pH - Potential of Hydrogen
and Health?
I have read several books on pH and the two most interesting ones are both written by the same
person. M.T. Morter, JR., M.A., D.C. He wrote " Your Health, Your Choice" which explains how our digestive systems
work and how the foods we eat affect our pH. The other book he wrote "pH Your Potential For Health" is written to
assist individuals who are interested in monitoring their health by testing their pH. This books explains how to
test your saliva and urine pH correctly and how to interpret their results to monitor your health.
After reading both these books I have learned two major things. The first thing I learned is that
eating more fruits and vegetables will not only help keep you thin, it is necessary to assist in helping our body
achieve a balanced pH which can improve our overall health. The second thing I learned is the proper way to test
our pH and what those results mean.
What is pH
pH stands for "potential of hydrogen". pH is the value given to indicate the acidity or alkalinity
of a substance. pH values run from 0-14. O being acid and 14 being alkaline. A pH of 7.0 is neutral. The majority
of substances rarely test neutral, they usually have some degree of acidity or alkalinity. Special test paper (pH
paper) has been created to check the pH level of substances.
Urine, Blood, Saliva and pH
Monitoring our bodies blood, urine and saliva can help us determine the level of health we are at
and what our mineral reserves are. Blood is our most important fluid, yet we can't easily access it. The pH of our
blood is maintained between 7.35-7.45. More readily available fluids are urine and saliva. Our urine pH helps us
determine if our body has a healthy reserve of minerals. Our saliva pH helps us determine if our body is under
emotional stress and our digestive enzymes are responding. You can not just randomly check your urine and saliva
pH. To get a good gauge of stored minerals or stress, I would recommend the book "pH Your Potential for Health". It
is a short book that explains how to test your pH levels and how to interpret your results.
Our Bodies - The Intelligent Within
Dr. Morter explains in his book "Your Health, Your Choice" that our bodies are designed to function
to keep us alive. He explains that everything our body does is the correct response for the conditions imposed on
it. Every action has a reaction and our bodies will adapt its reaction as it needs, to survive. He compares our
bodies to a database of information and fully explains throughout his book how our bodies respond to the stimuli we
give it like the foods we eat, the exercises we do, and our thoughts. He also fully explains the body's back up
system, digestive system, and how our body works to maintain the proper pH level. Our body works to maintain a
blood pH level of 7.35-7.45 which is slightly alkaline. Dr. Morter isn't alone in his thoughts that being too
acidic leads to chronic health problems and that the symptoms the body has are warning signs we are becoming out of
balance.
What can you do to balance your pH
The obvious is to eat more fruit and vegetables, especially green vegetables! They are full of
minerals, vitamins, and enzymes and offer very alkalizing effects on the body. You can also exercise on a regular
basis providing you are healthy enough to exercise. Exercise not only keeps our muscles in shape, but more
importantly, it helps us manage our stress and improves our mood. Dr. Morter stated repeatedly throughout his book
that toxic negative thoughts are the greatest acid producers
and have the most acidifying effect on our bodies. This concept isn't a surprise, Dr. Bernie Siegel has written
books on love, medicine and miracles. He examines our need to be empowered and excited to change no matter how
grave your situation is to improve. He has had amazing results with his philosophy.
Below is a simplified downloadable booklet on Ph Balancing. It briefly explains pH and reviews
urine and saliva testing. It also recommends supplements and foods that are acid and alkaline to assist you.
Acidosis vs Alkalinity
Remember, we need to keep our bodies in balance, being overly acidic or alkaline can pose a risk to
our bodies and our health. Eat those veggies!
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