How to Balance Your pH to Heal Your Body By Marcus Julian Felicetti

Some health experts believe that our pH balance is extremely important, others say it is essential, there are a few who clearly state that it is a matter of life and death. The only people who don't emphasize the alkaline/acidity balance as central to health are quacks that peddle a pharmaceutical pill for every ill, a drug for every bug.

As a naturopath and yoga therapist for over a decade I can say that pH balance is a top priority when I am working one on one with my students. Since most people are too acidic, teaching them how to return to a slightly alkaline state is a major piece of the healing puzzle.

pH stands for power of hydrogen, which is a measurement of the hydrogen ion concentration in the body. The total pH scale ranges from 1 to 14, with 7 considered to be neutral. A pH less than 7 is said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline. Our ideal pH is slightly alkaline - 7.30 to 7.45. You can test your pH levels regularly by using a piece of litmus paper in your saliva or urine first thing in the morning before eating or drinking anything.

By including pH balance in my approach to health and healing, through yoga and nutrition, I have seen repeatedly students bodies and minds rebuild on their own from all kinds of degenerative conditions that no one else was able to cure. I have found that addressing an over acidic system is fundamental to bringing the body back to vitality. As you will see it is key to balancing all other systems.

1. Digestive System - Most digestive disorders, such as indigestion, nausea, bloating, gastric reflux, are symptoms caused by excess acid in the gastric region and not enough alkaline minerals in the intestinal tract. If the alkaline minerals from enzyme rich foods are missing then the pancreas will become exhausted, and once the pancreas is exhausted, it loses the ability to decode the food and tell the body what to do with it. This will lead to a degenerative spiral of entropy where organs become confused and inflamed.

2. Circulatory System - Acidity is the principal cause of heart disease. It is well established that many fats are extremely important and essential for cardiovascular health. Good fats can actually help heal the inflammation that underlies arteriosclerosis. When the arteries thicken with plague it is not as a response to good fats, it is inflammation created by the internal acidic environment. The body responds to the acidity by lining the vessels with fatty plaques to prevent life-threatening leaks, which arrest imminent death, but strain the heart because the aperture for the blood to flow through is narrower. When the heart becomes completely exhausted, this is known as a heart attack.

3. Immune System - Acidic environments are breeding grounds for anaerobic pathogens whereas the high levels hydrogen of rich body fluids keep bad bacteria inactive. As the great scientist, Antoine Béchamp famously observed 'The germ is nothing, the terrain is everything.' Whether bad bacteria and pathogens incubate or remain dormant, all depends on the ratio of cellular pH. The germ theory is a narrow view that has been adopted by the current medical establishment, which conveniently relies on a profitable cut, burn, and poison approach to sickness. Surgery, radiation, and pharmaceutical drugs are an invasive approach that is ineffective because they works against the body's natural functions to heal itself, and it fails to address the underlying cause and only treats the symptoms.

4. Respiratory System - When the tissues and organs are overloaded by acidity the transport of oxygen is strangled. This suffocation means the cells cannot breathe properly. Every cell in our body needs to breathe new oxygen and to clear acidic carbon dioxide to function correctly. When the ratio of acidity is too high then wastes in the form of mucus and infections and viruses build up in our lungs, which leads to colds, bronchitis, asthma, etc.

5. Skeletal System - Arthritis is one of the most disabling diseases in developed countries. The word arthritis means "inflammation of the joint" and is used to describe pain, stiffness, and swelling in the joints. The two main form of arthritis are Rheumatoid and Osteoarthritis. Both forms are related to pH imbalance and accumulation of acid deposits in the joints and wrists. It is this accumulated acid that damages cartilage. When the cells that produce the lubricating synovial fluids and bursa fluids are acidic, this condition causes a dryness that irritates and swells the joints. When uric acid builds up it tends to deposit in the form of crystals, like broken glass in the feet, hands, knees and back. Osteoarthritis is not a 'wear-and-tear' condition. Arthritis can be arrested and reversed using a specific protocol that I have developed using alkaline minerals and Yoga.

6. Integumentary System - Commonly know as the skin. When the body's pH is out of balance then the build up of acid causes inflammation and the skin is less able to function as a natural barrier against infection. As a result, the skin tends to develop lesions and sores open to the surface of the body, and the formation of skin eruptions occur like pimples or rashes.

7. Nervous System - Acidity weakens the nervous system by depriving it of energy. This is also known as 'devitalizing' or 'enervation'. It makes the physical, mental, and emotional body weak.

