Long touted as the cure all, an alkaline diet does serve the body well but, like most panaceas, it is not the one and only answer. Knowing your genetic predisposition presents a solution for mapping out a plan for long and vital feel-good health.
Balancing blood pH is a task our bodies are well attuned to. There are numerous checks and regulation is required at all times. The amount of work required would exhaust most any person but luckily our bodies do this task without any conscious effort on our part.
However, we are aware of these biochemical mechanisms and we can support, respect and love our bodies for the tireless work done daily by organs, cells and organelles. This internal chemistry relies on the reactants available to produce the metabolic changes that keep our physical selves in the best state of harmony possible. For example, our genetic responses to the world around and inside us requires phosphorylation which allows for a chain reaction of enzymatic magic to occur and our everyday lives are lived and transformed.
Which means what exactly? It means that the more we do take the time, seek the support and take action, the better off we are to prevent illness and care for our beautiful bodies in times of distress.
Taking time means to quiet ourselves and listen to what our body is communicating. Aches and pain? In a sense, this is how our body speaks to us and directs our attention.
The support we seek is the loving nurturing that we give to ourselves with our food choices. Also the thoughts we have can carry us into hormonal messes or lift us into new ways of life.
Action is exactly that; regular exercise can make all the difference in how we feel, how attuned our receptors are to the ligands available and keeps muscle strong.
Generally, when I see trends promoting ketosis for weight loss or alkaline diets for therapeutic reasons, I question the sustainability. Our bodies are highly adaptable and can handle tremendous stress and pressure. The foods we choose to eat ought not to create undue stress on our minds or bodies. Rather, if we can enjoy our wholesome food choices and eat with intention and respect our individual biochemical needs then we can eat with peace of mind.
Genetic testing to verify and ascertain what foods we are programmed to do well with is a simple, non-invasive test that can be done in your own home with a kit purchased from Lifestyle Naturopathy and expedited in a prepaid mailer to a Canadian lab.
