Alkaline Lifestyle Is Key For Health

Acidic food vs alkaline.

Some of you may or may not know what an alkaline diet is, or what the health benefits are to incorporating alkaline foods to your daily meals. 

Our blood has a pH level, meaning “power of hydrogen multiplied by 10”. What makes food alkaline forming is due to their mineral content. Naturally our liver and kidneys can alkalize our blood, but our liver and kidneys can only alkalize up to 8 units per day. For example: 1 pound of meat is 18 units of acidity. We are only able to clean 8 units naturally within our bodies, so the rest has to come from the minerals in our food.

Alkaline forming minerals are:

·        Calcium

·        Potassium

·        Magnesium

·        Sodium

·        Iron and silica

Acid forming minerals are:

·        Chlorine

·        Phosphorus

·        Iodine

·        Sulphur

These minerals are all necessary to our bodies, however we should be eating MORE alkaline forming minerals than acid forming to allow our bodies to run and work as efficient as possible. All foods have a pH level. Some alkaline forming foods such as a lemon has a pH of 2.0.  It’s not the pH level of the food that matters, it is how your body is using its alkaline forming minerals to make your blood pH level alkaline after the food has been digested and metabolized.

Basically if the body is constantly lacking the alkaline forming minerals the body will still be able to draw those important minerals from your body stores. It will pull the calcium from your bones and other important minerals from your cells which will lead to disease and illness. There is a short term temporary fix by using supplements. But that will only last for a short while. Humans are made to eat lots of fruits and vegetables to be able to work and repair cells as efficient as possible. It’s proven that our bodies heal and regenerate when provided with copious amounts of fruit and vegetables because we know they hold the essential nutrients.

Blood pH is measured on a scale of 1-14, with 7 being neutral. Our blood pH should be slightly alkaline between 7.34-7.45. The lower the pH the more acidic our blood is.

Symptoms of an acidic body are:

·        Gastric disturbances

·        Irritation of skin and mucus membranes

·        Impoverishment of the blood (not enough O2 in the blood)

·        Heart palpitations

·        Rheumatoid arthritis

·        Headaches on the top of head “full feeling”

·        Feeling fatigued all the time

·        Disturbed metabolism

Foods that cause acidic residue in our blood and body are meats, oils, beans, dairy, refined sugars, white breads and grains, and alcohol.

Alkalizing foods are most fruits and vegetables.

Link to alkalize forming and acid forming food- http://greenopedia.com/alkaline-acid-food-chart/

Be sure to eat all fruits ripe. An unripe banana will form acidity. 

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=10001

http://bottomlinehealth.com/is-your-body-too-acidic/

http://members.iimetro.com.au/~hubbca/acidity.htm

https://books.google.ca/books?id=72FEAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA649&lpg=PA649&dq=what+is+impoverishment+of+the+blood&source=bl&ots=MzfBqYsweG&sig=FWeo5cOi9nahgFxXg3ifHuEDHxs&hl=en&sa=X&ei=LxaDVbefCMW4-AHtvoGIBw&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=what%20is%20impoverishment%20of%20the%20blood&f=false

Guava!

I went out to the store and I always have my eye out to try new fruit and vegetables. I saw Guava, and said I should try this!! They are very sweet, and smell delicious. I did some research to know just how great they really were.

 GUAVA

History

Guavas originate in the Central American countries and are a tropical fruit high in vitamin C, fiber, and nutrients. Guavas are able to grow and develop well in both humid and dry temperatures, also they’re able to handle a slight cold spell (a few degrees below frost) and still survive. Scientifically guavas are recognized as Psidium guajava.

When a guava is ripe, it should appear yellow, and soft to touch. Guava’s should also bring a strong sweet smell to the room.

Nutrients

Vitamin C: Guava’s are high in Vitamin C. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and also a water soluble vitamin.  Vitamin C prevents aging because they fight oxidation and free radical damage in the body and is part of the synthesis of collagen. Also, supports the immune system by resisting against infections and inflammation in the body. Guavas contain 5x more vitamin C than an orange.

Vitamin A: Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin. Therefore there are two different structures. One vitamin can be found in animal products and that type is called retinoids. However its obvious that a guava comes from a plant. The Vitamin A that you would find in a guava are called Carotenoids and Xanthophylls. Guava is known for having high levels of lycopene, lutien, and cryptoxanthin which come from the xanthophylls. Vitamin A is essential for our health because it helps maintain the mucusa and skin. Daily consumption can help prevent oral cavity and lung cancers.

Potassium: Guavas have a high amount of potassium and have a great sodium:potassium ratio. Potassium is beneficial for regulating blood pressure, and heart rate. These small but mighty fruits are great for a post workout snack to replenish your electrolytes. 

Copper: Guavas contain copper. Copper is an essential mineral that is required to help produce red blood cells.

