Eating to Produce Peak Energy and Vitality in Your Daily Life: Alkalinity and The pH Miracle

07 Apr Eating to Produce Peak Energy and Vitality in Your Daily Life: Alkalinity and The pH Miracle

Posted at 21:26h in All Topics, Health & Energy!, Simplicity by
The pH Miracle: Balance Your Diet, Reclaim Your Health
by Robert O. Young, Shelley Redford Young
Pub. Date: June 2008, Grand Central
ISBN-9780446536196
480 Pages
Success Rating:5
Buy The pH Miracle at AmazonWhy I Read this Book: True success is impossible without a healthy, energetic and fit body. This provides a great road map.

Topics Covered:

  • Living a healthy, energetic and vibrant life
  • Understanding your body and what causes weight loss and gain
  • The science behind eating more vegetables and less meat
  • The importance of a healthy body in leading a successful life
  • Choosing health and wellness as your number one priority

Review:

I started Reading For Your Success almost three years ago and as I write this post I cannot believe this is the first book I have reviewed on health. It is not from a lack of reading and learning, that’s for sure. I have read dozens of books and  articles. I have attended seminars and taken classes on the subject–not to mention I am in a six-year relationship with a stunning yoga and fitness teacher and life-liver. There is nothing more important in my life, nor is there a higher priority to me than health and wellness. My family, girlfriend, friends, nothing comes above my health. Because without a healthy body I cannot do any of the other things that are so important in my life.

It’s amazing to me how many people do not take their healthy seriously. Do they not know, or do they just not care? Either way it is a tragedy to me. Don’t get me wrong, I am far from perfect when it comes to health, yet I do all I can to be fully educated on the subject and to make it my highest priority daily. Then if I decide to slip up on something, I can at least do it consciously.

Sorry for the rant, but this topic tends to run my life and I feel I am in a nice place because of it.

The pH Miracle deals mainly with the component of health relating to what we put into our mouth. It is not a diet but more of a logical (and proven) way of life. I was more than ignorant to this approach to eating until I attended a Tony Robbins event in Los Angeles last April. They spent a full day on health and energy. I was blown away. I have been reading and learning voraciously since then and have been surprised with how common these themes are among various schools of thought.

The pH Miracle approaches healthy eating in terms of the pH balance in your body. To keep it as simple as possible, according to the science mentioned, your body can either be acidic or alkaline (basic). For the most part, this is well regulated but when we consume large amounts of certain foods, we become predominantly one or the other. What we want to avoid at all costs is our body becoming too acidic. When our body is in this state, it retains fat cells to protect organs and artery walls from the excess acid. Excess fat cells often means gaining more fat pounds.

The striking thing about this occurrence is that even if you are consuming fewer calories, you may still keep excess weight and fat on your body since it is working so hard to protect from the acid. There are so many people who have said to me, “I just don’t get it. I am eating less and working out but I don’t seem to be losing the weight.” Often their problem may not be that they are eating too much but in fact that they are eating the wrong things and are much too acidic. On the other end of it, if your body is more alkaline then things tend to work as they should, no excess fat is stored and the result is a healthy and energetic body.

So the big question is, what are the foods that cause one or the other? I am going to be careful here because I don’t want to ruffle any feathers, and will leave that to the authors instead. Simply put, any type of animal protein is said to be highly acidic (meats, chicken, dairy) as well as alcohol, sugar, white flour and a number of others. Alkaline foods include water rich green and colorful vegetables (and most any veggies for that matter).

Now I know what you’re thinking…No, I am not a vegetarian nor a vegan, although I eat significantly fewer animal products now that I’ve learned the science behind it. Just think for a minute about the average American diet. How much acid is consumed vs. alkaline foods? Do you really think most people get enough veggies on a daily basis? That shouldn’t be a hard one to answer, and we already know what the result has been–our nation continues to get more obese. Not to mention the way that our food is processed these days means that it is filled with preservatives and chemicals which are of no nutritional value to our body. If any of you would like a much more in depth explanation of a more vegetable rich diet, my friend Tina has written an awesome article on her site, Think Simple Now, entitled Eating Our Way to Death, Literally.

