Health of the individual: establishing a healthy terrain in your own body

On his deathbed, Louis Pasteur said “I had it wrong. Don’t go after the pathogens…go after the interior terrain”. In other words, do not go after the symptoms, go after the state of the organism. We refer to this state of the organism as the ‘terrain’.

The body, which is really energy, is affected by everything that is ingested, and all situations that it is in, and is affected by emotions and thoughts. Looking after the interior ‘terrain’ requires attention to the body itself, to the emotions, and to thoughts. As Pasteur said, it is important to look after the terrain rather than attending to the symptoms.

The importance of maintaining an alkaline interior ‘terrain’ for the good of your personal health

We have known since the early 1930’s, that in order for the body to function properly and to maintain optimum health, the general pH of the human system must be alkaline. Arthur C. Guyton, M.D., who is considered the world’s most recognized author on human physiology, has spent the better part of his life studying the pHor acid/alkaline balance to the body. In his “Textbook of Medical Physiology”, which is used to train medical students, he states, and I quote, “The first step in maintaining health is to alkalize the body. The second step is to increase the number of negative hydrogen ions. These are the two most important aspects of homeostasis.” Alkalinizing the body and increasing the number of negative ions is essential for creating a healthy terrain in the human body. Harmful bacteria and viruses and even cancers cannot live in an alkalinized body.

Dr. Guyton found that when the number of negative hydrogen ions is increased, the number of electrons available for the body to use as antioxidants to repair free radical damage is also increased, allowing the body to heal quickly and to maintain a high level of health.

Dr. Otto Warburg, a noted research scientist, received the Nobel Prize in 1931 for discovering that “TO BECOME MALIGNANT, CANCER MUST HAVE A LOW OXYGEN, STRONG ACID ENVIRONMENT.” Research by German and Japanese scientists has added to Dr. Warburg’s discovery. It can now be said that there seems to be no disease causing organism, including bacteria, virus, fungus, yeast, amoeboid, or cancerous cells, which can reproduce in a highly oxygenated, increased electron, alkaline environment.

pH represents how acidic or alkaline something is. pH means the "potential for hydrogen." Scientists have found that healthy people have body fluids that are slightly alkaline, 7.1 to 7.5 pH. Your blood needs to be maintained at a pH at or near 7.4. In an unhealthy or life depleting acidic terrain, the body will rob bones of calcium which is very alkaline in order to get the alkaline calcium benefits to the blood because if the blood becomes acidic, you die. Scientists and doctors have also found that over 150 degenerative diseases are linked to acidity, including cancer, diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, gall and kidney stones, and many more. All diseases thrive in an acidic oxygen poor environment. This is why it is so important that we take actions to regulate our pH and create an alkaline environment in order for our bodies to function correctly. Keep in mind that a drop in every point on the pH scale is 10x more acid - i.e. from 7 to 6 is 10x, from 7 to 5 is 100x etc., from 7 to 2 is 100,000x more acidic, colas are in the acidic 2 pH range.

Almost everything we do including stressful life styles and our diets push us into the acidic range: proteins, carbohydrates and fats are all digested down to acids. Even metabolic functions and exercise create some acids (Lactic acid). Body fluids range between 4.5 and 7.5 pH (your blood must maintain and alkaline range of 7.35 to 7.45 pH).

Hydrochloric acid is the strongest acid there is. It registers 1.5 on the pH scale. All cola type soft drinks register at 2 on the pH scale. They are very acidic. Non-cola soft drinks are not much better. at a pH of 7 or your blood at a pH of 7.4. In fact, most soft drinks register no higher than a 3.5 on the pH scale. When you consider the fact that if your blood drops to a pH lower than 7 you die, it makes you think twice about drinking soft drinks. Caffeinated coffee is also highly acidic at a pH of about 3.5. You might want to consider decaffeinated coffee.

Food combining to maintain an alkaline interior ‘terrain’

When your body fluids are slightly alkaline you will absorb more nutrients and most chronic health problems will not happen. As noted above, eliminating soft drinks from your diet is a key step to achieving alkalinity. You also need to drink plenty of water, preferably good distilled water. Distilled water has a molecular structure that is readily absorbed by the cells. It takes about 32 eight ounce glasses of water to undo the damage of one cola in terms of returning the body to an alkaline terrain.

As well, what you eat is important, including what combinations of food you take in during the same meal. Some foods contribute to an acidic interior ‘terrain’. Others contribute to an alkaline interior ‘terrain’. You can obtain this information in books that you can find in your health food store and of course, in the book Alkalinize or Die that was recommended above.

Food combining is a key to contributing to an alkaline interior ‘terrain’. Some food combinations promote an acidic interior ‘terrain’ and others promote an alkaline interior ‘terrain.

1. Fruits should always be eaten on their own and not in combination with any other foods. Exceptions to this are a few berries, or using lemon or lime juice with other types of foods. Wait twenty minutes after eating fruit before eating carbohydrates, and wait two hours after eating fruits before eating proteins.

2. Healthy carbohydrates such as whole wheat/whole grain breads and pastas; brown or wild rice; low fat cottage cheese or yogurt; can be eaten in combination with vegetables.

3. Proteins cannot be eaten in combination with carbohydrates. Please note that vegetables that are grown below the ground such as potatoes, carrots, beets, and yams have high carbohydrate content and are to be considered in the carbohydrate foods rather than the vegetable foods. In other words, don’t eat these high carbohydrate vegetables together with protein.

4. Proteins and lower carbohydrate vegetables can be combined. Usually, these are vegetables that are from above ground such as green beans, Swiss chard, spinach, lettuces and so on.