BALANCE: I HAVE SEEN IT. IT DOES EXIST.

Cassie and I
have been exploring the Dolomites, source of the world’s finest alkaline water. Not only is it a visually superb area in Italy on the border of Switzerland and Austria, a garden of Eden producing six billion organic apples a year, plus wines and everything else that grows, it’s an area of huge history, ceded by Austria to Italy in 1910, favoured destination of centuries of European aristocracy in search of a ‘cure’..

The characteristic rock of the Dolomites
consists of fossilised coral reefs formed during the Triassic Period (around 250 million years ago) by organisms and sedimentary matter at the bottom of the ancient tropical Tethys Ocean. The Alps arose as a result of the collision of the African and European tectonic plates, forcing the rocks at the point of impact to soar skyward. The western part of the Tethys Ocean which formerly divided these two continents disappeared. The Dolomites now stand proud and distinct from the other limestone Alps. In 1788 the French geologist Deodat de Dolomieu (after whom the mountains are named) discovered the properties of this rock, which he realised was a type of mineral comprising calcium magnesium carbonate found in varying proportions in the whitish-grey sedimentary limestone rock of the Dolomite mountains.

We all know of the dolomite we buy for our gardens. It’s a similar mix of calcium, magnesium and trace elements and we use it in almost every garden bed in Australia to counteract the pervasive acidity of our old tired soils. It neutralises the acids and adds trace elements like molybdenum to give us a chance at a few good vegetables.

Here in Merano,
surrounded by the mountains I’m seeing a living example of pH balance and the effect it has. I have never seen apples so abundant on the trees! It’s harvest time and small tractors are roaring around town from dawn to dusk carting long trailers laden with pallets of Golden Delicious, Granny Smith and more. The longer I’m here the more I understand. 

The massive Terme Merano caters for visitors from all over Europe who come to soak in hot local water – but the area’s history as a spa centre goes back 175 years. And given that Merano has no less than 90 free drinking water fountains, it’s a little strange to see the local water in bottled form leaping off the shelves in the supermarkets and served in wine glasses in the best restaurants. 

Seeing the milky blue water tumbling over pale cream rocks as it makes its way from high mountain to orchard, you can’t help but see that this is mineral rich, alkaline water. Seeing the rich grasses growing between the rows of espaliered apple trees you understand that there really is a balance here. The soil is rich beyond belief and so the trees, the vegetables, and the people share that balance. Wildflowers are still growing everywhere here and it’s not spring, it’s autumn. Roses are everywhere, lavender, and all manner of decorative trees.

There’s something else about Merano and all of the surrounding area. The people are hard workers. They have a culture that remains tied to the land, and they value their Tyrolean ancestry, their homes, their families and their land. In Australia, I would call people like this ‘alkaline’ because in my decade of experience studying alkaline balance, this profile applies only to people with a natural alkaline balance – and in that time I’ve only met enough to count on one hand. 

No. Popeye,
It’s not spinach. It’s not green foods. It’s not alkaline fruits. Certainly south Tyrolean apples are a particularly effective anti-aging product. They are rich in vitamins B and C and contain many other valuable ingredients such as calcium for the bones, potassium to firm the tissues, and zinc for cell development.

But looking at the local’s diets it’s definitely not vegetarian or raw. No, it’s the water. Permeating the food chain. Nurturing grapes that only thrive on alkaline soil and have no acid after effect. Supporting pastures that feed cows that are the happiest I’ve ever seen. Growing wild forest that even today reaches down into the yards of farmhouses. Supplying the raw material for beer, wine, apple cider... and always.. the water we drink.  

A Spiritual Pilgrimage
For me it’s a little of a spiritual pilgrimage because I’ve been fascinated by the best waters of the world for over a decade and have made my own study of the effects of alkaline water. So to be here, to walk through the orchards, to feel the grass under my feet, to see the water cascading down from the high alps.. it’s something very special. 


But most of all it makes me feel good because as I have progressed with my study of acid/alkaline balance, I have come to understand that it isn’t a state of alkalinity we need, even if we may be excessively acid. It’s a state of balance; or good alkaline minerals and healthy acids. Seeing, touching, experiencing the balance that allows some 15000 hectares of organic apples to compete with the best chemical orchards of Europe tells me that balanced pH is simply the bottom line for health. Get that right, and like the apples waiting picking here in Merano you will thrive.

So I’ll leave this area with renewed respect for the acid/alkaline philosophy. I think it should rightfully take its place as a foundational health philosophy. I think it should be taught in schools. I think we should all know it as well as we all remember ’ An apple a day keeps the doctor away’! 

I am so glad to have a job that gives people water in Australia and the world that is identical to this water.
I am so glad I have the ability to tell people about it in a way they can understand.
I am so glad I have the health that this water has supported for so long.

I am so glad to be alive in this amazing time!