PUSHING BACK AGE
Acid Levels...............................................................................
Oxygen must first jump onto its raft, the hemoglobin, in the
lungs. Later, in the brain, oxygen must jump off again to enter the
brain cells. A difference in acid levels makes this possible. Acid
levels operate the latching system that decides whether oxygen
will be attached to hemoglobin or let go! Acidity unlatches
oxygen. There should be no acidity in the lungs so oxygen can
attach here. Sometimes, the entire body is too acid! Diabetics,
asthmatics, arthritics, especially, suffer from total body acidity.
Acid was meant to be removed from the blood and loaded
into the stomach at mealtime for digestion. When this isn't hap-
pening, it was meant to be shipped out of the body with the urine.
But the kidneys may be doing a poor job because they are
clogged with tiny crystals and because not enough water is drunk,
so the body's acid levels rise. You can test total body acidity by
measuring the pH of the morning urine. It should not be under
(more acid than) 5.5. If the body acid level is too high, help the
kidneys excrete it by adding more water to the diet and more
minerals to neutralize the acid. The main minerals for this
purpose are calcium and magnesium.
Increase Minerals.....................................................................
Adding water to the diet could be the most difficult of tasks if
your elderly loved one “doesn't like it.” Calcium should be in the
form of milk, magnesium as a tablet. When tablets cannot be
swallowed; use magnesium oxide powder (see Sources). Use 1/8
tsp. added to cooked cereal, soup, stew, pudding. Magnesium,
being a mineral, does not get destroyed as vitamins may. You can
add it anywhere in the diet where it won't be tasted. Notice how
calming it is to have extra magnesium in this gradual way. And
how much better the sleep is at night.