Archive for August, 2012

Don’t ask me how much I weigh because I will never have an answer for you.  I tell people all the time, I do not weigh myself and haven’t for years.  My weight doesn’t fluctuate often and I do not work out (something I am not proud of).  I believe my motivation has more to do with loving all my clothes than anything else (vane, but I do not want to buy new clothes all the time)!!

What  I do recommend is trying to move your body towards a more alkaline state.  A lot of people have no idea what’s the difference between alkaline and acidic foods but if you take the time to educate yourself a little, I’m sure you’re grasp the concept without having to jog your memory all the way back to chemistry class.

When your body is in an alkaline state, you are less likely to suffer from chronic diseases. In an alkaline state you will have better skin, more energy, faster metabolism, optimal digestion, higher sex drive, improved fat loss and the list goes on.  The foods and beverages you consume each day have a direct impact on the acid and alkaline balance in your body. The green smoothie that I drink almost daily is my quick and dirty way of moving towards an alkaline state without having to chew on carrots all day!

Fruits and vegetables make your body more alkaline, while processed foods, sugar, refined carbohydrates and alcohol make you more acidic. By eating alkalizing foods, you are more likely to maintain a healthy weight (explains my lack of fluctuating weight). The frequent consumption of acid-producing foods is more likely to contribute to a weight problem.

This balance is measured by determining your body’s pH value (your body’s fluids and tissues) which determines if you are more acidic or alkaline. On a pH scale of negative 4.5, which is very acidic, to positive 9.5, which is highly alkaline, your body is considered healthy and alkaline if you have a pH level of 7.0 or above. 

The average American Western diet is quite acidic.  My parent’s Caribbean upbringing, although modest on many levels, provided them to eat close to the ground, therefore naturally having a more alkaline body.  When Usain Bolt’s father explained his son’s speed with the local white yams—BELIEVE HIM!  I’m thinking of ways right now to start my own vegetable garden and I know the benefits will be long-term for me and my family.

Other benefits of an alkaline body—cancer prevention and fewer colds.  And let me add, I am not on the perfect diet—NO WAY.  I consider myself a foodie and love to eat, but I think an alkaline focus has helped to counter those bad eating habits.

“Build it and they will come”, well in that same spirit — seek an alkaline body and the weight loss will come.

Stay Healthy, tm2

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