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Stand By for Action: the ‘side effects’ of an Alkaline Paleo Diet

May 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment


This may sound a little crazy.. but I’m used to people thinking me at least a little mad.

Cassie and I are both experiencing life more fully than we have for years. I’m talking about ‘full contact’ life; being right ‘in’ everything that’s happening to us and feeling both powerful and sometimes scared… and we both attribute this expanded consciousness to our new diet.

The Alkaline Paleo diet replicates the conditions we have evolved to live in.. and that’s not the diet we get fed every day. You can read more on Cassie’s blog here, but this is something quite unexpected. I am of the opinion that this new mind expansion is a direct result of the synergy that happens when our diet matches with our paleo blueprint. I don’t expect many people to believe this… because looking back, we always see the world through the eyes of the mind we have. I think the mind can only operate at a level of efficiency that relates to the ultimate health one may – or may not have – from one’s diet. It certainly appears true that people subsisting on fast food and acidic foods only have a higher level of brain fog, or inability to rise above the murk of pedestrian life.. so doesn’t it follow that the opposite would apply – and that seems to be what’s happening to us right now!

Filed Under: Alkaline Diet, Alkaline Paleo Diet, Paleo

Another way to express acidity

May 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment


Hardo Bottin is an amazing guy. He’s one of our distributors in South Australia and has a wealth of knowledge as a live blood microscopist.

Here’s his way of describing the decision we take every day about health:

“Soon we realize that bankruptcy is knocking at the door via signs and symptoms of disease and we panic–which in turn presents us with another acidic bill. The solution is not found by getting a loan (medicine) from somewhere to hide the truth but to take responibility for your past inability to balance your acid/alkaline account and change to an Alkaline Lifestyle and diet.

Soon you will be out of debt and the beautiful thing is that YOU are the one that achieved this!!!!.

My advice to all is:
Make sure you always have a little extra alkalinity in your body account to be able to pay for those unexpected acidic bills. 
This entry is presented to you by me, your acid/alkaline accountant –(No acidic bill)

Filed Under: Acidosis, alkalizing Tagged With:

Are you a ‘Stone Former’? Lay off the Cola.

May 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment


A ‘stone former’ is someone susceptible to kidney stones. Take a look at this study.

Since stone formers are advised to increase their intake of fluid, the present study was undertaken to determine the effect of cola beverage consumption on calcium oxalate kidney stone risk factors. Fourteen males and 31 females provided 24-h urines before and after an acute load of cola. Relative supersaturations, activity products and empirical risk indices, ratios and quotients were calculated from urinary biochemical data to assess calcium oxalate crystal and stone formation risk. Several risk factors changed unfavourably following consumption of cola. In males, oxalate excretion, the Tiselius risk index and modified activity product increased significantly (P < 0.05). In females, oxalate excretion increased significantly while magnesium excretion and pH decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Scanning electron microscopy showed that urines obtained from both sexes after cola consumption supported calcium oxalate crystallization to a greater extent than the control urines.

It is concluded that consumption of cola causes unfavourable changes in the risk factors associated with calcium oxalate stone formation and that therefore patients should possibly avoid this soft drink in their efforts to increase their fluid intake.

Filed Under: Acidosis

Bioavailability of Drinking Water Calcium and Magnesium

May 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment


I wish I had a dollar for the times I have heard the theory that we aren’t capable of absorbing in ‘inorganic’ minerals in our water. So I was very happy to read these comments on an amazing scientific paper on the effects of magnesium and calcium in drinking water.

“Some non-professionals are of opinion, supported and spread mainly by the manufacturers of
devices for production of distilled and demineralized water (Bragg et al, 1998), that the
human body is not able to use the essential minerals from drinking water, which in contrast
clog up the body (similarly as happens to the pipes) and cause harm to it. Nevertheless, no
study is available to support such idea. On the other hand, multiple studies have shown that
intestinal absorption of calcium from drinking or mineral water is as effective or even more
effective as compared with that from dairy products (e.g. Halpern et al, 1991; Heaney et al,
1994; Couzy et al, 1995; Van Dokkum et al, 1996; Wynckel et al, 1997; Guillemant et al,
1997). Meta-analysis of the studies published in 1966 – 1998 even evidenced that calcium
absorption from mineral water is statistically significantly higher than that from dairy
products (Böhmer et al, 2000). Based on this evidence, it was recommended to use waters
richer in calcium as an important additional source of calcium in menopausal women, lactose
intolerant people or those avoiding dairy products because of their taste or high fat content.

