A Paradox of Plenty; Hunger in America

Here is, in my view, is an excellent discussion by Bernd Debusmann on USA today. He discusses the obscene distribution of wealth that has created a true third world dichotomy within USA. Well worth a read.

But equally w ell worth the read is a comment by one of his readers which really got to me. Wondering what you think;

"I live in one of the poorest major cities in America, Cleveland Ohio. Admittedly, I’m a middle-class American with no fear of hunger (unless I get down-sized, which is always a scary possibility in America) at the moment. However, I think the notion that 1 in 6 Americans is “hungry” is exaggerated. Hunger is a serious issue for many of the poorest Americans, true. However, many of the Americans claiming difficult with their food supply have little problem paying their cell phone bill, high-speed internet, cable TV subscription (with movie channels), iTunes charges, and other personal media monthly payments that account for as much as 20% of the average American’s budget. Like another person said, most of the people I see in lower-income sections of the city I live in are overweight, chatting on their cell phones, buying cigarettes and alcohol (both of which are extremely expensive here), and driving new cars (complete with GPS). The problem is America is not lack of food…it is lack of education, rampant consumerism, our fear-mongering news media, and a government more interested in “right vs. left” politics that actual solving our countries ills. Americans consider food and basic necessities to be “extras” in their budget. My own sister needs to borrow money from my parents to buy groceries, after she has already paid her expensive rent, SUV payment, and assortment of extra monthly expenses. The newest flat-screen TV, cell phone model, and MP3 players are the American “bread and butter” today. All of which require ridiculously high monthly payments. I won’t even get into the American obsession with credit card debt, which takes up another giant slice of the average American’s food budget! Until the bread-and-circus culture of America ceases to dazzle the uneducated masses, our country will continue to appear to be a “paradox of plenty”.

Oxidative Stress = rust=Inflammation = acidification = ageing =

This article in Science Today suggests a new precursor cause for Alzheimers'. It's a term that's becoming very common on this blog because as the heading suggests, it's once again related to a healthy acid/alkaline balance. Oxidation is what happens when we are too acidic, and oxidative stress is the effect of oxidation.

These scientists have pinpointed the idea that oxidative stress, which occurs in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, may modify molecules in the brain, resulting in loss or alteration of their function.

Now.. I'm not in the least bit qualified to relate an alkaline lifestyle to reduced Alzheimers' risk, but seeing acidification pop up again and gain as the culprit in so many deteriorative 'Boomer' health conditions does assure me that I'm on the right track personally in my Alkalarian lifestyle.

Coke: How Big is it.. Really?

If you have any doubt that CocaCola has the ability to alter an entire nation's health, just take a look at the size of it here

Serious Stuff

I attempt to steer clear of the alternative therapy/allopathy differences, as enforced by our own Therapeutic Goods Administration. But when I read this link I was, frankly, deeply shocked us I know - perhaps more than most because of my international connections - the effect this sort of 'legislative creep' has had on the ability of ordinary Europeans to manage their own health with foods they know to be pure, organic and health supporting.

I do understand that there are a few people who seek to exploit the legislation already in place to sell a product 'under the radar' but as I see it these people are already subjected to sufficient safeguards so that their products harm no-one.

However this sort of new 'big brother' 'we choose what you eat' style of legislation has proven a total disaster in Europe.. and news in my daily OS links is only bad.

If you care about the future of natural foods in Australia, take a look at this link, and if you want to do something, here is the petition. But please. Do take action now.

Can You assist?

For some weird reason I need to be 'approved' by my readers to link Facebook with my blog.

If you go here you can help me by 'approving me' as author of this blog. Crazy? Yep but that's the web for ya!

If You Can't afford drugs for your cancer, become a mascot.

Get this. In this report, a guy has a rare form of cancer, requiring specialist drugs. The report LOOKS good, with him giving reasonable basic advice for anyone with cancer.. but what is the sub-plot? Why is he bothering?
BECAUSE HE'S BEING PAID BY THE DRUG COMPANY!!!

So let me get my head around this.. when you are a football star, you get paid by companies because you are a football star. when you are a tennis star you get paid to wear or drink or promote products. So.. if I get cancer can I ask companies for sponsorship because... what? I have cancer - and I'm good at having cancer???!!!

Is this weird to you or am I alone on this one?

HOW BIG??

How big is a water molecule? A bacterium? An Aids Virus? Take a look at this amazing presentation to understand 'BIG'.