The wonderful thing is that a healthy weight is only the beginning of the benefits of an alkaline body. Another benefit is that disease and viruses have a very hard time thriving in such an alkaline environment. Why do you think many cancer patients are told to eliminate all animal protein and stick to natural veggies and essentially become vegans? I have known people who have not been sick for 10, 15 or 20 years since they started eating this way. As for me, it has been over a year since I’ve had a cold. I have had a couple close calls but I also know what to do to prevent things if I begin to feel the onset of any symptoms. Not a bad side effect of a new way of eating. Try to think about how successful and productive you felt last time you were sick.

On top of all this, the most amazing result of alkalinity (eating more veggies) is the pure energy you’ll feel. One of the most tiring things our body has to do is digest food. And what foods do you think take the longest and are the hardest to digest? You got it, animal proteins and processed foods. Have you ever felt like a nap an hour or so after a big lunch? I know I have. It’s because the blood is rushing to your stomach to get to work on all that digestion. Or how about when you wake up after a long night sleep (say 8 or 10 hours) and you still feel sluggish or tired? Doesn’t make much sense until you realize you likely had a dinner the night before that your body had to spend the whole night trying to digest. Thanksgiving is the easiest example. That’s hard work.

Energy, excitement and enthusiasm are priceless and often rare, yet essential commodities. Many of us rely on caffeine for energy but the natural foods you put in your body can create immense natural energy. I have definitely noticed a boost of energy and I can link all kinds of success as a result of it. Just think of how much less intimidating the competition would be if you knew you had more energy than them. It’s like the race is won before the starting line. Something worth thinking about.

Key points to take away:

  • Your energy levels are directly related to how easily your body digests what you eat
  • An acidic body often retains more fat
  • An alkaline body tends to stay lean and operate as it should
  • Your body’s weight management is closely linked to its pH level
  • Colds, flus, and other viruses and disease have difficulty living and thriving in an alkaline environment
  • A diet high in water rich fruits and veggies is likely to lead to a happier, healthier, longer and more energetic life

Please keep in mind that this book is extreme at times, so please do not be offended. Just put yourself in a state of edification before you pick it up. Take from it what works in your life and leave the rest. The only thing I ask is that you think about what you read objectively and see if it makes sense and then decide if it’s something you’d like to work at incorporating into your life. The authors get very scientific at times, which some readers need. If you’re not that type, don’t worry about it and just keep making your way through it and absorb.

There are many books written on the subject. I have picked one for my focus but please contact us if you’d like more reading suggestions. So far the most digestible (no pun intended) and informative book on the subject is Skinny Bitch. I hate the name but what’s inside will blow your mind. I didn’t have the heart to post a review on it, mainly given the title. Either way, there is a wealth of knowledge out there and I encourage you to get empowered and educated. Tina’s article is also an awesome place to start.

When it comes to success there is no bigger success story than a healthy body and a life lived to the fullest every day. It does not matter how well your business is doing, how many friends you have or how wonderful your relationships are, if you don’t succeed with your body, odds are the result will be far from life success and happiness. Whether it comes in the form of anger, depression, disappointment, lack of motivation or simply being run down and out of energy; without health on your side it is very difficult to have true success. Yet so many of us do not consider this as we choose our mentors and the people we model for success. Take the fantastically wealthy investment banker (insert any high profile career here) who has enough money to buy a small country and never has to work another day in is life, but who also happens to be 60 pounds over weight, running on 4 hours of sleep a night, has a body full of constant anxiety, and has a few stiff cocktails to wind down each night? If you are getting into the finance industry, is he really someone you want to be modeling? He may be at the top of his career but who on earth would truly want to join him?

I don’t know about you but I would choose (and have chosen) calmness, happiness, energy and a healthy and fit body before any of that. A lot of us don’t even take the time to think about this so please take a moment to do so now.

Success is not a career term. It is not a money term. Nor a relationship term or a family term. It is a life term—a way of life. Everything we do goes into our success and fulfillment. We live just one life so be sure you keep your priorities where they should be. It’s not always easy, but nothing in this world can take the place of a healthy and energetic life. Happy eating.

How do you feel about health and energy? Is it a top priority? Have you attempted or thought of changing how you look at food but are having difficulties? Have you been successful? Please share with us in the comments section below. After all, this is a journey we should all be on together. Here’s to choosing health!

~Reading for Your Success

Buy The pH Miracle at Amazon

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