Post Your Questions About Alkalising Here!

questions

Our alkaline diet faq has not been added to for ages. I would like to think that this is partly due to the incredible depth we went into when it was created, however, I am sure that there must be a whole load of questions floating around out there that have not been answered yet.

So here is your forum, the floor is open – if you have got ANY questions about alkalising post a comment and we will do our very best to answer them!

 


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  1. Nedra Reply

    Why is my saliva alkaline and my urine acidic?

  2. Tony Hamilton Reply

    I see there is no posted reply to Ann’s question about Quorn.
    Is quorn alkalising?

  3. Ann Reply

    Can you tell me whether qorn is alkaline?

    thanks

  4. Emma-Louise Reply

    Hey, great website! I am really interested in getting on the alkaline diet but I am on a bit of a budget. Although I want to do this right, I am going to have to make adjustments slowly and buy the things I need one at a time. With that in mind my question is: what is more beneficial for alkalizing my diet, a water filter (alkalizing ionizer or something similar) or the green drink powder? I cant really afford to buy both as it would take me up to over £100 in one hit, so which do you think will give me the most immediate benefits? Also I am not too sure as to whether the pH drops do the same job as an ionizer or if it is inferior? If it does a similar thing I will buy the green drinks and the pH drops, its just that the ionizer is so expensive I kind of assumed that it must be more effective, which might well be a wrong assumption! Thank-you so much for your help!
    Emma-Louise

  5. sophie jeeves Reply

    Hi Ross,
    Emailed Gareth yesterday on his Q&A page – no reply. I’m running the Half Marathon tomorrow morning, race starts 9.30. I have read Stu’s book and taken alot of inspiration from it but he doesn’t really answer this question. I need the energy but with the right thing!! What would you suggest?
    Thanks Ross
    Sophie

  6. Sabine Chiquet Reply

    Hi Ross,
    I have asked this before but can’t find my Q anywhere:
    We live on filtered rainwater and I filter it again with a Nikken PiMag Water System. Would that make my water more alkaline compared to tap water?
    We are in Newzealand and I’m wondering if I buy one of your Ionizers will it potentially become a possible problem to be able to buy the filters for it? (I believe I remember reading that one has to change filter aprox once a year)
    Or are there stockists of the Ionizers in NZ?
    When you answer my Q’s will I receive the answer via my email or do I have to check here on the comment-page?
    Thanks heaps!

  7. Sylvia Reply

    Hello,Iwould like to know if oat is alkaline.Thanks

  8. Ross Reply

    Hi ALan

    Alkalising will DEFINITELY help with this!
    Ross

  9. alan Reply

    Hi I suffer from terrible acid reflux and a hiatal hernia-will an alkalising diet work ?

  10. Sophie Reply

    Hi

    I am a big beleiver in the alkaline diet. I have a question about fresh dates and bananas. I have read that they are alkaline. Is this true? If not, should fruit stay out of an alkaline diet altogether?

    Thanks! Great Site!
    Sophie

    • Ross Reply

      Hi Sophie

      Thanks for commenting.

      OK, most fruits are high in sugar and so fall into the acidic category unfortunately. Bananas, for instance, are 25% sugar! Some people consider them alkaline, but this is based on their state prior to being consumed, rather than the effect they have on the body.

      I’ve done a post here http://liveenergized.com/wordpress/2009/08/14/top-10-alkaline-diet-questions-answered/

      This should help clear things up for you!

      Cheers
      Ross

  11. meg Reply

    I see where fruits cannot be combined with veg. or meats in several alkalising diets, this makes it very difficult to follow plus can the veg.be cooked somewhat because the raw stuff other than salads just kills my stomach. thanks

    • Ross Reply

      Hi Meg

      Yep, veg can be cooked a little – but try steaming instead of boiling, it keeps more nutrients and flavor. The more you follow this diet the more your body will start to be able to handle raw foods. Try making one or two of the soups or smoothies in our recipe section.

      Ross

  12. Veronica Hughes Reply

    I have just been diagnosed with several very bad bacterial infections in the intestine and my doctor as told me I need to make myself far more alkaline. However, I also have severe fructose malabsorption so anything I eat containing fructose (i.e. fruit and veg) delivers sugar to my intestine and colon. Also, I am lallergic to gluten.
    SO!! my questions are:
    Can you recommend a brand of green drink that definitely is gluten free?
    AND
    am I going to be able to get enough foods on this diet that are very low in fructose?
    I would be so grateful for any advice. Thank you in advance.
    Veronica

  13. JAJOHN Reply

    Hi.. I am from India.. I donot know whether the kits to check for alkalinity is available here,. so ,, could u tell me approximately for how many days should the alkaline foods be consumed so that I can be sure about the alkaline environment in my body?? I love tomatoes.. i eat at least 1 raw tomato every day..I would appreciate if somebody could help me .. thank u

  14. Jek Reply

    Hello

    First of all , i would like to thank you for providing very useful information about alkaline diet. It totally change the way i look at diet . I have bought a book which name PH MIRACLE by Dr. Robert O Young to get more information of alkaline diet . As i read it , what it say does make sense . And i been trying the combination vegetable that contain inside this book and your wordpress blog recipe. I wish to know that now , i add tomato and cucumber in my usual meal will make me alkaline? . As i notice that cucumber is highest alkaline vegetable . So is this combination works? I also notice most of your alkaline recipe contain cucumber and tomato . Anyway, Keep the great work!

