Fears of acid ‘overload’ sparks 30 Day Alkaline Challenge

Fears of acid ‘overload’ sparks 30 Day Alkaline Challenge

The overconsumption of processed and ‘fast’ foods, refined sugars, salt and saturated fats has driven a Christchurch supplement company to launch a 30 Day Alkaline Challenge to help people overcome the pitfalls of the Western diet.

While conventional medicine has largely ignored the importance of the body’s pH (acid to alkaline ratio), natural health practitioners understand the human body is constantly striving for balance, and that an imbalance leaves the body susceptible to disease, says Xtend-Life Natural Products founder and chairman Warren Matthews.

Xtend-Life nutritionist Madelynn Tolsma says the human body constantly creates acid as a by-product of metabolism, but acid is also introduced through food. The body’s pH can be regulated by making simple dietary changes.

“Most New Zealanders consume too much meat and not enough fruits and vegetables which can make the body extremely acidic. Dairy products are also highly acidic, along with refined grains and drinks such as coffee and soft drink,” Ms Tolsma says.

“Much of this acid is filtered by the kidneys and released from the body in urine and perspiration.

However the body can only process a certain amount of acid at a time. It is possible to ‘overload’ the body’s internal systems by becoming too acidic, and this can lead to serious health conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure and digestive disorders.”

Xtend-Life Natural Products’ 30 Day Alkaline Challenge launches tomorrow (1 April 2016). It provides tools and resources to help people alkalize their bodies and improve long-term wellness in four weeks.

The challenge is free with online support including blogs, recipes, health tips and motivational advice provided by a qualified nutritionist.

The human body needs the right balance of alkaline and acidic foods to maintain overall health.

Unfortunately the modern diet and lifestyle is often imbalanced, which contributes to an acid overload or pH imbalance within the body. As a reaction to an overly acidic environment, the body creates fat cells to trap and neutralise excess acids in the system. Some molecules can be excreted from the body, but others are stored resulting in weight gain.

An overly acidic environment negatively impacts the body’s internal systems.

Skeletal System – An acidic environment is one of the biggest causes of bone problems.

While supplementing with natural calcium can help build stronger bones, the real problem is not the lack of calcium ingestion but the leaching of calcium from the bones when the body is overly acidic.

Circulatory System – Acidity is one of the primary causes of heart disease. This is because an internal acidic environment contributes to inflammation in the arteries which in turn causes the arteries to thicken with plaque, narrowing the blood flow and increasing risk of heart disease.

Immune System – Acidic environments are breeding grounds for bad bacteria whereas the high levels of hydrogen rich body fluids keep bad bacteria inactive. The level of cellular pH determines whether bad bacteria and pathogens incubate or remain dormant.

Digestive System – Many digestive disorders, such as ingestion, nausea, bloating and gastric reflux, are symptoms caused by excess acid in the gastric region and not enough alkaline minerals in the intestinal tract.

Urinary System – Kidneys are the main organs of the urinary system which perform the task of filtering fluids and purifying the blood. If the body is overwhelmed by excess acids, the body copes with this by pulling alkaline minerals from bones and depositing them into the blood. If this happens frequently, alkaline minerals build up in the kidneys to form painful kidney stones.

Muscular System – Muscles perform poorly in an acidic environment because acid disrupts the metabolism breakdown of glucose and oxygen to energy in muscle cells. An alkaline system improves aerobic metabolism and energy for the body to recover from strenuous exercise.

Ms Tolsma says consuming large quantities of green vegetables and superfoods regularly ensures the body gets plenty of chlorophyll daily.

Chlorophyll regenerates the body at a cellular level and is a known cleansing agent that can help resist infection, promote healing and improve health of the circulatory, digestive, immune and detoxification systems by aiding in the neutralisation and disposal of excess acid.

Water, green and herbal teas, all vegetables including leafy greens (spinach, kale and lettuce), beans and legumes, and fruits such as lemons, limes, watermelon, grapefruit, mangoes, apples, pears, kiwifruit, melon and papaya are highly alkaline and can help balance out the body’s pH levels.

The body’s pH is a measurement of the hydrogen ion concentration in the body. The total scale ranges from one to 14, with seven considered to be neutral. A pH less than 7 is acidic and a pH greater than 7 is alkaline.

People can measure their pH using a simple saliva test two hours after eating. Optimal saliva pH levels should be between 6.5-7.5.

Register by searching ‘30 Day Alkaline Challenge’ on Facebook or visit https://goo.gl/TBc0EY.

For more information, visit www.xtend-life.com.

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