Acid-base balance: How much influence does it have on our well-being?

A prerequisite for our well-being (inner harmony) is, among other things, a balanced acid-base balance. This is where our metabolism works optimally and we are at our most efficient. The acid-base balance influences bodily functions such as breathing, circulation, digestion and our immune system. I would like to give you an overview of what acid-base balance means and how it can have a positive effect on your health.

Acid-base balance in balance: How the right diet can help you

Basic does not mean that the food has an alkaline pH value, as we know from soap. Also, acid-forming foods — sometimes referred to as sour — are not necessarily sour in taste. It is much more about how the food works in our body and which substances are produced during metabolism. If the effect is unfavorable and acids or other harmful substances are produced during metabolism, then the food is one of the acid-forming foods. It is alkaline food if it has a positive effect on our organism. In this case, it provides him with basic minerals or activates the body's own alkaline formation.

Alkaline diet: Does acidic food make you sick?

Our diet and lifestyle can easily lead to acidification of the organism, i.e. an imbalance in the mineral ratio in our body, the so-called acidosis. More than 90 percent of Germans have excess acids in their blood.

Many people struggle with an unbalanced acid-base balance and many have no idea that acidosis is responsible for their symptoms or at least played a major role in it.

In the beginning we often just feel a little lacking in energy, listless and without drive. Over time, a wide variety of ailments and symptoms appear. Unfortunately, taking medication also increases the existing acidosis. Worries, stress, stimulants such as nicotine, alcohol and coffee, environmental toxins, extreme sport or lack of exercise are also factors that influence the acid-base balance, i.e. make our body acidic.

Hyperacidity means that we have an increased need for minerals. These minerals can be taken from food that is too alkaline or our body begins to "steal" the acids from the body's depots, such as nails, hair, bones, blood, tendons and cartilage.

It is therefore appropriate to eat a healthy, alkaline-rich diet and/or to carry out an acid-base cure at regular intervals.

Hyperacidity is not the same as heartburn

If you think of heartburn when you hear the term hyperacidity, you are unfortunately on the wrong track. These are two different things.

Since hyperacidity is the cause of most health problems, it is also involved in the development of heartburn. Heartburn is just one of the many possible symptoms of hyperacidity.

Alkaline foods:

• Are rich in basic minerals - potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron
• Are low in acid-forming amino acids - if you eat too much meat, fish, eggs, for example, but also too many Brazil nuts, too much sesame or too much soy, sulfuric acid is produced
• Stimulate the body's own base formation, such as bitter substances
• Do not slag – do not leave behind any acidic metabolic residues when they are metabolized
• Contain valuable plant substances such as antioxidants, vitamins, phytochemicals, chlorophyll, etc.
• Have a high water content
• Anti-inflammatory effect
• Stabilize the healthy intestinal flora

Alkaline foods include fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, herbs and sprouts. Fruits such as pineapples, oranges, apples or even lemons contain organic acid, but are metabolized by the body as alkaline. The same applies to kombucha: although kombucha tea tastes sour, it is processed by the body as alkaline due to its ingredients.

You are welcome to look up acid-base tables on the internet to prevent acidosis. It's enough if you get an overview and maybe you can immediately replace a few acid-forming foods with alkaline-forming ones.

What are acidic foods?

Acidic or acid-forming foods counteract the above points and form unhealthy acids. However, there are also good acid generators.

Good acidifiers	Bad acidifiers
organic cereals	Conventional farming eggs
Oats and oatmeal	Fish and seafood from conventional aquaculture
legumes	Meat from conventional farming
nuts	Dairy products
pseudocereals (e.g. millet, quinoa)	Alcoholic and caffeinated beverages
Animal products from organic farming	Ready-to-drink beverages such as soft drinks
High quality herbal drinks	Sugar

The acid-base check

how mad are you Sour doesn't just make fun. If you suspect that you have too much acid, you can use pH test strips to measure the pH of your urine.

In a person with a balanced acid-base balance, urine is generally slightly acidic in the morning (pH 6.5 to 6.8), becoming neutral (pH 7) around midday and slightly alkaline (pH value above 7).

If irregularities occur here, you can put a stop to the existing acidification with various deacidifying measures.

With simple steps to deacidification

1. It is best to carry out a 1 to 3 month deacidification program.

2. If the daily effort seems too high for you, but you still want to deacidify, you can also look for a suitable alkaline product. Not everyone has the same effect or each body reacts differently. That's why it can be good to change the product from time to time. But be brave and hold out for at least three months. When deacidifying with alkaline products, you only have to think about taking them twice a day. That's a little easier.

3. It is best to eat a base excess even after the deacidification cure so that your body has a sufficient base buffer. The waste products that have been in your body for many years can often only be eliminated after several months of an alkaline lifestyle. You also need to eliminate the new acids you are exposed to every day, or those created by mental or physical stress.

5. Integrate the following points (or at least some of them) into your daily routine:

• Start the day with a Kombucha Mate or Original or an alkaline morning tea.
• Use basic body care products as much as possible, just like natural bar soap without chemical additives.
• Orientate your diet to the alkaline and healthy diet.
• If you are in a hurry in the morning, you can have a base muesli for breakfast, for example.
• To additionally enrich your diet with high-quality alkaline substances, you can sprinkle a vegetable alkaline powder over every meal.
• Take organic basic minerals regularly so that your body can finally return all the minerals to its mineral depots that it borrowed from there during times of acidosis.
• Relax in an alkaline bath at least two to three times a week or treat yourself to an alkaline foot bath.
• Pay attention to deep breathing. It relaxes you, even when it's really stressful.
• Plan moderate exercise and visits to the sauna.
• Enjoy a basic kombucha in the evening.

6. After a while, check your deacidification success with the help of pH test strips.

Kombucha base bath

The body detoxifies particularly strongly through the soles of the feet. Simply care for your stressed feet with Kombucha. All you need is a bathtub or a small bowl and you're good to go!

What you need:

• 250 ml very acidic kombucha or alternatively 150 ml kombucha vinegar
• 1 cup Epsom salt or alternatively other mineral salt
• Lavender oil or another natural essential oil of your choice

How to do it:

Simply add both ingredients to a bathtub of warm water and soak your feet in it for 30 minutes. Top up with warm water if it cools down too quickly. Afterwards the skin feels super soft and you have done something for your relaxation AND your detoxification.

Good luck and good health!