A Sweet Story from Carolyn I received today

"I have just come back from being in Sydney for the weekend for a wedding, without my water! It’s funny, because I definitely felt the difference. This morning, I had no energy to exercise or do anything for the first half of the day. It took me until the afternoon, after drinking 2ltrs of alkalised water before I started feeling normal again. Amazing!"

if you are a British Woman here's your daily 'Chemo'.

It seems, according to this report, that the average British woman has FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY separate chemicals in her body!

Here's the report.

"Low-grade Metabolic Alkalosis May be the Optimal Acid-base State for Humans"

I've been talking about Dr Lindsa Frasettos's work on acid/alkaline balance for some time but I'm sure many of my readers have never seen the abstract of her now-famous paper. Here it is.

"

Diet, evolution and aging--the pathophysiologic effects of the post-agricultural inversion of the potassium-to-sodium and base-to-chloride ratios in the human diet.

Frassetto L, Morris RC Jr, Sellmeyer DE, Todd K, Sebastian A.

University of California, San Francisco 94143, USA.

Theoretically, we humans should be better adapted physiologically to the diet our ancestors were exposed to during millions of years of hominid evolution than to the diet we have been eating since the agricultural revolution a mere 10,000 years ago, and since industrialization only 200 years ago. Among the many health problems resulting from this mismatch between our genetically determined nutritional requirements and our current diet, some might be a consequence in part of the deficiency of potassium alkali salts (K-base), which are amply present in the plant foods that our ancestors ate in abundance, and the exchange of those salts for sodium chloride (NaCl), which has been incorporated copiously into the contemporary diet, which at the same time is meager in K-base-rich plant foods. Deficiency of K-base in the diet increases the net systemic acid load imposed by the diet. We know that clinically-recognized chronic metabolic acidosis has deleterious effects on the body, including growth retardation in children, decreased muscle and bone mass in adults, and kidney stone formation, and that correction of acidosis can ameliorate those conditions. Is it possible that a lifetime of eating diets that deliver evolutionarily superphysiologic loads of acid to the body contribute to the decrease in bone and muscle mass, and growth hormone secretion, which occur normally with age? That is, are contemporary humans suffering from the consequences of chronic, diet-induced low-grade systemic metabolic acidosis? Our group has shown that contemporary net acid-producing diets do indeed characteristically produce a low-grade systemic metabolic acidosis in otherwise healthy adult subjects, and that the degree of acidosis increases with age, in relation to the normally occurring age-related decline in renal functional capacity. We also found that neutralization of the diet net acid load with dietary supplements of potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3) improved calcium and phosphorus balances, reduced bone resorption rates, improved nitrogen balance, and mitigated the normally occurring age-related decline in growth hormone secretion--all without restricting dietary NaCl. Moreover, we found that co-administration of an alkalinizing salt of potassium (potassium citrate) with NaCl prevented NaCl from increasing urinary calcium excretion and bone resorption, as occurred with NaCl administration alone. Earlier studies estimated dietary acid load from the amount of animal protein in the diet, inasmuch as protein metabolism yields sulfuric acid as an end-product. In cross-cultural epidemiologic studies, Abelow found that hip fracture incidence in older women correlated with animal protein intake, and they suggested a causal relation to the acid load from protein. Those studies did not consider the effect of potential sources of base in the diet. We considered that estimating the net acid load of the diet (i. e., acid minus base) would require considering also the intake of plant foods, many of which are rich sources of K-base, or more precisely base precursors, substances like organic anions that the body metabolizes to bicarbonate. In following up the findings of Abelow et al., we found that plant food intake tended to be protective against hip fracture, and that hip fracture incidence among countries correlated inversely with the ratio of plant-to-animal food intake. These findings were confirmed in a more homogeneous population of white elderly women residents of the U.S. These findings support affirmative answers to the questions we asked above. Can we provide dietary guidelines for controlling dietary net acid loads to minimize or eliminate diet-induced and age-amplified chronic low-grade metabolic acidosis and its pathophysiological sequelae. We discuss the use of algorithms to predict the diet net acid and provide nutritionists and clinicians with relatively simple and reliable methods for determining and controlling the net acid load of the diet. A more difficult question is what level of acidosis is acceptable. We argue that any level of acidosis may be unacceptable from an evolutionarily perspective, and indeed, that a low-grade metabolic alkalosis may be the optimal acid-base state for humans."

Is the Internet BIG Enough Yet?

Take a look at this

Now THIS is a good day!

A good day at AlkaWay is when we get stories like this... Karen our resident alkaline specialist received this email today.

"Karen,

Just wanted to touch base and thank you for your time and info. I am so grateful you suggested the Alphion, it was a breeze to set up and now I have clean water at the press of a button! I have only been drinking alkaline water for 2 ½ weeks, but am already so happy with the results.

