Acid Alkaline Balance

[SharonC]

Sharon C., you are so informative. Thank you.

I have learned from experience to leave fruits out of green smoothies, but have not found a taste that is great. I add tomato to greens and am not exactly pleased with effect or taste. What do you add to the greens for taste, or maybe you like the greens taste?

And thank you so much for the b-12 info.

Thanks Styersky! I love to share with all of you very special people in the over 50 group! It really helps me to deepen my knowledge when sharing - so thank you as well!

I do combine fruit and greens in my smoothies. I follow proper combining with the fruits for better digestion. Have you tried the green smoothies with proper fruit combining?

It seems that most people have digestive problems, and it is not surprising. Eating SAD, drinking water with chemicals (especially the chlorine), taking a bath/shower in tap water (we absorb the chemicals through the skin), drugs (especially antibiotics), even eating good foods that may contain chemicals, etc. compromises our digestive system. My sister-in-law who is a pediatric pharmacist tells me horror stories about babies with major digestive problems already - she is desperately trying to educate the Mothers about healthy foods and probiotics instead of the harmful drugs that are given to these poor babies. We live in a world that just doesn't understand what health means, and we have so much to counteract - just read an article recently about antibiotics in lettuce - http://www.organicconsumers.org/arti...ticle_6396.cfm

I believe that everyone benefits from probiotics, and some people may need digestive enzymes, especially if they are finding their way later in life. Hydrochloric acid has been found to drastically decline as we age - probably not the case if we have been on the right path from an early age. We just cannot expect our body to be functioning optimally if we have lived most of our lives not giving it what it needs and actually doing the opposite - causing harm. The digestive process is so important. If we do not absorb the nutrients, the body is not able to heal or function properly. That is why people who have serious illnesses (such as cancer) juice to heal their body. The nutrients are immediately available even if the digestive system is not working properly (just the fact that they have a serious illness indicates that it is not). At the beginning of my journey, I juiced a lot - mainly carrots and greens. I also had my Mom juicing a lot, and we did a few juice fasts. Mine were only a day or 2 a few times a month, but my Mom did more than me because of her breast cancer.

I believe that it is possible to heal the digestive system (this also applies to all the systems - the whole body) on a raw food diet and especially if fasting/cleansing regularly. It just may take a few years - depending on how much is done to help it along. Healing is a process but well worth it!

I am so grateful that I have at least found the right path and am in control (for the most part) of my health. The 'normal' path just never seemed right to me, and it was such a relief to know the right way! It does require patience and diligence, but is great to know that we are headed in the right direction and can avoid much of the pain and suffering that is so 'normal' today.

[styersky]

Thanks, again, Sharon.

The Food Combining Charts I have seen indicate that fruit should be eaten alone. And when I combine fruit with greens for a GS I experience bloating. Maybe I am just using the wrong fruits?

[alicemagooey]

just popping in..not usually around at this time, but today am.

Probably Sharon knows better than i do..
but, are you drinking your smoothie really really slowly,Styersky?
i mean really slowly, swishingly slowly?

sometimes that helps me.
But often i feel bloated after my smoothie, and i was wondering why because the charts i have say that GREENS and only greens CAN be combined with fruits..so i do that...

Actually, lately, i am taking to drinking smaller amounts of smoothie more often during the day.( have a ten or 12 oz smoothie first thing in the morning, then i take a bottle with me when i go to work, and have 10 oz after four hours or so, and repeat every four hours.. That gives my smoothies ( what i believe may be) long enough to digest between meals.

I have had less bloating this way, lately.
.I figured maybe My particular bloating which i have experienced is because i would chug-a-lug about a quart in the morning, and then another quart at night, with salad/ vegetables in the mid afternoon..

i think a lot of this is trial and error.. but it is so good sharing, because different people have discovered different possiblilities and digestive properties which perhaps we had not thought of before.

for me, i am just thrashing along, but know that it will all smooth out,eventually, with experience
( pun not intended)

alice

[styersky]

http://weightloss.about.com/gi/dynam...%2Fcombine.htm

Don't know if that URL will work because it is so long, but that is one chart I look at a lot. And that chart shows POOR for any combination of foods with fruit. I would be interested in anything anyone else has that says fruits combine differently.

[SharonC]

http://weightloss.about.com/gi/dynam...%2Fcombine.htm

Don't know if that URL will work because it is so long, but that is one chart I look at a lot. And that chart shows POOR for any combination of foods with fruit. I would be interested in anything anyone else has that says fruits combine differently.

I promise that all of this will get easier! The following websites explain...

If you are following the fruit combining rules and still having problems, it may help to take something to improve digestion - worth a try before you give up on green smoothies. Probiotics, digestive enzymes, apple cider vinegar, etc. (Notice that melon is excluded from this rule - it is recommended that melon be eaten totally alone.)


http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/dige...ing-rules.html

4.9 Fruits with Vegetables
Do not combine fruit with any vegetables except lettuce and celery.
It is best not to combine fruits with vegetables (especially cooked vegetables), proteins or starches because if such a combination of food is eaten, the digestion of the fruit will be delayed and subject to fermentation. Lettuce and celery, however, may be combined with any fruit except melon, and will cause no problem.

