By Yuri Elkaim, BPHE, CK, RHN
Have you ever wondered why certain people rarely get sick, look younger than they really are, have glowing skin, and seem to have boundless energy?
If you haven’t, then you need to find these people and discover their secrets. But guess what? You’re about to discover some of these long lost secrets right now!
The most important thing for you to understand is that what you eat ultimately determines how you look, feel, and function. You see, most people attribute getting sick or lacking energy to “external” factors such as the latest “bug” or the aging process, respectively, but fail to realize that what’s happening inside their body at a cellular level is much more important.
Your body is constantly working to maintain a state of balance in order to function properly. When it gets out of balance, your energy is depleted, and you experience problems such as fatigue, stress, depression, and various diseases. Perhaps your body’s highest priority is to make sure that the acid-alkaline balance throughout remains at a level that supports cellular life.
Different tissues of the body require different levels of pH to sustain life. For instance, urine, saliva, and the stomach’s gastric juices need to be acidic, while the blood needs to maintain a slightly alkaline level to function optimally.
Unfortunately, the modern Western lifestyle and diet has led most people to live in an overly acidic state. This has led to numerous health problems.
Which Foods are Acid-Forming?
Ideally, we should be following a diet that is 80% alkaline and 20% acidic. Obviously, this is not the cause with the majority of our population. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. Unfortunately, our society enjoys the most acid forming foods such as milk and dairy products, meat and animal products, and refined grains. At the same time, the vast majority of North Americans consume less than the recommended amount of alkalizing fruits and vegetables.
The following are just two of the numerous consequences of eating a nutrient void, acid-forming diet.
Milk, Acidosis and Osteoporosis
The blood, also known as the “river of life”, is the most vital tissue in your body. Thus, the regulation of its pH level is of utmost importance. When your blood becomes too acidic, your body goes to great lengths to neutralize it through the use of buffering compounds such as sodium bicarbonate. However, a chronic state of acidosis depletes these natural alkaline buffers over time, leading to the weakening and breakdown of cells, and most bodily functions.
Once the initial alkaline buffers have been depleted, your body will begin leaching the alkalizing mineral calcium from the bones and teeth to neutralize the acid in the blood. Numerous studies have confirmed that chronic acidosis is highly associated with the development of osteoporosis. In fact, most people believe that milk is the best way to prevent osteoporosis, yet the majority of studies show otherwise.
Did you know that the countries that have the highest consumption of dairy (United States, Finland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) also have the highest rates of osteoporosis?
So, the next time you reach for that glass of milk (which I hope you never do again!) just remember that osteoporosis is an acidosis problem, caused by eating excessive quantities of acid-forming foods such as milk, dairy, and animal products!
Cancer Cannot Grow in an Alkaline Environment
Alkalinity increases the oxygen in your body. At the same time, bringing more oxygen into your body through activities like deep breathing and light exercise has an alkalizing effect. However, if your body is overly acidic, it will be deprived of oxygen. This is an important relationship to remember. The Nobel Prize winning work (1931) of Dr. Otto Warburg showed that cells weaken, mutate, or die in the absence of oxygen. Several years later, 2-time Nobel Prize winner Dr. Linus Pauling was the first to show that cancer cells are unable grow in an oxygen-rich, alkaline environment.
Since these early discoveries, it has been firmly established that the best means of preventing and combating cancer is by following a diet that is highly alkaline-forming because of its incredible oxygenating effects on the body. When your body is alkaline, you create an environment for it to thrive, to feel energized, and to prevent disease.
How to Alkalize Your Body For the Best Health Ever!
Now that we’ve established that maintaining an alkaline internal environment is essential to your health and vitality, here are some simple guidelines to help you live your healthiest life ever!
Minimize Your Intake of Acid-Forming Foods
As mentioned earlier, foods such as milk and dairy, meat and animal products, and refined grains should be minimized as best as possible. Not only are they highly acid-forming in the body but they also provide minimal nutrition to the “human” body. It’s no surprise that the healthiest people around the world, such as the Hunza or the Tarahumara, have the lowest consumption of animal products.
Eat More Greens
How many times have you heard this one? There’s a good reason. Green vegetables are your greatest source of alkalinity! They are the greatest source of “absorbable” amino acids, essential vitamins and minerals, and disease-fighting phytonutrients.
Challenge yourself to eat one green salad and/or one green juice each day. After just a few days, see how you look and feel! Some ideas include wheat or barley grass shots, and fresh juice made from kale, parsley, celery, cucumber, apple, lemon, and ginger.
Start Your Day with a Glass of Lemon Water
Contrary to what you might think, lemon is actually alkalizing once metabolized. Adding fresh-squeezed lemon to a tall glass of water is one of the easiest ways to immediately add alkalinity to your body, while awakening your digestive system after a good’s night rest.
Practice Deep Abdominal Breathing
Remember, oxygen creates alkalinity. Practice the following breathing pattern just twice a day and you will immediately energize your body by providing oxygen to the deepest cellular level. Inhale deeply into your abdomen so that your stomach balloons out. Hold for 10 seconds, and then take 20 seconds to exhale as you draw your abdominals inwards. Repeat this sequence 10 times upon waking, before going to bed, or even before your next meal to avoid over eating.
Yuri Elkaim is a registered holistic nutritionist, certified kinesiologist, and former professional soccer player. He is the author of the Eating for Energy – a nutrition program that has helped tens of thousands of people around the world lose weight, have more energy, and enjoy bulletproof health through natural plant-based foods. Visit www.EatingforEnergy.ca today to learn how you can live your healthiest and most energetic life ever!
