Article by Denise Kelly

Denise Kelly is a Nutritionist with a passion and a purpose! She has a private clinic in Chichester, West Sussex and writes programs for many organisations including schools and corporate companies. She teaches within schools about leading a healthy lifestyle and as a Mum of two feels that this kind of education is essential for all children.

She also teaches boot camp sessions to adults and children and is holding several seminars over the next couple of months to spread the message and importance of great health and nutrition.

Denise is a Bant registered Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist and health coach and truly believes in the power of good food. She has seen staggering results in many clients over the last few years fueling her to be involved with more and more large organisations including the NHS.

Energise & Cleanse Your Life by Denise Kelly

I am a great believer in everything happening for a reason, and nothing happens by chance. Two weeks ago I saw the first sign of spring when I was walking my little doggy! The daffodils were starting to appear and it made me smile. If you take notice of nature and the seasons that surround us our bodies naturally try to tell us what we need. For example in the dark winter months naturally we should all be hibernating and going to bed much earlier than normal to replenish our bodies for spring. That is what animals do in the wild anyway, but unfortunately due to working demands, activities and generally busy lives we tend to just carry on regardless, which does weaken our immune systems. In the time leading up to spring naturally we get a new vigor for life, the evenings are getting lighter, its ever so slightly warmer and often you hear people talking about having a good spring clean! Many of us do actually spring clean our houses, remove all the junk and have a good clear out. When we have completed this task how do we feel? Refreshed, energized, clearer in the mind because there is less clutter!! If we can spend the time and energy on our houses, what about putting the time and energy into our bodies?

So, after the walk I arrived home and had a phone call with a lovely lady that I have got to know over the last few months called Rian. Rian is Spanish and quite a special person. We have connected I believe, as we are on similar missions in life! She wants to make everyone well and healthy and has a real passion for people, as do I. She has trained at the Hippocrates Center, in Florida and has worked with some very seriously ill patients from Cancer, Osteoporosis, Heart Disease, and Arthritis etc. When she came back to England it was her dream to be able to offer a similar set up here in the UK. Her partner agreed that this was a great idea and they opened the most amazing house in Winchester called Health Etcetera, which only caters for 8 people in one hit, which is unbelievably personal and caring. I had been looking for sometime for a place to refer seriously ill patients to, and those patients wishing to go to another level with their health and felt the need for more support than I could offer on a daily basis. When this place appeared in my life I knew it was the right.

Everything they do is based around alkalizing the body, making every cell in the body alive, energetic and healthy. This is what I try to achieve with every client I see, and the theory behind the whole treatment, is that given the right environment, the right foods, the emotional support and healing therapies the body CAN heal itself from any disease. This is quite a strong statement to make, but is backed up by science in the books of Dr Robert Young and Brian Clements. As I have stated before I am witnessing time and time again the beauty of self-healing with so many of my own clients. If you are interested in inspirational stories try reading about a lady called Ann Wigmore, who cured herself from cancer by drinking juiced wheatgrass. She was the person that was brave enough all those years ago to stand up and say the green stuff works!! If animals are sick…what do they eat? Grass. Chlorophyll is the most nourishing substance we can consume and it is in all your dark green leafy vegetables, and lots of your super foods! If you research the information and healing power of wheat grass, and you look into the evidence, and the scientific proof of its healing properties you will understand it is a quite remarkable super food.

To cut along story short, I was invited to go and stay at Health Etcetera in Winchester for 5 days over half term just to experience part of the program so I can honestly inform my clients who I think would benefit from this amazing place with accuracy and confidence. Once I got over the panic of half term, and where were my children going to go and could they possibly survive without me, (Which of course they did, and probably had far more fun with their grandparents!!) I was lucky enough to go and complete a three-day vegetable juice fast, which I found quite difficult, but liberating at the same time.

It was also suggested to me that I have my first colonic, and although I was fully aware of the benefits I was still completely terrified, but contrary to popular belief it was completely pain free and made me feel like I was walking on air when I came out as I felt so cleansed and rejuvenated literally from the inside out! On offer every day was an abundance of Yoga, Meditation, Rumba, sound therapy, Reiki and the most exquisite raw food (once we were eating again!) that you could possibly imagine. This kind of detox for me was not just on a physical level, but on a very emotional level too. Although I knew the relationship between emotions and health, it is now crystal clear to me how many of my clients suppress their emotions with food, coffee, chocolate, medication and are only addicted because they simply cannot face the real core of the emotions that’s going on inside.

I feel very honoured to have gone through this process and feel like my knowledge has grown even further than ever before! I feel amazing and vibrant and even more passionate about helping people get their health challenges back on track as it has given me a renewed zest for the importance of healing and not suppressing. Its not for everyone I am sure, but the reason I wanted to share this story is because most people when facing a disease of any kind feel frightened, vulnerable and don’t quite know who or what to trust. I wanted to promote this special place because the knowledge of therapists under their roof is incredible, and knowledge is power. Once people have a better understanding of how the body works, and what it needs it is possible to reverse disease with the right tools and help.

