CELLS
A cell (from Latin cella = "small room") is the basic structural functional and biological unit of all known organisms. It is the smallest unit of life we know. A cell provides structure and support, produces energy, creates metabolic reactions, helps in reproduction and more.
A cell is made of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and nucleic acids. All of these are made from Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen. Cells in our body like an alkaline environment (with the exception of stomach cells).
PROTEINS
Proteins are substances that have 20 amino acids, they are compouds of Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen and sometimes Sulfur. Protein is found in many foods, and is a necessary part of a diet and is essential for normal cell structure and function.
Protein foods: meat, fish, eggs, dairy = animal protein (contain amino acids that our body needs to function effectively)
seeds (chia seeds), nuts, beans, legumes, tofu, spirulina, oats, quinoa
Enzymes are biological molecules, typically proteins, that speed up the rate of chemical reactions within the cells. They aid in digestion and metabolism.
CARBOHYDRATES
A carbohydrate is a biomolecule consisting of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen. Carbohydrates are the body's main source of energy. They are important to healthy diet and they provide fuel for our central nervous system. Carbohydrates must be obtained through diet - our body cannot produce them on its own. They are important for brain function, and provide energy for working muscles. They break down into smaller units of sugar in our body (glucose, fructose).
Carbohydrates are sugars, starches and fiber.
"Good carbs" - vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, quinoa, oats...
"Bad carbs" - bread, starchy vegetables, pasta, cereal, beer, juice, sweet yogurt
- we should eat and drink those only from time to time
Starches - Long chains of glucose molecules; they get broken into glucose in the digestive system
Starches are oats, peas, corn, potatoes, pasta, rice, grains, beans.........
FIBER
Fiber is a plant-based nutrient; it cannot be broken down into digestible sugar molecules. It passes through the body undigested, keeping the digestive system clean and healthy, easing bowel movements and flushing cholesterol and harmful carcinogens out of the body.
Fiber foods: fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, legumes, beans, pears, strawberries, avocado, apples, raspberries, bananas, carrots, lentils, quinoa, oats......
BODY pH
pH is a scale used to specify how acidic a water-based solution is. At room temperature, pure water is neither acidic nor basic and has pH of 7 = neutral. Our optimal pH is 7.35 - 7.45. The numbers represent a scale of acidity from 0 to 14. Body pH measures our body chemistry (pH balance of the fluids throughout the body).
Lower pH = acidic
Higher pH = alkaline
ACIDIC
Our body cells prefer alkaline environment. Diseases, Ilness, cancers and health imbalances are caused by acidic body environment. The body becomes too acidic for its cells to heal and gets too fatigued to neutralize the acidity within, because it has to use all of its healing energy.
Our stomach acids tend to be at a certain pH in order to work properly; pH of saliva and urine must be at certain level too in order for us to survive. The stomach is acidic, which allows it digest food. The pH of saliva or urine changes depending on diet, metabolism and other factors. The normal pH for saliva is 6.2 to 7.6. For urine it is around 6 but it depends on other factors. Urine becames acidic as the amount of sodium and excess acid retaines by the body increased secretion by the kidneys. Urine has salts, toxins, and water that need to be filtered out of the blood.
Acidosis - when your body fluids contain too much acid and the kidneys and lungs can't keep the body pH balance.
Acidic person symptoms: bloating, burping, hiccups for a long time, nausea, acid reflux, digestive problems, black stool, chronic sore throat, unhealthy skin, mouth and teeth, depression, sleepiness, fatigue, shallow breathing, headaches......
High-acid foods: sugar (white or refined), dairy, fish, grains, eggs
coloring, preservatives, artificial sweateners, pesticides and herbicides, processed meats, sodas and sweetened beverages, vegetable oils .......
We have to try to avoid these foods, go green and buy organic products, limit alcohol, drugs and smoking, and avoid so-called "energy drinks". Acidity in our body is caused by chronic stress, antibiotic overuse, lack of exercise or over-exercise, pollution, poor chewing or eating habits, shallow breathing, excess hormones from health and beauty products we use, and from plastic products as well. We have to exercise and balance our life to have less stress. We have to spend less time with technology (cell phones, computers, tablets...).
ALKALINE
Alkalinity means that something has a pH higher than 7. The human body is naturally slightly alkaline, with a blood pH around 7.4.
Alkaline foods: Organic foods (foods grown in organic alkaline soil)
radish, cucumber, avocado, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, garlic, oregano,
citrus, dates, raisins, chia seeds, seeds, wheat grass, almonds, beans.....and alkaline water
raw fruits and vegetables are alkaline and great for lowering your blood pH.
Benefits of the alkaline diet:
- promoting weight loss
- improving kidney health
- preventing cancer
- preventing heart disease and osteoporosis
- improving back pain and inflammation
- boots vitamin absorption
- boost your energy and metabolism
- prevents magnesium deficiency
- protects bone density and muscle mass
- fights off fatigue
Home-made green drinks - low in calories, high in antioxidants, vitamins, folic acid, calcium, and much more minerals and vitamins. Greens are very alkaline.
Green foods have oxygen-carrying ability which is vital for cell function and brain health.
Alkalosis - happens when alkaline levels are too high due to decreased Carbon Dioxide or increased Bicarbonate. Symptoms can be muscle spasms, numbness and tingling, nausea, vomiting, confusion, lightheadedness
The balance pH is 80% alkaline foods and 20% acidic foods
Acidity - alkaline imbalance = our eliminative organs get overloaded and sluggish, intestines can clog, arteries can start to harden, sinuses and lungs can congest and our emotions can start to blow up. It all weakens our immune system and make diseases in our body.
Note: Lemons and limes are acidic but once metabolised change into alkaline.
Steak is alkaline but after metabolism becomes acidic.
FOOD COMBINING
Food combining can help with gas, bloating, "weak stomach", chronic sinus congestion, allergies, chronic headaches, heartburn or reflux.
- eat protein with with nonstarchy vegetables only
- eat starches with vegetables and not with protein
- eat fruit alone on an empty stomach
- try to avoid dairy
- don't consume large amouts of fluids with your meals
- eat mostly fresh fruits and vegetables
By following these rules you remove stress from your digestion simply by combining foods that digest in similar ways. Don't eat meat and potatoes, rather have meat with steamed broccoli (proteins with starches is not a good combination).
Melons are best eaten alone because they digest the fastest of all fruits, they have high water content, they dilute the enzymatic environment for digestion. They slow the digestive process. Different foods require different enzymes for digestion; the foods we eat together play a role in the body's ability to metabolize them.
In the morning your system digest fruits and vegetables better. Your biggest meal should be your lunch and your dinner in the evening should be light. The last food of the day should be consumed around 6 p.m., then we let the body to assimilate our food. Our system begins to eliminate all the toxins that were consumed during the day so we can wake up fresh the next morning.
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