Would you like to be a sour person? Literary, and figuratively? If your answer is “no”, then you might want to help your body maintain a balanced, yet slightly alkaline internal environment. But what does that mean?

As we all aware, about 60 to 70% of our total body mass is comprised of water. It assists in proper transportation and redirection of nutrients, oxygen and biochemicals. This internal water environment has acidic or alkaline properties, measured through a pH (potential of hydrogen) scale. If the measured ratio is 1.0 to 6.9 it means the environment is acidic, 7.0 is considered neutral, and from 7.1 to 14 you are alkaline. pH levels are a viable indicator of health status and they should be taken into account. Having a balanced, or slightly alkaline pH levels is good for your health. 

On the bright side, anyone can purchase a pH test from a local pharmacy or an organic shop and easily measure their levels and take action if the balance is disturbed. pH test strips are can be used for urine or saliva. Optimal urine pH measures are taken early in the morning or right before bed, and vary between 6.0 and 6.5, while saliva levels should be in the range of 6.8 to 7.2. 

So, any disturbance of the acidity and alkalinity balance in the organism has health consequences. Some of the major prerequisites for such disruption include poor eating habits, stress, lack of physical activity. 

The last issue can easily be solved as long as you are determined and motivated. Always try to fit sports or at least home workouts into your schedule, take long walks in the park, if possible opt for walking or cycling to work. Such activities relieve stress, but most importantly – being physically active promotes overall metabolic functions in the human body. Furthermore, through sweat we get rid of toxins and through deep, accelerated breathing we eliminate carbon dioxide and alkalizes our blood. Another activity that has similar effect is spending time at 1,700-meter-high mountains, or higher. So, there is a way for combining pleasure with the useful. 

When it comes to stress, unfortunately, it is often caused by external factors, which we cannot easily affect. Nonetheless, mindset and positive thinking play a major role in the way we process stress. Try to unload with pleasurable activities, practice your hobby, meet friends, have fun and do sports. Always remember that laughter and good mood alkalize your organism. As we said in the beginning, sour person – sour bodily environment. 

Be that as it may, we are going to stress on the diet. Most modern people suffer from acidity exactly due to their poor eating habits. Nowadays, a person’s food regimen is comprised of more foods that leave acidic residue in the body, causing great many health issues. 

The state of over-acidity (pH levels account for less under 7.35) of bodily fluids is known as “acidosis” and has the following symptoms: 

• Migraine and morning fatigue
• Difficulty memorizing and concentrating
• Irritability
• Skin appears too oily in the morning
• Sweating too much, even with minimal exertion
• Unpleasant morning breath
• Tongue appears white in the morning
• Poor digestion
• Interrupted night sleep
• Pain in the body and muscles
• Cramping 

Considering the modern diet, the opposite condition, “alkalosis” (pH measure over 7.45), is very rare nowadays. Nonetheless, here are its symptoms: 

• Muscle cramping
• Anxiety
• General
• Numbness
• Arrhythmia
• Feeling short of breath 

As it was already stated, acidosis is much more common and dangerous and contemporary scientists link it to development of serious conditions, including cancer, diabetes, ulcers, obesity. 

It is considered that a balanced food regimen should consist of 30 to 40% acidic foods and the rest should be alkaline. Below, we have listed what foods fall into which category. General dietary recommendations include a diverse menu, emphasis on fresh fruits and veggies, preferably with an organic origin, avoidance of fast and processed foods. It is best if you strive towards a food combining diet and avoid mixing many types of products in one meal.

A wonderful nutritional option is “the rainbow diet”. The idea of this regimen is that you consume products from various colors on a daily basis. Red foods include apples, cherries, sour cherries, strawberries, watermelon, red potatoes, tomatoes, cranberries, etc. Orange foods are oranges, peaches, sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, honey, etc. Yellow products include bananas, yellow beans, pears, lemons, potatoes, etc. Green foods are avocado, green beans, zucchini, mango, papaya, pumpkin seeds. Blue and purple products – blueberries, grapes, eggplant, plums, etc. Aim at drinking at least 1,5 to 2 liters of water each day. If you only consume bottled water, rotate mineral and spring, or choose only spring water. Eat slowly and chew your food well as saliva contains important digestive enzymes. Eat with moderation and do not overeat. The old saying reminds us that we should always leave the table slightly hungry. Stop, or at least limit, smoking and alcohol. 

Another important note is to eat seasonally. During the summer we need extra water and salts to make up for the ones lots through perspiration and breathing. So, try limiting heavy meat foods and increasing fresh products, which have a higher water content and have a cooling and hydrating effect. In winter, we naturally strive towards higher protein and fat intake in order to supply our bodies with more energy and warm up. 

Wholemeal bread is a must on the table. Prepared properly, bread made out of sprouted rye, wheat, einkorn and legumes is really good for the organism. It has a high dietary value and sprouted seeds contain lower starch amounts, assisting assimilation of nutrients. Scientists suggest that consumption of such breads can prevent development of cancer. 

All natural foods are comprised of both acidic- and alkaline – promoting elements. In some products there is a prevalence of acid – producing elements, while other contain more alkaline. We cannot stress enough on the importance of alkaline prevalence in the organism! Below is a list of acidic – alkaline products.

Highly alkaline products: beans, ripe bananas, dates, figs, plums, dried fruits, almonds, avocado, green beans, beetroot, blackberries, carrots, blueberries, sour grapes, pomegranate, prunes, raspberries, spinach. 

Neutral fats: cold – pressed oils, including almond, avocado, rapeseed, cottonseed, saffron, soybean, sunflower, walnut and olive oil. 

Alkaline products: alfalfa, apples, fresh apricots, potatoes, broccoli, Brussel’s and regular cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cherries, chestnuts, coconut milk, fresh and sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, ginger, gooseberries, grapefruits, fresh and raw horseradish, leeks, lemons, lettuce, mangoes, melons, watermelons. 

Highly acidic products: alcohol, artichoke root, barley, bread, buckwheat, caffeine, coffee, wheat plants, egg cream, medicines, all kinds of flour, dried ginger, honey, lentils, millet, oatmeal, rice, rye, soy bread, soybean paste, sorghum, cereals, spaghetti and types of pasta, sugar cane, raw beets, tobacco, nutmeg, wheat, meat, fish, chicken. 

Acidic products: asparagus, died beans, cashews, dried coconut, cranberry juice and concentrate, egg yolk, fruit jellies, jams, marmalades, sweet grapes, pasteurized dairy products, dried peas, fried tofu, boiled chestnuts. 

Acidic fats: butter, cream, margarine, lard. 

When it comes to lemon, there seem to be controversies. It has low pH level (2.3), but when it is ingested it acts as an alkaline – promoting element in for the body. 

To sum up, we can say that the human body has the astonishing ability to regulate its own internal processes. Yet, this cannot happen without our help. Alkaline diet is not a myth – it is a must for modern people as a set-off against contemporary lifestyle. There are more and more medical researches, proving that increased acidity is the root of variety of health problems (including the above – mentioned cancer, diabetes, ulcers, overweight), among which headache, insomnia, neuralgia, neuritis, neurosis, tinnitus, muscle pain, problems with the heart, spasms, prostatitis, sinusitis, angina, runny nose, bronchitis, etc.