    Thank You

    Regards,
    Jek

  15. BETTY Reply

    Hi…..I am Vegetarian but not Vegan and have to feed a Triathlete son the same way.I have learnt a lot but …..can you please tell me where QUORN stands in the Alkeline diet…..and eggs please? Many thanks

    • Ross Reply

      Hi Betty

      Quorn is, unfortunately, a mycoprotein – made almost entirely from mushroom which puts it firmly in the acid range. Having said that – you can use it a little as part of a nice big healthy, alkaline meal. Tofu is a far better option, but I understand how convenient the Quorn range is – it has come a LOOOOOONG way since I first went vego in 1994.

      So I’d seek alternatives, but it can be used sparingly…

      Hope this helps!
      Ross

      • Aaron Reply

        I have checked a few charts and they all list mushroom as alkaline. What am I missing? Thanks.

  16. Louise Odom Reply

    Hello,
    Looking at the list of fruits that are alkaline, I do not understand how lemons, limes, grapefruit and tomatoes are not acid? My husband has been in the citrus business and does not understand it either. Please explain, especially since we do like these fruits. I have told by my doctor to avoid acid foods such as citrus fruits…so I give up…Please enlighted us. I plan to follow the alkaline diet. My oldest son dies of cancer and the doctor put him on an akaline diet…but it was too late.
    Thank you.

    • Ross Reply

      This is a quite common question, so I’m getting quite good at answering it in a nice and simple way!

      It is basically about what effect the food has on the body once consumed rather than it’s acidity or alkalinity in its natural state. Lemons, while containing citric acid have a very high content of the strongly alkaline minerals potassium, magnesium and sodium. These minerals have a very alkalising effect on the body.

      The reason this doesn’t work with oranges is because the sugar content of the orange is so high that cancels out the alkalising minerals and leads it to have a very acidifying effect on the body. That is the same for almost all fruits (unfortunately).

  17. claire Reply

    Hi… I am a little confused.

    Looking at the list of fruits allowed bananas are not included although it lists them as great for the sex drive ?!!!!

    Also, with so few fruits, does this mean all other fruits are not good for our diet? What about summer fruits, oranges , apples etc are they nutritionally pointless to humans and more damaging than healthy ??

    Please advise…. I really want to change my eating and am interested in the benefits of alkalising. I clearly do not know enough about it and some things don’t quite “add up” at the mo !!

    Great informative site by the way… I think I’m hooke3d .
    Regards,
    Claire

  18. Ross Reply

    Hi Therese

    That is a really tricky one – firstly, does he have to cut out all leafy greens or is it only a few?

    I believe alkalising can help considerably with this situation and as a starting point I highly recommend subscribing to Dr Young’s blog:

    http://www.articlesofhealth.blogspot.com

    And buying his book:

    http://www.amazon.com/pH-Miracle-Balance-Reclaim-Health/dp/044669049X

    Let me know
    Ross

  19. Therese Reply

    I was told that becoming alkaline would help prevent cancer from growing in the body. My husband was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. He has had his prostate removed and now they want to give him radiation. We are not pro radiation, and we would like to try something else.. to complicate matters, my husband also has Lieden Factor V blood disorder, he is to avoid or considerably limit dark leafy green vegetables ( vitamin K) as it thickens the blood, I noticed on the list of alkaline vegetables that it has a lot of greens on it.. can I get my husband alkaline without consuming the dark leafy greenes?
    Thank you for any help you can provide.

  20. Ross Reply

    Hi Nancy

    Thanks for the great feedback! It’s great to hear that my site has been able to help you!

    Unfortunately carbonated water is less alkaline than normal water – so it is probably best to minimise it (you don’t have to cut it out completely). Have you tried water with lemon squeezed in? It is really tasty and more enjoyable than just normal still water.

    Let me know how you go!

    Ross

    ps. take a look at our course too – people are getting great results on it!

