The History of Balance
When people talk about a balanced diet, they often refer to eating the right foods, but the balance of acid and alkaline in our bodies is just as essential for good health and restful sleep. Here I break down why this is so vital.
The human body has a circadian rhythm which involves two opposite yet complementary forces. The Chinese knew about this 5,000 years ago and called it yin/yang or the balance of the life force. Western medicine refers to the body’s dynamic balance as acid-alkaline or pH.
The acid-alkaline balance is influenced by a variety of dietary, mental, emotional, physical and environmental factors. Foods, herbs, vitamins, minerals, liquids, emotions, temperature, climate and exercise all affect body chemistry. Knowing how to measure and control these internal and external stressors which govern pH is a fundamental key to lasting health.
The pioneering work of researchers like Dr. George Wilson of Spears Hospital in Denver, Colorado, Dr. Royal Lee, founder of Standard Process Laboratories in Wisconsin and Dr. Emanuel Revici of New York City has provided much insight into the manifestations of metabolic imbalance in numerous disease states. An overt alkaline condition on the cellular level, for example, is usually associated with lowered resistance to disease. Virus, bacteria, fungus and parasites exist in an alkaline medium.
The effects of an alkaline pH condition in the body include stiffness, cramps and circulatory disorders. This is because the mineral calcium becomes precipitated out of alkaline tissues. Indigestion is also common due to a lack of acidity in the stomach. Heart attack, constipation, listlessness and dryness are all related to alkalosis.
Many more diseases have been associated with alkalosis than with acidosis. However, acidosis is found with headache, nervous trauma and nausea. When individuals are extremely stressed or exposed to excess radiation through x-rays, radioactive fallout in the atmosphere of nuclear plant emission, the pH shows excess acidity. Often insomnia is found in an over-acidic condition.
Creating Balance in Your Body
There are several ways of measuring the acid-alkaline balance. You can easily assess your own health status by using a pH paper or nitrozene paper from the local drug store. This paper is used to test both the saliva and the urine for pH level. Tile letters pH mean hydrogen potential. The hydrogen ions contained in the saliva and urine provide valuable information about the body’s biochemistry through the acid-alkaline balance. When there are too many hydrogen ions present, acidity increases. When the body is in an alkaline state, the hydrogen ions are neutralized into another form. The adrenal glands, the lungs and the kidneys all have a role in controlling pH.
The pH scale is from O to 14, with 7 as the neutral point. From 7 to 0, the pH becomes more acid. From 7 to 14, the pH becomes more alkaline. The ideal reading from both urine and saliva is slightly acid at 6.4. Alkalinity is most pronounced when fatigue and sickness are present.
When the pH reading for both saliva and urine shows an alkaline condition (greater than 6.4) the following measures can help to acidify the system.
In summary, many chronic disease conditions can be brought under control by balancing the acid-alkaline of the system. Fatigue can be eliminated, energy restored and mental clarity enhanced once the body tides are understood. Acidalkaline balance is the basic foundation of total health, happiness and quality longevity to the dedicated health seeker.
How To Acidify Healthfully
Apple Cider Vinegar Bath
Draw a bathtub full of medium warm water and add two cups (16 ounces) of apple cider vinegar to the bath water. Soak for about 20 minutes or until the water cools. This bath is an excellent energizer, has a strong antibacterial effect on the body and is also useful for females with vaginitis. Jt’s also great for sore muscles.
Acidifying Food and Drink
- Two tablespoons of sauerkraut at each meal.
- More protein foods such as chicken, fish and lean meat.
- Two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar with two teaspoons of raw honey in eight ounces of warm water two to three times a day.
- Herbal teas of spearmint and hyssop.
When the pH reading shows an overly acid condition (less than 6.4) the following measures can help to normalize the system.
How to Alkalinize Healthfully
Sea Salt and Soda Bath
Draw a bathtub full of medium hot water and add two cups of sea salt and two cups of baking soda. Soak for about 20 minutes or until the water cools. This bath is especially good for neutralizing radiation exposures from x-rays, fallout or nuclear plant emissions. It is not necessary to shower after the bath.
Baking Soda Bath
Draw a bathtub full of medium hot water and add two cups of baking soda alone. Soak for about 20 minutes or until the water cools. This bath is used to neutralize the effects of cobalt treatments given in certain medical treatments and to neutralize the negative effects of cobalt from irradiated foods.
Alkalinizing Food and Drink
- All vegetables of any kind – raw; steamed or lightly sauteed.
- All fruits except cranberries, plums and prunes.
- Heavily diluted unsweetened apple juice.
- Heavily diluted unsweetened pineapple juice.
- Herbal teas of peppermint and chamomile.
For fortifying your wellbeing during the holiday season and every day throughout the year, I recommend UNI KEY’s newest product, Immune Formula. This unique formula is an all-in-one immune system booster designed to support and fortify your immunity on a daily basis. It contains glandulars of raw spleen and thymus which play a critical role in your immune health. It also has a highly absorbable form of zinc (zinc picolinate), quercetin, taurine, astragalus extract and vitamins A, C and D.
I also recommend UNI KEY’s Flora-Key, an effective probiotic powder that provides beneficial bacteria to help your immune system restore and maintain balance. With 10 billion beneficial bacteria per serving, Flora-Key is designed to help feed, strengthen and transport the good bacteria in your gut, while crowding out harmful parasites and pathogens that can hinder your ability to obtain optimum wellness.