Perhaps it’s because there is a few additives to the food you consume that have a bit to do with the way your body reacts.
Like..
|
|
Why are you acid? You’re choosing as many alkaline foods as you can off the shelf!
July 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Gabriel Garcia Marquez: death of a brilliant mind if not body
July 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment
I was shocked and very sad when I read yesterday that the Nobel prizewinning author Gabriel García Márquez is suffering from senile dementia, which means he can no longer write.
Apart from the fact that this brilliant man’s memory is slowly being destroyed by this progressive and debilitating disease, it’s made even worse by the fact that Márquez survived a long battle against lymphatic cancer which he contracted in 1999… and it is believed that the cancer treatment has accelerated his mental decline.
‘Chemotherapy destroyed many neurons, many defences and cells…’
Gabriel’s brother, Jaime, revealed that his older brother, affectionately known as Gabo, frequently calls him on the telephone to ask basic questions. He says that his brother has stopped writing altogether.
Talking about his brother’s dementia, he said: “Dementia runs in our family and he’s now suffering the ravages prematurely due to the cancer that put him almost on the verge of death. Chemotherapy saved his life, but it also destroyed many neurons, many defences and cells, and accelerated the process. But he still has the humour, joy and enthusiasm that he has always had.” He added: “He has problems with his memory. Sometimes I cry because I feel like I’m losing him.”
Alkaline Water and Gastric Reflux.. some sobering study results.
July 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Ian: This is a report I came by yesterday as I trawled for new research on alkaline water. I’m not sure if it’s sponsored by the bottled water company that is mentioned, but it demonstrates our need to be aware of our health with everything we do, including drinking our wonderful water.
“The glass is half full, thanks to findings published in the July 10th edition of the Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology, which show that alkaline drinking water may be of great benefit for people with acid reflux.
Dr. Jamie Koufman, internationally renowned expert on reflux, and researcher Dr. Nikki Johnston studied how alkaline water (pH 8.8) destroyed pepsin, a stomach enzyme that when activated by acid causes painful reflux symptoms that can lead to cancer. According to the findings, a natural artesian alkaline water instantaneously inactivated human pepsin in laboratory studies. Ordinary tap and bottled waters had no such effect.(The alkaline water used in these studies was Evamor(TM) and the conventional-pH waters were Dasani(TM) and Aquafina(TM). )
In addition to destroying pepsin, the Evamor(TM) water, containing natural bicarbonate, was shown to be an effective buffer against acid.)”
Ian: So.. all good so far? not according to my definition of good. Pepsi (according to Wiki) is an enzyme whose zymogen (pepsinogen) is released by the chief cells in the stomach and that converts food proteins into peptides.
More from Wiki”
Pepsin is one of three principal protein-degrading, or proteolytic, enzymes in the digestive system, the other two beingchymotrypsin and trypsin. The three enzymes were among the first to be isolated in crystalline form. During the process of digestion, these enzymes, each of which is specialized in severing links between particular types of amino acids, collaborate to break down dietary proteins into their components, i.e., peptides and amino acids, which can be readily absorbed by the intestinal lining. Pepsin is most efficient in cleaving peptide bonds between hydrophobic and preferably aromatic amino acids such asphenylalanine, tryptophan, and tyrosine.[6]
The report continues:
“The therapeutic benefits of alkaline water with a low-acid diet bring significant relief for many patients with reflux disease,” says Dr. Koufman.
A pioneering laryngologist, Dr. Koufman has made it her professional mission to connect the dots between the reflux epidemic–including a jaw-dropping 850 percent increase in reflux-related esophageal cancer since the 1970s–and the FDA-mandated acidification of the American diet. “The clues are in the tissues of the larynx, or voice box, which show evidence of tissue-bound pepsin. The most widely used food preservatives are acids, which appear in almost everything that is bottled or canned. It’s a corrosive combination. Once the enzyme pepsin is bound to tissue, acidic beverages and foods can cause big trouble and cause many symptoms including shortness of breath, sinusitis, asthma, chronic cough, hoarseness, sore throat, and eventually even cancer.”