I have not felt so full of energy in years. I checked my pH levels before starting the water and I was at a level of 4!!! And guess what pH the water I had been drinking up to that point was……yep, 4!!! I was drinking acid!! No wonder my poor body has been holding on to the fat and not releasing anything even with some serious training.

I have not been able to lose anything in over 3yrs since I started piling on the weight, which oddly enough, is when I started drinking my acid water! And I won’t even get into the inflammation markers going through the roof in recent months, I am no longer surprised. I have had so many tests done and so many frustrations because Dr’s can’t find anything wrong, and yet I know that something is not right.

And all along, not one practitioner checked pH levels. This will be the first thing I will be checking as a Naturopath (when I graduate!). Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I am doing great. I am exercising again, and have even added a pm session and I still feel fantastic. No pain or fatigue.

The next morning I wake up, feel great and actually look forward to my workout. My pH levels at present are around the 5.25 to 6, not very good, but I am heading in the right direction now as opposed to heading towards a degradation of my beautiful little hardworking cells lol. So, a big thank you again to you and the team for all that you do. "

Sincerely,
Carolyn

"As Good as a Dyson!

Had a talk with Allan stone in Tasmania this morning. At 71 he's full of beans and after talking about his chocolate cravings disappearing after alkalizing, he told me his Melody water alkalizer was in the same design league as his Dyson vacuum Cleaner. 'It's so well designed, so easy to use. I had a top-fill water filter before this and it was such a nuisance!"

Allan also gave me his secret heartburn remedy; a teaspoon of Chia seeds soaked for hf an hour in warm water. Although.. he also said that he didn't need it any more now he has become an Alkalarian.

Dr lark Comments on New Breast screening Guidelines

Dr Susan Lark, Alkalarian and author of the book 'Chemistry Of Success' is one of my role models. Here's an email I received from her about Breast cancer Screening.

"I'm sure you heard the news that came out yesterday about the new mammography guidelines proposed by the U.S Preventive Services Task Force. Essentially, the recommendations now state that women between the ages of 40 to 49 should not get annual mammograms unless they are high-risk (i.e., strong family history and/or positive for the breast cancer genes BRCA-1 or -2) because the risks of the screening outweigh the benefits. The new guidelines also state that women over the age of 50 should get mammograms, but every two years instead of yearly. Finally, they state that self-breast exams are no longer necessary.

There are aspects of these new guidelines with which I wholeheartedly agree, and others that, quite frankly, anger me.

First and foremost, I believe there is a better alternative to mammograms and I have been speaking out against them for decades because I believe the risks outweigh the benefits. As I stated in my February 2008 issue of Women's Wellness Today:

"A routine mammogram's sensitivity (how good it is at detecting suspicious tissue) varies. If a woman is still menstruating, her breast tissue is denser, which drops the sensitivity of routine mammograms to below 70 percent. That means that as many as 30 percent of existing breast cancers are missed, which is troubling because cancers in younger women tend to grow faster. After menopause, a mammogram's sensitivity is better, but still not great. Routine mammograms are hamstrung by the fact that any tumor smaller than about four-tenths of an inch across is less likely to show up, so a tumor might be just small enough to escape detection, and then have lots of time to grow and spread before the next mammogram. On top of all this, human error in reading the films is also a very real possibility.

Here's another problem with mammography. Five out of six "suspicious" routine mammograms turn out not to be cancer. Those five women are undoubtedly relieved, but they also got the scare of their lives, underwent more tests, maybe got biopsies, and possibly even had surgery they didn't need.

The latest studies show that for every 2,000 women who get a routine mammogram, one life is prolonged. If that seems mediocre, you should know that protecting any individual woman against breast cancer was never the goal of routine mammograms-it's well known that they miss too many cancers in the early, most treatable stage. As a routine screening tool, their purpose is simply to reduce the percentage of women who die from breast cancer."

For these exact reasons, I recommend a breast imaging test called thermography over mammography for all women 40 and over. A normal breast thermogram for each woman is like her fingerprint: It's uniquely hers, and it doesn't change much over time. And, in most cases, a woman's left breast is pretty close to a mirror image of her right breast. Because an adult woman's breasts are finished growing, they're normally cool, thermographically speaking. Most tumors, on the other hand, like to grow. That's an energetic enterprise that requires more blood supply and usually generates extra heat-not enough for a woman to notice, but enough to show up on a thermogram well before a tumor is large enough to show up on a mammogram. On a thermogram, tumors not only show up as "hot," but they either stay that way or get hotter over time. Noncancerous structures such as cysts and abscesses cool down, but a mammogram can't "see" that like a thermogram can. And, because thermography doesn't involve radiation, a new spot can be reevaluated as often as necessary to monitor its behavior.

