I always love going to the Kushi Institute summer conferences, and this year was no exception. The venue was the best so far, the beautiful IBM Conference in Palisades, N.Y. I love these conferences because I always learn something new and I'm re-inspired by the lectures, cooking classes and the people.
Tom Monte, a macrobiotics teacher, counselor and medical writer, did a lecture on acid and alkaline balance. This is a favorite macrobiotics topic (and understandably so), because as Tom says, it's "one of the five keys to good health." He gave some great information and tips on how to achieve good acid-alkaline balance through diet and lifestyle.
What is pH? The definition is: A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, numerically equal
to 7 for neutral solutions, increasing with increasing alkalinity and
decreasing with increasing acidity. The pH scale commonly in use ranges
from 0 to 14."
Our blood is 7.35, similar to sea water. Our brains monitor acid/alkaline very efficiently by secreting minerals that keep the ph at 7.35.
Cancer needs acidic blood to thrive in.
The foods that create the most acidity in the body are animal protein (beef, chicken, dairy, dairy products & fish). The more animal protein eaten, the more triglycerides go up and acid goes up. Beans are only mildly acidic. All carbohydrates and fats become acidic (sugar and processed foods more so). Table salt is acidic (sea salt contains more minerals and is alkalizing).
Below are some alkalizing foods:
• Vegetables have minerals, so they're alkalizing. Tom Monte recommends eating leafy greens two to three times a day. The ones he recommends are kale; collard, mustard and dandelion greens; cabbage; bok choy; endive; and Brussels sprouts. (Spinach, carrot tops and turnip tops are high in oxalic acid.) The broader the leaf and darker the color, the more minerals they have. Sweet vegetables like carrots, parsnip, onion and rutabaga are recommended twice a day. And root vegetables like burdock — the most alkalizing — are recommended twice a day.
• Sea vegetables are the No. 1 source of minerals. Tom recommends 1 to 2 teaspoons every day.
• Foods like aged shoyu or tamari soy sauce and aged miso. Good-quality pickles, sauerkraut, and all fermented foods like tempeh and tofu.
Tom recommends a diet of 50% vegetables (half of your plate), 30% whole grains, 15% beans and/or bean products and the rest: alkalizing soups, pickles, sea vegetables, condiments.
Non-food recommendations to help alkalize the blood:
Exercising by walking 20 minutes a day. Over-exercising causes the blood to become acidic. Massage and other body work is recommended for athletes because of this. Another non-food suggestion is to do breath work. Breath work again oxygenates the body, alkalizing it. The body rub — gently rubbing the skin with a warm washcloth — helps, too.
I came home from the conference and I decided that I need to alkalize by getting myself back in the swimming pool again. I'm also going to schedule some breath work sessions with my good friend Lisa Silverman. More alkalizing activities would do me good. How about you?
I always love going to the Kushi Institute summer conferences, and this year was no exception. The venue was the best so far, the beautiful IBM Conference in Palisades, N.Y. I love these conferences because I always learn something new and I'm re-inspired by the lectures, cooking classes and the people.
Tom Monte, a macrobiotics teacher, counselor and medical writer, did a lecture on acid and alkaline balance. This is a favorite macrobiotics topic (and understandably so), because as Tom says, it's "one of the five keys to good health." He gave some great information and tips on how to achieve good acid-alkaline balance through diet and lifestyle.
What is pH? The definition is: A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, numerically equal to 7 for neutral solutions, increasing with increasing alkalinity and decreasing with increasing acidity. The pH scale commonly in use ranges from 0 to 14."
Our blood is 7.35, similar to sea water. Our brains monitor acid/alkaline very efficiently by secreting minerals that keep the ph at 7.35.
Cancer needs acidic blood to thrive in.
The foods that create the most acidity in the body are animal protein (beef, chicken, dairy, dairy products & fish). The more animal protein eaten, the more triglycerides go up and acid goes up. Beans are only mildly acidic. All carbohydrates and fats become acidic (sugar and processed foods more so). Table salt is acidic (sea salt contains more minerals and is alkalizing).
Below are some alkalizing foods:
• Vegetables have minerals, so they're alkalizing. Tom Monte recommends eating leafy greens two to three times a day. The ones he recommends are kale; collard, mustard and dandelion greens; cabbage; bok choy; endive; and Brussels sprouts. (Spinach, carrot tops and turnip tops are high in oxalic acid.) The broader the leaf and darker the color, the more minerals they have. Sweet vegetables like carrots, parsnip, onion and rutabaga are recommended twice a day. And root vegetables like burdock — the most alkalizing — are recommended twice a day.
• Sea vegetables are the No. 1 source of minerals. Tom recommends 1 to 2 teaspoons every day.
• Foods like aged shoyu or tamari soy sauce and aged miso. Good-quality pickles, sauerkraut, and all fermented foods like tempeh and tofu.
Tom recommends a diet of 50% vegetables (half of your plate), 30% whole grains, 15% beans and/or bean products and the rest: alkalizing soups, pickles, sea vegetables, condiments.
Non-food recommendations to help alkalize the blood:
Exercising by walking 20 minutes a day. Over-exercising causes the blood to become acidic. Massage and other body work is recommended for athletes because of this. Another non-food suggestion is to do breath work. Breath work again oxygenates the body, alkalizing it. The body rub — gently rubbing the skin with a warm washcloth — helps, too.
I came home from the conference and I decided that I need to alkalize by getting myself back in the swimming pool again. I'm also going to schedule some breath work sessions with my good friend Lisa Silverman. More alkalizing activities would do me good. How about you?