Ideally, our diet should be 70% alkaline and 30% acidic. The average American diet is mostly acidic as the list of foods below clearly illustrates.

VERY ACIDIC

Alcohol
Artificial Sweeteners
Beef
Cheese
Coffee
Pork
Sugar
Veal

ACIDIC

Barley
Bran
Bread
Butter
Chicken
Corn
Corn Syrup
Crackers
Cranberries
Milk (cow)
Peanut Butter
Peanuts
Rice, brown
Rice, white
Spaghetti
Turkey
Walnuts
Yogurt

ALKALINE

Green Vegetables
Almonds
Apple, green
Avocado
Beans
Beets
Blackberries
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard
Figs (fresh)
Grapefruit
Lemons
Lettuce
Limes
Milk, goat
Millet
Mushrooms
Non-Sweet Fruit
Onions
Peas
Quinoa, Amaranth
Radishes
Sauerkraut
Spinach
Tomatoes

VERY ALKALINE

Cucumbers
Seaweed
Soy Lecithin
Sprouts
Wheat Grass

Recommended Books

1. The Presence Process, Michael Brown, Namaste Publishing, 2005

2. A New Earth, Eckhart Tolle, Penguin Group, 2006

3. You Can Have It All, Arnold Patent, Celebration Publishing, 2002

4. The Journey, Arnold Patent, Celebration Publishing, 2002

5. Money, Arnold Patent, Celebration Publishing, 2005

6. Happiness Is A Choice, Barry Neil Kaufman, Ballantine Books, New York, 1994

7. Happy at Last, Richard O Conner, M.S.W., PhD, St Martin’s Press, 2008
8. Radical Healing, Rudolf Ballentine, M.D., Three Rivers Press, 1999

9. The Body Ecology Diet, 9th Edition, Donna Gates

10. The pH Miracle, Robert O. Young, Ph.D, Warner Books, 2002

11. Green For Life, Victoria Boutenko, Raw Family Publishing, 2005

12. Eat to Live, Joel Fuhrman, MD, Little Brown and Company, 2003

13. Your Healthy Journey, Fred Bisci, Ph.D, 2008

14. The Relaxation Response, Herbert Benson, M.D., Harper Torch, 2000

15. Power VS. Force, David Hawkins, M.D., Hay House, 2002

16. The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom: Practical and Spiritual Steps So You Can Stop Worrying, Suze Orman, 2006

According to EPA Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, in just “26″ seconds after any exposure to chemicals through your skin or by breathing in their vapors, chemicals and/or pesticides can be found in every organ in your body. Most chemicals are not biodegradable and as a result can accumulate in body tissues. Chemicals and toxins are very difficult to eliminate from the body and can slow healing and/or full recovery of a health problem.

3 Toxic Chemicals that you may be exposed to on a daily basis:

1. DEA (Diethanolamine)
When applied to the skin, resulted in clear evidence of carcinogenic (causing or contributing to cancer) activity. This chemical is an ingredient formulated into soaps, detergents and surfactants and is found in over 600 home and personal care products. These products include shampoos, conditioners, bubble baths, lotions, cosmetics, soaps, laundry and dishwashing detergents.

2. Propylene Glycol
Propylene Glycol is the main ingredient in anti-freeze we use in our car radiators to keep the engines running cooler in the summer and from freezing up in the cold winters. Should any pet lick up a spill on the garage floor (it’s sweet tasting to animals) the die a grueling death called Organic Phosphate Poisoning. Propylene Glycol is found in cosmetics, toothpaste, shampoos, deodorants, baby shampoos, lotions, and even in some foods. Check all your labels. In the skin and hair, propylene glycol works as a humescent, which causes retention of moisture content of skin or cosmetic products by preventing the escape of moisture or water. The Material Safety Data Sheet warns users to avoid skin contact with propylene glycol as this strong skin irritant can cause liver abnormalities and kidney damage.

3. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) or Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
It is used as a surfactant to break down the surface tension of water (makes water wetter to help penetrate the surface applied to). Found in hundreds of personal care products and is a favorite for degreasers and toothpaste manufacturers.

What can SLS do to your organic tissue? Plenty!
1. SLS can be a mutagen. In sufficient amounts it is capable of changing genetic material found in cells.
2. SLS has been used in studies to induct mutations in bacteria.
3. SLS corrodes hair follicles and impairs the ability to grow hair.
4. SLS enters and maintains residual levels in the heart, liver, lungs and brain just from skin contact (shampoos, toothpaste, etc.)
5. SLS denatures protein and can impair proper structural formation of young eyes.
6. SLS can damage the immune system, cause separation of skin layers, and cause inflammation to the skin.

Product recommendations:

Soap: Waleda, Dr. Bronners, Kiss My Face
Toopaste: Waleda, Kiss my Face
Shampoo: Aubrey, Avalon, Soignee
Skin: Dr. Hauska, Waleda, Avalon
Household: Seventh Generation, Ecover
These products can be purchased at most local health food stores

Recommended Non-Starchy Vegetables

Non-Starchy vegetables go with just about everything (except sweet fruit). You can eat them with oil, butter, ghee, meats, poultry, fish, eggs, grains, starchy vegetables (like acorn squash), lemons limes, raw seeds and nuts.

Arugula
Asparagus
Bamboo shoots
Beet greens
Bok choy
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Burdock root
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chives
Collard greens
Cucumber
Daikon
Dandelion greens
Endive
Escarole
Fennel
Garlic
Green beans
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lamb quarters
Leeks
Lettuces
Mustard greens
Okra
Onion
Parsley
Radishes (red)
Red bell pepper
Scallions
Shallots
Spinach
Sprouts
Swiss chard
Turnips
Watercress
Yellow squash
Zucchini

Greens and Health
Greens form the basis of good health. Greens are nature’s primary medicine.
More greens equal more vitamins, more minerals and more phytonutients. Greens help build strong bones; they maintain a healthy cardiovascular, digestive, immune and glandular system. They are anti inflammatory and prevent damage caused by free radicals. Greens are loaded with chlorophyll which is highly cleansing and detoxifying. Green foods are the lowest calorie, lowest sugar and calorie for calorie the most nutritious food on the planet. For example, steak has 5.4 grams of protein per 100 calories; broccoli has 11.2 grams per 100 calories (almost twice as much). Keep in mind that most of the calories in meat come from fat.

One of the main problems we face as we age is the build up of acid waste products in our systems. The acidification of body tissues is the root cause of most health problems.
The most fundamental step to cure the problem is detoxification practices and eating an alkaline diet. Greens are very alkaline.

Why Should You Care About Pesticides?
There is growing consensus in the scientific community that small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can adversely affect people, especially during vulnerable periods of fetal development and childhood when exposures can have long lasting effects. Because the toxic effects of pesticides are worrisome, not well understood, or in some cases completely unstudied, shoppers are wise to minimize exposure to pesticides whenever possible.
Will Washing and Peeling Help?
Nearly all of the data used to create these lists already considers how people typically wash and prepare produce (for example, apples are washed before testing, bananas are peeled). While washing and rinsing fresh produce may reduce levels of some pesticides, it does not eliminate them. Peeling also reduces exposures, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the peel. The best option is to eat a varied diet, wash all produce, and choose organic when possible to reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.
How This Guide Was Developed
The produce ranking was developed by analysts at the not-for-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) based on the results of nearly 43,000 tests for pesticides on produce collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration between 2000 and 2005.