  21. Nancy Reply

    Hi!
    I’m really learning a lot from you’re website and I want to “thank-you”. I’m going to give it a try but, I drink lots and lots of seltzer water (Perrier) and under the list of acidic foods you mentioned no “fizzy drinks.” Does that include this type of carbinated water?
    Thank-you,
    Nancy

  22. Toby Witt Reply

    I love eggs and have bought egg substitute——Is this LESS acidic than regular eggs AND are they healthy if I am trying to be LESS ACIDIC——Thanks a lot

  23. Kenya Reply

    Forgive me, I see you answered my question from a previous writer. Have an amazing day!

  24. Kenya Reply

    How do you measure the 80/20 balance? For example, if I have 80 oz of alkalising foods, do I balance with 20oz of acidic foods? I hope I make sense in what I am asking. What is the proper measurements used to ensure the 80/20 balance?

  25. Lourdes A. de Vera Reply

    I have bile reflux gastritis. I learned from an acquaintance that drinking pure calamansi (lime) juice about 20 pcs. in the morning before breakfast can increase the alkaline level and thus heal the gastritis. Will it not cause weight loss as I am already underweight. Any suggestions will be highly appreciated. Thank you very much

  26. Ross Reply

    Hey Victoria

    I would be very surprised if a diet that is high in fresh vegetables, greens, salads, nuts, seeds, healthy fats, steamed foods, juices, soups, raw foods, low sugar fruits etc would leave him without nutrition.

    I’d be interested to hear your concerns about what nutrition he would be missing from this because there are a lot of myths around the food industry about certain nutrients and how much we need of them.

    Of course, with any way of eating you have to do it right. If he is very thin already then I can understand your concern, however, from my own experience I found that when I started to eat in a more alkaline way I acctually gained weight.

    The reason I was thin was because the crap I ate effected my body (particularly my digestive system) so much that I was not digesting foods properly and my body was not able to extract the nutrition from the foods I ate. So even though it felt like I ate a lot I was always really thin. Make sense?

    There are also a couple of really basic supplements that you can advise him to try that will totally give him every nutrient he needs in abundance.

    The main ones I would recommend at the moment are

    1) a green drink powder (like Alkalive Green or Mega Greens)

    2) Udo’s Choice – an essential fatty acid supplement.

    The essential fatty acids are so important (omega 3, 6 and 9) and I would really urge anyone who wants to make a positive change to their diet to try using these oils for 6 weeks to see the difference. Practically every single one of us are massively deficient in omega 3 and it is so important to the proper functioning of our body.

    If your son is working out for an hour a day then he needs to make sure he is feeding his body with the calories it needs to grow. Definitely advise him to try Udo’s Choice. Even on body building site they advise this product because it is so important!

    Also try to encourage him to mix weights with plenty of aerobic (running) excercise too. Too much resistance training every day can actually be acidic too.

    I can tell you one thing from my own experiences – by following the principles of alkalising your son will not become dangerously underweight. However, as with all of this, he needs to research it properly and follow it properly.

    From eating live, fresh foods, drinking plenty of water and with the addition of the omega oils into his diet he will be recieving masses of all of the nutrients he needs to grow and develop a strong and vital body.

    But do read around this website (see the main site at http://www.energiseforlife.com) and read Dr Young’s The pH Miracle book.

    Good luck and check back in if you have any questions along the way or email me at [email protected] if you want to ask more privately.

    Have a great day
    Ross

  27. victoria Reply

    Hi! My 18 year old son wants to start eating in a Ph balanced way – heavy on high alkaline foods. The problem is that he is already very thin. He is 5’11,and about 130 pounds. He also works out for about an hour every day. I am very concerned that this diet will make him lose even more weight, putting him at a dangerously low weight, and not providing him with the nutrition he needs at this point in his life. Can anyone offer some advice to me? Thank you, Victoria (CONCERNED MOM!)

  28. alvina Reply

    btw I don’t eat the skins of my fruit and only organics if that makes a difference. I’m confused because other sites gave apples an alkaline reading along with a ton of other fruits…what was the reason behind you guys excluding them?
    Thanks in advance

  29. alvina Reply

    Confused about some fruit esp apples not being on the alkaline list. I am excited about being able to eat alkaline fruits in abundance and sad that it doesn’t include apples…I LOVE apples I can eat like 10 a day. Please explain how they are acidic.

  30. Ross Reply

    Hey Sandy and Amber!

    I’ve got to be quick but I will try to answer your questions one by one!

    Sandy – the water thing does seem confusing at first but I will try to make it simple for you! You are aiming for the purist possible. This does not mean that you shouldn’t drink tap water if nothing else is available – as ensuring you drink enough water is absolutely vital.

    Tap water > nothing
    Bottled water > tap water
    Filtered water > bottled water
    Distilled/ionised water > bottled water

    You should always try to increase the alkalinity whenever possible with greens, ph booster or lemons/lime OR all three (which I am drinking as I type!).

    I would not recommend adding baking soda to every drink you have. If lemons are available then go for this – they will have a lovely alkalising and cleansing effect.