This kind of information gives you the choice to make decisions that suit you and your body, after all we are all very individual and each and every one of us has different needs. If we take time to be still, we always have the ability to listen to our own bodies and intuitively know what it needs.

For Nutrition Consultations with Dense visit her website here or call her on 07714456155.

For More information on Hinton House, Health Etcetera please visit their website here or call Emily or Rian on 01962 883821.

Note: This blog is only my opinion. It is not medical advice or diagnosis. Only opinions based upon our own personal experiences or information detailed in medical/academic journals or other publications is cited. WE DO NOT OFFER MEDICAL ADVICE or prescribe any treatments. Please consult with a medical professional before making any diet or nutrition changes.

About Ross Bridgeford

Ross is known as THE Alkaline Diet Expert...especially when it comes to implementation and making the alkaline diet REAL in your life. He has been living, learning, teaching, coaching and loving the alkaline lifestyle since 2004 and has written over 600 articles, alkaline recipes, videos and guides on how to live alkaline and stay alkaline for life. Ross loves life in Brisbane, Australia (although is a proud Englishman) and is healthily-obsessed with nutrition, fitness and Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

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From Energise Alkaline Diet & Natural Health Blog - health news, alkaline diet resources & tips to make you happy! do something nice today...

Hey everyone!

Each fortnight we’re putting the best alkaline diet questions we receive from you to our Alkaline Diet Expert, Dr Young trained blood analyst and highly qualified nutritionist – Gareth Edwards.

Gareth is right at the very top of his field, so these answers are absolutely the best you’ll find from arguably Britain’s most qualified expert in this area!

Q&A With Gareth Edwards

Question One: The Alkaline Diet & Type 1 and 2 Diabetes

Hi Gareth, in relation to your answer on diabetes & the alkaline lifestyle can you please specify if you are referring to Type 1 (juvenile) or Type 2 (maturity onset) diabetes? As you are most likely aware Type 1 means there’s no insulin production from the pancreas whereas in Type 2 the body is just not processing the insulin properly due to being overweight, having a sedentary lifestyle etc. So it’s easy to see how the alkalinity can help and possibly reverse Type 2 diabetes. But what about Type1? Thanks.

Yes, conventional medical wisdom does suggest that while type 2 or adult onset diabetes may be controlled or managed (actually reversed!) by diet and lifestyle, Type 1 is an incurable genetic condition.

This is not true. Both Dr. Young and myself have seen children diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, reverse the condition through alkalising. Click here to have a look at this video testimonial!

Question Two: The Alkaline Diet and Premature Grey Hair

Will following the alkaline diet bring colour back to premature grey hair? What about premature hair loss?

Have a look at the other answer I’ve given on the subject of hair loss this week. Raw food “Mama”, who helped one of her children reverse diabetes through a raw food diet and whose whole family now are raw foodists, talks about returning colour to grey hair through consuming high quantities of green juice.

Your body uses minerals to buffer (neutralise) acids and there are those who believe that grey hair is the result of de-mineralisation. Medication, fizzy drinks alcohol, “stress” and other acidifying factors could all be contributory factors premature hair greying and loss.

Acupuncture, in association with alkalising and making healthy dietary and lifestyle choices can help.

Question Three: The Alkaline Diet and Hair Loss

Hello Ross. Thanks for checking into this hair loss situation a little further for me. I thought it was odd as well, because I feel like I’m much more healthy. I am so glad to get more educated and both times when I’ve gone alkaline I become such a believer that this is correct. (Which is not easy with all the false and conflicting diet data).

Any input you could give me would be great because I’m at a loss as to what to do about this situation. I, like you, would have thought my hair would have been healthier. All the best! Janet

Alkaline, living food diets, should be the healthiest most nutritious way to eat, so I too am surprised to hear this story. Hair loss is usually associated with iron deficiency, but taking iron tablets is not something I would generally advise. Dr. Young taught me about the concept of transmutation. This seemingly impossible phenomena, describes the concept of our bodies converting one mineral into another.

High (and I mean high!) intakes of chlorophyll rich, dark green leafy vegetables and grasses (such as wheat and barley grass) provide the building blocks for the iron carrying protein haemoglobin, that makes up our red blood cells. In order for its central atom magnesium to be converted to iron it is essential to have a sufficient intake of alkalising mineral salts. pHour salts, prime pH, pHlavor spray and Himalayan or sea salt would all provide minerals to do this. I’ve used this combination of greens and salts with patients successfully to restore hair loss.

Reverse osmosis, although ultimately efficient as a filtration system, does strip your water of minerals and can produce an acidic result. Adding pH drops and pHour salts to the water should re-mineralise it. Check the pH to make sure (at the very least) that it is above 7.

Do remember that while certain supplements can make 21st century living easier, there is no substitute for fresh, raw living foods and juices. Green vegetable juices and wheatgrass juice are great ways to pack in healthy chlorophyll rich plant foods in greater quantity than you can easily eat. This should help you build healthy blood and hair. You do need the mineral salts as well though! (you can precede your green juice with a glass of pHour salts). The same principles of freshness apply to healthy oils. Hemp or flax oil or Udo’s choice is likely to be nutritionally superior from a refrigerated dark glass bottle than in capsules.

