Restore your Acid-Alkaline Balance - The Importance of pH

It's not often that we hear about or are directed to find out what our personal body pH may be, yet it is one of the most important indicators of good health.

The body's internal environment likes to stay consistent, at a consistent temperature and also at a consistent pH. Without a consistent pH the internal environment would collapse and the body could not continue living.The body's pH is a balance between acidic and alkaline substances. The balance between the two is critical to maintaining good health. Any disturbance in this balance leads to the breakdown of body processes and eventual illness. Disease thrives in an acidic environment as the acid content irritates and changes cell structure and performance because of constant irritation by the acidic substances of the tissue. Health problems that can arise run the gamut from chronic fatigue, depression, rheumatic disorders, tooth decay, cancer and just about any other health issues. So it is imperative for the body to maintain a good balance between acidic and alkaline substances in the tissues and bodily fluids.  

A balanced pH within the body registers about 7.39, the lower the pH the more acidic the system is. The primary cause of a departure from a 7.39 pH comes from dietary factors. In the West especially, our diets are extremely acidic. Acidic items include any type of animal products, white flour and sugar products, refined foods, coffee, energy drinks, soda pop, alcohol, tobacco, pesticides, herbicides, prescription drugs, refined oils...so basically everything that most American's ingest on a daily and ongoing basis. The "normal" American pH  is about 6.2-6.4 which is far too acidic. This is why here in the West we see a substantial amount of chronic degenerative diseases.

Other factors that lead to too much acidity in the body include poor liver and kidney function and negative mental attitudes. Poor kidney and liver function can be common in those who drink, use drugs, prescription drugs or have bodily disorders that break down the functionality of the liver and kidneys. The liver and kidneys are unable to properly filter out harmful acid and it remains circulating within the body. Organic disease such as cancer and diabetes also raise the levels of acidity in the body because the diseased cells metabolic wastes are acidic.

Negative mental thinking and stress also overload the body with acidic substances. Our thoughts and emotions have a profound effect on our biological structure. When we are stressed the body falls out of harmony and alignment and the biology follows. Negativity, fear, stress, anger and aggression all disrupt the body's function and make the internal environment more acidic.

Because the body cannot tolerate any change to pH in the blood it will "buffer" the acidity to make the blood more alkaline. The body does this in several ways. First, it will pull reserves of buffering agents, sodium and calcium, from other places in the body. Because sodium is used up fairly quickly the body will begin pulling calcium to buffer the acidity mainly from the bones and teeth, which is the main reasons here in the US we have such high rates of osteoporosis. Another mechanism the body employs is to drive the acidic substances out of the blood and deep into the body's tissues. This restores the blood pH however now the tissues are saturated with acidic substances, which leads to their eventual deterioration.

So what can you do to restore and maintain a proper alkaline acid balance? Here are some tips:

1. Change and maintain a diet that is highly alkalizing. Everything natural that comes from the Earth will keep your body in balance. Anytime you start straying form what the Earth provides and grows for us to eat you will begin disrupting your body's balance. Refrain from animal products, processed foods and drinks, white products and sugars, stimulants, alcohol and prescription drugs. If you are currently on prescription drugs seek out natural healing remedies that will help to heal your body and bring it back into balance without the use of toxic substances.

2. Verify you are not deficient in any vitamins or minerals. Especially deficiencies in calcium, magnesium and potassium can lead to a highly acidic internal environment. There are a few ways to check your vitamin and mineral levels. Here at Align we offer the Nutri-Body Analysis which will screen for any vitamin or mineral deficiencies.

3. Make sure your kidneys and liver and functioning optimally. Cleansing yearly or bi-yearly can help to flush these important organs and keep them functioning optimally. Also refrain from drugs, prescription drugs, alcohol, chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, preservatives and colorings, as both your kidneys and liver have to work harder to eliminate these toxic substances.

4. Keep your stress levels to a minimum. Find healthy ways of releasing stress and keep your mental outlook positive and harmonious. Meditation and yoga are two types of practices that help to relieve stress and re-harmonize body processes and functions.

At Align we can assist you in naturally cleansing, detecting vitamin and mineral deficiencies and restoring your body's pH so that you live a long and healthy live.

Live consciously and be well!