for a short time, and then nothing. Caffeine buzz, then crash. Or sugar high, then carbo crash. You get the picture…

Next, you want to make sure you time your meals around your workouts. I usually eat a small balanced meal about an hour before I train. I also make sure I’m properly hydrated. New research suggestst that even if your cells are dehydrated by 1 percent, your results and performance are severly limited. Drink at least 16 ounces of water before training, and then sip water or a sports drink during and after.

If you really need motivation to get in the gym and work hard, it is alright to have some caffeine before a workout. I usually don’t consume more than 200 mg of caffeine in any 24 hour period (about 1 cup of regular coffee).

Futher, it is IMPERATIVE to have a “recovery meal” immediately after your workout concludes. This is one of the few times that you want a “high-GI” carbohydrate source (high-GI carbohydrates are synonymous to sugary or insulin spiking foods, such as white bread or sugar).

In addition to a high-GI carbohydrate source, you want a fast digesting protein, such as “whey protein.” Even better is a whey and “casein” protein blend, which combines a fast acting protein, whey, and a sustained release protein, casein. One of my favorite ways to accomplish this is combine water, 20-40 grams of whey/casein protein, and 40-80 grams of dextrose or maltodextrin in an athletic shaker cup.

By using a “recovery meal” shortly after your workout ends, you will maximize muscle building and fat loss potential. You are replacing all of the nutrients that your body burned through during your workout. In my experience, this also significantly aids in helping reduce muscle soreness the following day(s).

Nutrition For Athletes Rule #3: Eat At Least 6 Servings of Vegetables and Fruits Every Day

As long as your stay away from sugar infused, breaded, or deep fried imitations of raw fruits and vegetables, you’ll be just fine. (Add potatoes to the list of vegetable imposters as well). In fact, you’ll probably be in the top 3 percent of Americans if you follow guideline number three consistently.

Your mission is to eat a minimum of 6 fruits and veggies that are as close to their raw and organic form as possible. I’m not saying you need to only eat organic, but fresh, unadulterated produce should be a staple in your diet and a regular in your fridge. Not only are fruits and veggies loaded with nutrients they will help keep you hydrated, seeing that they are mostly water.

Austrailian researchers recently discoverd that participants who reduced fruit and vegetable intake by 1 serving per day reported feeling much more tired before, during, and after workout sessions. Not only were they somewhat dehydrated, they had a shortage of essential vitamins and minerals.

So, this time you should listen to your Mom’s advice: “Eat your vegetables!!”

Nutrition For Athletes Rule #4: Eat Healthy Fats

When most people suspect a food is high in fat, they automatically assume it is bad for you. A recent example of this was proven by scientist who discovered that people that ate 2-4 eggs (with the yokes) had lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels compared to people who went egg-free.

Fats play an essential role in your body’s operations. For example, without fat, you cannot effectively produce testosterone or many other hormones.

You want a balance of fats in your diet. Monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and even some saturated fats. As you probably already know, stear clear of trans fat, a subcategory of saturated fat. Don’t be fooled by clever food marketers, who make claims that their food is 100% trans fat free. Many times, the FDA allows them to advertise their food is trans fat free, even though it contains significant amounts of this deadly fat.

Trans fats can be disguised as “partially hydrogenated fats,” so make sure you read labels carefully. Trans fats are most commonly found in: cakes, cookies, crackers, pies, bread, baked goods, margarine, french fries, potato chips, corn chips, popcorn, shortening, salad dressing, cereal, and candy.

Nutrition For Athletes Rule #5: Eat Quality Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are your primary source of energy. I’m not sure if you’ve ever tried a low carb diet, but one of the first things you will experience (for the first few days or weeks), is extremely low energy. This is because if your body has carbohydrates available, they will be burned for energy first.

Your muscles and liver will store carbohydrates in the form of “glucose.” When these stores are full, any additional carbohydrates are immediately converted to fat. Think of your muscle and liver stores as a gas tank. If your car can hold 10 gallons of gas, and you try to put in 11 gallons, 1 gallon will inevitably spill over onto the ground. The same principle applies to carbohydrates and fat.

Although there is a limit to how much glucose your liver and muscles can store, there is no limit for how much your body can store as fat. This is why it is smart to be mindful of how many carbohydrates you are consuming.

I’m not an advocate of very low or no carb diets. I’ve tried several before, and they are pure hell. If you thought you had bread cravings now….

Carbohydrates are incredibly important to sustained, healthy energy. When you eat starchy or sugary sources of carbohydrates, your euphoria lasts only so long. Work towards substituting high sugar foods for whole grains and fiber. An easy switch you could make is substituting oatmeal for sugary breakfast cereal.

One concept about nutrition that I like to keep in mind is that if you can trace what you are eating back to where it came from, without breaking a sweat, you are probably on the right track. Oats are produced in fields, M & M’s aren’t.

Nutrition For Athletes Rule #6: Load Up on Protein

Sentiment in main stream society is to eat less than 1 gram of protein per 2 pounds of bodyweight. U.S. Olympic coaches and nutrition advisors, along with bodybuilders and dieticians, suggest to aim for.9 – 1 gram of protein per 1 pound of bodyweight. (For me, a 170-lb active male, would be a minimum of around 170 grams of protein per day)

The reason active people need much more protein than sedentary people is because activity, especially strenuous activity, leads to muscle damage. With every step, breath, or bench press you perform you are causing tears in your muscles. Muscles are made of amino acids, the buidling blocks of protein. You could say that protein is one of the most important aspects of proper nutrition for athletes.

So, the harder you workout, the more protein you need to assist in repairing your muscles (and consequently relieving soreness). When your body doesn’t have enough protein it goes into a catabolic state, where body is breaking down. Catabolic is the opposite of anabolic (think anabolic steroids), which means body growth.

Additionally, the you weigh or the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn without doing anything extra. Compare two men, each 200 lbs and 6 feet tall. Man #1 is 30 percent body fat, and hasn’t visited his local gym since 1993. Man #2 is 6 percent body fat, and works out on a regular schedule. Man #2 will burn SIGNIFICANTLY more calories per day, even if they are both sedentary! This means, just to maintain his muscle and energy, Man #2 needs to eat more calories, especially in the form of protein.

If you are having a hard time hitting your target of 1 gram per pound of body weight, pick up some protein supplements, such as whey protein or casein protein. NOTE: Men, avoid consuming Soy protein products. They have been scientifically shown to seriously lessen testosterone production and increase estrogen production.