Are you pH balanced?

It's time for a little eye-opening fun.
Find out if you are prone to disease by checking if you are pH-balanced.

Section A: diet and lifestyle
Questions 1 - 3

I add sugar or artificial sweeteners to tea, coffee, cereal, or other food or drinks

I eat fried foods including battered chicken and fish, french fries, pre-fried packaged foods, etc.

I eat desserts cake, cookies, doughnuts, pies, etc. and drink sweetened drinks (including sport drinks, iced tea, lemonade, and bottled fruit juices)

Questions 4 - 6

I drink cola or other soda (any kind, regular or diet)

I eat fast food (burgers, fries, onion rings, tacos, pizza, subs, etc.)

I eat convenience store snacks (chocolate bars, chips, Slurpees, etc.)

Questions 7 - 9

I eat or drink dairy products (milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt, etc.)

I eat processed, packaged foods (boxed cereals, microwaveable meals, canned soups and sauces, TV dinners, etc.)

I eat red meat and/or pork

Questions 10 - 12

I eat chicken and/or fish (not fried or battered)

I smoke cigarettes

I drink alcohol (a glass of wine, beer, or other alcoholic beverage)

Questions 13 - 16

I take over-the-counter or prescription medications

I feel stressed about my life/job/relationship

I use personal care products and household cleaning products other than those sold in reputable health food stores.

I eat pastries, breads, cereals, or baked goods containing white flour.

Section B: Symptoms and Disease

Choose the appropriate frequency of occurrence for every symptom or illness below. If you have been clinically diagnosed with an illness, select daily. If you experience more than one of the multiple symptoms or illnesses listed in a row, select the frequency of occurrence for the symptom or illness with the most occurrence.

Section B: Symptoms and Disease

Allergies, asthma, other respiratory concerns

Arteriosclerosis, heart disease, heart attack, stroke, high cholesterol

Arthritis, gout, ankylosing spondylitis

Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, senility, dementia, other brain disorders

Bronchitis, tonsillitis, laryngitis, other respiratory infections

Cancer

Chronic fatigue syndrome (diagnosed), fibromyalgia, environmental illness

Colds or flu (more than once a year)

Depression

Diabetes

Digestive concerns: pain, indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, irritable bowel syndrome, colitis

Gynecological problems: yeast infection, endometriosis, premenstrual syndrome, menopausal symptoms

Headaches or migraines

Hormonal imbalances

Kidney disease or urinary tract infections

Muscle loss, cramping, or wasting

Multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy

Osteoporosis, bone density loss, fractures or bone breaks

Pain or discomfort

Premature aging or graying

Prostate problems

Sinusitis or rhinitis

Tooth decay, loss of teeth

Weight gain, obesity, difficulty losing weight, difficulty gaining weight

Section C: Healthy Living

If you’re dismayed at your scores so far, here is a chance to improve them without cheating. Simply calculate your score for the questions below:

Questions 1 - 4

I eat cooked or raw vegetables

I drink filtered water or alkaline water

I exercise for at least 30 minutes (including walking at least 10,000 steps)

I take time for myself (meditation, rest, relaxation of at least 30 minutes)

After your total score for the questions in Section C has been subtracted from your original score (A+B) above, did it change your rank?

Final Scores

Over 50: Danger zone. Your body is dealing with chronic high levels of acidity and will rarely have a balanced pH unless it robs your bones, tissues, and organs of existing stores of alkaline substances. This means your body is subject to chronic illnesses such as diabetes, osteoporosis, fatigue and more. You must balance your body chemistry to become more alkaline. Your health is in danger, assuming that you have not already been diagnosed with a major illness. The time for change is now. It's not too late to balance your body chemistry and start reaping the rewards. However, you shouldn’t wait any longer, as it’s your life that you’re gambling with. Start being proactive, instead of reactive about your health. Start by eliminating soda and replacing it with alkaline water with lemon. Once that becomes a habit, try walking at least 10,000 steps a day, and tracking your activity with an activity fitness monitor. Next steps will be gradually eliminating toxic foods such as processed meat, bleached white flour carbs, and increasing consumption of alkaline rich vegetables such as kale, spinach and cucumbers. Once you start to see the effects of a healthy lifestyle, you will only want to continue along the path to health and wellness.

35 to 50: Warning alarms are sounding. Your diet and lifestyle are too acidic. You may already be experiencing symptoms of an unbalanced pH, such as fatigue, infections, inflammation, digestive problems, and allergies. You are eating the textbook Standard American Diet. You need to address diet and lifestyle issues to decrease your exposure to acidic foods and habits. All it takes is a change in mindset and a shift of a few simple habits. Try drinking water with lemon first thing in the morning. Replace fries and bread with a salad. Eliminate soda completely from your diet. Reduce alcohol consumption and the amount of meat you consume per week. Exercise at least 30 minutes per day, and make sure you meditate for at least 10 minutes per day. Start taking health enhancers such as chlorella and Vitamin D spray. Your body will welcome the changes and as you see increased energy, it’ll motivate you to maintain this lifestyle.

20 to 34: You probably feel you live a fairly healthy lifestyle. Compared to most North Americans, you do. But your diet is still too acidic, and you may be paying a high price for your choices, even if you haven't started to experience symptoms yet. To make your "healthy lifestyle" truly healthy, completely eliminate processed meat, artificial sweeteners, snacks such as chips and chocolate bars, and soda from your diet. Replace coffee with green tea and limit yourself to no more than one alcoholic beverage per month. The more you eat like a caveman (diet rich in uncooked vegetables, fruits, nuts and grains) the better.

10 to 19: You are well on your way toward balancing your biochemistry. Sure, you have moments of weakness, but overall you are giving your body a fighting chance to maintain a slightly alkaline condition. If all your points came from one or two areas, you already know what you need to do. Increasing your intake of health enhancers such as krill oil, chlorella and ubiquinol will ensure a lifetime of health and wellness.

Under 10: This is the pH equivalent of Mensa. Very few people will find themselves in this range. If your score is this low, congratulations. Share your successes with your friends and family and support them as they try to reduce their acidity.

* Cook, Michelle Schoffro, DNM. DAc. “The Ultimate pH Solution: Balance Your Body Chemistry to Prevent Disease and Lose Weight”. New York: HarperCollins, 2008. Print.