    Hope this helps!

    Amber! Glad you found us! One word for you – SALAD! Big, big salads. When you measure 70/30 or 80/20 do it visually – what is taking up the most room on your plate? I found that if I serve a salad with EVERY meal then I am always on the right track. It helps you to keep the component of your meal that is the neutral or acidic part much smaller!

    If worst comes to worst you can always have a 2 course meal and make your traditional meal much smaller and have a starter of salad and or veggies – that way you get the fresh, raw, high water content alkalising goodness (wooo!) and your normal meal and you don’t feel like you are missing out.

    Seriously, by eating fresh salads and veggies two to three times per day you will feel the energy – especially if you are having a good 3-5 litres of water every day too. It is so easy and simple and it makes SUCH A BIG DIFFERENCE!

    Good luck and please let me know how you get on!

    Be outstanding
    Ross

  31. Amber Reply

    Hello!

    Boy am i happy that i found this website i have been on the internet for days now trying to find help. Everthing that i found you have to buy to get help. SO THANK YOU!! my question is i have the list of akaline foods and acid foods. I know that you need a 80/20 diet or 70/30 diet. But i am having a hard time trying to figure out how to combine the foods daily in meals to make it 80/20. I hope that i asked this question in a way that makes since because it’s hard to explain. Please help i am very tired of being sick and want to make sure that i akalize the right way.

  32. sandy dawson Reply

    Hi
    I would like to start alkalising but the waterconfuses me totally. Can I use tap water with a pinch ofbaking soda and lemon every day or can I use Evian, in the case of evian do I have to add ph booster to it or can I just drink from bottle. I f I buy a distiller do I haveto add ph booster to it. I dont know which way to turn.
    Thanks
    Sandy

  33. Ross Reply

    Hey Laura

    Unfortunately we legally can’t make any recommendations directly with regards to pregnancy.

    The only thing I would suggest is that you make sure your omega 3, 6 and 9 intake is sufficient (Udo’s Choice is a great product) during and definitely after.

    Other dramatic changes at this point might not be too advisable. I would take the time you have now to learn as much as possible for after you give birth so that once you are up to it you can hit the ground running!

    I wish I could advise further but our legals would not be happy with me at all!!!

    Have a great day and good luck!
    Ross

  34. Ross Reply

    Hey Barrie

    Sorry for the delay, sometimes things get backed up here at HQ and it takes us a few days to catch up! We’re only a little team so bear with us!

    Green tea is a great way to come off the coffee. I used it a lot (less now, but still from time to time). Green tea does contain a fair amount of caffeine so try to transition away from that too once you are used to not having coffee.

    I also used redbush (rooibos) too as it had that bitter taste of coffee but is totally caffeine free (and is also really nice to have brewed only for a few seconds and with a slice of lemon).

    Good luck – let us know how you get on!

    Ross

  35. barrie Reply

    Hi guys,

    I couldnt find my first question, so i’ll ask again.

    I’m about to start the alkaline diet, however i’m a big coffee drinker (5 cups a day).

    Is it ok to drink green tea instead?

    Thank for ur help

  36. Laura Reply

    Hello … I am wondering what you think about alkalising during pregnancy? I am 30 weeks pregnant (nearly 7 months) and feeling I need to go this way. What about following the alkalising programme at this stage?

    Thanks for your attention to this ….
    Laura

  37. Barrie Reply

    Hi all,
    I am about to start the alkaline diet very shortly and had a questions I was hopeing you guys could answer.

    I am a big coffee drinker and wanted to replace it with a herbal tea.

    Is it ok the drink Green Tea?

  38. melly p Reply

    Ive been doing a detox using Inner Balance Detox for four days and I am taking Pure Energy Greens twice a day. I am finding it increasingly difficult to get the greens down without feeling ill. Can these be mixed with vegetable juice or added to food to mask the taste?

  39. Ella Reply

    Dear Ross,
    What can you recommend for a person with atrophic gastritis? Actually the endoscopy showed atrophy but not gastritis. I am on a diet, so I don’t have any problems except terrible belching and gassing,
    Thanks a lot!
    Ella

  40. Ross Reply

    Oh, and yes – you can have too much of anything.

    Checked out your blog btw – great stuff!

  41. Ross Reply

    Hey Wes

    I wouldn’t recommend living of any one thing…

    A varied diet is always best.

    Green drinks are designed to give you nutrients that you normally would miss out on and to help alkalise your body – but you would still need proteins, carbs, fats, fibre etc from other sources. You literally would not get enough calories if you only consumed green drinks. Getting sufficient fats is absolutely vital.

    Have a great day
    Ross

  42. Wes Mahler Reply

    And can’t you have TO MUCH Alkalive?!

  43. Wes Mahler Reply

    Hi Ross,

    Is it possible to live off Aklalive Green?

