Submitted by: Heather from Miami, FL

Q: I have been reading about eating more healthy in order to lose a little bit of extra weight and a recurring theme I'm seeing a lot is pH. My question is, what is pH exactly and what in your opinion can I eat to have the better body pH?

A: The pH is the numerical value describing the balance between acidity and alkalinity. The dietary acid-alkaline balance largely determines the general health of the body to the degree that it considerably influences conditions such as osteoporosis, arthritis, indigestion, pain, and fatigue. What determines the pH nature of the food in the body is the metabolic end products when it is digested. As an important note, there is a difference between acidic foods and acid-forming foods. For example, lemons and citrus fruits are acidic but they actually have an alkalizing effect on the body.

Basically eat a diet rich in vegetables (especially wheat grass, barley grass, alfalfa spouts, broccoli sprouts, other types of sprouts, cucumber, kale, parsley, sea vegetables, avocado, arugula, beets, bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, celery, collards, endive, garlic, ginger, green beans, lettuce, mustard greens, okra, onion, spinach, tomatoes, etc.), fruits, beans and legumes (such as lentils, soy beans, white beans, and lima beans), whole grains (like buckwheat, quinoa, and spelt), and certain nuts, seeds, and oils (such as almonds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and fish oil, olive oil, and flaxseed oil). In general, you want to greatly minimize sugar, refined processed grains (breads, pastas, crackers, chips, cookies, pastries, etc.), animal meats, dairy, certain nuts (like peanuts, cashews, and pistachios), and alcohol.

The best way to balance the acid-forming foods that inevitably sneak into our diets is to supplement with a “greens drink.” A good greens drink features highly alkalizing foods such as wheat grass, barley grass, kale, broccoli, sea vegetables, spirulina, and chlorella. Greens beverages are not only great to improve the pH balance, they are also loaded with antioxidants and phynutrients like carotenes and chlorophyll. The ingredients in green drinks are dehydrated into a powder that you mix into water, juice, rice milk, or almond milk and the beverage is rehydrated into a powerhouse of nutrients. The only green drink that I recommend is NewGreens™ by Pure Prescriptions. NewGreens™ is the most comprehensive and best tasting formula I have seen on the market.