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

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.

Question One: A bodybuilder’s diet rated by Gareth!

I’m a bodybuilder and eat lots of animal protein from good sources such as chicken, fish and red meat and whole eggs. I also eat lots of fresh fruit and veg every day and also use lots of healthy oils such as avocado, evo, walnut, coconut and fish oil. My carbs come from rice, oats and sweet potatoes as the “main” big sources outwith the fruit. I feel in the best condition of my life and my health has never been better! How would you rate the above diet?

Doing lots of exercise and eating lots of vegetables and healthy oils (such as Jarrow Krill Oil) are likely to help you feel great. Chicken, red meat and eggs are likely to have an acidifying effect on your body. If you are doing high levels of exercise then it is likely that you will excrete a lot of that acidity in the form of sweat. I would however consider going for live blood analysis to see if what feels good to you actually is good on the inside. I have a client who was following a similar regime to you, was ripped with muscles, felt great but started to loose his skin pigment.

I think that bodybuilding can be great, but I’m unconvinced that you need to eat lots of animal protein to achieve muscle bulk. Have a look at my other answer on the subject of alkalising and muscle mass and look at the new book by Jonathan Safran Foer “Eating Animals”.

Question Two: I just can’t get my pH up!

I found it very difficult to raise my ph, which is almost always around 6. I am vegetarian and I always worry about what foods to eat, though I think I eat too much carbs since it is the only thing that fills my stomach properly. For breakfast I have oats. They are not in Dr. Young’s food list. How acidic are oats? Thank you for your help.

Thanks for this important question. Concentrated, high starch carbohydrates are where we often look for sustenance when we don’t eat animal protein, but they are indeed slightly acidifying. The most important (and potentially challenging) shift to make to really reap the benefits of an alkalising regime is to dramatically increase your intake of fresh (mainly raw) dark green and leafy vegetables. Green foods, in Chinese medicine, help with blood sugar control and thus should help reduce cravings for carbohydrate foods. This is why drinking your green powder (such as perfectlyhealthy Mega Greens with MSM) with alkalising drops (such as pHion pH Booster) and water, can be such a powerful and effective way to get the alkaline ball rolling (and keep it going!). Drink two to three litres a day.

The biggest difference for many of my clients comes when they start the day with an alkaline breakfast. That means tucking into the veg right from the outset. A big raw vegetable plate, a green smoothy or green juice will fit the bill. If that’s too daunting then ease yourself in with an open sandwich on wholemeal (brown) or sprouted grain bread, piled high with avocado, tomato cucumber and alfalfa.

The best things I’ve found to help me feel full after veg only meals are: a) use plenty of healthy oils (olive, hemp, flax) and avocados b) add nuts (almonds and walnuts (ideally soaked) c) load up on sprouted beans, seeds and grains d) put salt (such as Himalayan Crystal Salt) in the dressing.

Question Three: Can the Alkaline Diet help with Thyroid problems?

My friend has been told that she is suffering from parathyroidism and has hyper-calcaemia as a result. She has had a scan where the results were ”inconclusive” but the medical profession feel sure that a gland is the problem and are keen to do surgery. She is very interested in following the alkaline diet instead, but is confused as to what to do, especially as the greens that she should eat on the diet are advised against because they are too high in calcium. I would love your advice on this.

Hyper-calcaemia describes an elevated level of calcium in the blood. This is a concern because it can lead to stones in the kidney. If somebody has an elevated level of calcium in their blood one might assume that this would be associated with the parathyroid glands which regulate whether calcium is stored in bones or released from bones into the blood.

The important factor to consider, however is that when blood, body fluids and tissue become acidic, the parathyroid glands actively promote the release of calcium from the bones into the blood in order to buffer (neutralise) the acids. The reason why your friend has hyper-calcaemia is far more likely to be because of elevated acidity through diet, hydration and lifestyle “choices” than because of “mis-functioning” parathyroid glands.

If she starts an alkalising eating, hydration and exercise programme the calcium levels in her blood should start to fall. She could explain to her doctor that she understands the concerns about the possible effects of high calcium in the blood, but would like a two to three week period to try to lower the levels. Consulting with a physician who understands these principals would probably be beneficial. The reduction in calcium levels when alkalising should be measurable by your friend’s doctor. Trying other avenues before surgery seems wise.

Question Four: Can I build muscle with the Alkaline Diet?

