What Happens When You’re Acidic
Being Acidic Wrecks Every Part of Your Life
That sounds strong. Let me explain…(tough love coming).
When you are living an acidic lifestyle is first and foremost crushes your energy levels.
If you wake up tired, if you get huge energy dips during the day, if you become irritable…these are all because of acidity.
I believe that when you’re fatigued, and have no energy, it impacts every area of your life.
It impacts your mood, your motivation, the way you react to situations, the way you relate to people in your life, your ability to think clearly, to exercise and to pursue goals.
On the other hand…
When you’re living with energy it has a wonderful effect in every area of your life.
You feel alert, alive, inspired.
You’re positive.
You start each day right.
You feel more inclined to invest in yourself with healthy foods, healthy thoughts and positive moods.
You relate better to your loved ones, your co-workers, your business partners, your customers.
You’re more positive and make more positive decisions.
And at a higher, more impactful level…
When you are living in this state of energy and positivity it has a ripple effect to those around you. You inspire others to live with energy and positivity.
I think this is a magical thing. And it all comes from living with the healthy actions that will give you back the energy you deserve.
It’s the energy you had when you were a teenager. And you’ve still got that energy now!
THIS ENERGYS IS STILL WITHIN YOU!
The energy is still there. You own it. It will never go away. But right now, it is being consumed by the state of your body, which is a direct reflection of your lifestyle.
YOU get to make the decision which way you want to go. It is in your hands.
Let’s be ENERGIZED!
But first, let’s face a shocking truth…
SHOCK HORROR…YOU CAN’T CHANGE YOUR pH!
The aim of the alkaline diet is NOT to alter the body’s pH.
This is a common misconception I see in magazines where Doctors (note, not nutritionists) say the alkaline diet is flawed because you can’t change the body’s pH.
That’s exactly right. You can’t. You’re not supposed to! The body will do anything and everything to maintain that tight pH range around pH 7.365.
The goal of the alkaline diet is to SUPPORT this.
When you live an acidic lifestyle, with acidic foods, drinks, no exercise, lots of alcohol, cigarettes, sweets, sugars, yeasts etc the body has to work insanely hard and will sacrifice everything else to maintain this pH 7.365.
Against the barrage of acids from our modern, Western diet, it is the maintaining of this pH range that causes the damage.
We evolved with a very small alkaline buffering system in the body. This has the capacity to buffer the small amount of acids created by the body through our normal daily bodily functions.
As we’ve ‘evolved’ and added such an atrocious diet, the body can’t naturally buffer these acids any more. It neutralises what it can, and then just has to deal with the rest however it possibly can…
…drawing alkaline minerals from our bones and organs -> osteoporosis?
…binding up acidic wastes in fat and storing them -> obesity?
…pushing them to the least important areas of our body -> arthritis
…keeping them locked up internally where they become yeasts, candida, bacteria in a cycle that feeds itself and grows exponentially -> IBS, fibromyalgia, candida, fatigue, reflux…
And this is just scratching the surface.
We’re not trying to increase our body’s pH. We’re trying to give it the tools it needs to maintain this pH and thrive.
If you are living an acidic lifestyle and diet, this is happening in your body:
In an acidic body things get bad…
…really quickly. Here are the five most damaging outcomes of an acidic lifestyle:
ACIDIC OUTCOME #1: MASSIVE CANDIDA OVERGROWTH
When you live an acidic diet, the very first thing that happens in your body is that yeast overgrowth starts.
The bad news is, once it starts, even if you stop eating acidic foods it still fuels itself. It feeds of it’s own wastes.
It grows and grows and grows.
And every sugar, yeast and acidic food you consume is like throwing petrol on a fire. I refer to this as the cycle of imbalance:
over-acidification is a vicious cycle – the more acids we throw in, the more toxins we have in our system. This diagram helps explain what happens when we keep consuming sugars & acids that ferment into yeast and mold.
In an acidic state, the body is constantly being ravaged. The stress of maintaining this level of alkalinity is just too much and so we get sick, tired and full of disease.
And it largely starts with this overgrowth of candida and acid wastes in our digestive system.