The only other factor that I could consider from the information in your letter, is to make sure that you are getting enough calories. Avocados, olive oil, soaked almonds and sprouted beans and seeds are important sources of “fuel” when you start cutting out bread and other carbohydrates.

You should also consider a consultation with a blood analyst, who should look at your blood and review all possible dietary, lifestyle and hydration factors that may be effecting the situation.

Question Four: The Intake of pHour Salts and Medication

In Gareth’s section – 23 June- in Qu 1 -Diabetes. Lactic Acid etc, he said at one point – “should also consider taking pHour salts (as long as you are not taking regular medication)”. I read this with concern as this is the first mention of this I have seen, and as I do take several regular medications, please could I have a further explanation of this point and what types of medication he means.

Thanks for coming back to me on this. The challenge is that virtually all medication, with the possible exception of alka-seltzer (although even that contains aspirin and ascorbic acid) is acidifying.

Reversing diabetes through diet and hydration is all about promoting alkalinity so that healthy pancreatic and other cellular function can be restored. You can take pHour salts to try to promote alkalinity, but if you are ingesting acidifying medication daily then you are stoking the fire and trying to put it out at the same time.

I recommend caution in using pHour salts to those on medication because taking both acidifying agents and strong alkalising agents daily can cause challenges for some people. You can experiment with small amounts but be aware that you are pulling in two different directions at the same time.

I suspect that the medication you are taking regularly, may be a contributing factor to why you have developed diabetes and a contributing factor to lactic acidosis.

Starting to address your diabetic condition with more alkaline food choices and milder alkalising supplements such as a green powder and pH drops and regular alkaline water should help to get things moving, but I would recommend, in the longer term that you review the medication that you are taking regularly with a nutrition and pH aware physician.

Question Five: The Intake of pHour Salts & Stomach Acid

How should I take the pHour salts? I’m worried that the salts, if taken too close to a meal, will neutralize the HCL that is essential in the digestion process. I have osteoporosis and understand that the HCL is a vital element in absorbing calcium. Will the alkalizing salts hinder digestion if the salts are taken at the same time as food? Really stuck on this point. Won’t the salts eliminate the HCL?

Any thoughts on Betaine? Really need to absorb the calcium for these osteoporotic bones. Thank you.

The idea that the stomach produces Hydrochloric acid in order to digest all food is, in my opinion, erroneous. Dr. Young’s explanation of the digestive process requires far less leaps of logic than the conventional belief that hydrochloric acid converts pepsinogen into pepsin which then breaks down proteins.

Dr. Young’s view of the digestive process is based on the view that the entire process is about alkalising your food and fluids. The process starts in the mouth with the release of bicarbonate salts in the saliva. The stomach then pours further huge quantities of bicarbonate salts onto the food to further promote its conversion (or biological transformation) into blood. The by product of sodium bicarbonate production in the stomach is …. hydrochloric acid. This explains why alcoholics, who need to produce huge amounts of sodium bicarbonate to neutralise (or buffer) the highly acidic alcohol, often end up with stomach ulcers.

The best thing you can do to prevent or reverse osteoporosis is to eat a super nutritious, healthy alkaline diet and drink alkaline water. This will stop your body drawing calcium from the bones to buffer acids. Supplementing with bicarbonate salts (pHour salts includes calcium bicarbonate) should help the digestive process and provide your body with supplemental levels of minerals in a form that it is producing all the time anyway.

Click here to look at this scientific paper for further reassurance on the subject of bone building!

Question Six: Too Alkaline?

Hi.. on a machine called Scio Bio Feedback…I was diagnosed as too alkaline! Can this be? I do consciously eat alkaline and have done for years now… also I was told to eat more green veg as I don’t seem to have enough of the enzyme that helps with oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange. How can I remedy this situation? Taking chlorophyll?

ALSO! Is it true that lemons leach ones calcium from the bones to turns their action alkaline in the stomach? I use lemon lots and as I am 60, I don’t want to endanger my bones!

Alkalosis (excess alkalinity) is a medically defined condition. Hyper-ventilation and impaired kidney function are thought to be the two primary causes. The reason for this is that the lugs and the kidneys are the two primary organs that manage and maintain the tightly controlled pH balance of our body fluids. The clinical way of establishing this would be with an arterial blood gas and serum electrolyte measurement.

Ironically however, the likely cause of impaired kidney function would be excess acidity. Because all body metabolic processes produce acids, we constantly need to support the body to remove these metabolic by-products and restore alkaline fluids. Alkalosis might be a sign that something is awry, but the solution would not be to take hydrochloric acid, start drinking vinegar or put an extra cow on the barby!

Personally I would question the science of the Scio Bio Feedback machine and check, what exactly they are measuring.

Green vegetables, grasses and low sugar fruits should help to build healthy (alkalised!) red blood cells which should promote effective gaseous exchange. Juicing, blending or chewing them is the best way to increase your chlorophyll intake. You could also use liquid chloropHeal. Remember to keep it in the fridge once opened.