Ian: Here’s the point. Dr. Koufman is saying that alkaline water in combination with a low acid diet is the key. Not just alkaline water. And it’s the effect the acid diet has on the pepsin that’s important. So while you are on an acid diet, your pepsin is getting bound into tissue. in that case, perhaps reduction of pepsin may be a good thing because a perfectly useful enzyme has been co-opted to possibly cause cancerous tissue.
I do think though we need to look at the actual cause of GERD, not once again suppress a symptom by reducing pepsin. Pepsin is absolutely necessary for digesting proteins. Each level of digestive process triggers off another digestive process further down the digestive tract, if one process doesn’t occur properly the next one can’t do it’s job properly. We tried suppressing the acid reflux by taking antacids but of course this remedy did not get rid of the underlying cause and in the end led to poor digestion of proteins and the cascading problems down the digestive tract from that. For instance when we create enough stomach acids we also create bi-carbonates which in turn creates enough alkaline substance for the pancreas to trigger the pancreatic juices. The digestive system as a whole needs to be healed as a whole system, not just a part of it.
To help patients overcome both esophageal (GERD) and “silent” airway reflux, Dr. Koufman recommends a two-week detox program consisting of a strict low-acid, low-fat, pH-balanced diet along with alkaline water. This program has seen resounding success in hundreds of her patients, including professional singers and opera stars who thought their careers were over. In order to educate the public about acid reflux and the benefits of a low-fat, low-acid diet, Dr. Koufman wrote DROPPING ACID: The Reflux Diet Cookbook & Cure, a comprehensive crash course on acid reflux that covers everything from the medical aspects of the illness, to delicious recipes, to helpful strategies and tips for fighting this potentially devastating disease ( www.refluxcookbook.com ).
This is where I would disagree with Dr Koufman as a low fat diet is not necessary when we stop ingesting high carbohydrates foods such as grains and sugars. Grains and sugars are the most acidic foods we can eat. It is becoming common knowledge that the benefits of good fats far outweigh their acidic side effects and should not be restricted in the diet. So rather than giving up good fats give up grains and sugars. But of course Dr Koufman is talking to the average person who is still ingesting a lot of sugars and refined foods with additives.
“Relief from reflux disease is possible with a healthy diet and lifestyle. Life-long medication is not what most people want or need. Our research will soon unequivocally establish that reflux patients can gain control of their disease through buffering with alkaline water and a low-acid diet,” says Dr. Koufman.
Dr. Jamie Koufman is founder and director of the Voice Institute of New York and professor of clinical otolaryngology at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of the New York Medical College. She is also the medical director of the Koufman Reflux Center of New York ( www.KoufmanReflux.com ), a specialized medical practice that focuses on diagnosing and treating the 40% of Americans with reflux disease. With three decades of research and publications focused on the diagnosis, treatment, and biology of acid reflux (www.VoiceInstituteofNewYork.com ), Dr. Koufman has lectured widely nationally and internationally, and she is one of the world’s authorities on reflux disease. Dr. Koufman also has been listed among the Top Doctors in America every year since 1994.”
What is Acid Reflux Disease?
At least 7% of the population in the US suffers from this condition everyday which shows how common this condition is. The burn which is a common symptom of this disease is caused by stomach acids that are literally burn the esophagus. These are very strong, industrial strength acids that are meant to stay in the stomach because the stomach features a protective lining to prevent being damaged by these stomach acids which are necessary in the digestion of food.
The reflux occurs when the contents of the stomach including some stomach acids get back into the esophagus before the esophageal sphincter closes. This is the valve at the base of the esophagus that is meant to keep the contents of the stomach from returning to the esophagus.
If you have suffered from heartburn or acid reflux disease symptoms, you know how painful, unpleasant and even frightening it can be. And while many can be treated with antacids, in some cases this condition can be very serious if there is a complication in the esophagus in which case acid reflux can lead to an increased risk of cancer of the esophagus.
