Acidic Foods - Why To Stay Away From Most Acidic Foods

In this present time the workload of people has increased and so have the stress levels. Therefore, it has become mandatory to eat the right kind of food, which provides high energy and reduces stress. It is always said that the right food always keeps a person stay fit and healthy.
The food that we eat is digested and broken down into either acid or an alkaline end-product in our tissues. This end-product is named as ash and this is what remains in the body after the food has been broken down.
Our body needs both types of food. However, alkaline forming food should be predominantly used instead of acid forming food. Acidic food items are those that contain little or no oxygen.
Acidic food items that are just naturally high-acid food include:

• sweets
• beverages like tea and coffee
• jams, jellies, and marmalades
• fruits
• butters
• most tomatoes

Other foods that are also considered high-acid food because their ingredients have vinegar or critic acid include:

• salsas
• pickles
• saurkrauts
• relishes
• chutney

An acidic pH can occur from an acid forming diet, emotional stress, toxic overload or any process which deprives the cells of oxygen. The body will try to compensate by using alkaline minerals.
A high amount of acidic food can decrease the body's ability to absorb minerals and other nutrients. It also decreases its ability to repair damaged cells, makes it more fatigued and illness prone. If a person has a blood pH of 6.9, it can be termed as acidic and can induce coma and cause death.
Therefore alkalizing the body fluid is one of the indispensable health regeneration benefits available because disease causing microforms such as fungi, bacteria, virus, cancer, etc. cannot survive in an alkaline oxygenated body. Thus, one of the best things we can do to correct an overly acidic body is to change our diet and switch to alkaline forming foods.
It has been observed that to maintain health, the diet should consist of 60% alkaline forming foods and 40% of acid forming foods. In case a person is suffering from illness or diseases, he must consume 80% of alkaline forming foods and 20% of acid forming foods.
Alkaline forming foods include most fruits, green veggies, peas, beans, lentils, spices, herbs and seasonings. It contains high amounts of vitamins and nutrients which helps body to fight with diseases and illness. Thus, a person should always eat right to stay healthy, protected and active.

By Brad P Yantzi

Baking Soda Recipe For Heartburn Sufferers

Baking soda is one of the most popular household products used nationwide to clean, scrub, polish, wash, cook, bake, deodorize, and yes, even use to neutralize the unpleasant burning sensation of heartburn.

Just open the fridge of about any American citizen living in the United States, and you will probably discover, discreetly hidden behind the groceries, the well-known orange box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda.

This product increasing popularity for multiple uses goes way beyond eliminating fridge orders.

Nowhere on this planet will you find a cheaper price for a product that will effectively whiten your teeth.

If you want whiter teeth just sprinkle the powder on top of your tooth paste and brush.

You will immediately experience a feeling of cleanliness in your mouth and within a few days of repeating this process you will notice your teeth getting whiter. Please note that, Arm & Hammer sells a formulated whitening toothpaste. But for myself, I have found it more effective at whitening my teeth by sprinkling the powder on top of my favorite tooth paste when brushing.

It' s also a great product to use when heartburn occurs.

I remember after eating breakfast in a restaurant, I started to get heartburn. Feeling uncomfortable, I immediately walked towards the front counter asking the waitress if they had something to soothe the pain of heartburn.

The cook kitchen who overheard the conversation, concocted a drink and told me to drink it slowly. After only a few minutes, my heartburn disappeared.

When asking him for the recipe, he told me that he simply mixed 1/2 tablespoon of baking soda in a glass of water and added carrot juice to enhance the flavour.

Since that episode, I experimented with several different mixtures. I have notice better results when combining the Baking soda recipe for heartburn with natural vegetable juice like carrot, broccoli, celery or spinach instead of mixing it with fruit juices like orange, banana, strawberry and apples.

I prefer using this product instead of antacid tablets because it' s far less diluted with chemical preservatives. Baking soda is a natural heartburn home remedy that effectively encounters the pain caused by acid reflux.

