Drop Your Acid - It Will Improve Your Mood

Every Monday, That's Fit's very own "charged up" wellness guru Laura Lewis presents The Passion Principle, a weekly guide that will help you achieve your greatest potential through words of inspiration, cutting-edge ideas and action tips you can use in your every day life!

Have you ever noticed that your mood changes when your diet changes? For example, why do you feel calm and the world feels oh-so-right after you consume a big bowl of pasta? Answer is: Serotonin, the feel-calm neurotransmitter. But it doesn't stop there, folks. How about the good ol' sugar roller coaster? Are you one who has to eat mints all day long, along with a super-sweet snack comprised of a Snickers candy bar and a Coke in order to keep your mood and your energy up?

I cannot tell you how many clients I've had over the years who were locked into this pattern. With so much sugar being consumed, one might experience serious blood sugar issues such as hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or even Type II diabetes. Today, the sugar and ill-health connection is getting more and more attention. However it gets more interesting. What about dropping acid? Your acid? Got your attention?

A quick story for you. When I was in college, I was a member of none other than the "World Famous Kilgore College Rangerettes." Competition was stiff to make the team. Once you made it, your weight was monitored. During my time there, two of my fellow "rettes" began to lose an incredible amount of weight (probably eating disorders). But the curious thing to me was how their moods changed from happy-go-lucky to hardly ever a smile as they got thinner than they should have. Were their personalities changing in part as a direct result of their biochemistry shifting?

Dr. John Berardi, a human performance and nutrition expert, also a faculty member at the University of Texas in Austin, has studied how pH balance can impact one's physical and emotional health. A recent study found that those who ate a diet that caused them to become more acid were more likely to become stressed due to elevated levels of the stress hormone, cortisol! So I was thinking, if my fellow Rangerettes who were depriving themselves of food, which in turn would put them into a highly acid state called "ketosis", it would make sense why their smiles seemed to have disappeared. Am I reaching? Not really.

Here are few facts you need to know about acid-alkaline balance in the human body:

• The average pH of a healthy human is around 7.41. Do you remember doing those acid and base experiements in high school science class? You know, how vinegar is acid and baking soda is alkaline? Surely you remember. Neutral between the two is approximately 7 on the pH scale. The human body likes to be close to neutral!
• An acid state can induce feelings of stress and emotional imbalance. Hmmm, let's see here. Feeling more stressed may lead to a variety of self-destructive behaviors such as eating or drinking in excess, right? Connect the dots on that one.
  
• A diet that induces a more acid state is most assuredly raising cortisol levels. High cortisol has been linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and a decreased sense well-being.
• Eating a diet rich in green vegetables and a moderate amount of fresh fruits will help bring your body back into balance if it is too acid. What does that mean? Eating more foods that will help bring your body back into a neutral state (remember that number above? 7.41 on the pH scale?) will help you to be calmer and healthier, both mentally and physically.
• Dropping your acid levels by adding more alkaline foods to your program is a health strategy you may want to consider.
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Generations ago, our primitive ancestors were more than likely subsisting on a hunter-gatherer diet comprised of meat, fish and plenty of fresh vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruits, roots and more. This type of diet was conducive to optimal health in all areas. We have, over the years, gotten away from this healthful way of eating, and loading up on meats and refined carbs can lead to a high acid state. If you ramp up your green veggies, or even take a "green supplement," you may bring your body back into a more healthy balance. As a result, you may become a happier, more motivated, less stressed person. Now that is something to ponder.