Do you know your ph? By getting ph strips at a pharmacy, pool store or lab you can test your urine in the moring and see it's range. A good range is between 6.5 and 7.2. Most of are too acidic.When we are too acidic, the body takes minerals from important organs and our bones to neutralize the acid.

These minerals can include calcium, sodium, potassium and magenesium. Though we may not notice it, an overly acidic situation can develop in time into various symptoms and problems.

In the Book Alkalize or Die , Dr. Theodore A. Baroody says ,"The countless names of illnesses do not really matter. What does matter is that they all come from the same root cause...too much tissue acid waste in the body!"- Theodore A. Baroody, N.D., D.C., Ph.D.

Some problems thatcan indicate acidosis include: bladder and kidney conditions, immune deficiency, diabetes, weak brittle bones and lactic acid build up. PH is behind the bodies electrical system, intracellular activity and the way our bodies utilize enzymes, and minerals, and vitamins. That is why pH is one of the first things to be looked at if you are experiencing an imbalance in your body. Decades ago Dr. Otto Warburg, the only physician to ever win two Nobel prizes, proved that cancer can not exist in an alkaline/high pH environment.

We can eat more alkalinic foods which include brocoli, carrots, dried figs, celery, grains and many fruits. On the other hand, the active ingredient in the soft drink Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8 and it will dissolve a nail in about four days. The phosphates in soft drinks bind to calcium and we can't absorb it. The typical Western diet is largely composed of acidic or acidifying elements (proteins, cereals, sugars). Alkaline foods such as vegetables are eaten in much smaller quantities; their alkaline content is insufficient to neutralize surplus acids.

Stimulants like tobacco, coffee, tea, and alcohol are also extremely acidifying. When we get angry or stressed we are also making the body ph more acidic. Our ph changes not just from the foods we eat, but due to our emotional states.

Some books worth reviewing at the library include:

Understanding Acid-Base A medical text on the fundamentals of human blood pH, by Benjamin Abelow, M.D. 1998; Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, MD.

The pH Miracle Balance Your Diet, Reclaim Your Health, by Robert O. Young, Ph.D. 2002, Warner Books, Inc. New York, NY.

Reverse Aging Scientific Health Methods, by Sang Whang. 1994; Siloam Enterprise, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

Acid & Alkaline An overview of pH and human health by Herman Aihara 1986: George Ohsawa Macrobiotic Foundation, Oroville, CA.

Try and make healthy choices when shopping and eating out to keep your body ph balanced.