Are blood tests, yearly medical exams and physicals
really the best health monitors? Be Your Own Doctor!

What is pH?
PH is the abbreviation for potential hydrogen. The pH of any solution is the measure of its hydrogen-ion concentration. A higher concentration (pH reading) means the fluid is more alkaline and oxygen rich. A lower concentration of hydrogen ions means the fluid is more acidic and oxygen deprived. Complete healing of chronic illness can only take place when tissue is restored to a slightly alkaline pH. Tissue pH is reflected externally through urine and saliva. The pH range is from 0 to 14, with 7.0 being neutral. Anything above 7.0 is alkaline; anything below 7.0 is acidic.

Scientists have discovered that the body fluids of healthy people are alkaline (high pH), whereas the body fluids of sick people are acidic (low pH). If you have a symptom, disease or health concern on any level, you are probably too acidic. If the cause of the acidity is not identified and corrected, the health condition will continue to escalate until it reaches a chronic level. If cells are maintained in a severely acid environment, organ failure and death will eventually result. No matter what type of modality you use to take care of your health problem, it won’t be effective if it does not change the pH level to slightly alkaline. Remaining acidic will decrease the body's ability to absorb vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, decrease the energy production in the cells, decrease the body’s ability to repair damaged cells, decrease its ability to detoxify and increase tumor cell production. You can pay a lot of money for a good alternative health panel of blood, urine, saliva and hair analysis. Or you can be your own doctor and get a very good idea of whether your body is moving toward health or disease with pH testing.

How to test pH
Testing the pH of the urine or the saliva is done in the same way. You can purchase a roll of pH paper, also known as litmus paper (found at most health food stores). You can also purchase pH stix, which are easier to use and read. To test pH, you will need a pH stix or about an inch of pH paper from your roll. To test saliva, pool a little saliva on or under your tongue and dip half of your pH paper (or stix) in it. Wet thoroughly and compare the color immediately with the color chart that came with your stix or pH paper. To test urine, capture some urine in a clean container. A paper cup generally works well. Dip your pH stix or half of the piece you tore from the pH roll into the urine and compare immediately with the color chart.

Salivary pH = healing/regeneration potential
Salivary pH is most useful for monitoring how well the body is breaking down the foods being eaten. If the intestines are not able to digest and absorb food, they will not extract nutrition from the food. If your intestines cannot process nutrition, how well you eat or how many supplements you take will not matter. You will be unable to rebuild healthy tissue. To check the overall health of the intestine, test the saliva first thing in the morning -- before using the bathroom, brushing teeth, drinking water, smoking or even thinking about food. Optimal salivary pH is 6.4 to 6.8 first thing in the morning. If your morning pH is not in range, begin testing your salivary pH two hours after each meal. This will give you an idea of the acidity or alkalinity of your last meal. Use this information to assist you in finding foods and diets that are healthy (alkaline). Optimal pH for saliva immediately after eating can be as high as 8.5, but should drop down to 7.0 – 7.2 two hours after the meal.

Urine pH = ability to remove waste; detoxification potential
Urine can provide a fairly accurate picture of body chemistry. If the body is able to keep a healthy balance of chemistry, all building, detoxification and regeneration functions will be in order, allowing the body to do its job in an efficient manner. The most effective urine is the second morning’s urine because the first contains a concentration of acids from sitting in the bladder for an extended period of time. Ideal range of second morning urine is 5.8 to 6.8.

Warning signs of acidity
Common signs of being too acidic are receding gums and gingivitis. These signs evidence that the body is losing bone mass. Yes, the mouth reflects the health of the bones. The body will “borrow” calcium from the bones to buffer acids from the diet and to fight hidden infections. When enough bone mass has been lost in the jaw, the gums will recede and the teeth become loose. It is at this point that bacteria can get under the gums causing what’s known as gingivitis. Unfortunately, dentists do not understand this downward progression and are unable to offer their patients real answers. But you know better. You can do something about it!

Keeping pH in a healthy range
If you begin to study pH, you find that most health writers speak in terms of mineral reserves. If the pH numbers are not in range, some form of supplement is recommended, generally calcium or magnesium. Before you invest money in supplements that may not correct the cause, consider this: There is a general guideline of what foods produce alkalinity and what foods produce acidity. If you have a moderately healthy diet and the intestines are kept in working order (digestion and elimination), the body will easily extract the ions needed to keep all mineral levels in balance. Even if you don’t have a diet rich in calcium, per se, the body uses something called transmutation to convert other elements in the body into calcium if that is what the body needs. The key is a healthy digestive/intestinal system. This is one of the main reasons that our supplement line is focused on health of the intestine rather than products for every health complaint.

Test the pH of your saliva each morning, first thing. Keep a stack of paper cups in the bathroom and catch a bit of the first mornings urine and test that as well. Keep a record of your pH numbers for a week or so. If you are averageing acceptable numbers as described above, you are fine. If you are too acid:

1. Consider eating only alkaline producing foods.
2. Consider the cleansing options mentioned in Step #4, particularly kidney cleanse.
3. A temporary pH correction can be achieved by make a quart of water with 1 tsp. of sea salt and 1 tsp. of baking soda in it. Drink ½ cup of that solution once or twice each day until the body reaches the pH level desired.
4. In addition to alkaline food intake and intestinal health, dehydration is an important factor in keeping pH balanced. Make sure you are drinking plenty of clean, fresh water each day. (Liquid Detox assures it is clean and pure.)
5. Beyond that, consult with your TBA Practitioner.

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