  44. bronwyn Reply

    Hi – I’ve recently moved from the west coast of Canada south to CA and am adjusting to a major climate change. I notice when the heat really goes up that my body becomes very acidic – any thoughts? My diet hasn’t changed aside from adding slightly more water.

    Thanks!

  45. Ross Reply

    Hi Steve

    To clarify – in my experience, every doctor I have seen has gunned me down when I have asked whether I could treat my symptoms (for various illnesses) with diet and exercise and have prescribed drugs instead.

    HOWEVER – there are some great doctors who will do whatever they can do BEFORE they turn to a prescription, so it was unfair of me to generalise so much.

    I should edit that comment above, but I will leave it as it is with this explanation here so people can see my reasoning.

    Cheers for pointing it out though – it was a bit of a sweeping statement!

    Have a great day
    Ross

  46. Steve Reply

    >Ross said,
    >August 15, 2006 @ 3:29 am

    >Be prepared for scepticism from most doctors about the effects of diet and exercise on health though.

    I hope that this sentence is a typo.

  47. Joel Reply

    Hi, I am in a normal to light weight range and actually want to gain some weight/muscle. Will I be able to do this on an alkaline diet? Also is having a salad and a green drink with each meal enough to get the energy increasing benefits I hear about? Basically I want to sleep less and feel good, and gain a bit of muscle.

  48. melani Reply

    Hi – i get cold sores and have been told that this is from being acidic. will making my body more alkaline help? how do i do this?

  49. marcel ikelaar Reply

    Hi, I did happen to read this bookreview on the Internet, was wondering what your opinion is about this text.
    (The book meant in the text is “the ph miracle”, Dr. R. Young)

    Kind Regards, Marcel

    Rating: – Is Acid Really the Cause of Our Problems?
    I have read this book and I do not agree with it. Certainly eating vegetables is a good way to go and will help you lose weight- no doubt about it!
    However, the author cites acid as the cause of all of our ills and diseases. Let us take a good look at that. Ascorbic Acid, you know Vitamin C, which is said to be the closest thing to cure the common cold. Guess what that is an acid.
    Linaus Pauling, a real doctor, not one that got his degree online at some school that he can not reveal, used to take up to 15,000 mgs a day of ascorbic acid (over 200 times what Centrum has). Did it kill him, no he lived into his nineties, over twenty years longer than the average man. So much for acid being bad.
    And the stomach what is that composed of? HCL, Hydrochloric acid, and if it did not, you would not be able to digest your food. Also that acid, destroys bad bacteria, parasites and yeast.
    In addition to this there are other acids which we need to survive on, such as Amino Acids, which are in every protein you eat. Also I am sure you heard of Essential Fatty Acids, Omega 3’s. Scientists will tell you they are some of the best things to eat, and are essential to the body. Still think acids are bad?
    The bottom line is the authors credentials are dubious at best, and he should have stuck to what is true in his book. That is that vegetables are the best thing for you and will help you lose weight and get healthier!

  50. Ross Reply

    Hi Nick

    Many apologies for the delay – I actually just got to the last paragraph of an incredibly detailed answer and Internet Explorer inexplicably shut down.

    So I will try and remember everything that I said here:

    Without oversimplifying your case – I have to say that in the 8k+ customers we have had through energise, I have never heard of a reaction such as this to any supplement, let alone the pH Booster. Without knowing the full details of your diet and lifestyle it is hard to pinpoint a specific factor other than to consider than there is a possibility that it was a coincidence, or an isolated reaction.

    As I said, I have never known anything like that before. However, you deserve full kudos for scaling your consumption right down to 1/10th of what you had started on.

    The only other thing I can think of in my experience is that with some strong antioxidant supplements you can sometimes get feverish symptoms if you take a high dose on an empty stomach, but again, your symptoms seem quite severe.

    Given the nature of the pH Booster and what it does, it would be unlikely that after only one day it would cause that much of a ‘detox-flu’. The only times I have personally experienced, or known anyone else to experience detox-flu symptoms is after 2 days of a cleanse. The fact that you were already using the greens for a while also leads me to this conclusion as you may have had these reactions from the cleansing properties of the green drink.

    However, anything is possible, and again you were spot on to scale back your consumption.

    Im not trying to defend or claim anything about the products – I genuinely have never heard of such a reaction before from anyone who has used this product!

    With regards to why use distilled water, I have written a couple of resources on this:

    http://liveenergized.com/home_water_distillers_and_purifiers.php
    http://liveenergized.com/distilled-water-questions.php

    …and I hope these might be able to answer any questions on this.

