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THE SKINNY ON ALKALINITY
If you have been reading magazines and following the latest
juice-fasting fad, then I am sure you have come across this
word: alkalinity. Before your eyes glaze over and you move on to the
next article, this is a word all of us women should know—intimately. Not only can you prevent disease and feel great by keeping your bodies alkaline, but you can also lose five pounds or more just by making this one change.
What is alkalinity?
When people talk about alkalinity, they are really referring to the pH balance in the body. Scientifically, pH is the balance of the positively charged hydrogen ion molecules in our bodies and refers to the acid and base balance in our blood, saliva or mucus. This relationship between acid and base (or pH) is measured on a scale from 1 to 14, with 7 being neutral, below 7 being acidic and above 7 being alkaline.
So, what does all this mean? How does it relate to me?
In a nutshell, our bodies should maintain a neutral or slightly alkaline state for optimal health. If we have an overly acidic or alkaline body, then we are prone to disease. High acidity in the body has been linked to fatigue, depression, poor digestion, candida, weight retention and cellular degeneration.
When we have an overly acidic body, not only are our adrenal glands and kidneys stressed, but vital nutrients such as sodium, potassium and calcium are leeched from our bones and tissues in an effort to create pH balance in the blood. There is a reason that the U.S. has one of the leading rates of osteoporosis in the world despite having one of the highest levels of consumption of milk and dairy products (with Japan having the lowest osteoporosis rate despite having very low dairy consumption)—our standard American diet is just too acidic!
Many people in the health field (myself included) believe that acidity in our bodies is the main cause of most chronic health conditions such as diabetes, cancer and other degenerative diseases. In his book The China Study, noted author and researcher T. Colin Campbell writes that cancer cannot grow and thrive in an alkaline environment. Does this mean that everyone who eats their veggies won’t get cancer and anyone who does not will? No! But, eating a healthy, alkaline diet will greatly improve your chances for staying healthy and disease-free!
How does acidity in the body cause weight gain?
When our bodies are acidic, they are not working at their optimal capacity and do not have the ability to properly process and digest food—the dreaded “slow metabolism” or weight-gain syndrome! If you are eating an acidic diet, not only are you making poor food choices from a nutritional and caloric standpoint, but you are taxing your adrenals and making your body prone to yeast infections and candida. This, in turn, interferes with the digestion of food and results in nutritional deficiencies. It’s a circle of doom you can’t escape! If you are tired all the time or have dark circles under your eyes and are eating reasonably well but can’t seem to lose weight, your body is acidic.
So, which foods (and situations) are acidic and which are alkaline?
Acidic: Breads, meats, dairy, cheeses, refined sugar, caffeine, nicotine, lack of sleep and stress!
Alkaline: All leafy greens (such as kale, Swiss chard, spinach, romaine, you get the drift…), seaweed, fruits, vegetables, peaceful walks in the park, yoga, reading and a nice, hot bath.
If I think I am acidic, what should I do?
First things first, I recommend keeping a journal. Write everything down, and at the end of the week, take a real, honest look at what you are eating.
With most of my clients, I recommend that they take gluten and dairy out of their diet for a week or two and see what happens. Greens are incredibly alkalinizing, and I recommend that you have at least one green salad for one of your meals and also add one green juice (juice bars are notorious for adding massive amounts of apple, so if you have a juice bar, make sure it’s made with a true green juice and only one apple is used) to your diet per day. If it is possible, also try to have a wheatgrass shot, which does much in the way of alkalinizing the body. The juices bring an alkaline force into the body that helps neutralize the toxic acidity that we have as a result of our modern diets, thus preventing disease (and helping you gain energy and lose weight!).
Gadgets and gizmos
If you want to take it a step further, you can purchase a high-quality water filter with an alkalinizing function that literally turns the water as acidic or alkaline as you want it, or you can purchase alkaline drops or a stick to add to your water. Alkalinizing testing strips are also available, which allow you to test your alkalinity throughout the day. For someone who is making a change in their diet, these can be quite useful.
To find out more about purchasing and using a juicer or any of these products, or to arrange a consultation with me, you can contact me at Katherine@be-n-balance.com. Happy alkalinizing!
Katherine Pennington is a holistic health counselor and founder of Be in Balance, which helps women and men lose weight, reduce stress and achieve more balance in their lives. Additionally, Katherine runs a cooking program for kids and their moms called Kids in the Kitch, in which she helps mothers and fathers cook healthier meals for their families as well as works one-on-one with children. Katherine is also an avid runner and marathoner and advises athletes on how to fuel for maximum performance and health.
Katherine graduated from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition/Columbia Teachers College and is a member of the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. Additionally, Katherine is a founding member of Women for Family Nutrition (www.wffn.org).
Katherine resides in New York City and is the mother to two beautiful children.
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