When talking to my doctor about the effectiveness of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda for my heartburn, he mentioned that it' s not recommended for people with high blood pressure because it contains too much sodium to be taken regularly. WARNING: if you have high blood pressure or any medical condition, do not use baking soda for heartburn before consulting with your doctor.

By Mike St-John

Top 10 Home Remedies for Acid Reflux and GERD

Acid Reflux has become increasingly prevalent in our society mainly due to our diets. After talking to many acid reflux suffers, extensive research, and spending hours reading forums, I have come up with top 10 list for remedies and lifestyle changes that can help you reduce and ultimately eliminate acid reflux.
Acid reflux occurs when the stomach acid flows backwards into the esophagus. When this happens, you may feel a burning sensation or a sourly taste in the back of your throat (sounds yummy doesn't it).
A more severe and consistent form of reflux is Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD Symptoms include heartburn (most obvious), nausea, gas, bloating, shortness of breath, asthma, hiatal hernia, vocal issues, and chest pain. Some people also experience persistent coughing and lack of sleep as the symptoms get worse when you lay down.
If your occasional acid reflux is becoming persistent, it is time to address it through your diet and some lifestyle changes. If untreated, it can show up as various other diseases and eventually lead to terminal states like esophagus cancer (I really don't like being so negative but this is a call for action if you haven't done anything about it yet).
I want to focus on the diet aspect of healing from acid reflux as well as a few suggestions for remedies and lifestyle changes. Your commitment to addressing your condition naturally could mean you eliminating this nasty condition permanently.
1. Foods - what you should eat and eliminate from your diet
Eliminating acidic foods is on the top of the list. That means you must avoid or completely eliminate alcohol, coffee, smoking, fast foods, and most packaged foods. Eliminate all sodas / carbonated drinks - there is no exception to this rule. For many people tomato based foods is a huge issue.
Avoid packaged foods as many of the preservatives in packaged foods are acidic like citric acid, malic acid and absorbic acid. Oh wow, incidentally they even contain the word "acid" in it - a big clue that if you see this as part of the ingredient list, don't buy that packaged product. You are getting a lot of your acid intake from preservative acids from canned veggies, crackers, cereals, commercial yogurts, and frozen meals. If you do end up buying packaged foods, check the labels to make sure that none of the preservative acids are in it. Avoid onions and cheese as well.
Some might find it skeptical to say that a optimal dietary plan can "cure" their acid reflux disease. However, this is the whole philosophy of this blog, by changing the way you eat to support your healing, you can literally reduce or eliminate your disease.
Some examples of staple foods geared towards reducing acid reflux are almonds, apple, bananas, oatmeal, all melons, green salads, green vegetables, chicken, turkey, fish and seafood, fresh fennel, celery, parsley, and rice. Mainly foods that are alkalizing are very good for you.
2. Swedish Bitters is a 500 year old herbal tonic that aids in digestion and helps with various ailments. It is a strong tincture made of aloe vera, rhubarb root, zedoary root, theriac ventian, angelica root, carline thistle, myrrh, and camphor. Many claim that it helps their digestive system function better. Take one teaspoon with water once a day and can be used as a great preventative and to strengthen your immune system.
3. Papaya enzymes are very effective in helping you digest food so keep some with you at all times and take it before a meal and especially before eating some of the avoidance foods (mentioned above). You can take upto 500 mg of papaya enzymes. You can take some before and after a meal.
4. A good probiotic supplement is an absolute must. It will help you with digestion as well as keep a good balance of your intestinal flora.
5. Aloe vera juice is very healing for this condition. Pick a high quality one that contains little to no preservatives. Take about 4 oz in the morning and then after each meal. Aloe juice has been known to aid in many types of digestive disorders.
6. Do not eat within three hours of sleeping. As your condition worsens, you will have no choice but to really follow this rule. I read in some forums where people were getting up in the middle of the night and getting sick.
7. Some people swear by Lemonade. Yes lemons are great. Drink lemon spiked water, start your day by squeezing some lemon juice in your water. For some this is enough to see a drastic improvement in their condition.
8. Ginger is anti-inflammatory and a great remedy from nature that is a great treatment for gastrointestinal condition. I personally love fresh ginger but if that is too strong for you, you can make a tea from it or buy candied ginger. You can make a great ginger tonic with water, raw honey, lemon juice, and freshly squeezed ginger juicer. This tonic is also great immune booster.
9. Ah, apparently our old friend and a cure-all for so many human ailments, raw unrefined apple cider vinegar is a natural remedy that helps ease acid reflux.
10. Juicing with vegetables is not only extremely healthy but it will help you reduce your acid reflux. Green juices are very alkalizing. One former sufferer claims that he has been cured by carrot juice and it was the only solution that worked for him.
These are our top 10 recommended therapies to get you on the way towards putting your acid reflux issues behind you.
By Jaya Patel

