Wednesday April 23 / 2008

Wednesday April 23 / 2008

12:09….Health News Round up with…..


12:13….A consistently healthy diet can be tough to manage in today’s fast paced and busy schedules but with the majority of the immune system resting in the digestive tract, it’s more important than we thought to commit to healthy eating habits.
GUEST: Lisa Weinberg, registered dietician/nutritionist in private practice and at the Genesis Professional Group.


12:20…Lisa Weinberg


12:35…Proceeds from the upcoming Hummingbird Ball will go toward a new 5 million dollar Breast Assessment Centre for Hamilton as part of the Juravinski Cancer Centre. The centre will serve as a one stop shop for women of all ages who find a lump or have a breast health issue.
GUEST: Carol Rand, JCC and led the Breast Assessment Centre steering committee.



12:45….Irene Hogan…women’s health specialist, pharmacist Rexall.

Acid- Alkaline Balance

The acidifying diet is now recognized as a primary cause of osteoporosis. Dr. Katherine Tucker published a though provoking paper in the European paper in the European Journal of Nutrition in 2001, studying the impact of the alkaline vs. acidifying diet. These results support the role of base (alkaline) forming foods and nutrients in bone maintenance. In other words, alkaline greens, fruits and vegetables are more important to bones than the amount of calcium in your diet. We can actually measure acid waste products with a simple urine test called Potential Renal Acid Load (PRAL). It also measures the amount of neutralized acids with their attached minerals. When the amount of acids become too much for the body’s mineral stores, the urine becomes more acidic. Urine acidity can be measured at home with a simple ph paper test. If the average ph is acidic anywhere from below 6.5 you are losing minerals. If it’s 7 ph, it is neutral and your are ok. If it tests alkaline your bones are definitely happy. Over acidity which can become a dangerous condition that weakens all body systems, is very common today. It gives rise to an internal environment conductive to disease as opposed to a ph-balance environment which allows normal body function necessary for the body to resist disease. A healthy body maintains adequate alkaline reserves to meet emergency demands. When excess acids must be neutralized our alkaline reserves are depleted leaving the body in a weakened condition. An Acid Alkaline Balanced diet, according to many experts is a vital key to health maintenance.

Understanding pH
Ph (potential of hydrogen) is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. It is measured on a scale of 0 to 14. The lower the pH the more acidic the solution. The higher the pH the more alkaline the solution. When a solution is neither acid not alkaline it has a pH of 7 which is neutral. It is important to understand we are not talking about stomach acid or the pH of the stomach. We are talking about the pH the body’s fluids and tissues which is entirely different matter.

It is recommended that you test your pH levels to determine your body’s pH needs, at least 2x a week. The best time to test your pH is about one hour before a meal and two hours after a meal. Most people who suffer from unbalanced pH are acidic. This condition forces the body to borrow minerals including calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium from vital organs and bones to buffer the acid and safely remove it. Because of the strain the body can suffer prolonged damage.

Mild acidosis can cause such problems as;
• Cardiovascular damage
• Weight gain, obesity and diabetes
• Bladder and kidney problems, such as kidney stones
• Immune deficiency
• Acceleration of free radicals, possibly cancerous mutations
• Hormone imbalance
• Premature ageing
• Joint pain, aching muscles and lactic acid buildup
• Low energy, chronic fatigue
• Slow digestion and elimination
• Yeast/fungal overgrowth


Rexall #0202
Nadine Janacek Blog Reporter