Not only absorbability is in question. Many studies have documented that water calcium can
be easily used by the body: intake of drinking water rich in calcium correlated with higher
bone density in elderly women in France (Aptel et al, 1999); similar results were obtained in
an experiment with mineral water in menopausal women in Italy (Gennari, 1996; Cepollaro et
al, 1999); lower bone resorption and osteoporosis were observed in women after drinking
calcium rich water (Costi et al, 1999; Guillemant, 2000). The already mentioned Spanish
study (Verd Vallespir et al, 1992) found a lower incidence of fractures in small school
children of the areas supplied with harder water.
Bioavailability of water magnesium was documented by the studies of the 1960’s and 1970’s
that found a positive correlation between the drinking water magnesium level and the
magnesium content of the heart muscle (Crawford et al, 1967; Neri et al, 1975); among more
recent papers we can quote e.g. a Swedish study (Rubenowitz et al, 1998). Three-week
drinking of magnesium rich water (120 mg/l) resulted in 79 patients in lower pain intensity
and frequency of migraine (Thomas et al, 1992). Similar results were obtained in a more
recent study by the same authors (Thomas et al, 2000) with 29 migraine patients and 18
controls. Two-week drinking of water containing 110 mg Mg /l confirmed good usability of
water magnesium leading to higher levels of intracellular magnesium and conservation of the
serum magnesium level.”

Filed Under: Acidosis, alkalizing, Calcium, scientific studies

Acid and your Teeth: Is it the food, or is it the bugs?

May 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment


It’s the food, yes, but it is really the bugs that thrive in your acid foods that really do the heavy damage. A great report here, and here’s an extract to demonstrate the great stuff it contains:

It is significant to note that not all acids have an equal effect on the tooth. Acids originating from bacteria and soft drinks can initiate a carious process. Alternately, acids originating from fruit, bulimia, or gastroesophogeal reflux disorder (GERD) tend to erode only the enamel of the tooth in the oral environment.4-7 There are other systemic factors that can amplify the acid-stimulated caries process, such as methamphetamines like crystal meth.8 These observations demonstrate that something more significant is happening internally beyond the oral or external acid attack. The same sugars and refined carbohydrates feeding the oral bacteria wreak havoc with the internal environment and are major factors in diabetes and obesity.9 Soft drinks have an insidious effect on the internal environment of the body in addition to their oral effects.10 It is because of their systemic effect that soft drinks are a contributor to not only enamel erosion but also dental caries.11 Meth mouth is a dental symptom of system-wide devastation.12

 

And here’s a blockbuster quote that would have our fluoride favourers reeling:

Emerging evidence now demonstrates that antioxidants in green tea (epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG) acting as MMP inhibitors are significantly more effective than sodium fluoride at preventing acid erosion.21

Filed Under: Acidosis, scientific studies Tagged With:

It’s Your Choice; Fix the disease or prevent the disease.

May 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment


Dr Ben Kim emailed me this today. I think it’s an excellent reminder of the fabulous system we all own called the body.

Our instant-gratification society teaches us to seek out quick solutions for our health challenges. Google any health condition and you’re bound to come across products and procedures that fit into this mold. Have joint pain? Take glucosamine chondroiton. Have chronic acne? Take high doses of vitamin A. Want to lose weight and have rock-hard abs? Obey the golden rule to a flat stomach (for 39.95).

It’s fine to use natural products to optimally support specific areas of your body. But please be mindful of the following principle of healing:

The best way to improve the health of one area of your body is to use all of your daily choices to improve your overall health.

To help keep this principle at the forefront of your mind as you strive to get and stay well, let’s take a big picture look at how interconnected all of your body parts are.

To start, let’s review the basic pathway of blood through your body.

A good place to begin is your small intestine. As your blood courses through the vessels that line your small intestine, it picks up nutrients from your most recent meal.

From your small intestine, your blood flows to your liver, where nutrients are packaged into bundles that can be transported to all of the cells of your body.

From your liver, your blood travels upward to the right chambers of your heart.

From the right chambers of your heart, your blood travels to your lungs, where it picks up oxygen from the air that you inhale. Also at your lungs, your blood releases carbon dioxide (a waste product that it picks up from all of your cells), to be exhaled.

From your lungs, your blood travels to the left chambers of your heart.

And from the left chambers of your heart, your blood is pumped out to the rest of your body to deliver oxygen and nutrients to all of your cells.

Since every organ in your body requires oxygen and nutrients, your blood travels through every organ. And when it passes through your kidneys, your blood is cleansed of waste products by special filters that are embedded within your kidneys.

As your blood unloads oxygen and nutrients to all of your cells, it picks up carbon dioxide and other waste products that your cells need cleared away.

Your blood eventually comes full circle by returning to your small intestine and liver, and then back to your heart.

To ensure that you have a big picture view of the flow of blood through your body, here’s a simple outline of its path:

Small intestine > Liver > Right side of heart > Lungs > Left side of heart > Out to all of the organs and tissues of your body, including your kidneys > Back to small intestine, liver, and right side of heart

To give you an idea of how much ground we’re talking about, consider that:

  1. If strung together, all of the blood vessels that make up the pathway described above could circle the earth two and a half times.
  2. Over the course of one day, your blood travels about 19,000 kilometres (12,000 miles).

