Probably the most important factor to consider in planning healthy and nutritious meals is the acid-alkaline balance in our body.(2)  The greatest cause of disease in the world today is an excess of acid-causing foods in our diet that end up as acidic residues in the cells and tissue. Cancer cells and other degenerative diseases cannot thrive in an environment that is not acidic. Even the common cold virus has difficulty surviving in an alkaline environment. Appendix D includes a list of common aliments that are frequently the result excessive acidic residues in the cells and tissues of our body.

Whether a substance is alkaline or acidic is determined by its pH (potential Hydrogen). This is a measure of the number of negative ions, which are alkaline-forming, as opposed to the number of positive ions, which are acid-forming. The standard pH scale goes from 1 to 14, with 7 being the neutral point. A substance with a pH of less than 7 is acidic, whereas one with a pH of greater than 7 is alkaline. From an energetic perspective, pH measures how much the negative ions and positive ions push against each other.

Translating this to the biochemical processes that take place within our body:

• An alkaline-forming reaction refers to any chemical alteration in the body that produces an increased ability to energize the system, and leaves an alkaline residue.

•       An acid-forming reaction refers to any chemical alteration in the body that produces a decreased ability to energize the system, and leaves an acid residue.

Relating this to our food intake, natural foods such as fruits and vegetables are predominately alkaline-forming as they go through the digestive process. On the other hand, most animal proteins, processed foods and beverages are acid-forming.

If a meal has a perfect balance of alkaline-forming and acid- forming foods, then the alkaline and acids neutralize each other, and the residues will also be pH neutral. One of the problems, however, is that most fruits and vegetables are only moderately alkaline- forming, whereas many of the meat products, processed foods and beverages are extremely acid-forming. So maintaining a balance within our body is not just a matter of the quantity of alkaline- forming food we eat compared to acid-forming food, but also the degree to which the food is alkaline-forming or acid-forming.

In a healthy body, nature maintains a reserve of alkaline elements, much like a bank account. Under such circumstances, if we eat a meal that is more acidic than alkaline, our digestive processes automatically draw on the reserve of alkaline substances in our body to neutralize the acid-forming foods. But if we regularly eat meals that are overly acid-forming, the alkaline reserve in our body becomes depleted, and our body is unable to neutralize the acids. This is analogous to continuing to write checks off of a bank account without making adequate deposits – the account soon becomes overdrawn.