By comparing the left and right breasts on a one-time thermogram, differences between the two can indicate suspicious tissue. But the key to getting the most out of this test is to get it done regularly-at least every couple of years, depending on your age and breast cancer risk factors. That way, the latest thermogram of each breast can be compared not only to the opposite breast but also to previous thermograms. A spot on one breast but not the other might be a normal part of your "fingerprint" that's been there for years, or it might be entirely new-and clinically significant. Some breast tumors are slow-growing and don't generate much of a heat signature, and therefore wouldn't show up on a thermogram. Because they're slow-growing, they're generally less dangerous, and eventually they become large enough to appear on a mammogram. In short, mammography looks at the structure of a woman's breast tissue, while thermography looks at its behavior.

So, I encourage you to choose thermography over mammography, unless they have a high risk of developing breast cancer. High-risk women should consider getting mammography and thermography done.

Keep Up with Those Self-Exams!

With that said, the Task Force's belief that self-exams are no longer important really frustrates me. I strongly believe that becoming familiar with your breasts, and how they look and feel, can help you determine if any scars, dents, lumps, or bumps are normal for you. Plus, it helps you develop your own intuition about the health of your breasts because you'll become more sensitive to any little changes that might indicate the need for further testing.

In a nutshell, I recommend that you look into getting breast thermography done, and I strongly encourage you to keep up with your breast exams. To learn more about thermography, visit the International Academy of Clinical Thermology or Infrared Sciences Corp."

Do You Live In Melbourne? Want to Lower Your Biological Age?

Performance Coach Peter Stone is a pretty amazing guy. Not just because he guarantees to reduce your biological age by 15 years, but because he really is a committed 'Alkalarian'.

Even before Peter found AlkaWay, he was seeing first-hand the results of his advice to people about regaining their alkaline balance. As a pro ski instructor, Peter would teach stressed out business people to go away and change their lives towards alkaline. He was such an inspiration to them that they actually took his advice - so when they arrived back next season he had the satisfaction of seeing the results of his advice in slimmer, more vital, less stressed individuals.

Peter is going to hold a free seminar in Melbourne on his two key life strategies;

When: December 9^th

Time: 7:00 pm - 8:30pm

Where: Sports House - MSAC Institute Of Training - 375 Albert Road, Albert Park, Victoria,

1. How to run your body to balance acid / alkaline

2. How to run your mind to balance acid / alkaline

If you'd like to reserve a FREE seat, check in on his website here

In Peter's inspiring words...

"My mission is to help 1,000 people discover true wealth in life by taking 15 years off their biological age by December 25th 2010. So this free seminar may be the most important thing you experience all year as I’ll invite you to join in the fun and take 15 years of your biological age and discover true wealth in life! After all… If a tired, grumpy, hung-over, broken down, overweight with high cholesterol 32 year old ski coach with limited resources can do it and find a way to enjoy the process!! Then quite possibly YOU CAN TOO!"

The Price of Progress

THAR JATH, SUDAN — German aid agency Sign of Hope has reported that tests of water sources serving at least 300,000 people in Unity state, a main oil-producing region in southern Sudan, have revealed “alarming pollution levels,” the AFP news service reported November 16.

The group said its survey found that an oil consortium in southern Sudan has caused heavy-metals contamination of water supplies. The survey indicated that contamination has affected the health of people and livestock, and threatens what is considered the world’s largest inland wetlands, the 11,500-square-mile Sudd tropical wetlands.

Klaus Stieglitz, the agency’s vice-chairman, said in a November 16 BBC News report that the agency was startled by its own findings. “The chemical composition of water samples we have taken from oil well drilling pits is nearly the same as we found in the contaminated water boreholes the people are using for drinking water supply,” he told BBC News.

The German aid agency has called on the operators of the oil-producing facility to step up water treatment processes, and is petitioning the state’s government to improve the safety of drinking water.

Ray Kurzweil Answers his critics about alkaline water

Here's a very interesting interview of genius inventor, Ray Kurzweil all about his views on alkaline ionized water.

Cancer Story and a Call for help

The problem with most blogs is that unless a respondent puts a contact point on their comment, I can't reach them. I received this comment today, and encourage anyone who reads it to contact the lady involved. I hope that she conatacts me as a result of this post so i'll have an email to pass on.

"Hi, my Mum had primary cancers in her thyroid gland and in her bronchial passage/lung. They operated and took out her thyroid and did radio therapy on her neck and lung but the cancer was incredibly aggressive and it spread with secondaries in her neck, many in her lungs and a large secondary in the adrenal gland.