FRUIT OR VEGGIE SCORE

1 (worst) Peaches 100 (highest pesticide load)
2 Apples 96
3 Sweet Bell Peppers 86
4 Celery 85
5 Nectarines 84
6 Strawberries 83
7 Cherries 75
8 Lettuce 69
9 Grapes – Imported 68
10 Pears 65
11 Spinach 60
12 Potatoes 58
13 Carrots 57
14 Green Beans 55
15 Hot Peppers 53
16 Cucumbers 52
17 Raspberries 47
18 Plums 46
19 Oranges 46
20 Grapes-Domestic 46
21 Cauliflower 39
22 Tangerine 38
23 Mushrooms 37
24 Cantaloupe 34
25 Lemon 31
26 Honeydew Melon 31
27 Grapefruit 31
28 Winter Squash 31
29 Tomatoes 30
30 Sweet Potatoes 30
31 Watermelon 25
32 Blueberries 24
33 Papaya 21
34 Eggplant 19
35 Broccoli 18
36 Cabbage 17
37 Bananas 16
38 Kiwi 14
39 Asparagus 11
40 Sweet Peas-Frozen 11
41 Mango 9
42 Pineapples 7
43 Sweet Corn-Frozen 2
44 Avocado 1
45 (best) Onions 1 (lowest pesticide load)

Superfoods – Sprouts

Much of food in the Standard American Diet is heavily processed, overcooked, bleached, irradiated and genetically modified. If that is not enough, it is full of refined sugar, preservatives, pesticides, artificial colors and flavors, hormones and antibiotics.

This diet places an enormous amount of stress on the body.
Additional stress comes from toxins in the air we breathe and in the water we drink.
With prolonged stress, our body begins to weaken and break down. This is what is known as disease. As we know from the Pottinger Cat study, most of us came into this world in a genetically weakened state. Eating the Standard American Diet further weakens an already weakened body.

In order to heal we must do things to counteract years of stress on the body. Eating healthy or better is just not enough. We must give the body foods that are full of life force. These foods are known as Superfoods.

Sprouts are one of the most complete and nutritious foods.

Sprouts are rich with vitamins, minerals, proteins, and enzymes. Their nutritional value was discovered by the Chinese thousands of years ago. Recently, in the U.S., numerous scientific studies have shown the importance of sprouts in a healthy diet.
In addition to providing the highest amount of vitamins, minerals, proteins and enzymes of any food per unit of calorie, sprouts deliver them in a form which is easily assimilated and digested. In fact, sprouts improve the efficiency of digestion. Sprouts are also deliciously fresh and colorful.
Sprouts like alfalfa, radish, broccoli, clover and soybean contain concentrated amounts of phytochemicals (plant compounds) that can protect us against disease.
Alfalfa sprouts are one of our finest food sources of another compound, saponins. Saponins lower the bad cholesterol and fat but not the good HDL fats. Animal studies prove their benefit in arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Saponins also stimulate the immune system by increasing the activity of natural killer cells such as
T-lymphocytes and interferon. The saponin content of alfalfa sprouts multiplies 450% over that of the unsprouted seed.
Sprouts also contain an abundance of highly active antioxidants that prevent DNA destruction and protect us from the ongoing effects of aging.
Sprout can be added to you salads and green smoothies, eaten alone, or placed inside of your favorite sprouted grain tortilla.

