Everything you need to know about alkaline foods and an alkalizing giveaway We’ve asked the team from pH Miracle to keep talking to us about the powerful effect internal pH can have on our overall health. Doctor Robert Young and his wife Shelley are the scientific masterminds behind pH Miracle’s effective programs and protocols that have helped so many recover from disease and reclaim vital health. The Youngs were even instrumental in helping our June Guest Editor Kris Carr find her path to wholeness and healing. Get ready for a little chemistry lesson as Shelley helps us unpack the basics of body alkalinity and guides us through the importance of drinking alkaline water! These days, we’ve got so much more medicine, but so much less health. More children are suffering from needless obesity and the three top killers, heart disease, cancer and diabetes, are on the rise! Something’s got to change! Before things can change with the state of human health on this planet, we all have to realize that just as the earth has an external environment that has to be kept clean and clear for fresh air and pure water, each of us has an internal environment that must also be kept clean and clear.

We have internal rivers and streams, veins, arteries and lymphatic vessels running through our bodies that must also be kept running pure, the state of which are vital to optimum health and strength. The blood, tissues and organs of our bodies are kept in a delicate state of pH balance which is set as alkaline at 7.365. Many of you already know that a fish aquarium must be kept at a proper pH or the fish will die. Vintage Light Bulb MirrorThink of all of the cells in your body as being suspended in your own body “ocean”. Do It Yourself Curtain TiesThe health of your cells will be determined by the environment they swim in. Lg Washer Dryer Combo Consumer ReviewsThose of you who enjoy your own swimming pools and hot tubs must also check the pH of the water to maintain its clean quality where bacteria cannot grow. 

Just as your internal body temperature is held at 98.6, you are engineered to be alkaline by design at 7.365 and acidic by function. (Quick review for those of you who haven’t taken chemistry in decades: the pH Scale goes from 1 to 14 – 7 being neutral. Anything below 7 is acid, and anything above 7 is base or alkaline.) All body functions – respiration, perspiration, urination and defecation – create acids that must be handled and discarded by the body. If the acids are not discarded, toxicity (acidity) will build up in the internal environment. When your body temperature changes (rises above or falls below 98.6), it is actually a sign that something is wrong. If your body pH changes, symptoms can occur. The blood is strictly held at its alkaline pH by keeping mineral salts balanced in the blood. Acids that build up can be held in the connective tissues and other body tissues such as the skin, muscles and organs. These acids can result in degeneration and dis-ease.

What we eat and drink contributes to the system which keeps the body in a state of pH balance. Once you learn more about your body chemistry, you can make the adjustments toward optimum health and vitality. The water you drink plays a crucial role in maintaining the body’s internal pH balance. You may have noticed water bottles with their pH listed right on the bottle. This is because pH MATTERS! There is acidic water and alkaline water. The important thing is to drink water that is close to your own blood pH or even higher. Most water has a pH of around 9. It takes 20 parts alkalinity (sodium bicarbonate) to neutralize 1 part acidity (carbonic acid) in the body. You can’t over alkalize, but you can become overly acidic quite easily. Most people who eat the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) with its acidic foods and drinks become sick and tired. Signs that one is over-acidic include: Hydration is the single most important thing you can do to start your alkalizing regime.

A good rule is to drink one liter of pH water for every 30lbs of body weight. Water ionizers can be connected to your kitchen sink to make all your drinking water alkaline. They also make acid water which can be used for external cleaning purposes (floors and counters). There are also drops made by health companies which use mineral salts such as Sodium Chlorite that can be added to any drinking water to push the pH up over a 9 while adding nacient oxygen to the water, too. Bacteria can’t live in an oxygen-rich environment. Dr. Robert O. Young, my husband and co-author of The pH Miracle, has developed these type of drops that are convenient for travel called Purify Drops. When you are properly hydrated with pH structured water, all body systems usually improve in function – even the blood cells appear more plump and healthy! Once you start drinking water that is closer to the pH of your own blood and tissues, pain may diminish, rashes can clear up, unwanted pounds often drop off.

