The ABC’s of Getting Off Your Acid

June 27, 2017 Dr Daryl Gioffre

If you’re interested in slimming down, being more energetic day to day, getting stronger joints, muscles and bones, and improving any and all digestive complaints, you need to GET OFF YOUR ACID! Acid is so corrosive it can burn a hole through metal. If it can do that to metal, think about what it’s doing to your body! Now, you might be thinking, the acid I’m eating when I enjoy cheeseburgers and fries, pizza, ice cream, and candy haven’t burned a hole through me yet, so it can’t be that bad, right? Wrong! The fact is, your body uses tons of energy keeping your pH balanced so that acid doesn’t make you sick and break down your bones, muscles, digestive system, and more. That’s energy you could be using to do more of what you enjoy – getting outside, spending time with friends and family, or whatever it is you want to do more of. So today, I’m going to break down 26 ways you reduce the acid levels in your body without having to give up a thing! Just try to incorporate more and more of these A-Z alkaline tips and see how you feel. Pretty soon, you’re going to feel so great, you can’t help but want to stay alkaline! A. Alkaline – What does alkaline mean? On the pH scale, with 0 being the most acidic substance on earth and 14 being the most alkaline, you want to eat as many foods on the alkaline side as possible (has a pH greater than 7). Here are the 7 most alkaline foods on the planet:

Wheatgrass and other green grasses
Leafy greens like spinach, kale, watercress, and romaine
Cucumbers
Avocado
Broccoli
Celery
Sprouts

Eat at least one of these every day, and you’re well on your way to getting off your acid! B. Breathe – Believe it or not, 70% of the total toxic and acid load in your body is removed by the cheapest, easiest, most convenient way to eliminate acid: your lungs. But not just any breathing will be that effective – deep diaphragmatic breathing will alkalize and energize you. Oxygen is the most powerful alkalizer, much more powerful than anything you can eat or drink. In fact, the sole reason WHY your blood pH needs to be slightly alkaline at a pH of 7.4 is to TRANSPORT OXYGEN! Try the 3:6:5 Power Breath:

Sitting up straight, you breathe in through the nose for 3 seconds.
Hold the breath for 6 seconds.
Exhale out your mouth for 5 seconds.
Do 10 repetitions.

C. Chlorophyll – An unbelievably important super food for humans and the main source of nutrients for plants, chlorophyll can detoxify the liver, prevent infection, improve digestion, prevent certain cancers, and help you lose weight! Here are a few chlorophyll-rich foods to load up on:

Leafy greens like spinach, kale, arugula, chard, and watercress
Wheatgrass
Herbs like parsley and basil
Snap peas
Green beans
Seaweed

D. Detoxify – Clearing your body of everyday toxins is a powerful way to stay alkaline. The best ways to do that are to eat tasty detoxifying foods like greens, herbs, and certain spices like turmeric, breathe deeply like we already covered, stay hydrated with plenty of water, and try intermittent fasting. Anyone who participates in the 7-Day Alkaline Cleanse will receive a pdf entitled ‘detox protocols’. This is perhaps my favorite guide I have ever created, as it contains 21 of my best and most effective ways to detox your body, including the 3:6:5 power breath I just mentioned, Detox Tea (Turmeric/Ginger/Lemon/Black Pepper), Acid Crusher Detox Bath, Rebounding, Fat Flusher Shot, Chia Shot, and many more! E. Exercise – You already know that exercise is important for fighting all kinds of diseases like Diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer. Well, working out regularly is also the key to keeping acid in check. So find what you love doing to work up a sweat, and do more of it! Rule of thumb – whatever exercise you choose to do, you should always be able to maintain a conversation – in doing so, you will be aerobic, NOT anaerobic. This will alkalize your body, not acidify. F. Fats – In the alkaline lifestyle, you get to eat as much fat as you want, as long as it’s the good kind! There are fats that heal, and fats that kill. So it’s important that you know the difference. Eat plenty of healthy fats like:

- A good quality Omega-3 fatty acid supplement (fish oil, 3 grams for an adult).
- Avocados
- Seeds like chia, flax, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds
- Raw nuts and nut butters like almond butter, coconut butter, and cacao butter
- Wild-caught, organic Pacific salmon
- Sardines and anchovies
- EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
- Coconut oil
- Macadamia Nut Oil, Avocado Oil

On the other hand, steer clear of dangerous fats like:

- - Soy and soybean oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil
  - Hydrogenated fats like you find in pizza dough, pastries, cookies, crackers, pie crust, and margarine
  - Canola oil
  - Shortening
  - Peanuts and peanut oil
  - Animal fats like bacon

G. Greens – Eat your greens! As you may have noticed on the lists above, greens are a great, alkalizing source of many of the nutrients our bodies need. H. Healthy swaps – My favorite way to help people get off their acid is what I call Swap, Better, Best. Find more alkaline versions of foods you love and simply replace them, so you don’t feel deprived. Remember, it’s about moderation, not deprivation! Check out this food chart for ideas on swapping healthier alternatives and then come up with some of your own...

I. Immune system, which lives in the digestive track (that’s right, 80% of your immunity comes from a healthy gut – if the gut is out of balance, so will your immunity). In order to keep from getting sick with everything from the common cold to serious diseases, you’ve got to support the immune system with gut-healing alkaline foods like vegetables, plant-based proteins, and healthy fats. It’s also essential to take a good quality probiotic supplement. J. Juices – Specifically, freshly-pressed green juices will deliver tons of nutrients in an easy to drink package. A few of my favorites include:

- - - - Sweet green alkaline juice
      - Green ginger alkaline juice
      - Good old filtered water with a scoop of Alkamind Daily Greens

K. Kids and your whole family! Going alkaline is not just for you – it’s for everyone you love and care about. If you get the whole family involved, it’s much easier to get off your acid and stick with it. Plus, it’s more fun for everyone! L. Lymphatic system – This is the body’s 2^nd cardiovascular system, and it’s just as important. And yet, most people have never even heard of it! It works like a garbage collector, picking up all the toxic C.R.A.P (Completely Refined And Processed junk) you don’t want in your cells and clearing it out of the body. So show your lymphatic system some love simply by moving. See, the circulatory system has the heart to keep everything moving. The lymphatic system doesn’t, and requires movement to keep flowing. The rebounder or mini trampoline is the most powerful way to lymphasize. In fact, a NASA study showed that rebounding was 68% more effective at cardiovascular health and losing weight than running. M. Minerals – Your body needs certain minerals to keep the heart functioning properly, provide energy, maintain muscle strength, and much more. And while it’s important to eat foods that are high in minerals like fresh fruits and vegetables, the fact is, food alone is not enough. That’s why I recommend a scoop of Alkamind Daily Minerals each night before bed, so the calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium bicarbonate can go to work while you sleep. Tip: If you suffer from 2:00 AM wakings, your liver is crying out for a dose of minerals before bed!

N. Nuts – Almonds, macadamia, cashews (moderation), hazelnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, Brazil nuts, and chestnuts are all excellent, alkaline sources of protein and healthy fat. Just go for raw, organic nuts that have not been irradiated. Nut milks and nut butters are great too, but again, check their sources and ingredients to make sure you’re getting healthful nut products and not dangerous chemicals. O. Organic – Choosing organic is an easy way to get alkaline because fresh, organic foods contain much more vitamins and minerals than their nonorganic counterparts. Here are 8 easy ways to choose organic and alkaline. P. pH – The aim of eating alkaline is not to try and raise the pH of your blood. Your body will do whatever it needs to regulate a constant pH of 7.4 (easy tip to remember this: your pH needs to be 7.4 - 7 days a week, 4 seasons a year). The whole purpose of eating and drinking alkaline is to prevent the body from having to do so much regulating. When you have an overly acidic diet and lifestyle, your body and blood will deplete its own resources (mostly minerals) to neutralize all that acid to maintain a healthy pH level. The best way to know if your pH is out of alignment is simply to check it. pH test strips are an easy way to watch for trends in your saliva or urine pH levels based on what you eat, your stress levels, and exercise. Q. Quinoa – A great grain to swap for pasta or rice in just about any meal, quinoa is an excellent source of protein, fiber, magnesium, and iron. Here are a few ways to enjoy quinoa at any time of day:

