Carlsbad, CA – Who ever said, “Beauty is Only Skin Deep” wasn’t a nutritionist! Lasting beauty doesn’t just come from expensive creams and facials; it really starts from what we put into our bodies. Our outward appearance is a direct reflection of our inner bodies and health. Eating a diet rich in antioxidants and nutrient dense foods may seem to be the key to slowing the signs of aging and obtaining natural lasting beauty – but another little known anti-aging “secret” is to maintain a neutral pH balance. Recent research has shown that if your body has an “acidic” pH balance then the aging process is accelerated and this can make it very difficult to retain a youthful appearance. So how do you know if your pH is out of whack? Do you need to hire a nutritionist? It couldn’t hurt, but by following some simple steps to create a neutral body pH balance, you can successfully help reverse the degenerative processes at work in your body and obtain that healthy looking glow, radiant health and natural beauty that we all covet.

WHAT IS pH BALANCE?
It may sound like a new athletic shoe, but “pH” actually stands for “potential of hydrogen,” and is simply the measure of acidity or alkalinity in any solution (and our bodies.) Dr. William Howard Hay first introduced the term pH balance in his 1933 book “A New Health Era.” He concluded that all disease is caused by acid accumulation in the human body, and he called this condition “autotoxication” (self-poisoning). Even though this concept seemed a bit far-fetched 75 years ago, it makes perfect sense in today’s holistic health revolution.

The perfect pH for your body is around 7.4. pH is measured on a scale of 0 to14 (the lower the pH, the more acidic the solution; the higher the pH, the more alkaline the solution). When a solution has a pH of 7.0, it is considered neutral. Therefore water (measured at exactly 7.0) is a neutral solution and comprises 70% of the human body. Our blood is considered balanced if it’s pH is close to 7.4 (a fluctuation of .2 up or down is still considered normal).

IS YOUR pH OUT OF WHACK?

An imbalanced pH affects all cellular activity in the body, leading to the progression of most degenerative disease, including: cardiovascular and heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, kidney stones, urinary incontinence, arthritis, osteoporosis, cancer, diabetes, systemic weight gain, and obesity.

Research has shown that acne, rosacea, eczema and even psoriasis can possibly be signs of mild acidosis, and the acidic joint fluid found in some rheumatoid arthritis patients is believed to have a direct correlation with their painful inflammation. An acid condition can even inhibit the absorption of vital nutrients from the foods we ingest, and just as Dr. Hay concluded in 1933, studies have shown that acidosis can be a launching-pad for many chronic ailments.

HOW DOES YOUR pH GET OUT OF BALANCE?
One answer may surprise you . . . food protein, which is vital for maintaining your health, can also create an acidic condition in your body's pH balance. States Dr. Ted Morter, Jr., a notable pH expert, “The paradox of protein is that it's not only essential (to life), but also potentially health destroying.”
Imagine that! The same protein that you need to live can actually over-burden your cells making them toxic and acidic! And remember... an acidic body pH condition facilitates accelerated aging, system degeneration and increased susceptibility to sickness and disease.

What else affects pH and causes it to become unbalanced? A mild acidosis condition (an overabundance of acid in the blood) can be caused by improper diet, but also by poor lifestyle habits or toxic emotional states. The amount of acid in the body can increase through ingestion of acid-forming foods, but it can also be affected by an abnormal metabolism or kidney malfunction. As we age, our body’s systematic removal of excess acid has begun to slow down (the lungs are not removing as much acid in the form of carbon dioxide; the kidneys aren’t able to excrete as much acid through the urine and the skin does not eliminate as much acid through perspiration). This is why you sometimes feel like you need a new carburetor.

OBTAINING OPTIMUM pH BALANCE
Although it seems a bit illogical, we need to remember that our bodies metabolize acid foods as alkaline and metabolize alkaline foods as acid. Acid foods (citrus fruits, vegetables, vinegar and other fermented foods) all become alkaline when consumed and metabolized and so are called “Alkaline-forming foods”.

On the other hand, alkaline foods (meats, flour, sugar, soft drinks, alcohol, aspirin and various medications) are metabolized by the body into “acid-forming foods.” That’s why the average American diet of hamburgers and processed food can and usually does contribute to a condition called “mild acidosis.” Although you can still eat some acid-forming foods, you may need to work on balancing your diet (60-80% alkaline-forming foods and 20-40% acid-forming foods) and give your body a chance to heal from the distress and disease now plaguing so many baby-boomers.

REVERSE THE AGING PROCESS WITH A NEUTRAL pH BALANCE
What’s the most efficient way to combat acidic stress in your body? Turn back the clock? Live a stress-free existence? Get rid of all your bad health habits and eat a perfect diet? While you’re at it, why not get in line with all the other New Year’s Resolution dropouts who fell over their feet while taking a giant step! Why not start with some very simple and do-able baby steps:

• Add a hefty dose of alkaline-forming foods to your daily diet. Eat a rainbow of health-giving, antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables everyday.

• Manage stress more effectively. Take time to relax, take a walk, exercise or meditate daily.

• Cleanse your body systems regularly. Try herbs like milk thistle for cleansing the liver, dandelion for the kidneys or just gently cleanse your body for one day by eating nothing but fresh raw fruit!

• Drink eight (8) or more glasses of pure water daily with fresh lemon juice squeezed in generously. *Remember…lemons are an acidic food that is alkaline-forming once ingested.

• Include a pH balancing greens supplement to your daily regime. Clinical Nutritionist and Herbalist, Jan Lovejoy recommends Emerald Balance, a comprehensive pH balancing, nutrient-dense green food supplement. “Emerald Balance is an energizing and anti-aging formula that naturally balances the pH levels in your body to support radiant good health—with an added bonus of ingredients that supply the building blocks for connective tissue including beautiful hair, skin and nails.” (For more information about Emerald Balance call 866-599-7022 or visit emeraldbalance.com)

We all want to be young, vibrant and beautiful. By following these simple guidelines, eating a diet rich in alkaline-forming natural foods and supplementing with specific nutrients to help ward off aging and promote a neutral pH balance, we can help ourselves to slow the signs of aging and obtain the radiant health natural and lasting beauty that we all desire . . .

Jan Lovejoy, C.C.N., and C.C.H., is a nutrition expert, entrepreneur and creator of Emerald Balance. She has dedicated her life to researching and developing quality natural alternatives to traditional medicine. For more information or to schedule an interview please contact: Nancy Ferguson ~ 760-803-6248 / nancy@emeraldbalance.com