I must admit that the lemon question does exercise my grey matter somewhat. Lemon juice is clearly acidic outside the body. Its high content of alkaline salts should create a net alkalising effect in the body, but whether a high release of bicarbonate salts occurs in the stomach in order to promote the biological transformation to blood… I don’t know.

Lemons are low sugar fruits packed with vitamins and minerals, which should confer health benefits, but whether or not very high consumption of them (or limes) is a good thing is a question I cannot answer. Urinary testing following high lemon only consumption might give some answers. Maybe, in the meantime, moderation is advisable!

Disclaimer: These answers are not intended to diagnose and do not replace the advice of a qualified physician.

If you have a question for Gareth leave it in the comments below!

About Ross Bridgeford

Ross is known as THE Alkaline Diet Expert...especially when it comes to implementation and making the alkaline diet REAL in your life. He has been living, learning, teaching, coaching and loving the alkaline lifestyle since 2004 and has written over 600 articles, alkaline recipes, videos and guides on how to live alkaline and stay alkaline for life. Ross loves life in Brisbane, Australia (although is a proud Englishman) and is healthily-obsessed with nutrition, fitness and Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Mail | Web | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | YouTube

From Energise Alkaline Diet & Natural Health Blog - health news, alkaline diet resources & tips to make you happy! do something nice today...

Hey everyone!

Each fortnight we’re putting the best alkaline diet questions we receive from you to our Alkaline Diet Expert, Dr Young trained blood analyst and highly qualified nutritionist – Gareth Edwards.

Gareth is right at the very top of his field, so these answers are absolutely the best you’ll find from arguably Britain’s most qualified expert in this area!

Q&A With Gareth Edwards

Question One: What are the Core Benefits of an Alkaline Ioniser Water Filter?

Hi Gareth. I’m thinking of buying an alkaline ioniser water filter but want to know what the benefit is. Can’t I just add ph drops to tap water or with a brita filter? Andrew

Thanks for this great question Andrew. You might think that paying between £700 and £1500 for a machine which turns your water into … water is a big expense. That said, I finally took the leap of faith last year and I think it is one of the best £700 I have spent.

Ionisers do two things. Firstly they filter the water. The level of filtration is superior to that of the cartridge, if for no other reason than the larger area of the unit in the ioniser compared with the cartridge. Once filtered, the water then passes over electronic plates which separate positively charged (acidic) ions from negatively charged (alkaline) ones. The ioniser can affect this process to different levels allowing you to receive water of varying levels of alkalinity at the touch of a button. Acidic (waste) water passes from the machine via another tube.

As I understand, when you add pH drops to water, acidic mineral complexes remain present, but the highly alkalising solution that you add has an over-riding effect on the water’s pH. There is, apparently, a further benefit to the separation process of ionising. Minerals form clumps in water. The ionising process substantially reduces the size of these clumps, which means that the remaining, negatively charged (alkalising) minerals (in smaller clumps) can be more easily assimilated and metabolised within the body.

Ionising also dramatically reduces (a good thing) the ORP (oxidation reduction potential) of water (edit: Ross – ORP is how the antioxidant level of a substance is measured. The lower the ORP the greater antioxidants potential of the substance.). This also promotes the alkalising and de-toxifying effects of the water that the ioniser produces.

To understand more about water read the chapter you are what you drink in Dr. Young’s book the pH miracle for weight loss (it’s as much about health as weight loss!).

Editors comments: If you are interested in getting more detailed information about water ionisers, their specifications, prices, etc then please click here to have a look at our wide range of some of the best ionising machines available on the market from Chanson Water.

Question Two: How can you add Vitamin B12 to an Alkaline Diet?

Vitamin B12, which is essential for life, is not found in alkaline diet. It can be obtained from meat, fish, eggs and cheese, which are all acidic. So how can you add Vitamin B12 to an alkaline diet?

Another great question. Dr. Brian Clement, the principle of the Hippocrates Health Institute in Florida (specialising in raw food diets for health and healing) has written some very interesting papers on this subject. He firmly believes that the vitamin B12 that is produced in our digestive tract is re-absorbed into our blood stream. Conventional medical wisdom would say that this is not the case.

This was an issue, quite high in my mind when I cut out most animal protein from my diet. A couple of factors however put my mind at rest on the subject. Daphne Lambert, award winning organic chef, soil association trustee and green and raw food nutrition teacher and advocate, lives on a vegan diet. She rarely visits hospitals, but after a car accident was forced to have a blood test in hospital. Her vitamin B12 levels were completely normal. She does not take a B12 supplement and, to my knowledge, does not eat any animal protein. If Brian Clement’s hypothesis is correct, then colon and intestinal function are more important to maintaining B12 status, than ingesting food sources containing it.

Further interesting information on this subject comes from research carried out by an acupuncturist friend of mine. It appears that Vitamin B12, which can only be synthesised by bacteria, not animals, is present in high levels in the soil attached to root vegetables. Fanatical hygiene, or even peeling root vegetables, could actually reduce our B12 intake from, relatively alkaline food sources. Soya yoghurt, although slightly acidifying, does provide B12 too.

