A Perfect 7

A balance of positively charged hydrogen ions and negatively charged hydrogen ions is not just a chemical equation. It’s a 7 on the pH scale—representing a balanced pH for blood and most parts of the body. Maintain this equilibrium and you’ll have increased energy and vitality.

Food can be divided into two basic groups: acidifying and alkalinizing foods. These foods can affect the pH of intracellular and extracellular tissues.

Free hydrogen
The acidity or alkalinity of a food is determined by its ability to free hydrogen ions. This ability is measured by pH—shorthand for the food’s potential (p) for freeing hydrogen (H) ions. A test called the potential renal acid load (PRAL) calculates the value of five nutrients in a food that are most responsible for changing the acidity or alkalinity, or pH value of a food.

Nutritional anthropologists from the University of Georgia have estimated that modern-day North American dietary PRAL scores show that our pH levels are 300 percent more acidic than our hunter-gatherer ancestors’ levels were.

To assess your pH level, pick up some pH paper at your natural health store. Directions for use are on the package.

Green transformation
The good news, according to a study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (2008), is that it only takes seven days to rebalance your body tissues to be more alkaline, using a green plant-based dietary supplement drink.

“Green drinks are the quickest way to alkalinize the body,” agrees dermatologist Jeannette Graf, MD.

Research supports the benefits obtained by alkalinizing the body. A highly acidic diet may be a risk factor for osteoporosis (Journal of Nutrition, 2008). A highly acidic diet forces the body to rebalance its pH by drawing alkalinizing substances from various tissues. A loss of bone mass can occur when calcium is leached from the bones to balance blood pH, for instance.

Our body requires both acidifying and alkalinizing foods to carry out its normal physiological functions. We can affect our body’s healthy or unhealthy cellular chemistry by the foods we choose to eat daily.

Alkaline foods

Alkaline foods should make up 75 percent of your diet. Choose from: 

• “Green” drinks 
• Fruits and berries
• Sprouts
• Broccoli
• Kale
• Spinach
• Sea vegetables
• Herbs and spices

Acidic foods

Acidic foods should make up only 25 percent of your diet. These include: 

• Grains 
• Processed foods
• Animal protein
• Most dairy products
• Fats (except fish oils)
• White vinegar
• Sugar and sugar substitutes (except stevia)
• Alcohol

Mineral composition

Alkaline foods contain: 

• Calcium 
• Sodium 
• Potassium 
• Magnesium 
• Cobalt
• Copper

Acidic foods contain:

• Sulphur 
• Chlorine
• Phosphorus
• Fluoride
• Iodine
• Silicon