Acid and Alkaline

A list of Acid / Alkaline Forming Foods

Your body pH affects everything...

Balancing the pH is a major step toward well-being and greater health.

The pH scale is from   0 - 14 0 1 2  3  4  5  6  7 healthy  8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Human blood pH should be slightly alkaline ( 7.35 - 7.45 ).  Below or above this range means symptoms and disease.  A pH of 7.0 is neutral.  A pH below 7.0 is acidic.  A pH above 7.0 is alkaline.

An acidic body is a sickness magnet.  What you eat and drink will impact where your body's pH level falls.  Balance is key!!

Factors like diet and stress cause many people in the western world to have bodies that are too acidic and over burdened with toxins.  This can then cause health problems from minor and major skin irritations to depression, chronic fatigue, back pain, arthritis, osteoporosis to name but a few.

This high concentration of acidity in tissues and the blood are rarely noticed by medical tests.  Quite often you hear people saying that they feel awful but all their tests show up fine.

The No 1 cause of excess acidity is waste products left behind by incomplete digestion.  We need hydrochloric acid to digest our food.  The more difficult a food is to digest, the more acid is required to digest it.

In general difficult-to-digest means acid-forming, and easy-to-digest means alkaline.

• Health is easier to achieve and maintain if one consumes four times as much alkaline food as acidic food. When such an ideal ratio is maintained, the body usually has a balanced body chemistry and strong resistance against disease.
• If our body's pH is not balanced, you cannot effectively assimilate vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Your body will leach calcium and alkaline from your bones to try to retain the pH balance.  

A healthy blood pH is 7.4 which is slightly alkaline.

SIMPLE SOLUTION: Find out what to eat (and what to avoid) to improve your health! 

Aim to put on your plate, 60 - 80% alkaline and 20-30% acid.

The acidic quality of a food can't be determined by its taste. For example, meat and grains don't taste acidic, but they are. Lemons taste very acidic. After digestion and assimilation, however, lemons produce alkali in the body and, therefore, are alkaline.

pH Tests

Although not as accurate as a blood pH test, you can test your saliva and urine pH balance at home. The first thing in the morning, before eating lunch and just before bed, spit or urinate on a 1-inch pH strip (litmus paper). The paper will turn anywhere from yellow to green to dark bluish black. The optimal pH for saliva is green (6.4 to 6.8). The ideal range for urine pH is 6.0 to 7.0.

Acid is produced in the body whenever you have emotional stress, toxic overload or illness.

To help you get started in improving your health, take a look at list of alkaline and acidic foods.

Colonic Aftercare Sheet

You should feel fine after colonic hydrotherapy treatment and not experience any unwanted side-effects.
What you should do 24 hours after your colonic and to make the most of your treatment, follow these simple measures:

• Relax if you can
• Eat light meals avoiding spicy food, alcohol and fatty foods
• Avoid strenuous exercise
• Don't overeat.  Eat simple cooked or raw food, and chew well.  A diet rich in fruit and vegetables (especially leafy) will add to the cleansing effect and help to regulate the bowels.
• Don't eat red meat (beef, lamb, pork and game) every day.  White meat, fish and vegetarian meals are much easier to digest.
• Eat only whole grains e.g. brown rice, wholemeal flour etc not refined grains e.g. white flour products, pasta.
• Avoid lots of mucus-forming foods such as refined grains, dairy products and eggs.
• A small amount of water is absorbed during the colonic treatment and you may notice an increased need to urinate.  This is normal and will subside quickly.
• Drink plenty of fluids.  If your digestion is weak, don't drink with meals, or for 30 minutes before, or 1 hours after meals.  Avoid alcohol for at least 48 hours.
• You may experience some flatulence and bowel sounds.  This is due to the bowel bacteria multiplying back up to strength for up to 48 hours after a treatment. Probiotics supplements may be useful and the fruit and vegetables will help.
• If griping occurs, drink hot peppermint, fennel or chamomile infusions and avoid cold drinks, carbonated drinks and gassy foods.
• Don't expect a bowel movement the next day. Depending on your condition, it may take several days before normal bowel movements resume.
• Avoid rigirous exercise and weight lifting for 24 hours after treatment.

In extreme cases you may feel a 'healing crisis' which is similar to flu-like symptoms.  This can happen with any holistic treatment and can last around 48 hours.