(Source: USDA National Nutrient data base)
Principle	Nutrient Value	Percentage of RDA
Energy	68 Kcal	3.5%
Carbohydrates	14.3 g	11.5%
Protein	2.55 g	5%
Total Fat	0.95 g	3%
Cholesterol	0 mg	0%
Dietary Fiber	5.4 g	14%
Vitamins
Folates	49 µg	12.5%
Niacin	1.084 mg	7%
Pantothenic acid	0.451 mg	9%
Pyridoxine	0.110 mg	8.5%
Riboflavin	0.040 mg	3%
Thiamin	0.067 mg	5.5%
Vitamin A	624 IU	21%
Vitamin C	228 mg	396%
Vitamin E	0.73 mg	5%
Vitamin K	2.6 µg	2%
Electrolytes
Sodium	2 mg	0%
Potassium	417 mg	9%
Minerals
Calcium	18 mg	2%
Copper	0.230 mg	2.5%
Iron	0.26 mg	3%
Magnesium	22 mg	5.5%
Manganese	0.150 mg	6.5%
Phosphorus	11 mg	2%
Selenium	0.6 mcg	1%
Zinc	0.23 mg	2%
Phyto-nutrients
Carotene-ß	374 µg	--
Crypto-xanthin-ß	0 µg	--
Lycopene	5204 µg	--

Sources:

https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/fruit/health-benefits-of-guava.html

http://www.worldagroforestry.org/treedb2/AFTPDFS/Psidium_guajava.PDF

http://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2008/4/newly-discovered-benefits-of-vitamin-c/page-01

On the Juice!

A few days ago I graduated from the health and fitness program at Fleming College.
As a gift from my parents they got me a juicer to help support this new vegan lifestyle I am challenging myself with. I was really excited and appreciative of their support!

I did a bit of reading on the proper way to juice fruits and vegetables.
things I learned were to juice the leafy greens first, and its best to drink the juice right away for best quality of nutrients, and what fruits were or were not so good to juice such as bananas and avocado don't juice well or at all really.
I did my very first juice with only carrots. Mainly because that was something I had lots of in my fridge, and I have this ongoing obsession with carrots.. what's not to love?!

Anyway, I drank the juice right away for best nutrient quality. It was so fresh and wonderful. I used the pulp from the carrots in a salad in the same day and it was very filling, and sweet tasting.
A few days later I went grocery shopping with a friend, and we got a bunch of alkaline fruits and vegetables to have a juice party! haha -clearly I don't get out much.

In my cocktail I juiced green kale, celery, green apple, ginger root, lime, and a beet. The beet and apple gave it a sweet taste and the lime made it a tad tangy which was perfect with a little spice from the ginger root.

I sipped the fresh tangy juice and within 10 minutes my body felt so energized!

Since juicing can get a little pricey I do not plan to juice everyday or even every week. I think I'll take advantage of a nice quiet weekend where I have time to plan my juices and do a 2-3 day juice fast just to cleanse my body of the build up of toxins, and give my body a break from digesting full food.
This is strictly an experiment and I just want to have fun with it. I'm definitely not a serious strict juicer now, but every once and a little while it can be fun and a nice change to mix things up a bit.

first week vegan

Good day fellow muggles exploring the vegan side.

About a month ago I decided to experiment the vegan diet. I decided I wanted to explore the vegan diet because one, it is something I've never tried before. Two, I needed a change. I needed something to keep me motivated and to on go my learning in the health field because the last 4-5 months I feel as if I've lost my connection to nature, and peace. I need something to make me feel more spiritual because I feel I've lost the appreciation for things that should be acknowledged such as nature, music, friends, myself.  Thirdly, I wanted to be able to relate and understand what sacrifices and changes vegans have to do to be vegan.  

I began with planning and researching the things I would have to sacrifice, and give up to be an honest vegan. I read people's stories and I have to admit, each story was unique but very motivating and inspirational. A lot of the time when you hear that someone practices veganism the first thought that goes through their minds is ohh they must only eat salads, and not enough protein or they're malnourished.  I don't want to be put under a stereotype or assumption. So I made sure I knew all the essential vitamins and nutrients that were required to be a balanced, healthy vegan. A few specific nutrients I know are crucial to keep track of are iron, B12, zinc and protein levels. I get my iron from my beans (chick peas, Black beans) and dark greens (kale, collards, swiss chard) to help with the absorption of iron I add vit C to the mix. usually I squeeze a fresh lemon on it. B12 I buy the nutritional yeast which is also a complete protein and full of B vitamins, along with spinach for B12. I eat a handful of nuts/seeds a day to get my zinc. As far as protein goes, I have purchased vegan protein powder, quinoa (uniquely a complete protein), beans mixed with rice to complete the protein, nuts and seeds, and certain vegetables.

Each morning I start with warm lemon water, and a green tea..20-30mins later I eat a large bowl of fresh fruit, mainly a banana, grapefruit, handful of berries. also with a veggy green shake, supplemented with vit D, omega 3's, vit C and the B complex and protein, sometimes ill add chia seeds for more texture and fibre, protein and omega 3's. 

On June 1st, 2015 my first day as a vegan began. So far it's been 11 days as a vegan. with each day that goes by I feel more energetic. my moods are more steady and I sleep better at night.  I've been tracking my workouts, and so far my bench press strength has not decreased, still holding 125lbs as my 1RM.

this is some fresh fruit i cut up for breakfast and to snack on. What I have is 1 banana, 1 grapefruit, 4 kiwi fruit, blue berries, raspberries, and golden berries. Super colourful, energizing, and filling. The more colour I can add to my food the happier I am! :)