A burgeoning problem affecting many people in the Western world is the one of obesity.
In America, it is considered a nationwide epidemic with about 20% of the adult population being significantly overweight. A similar number of children are similarly overweight – this is a potentially graver problem since, looking to the future, those children may well be developing behaviours that make weight loss even more difficult than it is already.
The health authorities in many countries are particularly concerned because of the predicted deficits in the cost of healthcare and the effects of populations becoming less able to produce wealth for the economy in question.
The reasons for this problem are many and varied, and include the amount of exercise taken, the stressful lives many of us lead, and the quantity and content or type of food eaten.
In Britain, there is concern over a generation of children and young adults not doing enough exercise while, at the same time, consuming high fat, pre-prepared foods, including “fast foods” and foods with an excessive salt content. In themselves, fast foods and “ready-meals” are not a problem until quantities and the amount of exercise are factored in.
There is no doubt that this is a complex problem. One approach proposes that the pH value of our food intake has a direct effect on how the body copes with everything that is thrown at it. We are encouraged to eat reduced fat foods and this is fine as far as it goes. We are encouraged to eat increased amounts of fruit and vegetables, and that also is good.
Fat in manageable quantities produces energy for us, while excessive fat is stored for future use. Fruit and vegetables have low pH values (therefore, alkaline). However, the Western diet contains huge amounts of dairy product, meat (particularly red meat), sugar and other carbohydrates.
This kind of diet encourages high pH values (therefore, acidic). From there, it is a relatively small step to realise that reductions in acid-producing food products will result in a healthier population.
There is a biological basis for this. The more we follow the traditional Western diet, the more likely it is that body acid levels will increase. The higher our body acid levels are, the greater amount of fat is required to help it to cope. The surprising fact is that fat is actually keeping us healthy.
If the pH value of the body’s water content falls outside a “healthy” range, there is likely to be illness and disease, leading to body dysfunction and, possibly, death. Excessive intake of fruit and vegetables is not good either, for these alkali producing foods do not contain enough of the carbohydrate and protein needed to keep the body strong.
The “eat a balanced diet” messages that we all receive is well-founded. Weight loss can be achieved by following an alkaline foods-rich plan.
Sometimes referred to as a “pH diet”, an increased intake of fruit and vegetables should balance out the acidity provided by carbohydrates and proteins, and will restore eventually you to your ideal weight.
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