Understanding Alkaline & Acidic Diets

Alkalizing diets have become a fairly common topic these days, especially in reference to disease. I can’t research cancer remedies without running into articles about how to balance your body’s pH levels with the right foods. What I hadn’t realized, though, until reading Dr. Royal Lee’s article “Guideposts to Mental Health” was that an imbalanced pH also causes mental issues, not just physical. This makes sense when Dr. Lee reminds us that improper nutrition causes chemical imbalance, which of course relates to hormone imbalance. Stated simply: we get moody! 

Interestingly enough, when this was written over 50 years ago in “Let’s Live” magazine, Dr. Lee accused mental disease of “rapidly becoming our number one health problem.” When you consider all the common and pervasive mental health problems that go unaccounted for such as depression, chronic anxiety, and criminality, it easily could be counted as the number one health problem. But, instead, physical health problems are counted as primary health problems. Heart disease and obesity have become the focus of pH balance while mental health has been put on the back-burner. So let’s shine some light on it! 

What is pH?

Here’s a quick rundown of what all this pH talk is about: pH stands for potential of hydrogen. The hydrogen is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. The spectrum is 0-14, with acid on the low end and alkaline on the high. 

We often hear about alkalizing foods as the top priority, but truthfully we need to be balanced between the two. We are healthiest when we are slightly more alkaline, around 7.4 to be exact. The reason for the alkaline emphasis in our media is that the Standard American Diet consists heavily of refined acidic foods like sugar excessive animal products,and white flour, and thus most people need to focus on alkalizing foods, such as vegetables and lentils, to balance that (in addition to cutting out the acidic foods that are not nutritional at all). Refer to this chart for a complete list of alkaline and acid foods. 

Now that we are familiar with pH, let’s return to Dr. Lee’s findings. He gives us a rundown of the mental/neurological problems that arise from being either too acidic or too alkaline.  

Overly Acidic 

Having too much acidity in your body, known as acidosis, comes from consuming too many foods that are highly acidic and not enough alkalizing foods. 

1. nervous irritability 

2. dehydration 

3. dry mouth

4. irritation to loud noises 

5. irritation to bright lights and sunlight 

6. discomfort in high altitudes or closed off rooms

7. breathlessness and sighing frequently

8. abnormal sensitivity to pain

   
   

Dr. Lee concludes that overall, these symptoms create a dysfunctional personality of being anti-social and extremely introverted. Although this is not necessarily what we call a “ serious mental disorder” today, we can certainly see the rise of irritability and low-tolerance in our society that, left unchecked, develops into serious problems. So if this really is a result of high acidity and the discomfort it brings, let’s start making salad!

Dr. Lee includes that another cause of intense irritability is a rapid drop in blood sugar, or what we commonly refer to as a sugar crash. This is especially prevalent first thing in the morning. He advises that “the best way to avoid rapid fall in blood sugar is to avoid refined sugars, as found in doughnuts, pies, cakes, ice cream, candy, and other forms of sweets.” 

So if you are a grumpy morning person, try a yummy, green, alkalizing meal before bed and see if it puts a spring in your step  in the a.m.

*Nutrition tip: the common morning remedy for grogginess is coffee, which is actually highly acidic! Try switching to a green smoothie for your morning pick-me-up. 

Overly Alkaline

1. stiffness of the muscles and joints, particularly in the morning 

2. physical sensitivity to cold weather

3. cramping muscles 

4. heartburn 

5. cold hands and feet due to poor circulation 

6. watery eyes and nose

7. drooling while sleeping 

8. loss of taste and smell

9. allergies

10. asthma

    
    

Now before you throw away your asthma meds in place of an acid-rich meal, please keep in mind that all of these symptoms do not directly point to a pH imbalance. Rather, they are possible indicators of a pH imbalance, amongst other things. For instance, Dr. George Goodheart points out that “The endocrine glands regulate the blood pH more than the diet, as you have already imagined, and therefore the support of the endocrines is important, especially the kidney. In this regard adequate fluids and sufficient vitamin A are very important. Natural sources of this material are to be preferred since there are fourteen different forms of vitamin A in the whole vitamin A complex.”

The good news is that if you suffer from any of these symptoms and they are in fact a result of being too acidic or too alkaline, simply consuming a nutritiously balanced diet can be your much-needed relief!

No matter the symptoms you may or not be experiencing, if our bodies are not fed with healthy sources of acid and alkaline foods, we will inevitably experience dangerous side effects. As Dr. Lee brilliantly stated, “The ability to live happily within our environment begins with good nutrition.”

Obtaining a Proper PH Balance

As Dr. Lee pointed out, not all acid and alkaline foods are created equal. For instance, many fruits and beans are healthy sources of acidic minerals, whereas acidic fried food and alcohol are clearly not. According to Chris Karr’s research in her book “Crazy Sexy Cancer”, striving to consume 60% alkaline and 40% acidic foods creates an optimum disease-free environment in your body. Dr. Lee adds that eating green vegetables in their raw state is the best way to obtain alkaline minerals. 

You can determine your PH balance with saliva or urine strip tests available online. Be sure to follow the directions carefully as the results can vary based on when and how you test yourself. You can also refer to the acid/alkaline food chart referenced above and make sure you are eating the correct amount of foods from each category. This may feel like a complicated math problem, but as you learn which foods are healthy acidic and alkaline foods and incorporate recipes in your diet that offer the proper balance you need, it will soon become a normal part of your lifestyle, and the health benefits you experience will be a marvelous motivator!