I was recently had a
huge realization that I have been addicted to acidic foods. For years I have
been shifting and releasing certain foods and cleaning up my diet. What I now
realize is that many of those foods and drinks had one thing in common and I
just now made the connection. Nearly everything I have given up because it was
making me sick has one thing in common; they are acidic. After doing a little
research, I realized this is an incredibly prevalent problem.
It all started when I
was realizing that I was having cravings for carbonated water. I no longer
drink caffeine, sugar or any sweeteners including fruit or vegetable juice so
that eliminates most fun things to drink. I started drinking carbonated water
assuming that is was a healthy option. I have been addicted to enough foods and
drinks to recognize my addictive pattern when it rises up. Anytime we crave
something, there is always an addictive component so I was surprised at how
strongly I was craving soda water. So I did a little research and learned
carbonated water is highly acidic. Since that is the only thing, aside from
perhaps some salt or minerals that differentiates it from regular water, I
started digging into the topic and did some research. What I learned shocked
me. I learned that not only is carbonated water acidic, it is highly acidic.
When I looked into what else is acidic, it turns out that some of the most
acidic foods and beverages were things I had already given up. Even though I
had noticeable digestive and systemic reactions to certain foods, they were
pretty much all also acidic. So I came to the realization that I have been an
acid addict and not the psychedelic kind but the kind that is in so many of our
foods and drinks. Since I consider myself to be a fairly educated person on
health, wellness, and nutrition, I decided that if I was didn't know about
this, a lot of other people probably didn't either so I decided to write this
to help educate people on the dangers of acidic food addiction and consumption.
Acidic Food Consumption
Symptoms
The symptoms of an
overconsumption of acidic foods and the resulting effect on the body (acidosis)
are universally bad. They include:
- insomnia
- weight gain
- muscle atrophy
- bone density loss
- demineralization
- acne
- nausea and/or vomiting
- illness and disease
- cancer
- fatigue
- drowsiness
- brain fog and cognitive decline
I don't know about you, but none of
those things are things that I want in my life. I had been feeling for some
time like I was not as vibrant as I should be given my health regimen, diet,
and lifestyle and when I pinpointed this issue, a lot of things suddenly made
sense.
I started drinking carbonated water
more after I gave up liquor as it was a sort of fun drink I could have at a bar
or restaurant that was not just plain water. I also started buying cans of La
Croix because they were convenient to take on the road and were not plastic
(which I try to avoid for numerous reasons).
One thing that struck me about this
realization is that when we have an addiction, the body and tries to satisfy it
in a new way if the original source has been taken away. For example, if you
are addicted to sugar, and you eliminate refined sugar from your diet, you may
suddenly crave starches, grains, or fruit which processes to sugar in the body.
So I was unknowingly falling into this trap when I gave up other acidic foods
and started to consume a lot of sparkling water.
Acidic Foods and Drinks to Avoid
Since I don't think many people
think about the acidic content of their foods, here is a highly acidic food and
drinks to avoid:
- dairy products
- bread and grain products
- most meat
- carbonated beverages
- alcohol
- peanuts
- caffeine
- table salt
- sugar and most sweeteners
- vinegar
- pickled foods
- canned or preserved foods
This list is basically a list of all
of the foods and drinks that I have loved, consumed in large quantities, and
then given up over the last several years. I just never made the connection
that they had something in common.
Other Contributors to an Acidic
System
There are other lifestyle choices
which will make your system more acidic and lead you to be less healthy. Here
is a list of those contributors:
- cigarettes and tobacco and nicotine
- stress
- carbon monoxide
- lack of sleep or poor quality sleep
- most drugs including aspirin and opioids
Now most of these things
are things we tend to recognize as being problematic health-wise. It is
interesting to note that many of these are also highly addictive behaviors or
substances individually so when you look at the acid correlation, it makes
sense.
How to Reverse Acidosis
To reverse an overly
acidic system (acidosis), there are several simple things you can do to regain
your health. Most are simple changes and others simply require refocusing.
To alkalize your system, you can do the following:
- eliminate acidic food and drink from your diet
- ensure you have good sleep and sleep hygiene
- release stressful habits, patterns, and situations
- take small amounts of sodium bicarbonate (baking soday) daily
- drink lots of fresh, pure water (add fresh lemon if desired)
Please note that I
highly recommend seeking the advice, guidance, and monitoring of a health
professional or nutritionist to advise you.
I decided to write about
this on my spiritual blog because if we aren’t doing well physically, we cannot
do well spiritually. Eating an acidic diet causes brain problems and since our
brain is like command central so for our bodies so if that isn’t doing well, we
are not likely to be spiritually centered as well.
It came as a shock to me
that almost all of the foods I was eating were acidic and causing a whole host
of problems for me. No wonder even though I was eating organic food, I wasn’t
feeling my best. I was eating a diet that was acidic without realizing and I
think a lot of people do that same. I hope this information helps you! Best of
luck on your health journey!
You can read more about Laura Powers and her health and spiritual journey and tips on her website, www.healingpowers.net.
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