My Dad was a doctor for 50 years (retired now) and he has embraced the bicarb treatment and has been using it on my mum orally and via a drip into her veins. She has also been inhaling it using some sort of nebuliser (don't know spelling sorry) and also as a vaginal suppository.

Unfortunately she is also having chemo although I think it is either in mild doses or the alternate procedures she is following at the same time are reducing the side effects of chemo for her for now. Since starting the bicarb treatments, the cancer in her neck has disappeared, as have some of the secondaries in the lungs.

The other secondaries in her lungs have reduced in size but the one in her adrenal gland has gained in size. I know Simoncini advocates an arterial catheter close to the site of the cancer. I presume this is because the body converts the bicarb quickly in the blood so putting it in the veins (as my dad has been doing) may help with generally alkalizing her body (it is now alkaline all the time where before it was highly acidic) but it is probably broken down before it can get to specific sites like the bronchia and adrenal gland.

So after this long winded explanation I guess I'm trying to find out if there are any anaesthetists in Australia who are open to inserting arterial catheters so this treatment might be given a chance to be effective. Like EricaJ, I am looking for the Simoncini method in Australia. Does anyone know or is there somewhere you might suggest I look? ps my mum's name is Erica too :-)

Thank you so much for your help and good luck to all of you that are looking for help for themselves or people they love. Anything has to be better than a belligerent and unsympathetic doctor who instead of saying, "Look, I can't do any more through traditional methods but go out and try whatever you can to get well", tells people to "go home and die".

It makes me so mad! Anyway, that is why there are blogs like these. Thanks again and sorry for the rant."

Ian: anyone?? and.. much more info and thread here

The Raw Food Kids

How Sergei beat Diabetes;

“I was nine years old when I was diagnosed with Diabetes. Doctors told my parents and me that I had to go on insulin immediately. My parents refused and instead began searching for alternative treatments. After trying numerous diets that did not work, in 1994 I tried raw food as well as vigorous exercising. I noticed a difference almost immediately. Within a few months of changing my diet and sticking to my exercise, my blood sugar was consistently lower and my symptoms were slowly but surely growing more faint. A few months after that, I sold my glucose monitor machine to my math teacher for $5.00 because I was tired of pricking my finger and having a normal reading each time. I feel extremely lucky to have been given another chance at being healthy. I know that the active lifestyle that I live today would not have been possible to live had I had diabetes. I am very grateful to my parents for not being afraid to try something out of the ordinary and for not being afraid of what others will think of them. It is because of them that I have my health today.”

Now take a look at his video. It's a hoot!

if you'd like to send the message to a friend with Diabetes, I heartily recommend the Raw For 30 Days video. It's a life-changer! Here it is.

Homoeopathy and Autism

Meryl Dorey's AVN is running a free webinar on the use of homoeopathy for Autism. Here's the link. It's on Wednesday, December 2nd.

PreLoved Alphion for sale

2 year old Alphion in excellent unmarked condition at $1200 ONO. The contact is Merryn Thomas and her phone number is 0409 091 319. Merryn is upgrading to the mighty Delphi. Download a brochure here
(Australia only)

If you keep rats that drink booze...

If you keep rats that drink booze... then you'll be interested in this study of ethanol induced hangovers in rats and the effect alkaline ionized water has on them.

It reminds me of a big night many many years ago when Cassie myself and two friends (chosen for their liking for a drink or three) set out to prove Alkaline ionized water was a hangover cure.

Wait a minute. I can't remember it. Hmm...

The AlkaPod is going Ballistic!

I recently published a short video on the AlkaPod. Here's a link to it. Since that time we've had orders from across the globe. This is a seriously good portable water alkalizer and energizer, and a quantum leap in taking the whole alkaline concept to the people in a more affordable form. I take mine with me every morning as I walk Cape Byron!

It's also one of our Christmas specials at the moment so it's a great time to get in early and surprise someone you love with a gift that may well change the way they think and act on personal future health.

Nano NoNo

I just read quite a disturbing abstract on the ability of nanoparticles to affect our DNA without even entering it.
Nanotechnology is a bit like GM crops; looks great, but has anyone done the real testing, or, like GM, are we the crash test dummies?

Nanotechnology is even being employed in water filtration. One new technology uses nanoparticles of aluminium to create an electrically charged medium to filter sediment from water.

One has to wonder:

(a) why aluminium of all things, given its chequered history and association with Alzheimers' disease
(b) given that nanoparticles are extraordinarily small, well below standard water detection system capability, how can any supplier gurantee that even a small knock to the filter won't release a shower of aluminium that will end up in our glass of supposedly pure water.

