A Proper pH

Our bodies are genetically wired to live, to sustain life and to work toward balance. We are the ones who make the decision to work with or against our own bodies through our lifestyle and choices.

Consider the pH balance in your body, with pH measured on a scale of 1–14, where acidic (1–7), neutral (7.0), or alkaline (7–14) is applied. Science tells us that a slightly alkaline system is the body’s preferred state, just above neutral in a range of 7.365–7.45. That said, most people in America actually have acidic bodies and systems, the byproduct of the Standard American Diet (SAD), lifestyle and a general state of mind.

Some dietary contributors to raised acidity in a person’s body include carbonated drinks, artificial sweeteners, coffee, many dairy products, processed sugars and factory-farmed meat. A lack of oxygen in your body often caused by bad posture and shallow breathing further depletes your systems ability to alkalize and balance itself. Additionally, a high-stress lifestyle with a lot of mental clutter, worry or grudge-holding can have your mind raising internal acidity.

An acidic body often leads to a host of diseases and unnecessary physical disorders. A sustained acidic body becomes the welcoming soil for growing many of our modern-day diseases. Issues often linked to an acidic system can include problems with the immune system, nervous system, reproductive health, muscles, bones, respiratory system, circulatory system, the digestive tract and the excretory system. Acidity can affect so many areas in the body because every part has to deal with the internal environment.

As a proactive measure, evaluate your overall lifestyle and choices and move toward optimal living.

Here are a few things that you can do to help move from acidity to alkalinity in your system:

Modify Your Nutrition
Replace acidic foods in your diet with ones that alkalize your body. Alkaline foods include many leafy green vegetables like spinach, kale and collard greens as well as blueberries, papayas, avocados, grapes, melons, figs and sweet potatoes.

Pro Tip: Lemon/lime water in the morning. Try drinking 16–24 ounces of warm water with a lemon squeezed into it first thing in the morning. Do it for a couple of weeks and see how you feel.

Oxygenate Your Body
Because of extended sitting and general posture, many of us breathe from our upper respiratory system, which constitutes survival breathing. Most people need to learn how to breathe deeply and how to oxygenate their bodies. Creating an oxygen-rich environment in your body helps to bring balance back into your system and a neutral/alkaline state. This is one of the most neglected forms of readily accessible positive consumption to benefit your health and wellbeing right away.

Pro Tip: Jump-start your mornings with some breath work and oxygenate your system for the day.

Modify Your Mindset
Finding ways to de-stress your life and quiet your mind is a good start. Learning to be present, not stuck in the past or obsessing about the future is helpful. Your mind is powerful in its ability to create the internal and external reality you experience in this life. If you learn steps toward mindfulness and mastery, it will only serve you well in your journey.

Pro Tip: Learn to forgive people. When you carry resentment in your mind and heart, whatever that hurt is, it takes up residence in your body. That in turn causes acidity to increase, and that in turn can contribute to a number of health issues over the long term. In letting go, you open up balance in your body again and your body’s natural ability to deal with disease. You are no longer blocking pathways and receptors that can’t get through in an acidic environment.

Even just a few simple steps can make a significant difference in your overall health and wellbeing.