B12 is principally required for healthy red blood cell formation. Chlorophyll (such as Young pHorever Liquid chloropHeal), healthy oils (such as Udo’s Choice Ultimate Oil Blend and Jarrow Krill Oil) and salt (such as Young pHorever pHlavor Mineral Salts) are also primary requirements for erythrocyte (red blood cell) formation, so you need to be sure to get those elements in abundance.

If you are concerned about your B12 status you could ask your doctor to test it or arrange to have it done privately with a qualified health professional. There are B12 supplements available, but I do not use them or specifically recommend them to clients.

Question Three: Can Alkalising help my with Bone Spurs and Arthritis?

Can alkalizing help my body with bone spurs and arthritis? I have a ridge of bone (calcification) and Stage 1 osteoarthritis in my right great toe. So far the options I’ve been given are surgery, cortisone injections, or just live with it. So far, raising my pH from 5 to 6.8 hasn’t shown any effect. How long would it take for effects to be noticeable?

For a start, alkaline diet and hydration should be able to help reduce pain and discomfort in this area. I used to have a particularly painful bony projection on the side of my foot, which has now reduced and rarely gives me any discomfort.

I think you’re going to need to get stuck in and be as dedicated as you can to see results. Osteoarthritis and calcification are likely to have resulted from acidity of body fluids and tissue. Calcium deposits are laid down to buffer acids and acids in their turn can be destructive to bone and cartilage structures.

Its outstanding work to get (presumably your urinary) pH up to 6.8. You need to keep going to get it up to consistently above 7.5 or higher! Drink your greens (such as Young pHorever Doc Brocs Power Plants), take pHour salts and eat as high a raw food diet as you can. Additionally I’d recommend acupuncture and a good chiropractor or osteopath.

Surround yourself with people who will help to keep you motivated. If you are taking any medication, arrange a consultation with a qualified practitioner who can help you develop strategies for reducing that in conjunction with your GP.

Question Four: How can I get in touch with you Gareth?

How can I get a hold of you Gareth? I have some questions regarding this lifestyle. I have been living 100% raw and alkaline for 7 months now and drinking 5-6 litres a day with greens and ph drops. I’m young and I have goals to achieve the body I want and the mental state. From the day I started to today I have not achieved anything. I have gained weight, I have NO energy etc. etc. So would be great if you could give me an email or something where I can chat with you.

People reading this may think this is a plant question to advertise my services! This is not the case. It does however happen sometimes that having a look at wider issues and a review of all the factors likely to be affecting your health would help you to get where you want to go.

There are several options for a consultation with me. Click here to see them. If trips to London are not possible then I can do a consultation with you on the phone or via Skype. You’ll need to fill in a health questionnaire and food diary and e-mail them to me. Most people find this helps clarify issues and get a broader perspective on all issues in your life that can effect pH balance, health and help you to achieve your desired weight.

You can book through Energise For Life or go to my website. I look forward to hearing from you.

Question Five: Is it ok to have Juice and a Snack at the same time?

One I’m not sure of now is – is it ok to have juice and a snack (like soaked almonds) at the same time? It’s just that I cannot see myself surviving my mornings with juice alone if to have it first thing in the morning….!

I get this. I just went to see Joseph McClendon with Callum (Partner in EFL). Joseph was recounting how he lives only on juice for two weeks a year. During that time he expects to lose several kilos in weight. It sounded powerful but tough. Dr. Young encourages people to feast, rather than fast when cleansing. This means that you put low sugar, high nutrient food into your body in abundance. He recommends green smoothies and juices.

My answer to your question would be yes. Chicken and chips or green juice and soaked almonds? Let common sense preside! A very good question though.

Question Six: Have you got any ideas for battling nasty sweat rash?

I have been battling with a nasty sweat rash under first one then both breasts, I am a large lady and very careful re hygiene but have always sweated badly. Oddly my deodorant (Mitchum) always seems to control it but has aluminum in it which I hate but it is the only one of many that works for me. Used Sudacreme although it stops the water it does not work. Very allergic to hydrocortisone and have even tried a new natural fungal treatment. I am at my wits end so wondered if you have any ideas. Does not itch now but left with very rough unhappy skin.

Thank you for your question. When our body fluids and tissue become acidic the body will want to excrete these acids. Urination, defecation, respiration and perspiration are the four primary “ways out”. If we are not drinking enough alkalising fluids or eating enough alkalising (high water, low sugar content) foods to promote urination or defecation, then the acids may well come out through the skin in the form of sweat. The acid that will be contained in the sweat is likely to cause irritation and rashes. Areas where there are folds in the skin or limited ventilation are likely to be the most effected.

I would strongly recommend that you heal from the inside. Use EFL’s alkaline lifestyle course and drink a green powdered drink (such as Doc Broc power plants) with pH drops (such as Young pHorever PuripHy). You should consume at least two to three litres a day of the drink a day. That will make you urinate more, which will be a good thing.

These answers are not intended to replace the advice that can be acquired from a personal consultation with a qualified physician. If you are experiencing persistent symptoms of any sort, you should consult with a nutritionally aware physician.

Ross says: more great questions and answers from Gareth! If you have any questions of your own or would like to ask a follow up question to any of the above feel free to leave a comment below!