Symptoms directly related to candida overgrowth: topical candida, athletes foot, skin conditions such as dry skin, acne, eczmea, psoriasis, digestive discomfort & more…
ACIDIC OUTCOME #2: CONSTANT OVER ACID: REFLUX / GERD
As mentioned, the body has a very small, limited alkaline buffering system. This is exhausted simply neutralising the acids produced by our daily bodily functions such as our metabolism.
Every single acidic food we consume, or drink we slurp, stress we feel or exercise we don’t do(!) is more acid than we’ve evolved to be able to handle.
When there is more acid than the body can handle, it deals with as much of it as it can. When there is left over, we get symptoms such as reflux (where there is so much acid left over in our digestive system).
What’s more, it’s a double whammy.
The more acidic, hard to digest a food is, the more hydrochloric acid is produced in the stomach to help digest it. The body will attempt to create as much alkalinity as possible to deal with the leftover excess acid from the digestive process.
What it can’t neutralise is ALSO left sitting there, ready to cause reflux.
It’s not only the acidity of the food causing the excess acid – it’s the digestive process, which has to go into overdrive to try and break down and digest these acid foods that causes this too.
Symptoms directly related to excessive un-neutralised acid: heartburn, reflux, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), esophageal cancer.
ACIDIC OUTCOME #3: CLOGGED DIGESTION
This is a horrible one. To keep it short: when you eat lots of acidic foods that are not easy to digest, on top of the reflux issue above and the clogging of the digestive system with candida, yeast, mold and bacteria – these difficult to digest foods become trapped in the digestive system (primarily the small intestine and colon).
They pack in. They get impacted on the walls of the digestive system. They cause so many problems – IBS, weight gain, excessive weight loss, fatigue…
The biggest issue here is that it’s the walls of the small intestine are lined with tiny finger-like protrusions called villi.
These villi are there to increase the surface area of the small intestine specifically to absorb the nutrients from the foods you eat.
If your digestive system is clogged and impacted with rotting matter, these villi are flattened and you are only absorbing a tiny amount of the nutrients you’re eating!
Yep, all of the hard work you’re doing with your diet could be for nothing.
You have to cleanse and unclog the digestive system. You just HAVE to.
Symptoms directly related to clogged digestion: fatigue, fibromyalgia, mental fatigue, IBS, digestive discomfort, weight gain, bloating, malnutrition, muscle loss, unhealthy weight loss & more.
ACIDIC OUTCOME #4: ACIDS STORED IN BODY FAT
Fat is an acid problem. Yes, being overweight is 100% an acid problem. Becoming alkaline will solve excess body fat.
I can say this with certainty, because over a thousand people who went through my Alkaline Weight Loss Course had incredible results.
Not by calorie counting.
Simply by getting alkaline.
When the body is acidic, your body will cling on to fat for dear life. It will use dietary fat to surround un-neutralised acids that are trapped in the body. It will bind these acids up and hang on to them to protect your vital organs.
And as soon as you start to alkalise your diet, and give your body the alkaline foods it needs to thrive, it will detoxify and release these fats and the toxins within them.
It happens shockingly quickly.
But remember this: obesity is an acid problem.
Symptoms directly related to acids stored in fats: excess body fat, obesity, loss of mobility and flexibility.
ACIDIC OUTCOME #5: ACIDS STORED IN SOFT SPOTS
As well as being stored in fats, the body will store away excessive acids and their wastes in areas of the body that are the least important. This often means your joints and muscles.
Arthritis, aching joints and joint pain often ease with an alkaline lifestyle. Similar to the above, as soon as you start to turn your lifestyle and diet around to become more alkaline, and to give your body the tools it needs, the body responds.
As soon as it feels like it can finally neutralise these acids and get rid of them, it will. It will unlock them and get them out.
Symptoms directly related to acids stored in soft spots: artritis, osteoporosis, aching joints, join pain, inflexibility & more.
ACIDIC OUTCOME #6: OXIDATIVE STRESS
Oxidants are the opposite of antioxidants. Oxidation means aging. When the body is oxidising, you are aging. Cells are dying. Free-radicals are forming.
