Alkalise

your body for

better health!

TOP TIPS ON...

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR DIET

DETOX YOUR BODY

STAY BEAUTIFUL AND HEALTHY!

Discover more atwww.specialistsupplements.co.uk

Make a change today!

Look inside

Why alkalise?

What is the acid / alkaline balance? Acid mineral saltsThe acid mineral salts are sulphur, phosphorus, chlorine and nitrogen and are found in most animal products. (For examples of other acid-forming foods, see the chart on page 3.) The effects of being over-acidicWhen the delicate acid / alkaline balance is disturbed, a condition known as acidosis can result (often a precursor of chronic disease). The balance is the basis for all metabolic processes in the body (including hormones and enzymes), and our immune system can’t function in an overly acidic environment. An over-acidic person can feel irritable, tired, emotional and can have a tendency to experience aches and pains, headaches, trouble sleeping and indigestion (see page 5). So our intake of alkaline mineral salts not only affects our acid / alkaline balance, it also affects our health - both physically and mentally. Where high acidity is suspected, a change in diet is often called for.

Blood pHDr W. H. Hay, the creator of the Hay Diet, noticed that sick people tended to have acidic blood. He therefore recommended a pH of 7.4 or 7.5 (a slightly alkaline range). A healthy bloodstream depends on maintenance of this acid / alkaline balance. Only slight variations on either side of this range are compatible with good health. Acid- and alkali-forming foods Many things can affect the acid-alkaline balance of blood, but diet is a primary factor. An acid-forming food is one that produces an acid end-product once it is digested and assimilated. By contrast, an alkali-forming food is one that produces an alkaline end-product. Alkaline mineral saltsWhenever acids are produced as a result of metabolism, they have to be neutralised to prevent the body from becoming too acidic. This is done by the alkaline salts (carbonates) of calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium. These salts are found in most fruits and vegetables. (For examples of other alkali-forming foods, see the chart on page 3).

1.

A pH of 7 or below is acidic, while a pH above 7 is alkaline

Modern living

2.

How modern living can put a strain on health... maintain the correct pH balance and to cleanse and detox the body of toxins and waste matter. If the body is not supplied with nutrient-rich alkalising foods to maintain ideal pH levels, over time reserves of various vitamins, minerals and enzymes become depleted. This is when we start to consume mineral reserves from our bones, teeth, hair, skin and joints in order to neutralise acids and toxins within. Not the ideal scenario, as this impacts negatively on health and appearance (see page 5)! Enzymes from raw foodThe cooking process tends to destroy beneficial enzymes, and processed foods tend to be enzyme-less. Enzymes are important, not only in terms of efficient digestion, but also in terms of general health and well-being, as they reduce the potential for fermentation and help to create conditions in which nutrients can be assimilated as they pass through the small intestine. Without them, life could not be sustained. A good way to boost your enzyme potential is to eat fruit and vegetables raw.

Toxic loadUnfortunately, the privileges of a modern lifestyle also come with some drawbacks in the form of increased stress, lack of exercise and sleep but, most importantly, an increase in bodily toxin load and reduced nutrient intake due to poor eating habits – this is the basis of poor health. Soil qualitySoil fertility has also decreased dramatically over the last 80 years, while the use of toxic man-made chemicals in the form of artificial fertilisers, fungicides, food additives, food preservatives, flavour enhancers and other artificial chemicals has exploded. All of this has had a significant impact on the nutritional value of our food. Processed foodsUnfortunately, nutrients which are required for the body to function normally and maintain health, energy and vitality are virtually non-existent in processed foods. Instead, they have been replaced by "tasty chemicals" and empty calories, formulated to please your taste buds and increase sales. The problem is that your body has specific requirements in the form of calories, protein, carbohydrates, fats, fibre, vitamins, minerals, trace elements, pure water and other nutrients, in order to maintain immunity levels and stay healthy. Nutrients from real, unadulterated foods are required for energy levels, tissue repair, to

Undigested food in the small intestine encourages growth of the wrong kind of bacteria

3.

The role of diet

Which foods are acid, alkaline and neutral?Whether a food is acid- or alkali-forming is not to be confused with the immediate acidity of a food. Grapefruit, for example, contains citric acid and can therefore taste sour. However, citric acid is completely metabolised and the net effect of eating a grapefruit is to actually alkalise the body!

Around 80% of our diet should come from alkali-forming foods

In shaping our diets, and supporting our health and vitality for the long-term, it is essential to include the ideal ratio of acid to alkaline foods. Below are some examples, but the key is to eat plenty of seasonal, preferably organic, fruit and vegetables that are naturally high in many vital nutrients!

Acid Neutral Alkaline• Meat, fish, poultry and

game (including broths, soups and extracts).

• Cheese and eggs.

• Grains: wheat, rice, oats,

barley, buckwheat, and all grain products (including all kinds of flours and breads).

• Sugar of all kinds and all

sugar-containing products. • Beans and legumes.

• Condiments, coffee, tea

and alcohol.