If you have haemorrhoids they may bleed a little but as long as it is fresh red blood and only a small amount it is nothing to worry about.

Colonics are a detox so toxins will be moving around the body for a while so if you are prone to headaches, skin conditions i.e. eczema and psoriasis they may briefly occur and quickly subside.

Sometimes the bowel continues to evacuate for a few days - this occurs when the body is desperately trying to expel toxins.  This tends to occur after the second colonic.

MOST PEOPLE FEEL ENERGISED, WITH SPARKLING EYES AND GLOWING SKIN.

Foods that should be eaten regularly

Gluten Free Advice

Nutritional Advice

Coeliac disease leads to a severe damage of the gut surface, which can be completely reversed by following a gluten-free diet.  Shortly after the diagnosis of Coeliac disease, you need to be extra careful to ensure you have a nutritionally adequate diet, as you may have been suffering from malabsorption of nutrients.

Protein

Some gluten-free flours are low in protein, because they have had the gluten removed, which is itself a protein.  Specially manufactured, prescribed gluten-free flours usually have milk protein added.  Vegetarians can get protein from nuts and seeds, pulses, the non-gluten containing cereals, soya products, milk, cheese and free range eggs.  Make sure some protein is included in each meal, and practice protein complementation with the vegetable proteins, for example, combine a nut or pulse dish with a suitable cereal.

Protein is especially important to a growing child, it is essential to seek the advice of your dietitian if you are bringing up a child on a gluten-free vegetarian or vegan diet.

Anaemia

Following diagnosis, many Coeliacs sufferers are anaemic.  This is usually due to iron deficiency, although it could also be due to folic acid or vitamin B12 deficiency.  Your doctor may prescribe an iron supplement for you until your digestive system is back to normal and can absorb iron again.

To ensure a good intake of iron include pulses, lentils, nuts and green vegetables daily in your diet.  Avoid drinking tea with meals and instead have fruit juice, which helps the absorption of iron because it contains Vitamin C.

Going vegetarian

If you are already a vegetarian or a vegan and are advised to follow a gluten-free diet, you do not need to abandon your vegetarianism.  If you are recently diagnosed and would like to become vegetarian or vegan, do give your digestive system time to recover before making major changes to your diet, after all, you have a lot to think about in getting used to a gluten-free diet.  When you have stabilised, you can gradually, change to a vegetarian diet.

Do contact The Vegetarian Society if you have any problems, when making the change to a vegetarian way of living.  Once Coeliac disease has been diagnosed, it is recommended that you follow a gluten-free diet for life.

The Gluten-Free Diet

A gluten-free diet is essential for people who have Coeliac disease or dermatitis herpetiformis (a gluten induced skin sensitivity).  Some people may choose to follow a gluten-free diet for other reasons, although these 2 diseases are the only ones where a gluten free diet is considered medically imperative.

Gluten is a mixture of proteins found in some cereals, particularly wheat.  It is the gliadin component of gluten which is responsible for Coeliac disease.  A gluten free diet is not the same as a wheat free diet, and some gluten free foods are not wheat free.  Despite a good deal of research, it is unknown how or exactly why gluten harms the gut.  It is now considered likely that Coeliac disease involves an abnormal immunologic response, rather than an enzyme deficiency as was suggested in the past.

The Vegetarian Society believes that a gluten free diet is compatible with vegetarianism.  Some doctors and The Coeliac Society advise against a vegetarian or vegan diet for Coeliacs because they believe it may make your diet too complicated and this could mean it is difficult to comply with.  There are no known medical or nutritional reasons why you should not be vegetarian or vegan Coeliac, although the gluten free aspects of your diet must be the priority for your own health and well being.

Vegetarians may initially find it difficult to establish what foods they can and cannot have.  This information sheet is designed to help.

A gluten free diet involves the complete avoidance of all foods made from or containing wheat, rye, barley and usually oats.  Some doctors say oats may be permitted, although the Coeliac Society advise against the inclusion of oats in a gluten free diet.  

The Coeliac Society publishes a list of gluten free manufactured products in a booklet which is updated every year.  You can check with The Vegetarian Society if you are unsure whether any particular foods on this list are suitable for vegetarians or vegans.  Some manufacturers use the gluten free symbol on their label.