Another VERY interesting aspect of nanotechnology can be found here. It's the story of nanostructures dug up in Russia, suggesting technology capable of creating tiny coils as small as 1/10,000th of an inch... THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND YEARS AGO!
Again, the question must be asked.. what happened to the civilisation that created these tiny and technologically advanced artifacts and why is there no firther trace of their life?

Serious about Organic..

The Organic Center's "Core Truths"

Coke Cranked

Coke was the victim of a 'Yes Men" prank in the US that would make Australia's 'Chasers' proud.
“This is a classic case of deception,” said Mike Bonanno (a/k/a Igor Vamos), in town that day with main cohort Andy Bichlbaum (né Jacques Servin) for the opening of The Yes Men Fix the World at the Coolidge Corner Theatre. “They don’t want people to know that they’re drinking tap water because it’s pure profit. Basically, they’ve figured out such a great scam that they don’t want it to end.”

Here's the details.

Kidney Stones and Alkaline balance

If you’ve been actively researching the Web, you’d agree that there's a lot of evidence to support the notion that if your body is acidic, then kidney stones are more likely to develop. You would have seen that kidney stones grow from the ‘seed’ of acid crystals. These crystals form from saturated acids in the body.

So it makes sense that your ultimate strategy for a pain - and stone-free - future is staying fully hydrated and alkaline.

Metabolic acids and acids that you ingest in daily life can accumulate in your fluids and tissues. In the process of neutralising these acids, "salts" are made - a mix of an alkaline element and an acid element. When your pH falls below 6.0 the
risk that these tiny salts may turn into larger stones increases exponentially.

When urine is saturated with acids (as a result of an acidic inner terrain combined with continued dehydration) these tiny salts can collect into larger salts - these are what we call stones.

There are many different types of urinary stones. Kidney stones can be made of calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, magnesium phosphate, uric acid, or cystine. No matter what form you want to prevent, a suggested prevention plan may include the following:

1. Hydrate!. Drink at least 2 - 3 litres of water a day to flush acids and help to dilute your urine to prevent stones from forming in the first place.

2. Support your pH. Drink alkaline water, plan for more alkaline foods, and reduce the amount of acid forming foods that you eat. High protein diets turn to 20 amino acids in your bloostream - the seeds to stones forming.

3. Reduce your intake of sodium. This will reduce your body's loss of calcium.

4. Increase your intake of citrus fruits - like lemons. The citric acid in citrus fruits is not a problematic acid like uric acid or phosphoric acid is. It can help to break up the formation of stones that have already formed. You can even squeeze some lemon into the alkaline water that you drink.

5. Test Your pH every day. Try to keep it above 6.5.

More Info;
The Role Of Acidic Urine In Kidney Stone Formation

Comments from Eva

"Dear Ian,
I just read a few articles in your health blog spot. First the info on asparagus, great stuff. But then I read just above that canned goods contain Bisphenol A, a toxic chemical in the lining in cans and bottle lids. The guy who talks up the asparagus cure is saying that canned asparagus is o.k. to use. That is a bit contradicting to the 'don't use cans' article."

Yes, Eva, we live in fast moving times. Who would have thought that we would ever have the need to put all of our fruit and vegetables through a sterilizer before we eat them? But that's exactly what Cassie and I do here in beautiful 'organic' Byron Bay, learning in the process the tricks producers play to get their fruit or vegetable off their paddock and into our homes. Take strawberries; our Lotus Sanitizer takes far longer to cleanse strawberries late in their growing season. Why? Because (as an ex-strawberry grower) I know that pests tend to get worse in strawberries the longer the strawberries are fruiting, so growers use more pesticides miticides and fungicides later in the season. Grapes imported from the US give the Lotus such a hard time that I have given up. I will never buy another imported grape! Yes, Eve, it's difficult and I understand why people write things today that may be unacceptable tomorrow as our knowledge of toxins in our food chain expands."

"Also in the alkaline water article it says that tap water is good because of Fluoride being good for your teeth. Calcium fluoride is what one needs for good teeth, not Sodium Fluoride. I have read nothing good about Sodium Fluoride. It's also outlawed in Europe and causes Kidney Disease amongst other things.
Regards, Eva"

Eva, the evidence is clear that some form of fluoride helps the problems kids have with their teeth. However the 'side effects' are many and support your claim that fluoride, in balance, is a terrible decision.
Take a look at this site for a good summary

Michael J. Fox and the benefits of disease

In my position here I speak to many, many people with serious disease, and so I am constantly seeing attitudes of 'management' of their condition.