R. Rest and Relaxation – Believe it or not, rest is one of the most alkalizing things you can do for your body. And getting alkaline helps you get better sleep. So it can spiral in both good and bad ways – the more rest you get, the more alkaline you are, and the better rest you get. Or the worse sleep you get, more the acidic you are, and the more it affects your sleep. Yoga, meditation, and deep breathing will also alkalize your body. S. Smoothies – A delicious way to get off your acid each and every day, smoothies are usually my breakfast. Here’s a few different ones to try:

T. Triglycerides, specifically Medium Chain Triglycerides. This healthy type of fat is commonly found in coconut, which is one of the reasons I recommend so many foods and recipes that contain coconut. You can’t eat too much of this stuff! Read my 10 favorite ways to use coconut and make it a point to consume at least 1 tbsp. of coconut oil daily, even if it’s off of a spoon. U. U is for Eucalyptus and other essential oils like lavender, lemon, peppermint, frankincense, and myrrh. These are a powerful way to detoxify and help the body naturally alkalize, while also providing all kinds of other health and wellness benefits to you and your family. Read more about the myths, truths, and power of essential oils.

V. Veggies – Have you noticed a trend reading this list so far? The #1 way to get more alkaline is to eat more veggies. It’s that simple, just like mom used to tell you! Raw is best, and try to incorporate sprouts into your daily meal plan. While some veggies are more alkaline than others – anything green is better than any potato, for instance – the more you eat your veggies, the more you’ll fill up on nutrient-dense foods, leaving less room for refined carbs, meat, dairy, and sugary foods. W. Workouts that fight acid – Beyond E for Exercise, when we take a closer look at the type of exercise you do, there are some forms of exercise that alkalize, and some that actually acidify! The easiest way to know which one you’re doing is this… Again,if you can hold a conversation while you’re working out, you’re alkalizing. Workouts like CrossFit, SoulCycle, and sprinting build up acid in the muscular system, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do them if you enjoy these hot exercise trends. Just be sure to follow up a hard workout with Alkamind Daily Minerals. This will neutralize any and all acid your body generates in the workout, allowing your body to recover as quickly as possible. X. X is for Antioxidants – Many foods that are highly alkaline are also chocked full of free radical-fighting antioxidants. You probably think of berries and red wine as top cancer fighters, but red wine is acidic and berries need to be balanced with lower sugar foods. Did you know that these alkaline foods are also big antioxidant suppliers?

- - Artichokes
  - Kidney beans
  - Pinto beans
  - Cilantro
  - Green apples

Y. Your favorite alkaline foods! Maybe you love avocados. Or maybe you could eat green beans

every day. Whatever it is, find an alkaline food you already love, and simply eat more of it. My Ultimate Alkaline/Acid Food Guide with 550+ foods is a great resource for this. Download it now. Okay, we’ve made it all the way from A to Z and I have to admit, I’m going to cheat a little on this one… What can I say? There aren’t many Z words! But making it all the way to Z is exactly what the alkaline lifestyle is about. This isn’t a diet. It’s not something to do for a month and then go back to your old ways. It’s about taking these tips and incorporating them into your life little by little to get more alkaline. The more you do it, the better you’re going to feel. And that’s how you’re going to sustain changes to your health. If you really want to slim down, get alkaline, and get rid of the aches, pains, and fatigue that have been plaguing you, this is the perfect time to join us for the Summer Get Off Your Acid 7-Day Alkaline Cleanse. We’ll be starting Monday, July 17^th, so I hope you’ll be a part of this great group! Find out more and sign up now.