Archive for April, 2008

Sugar and the pH miracle diet

Sugar and the pH miracle diet

The pH diet stresses a balanced approach to eating. By limiting the intake of acidic foods and increasing the intake of alkaline foods one can achieve optimum health. One of the main factors in the fight against acidic pH levels is sugar. Sugar is an epidemic in our modern world. The average American consumes 2 to 3 pounds of sugar each week, that translates to over 135 pounds of sugar per person per year. This alarming number is attributed to the wide popularity of sugar as an additive. Sugar is in everything, hiding in various forms. Sucrose, dextrose, and high fructose corn syrups are active ingredient in all processed food and condiments. These highly refined sweeteners leave a bitter taste in the mouths of those who are starting out on the pH diet due to their universal acceptance as a ?necessary evil?

With sugar?s radical effect on insulin levels, the body has no fighting chance against the damage. When insulin levels drop; so do the release of growth hormone. These growth hormones depress the immune system that leaves the body open to a host of diseases and maladies. Insulin also inhibits the body?s ability to fight off weight gain and elevated triglyceride levels. Put quite simply, the higher in simple sugars a food is, the more likely it will promote fat storage in the body. These stored fat cells play a host to acidic waste that in turn degrade the structure of red blood cells in the bloodstream.

Sugar also fights for control of the cellular development in the body with Vitamin C. From a structural standpoint, Vitamin C and Simple Sugar are quite similar. As sugar levels go up in the body, they compete with one another when they enter cells. If there is a higher concentration of sugar in the bloodstream which will allow more sugar into thirsty cells leaving little to no room for Vitamin C. Without the phagocytizing effects of Vitamn C on cellular structures they are unable to fend off the attacks of viruses and bacteria. Lower white blood cell counts equal a suppressed immune system that isn?t strong enough to protect the body.

Sugar is devoid of vitamins and minerals and upon absorption steals vital micro-nutrients to help it metabolize into the system. A deficit is created when these micro-nutrients are not replaced. This deficiency causes fat cells and cholesterol to not be metabolized thus leading to high blood pressure and obesity. The ability of sugar to raise insulin levels artificially eventually leaves the pancreas dysfunctional and the body dependent on sugar. This is commonly referred to as diabetes. Simple sugars have also been attributed to gallstones, mood disorders, heart disease and even asthma. With all of the negative effects that sugars have been clinically linked to, is it any wonder that sugar is also one of the most acidic things you can put into your body.

Cancer is the most dangerous result of heavy sugar dependence. Cancerous cells thrive on lactic acid. This lactic acid produced by fermenting glucose is transported into the liver. A more acidic PH is produced by this buildup of lactic acid in the cancerous cells, the highly acidic nature of cancerous tumors is testament to this. The connection between sugars and unhealthy acidic levels in the bloodstream is clearly drawn through the connection of glucose (sugar) and cancerous cells. Simple sugars are quite simply a poison to the body that will eventually deteriorate the quality of cellular development and suppress the immune system to the point of failure.

By balancing the diet with an 80%PRCTG% alkaline and 20%PRCTG% acid induction of foods, supplements, and beverages you can decrease the risk of disease in the body. By replacing simple sugars with more complex ones or alkaline-based sweeteners such as Stevia, one can decrease the dependence on simple sugars and avoid bad health. Look carefully at ingredient labels and be aware of the many names that simple sugars hide behind. Become educated on how the body metabolizes simple sugars, as well as how carbohydrates can be broken down into simple sugars in the bloodstream. By arming yourself with information you can improve the quality of your life.