We all know how important antioxidants are, and it’s for this very reason. It’s to prevent oxidative stress.
And there is nothing which brings on oxidative stress faster than living an acidic lifestyle.
Another word for oxidising is dying. When you are subject to oxidation, your cells are dying, your body is aging.
Not only internally, but externally too. Another word for premature aging is oxidation.
You have to stop this, right now.
Symptoms directly related to oxidative stress: premature aging, cells dying, and, plainly – wrinkles, dark spots, sagging skin, dry hair, tired eyes…ie. you look older than you are and your body is older internally than it should be!
HOW TO GET ALKALINE FAST, LOVE THE PROCESS & STOP THE ACIDIC ROT RIGHT NOW!
Let’s get down to business. You now know that having an acidic body is ruining your health & making life ten times harder than it needs to be.
So let’s get you alkaline. Superfast!
These steps are simple, core fundamentals that you will find easy to do every day and make a habit.
Let’s start here.
You can always add to this later.
Once you’ve built a little momentum, got some great results, start feeling better and are thriving in the extra motivation kick that getting a positive response from your body brings, you can build on your success. But first, let’s focus on these simple, easy steps that will get huge results…fast:
EASY ALKALINE BLITZ #1: Super Green Power!
Not eating enough GREEN FOODS is one of the biggest mistakes people make. In fact, I recently championed it as the Single Biggest, Most Important Thing You Can Do to Get Alkaline.
It’s one of those things that’s so simple, people don’t think to do it.
We all know we need to eat greens and that greens are healthy. But I’d guess that the average person on an average day would have about 1 serve of greens on an average day.
In reality, it’s pretty easy to get 5-7 serves of greens every day without it feeling like you’re constantly munching on it!
Here are some simple tips to get started:
- Get juicing! And blending! By having a juice or smoothie, you can easily get 3-5 serves of greens, quickly, deliciously and with way less effort than physically EATING those foods. When you make a juice or smoothie, you can eat huge handfuls of spinach and other leaves, way more than you’d have in a meal or salad. It’s easy, delicious and if you do it every day, you’ll notice a huge difference in your energy in days.
- Have a salad with every meal: carry on eating what you’d normally have eaten, but just add a side salad (no unhealthy dressings though!). This TOTALLY takes the pressure off but the cumulative effect of having several salads a day will have a big impact.
- Disguise green foods: you can shave broccoli heads with a knife over foods or into pasta sauce giving you heaps of broccoli, but you can’t see, taste or smell it. OR wilt spinach down with a little butter, salt and pepper – this gives you a HUGE amount of spinach in just a couple of mouthfuls. OR make pasta sauce by blending tomatoes with steamed pumpkin, broccoli, spinach, watercress etc. When it’s all blended down it still tastes very rich and tomato-ey, but you’ve got a heap of green foods in there too!
- Get into Sprouts: sounds weird but it’s SO worth it – sprouts are sprouted seeds of plants such as broccoli which, when harvested at the sprout stage, contain all (or more) of the nutritional content of the fully grown plant – this means you can easily eat one handful and get a HUGE hit of nutrients. I’ve blogged heaps about sprouts (and have a guide coming) so click here to read all about sprouts.
EASY ALKALINE BLITZ #2: Nourishing Hydration Habit!
You’ve just got to get hydrated. You’ve got to.
As I mention in my Definitive Guide to Alkaline Water, hydration is often the ONLY difference between healthy, energetic people, and people who are fatigued, sick and tired.
Most people drink less than 2-3 glasses of water (not tea, coffee etc – these are dehydrating) each day.
You should be having around 3-4 litres (rule of thumb for most people) every day.
If you do this, again, you’ll notice a massive shift in your energy in days, if not hours.
Water is a huge topic. Quality is just as important as quantity, and tap and bottled water are, to be honest, horrific.
I recommend getting my Definitive Guide to Alkaline Water here. It’s absolutely free – and you’ll learn how to get the RIGHT type of water, how to understand how much you should be drinking AND you’ll get the low-down on why tap and bottled water are killing you (and what to do about it).
