Healthy Alternatives

by Susie Cooper, ND
Board Certified Doctor of Naturopathy

Q. I'm a 54 year -old active male with spinal bone spurs. I eat a good diet including dairy products. I also do a full regimen of supplements. What do you suggest? - Thank you.

I have a chronic problem of gagging up excessive amounts of mucous in the morning. This is especially inevitable when I step into the shower. Also this gagging/mucous vomiting is brought on by drinking coffee in the morning. Any advice you may offer is greatly appreciated! - Philip

My doctor said I have canker sores on the back of my throat caused by acidic foods. I eat a lot of peppers and onions - could this be causing them to come about? I would also appreciate a list of foods to avoid. - Sandy

A. You may be hearing more and more these days about "Acid & Alkaline balance." There used to be only a small group of alternatively minded folks, years ago, who acknowledged the importance of acid and alkaline balance in the the body. Now we hear the terms "pH balance," "hyper-acidity," and "alkalinity" much more often. We can go into health food stores and see products which are directly designed to rebalance pH and limit acidity. What is all of this about and what does this mean for our daily food choices?

The human body requires a certain balance between acid and alkaline levels to maintain good health. Yes, there are definitely certain foods which can cause more acidity, and the area in the body where this all begins is in the digestive tract. Have you ever walked through a drugstore and noticed the amount of different "anti-acid" products, and realized that incredible amounts of people must suffer from acid problems to justify having so many different products available? Acid indigestion, gas, bloating, acid reflux and stomach ulcers are only a few problems that can be directly linked with a hyper-acid condition. Other problems which many naturopathic practitioners and other alternative practitioners link with hyper-acidity can be colitis, diverticulitis, chronic constipation or diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, heart disease, arthritis, chronic sinus and respiratory congestion, canker sores and gum irritations, candida and yeast infections, bone spurs, eczema and other chronic skin problems, to name a few.

When we become too acidic within, mucous conditions and congestion can become more common. Where there is excess mucous, there can be excess moisture and unhealthy bacteria. It becomes a domino effect, one event can lead to another, until in the end we can develop a chronic situation with recurring symptoms that don't get better anymore like they used to. So, what does this have to do with our food choices? The following is a list of some foods which can promote excess acid in the body:

• White sugar and honey, including candy, sweets, etc.
• Artificial sweetners
• Dairy products, including milk, cheese, ice cream, etc.
• Meat, especially beef, pork, and chicken
• Bleached flour products such as white bread, yeast-risen breads, white pasta
• White rice
• Soft drinks, tea, coffee, alcohol
• Fast food
• Processed and packaged foods with artificial ingredients added
• Fried foods
• Nuts such as peanuts
• Margarine and hydrogenated fats

Some foods which promote a more healthy acid/alkaline balance are:

• Almost all vegetables
• Many fruits
• Most beans
• Whole grains such as spelt, quinoa, oat, millet, whole wheat, brown rice
• Natural sweeteners such as stevia, brown rice syrup, lo han fruit sweetner, pure maple syrup (all these are available in natural foods stores)
• Natural grain-based beverages such as Teccinno, Roma, Cafix
• Herbal teas such as Green Tea, Oolong Tea, Kukicha tea, Nettle tea, Dandelion Root tea, Burdock root tea, Ginger tea, Slippery elm, Chamomile tea
• Unsweetened, plain yogurt
• Seaweeds
• Almonds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds
• Unsalted butter, olive oil, sesame oil, safflower oil

I could write volumes on the importance of acid and alkaline balance. If any of this has sparked an interest, you may want to research it further for yourself or connect with a natural healthcare practitioner who can provide you with additional information. Through the years I have seen so many illnesses improve from eating less acid-causing foods and increasing the alkaline promoting foods. It is all about balance. If you eat acidic foods, remember to balance them with alkaline promoting ones. Reading books about Macrobiotics is a great way to start to tune-in with the acid and alkaline properties of foods, along with the yin and yang balance of foods, too. A good way to check your daily pH is to look for urine test strips at your local health food store. Compare the color of your test strip with the color chart that comes with the strips. This will tell you where your pH level is on a daily basis, and it will help you to see directly how the foods you eat can effect your body. Optimum range is between 6.5 and 7.5, depending upon the time of day you do the test.

Reading List:

Acid and Alkaline by Herman Ahara
Diet and Nutrition by R. Ballentine
Radical Healing by R. Ballentine
Food & Healing by Anna Marie Colbin
Practically Macrobiotic by Keith Mitchell