Now let’s re-visit your heart and lungs. Remember that before your heart pumps blood to the far ends of your body, it first sends the blood to your lungs to pick up oxygen.

If your lungs develop chronic disease through exposure to cigarette smoke, asbestos, other environmental pollutants, autoimmune illness, or any other factor, it experiences repeated bouts of inflammation.

Inflammation is a process that your body generates to try to heal an injured area.

If your lungs experience enough inflammation, it can develop scar tissue, which is tissue that is created to try to shore up damaged areas.

If your lungs develop a significant amount of scar tissue, it becomes harder for your lung tissues to allow fresh oxygen to enter your blood; it also becomes more difficult for carbon dioxide to leave your blood.

The result is that your heart has to work harder because your body’s need for oxygenated blood and clearance of carbon dioxide remains the same, regardless of how healthy your lungs are. In order to keep up with your body’s demand for oxygen and nutrients, the right side of your heart has to pump harder, and possibly faster, to compensate for reduced efficiency in your lungs.

If your lungs don’t return to a normal level functioning, the right side of your heart will eventually become fatigued and won’t be able to sustain the effort needed to keep blood flowing through your system fast enough to ensure optimal delivery of oxygen.

If the right side of your heart is significantly weakened from years of compensating for diseased lungs, your liver may experience signs of congestion, since your liver is constantly sending blood directly to the right chambers of your heart.

So one potential cause of liver disease is lung or heart disease.

Another potential consequence of fatigue and weakness in the right side of your heart is congestion in the blood vessels in your lower extremities, since these vessels are continuously sending blood back to your heart. This is how lung or heart disease can cause problems related to circulation like varicose veins and hemorrhoids.

And what about the left side of your heart? Can problems in the left chambers of your heart create issues in other organs as well?

The answer is an emphatic yes. To provide an example, if you develop thickening in the walls of large arteries (atherosclerosis) by eating too many potato chips and doughnuts, the left side of your heart will have to work harder to meet your body’s need for oxygen and nutrients. Over time, this extra burden can cause the left side of your heart to become fatigued, which can lead to congestion in your lungs (since your lungs are constantly sending oxygenated blood to the left side of your heart). If your lungs suffer enough in this fashion, you can develop all of the problems associated with right-sided heart fatigue.

And what about your kidneys? If your kidneys decline in function, none of your other organs can function properly for a number of reasons, the primary ones being that your body will accumulate toxic waste products and lose its ability to regulate fluid balance.

Here’s what all of this boils down to: it’s impossible to have just one organ in your body suffer from disease.

If one of your organs isn’t doing well, it’s only a matter of time before other organs will experience declining function.

Of course, the reverse is true as well; if your lungs are extremely healthy, the right side of your heart, your liver, the blood vessels in your lower extremities, and all other areas of your body are positively influenced.

Just as the performance of one member of a sports team can affect the performances of her teammates, the health of each organ in your body has ongoing influence on every other part of your body.

Please remember: The best way to improve the health of one area of your body is to work at promoting good overall health by choosing nutrient-rich foods, getting adequate rest, being around fresh air and sunlight (without getting burned), being physically active, and striving to be emotionally balanced.

Natural remedies for specific health challenges may be helpful, but please never forget that lasting, positive change requires mindful food and lifestyle choices that support your overall health on a daily basis.


Filed Under: Alternative Health, Uncategorized

Milk: The Acidifier

May 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment


Television commercials and advice from your doctor lead you to believe the secret to strong, healthy bones is drinking milk and taking drugs.

But that’s a huge misconception and a big lie.

Sure your bones need calcium, but if you consume large quantities of milk, you’re actually draining your bones of this much needed mineral.

Here’s why milk is a brutal bone thief: Milk has an acidifying effect on your body.

Let me explain. Everything we put into our body gets processed and alters its acid/alkaline balance. And like everything in nature, the body tries to correct the imbalance. So because milk has an acidifying effect, your body automatically pulls calcium out of your bones to neutralize the acid attack.

Why calcium? Because it is a potent neutralizer. That’s why the main ingredient in some antacids is calcium.

Think of milk entering the body like a raging forest fire and your body’s natural processes is the team of brave firefighters. So your body jumps into action and uses calcium to put out the acidic attack. And even though milk contains 300 mg of calcium in one cup, unfortunately, the net result is a calcium deficit in your bones.

Filed Under: Acidosis, alkalizing Tagged With: ,

Coke habits.

April 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment


A Coca-Cola ‘habit’ has been cited in the death of a New Zealand woman caught my eye last week. The young woman, Natasha Herris, lost her life to a heart attack at only thirty years of age.

