Just noticed this dicussion and thought I'd add what I've learned over the years about alkalizing the body:
* Easy way to tell what acid/alkaline state your body is in is to test your saliva with ph strips between meals. I ordered mine online from a chemical supply house. I got ones that test in the 6-8 ph range.
* Acid state is associated with poor health and poor diet. Its unknown whether acidity is a cause or an effect but I've heard that people with cancer have acidic bodies.
* A quick way to get your body back into a healthy is to drink AlkaSeltzer Gold. Don't use the regular AlkaSeltzer - it contains aspirin. When I first tested my acidity several years ago my ph was in the 6-6.5 range. A week of drinking a cup of AlkaSeltzer Gold before sleep every day got me to a healthy ph of 7.5.
* AlkaSeltzer Gold is only a short term solution. Ultimately you want to keep your ph at 7.5 through diet. Eating more fresh and raw fruits and vegetables is a good idea. Meats in general cause your body to go acidic. Processed carbs (sugar/flour) are even worse.
* You don't want to overdo it, keep your ph under 8 or you'll have other problems.
* The affect that a food has on your acid/alkaline balance does not depend on whether the food is acid/alkaline itself. For example, fruits can be acidic, but eating them generally causes your body to become more alkaline. Digestion is complex, so its the result of digestion that matters.
* When I get my body to an alkaline state, I notice that my teeth have less grunge on them in the morning when I wake up, and my breath isn't as bad. This tells me that my body is doing better against the bacteria in my mouth. Since I generally feel peppier in a more alkaline state, I feel that my body must be doing better against all the bacteria in my body. These days I don't even bother with the ph strips, since I can tell roughly where my acid/alkaline balance is by licking my teeth in the morning. If I'm starting to get some grunge, its time to start eating more veggies and fruits.
-Don