A wide range of specially manufactured gluten free foods such as, bread, bread mix, pasta, biscuits, cakes, crispbread and flour are prescribable under the NHS.  Some groups of people are exempt from prescription charges, children, pregnant women and pensioners in particular.  If you are not exempt, it works out economical to buy a 'season ticket' type prescription.  Some gluten free products, such as chocolate biscuits, are considered luxuries and are not prescribable, although they can be bought from the chemist.

Lactose Intolerant Diet Sheet

Milk and dairy products represent a problem for many people for two reasons:

LACTOSE INTOLERANCE

Lactose is a naturally occurring sugar, found in all animal milks.  The human body produces the enzyme lactase in order to break down and absorb lactose.  However, after the age of 5-6, the body's ability to produce this enzyme declines so that it has little or no ability to break down milk and milk by-products.

In the UK, 10% or more of the Caucasian population and 70% of the ethnic population have lactose intolerance and usually have difficulties with cow, sheep and goat's milk.  However, rice, soya, coconut or oat milk provide good alternatives, which can be used in recipes and on cereals.

COW'S MILK PROTEIN INTOLERANCE

Some people only react to the protein in cow's milk and can sometimes tolerate sheep and goat's milk as an alternative. If you have an intolerance to dairy then please follow the advice in the table below:

Candida

Candida albicans is a type of parasitic-like fungus that inhabits the intestines, gastro-intestinal tract, mouth, oesophagus and throat.  Normally this fungus lives in healthy balance with the other bacteria and yeasts in the body; however, certain conditions can cause it to multiply, weakening the immune system and causing an infection known as candidiasis.  The fungus can travel through the bloodstream to many parts of the body.

It can be characterised by symptoms such as:

Constipation, Impotence, Rectal Itching, Muscle/Joint pain, Persistent Heartburn, Diarrhoea, Bad breath, mood swings, extreme fatigue, Headaches, Abdominal pain, Thrush, Adrenal Problems.

Foods to Avoid

1. All foods containing yeast or derived from yeast: bread, pitta bread, pizza, marmite, yeast stocks, spices, MSG, Soya Sauce, citric acid (citrus drinks).
2. All fermented foods, drinks: alcohol, wine, beer, ginger ale, all vinegars
3. All food rich in sugar or containing sugar: sweets, cakes, biscuits, pastries, canned foods.  Look out for fructose, sucrose, glucose, syrup, dextrose, lactose, honey and molasses - all sugar: Artificial sweeteners.
4. All refined carbs: all types of white flour, white pasta and white rice.  Anything with starch or filler on the label.  All wheat products.
5. Cow's milk and milk products e.g. cheese and yoghurts.  Watch out for casein, albumin and whey on labels.
6. All fungi, moulds and mushrooms: truffles, blue cheese, buttermilk, soured cream, dried herbs.  Make sure nuts are fresh.  Peanuts and pistachios usually contain mould.
7. Smoked foods (fermented and dried) Salt. Snacks.  Avoid very spicy foods (they inflame the gut mucosa).
8. Meat or fish containing antibiotics/hormones.
9. All stimulants including Guranna.
10. Avoid fruit for the first 3-4 weeks and then add back one at a time, noting any adverse reactions.  Tomatoes, oranges, dried fruits and grapes should always be avoided.  Start with apples, pears and bananas.  Do not eat over ripe fruit (moulds).

Are you preventing thrush or provisionally treating it?

Don’t treat the symptoms treat the cause. Over the counter products are good for quick fixes; however there are three underlying reasons why thrush keeps reoccurring.

Diet

High sugar foods feed yeast causing it to multiply.

Dehydration

With out enough alkaline water the body can not flush out toxins creating a better breeding ground for Candida to grow.

Acidity

When your body is acidic there is less oxygen in the body, this is a haven for anaerobic pathogens like yeast, mould and fungus.  Thrush is often a warning you have an internal problem.

Candida is a symptom of acidosis, a sign your body is not getting enough alkaline in your diet, don’t treat the symptoms treat the cause.

Why does Thrush keep coming back?

The body goes to great lengths to create an alkaline environment to repair and rejuvenate more efficiently. The body can only work with the food and liquid ingested, to alkalize efficiently. When large amounts of acid forming foods are ingested you are fighting your natural body process to keep infection and illness down leading to pathogens, bacteria, fungus to over grow causing the above symptoms.

Detoxing your body is the best way to increase the immune system response to fight vaginal thrush.

Naturally Cure Yeast Infections

There seems to be an unquestionable correlation between a high yeast/sugar diet and symptoms of yeast infections. 