About Ross Bridgeford

Ross is known as THE Alkaline Diet Expert...especially when it comes to implementation and making the alkaline diet REAL in your life. He has been living, learning, teaching, coaching and loving the alkaline lifestyle since 2004 and has written over 600 articles, alkaline recipes, videos and guides on how to live alkaline and stay alkaline for life. Ross loves life in Brisbane, Australia (although is a proud Englishman) and is healthily-obsessed with nutrition, fitness and Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Mail | Web | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | YouTube

From Energise Alkaline Diet & Natural Health Blog - health news, alkaline diet resources & tips to make you happy! do something nice today...

During the Christmas period some of us might have fallen off the health wagon and therefore it is time for many of us now to resume a healthy and alkaline lifestyle!

A great starting point is the use of green drinks, which are highly nutritious and alkalising. This week our Alkaline Diet Expert and highly qualified nutritionist Gareth Edwards highlights the numerous health benefits of green drink!

The health benefits of green drinks
by Gareth Edwards

Whether you are looking to recover New Year detox plans that have gone astray or you are a seasoned alkaliser wanting to take things to the next level, drinking your greens is one of the most powerful, straightforward and sustainable ways to keep moving forward with your health goals. Drinking a mixture that looks a bit like pond water may not be the most obviously appealing way of looking after yourself, but the benefits are likely to help you overcome any reservations about the appearance, fairly rapidly! And guess what? It doesn’t taste that bad either!

Where do Green Drinks actually come from?

To understand why these increasingly ubiquitous Popeye powders have the potential to be energising, reduce pain, support weight loss, improve skin and digestive function we need to look at a bit of health food (and drink!) history.

In the 1950’s Ann Wigmore started something of a health revolution when she cured herself of colon cancer, largely using wheatgrass juice, green plant foods and sprouted seeds and beans. She had noticed that when cats became unwell, they would suck on grass, rather than dig in to another tin cat food! Wigmore started a health institute in Boston Massachusetts and a vital piece in a new health movement was formed.

Growing harvesting and juicing your own wheatgrass and other green vegetables and grasses is one of the most powerful health tonics on earth but …. It can be incredibly time consuming. Finding a twenty first century “scoop and go” version of these green healing regimes has rapidly become crucial for busy people who are serious about optimum health. Drying grasses, sprouted seeds and vegetables at low heats preserves many of their health giving properties in a portable form, with considerably more convenience.

Why Green?

Example

So why should grass or broccoli be better than say orange foods such as papaya or carrot? I am sure this is obvious to more experienced alkalisers, but the answer is of course sugar…. These green, nutrient dense, fibre rich “superfoods” do not contain fructose (the sugar found in fruit) or high levels of the starches that make root vegetables taste sweet.

In addition, what makes green vegetables and grasses green is the pigment and light harvesting molecule chlorophyll. Isolated (extracted) chlorophyll has been shown to improve digestive disorders and help reduce tumour growth in cancer patients. One of the remarkable factors about chlorophyll is its virtually identical chemical structure with that of haemoglobin (the oxygen carrying protein in blood). The only difference is that magnesium is the central atom of chlorophyll, compared with iron in haemoglobin (see diagram above).

What Are Green Drinks>

These convenient, powdered drinks are a combination of (depending on which brand you chose, we recommend Doc Broc from Dr Young) powdered grasses (wheatgrass, barley grass, kamut grass etc), vegetables (broccoli, spinach, kale etc), low-sugar alkaline fruits (avocado, tomato, lemon etc) and sprouted grains (alfalfa, mung, radish etc).

These powders are prepared using extreme care and low heat dehydration (be sure to make sure your greens aren’t flash frozen) to retain the goodness and are a nutritional powerhouse.

pHion Balance have researched, tested and discovered that once scoop of green powder is the equivalent to 1lb of fresh raw vegetables. I’m sure you can imagine the effect you’d soon feel after using four scoops per day!

The Second Generation

So drinking a powdered grass and green vegetable powder mixed with water is likely to give you high levels of chlorophyll, minerals, vitamins and fibre wrapped up in a low sugar, stimulant free bundle.

American biochemist and dietary healing specialist Dr. Robert Young has however developed an advanced method of using these green powders to enhance health even further.

His research has found that adding drops of concentrated alkaline mineral salts to the water in which powdered greens were mixed gave the additional health benefit of helping us to further alkalise our body fluids and ultimately tissue. These pH boosting drops have now become extremely popular and are giving great benefits to thousands of people all over the world. His 2nd generation drops ‘PuripHy’ are scientifically much more advanced than any other on the market (see our video on pH drops here) and we thoroughly recommend these.

In addition to this Dr. Young has researched and hypothesised that by including sodium in the alkalising mineral mix, he would provide the molecular building block needed by the body to …….. turn chlorophyll into haemoglobin.

But what about the taste?

So there you have it, nutritious, genuinely healthy and potentially able to help you build healthy blood (your energy and health “currency”). What could be holding you back from drinking either litres of green juice or powdered greens with drops?

