Do you hear the word "alkaline" and think, what the heck does that big, scary word mean? Even during pharmacy school, I was intimidated by the concept! I cannot wait to dive into this topic with you and clear the water, so to speak!
First of all, I think it is important to set the stage for a minute. We all have cancer cells. Every.single.one.of.us. Cancer cells just have to reach 1 billion cells in number to be detected. Normally functioning immune systems have built-in mechanisms to keep irregularly growing (cancer) cells at bay. So, in reality, the cancer or tumor is not the problem. The cancer is a symptom of the problem! Shocker, I know! The underlying problem is that the body is in a state that allows cancer to multiply in the first place. So, whether you are 'Striding Thru Cancer' or just trying to prevent disease, this information is valuable!
Let's dive right in! Knowledge is power!
Acidity is a common process that happens in our bodies when we are not fueled right. Acidity leads to inflammation and inflammation leads to disease, so it is a pretty important topic and one we can do so much to help!
Bare with me for a little background on energy production...Cancer cells are unique in that they do not produce energy the way healthy cells do. Cancer cells feed on sugar and the by-products are energy, lactic acid, and carbon monoxide. Oxygen is not required for cancer cells to grow. Healthy cells use fats, proteins, complex carbohydrates, and oxygen to produce energy, carbon dioxide, and water. (see below)
Sugar + Simple Carbs ----------> Cancer ----------> energy + lactic acid + carbon monoxide
Carbs + Fats + Protein ----------> Healthy Cells ----------> energy + carbon dioxide + water
Cancer has a narrow pH window for vitality that is between 6.5-7.5. Increasing the pH in our bodies to above 7.5 means the cancer cells revert back to the normal cellular cycle called apoptosis or "programmed cell death." Common sense always wins in my book so follow my logic here: if cancer feeds on sugar and consuming sugar or other inflammatory foods make the body acidic, eliminating those foods gives cancer a less than stellar growing environment, right?
You may be thinking, what other foods should I avoid? Dairy, Gluten, Sugar, and Alcohol all cause the body to be acidic. The foods that make the body alkaline are fruits, vegetables, and pure water! Fruits and vegetables also strengthen the immune system at the same time, which is a win, win!
You can pick up pH test strips at your local pharmacy or department store. Testing your saliva or urine is a great way to gauge where your body is to get a baseline! Typically, if your body is in a cancerous state, the pH strip will show acidic. The goal is to get into the deep green or blue area as quickly as possible. Ironically, it is not as hard as you would think...it just takes a little grit!
Here are some ways you can change the pH in your body to improve health:
-- Eat as many deep colored fruits and vegetable as possible. A person with cancer symptoms should eat 18-20 servings per day. Fruits like papayas, mango, blackberries, raspberries, pineapple, and pomegranates help increase oxygen efficiency. Deep green leafy greens like collard greens, kale, and swish chard should be consumed daily. They contain an abundance of chlorophyll which enhances the circulation of oxygen at the cellular level and therefore makes the body more alkaline!
-- Consume bitter apricot kernels
-- Breathe deeply. Cancer cannot live in an oxygenated environment. The majority of Americans, but specifically cancer patients, have a scarcity of oxygen among cells.
-- Avoid meat, dairy, and processed sugar, which all causes the body to be acidic.
-- Take cool showers
-- Eat small meals
-- Add lemon or lime to your water to make it alkaline
If the first tip of eating 18-20 servings of fruits and vegetables still has your head spinning, you can do what my family does! We get 56 plants every single day and have changed the alkalinity of out bodies. The whole food nutritional concentrate that we consume has been proven to increase blood flow and therefore oxygen carrying capacity, which not only makes the body alkaline, but inhibits cancer growth, and only takes about 15 seconds to consume! Total easy button and peace of mind, for sure!
Think of how cancer relates to the body like this; the cancer is a weed and your body is the garden. Our job is to make the soil as inhospitable as possible to further grow and spread the weeds! Changing the alkalinity of our body isn't tough and goes a long way to help you 'Stride Thru Cancer' and prevent disease!