And while yeast infections can stop at irritating, it is important to remember that yeast infection symptoms can also include depression, fatigue, headaches, irritability, muscle pain, skin rash, respiratory, urinary problems, digestive disorders, hypoglycemia, hyperactivity, impotence, memory loss, learning difficulties, menstrual problems, premenstrual syndrome and more.

Where Do Yeast Infections Come From?

DIET & LIFESTYLE

A diet high in sugar and yeast, itself, will lead to an overgrowth of yeast in our blood and other cells. When we consume sugar it wreaks havoc on our body. It rapidly acidifies our system and ferments in the blood to turn into yeast/bacteria. Just think now about how much sugar is in the modern Western diet: chocolate, cola, in our tea & coffee, sweets, ice cream, cordial, fruit juice, biscuits, snacks etc. Plus, that is not to mention how much is hidden in refined foods such as breakfast cereals, microwave meals, sandwiches etc. 

And this is just the sugar, what about the yeast itself?!  We eat so much of it in bread, pasta, alcohol, cakes, sweets, biscuits etc.  But this raw consumption of sugar and yeast is only half the problem.  When we consume other unhealthy acidic foods such as saturated fats, animal products, dairy, coffee, tea, crisps, chips, refined salts, condiments, pizza etc we create an environment in which yeast infections will thrive. Basically, the sugars ferment and bacteria (yeast and mould) get a foothold, multiply and feed off their own waste (which further compounds the problem).

WEAK IMMUNE SYSTEM

When our immune system is weak, fungus can run riot.  According to the famous Italian Oncologist, Dr Tullio Simoncini, fungus is the most powerful and most organised micro-organism known to man - and it literally seeks out our weaknesses.  When we are tired, run down and stressed and we throw an unhealthy/acid diet on top of this we get ill, our immune systems get a battering and yeast thrives.

ANTIBIOTICS

Understandably there are times when drugs and medications are totally necessary.  Of course.  BUT there are many times when they are not totally necessary. Taking antibiotics, antihistamines, painkillers, cold and cough medicines are not only incredibly stressful to the liver, kidneys and entire digestive system but they also massively promote yeast overgrowth.

Antibiotics are the next leading cause of yeast infections. Antibiotics strip the body of good bacteria and allow bacterial/yeast to proliferate.  Antibiotics and other drugs also overstress the liver and the digestive system contributing to the creation of an over acid environment which further compounds the problem.

For example, antibiotics are prescribed for a throat infection.  We take the antibiotics to kill the bacteria in your throat, but these antibiotics also then kill the good bacteria in your gut and digestive system.  From here it is really easy for the yeast to take over and infection occurs.

When we have a strong, healthy internal environment not only are you very unlikely to develop an illness that requires antibiotics, BUT your body will not be any where near as susceptible to the yeast taking over.

By cutting back on (or cutting out) these sugars, yeasts and other nasties we effectively cut off the supply.   

How To Get Rid of Yeast Infections & Keep Them Away FOREVER

Enjoy a diet rich in alkaline foods.  See the list under acid/alkaline. 

Put fresh, alkaline-forming foods at the centre of your diet.

Think of big salads, fresh steamed vegetables, fresh juices, stir frys, soups, lots of green.  A diet that is nutrient dense, high water content and full of essential vitamins, minerals, fats, antioxidants and fibre is cleansing, yeast free, sugar free, blood building and blood cleansing.  Your immune system will be pumped, your digestive system is clean and clear and full of good bacteria and there is just no chance for fungus/bacteria/yeast/mould to get a foothold.  Yeast simply cannot survive in a healthy, alkaline environment.

CUT OUT ACID FOODS

Eating alkaline is only half the story.  To really get rid of yeast infections permanently you need to cut off the supply.  First and foremost this means cutting out sugar, in ALL its forms, sucrose, fructose, maltose, anything ending in OSE, monosaccharides and polysaccharides, syrup, molasses, FRUIT, and anything else sweet and sugary.  SUGAR ferments into YEAST!

Unsurprisingly you need to eliminate YEASTS!  This includes bread, pasta, biscuits, cakes, alcohol, marmite, anything fermented (soya sauce, miso etc) mushrooms any anything else baked and yeasty.

