Back to Basics: On Acidic and Alkaline Foods, Part II
Balancing between alkaline and acidic foods significantly impacts our health, mood, sleep quality and quantity, and energy levels. What illnesses may develop in an overly acidic or alkaline environment?
Last week, we mentioned that the body's chemical environment is one of the conditions for health. This chemical environment is defined as 'acidic' versus alkaline. Of course, there are different levels determining the degree of acidity or alkalinity (PH).
What diseases might develop in an acidic or alkaline environment? A state of excess acidity can lead to various inflammations in the body, body pains such as in fibromyalgia, joint pain and arthritis, calcium loss, fungal and yeast growth. This condition encourages the proliferation of parasites and viruses, high blood pressure, rapid pulse and heart disease, kidney stones, chronic fatigue, and even cancer. Conversely, an overly alkaline state in the body may cause kidney diseases, urinary tract infections, various respiratory-related diseases, stomach pain, irritability, and more.
In light of these issues, what should be the treatment approach in cases of imbalance? If it's diagnosed that the patient's internal chemical environment is excessively acidic, one should increase the intake of foods that cause an alkaline reaction. Conversely, if it's diagnosed that the patient's internal chemical environment is too alkaline, increase the intake of foods that cause an acidic reaction. There are various ways to determine the body's chemical state. This can be assessed using tools such as a test paper called "PH paper". There is also equipment that can provide us with a better understanding. However, you can also tell based on the patient's lifestyle, the food they consume, their mood, and their sleep quality and quantity, among other factors.
A brief look at the reality in which we live reveals that the diet of a modern person primarily includes animal protein, sugars, wheat cereals, coffee, tea, and similar foods—essentially, acid-producing foods. Additionally, the environment we live in is full of tension. We also encounter a lack or excess of physical activity, both of which enhance the body's acidity. In light of all this, it's clear that to balance the body's chemical activity, we need to increase our daily intake of vegetables and fruits and reduce the consumption of acid-producing foods.
Eliahu Schechter is an iridologist and natural therapist
For the previous article: Acidic and Alkaline Food (Part I)
