Who wants to talk about their blood? This won't be gruesome I promise. Let's start with the basics of blood pH.  The pH (balance between acid and alkaline) of the bodily fluids, including the blood, should be slightly alkaline at 7.365. The American medical establishment accepts 7.4.  According to Robert O. Young, The pH Miracle, 7.4 is too alkaline and indicates tissue acidification. An alkaline/acid imbalance towards too much acidity invites all kinds of viruses, yeast, cancer cells, and parasites to thrive. In an acidic environment oxygen levels are low providing optimum conditions for all the nasty stuff we don't want to fruitfully multiply. Acidity also leads to conditions such as chronic fatigue, AIDS, allergies, and arthritis just to name a few.

The typical American diet is loaded with foods that cause our bodies to become acidic. When pH levels are acidic, your body wants to be in an alkaline state. In order to achieve this your body draws stored reserves of alkaline minerals such as sodium, calcium, potassium and magnesium. If you continue eating foods that are highly acid-forming, even more essential minerals are depleted from you system eventually creating a mineral deficiency.

The obvious solution to this problem is to eat alkaline-forming foods. You don't have to eat all alkalizing foods all of the time because that's not balanced either. Donna Gates, The Body Ecology Diet, expert suggests eating meals that are 20%/80% acid/alkaline ratio.

Not all acid foods are bad. We need acid forming foods. Your choice of food and food combining is what stirs the intestinal pot. Your acid forming foods are largely made up of macronutrients meaning they provide either protein, carbohydrates or fat. Alkaline forming foods also provide macronutrients, but in addition, your fruits and veggies are chock full of micronutrients which is where the body gets its vitamins and minerals from. If you are eating 80% of your foods as alkaline forming, your plate will be very colorful and full of micronutrients, which means full of vitamins and minerals. Don't worry, you will get enough protein, carbs and healthy fats as well.

You can test your pH levels right at home by using pH testing strips. The strips can be found at health food stores, or purchased on line. Give it a try!

For a list of alkaline and acid forming foods, please click this link.   http://www.rense.com/1.mpicons/acidalka.htm

Note that a food's acid or alkaline forming tendency in the body has nothing to do with the actual pH of the food itself. For example, lemons are very acidic, however the end products they produce after digestion and assimilation are very alkaline so, lemons are alkaline forming in the body. Likewise, meat will test alkaline before digestion, but it leaves very acidic residue in the body so, like nearly all animal products, meat is very acid forming.

For more information please click these reference links:

The Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates with Linda Schatz

The pH Miracle by Robert O. Young, Ph.D., and Shelley Redford Young