Wednesday, April 11, 2012

The best way to find out what is going on inside your body is to check the pH balance of your urine. The pH (potential of Hydrogen) balance is a way of describing the acidity or alkalinity of a substance on a scale of 0 - 14.

Your healthy body should maintain a slightly alkaline blood pH of about 7.4 compared to the neutral (water) at a pH of 7.0.
If you are sick your body's pH level has strayed further towards the acidic end of the scale.
Testing the pH of your body sounds like an involved procedure requiring medical tests at the hospital but fortunately it is quite simple and can be done in the privacy of your own home using ...

The Litmus Paper Test

PH Balance Scale
Litmus paper comes complete with instructions on its use in testing the pH level of your urine or any other liquid you are curious about.
You can get Litmus Paper from Amazon - PH PAPER 100 STRIPSorMicro Essential Lab 51 Hydrion Wide Range pH Test Paper Dispenser, Single Roll, 1 - 11 pH
When urine touches the paper it will change color to indicate the approximate acid/alkaline or pH balance in your body.
The lower end of the scale is acidic while numbers approaching 14 represent an alkaline environment.
Your urine should register at about 6.0 pH but

Different parts of your body will have different levels varying from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline. If they stray too far from the norm you will have health issues.
  • Stomach (gastric acid) — 0.7 pH.
  • Skin — 5.5 pH.
  • Urine – 6.0 pH
  • Saliva — 7.4 pH.
  • Blood — 7.4 pH.
  • Pancreatic secretions — 8.1 pH
Too much alkalinity signals alkalosis while too much acid causes acidosis. Your body should register slightly on the acidic side of the scale to be healthy. If you are sick your body will likely register too far on the acidic side.
For a complete diet to help balance your body's pH I recommend the book The pH Balance Diet: Restore Your Acid-Alkaline Levels to Eliminate Toxins and Lose Weightundefined)
Eating an Alkaline Diet will do wonders for your health and vinegar will help but ....
Vinegar will help and I will explain how soon, but the biggest single thing you can do to help your body return to a healthy pH balance is to drink half your body weight in ounces of alkaline ionized water per day.
If you are 100 lbs you should drink 50 ounces of alkaline water.
NOTICE: I said ALKALINE water!
No I don't mean those alkaline sloughs you may see where the ground looks white and nothing can live in the water. I mean 8.5 - 9.5 on the pH scale.
Bottled or tap waters are acidic and therefore the WRONG type of water.
If you have ever owned a fish aquarium you will understand that fish can not live in acidic water. As you probably already know your body is 75% water so think of it as your own personal aquarium. Doesn't it seem logical to you that the water you put in your aquarium be more alkaline?

The best part? You can produce your own alkaline water right in your kitchen for less money than it takes to buy bottled water.

How Can Apple Cider Vinegar Help?

Apple cider vinegar will help maintain your pH balance either upward or downward whichever is needed. Let me explain ...
If you burn your hand what is the first thing you do to cool it off?
You blow on it right? But what do you do if your hands are cold?
Get my point?
Vinegar, although it is acidic, can affect you as if it were alkaline.

How can Vinegar be Alkaline?

When you categorize foods you need to know that there are 2 properties of food that must be considered.
  1. Foods are acidic or alkaline. This refers to the acid or alkaline that is contained in the food.


  2. Foods are also acidic or alkaline forming. This refers to the affect that digesting them has on the pH balance of your body.
As you know the process of digestion involves adding some very strong acid to the food. If we were to consider only property number 1 above, wouldn't this make all foods acidic? After all they all contain lots of acid while they are being digested.
The fact is, vinegar has both acidic properties and alkaline properties that can come to play depending on the circumstances. (as do other fruits) In this case, digestion is the circumstance that applies. (see item number 2 above)
Any food, including vinegar, undergoes oxidation when digested by your body. This oxidation process turns vinegar alkaline because that is it's natural state even though it "contains" malic acid and acetic acid. (Other foods may become more acidic when digested.)

Remember I said your body's pH balance is more acidic when you are sick? The alkaline effect of digested apple cider vinegar has the ability to "nudge" an acidic body towards a more alkaline (healthy) state, so ....

Want A Vinegar Boost?


If you are not feeling 100%, try testing your pH balance and then take 2 tablespoons of raw organic apple cider vinegar and honey (for taste) in 6 ounces of clean hot water to nudge your system back in line.
I recommend Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar.
This concoction serves as an excellent “pick-me-up” and tastes pretty good as well.
If the taste doesn’t suit you try using apple juice instead of water and honey.
I find that mixing vinegar with hot water takes the edge off and makes it quite pleasant.

Vinegar Home Remedies