Importance of Alkaline Food and Water

In a recent article I mentioned that the most important thing that we could do to maintain good health is to drink ionised, alkaline water. However, it is also important to eat foods that are alkaline. The reason for this is so that our bodies contain the correct pH balance. As a byproduct of the digestive process our bodies produce acidic waste. If the acid waste is not eliminated it gets stored in our bodies and our body fluids become acidic. This is a major cause of illness and disease. We could liken our bodies to a goldfish bowl, the water being our body fluids and blood and the goldfish being the cells. If the water becomes polluted from uneaten food and from the fish's waste then the fish would become sick and die. The solution is to change the water or to treat it - not to give the fish medicine and do nothing else. Yet, that is exactly what we do to our bodies.

Effects of over-acidity

Moreover, an over-acidic body produces yeast and fungus which feeds on our protein and other nutrients and interferes with the absorption of everything that we eat. Serious over-acidity damages our body tissues and can affect our bodily functions and our heartbeat. The symptoms of a pH imbalance in our bodies include excess weight, low energy, tiredness and aches and pains. The body will also try to get rid of excess acid through the skin, causing symptoms such as acne, boils, cramp, headaches and inflammation. So, if you have any of those symptoms then it is time to examine your diet. To maintain good health it's important that our food produces a balanced body chemistry. In fact the correct pH balance in our bodies is more important than counting calories, the level of our cholesterol, sugar or hormones or our blood pressure.

The Solution

To maintain the correct pH balance it is important to eat plenty of vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables. The correct proportion of vegetables to other food such as meat is 80/20 by volume. So when we look at our dinner plates the majority of food on them should be vegetables and especially green vegetables. Those that are particularly good include cabbage, celery, courgette, avocados, green beans, lettuce, cucumber, broccoli and green capsicums.

If you follow this 80/20 rule then you will maintain good health and the benefits will include weight loss, increased energy, stamina and strength, a stronger immune system, a greater sense of well-being, improved mental clarity and slowing the aging process.