The Importance of Balancing pH
Days 70-76This week I’m revisiting the subject of pH. I gave some background (here), and have brought it up throughout the trial. Measuring body pH is one of the indicators I use for progress, or what level of detox I’m going through.
I used to think pH was just another hokey diet gimmick. However, after doing some research, it clearly makes sense. In the last few posts, (week 9 & week 10 ) I basically gave the foundation explaining why we should avoid becoming too acidic. It is this acidity within the body on a cellular level that upsets our biological terrain and makes us more susceptible to all kinds of disease.
I recently was flipping through a book from one of my favorite raw foodists, Victoria Boutenko, called Green for Life. I wanted to see what she had to say about pH. I was thrilled to find that she devoted an entire chapter to the importance of keeping the body alkaline. In fact, she cited a study done by the 1931 Nobel Peace Prize winner Otto Warburg, that supports what I’ve already summarized from Gabriel Cousens findings – essentially that the main cause of cancer is an acidic environment in the body.
She posed the question,
“I wonder, if this dicovery was so important that he received the Nobel Prize, why doesn’t everyone know what pH is?”
After all, tools to measure body temperature and blood pressure exist, but you will never find a doctor measuring your body’s pH.
Victoria Boutenko believes students should learn about pH index of foods at school, and foods at the store should come labeled as alkaline or acid forming, with a pH index number.
If any of this sounds interesting you can learn more by reading The pH Miracle by Robert Young, and Alkalize or Die by Theodore A. Baroody.
Also, Victoria Boutenko’s book Green for Life contains a chapter on balancing your pH, and explains how the key to staying alkaline is getting enough greens in your diet. One of the best ways to accomplish this is by drinking green smoothies (a blended concoction of fruit and greens that tastes great and is easy to digest).
Meal of the week:
My favorite meal this week was zucchini noodles and blanched veggies tossed in pesto, topped with pine nuts.
The great thing about pesto is that it is naturally raw, except for the parmesan cheese. I have always loved pesto, long before going raw vegan.
This is a classic pesto sauce adapted from a random recipe that I “googled.” The standard ingredients in pesto are fresh basil, olive oil, raw garlic, salt, pine nuts, and parmesan cheese. I cut out the cheese, and added a few Tbsp of lemon juice. Also, all or part of the pine nuts can be substituted with walnuts to bring down the price.
I make the “noodles” from zucchini using a spiralizer. This can be purchased on Amazon.com for around $30.
It is fast and easy to make a decent portion of noodles. I salt them and “sweat out” some liquid to more closely mimick the texture of noodles.
I have a weakness for partially cooked veggies, so I often blanch certain vegetables for under 20 seconds to soften them a touch. I included blanched asparagus in this dish, along with some thinly sliced spinach, and sugar plum tomatoes. I tossed all the ingredients together in a pan to gently warm it.
Again, here’s the finished product. Raw food can be so delicious!
I have so much respect for bloggers. I’m in the final stretch with a few weeks to go, and I’m looking forward to the trial coming to an end. Surprisingly, I think I’m going to keep eating the way I am for many more months to come, which I’ll get into more in the final two posts.
Stay tuned for more raw food adventures!