Superfoods Bee Pollen

Bee pollen is one of the oldest, most researched, healing foods on the planet. The health benefits of bee pollen have been known for thousands of years. Early Egyptian civilizations used it as a physical rejuvenator and medicine. It was a mainstay of traditional Chinese herbal medicine
Bee pollen is one of the healthiest and most powerful superfoods. Its complete nutrition is beneficial for anyone looking to improve their mental and physical health, and overall well being. “Bee pollen” is actually pollen from flowers that is collected from bees as they enter the hive.
Bee Pollen is very rich in vitamins, trace elements, enzymes and amino acids. It contains 18 amino acids, RNA, DNA, vitamins A, B-1, B-2, niacin, B-6, B-12, inositol, folic acid, pantothenic acid, C, D, E and K, rutin and other bioflavonoids, beta-carotene, choline, lecithin, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, selenium, zinc, numerous enzymes, phytosterols and many other nutritional factors.
People who consume high-quality bee pollen usually experience an increase in energy. This is precisely why Bee Pollen is the favorite of many athletes who use it to help increase their endurance, stamina, speed and strength before workouts or competitions and to recover more swiftly after strenuous exercise.
Bee Pollen also appears to be effective in helping people who suffer from mental fatigue, depression, stress and the inability to concentrate. This natural energy food often helps to improve mental clarity and the capacity to concentrate for longer periods of time.
Many people with allergies have found relief by ingesting bee pollen. It has been known to reduce the production of histamine which can cause allergic responses such as hay fever. It can also help strengthen the respiratory system and provide the protein that helps the body build a natural defense shield against allergic responses.
Bee Pollen can be sprinkled on your salad or added to hummus or your favorite nut butter. It can also be added to your green drink or green smoothie. I recommend 1-2 teaspoons of Bee Pollen per day. The brand of Bee Pollen I recommend is YS Organic Bee Farms. It can be purchased at most health food stores.
A small number of people have been known to be allergic to bee and/or plant Pollen. To make sure you are not allergic; try a minute amount on the skin or the tip of the tongue before beginning the recommended dosage. If any sneezing, discomfort or rash occurs, discontinue use.

According to EPA Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, in just “26″ seconds after any exposure to chemicals through your skin or by breathing in their vapors, chemicals and/or pesticides can be found in every organ in your body. Most chemicals are not biodegradable and as a result can accumulate in body tissues. Chemicals and toxins are very difficult to eliminate from the body and can slow healing and/or full recovery of a health problem.

3 Toxic Chemicals that you may be exposed to on a daily basis:

1. DEA (Diethanolamine)
When applied to the skin, resulted in clear evidence of carcinogenic (causing or contributing to cancer) activity. This chemical is an ingredient formulated into soaps, detergents and surfactants and is found in over 600 home and personal care products. These products include shampoos, conditioners, bubble baths, lotions, cosmetics, soaps, laundry and dishwashing detergents.

2. Propylene Glycol
Propylene Glycol is the main ingredient in anti-freeze we use in our car radiators to keep the engines running cooler in the summer and from freezing up in the cold winters. Should any pet lick up a spill on the garage floor (it’s sweet tasting to animals) the die a grueling death called Organic Phosphate Poisoning. Propylene Glycol is found in cosmetics, toothpaste, shampoos, deodorants, baby shampoos, lotions, and even in some foods. Check all your labels. In the skin and hair, propylene glycol works as a humescent, which causes retention of moisture content of skin or cosmetic products by preventing the escape of moisture or water. The Material Safety Data Sheet warns users to avoid skin contact with propylene glycol as this strong skin irritant can cause liver abnormalities and kidney damage.

3. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) or Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
It is used as a surfactant to break down the surface tension of water (makes water wetter to help penetrate the surface applied to). Found in hundreds of personal care products and is a favorite for degreasers and toothpaste manufacturers.

What can SLS do to your organic tissue? Plenty!
1. SLS can be a mutagen. In sufficient amounts it is capable of changing genetic material found in cells.
2. SLS has been used in studies to induct mutations in bacteria.
3. SLS corrodes hair follicles and impairs the ability to grow hair.
4. SLS enters and maintains residual levels in the heart, liver, lungs and brain just from skin contact (shampoos, toothpaste, etc.)
5. SLS denatures protein and can impair proper structural formation of young eyes.
6. SLS can damage the immune system, cause separation of skin layers, and cause inflammation to the skin.

Product recommendations:

Soap: Waleda, Dr. Bronners, Kiss My Face
Toopaste: Waleda, Kiss my Face
Shampoo: Aubrey, Avalon, Soignee
Skin: Dr. Hauska, Waleda, Avalon
Household: Seventh Generation, Ecover
These products can be purchased at most local health food stores