44 Achieving pH Balance to Treat Specific Ailments
emulsifi es fats and oils. Acid refl ux can disrupt this acid-alkaline
sequence by changing the pH factor in the stomach and small
intestine.
How this happens is revealed by the typical contents of the stomach
that heartburn sufferers sometimes throw up in an effort to get rid of
the burning sensation in the throat and chest. After a highly acidic
liquid is brought up, alkaline-forming bile often follows, indicating that
the bile has fl owed from the small intestine into the stomach, where it
doesn’t belong. This occurs when the pyloric valve between the stom-
ach and small intestine opens, most likely because the acid waste causes
the muscles in the valve to relax. The alkaline-forming bile in the stom-
ach alkalinizes the acidic gastric juices, thus interfering with the stom-
ach’s breakdown of protein. As a result not only does the undigested
protein turn into acid waste, but the alternating acid-alkaline balance
in the digestive tract is disrupted.The Healing Value of Raw Potatoes
Once I understood how foods that the digestive system can’t handle
disrupt the acid-alkaline balance in the digestive tract, I fi gured out
what foods gave me acid refl ux and eliminated them. These trouble-
some foods were largely acidic in taste (because of their overabundance
of protons): fruit, vinegar, and caffeine, which leaves a sour taste in the
mouth. I did well on such alkaline foods as white potatoes, string beans,
caulifl ower, peas, and other root vegetables. On the other hand, there
were alkaline foods such as radishes, mustard, onions, garlic, herbs, and
spices I avoided because their bitter, sharp taste irritated my digestive
tract.
Thus bland-tasting foods became the staple of my breakfast and
lunch; I cook them in a frying pan along with some vegetables in a little
water. I drink the water the potatoes and vegetables are cooked in. At
fi rst, I ate potatoes and vegetables because they were the only foods I
could digest. I never anticipated the miraculous healing effect they
would have.
I began by cooking the potatoes until they were soft. Then some
instinct told me to cook them less. As I began to feel better I realized
it was because I was barely cooking the potatoes, so I cooked them less