    Ross

  51. Nick Reply

    Hi,

    I started drinking Alkalive green and Alkalive pH booster yesterday. With in a few hours my whole body was aching seriously. After bout 6 hours my body was really tense, I had a headache, I was shivering quite seriously. Despite it being quite warm I had to go to bed with extra covers and take a few Lemsip just to relax enough to sleep. I have no other symptoms of flu i.e. swollen glands, blocked sinuses, sore throat etc… So i have come to the conclusion that this out break was related to the Alkalive pH booster, as i have been taking green drink for a while with no side effects. I have now reduced the amount of booster i add to my drink to a tenth.

    A couple of questions:

    Have you ever heard of similar cases?
    Is it possible that the Alkalive pH booster flushed out that many toxins to force my body to react in such way?
    Why is it so important to use distilled water?

    Many thanks,
    Nick.

  52. Ross Reply

    Hi Billy

    Just sent you an email re: the message board. I found the problem and it should be fine to log in now! Thanks for your patience!

    First and foremost I have to point out straight away that I am strictly not allowed to give you any advice or suggestions about any medication, prescription or treatment that you are on – my hands are entirely tied on that front. Sorry! All I can do is prompt you to check certain things with your doctor or physician.

    To this end I would really recommend speaking to your doctor about the possibility of anything conflicting with anything else. If you email [email protected] he can give you ingredient breakdowns of any of the green drinks we retail. Be prepared for scepticism from most doctors about the effects of diet and exercise on health though.

    All of the ingredients in our supplements are natural so I would guess that there would be no problem – unless the mineral and vitamin content is known to conflict with your medication. Again, I would check everything first with your Doctor.

    With regards to body tolerances, there is not much we can do about that in my knowledge. Anything that is alien or unnatural to the body will shock it into action to begin with, but the more the body is exposed to something the more it will learn to cope. I have read that Adderall is a mild amphetamine – so I would suspect that there is definitely the possibility of your body building tolerance to it.

    You could talk to your Doctor about either switching to a different kind of prescription that has the same effect but has different ingredients or you could (and this would be my own personal preference) try to really increase your health through exercise and nutrition and see if this has a positive effect.

    I know that there has been a lot of research done into the effects of Essential Fatty Acids on the symptoms of ADD (a quick search found this one: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=MImg&_imagekey=B6T0P-3VXJ28J-1R-1&_cdi=4868&_user=1411831&_orig=search&_coverDate=05%2F31%2F1996&_sk=999409995&view=c&wchp=dGLbVtz-zSkWW&md5=2cef9e2290a62b99f3d98ebfb347ba80&ie=/sdarticle.pdf I would continue looking though) – and I think this is something well worth looking into. Try searching on http://www.newstarget.com too.

    Anyway, welcome to the community and I look forward to speaking with you on the forum.

    Please do let me know if you have any other questions about the alkaline approach to health.

    Ross

  53. Billy Reply

    First of all (before the question) I can’t seem to get a log in user name/password right to be on the discussion board. Added one, then it said incorrect user name. Can you help me here.

    QUESTION: I am on a medication for ADD called Adderall. This med has done wonders for me, as I am trying to finish my degree as quickly as possible (having a family to support). I noticed after a several months my perscription wasnt working near as well. I had already got an increase (couple of times). I started researching HOW I COULD GET BACK MY ORIGINAL TOLERANCE. I also wondered WHY the body builds up a tolerance. Nevertheless, I couldnt find much or anything at all (concerning why the body builds up tolerance). I did discover acidic/alkaline info and changed my diet. I am on a GREEN DRINK mix as well, and here is the question. WILL AN ENERGY DRINK INHIBIT A MEDICINE (being acidic) FROM STAYING THE USUAL DURATION IN THE BODY? I know green drinks get rid of acidic/toxic stuff, so how about this? I take Y.S. Organic Bee Farms Super Green Powder, but I want to get something off your site next. It contains Spirulina, Chlorella, Barley and Wheat Grass and Bee Pollen. THANK YOU, and if you could give me any further pointers on getting a decent effect back on the ‘same amount’ of adderall I am prescribed I would be so much more than thankful.

  54. Ross Reply

    Hi G

    You can cleanse for as little or as long as you want – depending upon how you feel now, and what plans you have ahead of you.

    If you feel that you are in an extremely acidic state you might want to aim for at least 5-7 days – but if you are well in balance then a 2-3 day cleanse can still make a big difference!

    You have to be sure to listen to your body along the way and make sure that you plan thoroughly!

    Failure to prepare is preparation for failure – as they say!

    Cheers
    Ross

  55. Galactica Reply

    Howdy

    I am thinking of starting a cleanze like Anthony Robbins talks about on his Get the Edge tapes but I wanted to know how long I should do it for. Alkalizing sounds like it is a pretty surefire way to lose weight but I don’t think I could hack it for more than a couple ‘o days.

    Do you have to do it for 10 days for it to work?

