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Don't fool yourself - crash dieting and "marathon" gym sessions simply don't work. Your body was never meant to be fat. And getting it back in shape is easier than you think... |
Acid Makes You Fat
By Yuri Elkaim
Simply put, the North American or Western diet is very acidic. From most proteins to many dairy products (especially cheese) to most grains, we take in far more dietary acids than we do alkaline-forming foods. And this imbalance between acid and alkaline can cause some serious long-term health problems.
You see, when a food is ingested, digested, and absorbed, each component of that food will present itself to the kidneys as either an acid-forming compound or an alkaline-forming one. And when the sum total of all the acid producing and the alkaline producing micro and macronutrients is tabulated (at the end of a meal or at the end of a day), you’re left with a calculated acid-base load.
If the diet provides more acidic components, it will manifest as a net-acid load on the body. And if it provides more alkalizing components, it will manifest as a net-alkaline (or base) load on the body.
So why is having a net-acid load, also known as acidosis, bad?
Every cell of the body functions optimally within a certain pH range (pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of the body). In different cells, this optimal range is different. However, the net pH of the body has to remain tightly regulated. The blood, the most important tissue of the body, requires a pH of between 7.35 and 7.45, which is slightly alkaline.
If the pH of the blood falls even slightly out of this range, then you die – it’s that simple.
The stomach, on the other hand, is meant to be acidic so it can properly breakdown and begin digesting proteins. The stomach is generally at a pH of 2.0, which is highly acidic. One of the reasons that antacids are not recommended (except from your doctor, unfortunately) is that they lessen the acidic environment of the stomach.
As a result, the stomach ends up churning and working harder in an attempt to digest protein-based foods. The result: Incomplete digestion. Low acid in the stomach also impairs the absorption of several critical minerals, especially iron and calcium. So just remember, the blood needs to be alkaline, the stomach needs to be acidic.
One common problem with most industrialized societies is that their diets produce chronic metabolic acidosis. This identifies a state in which the body is chronically acidic. The potential renal acid load (or PRAL, a measure of the amount of acid being introduced through the diet) of our diets is high, meaning we're chronically in a state of high acidity.
Although there are a number of disease states that induce severe metabolic acidosis, we're talking a sub-clinical rise in acidity here. Therefore, your doctor probably won't notice the problem. But that doesn't mean that you're in the clear. Your cells will recognize the problem.
So what's wrong with this low-grade chronic metabolic acidosis?
Well, since the body must, at all costs, operate at a stable pH, any dietary acid load has to be neutralized by one of a number of homeostatic alkaline-producing mechanisms. So, although the pH of the body is maintained and your blood tests turn out fine, many cells of the body will suffer. Here are some of the most severe consequences of your body's attempt to maintain a constant pH in the face of an acidic environment:
Increased Fat Storage
When your blood is too acidic your body will find ways of protecting itself from the damaging effects of this acid. Just imagine acid flowing through your arteries and veins. Imagine what that could do the health of the blood vessels. Not good.
So the body sends signals for this excess acid to be stored in fat cells. When this occurs it becomes much more difficult to lose weight because now your body needs to hold onto the fat because it's acting as a reservoir for all the acid. Get rid of the acid and you'll get rid of the fat.
Furthermore, acidosis leads to higher cortisol levels, which in turn disrupts insulin regulation, causing yet another signal for your body to retain its fat stores. In many cases, acidosis can also impair the functioning of the thyroid gland (the gland responsible for your metabolism). This may lead to hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) resulting in a lowering of your resting metabolic rate. The result: A tougher time burning calories and easier time gaining fat.
So the big question is, how do you reduce the acid levels in your body?
The Eating for Energy healthy eating guide explains how to reduce acid in your body by making dietary improvements. You'll learn about acid-reducing foods that you may even have sitting in your fridge. The key to starting your weight loss journey is in reducing the acid load in your body -- if you don't, your attempt will be in vain.