Hi, I am a really keen fan of the alkalising principles. I have studied “The pH Miracle” by Dr Young and listened to Anthony Robbins Living Health program. I am keen to build muscle. Everyone tells me that a diet rich in water content food will not enable this to happen because I would be denying myself the calories for this to happen. Do you agree or disagree with reasons? I would really appreciate your responses to this ….. many thanks. Can I build plenty of muscle simply by alkalising and eating lots of salads?

I think I’d flip this one on its head. I’d say that you can build muscle on a high animal protein and high carbohydrate diet, but it is likely to be at a cost to your overall health. If you want inspiration read about the Championship winning New Zealand bodybuilder Dusan Dudas on Dr. Young’s articles of health blogspot. He’s just won his first title as an alkaliser and his description of the lack of post competition exhaustion is an inspiration. On his high protein and carb regime he had elevated cholesterol and blood pressure.

The best way to build muscle, is …. to be healthy! It’s pretty tricky to do that without eating loads of fresh raw vegetables. Their high water content will facilitate the excretion of acidic waste products generated by the workouts you’ll need to do to build muscle. Muscle is built from red blood cells and red blood cells are best “built” from chlorophyll rich green plant foods. Kale, spinach, chard, watercress and other leafy greens will also help you develop a healthy digestive tract so that you can absorb any protein that you do eat.

The calories you require for energy should come from raw unsaturated vegetable fats such as olive, hemp and flax oils. Unrefined salt (such as Himalayan Crystal Salt) should provide the electrical conductivity required to energise your body too. Use sprouted seeds, almonds and walnuts and tofu as healthy, relatively alkalising sources of vegetarian protein sources.

Another set of great questions and great answers! 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.

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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...

Krill Oil is fast being recognised as the most effective and efficient source of Omega 3 (EPA & DHA) and has been clinically proven to provide the following benefits to men & women:

Men:
• Aids Muscle Growth & Repair
• Very High in Antioxidants
• Reduces LDL and Raises HDL Cholesterol
• Treats Pain & Inflammation (especially Rheumatoid Arthritis)
• Increases Libido
• Works Wonders on Skin Conditions Such as Eczema & Psoriasis
• Boosts & Maintains Energy Levels
• Dramatically Effective in Helping Treat Depression
• Significantly Decreases Risk of Mental Illness

Women:
• Proven to Decrease Symptoms of PMS
• Very High in Disease-Fighting Antioxidants
• Supports Weight Loss By Helping The Body to Burn Fat as Fuel
• Increases Metabolism
• Supports Strong Hair & Nails
• Promotes Soft, Clear Skin
• Vital for Pregnant Women or Those Wanting to Become Pregnant
• Dramatically Effective in Helping Treat Depression

Krill Oil – The Nutritional Gem from our Oceans

Article by Bibi

Krill Oil and its numerous health benefits are becoming increasingly popular and well known around the globe. Various studies have been conducted in recent years in order to prove these benefits and to highlight its superiority towards Fish Oil.

This is a quote from Dr Tina Sampalis M.D., Ph.D. which says “I call … Krill Oil nature’s perfect recipe. It’s like what nature intended for humans by putting it in a small and plentiful marine animal.”

In the following article we are going to look at this in more detail and highlight how Krill Oil has numerous health properties and can help us with various symptoms ranging from Arthritis, Hyperlipidemia to Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS).

1. What is Krill Oil and where does it come from?

Krill Oil is extracted from shrimp-like crustaceans that are abundant in all the oceans and are approx. 1 to 6 cm long and mainly feed on phytoplankton. The most well known type is the ‘Antarctic Krill’ – in technical terms (Euphausia superb). There are large amounts of Krill stock in our seas and they are also one of the most successful types of animals in the world.

This stems from the fact that their bio mass of ca. 500-900 million tons is probably larger than of any other ‘multiple-cellular’ animal. This means that the Antarctic Krill is a crucial part of the ecosystem. A core advantage with Krill is that they are plentiful in the oceans.

Krill are also positioned right at the start of the food chain and are therefore free from heavy metals and pollutants.

2. What does Krill Oil contain?

Krill Oil is similar to Fish Oils in that they are both partly made up of Omega-3 rich oils EPA (eicosapen-taenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). The main difference between those two types of oil is that Krill Oil is the unique source of Omega rich oils in the form of phospholipids; whereas all Fish Oils are triglycerides. As the Omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) contained in Krill Oil are bound to these phospholipids, the body can take them in much better than Omega-3 EFAs contained in Fish Oil.

