Arthritis- Is Your Body Breaking Down Too Quickly?

Just as all living things operate best if the temperature is not extremely hot or extremely cold, all plants, animals and people operate best if their body is not too acid or too alkaline.  Most plants don’t do well at all, or may even die, if the soil is too acid.  If the water in your fish tank is too acidic, your fish will die.

If your body is too acidic, it has 3 effects.

1. Every chemical reaction that takes place in your body is varied by how acid the environment is.  If your body is too acidic, this will impact on many of the thousands of different chemical reactions that take place in your body all the time.  In other words, most of your chemistry will be a little out, so that many areas of your body don’t work as well as they should.
2. Toxins will build up in various parts of the body.
3. When your body is too acidic, it deteriorates more quickly.  Think of a nail in water and a nail in acid- obviously the second one breaks down much faster.  This means that your body is more prone to degenerative problems, such as arthritis.  (People with arthritis usually have very acid systems, and until this is corrected, their joints will keep deteriorating.)

The acid-alkaline balance of the body (pH) is crucial to our overall health.  In a healthy state our bodies are slightly alkaline, and our bodies are constantly working to maintain the ideal alkaline pH level.  Even a minor variation in blood pH is dangerous, and can lead to many symptoms such as constipation, poor digestion, colds, headaches and fatigue. 

If your body is too acidic, it will often pull calcium and other minerals out of your bones to help counteract the acidity.  This can lead to osteoporosis and other problems in the body. 

A balanced pH can have many benefits which include protection against premature ageing, improved bone and digestive health, enhanced mental clarity, increased energy levels, and it can promote a healthy weight range.

A quick, simple and inexpensive test to determine your pH is available at our clinic.  Please ask our receptionist to arrange for an ‘Acidity Test’ for you.

CAUSES

The most common causes of the body being too acidic are

1. Incorrect diet.  With the majority of people leading a busy and stressful life, it is easy to resort to a diet of highly processed, low nutritional content foods.  These unhealthy foods are a major contributing factor to increased acidity levels within the body.  As a rough guide, the more processed something is, the more acid it makes the body.  (So soft drinks, coffee, alcohol, biscuits, breads, etc are very acid-forming, while fruits and vegetables are the opposite.)
2. Stress can be a major cause.
3. Medications
4. Chemicals in our foods, environments, cleaning products, etc.
5. Sometimes acidity can also be caused by the kidneys or lungs not working well.

There are a number of simple changes that can be made to your everyday lifestyle that can help maintain a balanced pH level and continued good health!

WAYS TO LOWER YOUR ACIDITY

Lemon Juice

Even though lemon juice itself is acidic, the effect on the body is to stimulate it to counteract the acidity.  First thing every morning, squeeze ½ a lemon, put the juice into warm water, and drink it.  (Don’t use store-bought lemon juice.)

Water

Choose purified water over tap water.  Purified water has a pH level that is relatively neutral.  Tap water is usually slightly acidic due to the added chemicals. You may also want to add lemon juice to your water.

Coffee/ Tea/ Soft Drinks

Coffee, tea and soft drinks are highly acid forming, so limiting or avoiding these drinks will help balance your pH.  If you need to have something other than water, substitute the coffee or soft drink for a green tea or herbal tea.  (See also ‘Green Drinks’ near the end of this Report.)

Preservatives/ Additives/ Food Colouring

Preservatives, additives and food colouring can be stored in your body and increase its acidity.  If your body’s elimination pathways are not working properly, and you are not drinking enough water, these chemicals can start to build up in your body.  Limiting or avoiding foods that contain preservatives, additives or food colourings will help maintain an ideal pH balance.

Artificial Sweeteners

All artificial sweeteners are very acid forming.  This is because they are highly processed and as a result they are toxic to your body.  A great alternative to artificial sweeteners is Stevia.  Stevia is a herbal sugar substitute, and causes no harm to your body.

Eat Fresh Fruit and Vegetables

Almost all fruits and vegetables make your body more alkaline (less acidic).  Including a couple of pieces of fresh fruit and plenty of vegetables in your everyday diet is also beneficial because of all the nutrients they contain.  (Having them cut and ready for you to snack on between meals will help you from eating less healthy options.)  Almonds and avocado are great snack options because they are filling, nutritious, and alkaline forming.

Food Combining

Eating foods at the right time is important to avoid increasing the acidity levels in your body.  This is because different foods require different environments and enzymes for proper digestion.  For example, proteins require a more acidic environment; carbohydrates require a more alkaline environment.  Combining these foods together may increase your chance of having a pH which is more acidic.  As a simple guideline, try and avoid combining starches/ carbohydrates with proteins.  Instead, eat proteins with vegetables or salad and starches/ carbohydrates with vegetables.  Fresh fruit should be consumed on its own or about half an hour prior to other food.  Healthy oils may be eaten with all vegetables, lemon or lime, avocado, tomato, capsicum, and with starches.   

Green Drinks (available at our clinic)

One of the best ways of balancing your body’s pH is by drinking concentrated organic green vegetable powder mixed with water.  These drinks provide you with abundant nutrients that are easily absorbed and are alkalising to the body.

We have tried a variety of products that help to make the body less acidic, and Essential Greens is the best we have found.  It has a pleasant ‘green’ taste, and helps to keep the body from losing bone calcium. 

Essential Greens is a blend of green super-foods, packed with nutrients, and is certified Organic by the ACO.  It is a natural source of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and chlorophyll, for cleaning the blood and supporting the immune system.  Essential Greens is also a rich source of dietary fibre for good colon health and regularity.   Drinking it regularly is also an easy way to increase your water intake.

Click here for more information on the causes and treatment of arthritis.

FREE COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT

If you would like to find out if a natural approach to arthritis or other mental health issue is likely to work for you, consider booking in for a free Comprehensive Assessment at our clinic. We can then check what is going on in your body, what is causing any problems, and the best way to sort it out. (Terms and conditions- the Assessment is a completely free service, with no obligations whatsoever.) Have a good life!