Alkalized Diet

What is Acidosis?

Acidosis can be described as a condition where the body has a higher acid load than normal.



Our bodies have an acid-alkaline ratio known as the pH (potential of hydrogen), which is a balance between positively charged (acid-based) ions and negatively charged (alkaline-based) ions. Our bodies continually work to maintain a pH balance of 20% acid and 80% alkaline. However, when the acid level shoots to an abnormally high level acidosis occurs.
It may result from failure of the lungs to remove carbon dioxide (respiratory acidosis) or from an over production of acid substances in the body's tissues (metabolic acidosis).
Lactic acidosis, hyper-chloremic acidosis and diabetic acidosis are the other types of metabolic acidosis.

Hence, for our bodies and organs to function at their optimum efficiency we must be at 7.365 ''pH'' level as pH is measured on a scale from 0-14. The neutral value is 7, while values below are more acidic (For egs: towards a car battery) and values above 7 more basic (For egs: towards dish soap).

Symptoms of Acidosis:

These include pain in the pharynx, chest and back accompanied by nausea and vomiting.



An inflamed gullet can constrict and get scarred resulting in difficulty in swallowing.

Acidosis is also known as heartburn or acid indigestion/reflux and occurs in most people as well as in pregnant women. Acid is needed by the stomach to digest food. However when small amounts of acid move up into the gullet, the tube that ensures food from the mouth flows to the stomach, it results in heartburn. Since the gullet does not have a protective lining like the stomach, it becomes inflamed and painful when exposed to the acid.

Causes of Acidosis:

Several dietary and lifestyle factors can contribute to heartburn. These include overeating, food intolerances, over-consumption of acid-forming foods, pregnancy, smoking, wearing tight-fitting garments and obesity.

Metabolic acidosis is caused by abnormal metabolism and also because of various other complications like diabetes, kidney failure, severe dehydration and poisoning

Lactic acidosis results in an accumulation of lactic acid in the body. It can result from a great lack of oxygen owing to shock, heart failure or severe anemia, constant exercising, hypoglycemia, malignancy and liver failure.

Effects of Acidosis:

1. Acidity leads to several health complications and degenerative diseases like cancer, diabetes, nephritis, kidney and heart complications, osteoporosis, chronic constipation, premature ageing, obesity, stress and a compromised immune system

2. The body in need of maintaining a balanced pH, tends to leech important minerals like calcium, potassium and sodium from the tissues.



To maintain alkalinity, the body first goes for sodium, then potasium, and then calcium. It leaches the calcium from your bones, making bones porous and fragile. This is a major contributor to both osteoporosis and osteoarthritis

How to tackle Acidosis:

1. Though antacids are available to tackle heartburn, heartburn treatment could be a matter of making dietary and lifestyle changes like reducing or eliminating the intake of acidic, spicy and fatty foods.
2.



Moderate exercise helps alkalizing the body. Excessive exercise can create an acidic problem due to lactic acid buildup and without exercise, acid and toxin buildup are likely.
3. Restricting consumption of nicotine and caffeine, aerated and alcoholic drinks.
4. Drinking alkaline or spring water having a good pH balance.
5. Taking supplements that help alkalize and remove acid from the body.
6.



Having an Alkalized diet to maintain the acid –alkali balance in our body.

What is an Alkalized Diet?

1. Overall, it is important to eat a diet that contains both acidic and alkalizing foods. Though everyone has their own combination the ideal diet must comprise of 75 percent alkalizing and 25 percent acidifying foods.

2. Which foods are alkalizing? Most vegetables and fruits alkalize so do whey, yogurt, soybeans, almonds, buckwheat, millet, asparagus, spinach, celery, cauliflower, soy sprouts, carrots, high protein lentils and tofu

3. So what is acidifying? All meats are acidic, so are rice, pastas, cheese, soft drinks, coffee, alcoholic beverages, condiments, and most sweeteners except raw, unpasteurized honey.