Most Krill Oil typically has more than 40% phospholipids by weight and upwards about 30% EPA and DHA. This is the main difference between Krill and Fish Oil, as the EPA and DHA of Fish Oil is totally in the form of triglycerides.

Apart from its high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are extremely important for our health, Krill Oil is also becoming increasingly popular because it contains an antioxidant called Astaxanthin. Krill eat algae that produce the bright red pigment Astaxanthin that gives Krill, salmon and other crustaceans their slightly reddish/pink colour.

Furthermore, Krill Oil also contains Omega-6 fatty acids, Vitamin A, Vitamin E and Cantaxanthin.

3. What makes Krill Oil so nutritiously valuable?

As outlined above, Krill Oil contains healthy fats like the EFAs (Essential fatty Acids) in the form of Omega-3s and Omega-6s plus the potent antioxidant Astaxanthin, Vitamin A and Vitamin E.

Mainly due to our Western diets we are commonly lacking a sufficient intake of Omega-3s, which has been proven to be extremely important for human health. Unlike the other fats, the body cannot produce them itself and yet they are essential for the efficient working of our cells that make up our body and for the development of our central nervous system. We therefore need to take them in with foods and high quality oil supplements like Krill Oil. They also play a central role in regulating our coagulation, our blood pressure and inflammations.

Omega-3 fatty acids also have a positive impact on our cholesterol levels. Krill Oil has the ability to reinstate the balance between ‘bad’ and ‘good’ essential fatty acids, which can help in the prevention of inflammations.

Furthermore Omega-3s fatty acids are also very beneficial for our brain functions, as it improves our performance and concentration capacities. People who have been taking Krill Oil have reported that they have started to feel benefits like increased alertness and higher levels of concentration.

Other well documented benefits of the EFAs are lubricate joints and improved blood circulation. They can also protect against heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes, just to name a few core benefits. Besides that, they can also help relieve secondary symptoms of asthma, arthritis, allergies and skin conditions.

As the EFAs can also help in the prevention of inflammations, Krill Oil has therefore got an important anti-inflammatory effect, which can reduce pain levels for people taking it regularly.

The other core ingredient contained in Krill Oil is Astaxanthin, which is one of the most potent natural antioxidants ever discovered. It is often called the ‘ultimate antioxidant’ as it has up to 550 times the antioxidant capacity of Vitamin E, and up to 10 times the antioxidant capacities of Beta Carotene and Lutein. Research into the health benefits of Astaxanthin also suggest that it looks very beneficial in maintaining the eyes, fertility, immunity, heart and arteries, the digestive system, muscles and joints and premature ageing of skin.

The highly antioxidant power of Krill Oil protects the body and protects the oil of becoming ‘rancid’ or to oxidize, which can be detrimental to our health. This happens quite frequently with other types of oils. These antioxidants together with the Omega-3s fatty acids are built into the cell membrane of each newly developed cell in the human body. They protect us from attacks from so-called “free radicals”, which can lead to an early death of cells and a function loss.

Another important point is the difference in the ratio of Omega-3s and 6s contained in Krill Oil. Our body uses about the same amounts of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. The main problem is that our intake of Omega-6s is generally too high nowadays due to our diet, as these EFAs are also contained in vegetable oils as well as white meat and eggs.

Krill Oil can help here – it contains 15-times more Omega-3 than Omega-6 fatty acids. This is an about three times better ratio compared to other Omega-3 sources like Fish Oils.

4. What are the main advantages of Krill Oil in comparison to Fish Oil?

Generally it can be said that people take Krill Oil for the same reasons they use other oils rich in Omega-3 fatty acids like Fish Oils and Flax Seed Oils.

Krill Oil has however got some important advantages in comparison to most Fish Oils, as has already been partly mentioned above. Krill Oil has a much more pleasant taste, as it does not cause fishy burps or a fishy aftertaste, which is a very common side effect of Fish Oil.

Another advantage is that it does not become rancid and also has a longer durability than most Fish Oils.

The results of a study published in 2003 also show that Krill Oil is easier digestible and the body can absorb it better, which is particularly the case for the absorption of the Omega-3 fatty acids. This means that a large number of people who are suffering from a very weak digestion of fats should profit from the intake of Krill Oil. This is due to the fact that the Omega-3s in Krill oil are bound to phospholipids in contrast to the Omega-3s of Fish Oils which are bound to triglycerides.

As well as this, the ratio of Omega-3s and Omega-6s in Krill oil is about three factors better than the ones contained in Fish Oils as well as Vegetable Oils.