Most people who try greens (of any sort) for the first time, are pleasantly surprised to find that “actually it doesn’t taste too bad”. “Like cold tea” is what I’ve most commonly heard about powdered greens. The reality is that if you find them really unbearable, unfortunately you probably need them more than any body ….. Mycotoxic and other forms that love an acidic environment aren’t going to react too well to their nutritional grim reaper!

How and what

If you are struggling with the taste or experiencing de-tox type symptoms then build up your intake slowly. Make a very dilute mixture of powdered greens with a few drops and maybe start with one glass a day. Ultimately you want to aim for two to three litres (maybe more if you are big) of green powders or juices a day. Aim for about one scoop of powder per litre or follow manufacturer’s instructions. This should help “wash” any stored acids and those that we make in our bodies out. Put some nice pictures in your sight line at the toilet, so you don’t get bored!

Do remember to mix mineral drops containing sodium with the fluid as increased urination can reduce your mineral levels. Be sure that you are adding salt to your food too. Some people do experience headaches, colds or re-emergence of old symptoms as they start to “de-tox”. That shouldn’t be a cause for concern, but if you experience sustained discomfort, when you increase your intake of greens, you should consult a nutritionally qualified physician.

Which Green Drink:

There are now lots of green products available. Personally I use and recommend those that contain only grasses, vegetables, sprouts, low sugar fruits (avocado, tomato, etc.) and maybe minerals.

Our top three choices are:

1. Doc Broc: Dr Young’s 4th Generation Green Drink
2. MegaGreens: perfectlyhealthy’s green drink made from organic New Zealand grasses
3. Green Superfood: pHion Balance’s newly reformulated green drink

You can view all of our green drinks here.

Which pH Drops

I use and recommend Dr. Young’s puripHy or prime pH for alkalinity.

Here Is Your Action plan:

So if you are serious about your health and achieving your goals in 2010 you could do a lot worse than to start, increase or carry on drinking your greens.

Don’t forget that eating and drinking the “real” stuff has tremendous benefits, but if you’re rushing, travelling or just can’t face a plate of tomatoes, cumber and kale, then green powders with alkalising drops have a lot going for them.

You should aim for between 2-4 scoops of greens taken each time with one liter of good quality alkaline water.

General note: if you experience any adverse symptoms, you are advised to seek the guidance of a nutritionally informed physician.

About Ross Bridgeford

Ross is known as THE Alkaline Diet Expert...especially when it comes to implementation and making the alkaline diet REAL in your life. He has been living, learning, teaching, coaching and loving the alkaline lifestyle since 2004 and has written over 600 articles, alkaline recipes, videos and guides on how to live alkaline and stay alkaline for life. Ross loves life in Brisbane, Australia (although is a proud Englishman) and is healthily-obsessed with nutrition, fitness and Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

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From Energise Alkaline Diet & Natural Health Blog - health news, alkaline diet resources & tips to make you happy! do something nice today...

Following on from last weeks blog post about the health benefits of chlorophyll, I thought it would be excellent to follow it up with one of my favourite juices – the Blood Builder.

This juice is absolutely packed full of chlorophyll and is incredibly highly alkaline.

Blood Builder Vegetable Juice

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 cucumber
2 large handfuls spinach
Handful parsley
1 stick celery
Handful of kale

Preparation

Simply wash all of the ingredients thoroughly, roughly chop and juice! To give it more of a fruity, less veggie flavour squeeze fresh lime or lemon in at the end.

For extra goodness and zing you could add a scoop of green powder, some pH drops and Dr Young’s ChloropHeal!

I promise you will be bursting with energy after this one!

About Ross Bridgeford

Ross is known as THE Alkaline Diet Expert...especially when it comes to implementation and making the alkaline diet REAL in your life. He has been living, learning, teaching, coaching and loving the alkaline lifestyle since 2004 and has written over 600 articles, alkaline recipes, videos and guides on how to live alkaline and stay alkaline for life. Ross loves life in Brisbane, Australia (although is a proud Englishman) and is healthily-obsessed with nutrition, fitness and Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Mail | Web | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | YouTube

From Energise Alkaline Diet & Natural Health Blog - health news, alkaline diet resources & tips to make you happy! do something nice today...

Sometimes nature does the most obvious things to help us out.

You know how there are certain things in life that just seem so obvious you think that can’t be true! Certain consequences, like removing red wine stains by tipping white wine onto them (I still can’t believe that works!), are in fact, everywhere. And chlorophyll gives us another one of them.

Knowing how important the health of our red blood cells are to our wellbeing, if we’re looking for something to ensure our red blood cells are clean, healthy and plentiful, wouldn’t we look for something that gives our body exactly the tools it needs to do this? Of course we would.

And what is the most essential substance that our body uses to build and transport red blood cells? Hemoglobin.

So it makes sense that we should, somehow, give our body hemoglobin! “But how?” I hear you ask.

“Chlorophyll”, I answer.

The Benefits and Wonders of Chlorophyll – why I love it!

