Curious About Alkaline Water?

Maintaining your body’s pH balance is extremely important to your health.  When your pH is balanced at a normal healthy level, your body is slightly more alkaline instead of acidic.  Our standard American diets are packed with acidic foods (fast, fried and fake).  Plus, we are more stressed and exposed to more environmental toxins than ever, and this can make balancing our pH levels difficult. 

Are you confused by what acidity means?  The difference between acidity and alkalinity may be a bit confusing, so here is a chart to help you see the differences.  

If you really start to pay attention, for the most part, the unhealthy foods are the most acidic to consume.  Did you know that soda is one of the most acidic substances you can put into your body?  This acidic condition creates an ideal environment for sickness to thrive.  When we are acidic, our bodies will borrow minerals from our bones, teeth and organs to try to neutralize the acidity.  High acid levels can cause multiple problems like diarrhea, osteoporosis, anxiety, rheumatoid arthritis, and compromised immune systems and cell health. 

Why should you focus on your body’s pH balance and alkalinity?  One of biggest things I have learned about why I want to keep my body’s pH in balance is that sickness absolutely thrives in an acidic environment.  Therefore, why would I not do everything I can to keep my body as alkaline as possible?  I am always thrilled when I realize I can have an positive impact on my health by the foods and drinks that I put into it.  We all have days were we might not stay on track, but I love knowing there are ways I can get my body back in balance and feel my best.

A great way to balance your body’s pH is through fruits and vegetables.  But, what can alkaline water do to help control acidity in your body?  Alkaline water, a.k.a. ionized water, is water that has a pH level greater than seven, typically between 7 and 10.  A pH of 8.4 or above is best for alkaline water, and a good source of this is spring water that naturally becomes alkaline by obtaining minerals as it passes over rocks.  Regular tap water comes out at a pH of 7.4 – 7.6, but it quickly loses its pH.  After researching, I chose Diamond Creek alkaline water because I believe it is premium water and superior because of the way it is bottled.  If you are curious to learn more about Diamond Creek, click here.

The pH scale measures acidity and alkalinity.  This scale runs from 0 to 14.  Seven is considered neutral, zero is very acidic and 14 is very alkaline.  The ideal, healthiest pH for humans is slightly alkaline, at 7.4.  An easy way to maintain alkalinity in your body is to consume at least five glasses of alkaline water every day.  This is what we do in the Thomas Household!

Not sure how to test your pH balance for acidity or alkalinity?  You can get test strips at your local drug store to test for this.

But, not all “alkaline waters” are the same.  You may have heard about “Reverse Osmosis” water where basic tap water goes through an R.O. machine to ionize water and gives it a higher pH level.  Unfortunately, R.O. machines can use titanium and platinum to make the water alkaline which does not introduce natural minerals that our bodies need.  They also strip away minerals and important attributes in their ionization process to add pH back into the water.  Any additional pH the water has will only last a day or two. 

True alkaline water, like Diamond Creek, comes from a natural spring that already has minerals like calcium, zinc, magnesium, potassium sulfate and nitrogen that are ionizing from the start.  Once this water goes through microfiltration, UV, Ozonation and Ionization processes, it will have a much higher and longer lasting pH which provides huge health benefits like these: 

• Hydrates our bodies 3 X more effectively than normal Reverse Osmosis water because it contains 5 to 6 water molecules per cluster making it super hydrating and easily absorbed into tissues.
• Neutralizes and detoxifies the acidity in our bodies from the environment, prescription drugs, unnatural acidic foods (like Fast, Fake and Fried) and from the normal process of aging.
• Helps to bring your body to an alkaline state where sickness cannot flourish.
• Acts as an antioxidant that eliminates free radicals which can cause cancer, faster aging, diabetes, etc. by converting free radicals to oxygen for your tissues to use and for producing energy.  Cancer cannot survive in an oxygenated, alkaline environment, which is why drinking alkaline water is one of my top “Grateful 8 Rules for Wellness.”
• Enhances your immune system to fight off disease and to heal itself.

More reasons to drink Alkaline Water

The pancreas plays an important role in helping your body maintain its alkalinity.  Over time, the pancreas can become overworked by the constant fight to keep pH levels balanced.  As it becomes worn down, it can struggle to maintain proper glucose levels.  Once the pancreas can no longer effectively control blood sugar levels, diabetes and even obesity can occur.  Natural ionized water has an alkaline pH (more than 7.4), and it gives the pancreas a break from having to work so hard at balancing pH in your body.  Alkaline water helps to stop the pancreatic breakdown that can lead to diabetes.

There’s even more good news about drinking alkaline water.  According to Livestrong.com, “One study in a 2001 issue of “Shanghai Journal of Protective Medicine” found drinking alkaline water for 3 to 6 months lowered cholesterol, blood glucose and blood pressure levels in participants. Another study in the July 2012 edition of “Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology” found water with a pH of 8.8 effectively neutralized stomach acid and pepsin, making it a possible treatment for acid reflux.”

Give alkaline water a try, and I promise you will feel a difference!

 

Source:  http://www.livestrong.com/article/498701-what-are-the-benefits-of-drinking-alkaline-water/

Source:  http://www.alkalinewaterionizers.org/diabetes-ionized-water-benefits/

Source:  http://www.undergroundhealth.com/the-5-major-benefits-of-drinking-alkaline-water/

Source:  http://www.budwigcenter.com/acid-ph-dangers.php