Common Symptoms of Acid Reflux Disease
- A hot, dull, burning ache or pain behind the breastbone which leads to many calling this heartburn
- A great deal of belching with no apparent cause
- A sour taste in the mouth from the acid being regurgitated back into the esophagus
- Pain or difficulty swallowing
- Sudden appearance of a large quantity of saliva in the mouth
Acid Reflux Fact or Fiction?
1. Acid is the only chemical involved
Answer: Fiction
Fact – New research has shown that it is not just stomach acids that are involved with this condition. Other chemicals produced by the body that may play a role in this condition besides stomach acids include bile and pepsin.
Bile is produced by the liver and helps to break down fats and usually stays in the gallbladder and intestines. In some cases bile mixed with other pancreatic juices may reflux back into the stomach and then into the esophagus.
Pepsin is secreted by the cells found in the stomach lining and is important for breaking down protein. When pepsin refluxes into the esophagus especially into an esophagus that is already damaged by acid reflux, it can injure the esophagus by digesting the proteins in this organ.
2. Spicy foods, tomato products and citrus can lead to heartburn
Answer: Fiction
Fact – In order to stop acid reflux, many people may seek to avoid the above foods thinking they cause this condition. While the above foods can irritate an already inflamed esophagus, no research shows that they cause heartburn.
If someone has an inflamed esophagus, avoiding these foods can certainly help. Research has shown however that there are certain foods that can cause heartburn and these include greasy or fatty foods as well as eating large meals. Additional food and drink (alcohol, caffeine, chocolate) and medications also have a direct link to heartburn as they cause the esophageal sphincter to relax leading to acid reflux. Once again the culprit is always seen as greasy fatty foods, but what foods are greasy and fatty? No doubt foods high in carbohydrates but it is the fats that are the problem or is it the carbs the fats are coating?
3. Acid Reflux is prevalent in people who produce more stomach acid
Answer: Fiction
Fact – Sufferers of acid reflux disease do not produce any more stomach acid that anyone else who does not suffer from this condition whether the stomach is empty or full. The problem with this disease is not the amount of stomach acid but the amount that refluxes into the esophagus repeatedly and why it occurs in certain individuals and not others which could be due to lifestyle differences as well as many other reasons.
Actually one of the funny things is that people with GERD have responded well to taking more betaine hydrochloride (stomach acid pill) and reducing high carbohydrate intake. This is because the actual stomach acid is low in people in people who have GERD and by adding more stomach acids the next link in the digestive system can work and so on and the actual cause of GERD is addressed.
Two Colas a day for kids = heart disease
July 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Children who drink sugar-laden fizzy drinks may be at greater risk of developing heart disease later in life, a new study suggests.
Researchers at the University of Sydney found that the children who drank one or more soft drinks each day had narrower arteries in the back part of the eye — a factor associated with increased risk of heart disease and high blood pressure, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
That was a potential marker for future cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure, researchers from the Westmead Millennium Institute for Medical Research at the university said.
The report echoed the findings of a 2007 study that people who drank soda every day — even diet soda — were more likely to develop risk factors for heart disease.
A Good discussion on choosing a water ionizer
July 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Dr David Getoff it a certified naturopath and nutritionalist. He sells nothing but gives freely of his time in advice over the net. I think his summary of points you should be looking at when buying a water ionizer is great advice.
Here is his advice. (about 20 minutes)
For more info, here is his website
““There is no treatment or drug which can overcome or negate the effects of a poor diet, inadequate nutrition, lack of exercise, and an unhealthy lifestyle.” David Getoff”
5 Big Reasons not to drink energy drinks
July 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Take a look at five really good reasons to avoid energy drinks, based on a report issued in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings and the New York Times.
1. Each Energy Drink Has More Caffeine Than Four Cokes
After a hard night or at the beginning of a slow-going morning, it might sound like a really great idea to substitute your morning coffee with an energy drink, but this much caffeine is injurious to health. This is particularly true of people who have pre-existing cardiovascular health problems.
