RESCU: What is pH?
Monique Bolland: pH refers to the power of Hydrogen and is measured on a scale of 1 to 14 with 7 being neutral. Anything above 7 is considered to be alkaline and anything below 7 is acidic. Our bodies are constantly striving to maintain a slightly alkaline state.
RESCU: Why is it important that our bodies are in pH balance for achieving optimal health?
Monique Bolland: The naturopathic belief is that an acidic environment in the body is one that is prone to illness and disease. Bacteria, viruses, parasites and yeast all thrive in an acidic environment. Those that follow an alkaline lifestyle do so with the belief that keeping the system clean and pH balanced is a form of preventative medicine.
RESCU: What can I do to treat/adjust my body’s pH?
Monique Bolland: Our bodies are acidic by function, but alkaline by design; meaning we are designed to function optimally in alkaline conditions but every metabolic process like walking, eating, or breathing, is actually acid-forming. Modern lives have left us stressed, our diets are full of acidic processed foods, the air we breathe is polluted, and most people don’t sleep or exercise enough.
The best way to adjust your body’s pH is to try and balance out some of these issues. Stress management like meditation or massage; eat a diet high in alkaline forming foods; make sure you get enough fresh air and sunshine; and help your body’s natural detox mechanisms with treatments like saunas to assist with skin elimination, or colonics to assist with digestive elimination.
RESCU: How does the food we eat affect our pH level?
Monique Bolland: Most processed foods and animal products are acid forming. The best alkaline forming foods are usually fruits and vegetables, though the choices aren’t always obvious. For instance asparagus is an alkaline super-food, while soybeans are predominantly acid forming.
RESCU: How can lemons be alkaline? Everybody knows they’re acidic…
Monique Bolland: When we talk about acid or alkaline forming foods, it has little to do with the pH of the food itself; it is the effect it has on our bodies after digestion that we are concerned with. Lemons are acidic themselves, but when we digest them they actually alkalize our bodies.
RESCU: What foods should I be eating to balance my pH?
Monique Bolland: There is no hard and fast rule about what anyone should and shouldn’t eat. Everyone has different genetic makeups and lifestyles, therefore we have slightly different nutritional needs. A healthy diet is a balanced one so, as a general rule, I personally like to go with the 80/20 rule. 80% alkaline forming, raw foods; 20% acid forming foods. Some good alkaline forming foods are lemons, spinach, kale, garlic and sweet potato.
RESCU: What are the benefits of being alkaline?
Our bodies are designed to perform at their peak with a blood pH of 7.35-7.45. Too much acid in your blood is like trying to run your car with dirty oil in your engine. It becomes sluggish, and if not fixed up and cleaned out, it might break down.
Keeping your body alkaline through diet, stress management, and regularly facilitating detoxification, will give it what it needs to stay healthy and vital. A healthy body has energy, vitality, mental clarity, optimum fat mass, and clear skin.
Monique Bolland is the owner and founder of Alkailne Spa & Clinic, an integrated day spa and wellness clinic offering the most innovative treatments specialising in detox and wellbeing.
To find out more about Alkaline Spa & Clinic visit www.alkaline.com.au