• Some seeds (including sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds).

• Fats (including butter,

margarine and vegetable oils, such as olive, sunflower, flax and sesame).

• Fruits* (e.g. apples, apricots, bananas, cherries, figs, dates, currants, grapefruit, grapes, oranges, mangoes, papayas, raspberries etc)

• Vegetables (e.g. asparagus,

aubergines, avocados, beetroot, broccoli, sprouts, cabbage, carrots, celery, spinach, cucumber etc)

• Nuts (including almonds,

Brazil nuts, chestnuts etc) • Seed used as grain (millet)

*NOTE: Fruits are only alkaline once they are ripe. However, some, such as lemons, are usually acid-forming in practice because they aren’t available in a tree-ripened state. Dried prunes are also acid-forming.

What to avoid...

4.

Prevention is better than cure!

Processed foods Ready-meals

Tinned foods Foods with artificial chemicals (e.g. additives)

... and basically anything that has an artificially extended shelf life.

Don’t forget, it’s not all about what you proactively include in your diet; sometimes what you avoid is just as important. As you can see from the table on page 3, in terms of foods to be avoided by those wishing to alkalise their body, meat and dairy products are at the top of the list, closely followed by sugar, coffee and alcohol. Others include:-

The results of poor diet and a lack of nutrients The human body is an incredible combination of complex systems and processes, perfectly designed to sustain life. With our ability to continually regenerate, we should theoretically be able to live to be 120 years old or even older, but this involves providing the body with the right ‘fuel’ and avoiding harmful amounts of acids and toxins that can be detrimental to health.

Achieving long-term health and vitality Very simply, you need to reduce your body's toxic load by ensuring your organs of elimination are supplied with the correct nutrients and conditions to carry out their specific elimination and cleansing tasks, while at the same time maintaining the correct blood pH levels, as this will minimise the accumulation of impurities and keep your immune system in tip-top condition!

How the body reacts to acidity...The human body reacts to decreases in pH values with the following symptoms: • structural damage• elimination• deposits of impurities.

Structural damageAn excess of acids and toxins can have a significant impact on our cells, tissues and organs (including our joints and bones). This is often also accompanied by inflammation. Without sufficient alkaline salts, acids and toxins actually consume the mineral reserves in our skin, hair, teeth, joints and bones. EliminationOur neutralising organs (the kidneys, intestines and lungs) cannot eliminate an endless amount of acids and toxins. Each has a capacity that can’t be exceeded without deterioration and contamination. As the strain on these organs increases, the skin increasingly deals with elimination. However, the skin does not have a natural protection mechanism. Body odour, excessive sweating, acne and eczema can result.

Our bodies neutralise acids and toxins that cannot be eliminated through the kidneys, intestines, lungs or skin, with minerals that are turned into mineral salts. Since the acids and toxins can only be eliminated to a certain extent, the body must store them as residue, bound to water and fat. Accumulated impuritiesThe link between high acidity levels and accumulated toxins is therefore easy to understand. Dehydration, lack of exercise, poor circulation and low body temperature also all contribute to the deposit and accumulation of impurities. AgeingAn acidic blood pH and long-term accumulation of impurities can lead to cell deterioration, mineral depletion and elimination problems. This can have a direct effect on hair loss and the health of hair, skin and nails and can basically mean that our bodies age too quickly!

5.

Symptoms of acidity

How alkalising can help you...blood. So, our bodies try to ‘buffer’ this effect through two main alkaline agents - sodium and calcium. When body reserves of sodium are used up, calcium is then taken from our bones. Therefore, the more acidic protein you eat, the more calcium you lose. DetoxificationHarmful levels of acids and toxins accumulate in our bodies due to modern living and eating habits. Alkaline neutralising nutrients in the form of natural, energy-rich minerals and trace elements are missing from most processed and refined foods (see page 2). By contrast, mineral-enriched, alkaline-generating plant-derived foods can help to ensure that our vitamin, mineral and enzyme reserves remain well-filled. Digestive systemHigh acidity and toxic load can take their toll on the digestive and other elimination systems too, providing ideal conditions for the growth of intestinal yeasts and harmful bacteria. This can create a vicious circle of toxin accumulation. Organic whole foods (including lots of vegetables and some fruit), give the intestines alkaline-generating support.

Too acidic?Aside from a diet high in acid-forming foods, several other factors can contribute to acidity in the body. For example, smokers have been found to have a high acid level in their urine. Exercise too can have an effect, along with faulty elimination of acid wastes and exposure to pollution. Alkalising your body (through, for example, dietary improvements, breathing techniques and external body cleansing) can help to maintain the delicate acid / alkaline balance that is so critical to good health. Too much meat and dairy?Most of us enjoy a steak or a slice of cheese now and again. As a result, most people are in more danger of eating too much protein than too little. Excess (animal) protein is not only a contributor to over-acidity, it has also been linked to osteoporosis and a host of other common health problems. Both meat and dairy produce acid when broken down by the body, but we can’t tolerate huge variations in the pH of our

External body cleansing techniques include massages, alkaline bathing, wraps, compresses, inhalations etc

6.

