Wednesday, June 17, 2009

A week for alkalizing

I noticed on Sunday afternoon that I was starting to feel awfully acidic (heartburn, general yucky feeling, etc). I tried to ignore it, but by Monday morning, I realized that I needed to focus on moving my body toward alkaline this week. And I needed to do it fast, because my beloved sis-in-law and The Cousins are coming on Friday (woohooo!!!!), and I know I'm going to be eating all sorts of fun stuff while they're here.

Without getting into a bunch of details, I'll try to give a brief explanation of the acid/alkaline (ph) issue. Everything you eat has the effect of causing your body to become more acidic or more alkaline. For your health, it's best to have a ph that is slightly alkaline (around 7.2). I believe most Americans have a very acidic body ph, something that leads to all sorts of health problems. Rule of thumb - fresh fruits and vegetables are the most alkalizing, meats and processed foods are the most acidifying. I've done a lot of learning and have long way to go, but that's probably the simplest way to sum it up.

I started learning about ph in the midst of my cervical cancer concern, and in conjunction with figuring out why I could no longer tolerate coffee and had constant heartburn. When I started testing my ph, it was around 5. That's truly dreadful. With a radical change of diet for several months, I brought it up to around 7.2, and have been able to maintain that with a way of eating that seems reasonable and workable for me. But there are times when I get off track with my eating, and I realize I need to adjust course.

This past weekend is the first time that I've had such obvious evidence that I was off track and needed to re-stabilize my ph. Since Monday, I've been eating more alkalizing foods and very little of foods that acidify my body, and I am feeling much better already. By the weekend, I should be ready for a few splurges. Woot!

Perhaps the reason I'm blogging about this at all is that it is a reminder to me of some of the lessons I've learned in the last few years.

In general, I believe that it is important to live in moderation. As I've learned more about health and nutrition, I've sought to implement that knowledge in a way that is workable for our family and not too extreme. I've done this with varying degrees of success, so I'm not tooting my own horn, just sharing my perspective/goals.

Alongside a growing commitment to moderation and grace has come the realization that there are times when a less moderate, dare I say - radical, approach is appropriate. When faced with the possibility of cervical cancer, I was very willing to get extreme about my way of eating! There are other times when, usually for a temporary period, it seems appropriate to "get radical" in one way or another.

The goal for me is to be able to come back to a moderate way of life. I want to be radical in my love for my Savior all the time, and I want to walk with Him steadily, in a way that demonstrates His amazing grace.

2 comments:

Kolbi said...

I struggle with this also, but in a different way. I have a tendency toward being too alkaline despite a truly awful diet the last few years. When I was eating better, I was healthier, of course, but now that I have slipped into horrid eating habits (lots of protein and starch, too few fruits and veggies) I need to take vitamin C every day to keep bacterial infections at bay. Curious how our bodies work...

Laurel said...

That's fascinating, Kolbi. Amazing how different two bodies can be, eh? But that in both cases, it's really about the fruits and veggies.