Nutrition and body well-being from inside out are overlooked in modern days. We focus on outer appearance and consequences and sometimes miss to treat the inner causes.
During the past years, I became increasingly interested in holistic approaches and methods to improve mind, body and spirit. Today I am sharing information collected over time related to body wellbeing. Please take what you need. It’s an invitation to reflection, deeper research, even a visit to a nutritionist should you need / choose to do so.
Our blood tells us!
A blood microscope analysis is an easy 5 minute test, very rich in information. It shows how we function, the level of toxins, state of red cells and oxygen transportation (Wikipedia on Red cells), existence of bacteria, mushrooms (yeast), level of fat and hydration, etc.
Depending on the result you may consider some diet changes or better understanding of your body needs. Whilst I am not in favor of extremes or dramatic life changes, I do believe some balance and moderation is always good when it comes to food, drinks and other substances we expose to. Here are some tips to start with.
How the body works
The PH scale measures the acidity or alkalinity of an aqueous solution. The scale ranges from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral and our blood being at 7.3-7.4 (Wikipedia on PH). Everything above 7 and up to 14 is alkaline, everything below 7 and down to 0 is acidic.
When the blood and body are too acidic, they create an unfavorable environment where illness, bacteria and yeast thrive. Hormonal diseases, digestive and lymphatic problems, cancer, reduced oxygen intake, fatigue are some of the issues that may appear.
Science has not proven that adopting an alkaline diet will remove these risks. However, a more alkaline diet eases the burden on the body. When the PH is too acidic, the blood neutralizes it by extracting minerals from muscles. That is why, too much acidity results in low minerals (calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium) and overall weakened muscles. Our mouth, digestive system and mind (producing thoughts) are acidic, but our muscles are alkaline.
The aim would be to have a diet that mirrors the blood PH. Unfortunately this is quite difficult in our days as almost everything around us is acidic. Processed food, meat, dressings, alcohol, coffee, cosmetics are acidic. Same goes for rumbling thoughts, overworking, stress or usage of technology.
So How can we Help our Body be slightly Alkaline?
1. Drink Alkaline Water! Water is vital to the correct functioning of the body, both from quantity and quality perspectives. The quantity depends on many factors (environment, health conditions, physical effort); a simplified formula indicates a daily necessary equal to weight in kg times 0.4. (a weight of 60kg requires an intake of 2.4 liters of water per day).
In terms of quality, alkaline liquids are the best. Alcohol, coffee or coffee containing teas are acidic. Soup, herbal tea, tap (where drinkable) and bottled water are mostly alkaline. You may add lemon juice or sodium carbonate to make water alkaline or buy a machine that does it automatically.
2. Eat Greens! Almost all green vegetables are alkaline and good for digestion. Notice the difference on how you feel after eating veggies vs. eating meat or other processed food. Heavy meals induce a state of fatigue and burden the system as the blood is fully employed for digestion. On the other hand, vegetables make you feel light and energized, whilst containing chlorophyll and helping the production and transport of oxygen.
3. Eat Proteins from Vegetables! Animal protein such as pork, lamb or beef have a PH between 3 and 4, below the level of our blood. In exchange, some vegetables such as broccoli, beans, peas, lentils, sprouts, mushrooms, corn, spinach or artichoke are fully alkaline and contain a good proportion of proteins that can replace meat. In a simplified manner, the formula for ideal protein intake (in grams) is your weight in kg times 0.8. (a weight of 60kg requires around 50 grams of protein per day). Ideal diet would include meat or fish only once a week; eggs maybe twice a week and the rest of the necessary proteins taken from the greens. (Source for 1, 2, 3: orally collected information at The Life Co Center in Antalya, http://www.thelifeco.com/)
4. Add good Fat to your meals! Fat is very important for the brain, eye sight and they make you feel full. Fat is not necessarily meat or associated products. You can take the necessary dose of healthy fat from alkaline ingredients such as olive and coconut oil, avocado, nuts and seeds that contain Omega 3s. Good fats (unsaturated) help reduce the cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease. Animal products and cooked oils contain bad fats (saturated). Coconut oil, butter, olive and avocado oils are good for cooking as they contain unsaturated fats. Seeds, nuts and other vegetable oils such as corn, sunflower, sesame, canola contain polyunsaturated fats which are unhealthy when cooked. (healthy cooking oils)
5. Eat natural Sugar! Added / processed sugar contains no nutrients and is bad for the teeth, overloads the liver, is addictive and can cause illnesses like diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol and heart disease. Best intake of sugar and energy comes from fruits and vegetables. Agave, stevia and coconut sugar are good and can be creatively used for healthy cookies and alkaline desserts. (almond milk, coconut and banana make a great dessert with PH around 9). (good sugar vs bad sugar)
6. Have your dose of rich Salt! Salt helps the body with minerals and balances the acidity. Processed salt contains limited amounts of minerals. Himalayan salt is a good modern option which contains 84 minerals. It has been preserved under ice and lava for millennia and kept free from pollution, so it’s a good source of healthy minerals.
7. Limit Dairy products! Opinions differ quite a lot, but generally dairy is difficult for digestive system. After the age of 4 and as we grow older we have fewer lactase enzymes, resulting in improper digestion of diary. Most of the world (depending on the ethnic group) is intolerant to dairy or highly allergic. In addition to different chemical substances that can end up in milk such as pesticides or antibiotics (http://www.all-creatures.org/health/howmilkanddairy.html), the cow’s milk contains much more protein than the human milk. This creates acidity and employs the body to neutralize it. Because it’s an acidic source of calcium, our body extracts from its own calcium to balance it and weakens our bones instead.
Cheese comes down to common sense. Besides the fact that it contains milk, it may also have traces of mushrooms (like yeast) or other bacteria. Goat milk and goat cheese are better choices as their DNA is closer to the human one. Even better, you can make your own cheese from caju fruits and different spices like salt and garlic.