2. There are 13 Teaspoons of Sugar in Each Drink
Not only will this much sugar eradicate the gains of any well-meaning exercise plan, but it’s simply not good for you. This amount of sugar impairs absorption of fluids, which means that you are more likely to become dehydrated. Sugar also suppresses the immune system, increases inflammation and raises insulin levels. The sugar content of energy drinks should convince anyone to give them a miss, but if that’s not enough, let’s go on.
3. Energy Drinks Make You Feel Sober When You’re Not
Combining alcohol and energy drinks is quite trendy, but the consequences are disastrous. According to the New York Times, an American athlete drank several shots of tequila at a bar, which he then followed with a Red Bull. The energy drink disguised his level of intoxication, so he got in a car to drive home. He ended up killing a pedestrian as a result.
4. Energy Drinks Can Kill Even Young People
A spate of incidents in which young people have died from energy drinks prompted the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and the University of Queensland in Australia to look more closely at the ingredients used and the impact they have on people. In their report that was published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings journal, they noted that there have been at least five cases of people dying caffeine related deaths, after drinking energy drinks; a healthy 28 year old suffered cardiac arrest and an 18 year old died playing basketball after drinking two cans of Red Bull. There have also been four cases of mania in people who are bipolar.
5. What We Don’t Know Could be Even More Serious
The above references what we do know about energy drinks, but what we don’t know could be even more serious. Dr. John P. Higgins and co-authors wrote in the Mayo journal that teens and young adults are consuming these beverages at an “alarming rate” without knowing what the long term effects are. Some possibilities include liver and cardiovascular disease and life-threatening risks to brain and heart function. The scientists also called for more regulation by health authorities.
So, the next time you’re feeling sapped and start looking to your favorite energy drink for help, opt for a glass of alkaline ionized water instead. Not only is this healthier for you, but it is also more effective as a hydrated body is an energized body.
Image credit: caution energy drinks, Shutterstock
Do you think you ‘know’ good water when you drink it?
July 8, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Check this ‘must-see video and ask yourself if you really DO ‘know’ water.
Does alkaline Ionized water remedy acidosis or not?
July 8, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Or.. how willing are we to accept a scientific trial if it doesn’t come carried out by from the USA or the UK, and if it doesn’t involve humans? This study carried out by the team of Hassan Abol-Enein, Osama A Gheith, Nashwa Barakat, Eman Nour and Abd-Elhameed Sharaf, in Egypt. It demonstrates the effect of alkaline ionized water on severe acidosis in an animal study.
Here’s the abstract:
Metabolic acidosis can occur as a result of either the accumulation of endogenous acids or loss of bicarbonate from the gastrointestinal tract or the kidney, which represent common causes of metabolic acidosis. The appropriate treatment of acute metabolic acidosis has been very controversial. Ionized alkaline water was not evaluated in such groups of patients in spite of its safety and reported benefits. So, we aimed to assess its efficacy in the management of metabolic acidosis in animal models.
Two models of metabolic acidosis were created in dogs and rats. The first model of renal failure was induced by ligation of both ureters; and the second model was induced by urinary diversion to gut (gastrointestinal bicarbonate loss model). Both models were subjected to ionized alkaline water (orally and by hemodialysis). Dogs with renal failure were assigned to two groups according to the type of dialysate utilized during hemodialysis sessions, the first was utilizing alkaline water and the second was utilizing conventional water.
Another two groups of animals with urinary diversion were arranged to receive oral alkaline water and tap water. In renal failure animal models, acid-base parameters improved significantly after hemodialysis with ionized alkaline water compared with the conventional water treated with reverse osmosis (RO). Similar results were observed in urinary diversion models as there was significant improvement of both the partial pressure of carbon dioxide and serum bicarbonate (P = 0.007 and 0.001 respectively) after utilizing alkaline water orally.
Alkaline ionized water can be considered as a major safe strategy in the management of metabolic acidosis secondary to renal failure or dialysis or urinary diversion. Human studies are indicated in the near future to confirm this issue in humans.
So once again we have a rat study, and once again no-one is stepping up to the plate to carry out a full clinical human study. So once again the naysayers will be able to claim alkaline ionized water is not proven.
