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What Cause Poor Health?
"Basically, you die earlier and spend more time disabled if you're an American rather than a member of most other advanced countries." American doctors do a good job of diagnosing disease and prescribing medication, however, if you want to prevent or reverse disease, you often meet up with resistance or even ridicule. Often, the canned answer is, "You are getting older, learn to live with it." is not just the wrong attitude - it's wrong. Our health can be improved, dramatically.
-The World Health Organization
It isn't necessarily their fault - they were taught to treat symptoms. The problem with that logic is - if you do not correct the cause of the disease, it will come back, often as a different and more debilitating illness. At some point, surgery may be recommended, however, we only have a certain number of body parts that we can live without. And, again, without correcting the problem, it will come back [even after surgery], in one form or another.
How's Your pH? Acid or Alkaline?It's your key to health
The American diet is anything but balanced. The mass consumption of meat, grains and processed foods causes the body to become overly acidic, which strips it of minerals. Over the long haul, those who do not balance their diet with alkaline foods (fruits and veggies, primarily) become prone to weak bones, joints and muscles, heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and a host of other health problems. In other words, long-term health and longevity have everything to do with acid-alkaline balance.
The typical American has entirely too much meat and not enough alkaline vegetables to balance it. Factory farms in the US manufacture meat and animal products in unhealthy ways, leaving them loaded with toxins and inflammatory compounds.
To make matters worse, the acidity of the American diet is compounded by all the starches and sweets consumed. Many of these processed foods can be as acidic as meat, chicken, fish and seafood (colas are even more acidic), but are not nearly as full of nutrients. Acidic foods are also generally lacking in fiber, which helps control blood sugar and improves bowel health. The friendly bacteria in the gut need fiber to function. Without them, not only does the digestive system suffer, but also the immune defenses.
The problem is not so much any particular food, but rather the cumulative effect of a highly acidic diet over many decades that eats away at our health. For some, the answer is to give up meat. However, this choice is not that easy or fun, and could lead to protein, zinc, iron and vitamin B12 deficiencies. There is also nothing easy about giving up sweets and starches, as most people crave these foods, especially if there is delicious fat, salt, or caffeine in them. The food industry knows how to get us hooked, and it is not easy going cold turkey.
In general, the current standard diet is primarily composed of acidic or acidifying elements (proteins, cereals, sugars). Alkaline foods such as vegetables are eaten in much smaller quantities; their alkaline content is insufficient to neutralize surplus acids. Stimulants like tobacco, coffee, tea and alcohol are also extremely acidifying. Stress and physical activity (both insufficient or excessive amounts) also cause acidification.
Do you exhibit signs of acidification? Find out with this checklist of 30 symptoms.
- Lack of energy, constant fatigue, loss of physical tone and psychic drive, sensation of heaviness in the limbs, feelings of inability to cope.
- Lower body temperature; frequently feels cold.
- Tendency to get infections.
- Loss of drive, joy and enthusiasm.
- Depressive tendencies.
- Nervousness, agitation without cause, hyperactivity, sensitivity to high-pitched noises and easily stressed.
- Very pale face.
- Headaches.
- Eyes tear easily.
- Conjunctivitis.
- Inflammation of the corneas and eyelids.
- Acidic saliva.
- Loose teeth.
- Inflamed, sensitive gums.
- Mouth ulcers.
- Cracks at the corners of the lips.
- Recurring infections of throat and tonsils.
- Teeth are sensitive to hot, cold or acidic foods.
- Teeth have a tendency to crack or chip.
- Pain in the nerves of the teeth.
- Excess stomach acid.
- Acid regurgitation.
- Gastritis.
- Ulcers.
- Nails are thin and split and break easily.
- Hair looks dull, has split ends, and falls out.
- Dry skin.
- Skin tends to be irritated in regions where there are heavy concentrations of sweat.
- Hives.
- Leg cramps and spasms.
Adapted from The Acid-Alkaline Diet for Optimum Health, by Christopher Vasey, N.D. (Inner Traditions, 2003).
Alkaline vs Acidic
The human body is composed of 78% water. The cells in the body are 98% water. The body fluids of healthy people are slightly alkaline while the same fluids of those who are sick are acidic, ranging from slightly acidic to extremely acidic. The degree of acidity significantly affects the body's own ability to prevent and/or reverse illness and disease [including degenerative diseases]. According to Dr. Mark Cochran, in his book The Secrets of pH Concerning Health and Disease, in order to avoid disease and premature aging, the body should remain in a slightly alkaline condition.
Our efforts to establish and maintain good health are often unsuccessful because of our lack of knowledge. Frankly put, our problems stem from either one of two things [or a combination of both of them.]
1. What we put into our bodies [by eating, drinking, breathing or absorbing, etc.] or
2. What we are not taking in that we should [nutrients, vitamins, minerals, water, etc].
Staying healthy is just a matter of choice and a person can stay in optimum health by steering clear of unhealthy processed foods. The top acid-causing foods that must be avoided as much as possible include animal products, saturated fats, refined carbohydrates and sugars. Meanwhile, fresh vegetables and fruits are alkaline by nature so they would definitely help in maintaining the healthy balance of the body’s acid-alkaline state. It is also true that within the fruits and vegetables who are all alkaline, some are more alkaline than others