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Common mistakes on the pH miracle diet

Common mistakes on the pH miracle diet

The pH miracle diet is an exciting new way for people to take control of their health. By lowering your dependence on acid producing foods and raising your intake of alkali foods you can attain optimum health. The pH scale is from 1 to 14 , 1 being very acidic and 14 being very alkaline. The blood in the human bloodstream tends to run slightly alkaline at 7.35. All foods, beverages and in fact everything we put into our bodies will breakdown into acid or alkali. The body will store and eliminate excess amounts of these things respectively. An excess amount of acid stored in the body will cause the blood to cluster in the bloodstream, causing fatigue and trauma to the body on the cellular level. When there is so much shutdown going on in the body, the immune system will be lowered allowing disease and illness to enter. By keeping the balance of the pH level in the body at 7.35 you can ensure good health. Eating more alkaline foods and avoiding overly acidic foods a proper balance can be maintained. Researching which foods are alkalizing and which ones are acidifying will give you the power to make informed choices. Knowing where you are on the pH scale will determine what changes you need to implement into your daily routine. The monitoring of this balance can be achieved through the regular use of pH saliva test strips. With so much riding on proper technique and form, the level of personal accountability can be rather high for the first time dieter, especially if they are used to other diets that don?t require as much responsibility as the pH diet. This can be a daunting task for many starting out on the pH miracle diet. Here are two common mistakes and their solutions.

Trying to add too much alkaline into the system is a common pitfall many overly enthusiastic dieters fall into. The purpose of the pH miracle diet is to create a permanent way of living for you stressing the idea of balance. Many dieters want to solve the problem with a quick fix submerging them into an all alkali intake. This is going overboard with supplements and beverages promising to raise their alkaline levels to unhealthy levels. As stated earlier about too much acid in your bloodstream being unhealthy for you, so too can an overabundance of alkali. Many people focus on the claim that cancer cannot survive in an alkaline environment, which is true, but nothing in the human body can survive very long in a purely alkali environment. Yes, it is true, too man alkalis can kill you. The key to life is everything in moderation and the pH diet is no exception. Acids and alkalis are meant to work in concert together. Acids serve your body and play a function in the breaking down of digested material. The stomach is an acid holding tank that converts food into energy. Alkaline waits in the intestinal tract for this newly energized material still hot with acidity and neutralizes it as the material is metabolized, absorbed and sent into the bloodstream. By keeping this harmonious partnership in synch you assure that your body?s pH levels stay within the optimum range.

Many people who start out don?t take enough time to look for complete listings of the pH levels of the foods they eat. There are many lists available online and in various books that offer food lists that break the groups down into acids and alkalis. Making sure to choose a comprehensive list will guarantee whole nutrition. A list that includes supplements, herbs, spices, and condiments is the most desirable. You want the most complete list possible including those foods which are neutral. Paying attention to how many foods are being ingested from the acid and alkali sides is a great way to ensure proper balance in the diet.

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Transitioning into the pH miracle diet

Transitioning into the pH miracle diet

The pH miracle diet is one of the most revolutionary diets to grow in popularity in the past few years. The eating principles of the diet (vegetarian, organic foods) are not new, but the addition of the ?pH factor? is definitely something that has not been readily seen in the world of nutrition. The acid/alkaline balance of our bodies is something that many people have never heard of, although the concepts have been part of Chinese medicine for thousands of years. The pH miracle diet may seem strange upon your first encounter, but once you find out more about the concepts and benefits you?ll be impressed and motivated to try this way of eating.

The pH miracle diet is a definite transition from the standard American diet. If you are embarking on a journey to health and plan to use the pH miracle diet you will definitely experience a transition in your life. This diet requires you to think about food and eating in an entirely new way. You?ll be challenging old stereotypes about nutrition, such as meat is an important part of every meal and milk is beneficial to your health. It can be difficult to make a completely 180-degree turn in your way of eating and cooking.

However, in order to have success on the pH miracle diet, you don?t have to make that 180-degree turn in just one week. The book outlines 7 specific steps for dietary change. They do not all have to be done at once. If you radically change your diet and are eating unfamiliar foods, cooking unfamiliar recipes and missing out on your favorite meals, you will not stay on the diet for very long, no matter how healthy it is. The best approach to adapting the pH miracle diet is to do it slowly and at your own pace.

