How To Alkalize

Alkalize is a huge buzzword, and rightfully so. Maintaining a healthy, alkaline pH increases your blood oxygen, slows down aging, decreases inflammation, and prevents innumerable chronic diseases which thrive in an acidic environment. To become alkaline, we need to lower our stress levels, exposure to industrial toxins/pollution, and eat a diet rich in plant foods that supply adequate minerals and chlorophyll.


I led a fantastic workshop this past Saturday about alkalizing the body with foods, herbs, and supplements. For those of you who missed it, I'll let you in on some of the things we spoke about.


Bone Health

Bones lend their minerals to the blood when it becomes acidic. These minerals act as buffering agents to the blood, causing them to break down over the years. I firmly believe that osteoporosis and other bone-loss issues stem from a lack of minerals in the diet.


Cancer

It is said that cancerous growths cannot survive in alkaline pH. One reason is because cancer cannot survive in a highly oxygenated environment. Once your pH is more alkaline, your blood and your cells are also full of more oxygen. In addition to preventing cancerous growths, more oxygen means less pathogens and fungi which is good news for those suffering from Candida and chronic yeast infections.


Inflammation

Mineral loss from acidic blood affects every tissue in the body that has minerals to spare. This, in turn, causes damage to organs and tissues in the body. The result? Inflammation! An alkalized body retains its mineral stores, allowing it to build stronger collagen structures - as well as repair and rebuild faster.


So, how does one alkalize???

That's a long story. I'll give you the short version:

1) Eat fruit for breakfast. Mainly apples, pears, berries, grapes, and melons (only when in season). Eat them alone on an empty stomach, and do not eat anything within one hour of the fruit. Fruit is extremely alkalizing and digests within a half hour in the small intestine. This gives your liver a rest, supplying you with more energy throughout the day.

2) Juice green vegetables or take a green powder. Chlorophyll, especially live and liquid from juices, is so rich in alkalizing, and blood cleansing properties. This is a speedier approach to become more alkaline and building your mineral stores faster.

3) Ditch the meat. Protein is the most acidic nutrient in the human body. Levels of 47 grams or more have been shown to cause significant calcium loss via the urine. Protein powders (even vegan), meats, dairy products, and other concentrated proteins are detrimental to your body if you're looking to alkalize, maintain bone density, and retain minerals. Minimize your meat intake to three 4oz servings each week and replace meat with rice and bean dishes, bean stews, and vegetable stir-fries.

There are endless other things you can do to alkalize your body. Eating smaller portions, making herbal infusions, and adding seaweeds are just some fantastic examples. An alkaline body is a calm, healthy, free flowing body. You will feel more in touch with it once the inflammation fades away. It makes it easier to check in with your body once yo achieve this level of health because you can actuallyfeel your body becoming more acidic with each meal.

Try some of my suggestions above and, hopefully, you will start to feel a big improvement.