Krill Oil can also positively influence our Cholesterol levels and has shown much better results than Fish Oil. An official study showed that the improvement was ten-times higher by a daily intake of 2g of Krill Oil in comparison to a daily 3g intake of Fish Oil.

5. What are the Core Health Benefits of Krill Oil?

Here is a list of the most common reported health benefits shown in published studies of Krill Oil:

• Arthritis: A recent study conducted with the aim to evaluate the effect on Neptune Krill Oil on Chronic Inflammation and Arthritic Symptoms. Ninety patients were recruited with confirmed diagnosis of cardiovascular disease and/or rheumatoid arthritis and/or osteoarthritis and with increased levels of C-reactive protein (CRP). The result of this study clearly show that Krill can significantly reduce joint pains, inflammation and to increase the flexibility of the joints. It has also shown to alleviate symptoms caused by osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. (Click here to see details of this Study)
• Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS): A study conducted at the University of Montreal evaluated the effects of Neptune Krill Oil on the Management of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and Dysmenorrhoea. The participants of this study were seventy patients of reproductive age diagnosed with premenstrual syndrome.

  The conclusion of the study was that Neptune Krill Oil can significantly reduce dysmenorrhoea and the emotional symptoms of premenstrual syndrome and is shown to be significantly more effective for the complete management of premenstrual symptoms compared to omega-3 fish oil. Krill oil preferentially benefited breast tenderness, feeling of inadequacy, stress, irritability, depression, joint discomfort and bloating. Both groups improved on weight gain, abdominal discomfort and swelling. (Click here to see details of this Study)

• Cholesterol: In a study conducted by the University of Montreal, McGill University and a medical centre in Quebec, Canada, 120 people were given Krill oil, fish oil or a placebo. The results of this study demonstrated within high levels of confidence that krill oil is effective for the management of Hyperlipidemia by significantly reducing total cholesterol, LDL (commonly referred to as “bad”) cholesterol , and triglycerides, and increasing HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels. At lower and equal doses, krill oil was significantly more effective than fish oil for the reduction of glucose, triglycerides, and LDL levels. This is something that no pharmaceutical drug has yet been able to manage. (Click here to see details of this Study)
• Power of Potent & Bioavailable Antioxidants: studies highlight that krill oil contains a powerful combination of antioxidants, which are not only beneficial for your continued health, but also sustain the shelf life of the oil. Krill oil provides you with an ample supply of vitamins A, E and D, plus alkaline minerals such as potassium, sodium and zinc. And it also contains large amounts of the B-complex nutrient, choline.
• Strong, Natural Stress Reducer: the high choline content (as mentioned above) means that Krill Oil is a powerful de-stresser. This, along with the general benefits to your mood and energy levels provided by this potent source of omega-3 means that Krill is very beneficial to those living a high-stress lifestyle
• Powerful Pain Killer: In a recent double-blind study, fourty-five patients with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis were administered 300 mg of krill oil. After only 7 days, inflammation was reduced by 19%, pain was reduced 24%, stiffness was reduced by 21% percent and immobility was reduced by 16%.

  The combination of three anti-inflammatory ingredients (omega 3, phospholipids and the antioxidants mentioned above) make for a very effective, and healthy, pain reliever.

• Muscle Repair & Growth: vital to the creation of new muscle is the repair and restoration phase after workout (or muscle stress) and omega 3 is absolutely vital to this process. The role of omega 3 directly impacts the bodies ability to recover and rebuild as the body will only reach an optimal level of recovery if all of the necessary components are in place- meaning that cardiovascular, hormonal, immune, and muscle function are contingent, to a large degree, upon the required amount of omega 3 consumption. As a perfect and easily absorbed combination of EPA and DHA, Krill Oil is highly recommended.
• Increases the Production of New, Healthy Red Blood Cells: Krill Oils supports the formation of red blood pigment (haemoglobin) from other, simple substances: Haemoglobin ensures that oxygen is carried around the body. Sufficient haemoglobin levels are essential as this means that oxygen and nutrients reach the muscles and other areas of the body where they are needed. Also, acidic waste products (including carbon dioxide and lactic acid), will be removed with greater efficiency if haemoglobin levels are sufficient.

If all the information above has made you interested in giving this exciting Krill Oil a try, then have a look at the latest addition to our product range – the ‘Jarrow Krill Oil 60 Softgels’ for only £29.99.

We are almost certain that you will discover your new favourite Oil supplement which has highly antioxidant powers and provides you with all the healthy essential fatty acids (EFAs) needed for our bodies to function at their most efficient level!

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...