8. Excretory System - This is also known as the urinary system. It is made up of multiple organs, the main one being the kidneys. The kidneys perform the task of filtering fluids and purifying our blood. If the body is overwhelmed by excess acids, compensatory mechanisms spring into action, one of them is the pulling of alkaline minerals from your bones and dumping them in the blood. If this occurs frequently enough, the minerals build up in the kidneys in the form of painful kidney stones.

9. Muscular System - When acidity increases in the muscle cells, it disrupts the metabolism breakdown of glucose and oxygen to energy. This means muscles perform poorly in an acidic environment. An alkaline system on the other hand allows for much better aerobic metabolism and energy for the body's recovery from strenuous exercise. I can often observe when someone is acidic from their breathing because they take large gulping inhales while doing the simplest tasks like walking and talking, which suggests their body finds it difficult to adequately deliver oxygen into the cells - a symptom of acidosis.

10. Reproductive System - Still much research is being done to discover the exact link between sexual dysfunction and acidity and also infertility and acidity. Many health experts that claim acidity is correlated with three different disorders in reproductive health:

Bio Ceramic Water Amplification Filters The health benefits associated with bio ceramic water have been widely understood in counties like Japan and Korea for centuries, but they are very new to western countries like North America. The term filter is somewhat of a misnomer, as the bio transformation takes place after the filtration process in modern water filter systems. However, the positive effect on the quality of drinking water is certainly no less astounding.

So what is bio ceramic water amplification (or conditioning), and how does it benefit us? To begin with, ceramics are hardened materials that through intense heat have formed a crystalline structure. It's that crystalline structure that creates the electrical energy that triggers the bio transformation process. As a result of this bio ceramic process, the molecular structure of the water is completely changed, offering a number of important benefits. The structural changes include increased hydrogen levels in the water, the creation of electrical energy in the form of electrolytes, increased alkalinity and the formation of antioxidants. Each of these changes or additions to the water has its own benefits and we will explore them in some detail. But before we do, it's also important to note that this water is not as unnatural as it may sound. In fact, many years ago, all the world's fresh water was structured this way and still is in some very remote places. It's only pollution and chemicals added to our municipal water supplies that prevent us from still enjoying this kind of water naturally. Today, we can enjoy such water thanks to bio ceramic water filter cartridges. The increased hydrogen levels have a big impact on the rate at which our body cells are rehydrated. One glass of bio ceramic water has the same cell rehydration qualities as five glasses of untreated water. Electrolytes are minerals found in the body that carry electronic impulses or signals to body cells. Our body's cells need electrolytes in order to properly function by transferring electrical impulses across cell membranes. This in turn allows our muscles and nerves to function at optimum levels. A bio ceramic water filter cartridge is a convenient and inexpensive alternative to sugary sports drinks. Increased alkalinity in water is another very important benefit of bio transformation. As many people are aware, humans are nearly 70% water and alkaline water at that. Today, in places like North America, people's bodies tend to be overly acidic. This is primarily due to poor diet characterized by too much processed food and insufficient fresh fruit and vegetables. A pH imbalance in our bodies can result in health and wellness issues. Our vital organs such as heart, liver, lungs and kidneys all require a slightly alkaline level to function properly. If they detect an overly acidic state, they will seek to correct the imbalance from alkaline reserves in the body. Typically this will come from alkaline properties such as calcium and magnesium from bones. This can deplete our bones of these vital nutrients. Therefore low pH levels can result in symptoms such as tiredness and insufficient bone density. Finally, we are told that antioxidants are good for us because they fight free radicals. But what really are antioxidants and free radicals? Our body needs oxygen and when oxygen is used, at least one electron is lost from the oxygen molecule. This is known as oxidation and the electron is called a free radical. Free radicals attack every cell in the body leading to a breakdown of the immune system and an increase in the aging process. Antioxidants like vitamin A and C, consume free radicals to the point where they can do so no longer. They therefore need replacing on a continual basis via the food and water we intake. For the uninitiated we are not talking about sci-fi ray guns or anything quite so fanciful. Likewise far infrared rays should not be confused with ultra violet rays (from the sun). Simply explained, infrared ray is a form of light/heat or life energy known as Chi or Ki, which is transmitted into a source. A good example is when you are outside on a day with moderate temperature, when all of a sudden a cloud blocks out the sun, in an instant you feel a temperature drop as the rays are not penetrating through the clouds & yet the ambient air temperature has not changed. The far infrared ray has the longest wavelength of all infrared rays. It is transparent, easily absorbed into substances, and is characterized by its strength in resonance with the molecules of organic compounds. If light has a short wavelength, it reflects well, if the wavelength is long, then it is easily absorbed into the object it reaches, and therefore it has a sharp penetration, which causes the body to warm up when exposed to this kind of light. Over the last decade far infrared therapy, which has been used in eastern cultures for centuries has slowly progressed into the mainstream of western health products. The popularity & health benefits of far infrared saunas are now well known. Drinking water treated with far infrared ray technology is thus synonymous to drinking Ki or Chi energy. Ki energy in the human body plays a vital role in enriching and activating life. A water purifier that has a bio ceramic far infrared component emits beneficial Ki energy. This energy is inserted and stored in water, and when this water is

