GO ALKALINE!

Alkaline Balance Can Help Fight Viruses

Viruses and bacteria thrive in an acidic environment. Keeping your pH in the slightly alkaline range of 7.3 85- 7.4 can reduce the risk and lessen the severity of bouts of viruses.

A diet that is dominant in acid-forming foods (meat, dairy, grains, sweets, coffee, alcohol, sodas, fried foods, and junk food) is a significant contributing factor to chronic inflammation and bouts with viruses. Excess acid-forming foods, drinks, and lifestyle put stress on your digestive system and leads to chronic inflammation.  When the acid gets too high in your bloodstream, Other things happen. Inflammation impacts your joints, arteries, and fat cells.  Your body will hang onto fat cells for storage and you won’t be able to lose weight.

The body’s attempt to neutralize all that acid generates free radicals and leads to further inflammation and damaged tissues.  This robs your body of its life force.  When your body is alkaline balanced, meaning slightly alkaline (7.365 – 7.4 pH), it converts free radicals to harmless substances. When you eat, drink, and live an acidic lifestyle, your body becomes toxic. Your joints can become inflamed and painful and your muscles can hurt.  The key is to alkalize your body by eating a diet that helps you restore an internal pH balance.

Many people that have incorporated a juicing lifestyle with an emphasis on greens find that joint and muscle pain disappears.  This is one of the reports I often hear early on when someone starts juicing.  Alkaline rich foods, which are mineral-rich, include vegetables, fruit, sprouts, seeds, and nuts.  Also, drink wheatgrass juice. It is one of the most alkalizing foods on earth. They help your body store up mineral reserves, in which an excessive acid-forming diet drains the reserves.  At that point, your body must rob minerals from bones (calcium), teeth, muscles (magnesium), and organs in an attempt to neutralize acids.  You end up with pain in your body. You set yourself up to contract the current virus more easily. You can turn all this around with an alkaline-rich diet that is about 75 percent vegetables, fruit, sprouts, seeds, and nuts.  Drink several glasses of green juice per day if you are in pain and/or not alkaline balanced.

Foods to Avoid that Contribute to Inflammation

1. Trans fats and polyunsaturated vegetable oils.
2. Gluten
3. Dairy
4. Sweets
5. Alcohol
6. Caffeine

Recipe of the Week
Green Delight

Dark green leafy vegetables are among the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food. They are a rich source of minerals including iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium plus vitamins K, C, and E, along with many of the B vitamins. They also provide a variety of phytonutrients including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which protect our cells from damage and our eyes from age-related diseases.

• 2 Swiss chard leaves

• 1 celery stalk
• 1 handful spinach
• 1 handful parsley
• 1 apple (green is lower in sugar)
• 1/2 lemon, peeled

Cut produce to fit your juicer’s feed tube.  Roll the chard leaves and push through the juicer with the celery stalk.  Add the spinach and parsley and push through a juicer with the apple and lemon.  Stir the juice and drink as soon as possible.  Serves 1

Recipe from The Juice Lady’s Living Foods Revolution