    G

  56. Ross Reply

    Hi Flygala

    I just answered almost exactly the same question to John in another thread:

    The body hangs on to fat in order to protect the organs from the toxicity that is created by excess acids in the blood. The fat is actually saving us!

    By consuming alkaline foods and drinks such as lemon water we are helping to flush our bodies of the excess acids and therefore we will begin to lose weight.

    Making sure we are properly hydrated will also assist in weight reduction as it will stop the body from retaining unnecessary water.

    For more information I would recommend reading:

    http://liveenergized.com/alkaline_diet_resources.php
    http://www.snyderhealth.com/fat.htm
    http://liveenergized.com/item–The-PH-Miracle:-Balance-Your-Diet-Reclaim-Your-Health–BC0002.html

    And please do let me know if you have any other questions!

    Ross

  57. Flygala Reply

    Does alkalising reduces weight? Does it decrease water in a body?

  58. Ross Reply

    Hi Mark

    First up – congratulations on the cleanse. I am glad that you experienced the positives that you have. The increase in energy and weight loss is excellent to have felt after such a short time after alkalising.

    Without knowing what your general diet and nutrition was before the cleanse it is quite difficult for me to comment, however, I would say that with a cleanse it is likely that your body would produce excess mucous and other allergy-type reactions as it is cleansing the toxins from your body. I strongly feel that if you continue to alkalise and follow the principles set out in the pH Miracle over a longer period (not cleansing necessarily, but alkalizing at an 80/20 ratio) then your allergy may start to ease off and you could see even more of the positive benefits you have already experienced.

    Also, without any more detail on when, how and with what you are testing your urine it is difficult to offer any steadfast suggestions. Urine samples for pH testing can be erratic and during a cleanse this is especially true as your body is ridding most of the acid toxins out through the urine. It would be a more accurate measure to test perhaps three times per day over the course of 10-20 days to track any trends and changes. The more you alkalise the higher the pH will be on your test, however, it is natural to see an increased acidity while cleansing.

    Please do let me know if you have any other questions. I posted an answer on pH testing earlier in these comments that might be helpful to you too.

    Have a great day and a great week – Ross

  59. Mark Beatham Reply

    I went on a three-day cleanse last weekend, following the instructions I have read from Robert Young. I did it to clean out in general, but also to give me some leverage on my spring allergy (which was especially strong this year, in spite of the fact that I have been eating the alkaline diet since the end of March). I generally had good results (my weight declined, energy was good, felt lighter and more fluid, etc.), but I was surprised by two results. One, my allergy didn’t improve. Two, I got the strongest acid readings ever in my urine samples. In fact, the readings got more and more acidic with each test. Could you please explain these results? Am I thinking about them in the correct way?

  60. Ross Reply

    Hi Eric

    As far as I am aware, gum should not be too much of a concern for you. Gum obviously increases the production of alkaline saliva which can help protect your teeth from acids, but this will have little to no effect on your overall acid/alkaline balance.

    One important thing to remember is not to chew gum for at least a couple of hours if you are going to test your pH with your saliva as it will give an overly alkaline reading.

    I hope this helps – have a great Easter,
    Ross

  61. Eric Conrad Reply

    Where does gum stand on all of this? I enjoy chewing Trident. While I realize that there is the fact that I’m not drinking water while chewing, I generally chew when there is no water available to drink. Is gum going to cause a problem in alkanizing myself?

  62. Sacha Wilson Reply

    Thanks for the reply Ross, much appreciated!

  63. Ross Reply

    Hi Sacha

    I must admit I had previously never heard of dandelion coffee! On face value there seems to be very little problem from an alkalising point of view – particularly if you compare the effects of this to that of coffee. It is a far, far healthier alternative.

    I also like to use Redbush Tea (rooibos) as this offers something that is fairly similar to coffee and tea (depending on how strong you brew it) but contains no caffeine.

    Personally, I wouldn’t be too concerned over it. While it is impossible for me to give you a definitive yes/no answer – I would continue to enjoy your dandelion!

    I hope this helps for now! I am going to continue to investigate and will keep you posted with my findings!

    Have a great day,
    Ross

  64. Sacha Wilson Reply

    Hi there,

    I’ve given up one of my favorite pleasures – freshly brewed coffee. I have found a substitute product – Dandelion coffee – which is roasted dandelion which then requires grinding. It is then brewed in the same way as normal coffee – through a filter or cafetiere. While I understand that the ingredients would not be acidifying – since the only ingredient is dandelion – I’m wondering if the roasting process would mean that it should be avoided. (The product is called ‘Cotswold Roasted Dandelion Coffee’)

    Thanks,
    Sacha

  65. Ross Reply

    Hi Vanessa,

    First of all, you can let your Aunt know that without a shadow of a doubt it is not all flowers and grass! Well, it is some grass, but not all…

    I really hope, and have no doubt that, she will be able to find some recipes that she really loves and I hope that these get you off to a good start:

    Detox/Cleanse Recipes all of the recipes here are alkaline.
    Blogged Recipes – the recipes here in the energise blog are also all alkaline
    List of Alkaline and Acid Foods – this list should also give you a good idea of what foods to look out for

    I hope these give you a good start. If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Many thanks for sharing your question and I wish your Aunt all the best!