EASY ALKALINE BLITZ #3: Well Oiled Machine!
If I could pick only ONE supplement to have for the rest of my life, it would be omega oils. If I had to pick one omega oil, it would be omega 3.
It is called an ‘Essential Nutrient’ or ‘Essential Fatty Acid’ because the body NEEDS you to consume it daily to survive. The body can’t make omega oils by itself from other sources. You have to consume it.
A Harvard study ranked Omega 3 deficiency as the 6th biggest killer in the USA.
The research drew on 2005 data from the US National Health Center for Health Statistics.
They determined that there were 72,000-96,000 preventable deaths each year due to omega-3 deficiency, compared to 63,000-97,000 deaths CAUSED by high trans fat intake.
Yep, more deaths from not enough of the right fat, than from eating the wrong fat.
There are lots of ways of making sure you get enough of the right fats every day. Just eating oily fish a few times a week is nowhere near enough.
Supplements
The two main supplements we highly recommend are:
- Udo’s Choice: this is simply the very best oil supplement in the world. Period. There is no better quality oil supplement out there. Udo’s Choice contains only organic ingredients and the product is cold pressed to retain all of the nutritional benefit. It supplies a range of omega 3, 6 and 9 in a 2:1:1 ratio which is optimal for human health and has a pleasant nutty taste, meaning that it is delicious on salads, pastas and vegetables. 100% vegetarian. Click here for more information on Udo’s Choice.
- Coconut Oil: as mentioned, coconut oil is one of a kind in that it provides a clean, organic source of MCTs, as well as being extremely heat, air and light resistant so it is the only healthy oil you can cook with (making stir frys healthy again!). Coconut oil is also known to increase your metabolism dramatically and give the body and instant source of clean, slow burn energy! It is also delicious, making it a really easy supplement to take. It honestly just takes like Bounty chocolate!
Foods
These are the foods I believe to be healthy, and high in omega 3, 6 and/or 9:
- Other oils: flax and hemp are the highest in omega 3, and olive and avocado are also pretty good and clean sources of omega 6 & 9.
- Nuts & Seeds: go for flax, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pine nuts etc. All the ones you know are good and healthy! BUT avoid peanuts – they are always stored for ages and end up full of fungus and mold
- Avocado: eat plenty in salads and for snacks
- Oily Fish: while I’m a vegetarian myself, I understand and appreciate that oily fish are a smart addition to your diet
.
So there you have it – make a commitment TODAY to get more omega-3 into your diet – every day!
EASY ALKALINE BLITZ #4: Re-Mineralize!
Success with getting alkaline is largely driven by the consumption of alkaline minerals.
In fact, the biggest determinant of whether a food is alkaline-forming or not is it’s alkaline mineral content.
Magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium, iron, manganese, zinc…these are all alkaline forming.
If you look at the nutrient profile of the most alkaline foods, you’ll see these minerals present in large quantities.
Acid-forming foods do not contain these (and often contain yeast, sugar, trans fats etc in their place).
To get lots of alkaline minerals is easy. Eat alkaline foods! Oh, and get alkaline minerals through supplementation.
Supplements containing these minerals will really help.
The best supplement I’ve seen in my life for alkalising the body is pH Miracle’s pHour Salts.
It contains four alkaline minerals (potassium carbonate, magnesium bicarbonate, calcium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate) that helps the body to maintain optimal levels of these highly important nutrients.
It has 13 Independently Verified Health Benefits, including reducing tiredness and normalising blood pressure, the nervous system, psycological function, muscle function and many more.
It’s my personal choice, because it’s just so effective.
Foods that are high in these minerals?
The most alkaline foods of course!
Let’s End the Acidity In Our Body & Get ENERGIZED!
Remember, you haven’t lost your energy. You still have the energy of a teenager.
It’s still within you.
The only problem is that your body is using it all to combat the onslaught of the chronic acidity. It is working SO hard to maintain that pH 7.365 that you are left fatigued.
You can release it. You deserve to live with your energy unleashed.
