If you value staying healthy, learning more about acid and alkaline foods is one of the most important things you can do to.

The last time you may recall hearing anything about acid or alkaline was probably in science class.

Basically acids and alkaline are opposites.

There is a simple pH scale used to rate how alkaline or acid something is. Of course we are talking about food so nothing will be too acidic to be very corrosive or too alkaline to be caustic.

The scale starts at the acid end represented by zero and ends at the alkaline end at 14, in the middle ZERO is neutral.

The acid and alkaline foods you eat is the most important factor to living a long and healthy life, other than the obvious things like air, water and sunlight or exercise.

When you are healthy the pH of your blood should be very close to 7.25 or 7.4. This is slightly alkaline or salty. Foods that are ‘alkaline producing’ in your body contain trace minerals, which are nutritional cofactors essential for the cellular absorption of vitamins.

Foods that are ‘acid producing’ must be neutralized so that a healthy alkaline balance is maintained. Alkaline foods neutralize acid foods . . .

If you eat too many acid producing foods like animal protein, saturated fats and refined sugars you may use up all your salty minerals that keep you slightly alkaline.

Once your minerals are depleted from your blood a state of low oxygen may set in called acidosis.

Bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi and cancer cells crave an acid environment.

If you fail to eat enough plant-based foods which provide cofactors of minerals, enzymes and vitamins, then your immune system is forced to ‘borrow’ salty minerals from your tissues, teeth and bone.

People with high serum calcium have a problem. Their blood is full of calcium, not from eating alkaline plant-based foods, but because the calcium salt has been extracted from your body’s store rooms of minerals.

Eating acid producing foods can bankrupt your body of minerals necessary to make stomach acid. This is why so many people suffer from acid reflux, not because they make too much stomach acid, but rather, because they make too little.

Acid reflux and other health issues can be a simple alkaline food deficiency . . .

Your gallbladder, liver, kidneys and pancreas all depend on you eating alkaline producing foods to provide mineral cofactors, enzymes and nutrients. Eating acid producing foods like milk, which is 87% casein or animal protein, weakens bone density, reduces nutrient absorption and can lead to degenerative disorders like acid reflux disease, hiatal hernia and dastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD.)

You were born to heal,

Todd M. Faass

Health Advocate