It only makes sense that keeping the pH balance in the body’s internal rivers and streams would improve the chances for good health, just as fish who swim in the proper pH fishbowl can survive and thrive. If your pet fish was sick, would you treat the fish, or change it’s water? Start alkalizing by just changing your water and see how you feel! We would love to give away some pH Miracle Purify Drops to one lucky Chalkboard reader today! Simply leave us your comments below to win. We want to hear your tips, questions or thoughts on body alkalinity! Get these product photos on Flickr. Get Consumer Updates by E-mail Anyone who has ever been on a diet—and there are many of us—knows that there are sensible ways to lose weight. These include balanced diets, exercising and realistic goals. And then there are reckless ways to shed pounds—fads and diet aids that promise rapid weight loss, but often recommend potentially dangerous practices. These include HCG weight-loss products marketed over-the-counter (OTC) that are identified as "homeopathic" and direct users to follow a severely restrictive diet.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising consumers to steer clear of these "homeopathic" human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) weight-loss products.  They are sold in the form of oral drops, pellets and sprays and can be found online and in some retail stores. FDA and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have issued seven letters to companies warning them that they are selling illegal homeopathic HCG weight-loss drugs that have not been approved by FDA, and that make unsupported claims. (For the list of manufacturers, distributors and products—and more information about FDA’s concerns about HCG—visit www.fda.gov/hcgdiet.) HCG is a hormone that is produced by the human placenta during pregnancy. Products that claim to contain HCG are typically marketed in connection with a very low calorie diet, usually one that limits calories to 500 per day. Many of these popular HCG products claim to “reset your metabolism,” change “abnormal eating patterns,” and shave 20-30 pounds in 30-40 days.

“These products are marketed with incredible claims and people think that if they're losing weight, HCG must be working,” says Elizabeth Miller, acting director of FDA’s Division of Non-Prescription Drugs and Health Fraud. “But the data simply does not support this; any loss is from severe calorie restriction. Not from the HCG.” HCG is approved by FDA as a prescription drug for the treatment of female infertility, and other medical conditions. It is not approved for weight loss. In fact, the prescription drug label notes there “is no substantial evidence that it increases weight loss beyond that resulting from caloric restriction, that it causes a more attractive or ‘normal’ distribution of fat, or that it decreases the hunger and discomfort associated with calorie-restricted diets.” HCG is not approved for OTC sale for any purpose. Living on 500 calories a day is not only unhealthy—it’s hazardous, according to FDA experts. Consumers on such restrictive diets are at increased risk for side effects that include gallstone formation, an imbalance of the electrolytes that keep the body’s muscles and nerves functioning properly, and an irregular heartbeat.

Shirley Blakely, a nutritionist at FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, echoes concerns about such restrictive diets. They can be dangerous, she says, and potentially fatal. Very low calorie diets are sometimes prescribed by health care professionals for people who are moderately to extremely obese as part of medical treatment to lessen health conditions caused by obesity, like high blood pressure. But even then, strict—and constant—medical supervision is needed to ensure that side effects are not life threatening, says Blakely. Without medical oversight, consumers on very low calorie diets may not be getting enough vitamins, minerals and—most critically—protein. “In general, the reference (average) calorie level is 2,000,” says Blakely. “If you want to lose weight, reduce your daily intake by 500 calories. Over the course of a week, that equals 3500 calories, which is the loss of a pound. Gradual weight loss is the way to do it.” Miller explains that HCG was first promoted for weight loss in the 1950s.

“It faded in the 1970s, especially when it became apparent that there was a lack of evidence to support the use of HCG for weight loss,” she says. The diet has become popular again and FDA and FTC are taking action on illegal HCG products. “You cannot sell products claiming to contain HCG as an OTC drug product. It’s illegal,” says Brad Pace, team leader and regulatory counsel at FDA’s Health Fraud and Consumer Outreach Branch. “If these companies don’t heed our warnings, they could face enforcement actions, legal penalties or criminal prosecution.” Elisabeth Walther, a pharmacist at FDA, explains that the agency does not evaluate homeopathic drug products for safety or effectiveness, and is not aware of any scientific evidence that supports homeopathy as effective. However, those that meet certain conditions set by FDA can be marketed. A reference document called the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States lists active ingredients that may be legally included in homeopathic drug products.

“HCG is not on this list and cannot be sold as a homeopathic medication for any purpose,” Walther says. FDA advises consumers who have purchased homeopathic HCG for weight loss to stop using it, throw it out, and stop following the dieting instructions. Harmful effects should be reported online to FDA’s MedWatch program or by phone at 800-FDA-1088 (800-332-1088) and to the consumer’s health care professional. This article appears on FDA's Consumer Updates page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products. Posted Dec. 6, 2011; Updated Sept. 20, 2013 Fraudulent HCG Products for Weight Loss FDA Drug Safety Podcast for Consumers: FDA and FTC: HCG Diet Products Are Illegal mp3 (MP3 - 2.7MB) FDA, FTC act to remove “homeopathic” HCG weight loss products from the market Make Your Calories Count FDA Targets Gastric Band Weight-Loss Claims Beware of Products Promising Miracle Weight Loss Don't Be Fooled By Health Fraud Scams