Frankly, the way people respond to serious disease seem to align quite well o Elizabeth Kubler-Ross' states of grief (bargaining, anger, denial, depression and acceptance). Michael seems a wonderful benchmark for the acceptance phase, evidenced to me by a comment he made to Dr. Oz on Oprah.

Perhaps I don't have it word perfect.. but he said something like "The good thing about Parkinson's is that you soon give up vanity."

It got me thinking; what are the pointers in the disease process that allow us to move through the stages of grief to acceptance? And to what degree does vanity, ego, self-image affect our ability to come to terms, accept and emotionally move on?

Love to hear your responses.

How to Take 15 Years off your Biological Age

Peter Stone is a powerful dude. He's personal trainer to some powerful people and he is also a powerful Alkalarian. He's also a highly sought after speaker, coach and writer. I met him recently and had a real jam session with him on our favourite subject - you guessed it - the Alkaline Lifestyle. He's been recommending alkalising to people for many, many years.

His claim to fame is a wholistic training regimen to take 15 years off your biological life measurement.. and yes, he does it!

Here's his website - with an interview he and I did recently.

What an Acid Bath!

A lake close to Cape Canaveral is home to Florida’s mascot — the 'Gator.
Last week zoologists have been looking to see if space shuttle launches affect the environment of local animals. So when NASA launched a shuttle this past weekend, researchers were ready to sample the water and collect some gator eggs.

Prior to the launch, the lake’s water had a clearly alkaline pH of 7.8, comparable to river water.

3 hours after launch, the local lake water had plummeted to a startling pH of 0.5 — more than a million times more acidic than pre-launch!!!

The region is dominated by limestone-weathered soils, so 24 hours later the lake’s water was again a comfortable 7.8. So.. are there any 'gators left,?

Death of the Can?

ConsumerReports recently tested 19 canned foods, including products from Eden Foods andAnnie’s Homegrown, and found that almost all products contained bisphenol A, a chemical used in the epoxy resin linings of most food and beverage cans.

“The findings are noteworthy because they indicate the extent of potential exposure,” said Dr. Urvashi Rangan, director of technical policy at Consumers Union, nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, in a release. “Children eating multiple servings per day of canned foods with BPA levels comparable to the ones we found in some tested products could get a dose of BPA near levels that have caused adverse effects in several animal studies.”Some studies have linked BPA with infertility, weight gain, behavioral changes, early onset puberty, prostate and breast cancers and diabetes.

According to Consumer Reports, Canada and some U.S. states and cities have restricted BPA use because of potential health risks, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not yet recommended that people stop using products containing BPA.

The highest levels of BPA that Consumer Reports’ tests found were in samples of canned Del Monte Fresh Cut Green Beans Blue Lake with levels ranging from 35.9 parts per billion to 191 ppb. Progresso Vegetable Soup BPA levels ranged from 67 to 134 ppb. Campbell’s Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup had BPA levels ranging from 54.5 to 102 ppb.Federal guidelines currently put the daily upper limit of safe exposure at 50 micrograms of BPA per kilogram of body weight, but that number is based on experiments done in the 1980s. Consumer Reports’ food-safety scientists recommend limiting daily exposure to BPA to 0.0024 micrograms per kilogram of body weight.

The FDA is currently reassessing what it considers a safe level of exposure to BPA.Consumer Reports also found BPA in organic canned products and some products packaged in cans that claimed to be BPA-free. The canned Organic Cheesy Ravioli produced by Annie’s had BPA levels of 32 ppb. Samples of Eden Foods Baked Beans in “BPA-free” cans averaged 1 ppb of BPA, and Vital Choice’s tuna in “BPA-free” cans were found to contain an average of 20 ppb of BPA. However, tests of the inside of the “BPA-free” cans found that the liners were not epoxy-based, suggesting BPA was not used.

“I’m not surprised at the findings,” said Michael Potter, president of Eden Foods, based in Ann Arbor, Mich. “One of the ingredients [in Eden’s Baked Beans] is tomatoes. When we use canned tomatoes that our organic grower packs for us, a BPA-containing lining is in the can. All canned tomatoes come in BPA-containing cans. However, beans are a low-acid food, so we can use BPA-free cans for them.”According to the company website, Eden Foods currently packs organic beans in BPA-free steel cans coated with a baked on oleoresinous c-enamel lining. These BPA-free cans cost the company 14 percent more than BPA-containing cans, said Potter.