Benefits of alkalising

What you need to do...

7.

Alkalise your body to restore balance and promote health!Whatever your specific health goals, it is important to find a healthy balance between acid- and alkali-forming foods by following the guiding principle of “everything in moderation”. Low levels of acids can be enjoyed, provided that they are regularly compensated for with excess alkalinity. If you have a long history of acidity, or simply feel like your body is in need of a boost, restore you health and vitality in stages...

If you are looking to get healthy after years of poor diet, it is essential to give yourself a kick-start with a safe and effective detoxification program. This will give you a good basis upon which to build your immunity.

Balance out every excessive acidic pleasure with alkaline-generating foods!

STEP 1DETOX YOUR BODY:

By regularly detoxifying your body, and then continuing with the healthy eating principles you have learned, you can experience a number of health benefits, such as:

Healthy weight Increased energy Reduced cravings

Clearer skin Less indigestion Fewer headaches

Bowel regularity Better sleep Better moods

Less bloating Improved liver function

Follow this guide, eat plenty of alkalising foods and supplement your diet where necessary to support natural detoxification!

You might like to try...

Cleansing your system of accumulated toxins and waste that may have built up over time is an important part of the detox process, along with ongoing maintenance of a healthy body. It is not about simply cleansing for two weeks and then reverting to old habits; we are continually exposed to toxins in one form or another and our bodies are therefore constantly trying to remove them using its detoxification systems, namely...

8.

CLEANSE YOUR BODY: STEP 2

The liver The digestive system The lungs

The lymphatic system The urinary system

The skin

Every toxin you are exposed to (whether inhaled, eaten or absorbed through the skin), will arrive at your liver. It will convert these toxins into a form that is more easily excreted by the other detox organs and systems of the body. In other words, none of the detoxification systems work in isolation; they are all intrinsically linked and depend on one another. If one system is overworked, additional strain will be placed on other systems. By regularly cleansing and supporting all of the various detox systems and organs, you can help to avoid the accumulation of toxins and a resulting high toxic load that can lead to ill-health.

You might like to try...

STEP 3Following any cleanse and detox, where the focus has been on what’s coming out of your body, it is important to then turn your attention to what is going in.

RESTORE NUTRIENTS:

Restore health and balance to your body with nutrients that are going to support optimal nutrition, including digestive enzymes, friendly bacteria, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Do this by packing your diet full of alkalising, enzyme-rich and nutrient-dense whole foods, fruit and vegetables!

9.

It is also important to remember that not all vitamin and mineral needs can be satisfied by food alone. Aside from the issues with soil quality, intensive farming and processing techniques mentioned on page 2, many people have particularly high nutrient requirements as a result of, for example, lifestyle choices, environmental factors, faulty eating habits, inborn quirks or hereditary metabolism errors.

You might like to try...

Appropriate supplementation can prevent and replenish deficiencies, as well as support and protect the body against a wide range of health conditions.

So simple!

10.

Your day-to-day diet and lifestyle are the most important factors in health, vitality and well-being. There is little benefit in eating like a Buddhist monk for two weeks out of the year, and like a child in a sweet shop the rest of thetime, thinking that you will undo the damage. The key is maintaining your good habits for the long-term!

MAINTAIN HEALTHY STATUS: STEP 4

It doesn’t have to be complicated!What does each nutrient do? How do they work together? What are the symptoms of a deficiency? If these questions sound familiar, don’t worry! Maintaining an alkaline pH and supporting long-term health and vitality are easy when your diet includes:

generous amounts of alkaline foods (mostly seasonal, preferably organic, fruits and vegetables)

appropriate supplementation of essential vitamins, minerals and fatty acids, along with beneficial antioxidants, enzymes and phyto-nutrients.

Healthy living made easy...Nothing can replace a balanced diet, but the ability of your body to maintain a proper acid / alkaline balance is limited. What’s more, the nutrient content of even fresh produce in supermarkets can be limited by, for example, long-term transportation and storage. Our specialist range of food supplements and convenient meal shakes have been designed to supply your body with high quality nutrients, which are as close to their natural food state as possible to ensure maximum absorption and utilisation. What’s more, they are so quick and easy to take!

Stay healthy and beautiful!

Your Alkalising Action Plan!

1. Alkalise your diet!

Help your body to neutralise harmful acids and toxins by supplementing it with energy-rich, alkali-forming vitamins and minerals.

Avoid harmful things!

2.

3.

After all, prevention is better than cure! Do all you can to avoid the acid-generating lifestyle habits that include too much animal fat and protein, sugar, coffee, alcohol, cigarettes and additive-enriched processed food.

Do beneficial thingsKeep your body hydrated, balance out any stress with meditation and relaxation, and undertake low-impact exercises such as yoga and pilates.

Go online to find our alkalising range and tailored combo pack!www.specialistsupplements.co.uk