2017

ARE YOU ACIDIC?

By Kathy Judson 0

“The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.” Ann Wigmore

Hey there! It’s Kathy Judson, from Additional Nutritional. We are the GO-TO for The Garage Gym when it comes to everything NUTRITION. When I say Nutrition, I mean just that. It’s never about dieting, EVER! We’re all about fuelling up your body for peak athletic performance, efficiency, fat loss and of course, optimal health! So lets get right to it and talk about being acidic.

Are you acidic? What does that mean, to be acidic? It actually refers to the levels of acidity in your body, particularly your blood and your stomach. An overproduction of acid by your stomach over a long period of time can cause all sorts of health problems. The list is seemingly endless, and includes everything from bacterial infections, to MS and even cancer. Basically, disease thrives in acidity, but cannot live in an alkaline state.How does one become acidic? Bad eating habits are the most common cause of acidity, followed by not chewing food properly and not drinking adequate water. Eating junk food and spicy food can also be the causes of acidity as well. Eating too fast, eating while you’re in a bad mood, smoking, and drinking alcohol are common causes of acidity. Sometimes a heavy meal can create acidity too. At the same time, skipping a meal and not eating for a long time can also cause acidity, as can following a “Ketosis” type or Atkins diet.

If you’re ever curious about whether you’re acidic, you can find PH test strips at your local health food store. Your urine first thing the morning will tell you where you fall between being very acidic and very alkaline. If you test that you’re acidic, here are a few ways to become more alkaline.

Drink alkaline water. It contains essential minerals such as calcium and magnesium, which help alkalize your body.
Drink one or two glasses of organic apple cider vinegar and water daily or 1/2 lemon and water daily.
Eat alkaline foods like most fruits and vegetables (see chart below).
Stress contributes to acid build-up so find ways to de-stress. Meditation, yoga, deep breathing and long walks are all great ways to de-stress and reduce acid levels.
Exercise for at least 30 minutes three to five times a week. Among its many benefits, exercise helps counteract acidity in our bodies and sweat gives acid another pathway out of the body. Plus, it helps to oxygenate and alkalize your blood.

Keep in mind that it’s virtually impossible to get all that you need nutritionally by choosing only alkaline foods. The idea is to do your best to keep your stress low, your stomach functioning at an optimal level and to increase your greens as much as possible so that your body finds that perfect neutral balance. If you’d like more information on nutrition and acidity, the book The PH Solution is an excellent resource. Here’s a chart to help you below.

If you’d like to book a FREE chat with a nutrition coach at any time, please hit up thegaragegym.additionalnutritional.com

Acidic Food Chart by Degree (Note that limes and lemons are on the “Highly Alkaline” list….It’s not always what you think!)