A Little pH Refresher

I’ve written about pH many times but since proper pH (acid/alkaline balance) is the key to how I maintain a healthy life AND the foundation of our upcoming Adventure Cleanse Tune-up (aka ACT), I thought I’d revisit the topic once more.nnRemember high school science class? Well, if you don’t, here’s a little refresher course. The body maintains a delicate pH balance. Technically, pH is a measure of the hydrogen ion concentration in solution. Wha? Don’t worry I won’t get too technical. For now all you really need to know is that the pH scale runs from 0-14. Neutral pH is 7.0. The higher the pH (greater than 7) the more alkaline, while a pH lower than 7 is acidic.nnProper pH varies throughout your body. Saliva ranges between 6.8-7.4 while your urine is normally more acid, especially in the morning due to the metabolic process of preparing for elimination. Health hint: when using pH strips to test your urine ignore the first morning pee reading - start with your next bathroom visit. By far the most important measurement is blood pH and it has a very narrow range. An understanding of how to keep your blood in an alkaline range is important for maintaining good health. Your body doesn’t just “find” the balance it works extremely hard to create it. When you make poor lifestyle choices or are burdened by a toxic environment, your body has to work harder to create a peaceful homeostasis.nnFor good health our bodies need to be slightly alkaline (with a pH of between 7.365 and 7.45). Sounds simple right? But this is not mathematical scaled based on artithmatic, pH operates on a logarithmic scale with multiples of 10. Therefore, it takes ten times the amount of alkalinity to neutralize an acid. I wish I was a graph wizz, I’m not, so here’s my very basic attempt at explaining this…nn0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14 (The pH Scale - neutral (7) is in red)nnA jump from 7 to 6 doesn’t seem like a lot but in actuality it will take ten times the amount of alkalinity to neutralize. 7 to 5 = 100 times. 7 to 4 = 1000 times. 7 to 3 = 10,000 times. Get the picture?nnNow think of the SAD diet. Most folks are bathing their cells in an acid bath by making poor 3 or more times per day!n

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• Breakfast: Coffee (with milk & splenda), juice, eggs, bacon, toast with I can’t believe it’s not butter (then what the heck is it?)n
• 11am Crash: More coffee and a donutn
• Lunch: Hamburger, white bun, fries, colan
• 4 PM crash: Coffee or cola, candy barn
• Dinner: Chicken, macaroni & cheese BOILED broccoli and ice tean
• Dessert: Little Debbie Snack Cake, frozen yogurt (aka frozen chemicals and puss that create a mucus fandango!), etcn

nA menu like this keeps the body in panic mode all day every day . Remember those “Where’s the Beef?” ads? Well how about “Where’s the fiber, the water?” One of the biggest causalities of the SAD—standard American diet—is the toll it takes on the body, especially the digestive system, liver, and kidneys. Inflammation, allergies, arthritis, skin problems, mood disorders, depression, constipation, bowel issues, stress (physical & mental) and chronic disease LOVE this diet.nnHow about enzymes? When we feed our bodies nutrient-deficient foods, we exhaust our enzymatic reserves and mine minerals (like calcium, magnesium, potassium) from our bones, teeth, and organs. Hello Osteo! We create free radicals that damage our cells and rob electrons from healthy tissue. As a result, our system weakens and basic functions begin to break down. In a nutshell, this is the premature aging process. How can we press stop, rewind, and restart? Pull a garbage can up to your fridge and cupboards and treat yourself to a lifestyle makeover!nnBy eating a more alkaline diet (leafy greens, wheatgrass, veggies, sprouts, avocados, juicing, green smoothies, soups) as opposed to an acidic diet (high in animal products, processed carbs, refined sugar, and booze, cigs and coffee), we flood our bodies with chlorophyll, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and oxygen. Healthy food creates healthy cells and healthy thoughts. Conversely, junk goes in and junk comes out.nnLook at your plate, peek in your glass. What direction are you moving in? On the pH scale, Soda = 2. Coffee = 4. Cucumber = 7. Get the picture? Burger, fries, diet cola, muffin, candy bar? Acid bath! Green drinks, salads, sprouts, wheatgrass? Alkaline super disco! Your goal is to make energy deposits instead of constant withdrawals.nnThe Adventure Cleanse Tune-up is broken down into 4 levels so that everyone can join without tons of pain. Yes, you may have detox symptoms! It takes a long time to get “sick” (a diagnosis, impending diagnosis, over weight, unhappy etc). Do you think that “well” happens over night? NOPE!nnAdventure Level one - 50/50 - raw to cooked rationAdventure Level two - 70/30 - raw to cooked ratio (Note: this level has changed)nAdventure Level three - raw till dinner, then 80/20nAdventure Level four - 100% raw with a mini juice fastnnStarting next week I will be guiding you through the prep stages - shopping lists, what to toss, how to stock, basic recipes etc. There are so many wonderful recipe books in our resource section - please do take it upon yourself to explore. We will be juicing everyday and for those willing to fast - we’ll be guzzling TONS of veggie juice, smoothies and blended soups once a week. If you are unable to fast for medical reasons then just keep it light and bright. The fast day will be moved to SUNDAY. What a perfect day to rest.nnNow is the time to do your homework! Do ya have a colon hydrotherapist in your area? Check our resources for directories. It might be helpful to include the flush as you flood your god pod with light. If that’s not your speed, how about an enema - do you know where to get the bags? The internet is a great start. Of course for those of you concerned (pregnant, or colon surgeries) please check with your doctor first. If possible try to find a white coat with an open mind and an incling about nutrition and detox - not an easy task.nnOther helpful cleansing practicesn

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• Dry brushingn
• Exercise!!! (yoga, walking, rebounding, hula, etc)n
• Aromatherapyn
• Epson Salt baths, sauna (especially far infrared)n
• Flossing & tongue scrapingn
• Meditation!!!n
• Psychotherapy, lymphatic massage, reikin
• Sleep, napping, sleepn

nPeace and pH!nnKrisnnPS. For those New Yorkers come to our next posse meet up!nnJoin Kris Carr and your fellow NYC posse members on Saturday, May 9th from 1pm-5pm at The Urban Zen Foundation for a detox and cleansing workshop. We’ll start off by breaking into small groups, so that you can begin to build your wellness posses. Next Michael Perrine will guide us through an in-depth look at detox and cleansing, followed by Donna Perrone who will share her colon hydrotherapy expertise. Our good friend, Denise Mari from Organic Avenue will pop in to talk with us about her LOVE fast. And of course, Kris will be talking about her favorite subject, JUICE! At the end of day, you’ll have a chance to ask Kris, Donna, and Michael your burning questions during the Q & A panel. We’ll also have all the Crazy Sexy schwag with us!”nnTickets are $50 bucks - register here.