Taking a slower approach is also helpful because it will help you understand how the diet is affecting your body. Even if you?ve read the book a dozen times and understand all of the science behind the acid/alkaline balance, you won?t really know it well until you?ve done it yourself. Incorporating this new way of eating into your body step by step will allow you to feel the effects of the acid/alkaline process. You can measure the science against your personal opinion and how your body responds.

Everybody is different and you may find as you start the program that certain aspects of the program don?t work for you. Maybe you cannot go vegetarian completely, or you find it difficult to go without certain acid-forming fruits. Testing out the principles of the pH miracle diet on your own body will allow you to decide what works and what doesn?t. The goal of the diet is find a balance of 70%PRCTG% alkaline and 30%PRCTG% acid foods. This means that you can still enjoy the foods that you love as long as they are balanced by alkalizing foods.

The transition to an ideal pH diet balance is something you should take at your own pace. This is particularly true if you have had a diet full of acid-forming foods or if you have any major health problems. Your body will need time to respond to this new way of eating and adjust to operating on natural foods. The transition into pH balanced eating is a journey that should be traveled in incremental steps.

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Getting more alkaline into your diet

Getting more alkaline into your diet

The pH miracle diet is a revolutionary new way to look at how you eat. The essentials of the diet are to keep the ph balance of food intake at 80%PRCTG% alkaline with 20%PRCTG% acidity. The goal with this diet is to match the ph level of the bloodstream, which runs on the alkaline side. This task can be daunting for many because foods that most people love to indulge themselves on are considered high in acidity. The goal in adding more alkaline into your diet is to identify good sources of alkaline. Creating a comprehensive list of alkaline producing foods will help you make the most of the pH miracle diet.

Alkalizing foods have a tonic effect on the body. By neutralizing the acidity in the bloodstream, alkaline foods act as a ?breath of fresh air? to the system regenerating and restoring damaged cells. Diets high in acidic foods cause the body to break down prematurely, the bloodstream carries these ?acid bombs? throughout the system wreaking havoc in their wake. By determining what foods have an alkalizing effect on the body, we can incorporate them into our diet in larger amounts, setting the pH levels in the bloodstream to the optimum level. On average, the pH level of human blood is between 7.35 and 7.45; levels 7 and above are considered alkaline.

Vegetables and fruits are the easiest ways to get more alkaline into your diet. Vegetables that are alkalizing are: alfalfa, barley grass, beets, beet greens, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, chard greens, collard greens, cucumber, dandelions, eggplant, garlic, green beans, green peas, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, nightshade veggies, onions, parsnips, peas, peppers, pumpkin, radishes, rutabaga, sea veggies, spinach, sprouts, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, watercress, wheat grass, and wild greens.

Fruits that have an alkalizing effect are: apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, berries, blackberries, cantaloupe, cherries, coconut, currants, dates, figs, grapes, grapefruit, honeydew, lemons, limes, muskmelons, nectarines, oranges, peaches, pears, pineapple, raisins, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries, tangerines, tomatoes, tropical fruits, and watermelon.

Protein can be a problem when attempting to add more alkaline into your diet. All protein derived from animals is acidic. It is possible to add protein to your diet that will have an alkalizing effect in your bloodstream. Proteins that are alkaline are: almonds, chestnuts, millet, tempeh, tofu, and whey protein powder.

Food is nothing without the spices, herbs and sweeteners that give it that extra bit of character. You can add these alkalizing additions to your culinary efforts to bring your PH levels into balance. Alkalizing condiments are: cinnamon, curry, ginger, mustard, chili pepper, sea salt, stevia, miso, tamari, and all herbs.

Minerals are essential to optimum health. Paying attention to which minerals have alkalizing effects can add the proper balance to your blood pH. Minerals that have an alkalizing effect on the body are: cesium, potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium.