consumed, the Ki stored in the water is transmitted and absorbed in the drinker’s body. When the Ki is absorbed in the body, life force becomes vitalized, and our physiological state improves. The far infrared ray affects the body in variety of ways. This type of heat thermal treatment helps to remove pathogenic germs that are sources of various diseases. It expands the capillary vessels that help with blood circulation and the generation of cell structures. Moreover, when the proteins and water molecules that makes up a cell get exposed to this type of light energy, the molecules vibrate minutely at a rate of up to 2000 times per minute. This in turn effectively activates the cell system that practically prevents aging, accelerates the body metabolism, which aids in recovery from chronic fatigue and helps prevent adult diseases. Also, it accelerates circulation, relieves pain, reduces excessive heavy metals, helps sleep, helps deodorization, and prevents the growth of bacteria or fungus. (Refer to Korean Far Infrared Ray Association Report).

What to Expect when Drinking Ionized Water by Dr. Robert F. McCauley, Sr. Dr. Robert F. McCauley, Sr. was born and raised in the Southwestern United States, Texas and New Mexico. Dr. McCauley served in W.W.II as a Lieutenant Colonel in North Africa and Central Asia. He received his Master’s Degree from Michigan State University in 1951 (Civil/Sanitary Engineering) He received his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) in 1953 for his thesis on RemovingRadioactive Strontium from water. He earned his doctorate in Environmental Engineering in less than 2 years, one of the shortest doctoral studies in the history of M.I.T. He taught civil, sanitary and environmental engineering at Michigan State University for 18 years before retiring to run Wolverine Engineers & Surveyors of Mason, MI for 17 years. With his business partner, George Young, they transformed the company into one of the most respected and well known engineering firms in mid-Michigan. Dr. McCauley is credited with the invention and development of calcite coating for water main pipes, which keeps them from rusting. Living Water: What to Expect from Drinking Ionized Water • The first thing that Ionized Water does to the body when a person begins drinking it is flush out the digestive tract, which is the best place for detoxification to start. • This cleansing alone will significantly improve your potential for better health. • The body cannot take in nutrients if the digestive tract is not clean. • Enzymes continue their chemical attack on the food to break it down throughout the digestive process until it is small enough to pass through the lining of the small intestine and into the blood. • Once there, the nutrients are carried away to the liver and other body parts to be processed, stored and distributed. • None of this happens if the digestive tract is not clean of debris. Detoxifying. • Living on a cooked-food diet over a long period of time creates a layer of mucous throughout the digestive tract known as mucoid plaque, which deposits on the intestines where nutrients are absorbed into the body. • Mucoid plaque is a dark greenish substance that has the consistency of rubber. • As it becomes thicker over the years, we develop nutritional deficiencies (even though we eat three meals a day that we believe are healthy). • Our intestines become museums of partially digested, putrefying foods, drugs and other toxins that have never found their way out of the body. • The intestines can swell to many times its size with only a pencil-size opening for feces to pass through. • Even though we may be overeating, we are starving ourselves under these conditions, because the body cannot absorb nutrients. • Eating should never be confused with health. • Many parents believe that as long as their child is eating, they are healthy and this certainly is not the case. • All that matters when it comes to health is what foods we put in our body, not the frequency or quantity.

