When it comes to assessing how healthy you are, certain test numbers come into play including:

• Blood pressure
• Cholesterol
• Triglycerides
• Blood glucose
• BMI

But arguably one of the most telling numbers with respect to your level of health (or lack thereof) is something that isn’t even routinely tested or discussed.

It’s your pH (aka how acid or alkaline your body is).

And once you see just how telling it is, you’ll want to be talking about it too.

Here's why it’s vital to pay attention to this relatively obscure number:

pH--what's the big deal?

Remember from high school chemistry that the pH scale goes from 0 to 14, with 0 being pure acid, 14 being pure alkaline, and 7 is neutral.

Your body’s pH changes as you move through the GI tract:

The pH of your mouth and saliva is alkaline at 7.1 – 7.4.  That’s because starch digestion begins in the mouth with alkaline enzymes.

In the stomach, things become very acidic.  Your stomach’s acids are working to destroy dangerous microbes in your food and starting the breakdown of proteins.  The pH inside your stomach is typically 1.2 – 4.5. 

In the small intestine things become alkaline again.  Your pancreas and gallbladder secrete alkaline enzymes to buffer the stomach’s acid and finish up digestion.  The small intestine’s pH ranges from 6 to about 7.4.

Then things become acidic again inside the colon--its pH is between 5.7 – 6.7.

But your blood pH is a different animal—the ideal number here is 7.365.  ALL your organs, tissues, bones, joints and cells work optimally when they are nourished by blood with a pH of 7.365.

When your blood pH dips down toward the acid range, your body can literally begin to break down.

Your cells become sluggish and wastes build up.  Cellular messages aren't sent and nutrients aren't properly used.

It's like your innards go on strike!

Eventually inflammation is created, which makes your body an ideal home for disease to flourish. 

Consider this—research has shown that cancer cells thrive in an acidic environment, but cannot survive in an alkaline environment. 

Note that even a slight dip toward acidity can have a devastating impact.  A decrease of just .1 (one-tenth) in your pH number means a TEN-fold decrease in your cell activity!

Rescue me!

Your body has two very effective defenses to control your blood pH—it can expel the excess acidity or it can neutralize or buffer it.

Your body expels acid wastes through your skin (when you sweat), through your lungs (when you exhale) and through the bladder and bowels (when Nature calls).

But when the acid wastes accumulating inside of you become too much for your body to eliminate, then it goes to Plan B and buffers the acid with your own stores of alkaline minerals including:

• Calcium from your bones and teeth
• Potassium from your muscles and nerves
• Magnesium from your arteries and muscles
• Sodium from your joints

It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to realize what would happen to you if this continues on a regular basis. 

Losing calcium day in and day out is a great way to develop osteoporosis.

Low potassium can invite high blood pressure, as well as muscle weakness.

A magnesium deficiency can cause a whole slew of problems, including irregular heartbeat, inflammation, depression and poor immune function.

And although it’s rare (due to our processed and fast food diets), sodium deficiency can cause headache, lethargy, fatigue and confusion, and eventually irritability and hallucinations.

Tell me why

Sadly, most people have a blood pH that is in the acid range.    

Several factors can contribute to an acid blood pH--including stress, environmental toxins, immune system reactions, medication residue, lack of exercise and smoking.

In addition, your body adds to the junk pile by producing its own acid wastes as part of your normal cell metabolism. 

But the leading cause of an acid pH is your DIET.

Eating predominantly acid-creating foods pulls your blood pH down toward the acid range. 

What makes this worse is that when your digestion is poor, your body can’t eliminate acid wastes as well as it should (and you begin to resemble a clogged toilet).

On the other hand, when your diet contains enough alkaline foods, and your digestion is efficient, you encourage a more alkaline pH in your blood!

When you SHOULD have an acid pH

Note that there is one time in your life when you should have an acid blood pH.

When you're DEAD. 

That’s right.  Your body automatically becomes acidic upon death so that you can decompose like Nature intended you to. 

Since I would assume that you don’t want that happening any time soon, let’s talk about…

How do you get to that magic 7.365 number?

Here are 4 ways you can support a healthy blood pH:

Keep your digestion efficient

You can help keep your digestion humming by eating meals that are inherently easier for your system to tackle. 

My Great Taste No Pain system shows you exactly how to do this, by teaching you how to pair together foods in your meals that your stomach can break down more efficiently.  Don’t worry—it’s easy and just requires a few simple tweaks to your favorite meals. 

Plus, Great Taste No Pain clearly spells out which foods are acid vs. alkaline, (so you can see where exactly where you stand) and gives you a collection of delicious recipes featuring many alkaline foods.

In addition, some people have difficulty producing adequate enzymes for digestion and need an enzyme boost now and then—especially the elderly, people who use antacids and people who have had gastric or gallbladder surgery.

In those cases, a complete enzyme formula like Digestizol Max is your ticket!

Digestizol Max’s full blend of 15 plant-derived enzymes can help your body tackle whatever you eat, and helps pave the way for smooth, complete, comfortable digestion.    

Check your pH at regular intervals

You can get a saliva test or urine test kit at most drug stores or health food stores.  The saliva test is the least accurate and urine is slightly more accurate.

Numbers you should strive for are as follows:

• Urine pH: 5--6.8
• Saliva pH: 7.0--7.4

You can also have your blood tested by a doctor--called an arterial blood gas test or ABG test.  This is the most accurate measure. 

Drink pure water

Aim for at least eight 8 oz. glasses per day. 

Avoid drinking tap water as it can contain chlorine and/or fluoride (which will add to your acid waste pile, among other things).  Strive to drink filtered water.

Eat more alkaline foods

Alkaline foods include most fruits and vegetables.

Note that you can continue to enjoy "good" acid foods that have important nutrients too!  Just make sure that those acid foods are counterbalanced by alkaline foods—50/50 is a good place to start. 

"Good" acid foods include:

• Eggs and dairy
• Fish (wild caught and not farmed)
• Chicken and turkey
• Brown rice
• Beef

What you must eliminate at all cost are processed foods, fast food and soda.  These have no appreciable nutrients and do nothing but make you sick, fat and acidic.

Pay attention to your #1 “health number”—your pH—and see how much better you feel!

To your health,

Sherry Brescia