In attempting to control the pH in our body, the first effort should be to control what we eat. Here I can speak from experience, having paid little attention to my diet for many years, eating what, when, and where the desire struck. Very few of us have a perfect diet, and many of us are far from that goal. Yet a good diet is one of the most essential components of a good, or very good life state. So how can we improve our diets?
There are a lot of different approaches to correcting and improving what we eat and when. The following will be a series of suggestions which may help even for those, who like me, do not have highly developed will power. One possible way to help adjust your pH, as well as improve your overall nutritional status is the regular consumption of green smoothies, if they are properly constituted.
Green Smoothie
The green smoothie should consist of:
- 1. Low fat milk (1/2 cup); (if you are, or may be lactose intolerant, substitute water, orange juice (high fiber orange juice is even better) or pure grape juice);
- 2. Organic spinach (2 oz); (the baby spinach is very good because of its compliment of mineral elements, fiber, chlorophyll and other nutrients, but one can use any green leafy vegetable for this purpose);
- 3. Plain yogurt (2 oz.); a live culture yogurt is preferred, and one may choose to use a flavored yogurt for variety.
- 4. Orange juice concentrate (2 oz.); if you substituted orange juice, or grape juice for the milk skip this one;
- 5. As desired add a few ice cubes to make the solution cold or even a slushy mix.
- 6. Blend all the above ingredients in a high speed blender until a smooth consistency is achieved.
I would suggest that you double the recipe above each time you make a smoothie and drink 1/2 of it as a breakfast substitute, and the other 1/2 as an early supper. Make lunch your major meal and try to avoid anything other than pure water within 4 hours of retiring. You will find in most cases, a little Yoga or other physical exercise just before retiring will help you rest well.
There is a broad range of materials that can be substituted or added to your smoothie. In fact, let me suggest that you reward yourself once in a while (maybe once per week if you persist) with a scoop of vanilla ice cream added to your smoothie, or some other addition which rewards but does not negate the benefits.
Variations on the Green Smoothie
For a change you can substitute pure grape juice for the orange juice, orange concentrate, or milk. Avoid using juice cocktail mixes as these are often high in sugar content and usually lower in the fiber, anti-oxidant, and other nutritional factors. Also you may find that the addition of 2 to 4 ounces of carrots, celery, or an apple, may provide a welcome variation. These additions will maintain or even increase the nutritional value of your smoothie. Another ingredient that you might consider adding to your smoothie is 1 or 2 ounces of no sugar added dried tart cherries, or one ounce of tart cherry juice concentrate. (See: Fibromyalgia Foods You Should Eat)
Another easy way to begin changing your pH is to chew some calcium carbonate based anti-acids (Tums) and to take a calcium carbonate based calcium supplement (1000 mg once or twice a day). For this purpose avoid the aluminum hydroxide based anti-acids and calcium citrate formulations.
I would suggest that you obtain some pH test paper or strips from a health food store and check your oral and urine pH once in a while. Test before you drink your smoothies for the day. If you do not wish to do the testing, try it for a few days and see if you don’t feel better. You will probably find that in addition to feeling better, you will lose a little weight if you need to, and your food bill will be reduced if you use the smoothie as a meal replacement.