Hydrating. • If your small intestines are not clean and the actual lining wall isn’t exposed, nutrients cannot get into the blood stream to be used by the body. • Ionized Water is a terrific cleanser of the digestive tract because of its small water molecule clusters. • It penetrates the mucoid plaque that is attached to the intestinal lining helping to remove it; once the surface of the lining is clean, the water then penetrates the lining itself to further cleanse and hydrate it so nutrients can pass into the blood with greater ease. • When this happens, assimilation of nutrients to the body returns and the early stages of cellular rejuvenation can begin. • People comment how often they have to go to the bathroom when they first start drinking Ionized Water. • This is because the water is cleansing your digestive tract quite thoroughly. • It will subside once your body becomes accustomed to drinking Ionized Water. • After you’ve been drinking Ionized Water for a while you will become much more sensitive to whether or not you are actually dehydrated. For example, I become aware that my body needs water after only an hour or so of not drinking any water. • Simply by keeping my body constantly hydrated, I am accomplishing many things that are necessary to achieve great health. • Staying hydrated helps stave off disease better than anything else we can possibly do for ourselves. • When we are hydrated our blood is never too thin or too thick because of the lack of water or salt. We will not retain salt nor have high blood pressure when we drink enough water. Our organs function optimally because they are not starved for water, especially the kidneys. • Like any muscle, regular use of the kidneys only strengthens them. A common misconception is that drinking too much water can overtax the kidneys. • If you have weak kidneys from living on a cooked-food diet, start by drinking weak Ionized Water (8.0 pH) then increase it slightly each day. • When we provide the body with real nutrients from raw foods and drink enough water, weak kidneys can become powerful, flexing muscles once again, the way they were meant to be. • This is true of any muscle or organ in the body. • In the first few days of drinking Ionized Water you will not be able to quench your thirst. This is because your body is crying out for something it has rarely, if ever, experienced before: true hydration of its cells. • The thirst mechanism in your body has been turned on for the first time in years, perhaps the first time in your life. • We develop many ways to turn off our thirst or ignore it completely with foods or liquids that couldn’t possibly hydrate us. • Everyone’s body has various degrees of toxicity, thus the effects of Ionized Water on your body will be slightly different than everyone else. It will depend on your historical and current diet, how much water you consume, how much you exercise, how positive a person you are, how stressful your life is, how much medicine you take now and in the past and how toxic you are. • Regardless of that, Ionized Water benefits everyone who consumes it. Alkalizing. • Drinking Ionized Water reduces the body’s acid level as it balances the body’s overall pH, which is not measured through the blood, but through the urine or saliva. • However, raising the overall body pH will most likely take some time. • Acid waste does not accumulate throughout the body overnight and it will not be flushed out overnight. • Years of accumulated acid waste in the joints, around the organs, in the brain and throughout the body takes months and even years to completely expunge. • As to how quickly you will rid the body of acid waste will of course also depend on your diet. Oxygenating. • Consistently drinking Ionized Water increases blood oxygen and energy levels. • Oxygen sharpens alertness because the brain is functioning closer to capacity when it is highly oxygenated. Oxygen is a nutrient that can become saturated in the blood, but the body cannot store it. • Thus it is crucial that we constantly provide our bodies with a steady intake of oxygen. • This can be achieved with Ionized Water fresh out of the tap because that is when it is at its greatest potential to provide the body with oxygen.

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Oxygen carries nutrients around the body, provides us with energy, and kills bacteria, viruses and even cancer cells. Millions of years ago the atmosphere contained as much as 30% more oxygen than it does today. We evolved in a richer oxygen environment than we find ourselves in today, thus our need for oxygen is of great importance.

Antioxidant. • The oxygen derived from Ionized Water arrives to the body in the form of an extremely potent antioxidant that has an extra electron attached to it and is known as a hydroxyl ion (OH-). • It is produced when water is run over positive and negative electrodes and there is a shift of electrons from one molecule to another. • This hydroxyl ion has an oxygen molecule that carries an extra electron which is donated to a free radical in the body (See Appendix 4: Free Radical Damage), therefore it is considered a free radical scavenger. • What remains are two stable oxygen molecules and a higher blood oxygen level instead of only one free radical that will cause damage. • Consuming Ionized Water bathes the interior of the body in a negatively charged liquid, which promotes rejuvenation of each bodily system at a cellular level. • All fresh raw foods also have a negative charge or ORP. • Fresh squeezed orange juice carries a negative ORP of –50 to –300 ORP (mμ). • The lower the negative number, the better it is for the body; the higher the positive number, the worse it is. • On average, chlorinated city water has a positive +700 ORP, thus it is quite oxidizing and should never be consumed. • Anything that is being oxidized, or has the potential to oxidize another substance, has a positive ORP. • Our bodies are constantly being attacked by oxidation in the form of free radicals; the older we are, the higher our body’s ORP becomes. • When we drink negatively charged substances such as Ionized Water, this oxidation is retarded and our body’s cells are in a better position to rejuvenate, or de-age, themselves. • Water has a low atomic weight (18) and when ionized through electrolysis, it becomes the most absorbable antioxidant known. • Essentially, we are reversing the aging process. However, we do not become younger in chronological years, which means that if we are 40 years old we do not become 20 again. Rather, we possess the body we had when e were in our twenties at a cellular level. • This means that the cells that make up my body are as active, productive, communicative and functional as those I had when I was supposedly in my prime and even potentially better.