    Ross

  66. Vanessa Reply

    My aunt was diagnosed with breast, bone and lung cancer and was placed on a strictly alkaline diet to aid her fight. I am scouring the net for recipes and could use any that people know. When my aunt first heard her new diet she thought all she gets to eat were “flowers and grass”. I just want to show her that she could still enjoy food even if it is green..hehehe. Well thank you for the help and time you took to read my post.

    Vanessa

  67. Ross Reply

    Hi Sue

    Great questions. With regards to the first the short answer is that the pH levels of the saliva and urine are very susceptible to sudden flux and change and are difficult to measure specifically. You definitely are not doing anything wrong.

    Testing your pH with Saliva or Urine:

    It is good practice to either test 1 hour before or 2 hours after eating. If testing your saliva, it is a good idea to try to fill your mouth with saliva and then swallow. This helps remove any acidic bacteria that might be lurking. Do not try to wash your mouth out with anything else as this will simply record the alkalinity of the water/liquid you have just used.

    For testing urine, let some urine flow before testing as this will give more of an average reading.

    It is also a good idea to test 2-3 times in a day in order to get an average, as first thing in the morning the body has retained fluids over a long period of time and it will engage in different processes to remove acid wastes from the body throughout the day (depending on activity and diet).

    Why the Differences and Fluctuations?

    The reason that there is such a difference between your urine and saliva readings is that a) your mouth is more likely to contain acidic bacteria throughout the day (if you brush your teeth it will show a very high alkaline reading due to the toothpaste so there is not much of a way around this) and b) because your urine is more of a reflection of the processes the body is undertaking to remove acid from the body.

    Both of these are therefore subject to fluctuations. I would recommend taking the average of several readings to gain a bigger picture of your progress rather than concentrating on each reading in isolation.

    The good news is…

    You will be pleased to know, however, that your readings are actually very good in terms of alkalinity. A reading of anywhere between 6.75-7.0+ is excellent as the saliva tends to be slightly more acidic. For the urine, a slightly higher pH level of 7.5 upwards is great, but remember that due to the kidney’s processing of toxins throughout the day, the urine can give a more erratic reading.

    To put all of this into perspective, someone who eats a typical Western diet would be more likely to have a saliva pH average of about 5.5-6.0. This may not seem too much lower, however it is important to remember that the pH scale is logarithmic – meaning each step is ten time the previous i.e. 4.5 is 10 times more acidic than 5.5 which is 100 times more acidic than 6.5 and so on.

    Remember:

    Testing the pH of your saliva or urine is only going to give you a general trend. Unfortunately, there is no way of determining the EXACT pH of the blood without undergoing a live blood analysis. However, they can give a good indication – so test, test, test and take the average and then follow this trend over time noticing the difference any changes in your diet can make.

    Of course, it is impossible for me to say anything with 100% certainty as I do not know the ins and outs of your diet or lifestyle. However, from what you have written you are obviously on the right lines. My only minor concern would be where you stated that you were eating lots of fruit – as, depending on the fruit involved, this can contain a fairly high amount of sugar (and therefore could also contribute to the fluctuations in pH).

    With regards to testing the pH of food and drink – I know that in the catering industry food pH testing instruments are sold, however, it is also possible to use the pH testing strips or sticks that you use to test the pH of liquids the same as you test your saliva. This is not something I have explored fully myself as I usually just trust that the leafy greens are alkaline and the colas and sweets are acidic (crude, but you know what I mean!).

    I sincerely hope that this helps you and encourages you – please feel free to ask any other questions you may have.

    Have a great weekend!

    Cheers
    Ross

  68. Sue Hales Reply

    I am trying to get my PH level up to around 8.0 and am using your test strips to check how I am doing. To say the readings are erratic is a bit of an understatement. At one reading session first thing in the morning – prior to any food or drink my Saliva PH was 6.75 but my urine was a massive 9.0. My saliva readings are generally anything between 6.75 – 7.25 but the urine tests are anything between 6.75 and 9.0.

    I use Alkalive PH booster in all of my water and take Inner light 3 times a day. I also have a sprouter, although I use these sparingly as they don’t sit particularly well with me. I eat mainly alkaline foods with loads of fruit and veg and rebound daily.

    I have been doing this for about 4 months. I guess I am doing something wrong here! Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

    I am also interested to know if there is a product that will check the PH balance in food and drink prior to consumption or just for testing purposes.

    REgards
    Sue Hales

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