Last weekend I attended one of the lectures we, as qualified therapists, need to hear to keep our professional qualifications up-to-date. The topic was acid/alkaline balance and the effect that an imbalance can have on your health.

If your body is not in the healthy range of the acid to alkaline spectrum, you may be experiencing, or at risk of developing,  some of the following symptoms:

• Weight gain or weight loss
• Bladder / kidney problems
• Poor immune system
• Aching joints and muscles
• Hormone imbalance
• Lack of energy
• Indigestion and / or constipation
• Yeast or fungal problems

Why has our pH balance, and hence our health, deteriorated so badly over recent years?

• Many people don’t eat a healthy diet
• Modern farming methods lead to imbalances and deficiencies in the correct minerals in the soil
• Foods are sprayed with toxic chemicals and pesticides
• “Fresh” food often isn’t fresh, and may have been stored for months
• Farmed foods (e.g. farmed salmon) may have additives injected to appear the correct colour
• Airborne pollution – the UK has one of the highest rates of asthma in the world

What can we do to correct the pH imbalance?

• Eat as healthy a diet as possible – given the above restrictions
• Use good quality nutritional supplements to “fill in” the gaps left by our modern diet
• Make sure that your bodily excretory systems are working well (bladder, colon) by drinking plenty of water and eating a fibre rich diet
• Ensure your liver is correctly functioning to excrete toxins from the body

Learn more about an Acid/Alkaline balancing diet below.