Our pH balance determines our overall levels of health and wellness and is measured on a scale from 0-14. Zero is the most acidic and fourteen is highly alkaline. For optimal health, our ideal body pH balance is around seven. Being too acidic is dangerous and creates the perfect environment for disease to flourish in our systems. However, becoming too alkaline isn't good for health either. Our bodies work hard to maintain a pH balance in the middle of the scale.
Our blood pH is impacted by the foods we eat, the toxins we are exposed to from our environment and household or cosmetic products and how we manage stress levels. It's been said that chronic stress is so acidifying to the body that regardless of how many alkaline foods you eat, you will still remain acidic until stress is properly dealt with - certainly something to think about!
While toxins from our environment have an impact on our health, the biggest contributor to an acidic body is what we include (or don't include) in our diets.
The most acidifying foods are processed foods (especially those with artificial ingredients), white flour, white sugar, coffee, alcohol, grains, eggs, meat, peanuts and dairy products. Since the average diet contains several of these foods eaten daily, you can imagine why we're getting sicker as a society. Foods that alkalize the body are fruits, veggies (especially if they are raw) algae, alkaline water and certain nuts and seeds, which also help detoxify the body naturally.
This isn't to say you must avoid acidic foods altogether and never eat eggs, meat, grains or dairy again. Eggs and high quality organic meat still contain important nutrients to health such as omega 3 fatty acids and protein. The point is to make sure you're also adding enough alkaline foods to your diet in order to maintain a healthy pH balance.
If your blood is on the acidic side, you're likely to experience inflammatory conditions, a low immune system and imbalances in your nervous and digestive systems.
Here are a few common signs of an acidic body:
- Joint Pain
- Bad Breath
- White Coating on Tongue
- Fatigue and Brain Fog
- Acne, Psoriasis
- Panic Anxiety and/or Depression
- Digestive Distress: Bloating, Constipation, Ulcers, Acid Reflux
- Frequent Illness and Recurrent Infections
- Developing New Allergies
- Weight Gain
- Candida
The symptoms above may indicate that your blood is mildly acidic. If left untreated, these symptoms could lead to more serious, chronic conditions.The first step to maintaining a healthy body pH balance is to make gradual improvements to your diet by incorporating more alkaline foods daily and limiting the acidic foods.
An easy way to do this is to replace your morning coffee with an energizing green
And of course, managing your stress levels in a healthy way that works best for you (such as yoga, exercise, journaling, meditation and walking in nature) is also necessary to achieve a well balanced pH.
You can measure and track your blood pH by using a strip test kit for saliva.
About Brandi Wagner, RHN
Brandi Wagner is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist from Vancouver, B.C. Experiencing her own health challenges at a young age led her to become passionate about educating on the healing properties of food, and how to achieve hormone balance, clear skin and sustainable weight loss naturally. In her spare
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