And because an acidic environment promotes and supports the rapid growth of yeast/fungus/mould and bacteria) we should try to eliminate other highly acidic foods from our diet too - these include harmful saturated fats, meat, dairy, eggs, chips, pizza, crisps, biscuits, tobacco, drugs etc.  All the things you know are not good for you!

There seems to be a theme here and it all comes back to diet and giving your body the tools it needs to cleanse and look after itself while not throwing fuel on the fire by consuming the bad stuff.

Yeast Free Diet Sheet

Yeast are part of a large family of fungi which includes mushrooms, baker's yeast and antibiotics.  Yeasts are also found in the air and will begin to grow on foods that have been around for some time - bread and fruit are a good example.  Any products which have been fermented, such as wine, spirits or beer will have made use of yeast in the processing.

Sugar Free Diet Sheet

When you buy packaged foods please read the label carefully to make sure no sugar is added.  Sugar is actualy bound into fruit and vegetables (complex food sugars) and they are normally quite safe to eat as the sugar is bound into a complex and usually fibrous chemical structure. As a consequence it is difficult to absorb and so enters the blood stream slowly and in small quantities.

Cereals such as Weetabix and cornflakes contain sugar.

Wheat Free Diet Sheet

Wheat can sometimes be very mucous forming and can cause problems with breathing, sinuses and phlegm.  For some people it can also cause bowel toxicity and constipation, skin digetion and/or weight problems, as well as small intestine aggravation for coeliac sufferers. If you have a wheat intolerance it is important to check food labels as many foods contain wheat or wheat products.  Health Food shops have a good range of wheat free products.

It is very important to fill in the gaps in your diet.  Increasing the quantity of vegetable starches is advisable.  These vegetable carbohydrates (starches) include pototoes (white and sweet), yams and more tropical alternatives like taro and breadfruit. Other foods to balance your diet are dried beans like pinto, navy, chickpea, lentils and peas.

Wheat based alcoholic drinks, Whisky, most gins, vodka, lager,beer - Check labels very carefully.

Diet Sheet for IBS

Irritable Bowel syndrome (IBS) is an uncomfortable and inconvenient condition, common symptoms being abdominal pain, indigestion, diarrhoea or constipation.

Over active bowel muscles result in spasmodic cramps with excessive flatulence, audible rumbling and swelling of the abdoment and may be provoked by food and relieved by bowel movement.  Stools may be pellet or ribbon like with or without mucous.

There are many causes of IBS included stress, food intolerance and lack of digestive enzymes, each case is different and must be evaluated separately.

Although the condition is debilitating, it is not life threatening and it can be stabilised by an holistic approach of herbs, change of diet and even lifestyle.

Conventional treatment consists of drugs for cramps, analgesics for pain, anti diarrhoea drugs or anti depressants to relieve anxiety and stress.

IBS can be treated very successfully with herbal medication to relax the bowel muscle and reduce bloating and flatulence.  It is often found that IBS is aggravated by a fungal infection such as Candida.  Colonic hydrotherapy has been found to be extremely effective.

If motions are hard and pelleted increase water or other fluid intake.  Good digestion of food is important in reducing bowel gas production.  Eat small meals especially if gastro-colic reflex is strong and chew food thoroughly.  If digestion is weak digestive enzymes can be useful.

Colonic Hydrotherapy Questionnaire

Tips to aid digestion

Fennel Seed - This herb is widely used to calm upset stomachs, relieve gas and indigestion, and to help promote overall digestive health.

Ginger - This herb is widely used to help fight upset queasy stomachs, and to fight motion sickness. It is also believed to be an effective helper in the digestion of rich foods.

Celery Seed -This herb has been used to help quell digestive muscle spasms. It has also found to be helpful in the digestion of protein. 

Artichoke - This herb has been used as a liver helper and to encourage digestive juice production so the food you eat can be passed into the digestive tract efficently.

Peppermint - This natural herb offers stomach-soothing relief. It is considered an excellent digestive aid that contains nature ingredients that help to promote the flow of gastric juices. It helps to refresh the entire digestive system.

Chamomile - This stomach-helping herb helps in the relaxation of the stomach. It helps to fight occasional heartburn, indigestion, and nervous stomach, while relaxing the entire body.

Marshmallow Root - This herb contains Calcium and vitamins. Calcium has proven to be of great help in bringing relief from occasional heartburn. Marshmallow Root also is made up of high gel like composition that can be of aid in helping to coat and soothe the stomach.