Chlorophyll is miraculous. It has SO MANY health benefits it makes it a true wonder-food. However, the most marvellous and amazing benefit it gives comes from the fact that its molecular structure is absolutely identical to hemoglobin except for the center atom. In hemoglobin this is iron, whereas in chlorophyll it is magnesium. This means that when ingested, chlorophyll actually helps to do the job of hemoglobin (hemoglobin is so vital to the health of our blood – in fact, blood is approx 75% hemoglobin). It helps to rebuild and replenish our red blood cells, boosting our energy and increasing our wellbeing almost instantly.

I know this sounds a bit like the old ancient Japanese legend that eating brains makes you smarter – BUT – eating/drinking chlorophyll does increase the quality AND quantity of your red blood cells.

Chlorophyll has the power to regenerate our bodies at the molecular and cellular level and is known to help cleanse the body, fight infection, help heal wounds, and promote the health of the circulatory, digestive, immune, and detoxification systems. Chlorophyll consumption increases the number of red blood cells and, therefore, increase oxygen utilization by the body. Chlorophyll also reduces the binding of carcinogens to DNA in the liver and other organs. It also breaks down calcium oxalate stones for elimination, which are created by the body for the purpose of neutralizing and disposing of excess acid.

Other Chlorophyll Benefits

So in addition to helping to rebuild and replenish our red blood cells, chlorophyll, being highly alkaline, also gives the body the following benefits:

• Anti Carcinogenic: Chlorophyll protects against a whole host of carcinogens found in fungus-laden foods such as nuts and grains, the toxins from cooked meats, and air-borne carcinogens (from pollution). It blocks the metabolism in the body of harmful chemicals known as procarcinogens that damage DNA. Studies published in the journals Carcinogenesis and Food and Chemical Toxicology clearly display that chlorophyll inhibits carcinogenesis.
• Antioxidant & Anti-inflammatory: containing high levels of the vitamins A, C and E, chlorophyll has strong antioxidant capacity and has also been found to help reduce inflammation.
• Chelation of Heavy Metals: chlorophyll is one of the most important chelates in nature. It’s ability to bind to and remove toxic heavy metals such as mercury makes it an extremely powerful healer. I’m about to have four mercury fillings removed, and you can bet that I will be getting PLENTY of chlorophyll into my body after the procedure!
• Antiseptic: while chlorophyll doesn’t actually have antiseptic properties of its own, it, quite remarkably, DOES have the ability to aid our body’s tissue in destroying germs. By strengthening tissue, it increases the disease resistance of cells and, at the same time, prevents the growth of bacteria!
• Treats Bad Breath: This one is a real bonus and really works! Chlorophyll has a double-action remedy for bad breath. Firstly, as a deodoriser, it will eliminate odours in the mouth and throat, but secondly (and more importantly) it promotes a healthy digestive tract – which is the primary reason for bad breath. And if you need more – here is another blog post on foods for bad breath!
• Rapid Delivery of Magnesium: this has a highly alkalising effect on the body and helps to deliver much needed oxygen to cells and tissues.
• Contains vitamin K, C, folic acid, iron, calcium, protein: which are all also essential in building and repairing red blood cells and boosting our immune system.

How to Get the Benefits of Chlorophyll

All of the health benefits of chlorophyll are easy to get on a daily basis. The simple way? Eat your greens and drink your greens. I know we are always going on about the importance of greens in your diet, but this is one of the main reasons why – it ensures you’re getting plenty of chlorophyll!

Here are a few sources:

• Green Drinks: juiced yourself (here is a recipe for you!) or made from powdered greens (such as Dr Young’s pHruits & pHoliage or pH Ion’s Green) – green drinks are a dense source of alkalising, chlorophyll rich greens that are easily assimilated by the body.
• Natures Sunshine Chlorophyll: this is one of my top, top supplements – a concentrated, dense, tasteless (almost) source of liquid chlorophyll that you can add to any drink (water, juice, smoothie) to give your body a constant source of chlorophyll. It is amazing the difference it makes to your energy. Brilliant. And unlike most liquid chlorophyll supplements it isn’t refined and highly processed (killing the goodness) or packed full of sweeteners.
• Green Food in General: eat loads of greens! Think of great big salads and veggies – spinach, lettuce, broccoli, Asian greens, green capsicum, asparagus, peas, beans, kale etc. Any food that is green is that way because it contains chlorophyll – so eat up!

So the simple message is this: go green. Eat, drink, ingest however you can.

My personal experience suggests that going green, going alkaline and getting a mass of chlorophyll daily does absolute WONDERS for your health and energy. You really notice the difference! So if you want more energy, go get yourself some. It’s really that easy!

About Ross Bridgeford

Ross is known as THE Alkaline Diet Expert...especially when it comes to implementation and making the alkaline diet REAL in your life. He has been living, learning, teaching, coaching and loving the alkaline lifestyle since 2004 and has written over 600 articles, alkaline recipes, videos and guides on how to live alkaline and stay alkaline for life. Ross loves life in Brisbane, Australia (although is a proud Englishman) and is healthily-obsessed with nutrition, fitness and Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Mail | Web | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | YouTube

From Energise Alkaline Diet & Natural Health Blog - health news, alkaline diet resources & tips to make you happy! do something nice today...