Scared of the Swine Flu?

Avoid viruses by alkalizing

As you have probably heard, the swine flu seems to be sweeping the world.  Everybody is scared out of their minds.  Rightly so–it’s great to be concerned of your well being and the ones you love.  But it is nothing new…back in 1976 there was a scare which eventually lead to the inoculation of almost 40 million people.  The flu never went beyond several cases and yet we were stuck with thousands of people suffering dangerous side effects of the vaccine, including heart attacks.  But the swine flu is yet another virus.  I’ll take this chance to share with you what I know will help.   Putting aside my slanted opinions of how this whole thing all got started and skipping the chance to jab my politically sarcastic comments about the meat industry, I would love to address the practical sides of how to avoid a virus.  Partnering a vegan diet with a bit of natural prevention will greatly reduce, potentially eliminate, my chances of getting this crazy flu.  Let me explain…

Say you’ve got two bean plants.  They are seeds from the exact same batch and are planted in the exact same pots and given the exact same water and sun.  The only thing that differs is the soil–one pot’s soil is rich in vitamins, minerals and is strong and healthy.  The pH measurement of the soil is supportive to healthy growth as well.  Now the other plant is sitting in soil that’s a little deprived of vitamins and minerals, contains harmful chemicals and overall is not conducive to growth.  The pH measurement is all wrong and the plant is choking with sickness.  Every growing condition was kept constant for these two plants except one factor–the soil.

The human body is constantly trying to maintain balance.  This balance is known as homeostasis.  One of the ways that we do this is by keeping consistent the pH levels inside so that body functions can be optimal.  This pH of our body is a completely different concept  than measuring pH in a pool for example, because this is the pH which is the result of food after it’s been used (or metabolized) in the body.   For instance, a lemon may be acidic before eating, but after being digested would help to raise the pH or alkalize the body.  Bottom line is that keeping a more alkaline environment in the body is generally ideal.  When the pH starts to become too acidic our bodies can behave differently.  Changing the “soil” of our bodies will affect the way we can respond to illness.  Why do some catch a virus and others don’t?  Why will one plant sprout with vitality and the other will choke?  If the soil isn’t pure and nourishing, how could you possibly expect to grow a healthy plant that thrives, even if the contents of the seed are the same as the other?   In theory, viruses can not survive when the body is alkaline enough.  Approaching my efforts with food, alkalizing the body with vegan foods can be highly beneficial.  Basically, given some exceptions here and there, plant based foods tend to be alkaline forming to the body after digestion and animal foods create a more acidic state in the tissues.  This is a huge advantage to being vegan: if you do it healthfully, your body functions better overall because you tend to keep a more appropriate internal pH.  Of course there are exceptions to every rule…sugar is acid-forming big time, even though it can be vegan.  So is alcohol and stress.

To beat a virus and to prevent myself from getting it, I plan on building immunity and taking these steps:

1) I started taking a course of probiotics yesterday by All Flora.  Two in the morning and two at night.  This helps colon health and immunity.

2) Checking my urinary pH first thing in the morning before eating or drinking anything.  I make sure that the paper is in the green zone.  It may take a person weeks before actually seeing some change from the yellow paper–that’s how acidic they may be!

3) Using my super-food green powder as a drink at least once a day, which raises pH, especially an hour or so after dinner.  An even better alternative is to juice fresh veggies, mostly dark greens to boost that pH and resistance.

4) Eating lots of alkaline forming foods and especially paying attention to the 80%/20% rule.  Google that: Dr. T Baroody….he makes an 80/20 theory chart that hangs on my fridge.  I have used this theory with clients at the clinic and for myself personally with outstanding results.

5) I’m going to pick up a Chinese herbal formula by Nature’s Sunshine called VS-C.  It creates an unfavorable environment for any virus.  The capsules are gelatin so I empty them and re-capsule them with my “Cap-em-Quick” capsule filler and some “OO” veggie caps.  This is what I am personally comfortable with and confident using even though I’m sure there are vegans that would disagree (I found them before going vegan and have since decided to just change the capsules since I couldn’t find anything else I really liked that worked–herbs are so unregulated!), but if you want to explore other options out there that are made already vegan, just look for a formula that discourages viruses from thriving in the body, take your chances, and let me know your findings and/or results.  This fifth step of my process is probably not even necessary; I am just doing it as a bonus…like adding a natural fertilizer to the already healthy soil.

By paying attention to what I’m eating, I am able to “build the healthy soil in my pot”.  Being a vegan is already a bonus because the animal products just add to the ruckus.  Some 80/20 theories speculate that dairy products are neutral.  I disagree; I believe they have acidic forming tendencies.

I recommend snagging a copy of the book called, The pH Miracle, by Robert and Shelley Young.  It is an excellent book that makes sense to me.  It’s a cheap, fun read that won’t consume all your time.  Hey, you might even learn a thing or two!  And if you need some great recipes because you want to prepare some alkaline forming meals, Alkalize or Die is another great book that I can’t live without.

Creating better self health is an ever-evolving quest.  While we’re not all perfect, we can surely take a few steps here and there to improve our tomorrows!  What better way to start than by going vegan?  Food is so powerful; more than what most people give it credit for.  It definitely counts as a decent chunk of the Overall Health Pie!

Let’s keep that pH up with healthy vegan foods!  Score one for the good guys!  I love leaves!  Food is great for the body and food is great for the mind!  Welcome the benefits!

“To improve one’s diet, is to improve one’s mind, which opens the soul.  To open the soul, one must improve the mind through improving the diet.”       -Tambra.