Acidosis is the root of most major diseases; Heart Disease, Diabetes, Cancer, Obesity, Arthritis, Alzheimer's, Fibromyalgia, Auto-immune Disorders and the list goes on. In our fast-paced, modern world much of our Food is processed and denatured and highly acidic. Combine that with Lack of Exercise, Chronic Stress, and Bad Air Quality and it is the perfect recipe for an Overly Acidic Inner Bodily Terrain.

1) Our Food

Here is a brief explanation of the process of metabolism in regards to Acid-forming foods.

The different kinds of foods we eat are used by our bodies as fuel. Like any typical example of fuel, when it is "burned" it creates some kind of exhaust or waste. A good example is a wood stove; the wood is burned and it creates smoke and ash. In our metabolic process, the foods we eat are consumed and one of the wastes is an "ash" substance. Depending on the residual mineral composition of a particular food, this waste by-product can be acidic, alkaline, or neutral.

Foods that are Acidic or Acid-forming are not bad for us; our bodies need them - in the right proportions. This is an example of a few common Acidic Foods:

• wheat
• high-fructose corn syrup
• most beans
• corn
• alcohol
• fatty meats

A few of the Alkalizing Foods are:

• alkaline water
• most dark-skinned fruits and vegetables
• whey protein
• almonds
• herbs and spices

The ratio of Acid Foods to consume versus Alkaline Foods is 20% Acid and 80% Alkaline. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is more often than not exactly the opposite of this ratio and leaning toward 100% Acidic.

2) Lack of Exercise

It seems that all too often most people think of "exercise" as something they have to go out of their way to do; like go to the gym. This is a completely erroneous train of thought.

Walking is the most important exercise anyone needs to do and for one simple reason; it pumps, moves and helps transport the Lymph Fluid in the Lymphatic System. There is more Lymph Fluid in our bodies than there is blood and it has no "heart" to pump it and circulate it around our bodies. The Lymph System carries off the acid wastes for our Liver and Kidneys to process and eliminate them.

Walk... that's it. Just Walk.

3) Chronic Stress

Stress is created by our Thoughts, Feelings, and Emotions. "Created" is the operable word; we create and are responsible for our own Thoughts, Feelings, and Emotions. While our educational system focuses us on math and language skills, it doesn't teach us to manage how to operate our Minds in regards to how to deal with the circumstances of Life.

Taking the initiative to learn to Meditate, do Deep Breathing Exercises, Pray, and generally Relax is of paramount importance. Most people never take the time to develop this aspect of their lives.

4) Bad Air Quality

This is a broad topic that can take on many forms and go in several directions, however, for this discussion we will only touch on one; Air Pollution in major metropolitan areas.

A few common examples of air pollution is car emissions, tire and brake fragmentation and road dust, second-hand smoke, construction activities, molds and pollens, and forest fires to name a few. The kinds of toxic chemicals that become airborne and are easily ingested can carry with them serious consequences. The bottom-line is that they serve to create and accumulate acid waste build up in the body.

Finding ways to spend as much time as possible away from these environments is an important factor in preventing serious disease and maintaining health. Tele-commuting, business from home, and rural living are a few examples of what is possible.

Acidosis this the underlying factor to all Lifestyle Diseases. We create our Lifestyles.