Let’s do it now. Let’s do it together!
Everything I do is designed to make that journey easy, enjoyable, fun and delicious for you.
If you want to join me on this journey, hit the like button below.
If you want to help me spread the message, hit the SHARE button below.
And if you want to hear from me more often, enter your details below and hit ‘Continue’
I can’t wait to hear from you and I can’t WAIT to hear how your life has changed with the increase in energy you’ve gotten!
Stay alkaline and stay in touch
Ross
STOP! WAIT! Here are some of my most popular articles:
The Seven Most Alkaline Foods
The Alkaline Diet Simplified
Wake Up Energized!
How to Get Alkaline Quickly
And don’t forget to hit ‘like’ and ‘share’ below!
My husband has a hiatal hernia esophageal cancer we have shrunk considerably but he has lost so much weight from the acid we follow the alkaline diet but it’s still so bad he has been in the hospital because he throws up acid so much and becomes dehydrated and now under weight because of the acid we need your help so badly
Definitely start with the free guide at the top of this page, and then don’t stop reading and researching!
I am changing my diet for alkaline and notice I feel really bad – headache zero energy by day 3…please advise – thanks!
Hi Ross, my husband has suffered from rosacea, psoriasis and eczema on his face for the last 9 years and it’s getting worse. He’s tried creams and all sorts from the doctor but we are going to give the 7 day reboot a go as I’m sure he has an issue with his gut. Any suggestions would be amazing.
Hey Melissa
My biggest suggestion is he follows my 7-day Alkaline Reset Cleanse. I’ve had SO MANY results with clients who have rosacea.
http://smarturl.it/amz-arc
Ross
Ross, I have Chronic Kidney Disease (GFR 32), but I also have Coronary Artery Disease & A Fib issues. I’ve read “How to Reverse CAD” and “How to Reverse CKD” articles by several Drs. with specific diets.
My confusion is that often, the “reverse CAD” Drs. recommend foods that are not recommended by the “reverse CKD” Drs. and vice-versa. There is even conflicting recommendations among Drs. in the same field. I want to reverse the heart condition, but I also DO NOT want to end up on dialysis.
Do you have recommendations on how to eat for the benefit of both, instead of sacrificing one for the other? I’ve heard about the Cardiorenal Syndrome that says the two affect each other, but all the articles I’ve found are addressed to Drs. and are way over my head instead of being in laymen’s terms. If it’s possible for an email reply, I’d GREATLY appreciate it! Thanks!
David Burleigh
[email protected]
I am going to give this a try. Doctors test your blood, tell you everything is normal, and tell you it’s depression; then they prescribe more medications. After I had a total hysterectomy / oophorectomy, I’ve experienced major joint and muscle pain, fatigue, loss of hair, inability to do simple physical things without being completely drained of energy, etc. I’ve known it is something other than depression and that it had to be related to body chemistry, etc.
I love your site, my husband is undergoing an agressive chemo treatment. I switched him to a alkaline diet with lots of spring water ( we are lucky we have a underground spring about 40 miles from our town) he drinks 24oz of water with juice and skin of one lemon every morning. So far he is doing excellent on his 5th round 4day stay in hospital has not been sick at all and has lots of energy mind you he has lost weight but he was overweight to start with. Your information has opened my eyes, my husband had everything you talked about (acidic diet) .
Thank you so much Ross for posting your articles so I could find them.
Hello Ross,
Im currently trying to get my mum on this diet but how can i tell if her body is changing? I bought the ph strips but you said in this write up that we can not chance our ph. Is there any other way i can tell if im doing the right thing? Its very important that her body is alkaline.
Please reply
Thanks
Hey Clare
These guides will explain all:
http://liveenergized.com/alkaline-foods-2/5-things-the-media-needs-to-know-about-the-alkaline-diet/
http://liveenergized.com/alkaline-diet-resources/alkaline-diet-myth-1-you-cant-change-your-ph/
Basically – I’m not saying that there is no point because you can’t change your pH – quite the opposite. The aim is to eat lots of alkaline foods to support your body to maintain it’s slight alkalinity.