An inspiring, depressing, engaging and enraging video about Mother Earth
July 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Is it Possible to Still be Alkaline Balanced on a Diet including meat?
July 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment
How can we remain in natural alkaline balance if we are eating meat – which is so acidic ?
Thanks Chantel for asking this question it’s a really good one!
Here are 12 reasons why I believe our bodies, if given the right nutrition, will be so much more alkaline when including meat in the diet.
1. Stress is the greatest acidifier to our bodies and getting the right nutrition can help calm the mind enormously.
It’s been mine and Ian’s experience that stress is no longer nearly the problem it was prior to going on this Alkaline Paleo diet.
By getting all of our amino acids so necessary from high quality protein (meat, eggs or fish) and the good fats we 
need, we’ve created a platform for the body to have the brain function as it should.
A really calm and clear mind, a mind that doesn’t get caught on the small stuff and with the big stuff is able to creatively find ways through and beyond.
A calm mind also allows for deep breathing. When we are stressed we shallow breathe which means we don’t eliminate the carbon dioxide so well from our lungs. Carbon dioxide comes from carbonic acid which is acidifying and part of the way the body gets rid of excess acids.
Depression which doesn’t allow good thinking has become something that is very rare for us now and only lasts for a very short time before we get to understand what it is about and then do what it takes to move quickly through it.
Stable blood sugar levels from the Alkaline Paleo diet ends the up and down mood swings that come from low blood sugars. Ian used to get really grumpy when he didn’t eat on time. He can now miss a whole meal and remains a happy boy!
2. Grains are more acidifying to the body than meat.
There has been much said about meat and its acidifying effects but the most acidifying food (apart from sugar) is grains. One of the things about any grains is they are not easily digested because of many factors including phytates, lectins, gluten (forms of gluten are found in all grains) and high carbohydrate levels. When foods are difficult to digest this sets up inflammation in the gut which then promotes gut dysbiosis and finally inflammation throughout the body.
Inflammation is acidifying and painful which causes more stress which in turn is acidifying.
One way to gauge acidity is to measure acid-induced calcium loss in the urine. A study by the Uni of Toronto examined the effect of increasing gluten consumption with the level of calcium loss in the urine. An incredible 63 percent increase in calcium loss occurred with an increase of gluten from bread.
About 10,000 years ago our Paleo ancestors ate meats, vegetables and a small amount of fruit, nuts and roots. This formerly alkaline human diet pH balance shifted to the acid side with the introduction of grains, especially wheat.
3. Sugars: the most acidifying foods – are almost eliminated and cravings for sugar just disappear!
If we do decide to eat berries we will be ingesting some acidity and sugar from these fruit, but for the most part, with the Alkaline Paleo diet, Ian and I just prefer savoury foods now. Our sweet tooth has just faded away. No more cravings. This doesn’t mean there isn’t an occasional foray into the fruit world but where we craved sugar and fruit before, it is now just a nice thing to eat a tiny bit of fruit every now and again – as it would have been with our Palaeolithic ancestors.
4. We need only a small amount of meat, eggs or fish with every meal; a lot less than if we still needed to get all our essential amino acids from grains, pulses and nuts.
Compared with the amount of grains, nut and legumes we need to eat to get enough nutrition, the amount of meat, eggs or fish we need is comparably much much smaller in bulk. Meat, eggs and fish are the only foods that contain all the essential amino acids, B12 and easily absorbed iron. We are probably even saving money on this diet!
5. There are other factors in meat that mediate the acidity.
In his book ‘Wheat Belly’ Dr William Davis tells us that “new research suggest that meats have other effects when ingested that partially negate the acid load. Animal protein exerts a bone-strengthening effect through stimulation of the hormone insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), which triggers bone growth and mineralization. The net effect of proteins from meat, despite their acid-generating properties, is that of increasing bone health. Children, adolescents, and the elderly who increase their meat intake show increased bone calcium content and improved measures of bone strength.”
The fact that vegetarians don’t eat acid forming meat would lead us to expect their bones to be strong and healthy but they actually have the highest incidence of osteoporosis.
