In a recent posting, Pierre Gaumond, [log in to unmask], raised
the issue of using acid/alkaline balance in making food choices. Most
raw-foods diets are predominantly alkaline forming foods, though most
fermented foods (raw sauerkraut, seed cheese, raw pickles, etc.) are
very acid forming. Sprouting and soaking reportedly reduce the acidity
of seeds and nuts.

The idea behind using acid/alkaline as a guide is to "balance" the pH of
your system. Excess acidity is regarded as bad for you - can cause headaches
and stiff muscles. It is claimed that your system "borrows" calcium from
your central nervous system to compensate for excess acidity elsewhere.
Excess alkalinity is also reportedly bad - can cause anxiety, muscle spasms.

Gabriel Cousens has a chapter on acid/alkaline balance in his book "Conscious
Eating".  He suggests collecting a 24-hour urine sample (all urine passed in
24 hour period) and testing it for pH, using pH paper. This is a way to monitor
the pH of your body. The idea of testing has some intellectual appeal, but
the logistic aspects of collection are not so appealing!

Acid/alkaline balance is one of a number of food selection systems that one
can use. An incomplete list of potentially relevant systems is as follows:

* acid/alkaline balance
* balancing yin-yang  (Traditional Chinese Medicine)
* balancing/controlling the Ayurvedic "humors" - vata ("air"), pitta ("fire"),
  kapha ("water")
* balancing heating-cooling foods (Ayurveda, Trad. Chinese Med.)
* food combining (Natural Hygiene, others)
* mono-eating: eating 1 food, or 1 type of food, at a meal
* eating to obtain a list of nutrients (Western nutrition)

It would be nice if the above systems were consistent with each other, but life
is not that simple. What one can do is to use the systems as general guidance,
as you experiment to see which foods agree with you. The most important thing
is how you react to a particular food, not the general claim of a particular
system. Over time, you will learn which foods are good for you and which
don't agree with you.

I would also advise against being too strict or too dogmatic regarding adhering
to any particular system(s). Too many rules will make eating stressful rather
than nourishing and nurturing!

Tom Billings
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