How Acid or Alkaline Are You?

By: Jera Jones

October 14, 2009

The science of food combining encourages a choice for every meal: starch or protein, since both are not allowed together. Actually, starch is probably more important than protein. Natural, unrefined starches do contain a moderate amount of protein, and moderate amounts of protein are much healthier than overdoing protein, which stresses the kidneys and other organs. Natural, unrefined starches contain the fiber needed to maintain a healthy digestive tract. They contain an ample amount of food calories (the energetic boost that fuels the day's activities) in the form of carbohydrates (the form most readily used by the body for energy). Animal proteins, on the other hand, such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy, are totally devoid of health-giving fiber. They do contain calories, but over 30% or their calories are derived from fat (calories from fat tend to be stored as fat). Drinking skim milk or discarding fat from meat will not reduce that number by much. The remaining calories are from protein. When the body must break down proteins to use them as calories (due to a shortage of carbohydrates -- not available in animal products) the body becomes acidic. A prolonged acidic condition within the body contributes to osteoporosis and is very aging.

Don't be a consuming robot programmed by the schools and media. Experiment by eating one food at a time and notice how it affects you. Keep a food and mood diary. Record foods eaten and details of any emotional upsets, and peak experiences that occur. You may find that moods deteriorate for awhile any time you are weaning yourself from unhealthful foods. This is a temporary consequence of the feelings of depravation that sometimes result from diet change, and your mood should improve within about 3 weeks of consistent avoidance of the triggering food. If you tease yourself by going back to the food, the 3 weeks will start over. You may also wish to record data such as your weight, blood pressure, fat analysis and the pH of urine or saliva. For the data to be meaningful, it is best to take your readings at the same time of day that other readings of the same type were taken, because weight, pH, bodily temperature, blood pressure and body conductivity tend to fluctuate in a cyclical pattern repeated every 24 hours independent of diet, exercise and other factors.

Urine pH will be anywhere between 4.5 (very acidic) to 8.5 (very alkaline). The first urine upon arising will normally be the most acidic of any during the day. You want to see a morning urine pH from between 6.8 to 7.2. If your morning pH is below 6.8, you need to consume more alkaline producing foods such as vegetables, avocados, citrus fruits, almond, sesame, flax, lentils, spelt, and most sprouts, and consume fewer acid producing foods such meat, dairy, refined foods, fried foods (except vegetables fried in cocoanut oil), most vegetable oils (other than cocoanut and olive), wheat (other than sprouted, or grass juice), peanuts, pistachios and cashews.