This guide will help with pH testing:
http://liveenergized.com/alkaline-diet-resources/how-to-test-your-ph-the-alkaline-test/
Hi Ross,
I’ve found an unopened bottle of PuripHy in my cupboard – with useby date end of July 2016.
Do you think it’s still ok to use them?!
Thank-you and Happy Christmas!
Hi Rossi
What or which is the best bottled water to purchase? An Ioniser is not an option at the moment.
What about filtered kettles do you recommend them?
Jenny
Loved this super easy to follow and lots of info!
Hi Ross,
I’ve been reading your website, I find it very informative. I had a ultra sound done for gall balder stones. The doctor has me on some capsules to get rid of them. I have been using your soup and it helps me. I’m wondering if you have a tea recipe that includes watercress. As I have found out that it help eliminate gall stones. Any other advice, would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your insightful information.
need to alkalize in a hurry? A half teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water does the trick.
When you say “you can’t change your body’s pH” you should specify that you’re talking about the blood pH, not the body’s pH.
I Ross. Thanks for your newsletter, Have been diagnosed with prostate cancer and am trying to get my body more alkaline. Was told if body is alkaline the cancer will not survive in that body. My cancer happens to be slow growing. Just turned 79 in Janurary. I am presently taking a supplement that will kill up to 1 million free radicals per second every second as long as I take it. It is the most powerful anti-inflamitory product that has ever been developed. Personally I think that anything that is breathing should be taking this product. If you would like to hear more about it—give me a email or a call.. 540-937-3131 or cell 540-219-4077 Chances are that you have never heard of this product because it is so new. Thanks again for your help and time….Milton Thorpe
Hi Ross thank you for sharing about alkaline foods and choices. I’ve heard about something called high oxylates and that it can be bad for health. Some of the preferred alkaline foods are high oxylate – spinach, for example. I’m new to both concepts – alkaline and oxylate. Do you have any information about how to bridge between the two?
Thanks.
Hi Ross, was unable to get your response, If you will, Please email me again. Have been on the green smoothie for a couple weeks now and have lost about 4 lbs. Do not want to loose more weight. Will return to the urologist around the middle of this month about my prostate cancer. my question was, will alkalining my body kill the cancer cells? Been told that this so. Would rather do this instead of radiation. Thanks for your time…..Milt
HI Milton
Unfortunately I cannot offer any medical advice.
All the best with your health
I bought a Vitamix, expensive yes but worth it . I also purchased one of the cook books from Ross. It gives so many recipes to go by-Make a green smoothie for lunch and you will have a hard time finishing it all- If you really get alkaline it will keep you from slipping because eventually your body will tell you that was not a healthy choice. It is all a matter of balance on your plate . After eating three veggies and a salad your pretty full, hydrate too-
Dear Ross Bridgeford , Thank you so much for all the inspiriational information. I would like to get in touch by e mail (not a question), I have your alkaline recipe book (delicious) and would like to make some comments – so could you let me know the correct way please (I am a laptop baby) Thank you Shireen
Hi Ross,
I have a few questions. Firstly, I generally eat porridge oats for breakfast with semi-skimmed milk and I know this is relatively healthy but still acidifying. I wondered if you had any QUICK and easy alkalising breakfast options? And also, I read your article about what actually happens in an acidic body but how do I stay motivated to keep eating healthily and alkalising? And finally, do you have any QUICK and EASY lunch recipes that are filling? I eat healthily, but find that I am still hungry after my meal!
Thanks.
WOW Ross,
What an extremely well-written and articulate post. This lays it all out there in a neat and understandable way, all in one place.
I’m going to be referring my clients to this particular post as required reading!
Thanks so much for taking the time to put this together. Improved health is within everyone’s reach. Each one only has to choose.
Hi Ross,
Rapeseed Oil is apparently high in Essential Fat, in particular 3 & 6. What’s your opinion ?
0mega 9 is not essential , and I cannot get an answer from Udo’s as to why they advertise it as such, or why the include it in the mix ?
Regards Donie
Rapeseed and even “canola” are not healthy because they contain erucic acid