Causes, Symptoms and Natural Remedies For Gastritis

Gastritis is a disease characterized by irritation and inflammation of mucosa or stomach lining. Our stomach lining secretes certain enzymes, acids that aid digestion. It also secretes mucus that saves the stomach lining from the corrosive action of acid. Inflammation of stomach lining or gastritis lowers the production of digestive enzymes and acids jeopardizing the process of digestion. Acute gastritis is caused due to sudden and severe inflammation of the stomach lining. If gastritis continues for a prolonged period, it becomes chronic in nature. Erosive gastritis is a type that results in loss of stomach lining due to erosion or wearing out. Erosive gastritis may be acute or chronic, and may result in severe ulcer formation. Erosive gastritis caused due to some surgery, illness or injury is also known as stress gastritis.

Causes of Gastritis

1. Helicobacter pylori infection
2. Other bacterial, fungal, parasitic or viral infection.
3. Prolonged intake of non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
4. Excessive alcohol intake
5. Swallowing corrosives
6. Swallowing foreign bodies
7. Chemotherapy
8. Endoscopies
9. Potassium supplements and iron tablets.
10. Traumatic injuries
11. Severe burns
12. Critical illness
13. Surgery
14. Heavy meals
15. Autoimmune disorder invading healthy cells of stomach lining.
16. Diseases like Crohn's disease, pernicious anemia.

Symptoms of Gastritis

1. Upper abdominal pain or dyspepsia
2. Nausea
3. Vomiting
4. Belching
5. Acid reflux
6. Bloating
7. Indigestion
8. Loss of appetite
9. Bad breath
10. Feeling of fullness in upper abdomen
11. Concentrated burning sensation in upper abdomen
12. Passing of blood in stool
13. Blood vomiting
14. Passing black, tarry stool.

Natural Remedies for Gastritis

1. Consuming two plantains early morning and then drinking a glass of milk after 30 minutes should be practiced every day to get rid of gastritis.

2. A glass of orange juice with some roasted cumin seeds and a pinch of rock salt added in to it is a quick natural relief from gastritis.

3. Lightly chewing and sucking two pieces of clove can give relief from gastritis

4. Drinking a glass of milk every night before going to bed helps one to deal effectively with gastritis.

5. Four crushed cloves of garlic may be consumed every morning in empty stomach. This is an effective gastritis remedy.

6. If one takes a heavy meal, to eliminate the possibility of gastritis, one may take a glass of water mixed with 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar and one teaspoon honey.

7. Sucking a piece of jaggery after meals is a cure for gastritis.

8. Fennel seeds may be boiled in water, strained and sweetened with honey and then drunk frequently to tackle gastritis.

9. Two teaspoon of white vinegar may be taken after every meal to control gastritis.

10. Drinking ginger tea or spearmint tea frequently is a good natural remedy for gastritis.

11. Drinking a glass of water by adding powdered, roasted cumin seeds in to it is a gastritis cure.

12. Coconut water should be drunk frequently to check gastritis.

13. Cabbage based diet is good for gastritis patients. It ensures passing of clear motion and expulsion of gas from body.

14. Taking two or three big gulps of curd mixed rice can minimize gastritis symptoms.

15. Avoid heavy meals, take fiber rich diet, food rich in flavonoids and antioxidants should be consumed.

16. Refined food items are to be avoided and healthy cooking oil like olive oil should be used while cooking.

By Dr Andrew Napier