26 Nov Got any acid? – Is an alkalising diet right for you?
As a nutritionist I have been strictly following a clean, organic, wholefood and alkaline diet for the past few years, lots of vegetables, chlorophyll and leafy greens. We know after all that dis-ease forms in acidic environments and most people’s internal environments are very acidic.
This is due to a variety of sources from food, to outlook, to chemical load but reducing acid forming foods and alkalising the body is all the rage, and I reiterate, in many cases very, very important.
But interestingly not in my case. It turns out that my internal environment is too alkaline and it’s been causing me some big problems.
The teachings of Systematic Kinesiology often differ from other therapies. That’s usually because we are looking at the body and it’s systems in a different way.
For example, we don’t recommend raw food or roughage to people with IBS who have shown an imbalance with their Ileo-Caecal Valve, this goes against many other recommendations. The same goes for the acid/alkali argument.
In SK we are taught that the ideal pH of the body is 6.8.
By definition Alkalosis is when the body has a higher pH than 7 as opposed to Acidosis which is lower than 7, (my GCSE chemistry teacher would be thrilled to discover I still know that!)
A good way to check your body’s pH levels is to check the urine and saliva with litmus paper which is cheaply and easily available from nutritional suppliers.
Alkalosis is less talked about in the naturopathic world but, of course we can be too alkaline. Alkalosis is pathological can cause huge problems for the body and was, in my case a real key to unlocking solutions to my stubborn symptoms.
Symptoms of Alkalosis include:
- Low stomach acid (digestive issues)
- Allergies
- Wheezing
- Diarrhoea
- Fatigue
- Sluggish and slow
- Fertility issues
Alkalosis is classed as the enzyme systems of the body are running below par, reducing the blood pressure and pulse, which can contribute to low thyroid activity . This is the opposite to acidosis which causes the enzyme systems of the body to run on higher speeds forces the adrenal glands into overdrive.
Symptoms of acidosis are well documented and are many including:
- Agitation
- Feeling fast and racy
- Being physically tired but mentally wired
- Cancer
- Candida
If Alkalosis does show for you then the nutritional changes to support your body rebalance aren’t to go and eat a load of junk food. We are always looking at a sustainable, nutrition positive solution, and using organic whole foods can support us. Recommendations would include:
- Organic goats dairy
- Sauerkraut
- Asparagus
- Onions
- Walnuts
The real message here is that we can never class a food as healthy or unhealthy (and by food I mean wholefood, not fast food, or processed food which need to always be steered clear of at all costs)
Contrary to popular belief, meat is not always acid forming and vegetables are not always alkalising because we all have a unique metabolic response. This is called Biochemic Individuality so for some people meat will be alkalising. It’s why any commercial diet won’t work for everyone. The key is learning more about how our own bodies metabolisms work and then feeding them accordingly.
Food isn’t the only source that creates pH in the body, stress has a huge part to play also. When we are stressed, we breathe shallowly, this creates a build up of highly acidic carbon dioxide so it’s important to ensure you are working with positive stress reduction methods, because adding processed food, alcohol and caffeine into this creates a hugely acidic internal environment, that is unsustainable and depleting on the body.
For people really struggling with either Acidosis or Alkalosis I recommend regular Kinesiology balancing, boosting the endocrine and keeping blood sugars stable.
Right, where did I put that asparagus?