Dr. Vetrano says, "Taking green uncooked vegetables with a fruit meal is perfectly all right. Even though some charts state that subacid and sweet fruits combine fair to poorly with green uncooked vegetables, the feeding practices at the Health School indicate that these are good combinations, indeed, even enhancing digestion of the fruit in some conditions of impaired digestion."



http://www.thewolfeclinic.com/newsle...etter0002.html

Combine fruit only with lettuce and celery These uncooked vegetables with a fruit meal may even enhance digestion of the fruit.

[styersky]

"Combine fruit only with lettuce and celery These uncooked vegetables with a fruit meal may even enhance digestion of the fruit."

I never used lettuce or celery in green smoothie. I always use spinach, sometimes Kale, Parsley, etc. Maybe if I begin using lettuce and just a bit of spinach I can use fruit (not melon). For a while I was using watermelon and it was so delicious but had major problems with the watermelon. Now I know better.

Will be anxious to have lettuce smoothie now. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

[Lavendula]

You are a blessing. Thank you so much for all of the website links, I'm sure it will help all of us.:) I have been trying to get my hands around the more intricate details of food combining, beyond just no carbs with proteins. I had trouble with the acid thing a number of years ago , but never acid reflux, just the burning sensation. I have taken high quality digestive enzymes for several years, and pay attention to alkaline and acid forming foods, increasing my raw foods to 50% or better, seldom eating fruit, and that all went away. I was so surprised to have these symptoms with going more raw, and eating fruit every day. I am sure it is all in the combinations. This is definately a science.

[SharonC]

"Combine fruit only with lettuce and celery These uncooked vegetables with a fruit meal may even enhance digestion of the fruit."

I never used lettuce or celery in green smoothie. I always use spinach, sometimes Kale, Parsley, etc. Maybe if I begin using lettuce and just a bit of spinach I can use fruit (not melon). For a while I was using watermelon and it was so delicious but had major problems with the watermelon. Now I know better.

Will be anxious to have lettuce smoothie now. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I believe that 'lettuce' includes all leafy greens. The food combining rule is not to combine starchy vegetables with fruit, but leafy greens are in a different category. In the book 'Green For Life', it says that "greens are not vegetables and greens are not starchy. In fact, greens are the only food group that helps digest other foods through stimulating the secretion of digestive enzymes."

Just start out simple with romaine lettuce and/or celery and see how that goes. Then try another green (kale, spinach, etc.)

Hope it goes well!

[SharonC]

You are a blessing. Thank you so much for all of the website links, I'm sure it will help all of us.:) I have been trying to get my hands around the more intricate details of food combining, beyond just no carbs with proteins. I had trouble with the acid thing a number of years ago , but never acid reflux, just the burning sensation. I have taken high quality digestive enzymes for several years, and pay attention to alkaline and acid forming foods, increasing my raw foods to 50% or better, seldom eating fruit, and that all went away. I was so surprised to have these symptoms with going more raw, and eating fruit every day. I am sure it is all in the combinations. This is definately a science.

Thank you Lavendula (love your name)! Yes, experimenting and tweaking is part of the journey. When reversing damage, it does take more time and effort. Juicing can drastically speed up the healing process because it gives the body immediately absorbed mega nutrients for healing (no matter how compromised the digestive system) and at the same time conserves energy that the body would normally use for digestion (digestion takes so much energy). The body can then use the extra energy for healing. Of course, by just eliminating hard to digest foods (especially animal products) and blending foods, the body will have more energy for healing - just takes longer. So amazing - our miraculous self healing body!!

[styersky]

This thread has covered different aspects than just Acid Alkaline Balance and that is great and has been informative and educational.

However, just thought I would go back to the Acid Alkaline issue. Having done some research recently via internet, I am convinced that is so very important. The book that has motivated me is by Dr. Robert O. Young "The PH Miracle for Weight Loss". Even if you are not interested in losing weight, most of the book will appeal to you if you are interested in improving health, preventing cancer, osteoporosis, etc., etc.,etc. He has a Newsletter that is motivational as far as simply being interested in improving health.

If you are RAW it really is not difficult to stay alkaline by eating 80% alkaline while going RAW. He does not advocate totally RAW, but most of his recipes are RAW.

Your input would be interesting regarding your experience with Acid Alkaline balance.

[EZ rider]

Here's a link to a thread titled: "Alkalinity vs. acidity"

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=33858
.

[Lady Green Jeans]

This is such a great thread. I sent my mother a couple books on alkaline/acidic foods, which she was totally into reading. From what I've read over the years (and I am no health professional), but being in balance can so heal a body of most any DISease if it has not progressed too far.

Hooray to this wonderful raw food lifestyle.

[Yeshia]

I am so glad I found this tread .

I have very excessively bad dry papery skin right now.9 &0 plus days raw) ( see my other thread please)

I have been told this could be because I am acidic and so this info is invaluable for me

I would appreciate your imput) please

[veganman]

When my dh and I became vegans a few years ago we first added lemon to our water as an easy way to alkalyze it, then decided to get an alkaline water filter.

Hi Jennifer -

I am researching the issue of alkaline water....what type did you get? Do you like it?