Any parents concerned about being there for their kids might sit up and pay attention at that news. And parents wanting the best for their kids may think twice about soda habits established in childhood.

As usual, there is more to the story than just ‘death by cola.’ The pathologist involved reported that the woman suffered several health effects related to serious malnutrition, including imbalances of minerals like potassium in her body and toxic levels of caffeine (possibly from sources other than just soda). And the cola consumption was extreme: reported to be 2.1 to 2.6 gallons per day.

Toxicologists often see tests where people or animals exposed to very high levels of a potentially hazardous material are examined in an attempt to predict the effects of normal, everyday use of that potentially hazardous product. This real-life case reminds us that even products that are safe in the scope of normally foreseen use can be dangerous when over-used or misused.

Drinking colas or sodas can add great enjoyment to a picnic lunch or day at the beach. But when used as the main source of liquids, the dangers mount. Sodas without low calorie sweeteners increase risks of added sugar in your diet. Other studies indicate that women who drink a lot of colas have lower bone density. The researchers believe the effect is not due to drinking cola instead of milk, but may be due to the effects of the phosphoric acid used in colas.

Coca-cola and Pepsi recently made the news for removing caramel color from their beverages, as the State of California and other agencies have designated the ingredient a possible carcinogen.

Hmm. Wonder if they’ve changed the formula here?

Filed Under: Acidosis, Uncategorized

What is your brain made of?

April 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment


Over 50% of your brain is made of GOOD FAT.  
Twenty percent of this good fat comes from EPA and DHA.

EPA and DHA can be accessed through:

*   omega-3 fatty acids

*   eating fish

*   borage oil

*   primrose oil

*   parilla oil

Essential fatty acids provide the chemical molecules to make Phospholipids.  These phospholipids gather together to form a protective barrier around each cell in your body. If the fatty acids are in phospholipid form, your body is able to use them quicker and more efficiently.

If you’re deficient in the essential fatty acids, we are told that you will be more susceptible to these conditions:

*   Alzheimer’s disease

*   Anxiety and body stress

*   Heart disease

*   Attention deficit disorder

*   Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

*   Bipolar disorder

*   Chronic fatigue syndrome

*   Depression

*   Learning disorders

*   Memory impairment

*   Parkinson’s disease

*   Schizophrenia

Alzheimer’s

Doctors believe that if we all lived to be over 120 years, they would come down with Alzheimer’s disease.  It is a disease that we all accept that once you have it, all you can do, is to slow its progression using certain drugs and nutrients. Before your brain starts to deteriorate to where it contains nodules of toxins, excess oxidation due to free radicals, and weaken and narrowing blood vessels, it might be a good idea to start feeding it the food it needs. As you already know, I’m feeding my brain daily with coconut oil and MCT (Medium Chain Triglycerides) Oil, and I’m drinking alkaline water to campaign against ongoing inflammation and oxidation, and I have my green drink every day.

DHA is in order for Alzheimer’s disease.  With DHA deficiency in your diet, you can expect to have memory loss – and become depressed as you age.

Lecithin is also worthwhile. It helps to provide choline, a precursor to the memory neurotransmitter acetylcholine.  It also provides the chemicals to produce RNA.

Heart disease is closely related to Alzheimer’s because the heart must be strong enough to pump plenty of blood into the brain and the arteries must open enough to circulate enough blood through the brain and throughout your body. Obviously a calcium-cholesterol constricted circulatory system is going to be a problem.

Even if you don’t succumb to Alzheimer’s or your family history doesn’t demonstrate it, most of us are in line for dementia.  Dementia is also attributed to deterioration of brain cells and support tissue.  One of the causes of dementia is a diet that has been deficient in the essential fatty acids.

Here is my own regimen for supplementing with the essential fatty acids:

*   I eat more good fish, at least once a week and occasionally twice a week

*   I eat up to 6 tablespoons of coc oil a day, plus three tablespoons of MCT Oil.

*   I use olive oil on my salads.

*   I eat meat. Plenty of meat, eggs, fish as I mentioned and occasional chicken: all grass fed (except the fish)

I understand that this may conflict with some people’s concepts of good diet, but believe me, it’s working for me. To learn more about my diet I’d suggest popping over to Cassie’s Alkaline Paleo Diet blog here

Filed Under: Alzheimers, Paleo

Cassie Bond comments on whole grains and mood management

April 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment


Cassie Bond, AlkaWay co-founder and my beloved wife is getting very steamed up over her new Alkaline Paleo diet.

Here’s her comment on an article in Sydney Morning Herald that claimed that good protein and whole grains will give you good moods. And if you want to learn more, here’s the address of her diet blog.

Filed Under: Alkaline Diet, Paleo Tagged With: ,