Scleroderma

All foods are "burned" within the body, leaving an ash as the result of the "burning" or digestion. This food ash can be neutral, acid or alkaline, depending largely on the mineral composition of the foods.

Some foods leave an acid residue or ash, some alkaline. The acid ash (acidosis) results when there is a depletion of the alkali reserve or the diminution in the reserve supply of fixed bases in the blood and the tissues of the body.

High protein foods and carbohydrates, are "acid-forming" in nature, whereas others such as green veggies, are known to be "alkali-forming." Most western diets result in an unbalanced, unhealthy acidic pH.

Since most of the body is water-based and in a balanced state nearly neutral on the pH scale, the pH level has profound effects on all body chemistry, health and disease. An imbalanced pH describes the pH level of the body when it becomes too acidic or too alkaline for long periods of time. Extended pH imbalances of any kind are not well tolerated by the body and often lead to compromised health.

Many researchers believe that blood and intestinal acidity can be linked to disease through fungus and yeast overgrowth. When the intestinal tract is highly acidic, the unfriendly bacteria and fungi that live in that environment thrive. These organisms secrete mycotoxins, poisonous waste products which must be neutralized by our immune systems. If our bodies become overwhelmed by large quantities of these toxins our health can be compromised.

Over 150 diseases have been linked to acidification of the body fluids, some of which include weakening of the skin, hair, nails, teeth, and bones, leaky gut syndrome, IBS, ulcers, candida, chronic fatigue, kidney stones, gastritis, leg cramps and spasms, headaches, and acceleration of free radical damage.

Changing your diet and introducing an abundance of living foods provide a much safer alternative than medicine in restoring the body’s alkalinity. When you commit to changing your diet and adding living and raw foods to your meals, you will reverse this acidic imbalance. Many claim that restoring our health takes a minimum of 90 days for cells to rejuvenate and achieve optimal pH balance. So make sure whatever health endeavor you take on you give it enough time.

A good goal to set if you want your diet to provide you with the greatest health benefit is 80% alkaline, 20% acid. That is 80% uncooked vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and grains and tree-ripened fruit, 20% other. Even though this seems like a daunting task when you first start out, you can think of it as a millionaire once said: you become a millionaire one dollar at a time, but you have to have the goal to achieve it.  

So you gradually change your diet one food and recipe at a time with the 80-20 ratio as your goal.

Raw living foods are so powerfully rejuvenative because they contain the elements to rebuild the alkaline reserves in our cells.  They are loaded with calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, and iron.  Even the nuts, seeds, grains, and beans that we use are either soaked in water for a determined amount of time or sprouted. This converts them from acid-forming to alkaline-forming when metabolized in the body’s cells.

Another thing to note is that cooking your food makes it more acidic.  In actuality, when you cook your vegetables or fruits, you lose some of their alkaline properties due to the chemical changes that occur during the cooking process. The following, is a list of food that are consider good for helping to restore the body's pH.

Alkaline Fruits:
Most fruits are alkaline, and here are some of the good ones:

• apples
• bananas
• grapefruit
• oranges
• pineapple
• raisins
• nectarines
• blackberries
• dates
  

Alkaline Vegetables:
Most vegetables are alkaline in nature, and include:

• broccoli
• carrots
• cabbage
• cauliflower
• celery
• eggplant
• mushrooms
• squash
• turnips
• The most alkaline of all the vegetables are leafy greens, greens, greens! Get them in you. Wheat grass, spinach, chard, collards, kale, etc.
  

Other Foods…
These foods are also considered alkaline:

• millet, buckwheat, sprouted beans, sprouted seeds, olive oil, soaked almonds.
• almonds, chestnuts, fresh coconut, molasses.
• molasses, maple syrup, honey.

There are tables of common foods with an approximate potential acidity or alkalinity, as present in one ounce of food. This link provides several good examples of additonal alkali-forming foods, along with acidic-forming foods. Another table is available here, as with various other sites found around the internet.

It should be noted, that there are inconsistencies between the acid or alkaline-forming values given in the tables and lists provided by many websites, and few reliable references. Please use them as an approximate guide.

Nevertheless, the principles are clear: eat plenty of vegetables, some fruit daily, and don't eat too much of dairy products, grain products, and direct protein from eggs, meat and fish (as is typically the case in Western diet). But remember... you don't have to cut out all acid-forming foods otherwise you probably wouldn't get enough protein and variety of nutrients, yet alone make interesting meals that you enjoy. But you do want to shift the overall balance of your diet over toward the alkaline, and away from the excessively acid-forming diet of a quick-food culture.

References:
Co-Creating Health.com (2009), "Restoring Proper pH", Accessed via http://www.co-creatinghealth.com/ph-body-balance.shtml
Mica Kurz (2009), "Alkaline Foods That Will Help You Restore Alkalinity To Your Body", EzineArticles.com, Accessed via http://ezinearticles.com/?Alkaline-Foods-That-Will-Help-You-Restore-Alkalinity-To-Your-Body&id=1085320
Rose Lee Calabro (2004), "Body Chemistry: Alkaline and Acid", Raw-Foods-Recipes, Accessed via http://www.raw-foods-recipes.com/Body-Chemistry-Alkaline-and-Acid.html
Alkaline-alkaline.com (2009), "Food PH Chart - Most Alkaline and Acidic Foods", Accessed via http://alkaline-alkaline.com/ph_food_chart.html
Trans4mind (2009), "Balancing Acid/Alkaline Foods", Accessed via http://www.trans4mind.com/nutrition/pH.html