6. Total food consumption lessens due to satiety from eating healthy fats, and less food consumption means less acidity in the body
Eating too much is very acidifying no matter how alkaline a food is. When the stomach and digestive system is overloaded it puts tremendous stress on the body to deliver the saliva, hydrochloric acid, pancreatic enzymes, bile, digestive enzymes and all the other hormones and enzymes needed for digestion. We all know what it’s like to be over-full. We feel awful. The body is in an enormous amount of stress trying to deliver what is needed to digest this surplus of food and we know what stress does – it acidifies!
7. Dairy products are acidic
Sorry, but dairy – especially plain milk – is acidic and so is cheese. It’s usually a part of a vegetarian diet as it is one of the few ways that a vegetarian gets enough quality protein, and fat soluble vitamins such a Vitamin A, K2, D3 and the vitamin B12.
If someone is vegan and doesn’t eat these foods they quickly become deficient in essential amino acids and all these vitamins will need to be supplemented in order to get these nutrients. Is this an optimal diet if you need supplements to survive? How can it be ‘natural’?
What happens if you are vegetarian and have a food sensitivity to dairy? Unless you supplement with a large amount of eggs you will have a lot of deficiencies, you will get sick as vegetarians and vegans often do, despite their alkaline diet. I know. I was one of them.
8. Leafy green vegetable juices are very alkalizing due to high potassium salts and we love them!
We drink (when we are back in Australia) a green vegetable juice every day. We don’t add carrots, beetroot or fruit as they are high in sugar. Fruit juice is acidic also. We have juices of kale, celery, cabbage, cucumbers, parsley, lettuce, coriander (detoxes mercury) and some ginger.
The alkalinity of the palaeolithic diet has been estimated to be 6 to 9 times more alkaline than the modern diet thanks to his large potassium salt intake from vegetable sources.
It is thought that our ancestors’ urine pH was as high as 7.5 to 9.0 compared to the our modern range of 4.4 to 7.0. Our Paleo forebears also lived in a much cleaner world where his air was clean and rich in oxygen, with clean food and (most likely alkaline) pure water, stress would have been limited to those moments where they were hunting – or being hunted!
9. Stable blood sugar levels from eating good fats and less carbohydrates means less acidity in the blood and a slowing down of the ageing process
High blood sugar levels will of course increase blood acidity. Sugar = Acid. You don’t need to have high blood sugar levels all the time to cause damage. Just fluctuating levels can do this. Making the blood more acidic means the body has to utilise its precious alkaline minerals to neutralise the acidity. The blood must be kept at a very specific alkalinity for optimal health. Increased blood sugar levels increase the amount of AGE’s (Advanced Glycation End Products) which cause all the ageing symptoms such as cataracts, dementia, arterial hardening, wrinkling, age spots etc. Everytime we allow our body high carbohydrates foods our blood sugar elevates thereby increasing these AGE’s and forcing us to grow old that bit quicker.
10. Just drinking alkaline ionized water alone will increase alkalinity – and help to negate the effects of AGE’s (free radicals)
Unlike our Paleo ancestors” world, in today’s world we need all the help we can to stay alkaline and drinking alkaline water is an easy and great way of achieving this. Alkaline water is a rich sourse of antioxidants. Antioxidants are fantastic for negating AGE’s in the blood stream thereby increasing the ability of the body to remain youthful and healthy.
11. Candida Albicans and other bad gut bacteria, with their excretion of very acidic waste, will no longer thrive in a low carb environment
Getting the proper probiotics environment back in the gut is essential for alkalinity.
12. We eat more vegetables now with the Alkaline Paleo diet than we did as vegetarians. We don’t fill up on grains, pulses or nuts so there is more room for fresh vegetables.
This has been so good to write and I hope I have helped to make it clear that contrary to our modern belief that eating meat = acidity that actually eating meat= great nutrition and more alkalinity.
I would love any comments on the above or any ideas you might have about why the Alkaline Paleo diet might contribute towards alkalinity.