Potter noted that no alternative currently exists to replace BPA-containing cans for high-acid foods. “We have been working with the Ball Corp. for two years, trying to get them to develop and have available a BPA-free can lining for high-acid foods,” said Potter. In the meantime, Potter plans to investigate whether Eden Foods could pack baked beans with fresh tomatoes, which he said would keep BPA out of the final product.Although Annie’s would not comment on the Consumer Reports’findings because they had not yet seen the tests, the company, like Eden, is actively looking for BPA alternatives. “The only Annie’s products that use BPA are our canned Pasta Meals, such as Cheesy Ravioli, All Stars, BernieO’s, Arthur Loops and P’sghetti Loops,” said Aimee Sands, marketing director for Napa, Calif.-based Annie’s.

“At this time, the FDA has not approved a BPA-free can for use with our type of tomato-based products. The BPA is needed in the lining of the cans to prevent the acidic tomato sauce and pasta from reacting with and leaching the metal in the cans.”

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Yet another doctor comes into the Alkaline water fold.

Dr Raymond Hatland's article on bottled water crossed my screen briefly today. It appears he has arrived at similar conclusions to those of most of you reading this blog.

"Bottled water has rapidly become a very popular drink. In this age of convenience, bottled water fits in very well with many new modern lifestyles. It provides portability and is readily available as purified and sanitized drinking water. It is also an upgrade from the many artificially sweetened drinks that have flooded the market.

The question is whether or not bottled water is a great improvement over tap water.

On the positive side, tap water is cheap, basically safe and easily available, has fluoride that can help prevent tooth decay, has a neutral or slightly alkaline pH, usually contains some good minerals, and depending on where you are located can have a good taste.

On the negative side, tap water can be polluted with many industrial chemicals that are not totally removed by water purification systems, can contain excessive amounts of iron, sulfur, or fluoride, can draw lead or copper from the pipes, and on occasion may be contaminated with bacteria and waste products from occasional flooding.

On the positive side, bottled water is safe from bacterial infections, can taste good, is easily portable, can have an alkaline pH, and can be free of fluoride.

On the negative side, bottled water is very expensive, usually has a very acidic pH, has no fluoride, may have very few nutritional minerals, and may contain unacceptable levels of the plastic chemicals (bisphosphonates) that leech from plastic containers.

Conclusions

1. Fluoride in the water is both positive and negative depending on who is drinking it.

2. Kids benefit from the fluoride, which helps reduce dental decay. However, this is a doubtful benefit for most adults and there is some concern that the fluoride ion in tap water reacts with the some of the trace chemicals in tap water making them more carcinogenic.

3. It is my opinion that fluoride is best applied topically by dentists or hygienists for the most effective protection of teeth with minimal systemic side effects.

4. High fluoride concentration tooth gels can be used by high-risk adults and by children under supervision to avoid excess swallowing of the gel. Two to three times a week is often enough to be effective.

5. Having an occasional bottle of water is not a health risk. Drinking only bottled water could be a problem. The best of both worlds would be to buy a water filter and alkalizing unit that will purify your tap water and increase the pH of the water up to 9. There are many health benefits in doing this. Alkaline water increases your body’s ability to neutralize excess acid ions that come from the high amount of acid foods and liquids we ingest. This will help the body reduce inflammation, tooth decay, and enamel erosion in the mouth and generalized water retention. Weight loss and lower blood pressure is another benefit."

Dr. Raymond Hatland, DDS, attended the University of Illinois in Urbana from 1960 to 1962, and the University of Illinois College of Dentistry from 1962 to 1966, graduating in the upper 20% of his class. He participated in the U.S. Army’s one-year rotating internship program at Ireland Army Hospital in Fort Knox, Ky., receiving advanced training in all specialty areas including oral surgery, fixed and removable prosthodontics, endodontics, periodontics, orthodontics, pedodontics, and oral medicine. Since 1975, Dr. Hatland has taken more than 1,600 hours of continuing-education courses in all of the above areas of dentistry as well as functional orthodontics and many alternative and energy system related courses and seminars, and has written several articles about his periodontal research regarding the reverse gum disease program. Dr. Hatland has been selected as a member of America’s Top Dentists and named Dentist of the Year for 2003 through 2005 by the Consumer Business Review. He is a member of the American Dental Association, the Indiana Dental Association, the Indianapolis District Dental Society, the Holistic Dental Association, and an associate member of the Chicago Dental Society.

His website is HERE

A real 'Ouch!' Quote

“It is simply no longer possible to believe much of the clinical research that is published, or to rely on the judgment of trusted physicians or authoritative medical guidelines. I take no pleasure in this conclusion, which I reached slowly and reluctantly over my two decades as an editor of The New England Journal of Medicine.”

-- Marcia Angell, MD