pH
Constipation – 1
Well, I’m going to tackle the “unmentionable”, because I think whilst constipation is the problem no-one talks about, there’s a lot of it around, and getting on top of it is really one of the basic keys to good health.
I have recently put together some information about dealing with constipation for my Alzheimers Carer Blog and it got me thinking how much of a problem constipation can be for many people – not just the elderly. So I’m going to adapt the slant of the information and include it here too.
If you happen to be caring for an elderly person, I really recommend you visit my posts on The Alzheimers Carer also, and get the special insights for the elderly there.
Please Understand the Following about Constipation:
Constipation is not an unavoidable result of getting older.
Constipation isn’t an unavoidable result of reduced mobility.
Constipation does not have to be treated by the ongoing use of laxatives.
Laxatives are damaging to your health and they do nothing to encourage normal functioning of the bowel. In fact, the continued use of laxatives deprives the bowel of the tone it needs to function properly. Using laxatives is simply avoiding the issue.
The only real solution is to understand what causes constipation and deal with the cause rather than trying to fix the effect. So follow the advice in this set of posts and on the CONSTIPATION Page of this blog to establish normal bowel function naturally. The benefits will be enormous. Sorry to be blunt, but your health depends on you going at least once a day.
What Causes Constipation?
Without a shadow of a doubt the most constipating things on this planet are white flour and white sugar. They are constipating firstly because they have been stripped of all the natural fibre in the foods they are derived from, and secondly because they have been stripped of all the natural elements (vitamins, minerals, enzymes etc) that might help the body to digest them effectivsly. So in both areas they are quite simply a huge tax on the digestion. That’s without even thinking of the toxic chemicals used in their production.
Now think about the average diet and ask yourself how much white flour and white sugar there is in it – breakfast cereal, bread, cakes, pastries, cookies, bars, pies, pasta, pizza, puddings, dessert, custard, ice cream, canned fruit, soft drinks – it goes on and on and on. In addition, if food manufacturers have any doubts about how appealing their product might be, they throw in some white sugar for good measure. They do this with anything and everything, even canned vegetables, spaghetti and sausages, you name it – just check the labels and you’ll see.
Per capita sugar consumption in the USA is estimated at an average of 130 pounds of sugar per person per year, or about 1/3 pound daily. Most people are totally unaware if how much sugar they consume. And of course, white sugar and white flour are staples in most kitchens. Hospital kitchens included – Oh My!
I was able to keep my elderly mother (95 years of age and with very reduced mobility) constipation-free by feeding her a healthy diet, which I will describe shortly. She went to the bathroom every day. However, she got constipated after a week on a hospital diet. Maybe it’s not surprising. The reason I am stressing this is because I know as people get older they tend to gravitate towards the “tea, toast, cookies and cakes” diet regime.
Younger People Too …
Younger people too can end up constipated through faulty diet – takeaways, sweets, soft drinks all lead down that road. When you are young, you don’t feel the effects of it so much, but believe me, if you take this seriously and set yourself up on a constipation-free path of eating, you will thank yourself for it a hundred times as you get older. Realize too that constipation could be affecting you now – like bad breath, poor skin, urinary problems – and you don’t need to be prone to constipation if you are starting a pregnancy either.
Understand a little about what your body needs to function well and take the common-sense step of feeding it properly. Get rid of the fast foods habit and you will reap rewards. Set yourself a foundation of wise feeding to help your own future.
Next post I’ll tell you how to keep constipation-free.
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pH – The Acid/Alkaline Balance of the Blood
Having the correct Acid/Alkaline balance of our body fluids is vital for health. Our correct blood pH is 7.4 – very slightly on the alkaline side of neutral. This is how we were designed to function and our body is forever striving to maintain that pH level.
What is The Importance of pH?
It is important to understand that the pH thing is not just a piece of fancy chemistry we don’t need to worry too much about. Here are just three simple reasons why:
- If our body pH sinks below 4.0. we die.
- Bacteria, viruses, fungi and all disease-producing organisms flourish in an acidic medium and die in alkaline conditions. The same is true of Cancer cells. So once our body pH starts to drop below neutral, we are opening the door for disease right there.
- All the many Enzymes required for every function in our bodies will not work under acid conditions.
So if we keep our body fluids alkaline, we are setting up the first line of defence against disease. More than that, if we already have disease in our bodies, changing our body pH from acid to alkaline is the first step towards ridding ourselves of whatever disease we have.
What Affects the Body‘s pH?
Body pH is affected by many things – the foods we eat, the drinks we consume, stress, exposure to toxins and chemicals to name just a few. We have a measure of control over all these things – and in particular the foods and drinks we consume. So it makes sense to try and understand how different foods affect our body pH.
For example, Cola rates at 2.5 – way too low. For more information to help you understand pH balance, please read the following, on Health News
- Acidity, Disease and Cancer
- The 80/20 Alkaline-Acid Food Theory for Healthy Living
- Table of Acid/Alkaline Values of Some Common Foods
- Table of Acid/Alkaline Values of Some Common Liquids
Testing Your Body pH
It also makes sense to test your body pH – which will immediately show you where your body is at. You can do this by purchasing saliva pH testing paper, stocked in some health food stores and pharmacies. You need a narrow range pH paper measuring pH 4.5 to 7.5 or 8.5.Do the test about 10am – about 2 hrs after a meal and at the same time of the day every time you test. Rinse out your mouth and get a good flow of saliva. Insert the end of a paper onto your tongue for a few seconds then compare the color with the chart that comes with the pH paper.
Online sources of pH papers:
Healthtreasures.com pH papers – the second item on the page.
Wilderness Family Naturals – the wider range option is the best.
How to Improve Body pH
Make a list of the foods you consume regularly and check their pH values – you may be eating yourself to death literally! Think about your children also – check out the Acidity of Coca Cola and other soft drinks above! We have another source that confirms the pH of Coca Cola HERE.
Remember too that Enzymes are living substances and they require the correct pH range to enable them to function. Given the fact that our foods are most often short on enzymes anyway, it’s not a good idea to kill off those we actually do get into our bodies by providing an acid medium in your body.
For more about enzymes check out Enzymes – The Catalysts – Lack or non-functioning of enzymes leads to rapid ageing and fatigue and lays the foundation for chronic disease to develop.
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