pH Balance and Womens Health
Acid --- Alkaline
Improving pH balance is the basic tool everyone should be aware of. Make a difference in how your body responds to foods and supplements!
Did you know that an imbalance in the body’s pH may lead to the following?
- Hormone concerns.
- Cardiovascular weakness.
- Weight gain/loss.
- Bladder and kidney concerns.
- Immune deficiency.
- Acceleration of free radical damage.
- Structural system weakness, including brittle bones, hip fractures and joint discomfort.
- Stressed liver function.
- Low energy.
- Slow digestion and elimination.
- Yeast/fungal overgrowth.
Are You pH Balanced...
...and is it important?
The answer is a resounding YES! Our pH balance can affect all major body systems, especially the digestive, intestinal, circulatory, respiratory, and immune systems. When we maintain a proper pH balance our metabolic functions work correctly which in turn allows our body to function at its best.
Determining your own pH balance (or lack thereof) is simple. All you need are some inexpensive pH test strips and a color chart. Testing twice daily for several days will give you a general idea how your body changes.
NOTE: You may be able to get test strips to determine pH balance at your local pharmacy, too. I like mine because come in a nice box with two charts; a range of normal pH by time period in the day, and a color chart that tells me exactly what my pH is. It’s easy to store & they don’t spill out so I prefer these. Of course it doesn’t hurt that there are 100 test strips in the box so there is enough for the whole family and to recheck for several months.
pH will vary between 6.5 - 6.8 for saliva, and 6.0 – 7.0 for urine. Usually urine tests more toward 6.0 in the morning and 7.0 just before dinner. The key here is balance. It should fluctuate between these points throughout the day, with saliva averaging 6.5.
Here are a few suggestions if you find you need to correct your pH balance.
Urine is Acid 5.5 / Saliva is Normal 6.5
In this instance the body is producing excess acid but the kidneys are doing their job and are flushing the acid. The pH of the tissue is soaking in a good range and the kidneys are handling the excess acid.
If this was my situation and I wanted to reduce acid in my body I would:
- Improve digestive function with enzymes
- Eat more alkaline forming foods and less acid forming foods
- Get more oxygen into the blood stream.
- Use more potassium and magnesium
Urine is Acid 5.5 / Saliva is Alkaline 7.0
This is very acid and at the high end of the normal ranges for alkaline, and more serious. The pH of fluid around the cells is becoming alkaline but the kidneys are flushing the acid. Because there is a lot of acid the body, the body is trying to buffer it until it can get the acid out of the system. If the pH of saliva is going into 7.0 range the body has a hard time breaking down carbohydrates.
Here is what I would consider for pH balance in this case:
- Reduce consumption of high glycemic carbohydrates (foods that raise your blood sugar) like
- White flour
- White rice
- Refined sugar
- Bread
- Pasta
- Reduce consumption of acid forming foods like meat.
- Increase amount of enzymes so body can break things down better.
- Support digestive system organs, which are the pancreas, liver and lymphatic system.
Urine 4.5 to 5.0 / Saliva 5.5 to 6.0 - - Double Acid
Drinking soda, eating fast food, white flour, coffee, heavy protein consumption, and lots of cheese, meat and refined carbohydrates will throw pH balance off and get us into this condition. Excess acid is being produced and the kidneys can't handle the load. It’s hard for the body to buffer and protect the cells. Buffering systems are stressed.
Try:
- Replenishing alkaline minerals, which are magnesium, potassium and calcium as they are depleted.
- Using bio-available form of Calcium Herbal CA. Not dolomite from rock.
- Reducing acid forming foods and increase alkaline forming foods.
- Supporting kidney function by using herbs that enhance kidney drainage and enhance the ability of the kidneys to work better.
- Using herbs like goldenrod, marshmallow and nettles. (NSP Kidney Drainage)
- Eating green foods like green leafy vegetables and chlorophyll.
Reverse Split
This is where the urine is alkaline and the saliva is acid. There is acid in the fluid around the cells. The buffering mechanisms are severely depleted. The kidneys are not able to filter the acids properly out of the blood. Acid is accumulating in the tissues and there is poor lymphatic drainage. People in this state feel unstable and have a sense of being wishy-washy.
Some suggestions would be:
- Support the weakened kidneys by with herbs like nettles, horsetail, eucommia (Chinese in KB-C to support the weakened kidney.) It helps the body flush out the acids better.
- Improve lymphatic drainage with herbs like plantain, red root, calendula, cleavers and red clover. Use Lymphatic Drainage formula.
- Take protease on an empty stomach.
- Use potassium, zinc and chlorophyll
Double Alkaline
There are 2 different reason as to why someones pH balance can go double alkaline.
- A person can have a severe condition of acidosis. This is where the body is so acidic it is producing ammonia to buffer the acids. This is when a person is very ill or is elderly. This is a serious condition.
- True alkalosis - The body is over alkaline which is usually caused by drugs or extreme diets.
How do you tell the difference? If they have the ammonia smell and the person is elderly or weakened this is the severe acid condition. If someone is on chemotherapy or a very severe diet such as when they are only eating fruit diet, strict vegetarian, no protein intake then this is true alkalosis.
I would start with the following in each case:
- Acidosis is worked with in the same way as a double acid condition but since it is so severe a person may benefit from doing a semi-fast.
- Flush the body with water
- Use a lot of raw juices, which are rich in potassium and calcium salts to replenish the tissues so the acid can get out and alkalize the body.
- Use an aggressive program of supplementation of alkalizing minerals like calcium, potassium, magnesium and chlorophyll.
- Flush acids from system and replenish the alkaline mineral buffers.
- **Look at double acidosis program for the solution.
Here’s an interesting tidbit from Tonja Wells on the challenge with alkalosis and pH balance.
“Helping someone with double alkalosis is more challenging. When you ingest alkaloid herbs you will get alkaline poisoning like severe diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and spacey. This can happen when people get on severe vegetarian regime with low protein intake. They think this is a healthy way to be, but they get very spacey and very ungrounded. It can be difficult to work with these people. They think this is the way should eat but their body is sick. They keep thinking if they eat more fruits and vegetables and avoid the heavy mucus forming protein foods they will be OK but they are driving the body into double alkalosis and their body is falling apart.
“The solution is to increase consumption of acid forming foods, especially protein. This can be very difficult to convince this person to do. They are so alkaline their digestive system is out of whack so they must be on Food Enzymes and HCL (PDA). Protease is a protein digestive enzyme. Their body will be toxic due to the fact that when you get the double alkaline state the acid is being held inside the cells and it can't get out. Their body can't flush the acid out of the cells. You will want to do some colon and liver cleansing to the body can dump the toxins, which have been stored in the tissues.”
Special thanks to Tonja Wells who provided information several years ago on pH balance for the first issue of Tools for Health from which this web page has been created.
A Healthy Business Opportunity | Natural Health Coach for Women |Herbs, Supplements, Etc. |Begin with Health Basics |Health Books & eBooks | Health Analyzer |Tools for Health eNewsletter | Consultations and Coaching |Health Journal (BLOG) | To build your health business onlineyou'll want to peruse the no cost eBooks on this page.
This page (and the rest of the site) was created by me, a Certified Natural Health Consultant, definitely not a webmaster. Thank you Solo Build It!for making it not only possible, but easy and affordable.