There are other incidentals that can make adding alkaline to your diet even easier. Other ways to add alkaline to your diet are: apple cider vinegar, alkaline antioxidant water, bee pollen, lecithin granules, molasses, probiotic cultures, soured dairy products, green juices, veggie juices, fresh fruit juice, and mineral water.

Knowing which foods and supplements that add alkaline to your pH levels is just the beginning. Implementing them is the next step which takes planning and commitment. After adding these healing foods to your diet you can test your body?s pH levels with a saliva strip test available at most health food stores. Keeping your pH level between 7 and 8 is the target for good health.

Remember the goal of the pH miracle diet is to have the alkaline intake higher than your acidic intake. This does not mean that you can?t enjoy the foods that are higher in acidity, quite the contrary; the balance of your diet should be geared toward alkaline producing foods. By maintaining a proper pH balance you can ensure that your body is performing at its optimum level.

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Shopping tips for the pH miracle diet

Shopping tips for the pH miracle diet

If you?ve read about the pH miracle diet and you?ve decided to give it a try, you have a few tasks ahead of you. Depending on how committed you are the program you may begin with clearing out your pantry and your refrigerator of all highly acidic foods. If you live with others who won?t be on the diet with you, you may just want to remove the high acid treats that you find irresistible. Either way, whether you do a ?kitchen purge? or just remove a few items from your shelves, you?ll need to go grocery shopping.

Shopping for the pH miracle diet can be done at any grocery store, but occasionally people find it easier to get specialty items at health foods stores or natural food chains like Whole Foods and Trader Joe?s. However, if you live in an area where there is no access to these types of stores, you can still easily purchase the items you need at a standard grocery store.

Before you make your shopping trip, you?ll need to start a list of items. You don?t want to walk into the grocery store blind and try to remember what you need to buy. Some people like to work from the alkaline food lists in the book. This is a good approach if you have a lot of money to spend and just want to fill your kitchen with these foods. However, a better and more organized approach is to first make out a menu list for the following week. When you shop from a planned menu and the recipes that go with those meal choices, you?ll only buy what you need. Additionally, many of the foods on the alkaline list are fresh vegetables. You?ll want to make sure that you actually need them before you buy them so you won?t risk wasting money.

Remember, when you first start, your diet doesn?t have to be 100%PRCTG% alkaline. In fact, even on strict versions of the pH miracle diet a balance between acid and alkaline is recommended. So when you make your menu and your grocery lists, keep that in mind. Foods that are slightly and moderately acidic include bananas, whole grain pasta, dried beans, eggs, milk, nuts and wheat bread. There are many others and you can consult different resources on the levels of acidity in foods. Strive to have balance in your daily diet of 70%PRCTG% alkaline to 30%PRCTG% acid.

When you arrive at the grocery store, with your list in hand, you?ll notice that you will be staying along the outer rim of the grocery store. Generally, the foods along the walls are fresher and more natural than the foods within the aisles. If you think about it, all of the foods in the center of the store are processed and packaged. The outer edges consist of the produce section, the dairy section and the deli and/or meat counter.

Produce, especially vegetables, is going to be the primary focus on your pH miracle diet shopping trip. Buy organic produce if you have the means to. However, the real importance is that you buy the vegetables and use them in your cooking. If you have to use conventionally grown produce or frozen produce that is better than using no produce at all.

The only word of caution is to avoid canned fruits and vegetables. The canning process has negative effects on the alkaline state of these foods. There is also a lot of sodium in canned fruits and vegetables. If you cannot buy fresh, look for frozen. Many stores that do not carry organic fresh produce will have organic frozen produce.

It?s best to purchase balance of alkaline and acid foods as you get used to this way of living and eating. If you go cold turkey on your favorite foods and believe that you have to be super strict in order to be healthy, you will end up rebounding back to you acidic ways of eating. Strive for mostly alkaline to begin with, and then you can move further up the alkaline spectrum and eliminate more acidic foods.

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