Choices and Actions

Posted by: Dr. Dan

This email came across my desk recently and inspired a real “Aha!” moment. The message about choices and actions is so clear and so powerful that I felt compelled to share it with The Balancing Center crowd. Are you directing your focus and energy toward the areas of your life that you can control?

I'm wondering if you've ever stopped to consider what in life you have control over? Let's explore this ... on a piece of blank paper draw a line down the center. The left column you will list Things I CANNOT Control or Change. On the right column you will list Things I CAN Control or Change. Now sort the following in the column that fits for you:

My Feelings

Other People's Feelings

The Past

The Future

Other people's behavior, accomplishments, thoughts, actions.

My Choices

My Actions

What did you write down? Which items did you put on the left? on the right? The only items on the right are the last two, your choices and your actions. That's it. Everything out is out of our control. We may be able to have influence, but no control.

Our power comes in our ability to make choices and take action...No matter how careful you are to plan your day, something inevitably happens that takes you in a different direction...

So when Life shows up other than you had expected, instead of arguing with what is and trying to control the uncontrollable, ask yourself, "What choices do I have? What actions can I take?" I wonder if you will discover how powerful you truly are.

[Article ©2012 Leslie Karen Sann, all rights reserved. Reprinted with permission. This article and hundreds of others, along with other free resources are available at: http://www.lesliesann.com]

Leslie is right!  Our choices and actions are incredibly powerful, especially when it comes to health and wellness. The choice to get checked and adjusted regularly increases inner resources and energy. This is enhanced by the action of Foundational Movement Practices. Choosing care and taking action in positive ways keeps the cycle of choosing and acting going, opening the door for even more positive results.

So many of us are operating in defense or survival mode on a daily basis. The strain on our systems limits the choices we have available and literally restricts our ability to take action. The stress of being in survival mode also changes our brain chemistry creating anxiety and depression. In contrast, a balanced and integrated body naturally generates energy and supports feelings of happiness and well being. By choosing wellness care and taking action with Foundational Movement Practices, we can achieve balance, and tap into our creative power.

Toxicity also decreases our ability to respond. How about the choices we make with our diet, or choosing whether or not to detoxify? Each day we may make millions of choices that can influence our well-being, for better or for worse. Sometimes it may seem like we have no control over the dozens of external forces that can negatively impact our health, and sometimes this may be true, but when there is a choice between action or inaction, I hope you’ll recognize it and embrace your power to choose.

How to Self Test your pH

Posted by: Dr. Ken Bennett
 

Let’s talk about a really simple way to check in with your health and see how your body is handling your diet and lifestyle.  It’s a pH Self Test.  Your body is alkaline by design and acid by function. This information will help you support your body’s design and therefore proactively support your health.  

There’s only three things you need or need to do in order to do this self assessment.  The following in a brief synopsis of Dr. Morter’s booklet that you get with your pH Self Test Kit.

1.  Buy a pH Self Test Kit from The Balancing Center which contains 15 pH test papers, 3 vitamin C tabs and “pH - Your Potential for Health” booklet by Dr. M.T. Morter.  It’s only $12.  The wealth of information in the booklet will change your perspective on health and diet and can literally save your life.  That alone is worth more than twelve bucks.  

2.  Eat anything but healthy, alkalizing fruits and vegetables for two days in a row.  Yes, I said anything...if you really want to eat fast food, go for it...  The reason why you should eat like this is because we are testing your reserves of alkalizing minerals.  The only way to test your reserves is to overload your body with acidic foods (meats, cheeses, grains, sugars, processed foods, etc.)  So indulge over a weekend and enjoy a little gluttony, doctors orders!

3.  Wake up in the morning and go to the bathroom (we both know you’re going to do this anyways) and as you’re going take a piece of the pH paper and pass it through your stream of urine.  You only have to get the paper wet which takes about 1 second.  You only should test your urine first thing in the morning.  When the pH paper changes color match it up with the little grid in your test kit and write down the number.  

The number you write down will fall into one of three categories:  pH between 5.5 - 5.8, between 6.0 - 6.6, and between 6.8 - 8.0.  But what do the numbers mean, it can be a little tricky...so real quick, pH is a number between 1 (strong acid) and 14 (strong base or alkaline).  The tissues in our body would burn in the presence of a really strong acid or base.  So our body uses our alkalizing minerals (sodium and potassium ideally, calcium and magnesium as a back up) to neutralize excessive acid from diet and lifestyle.  Again that is why you just loaded up on acidic foods for two days.

pH between 5.5 - 5.8

You pass, congratulations!  A pH in this range means your body had enough alkalizing minerals (sodium and potassium) in reserve to neutralize the strong acids from your diet and make your urine into a weak acid.  You still have alkalizing minerals in reserve.  Go back to eating your normal diet.  In 2 or 3 days test your first morning void again, you should score a pH 6.2 or higher if your diet has enough alkalizing fruits and vegetables.  If your pH is below 6.2 start to eat more fruits and vegetables.

pH between 6.0 - 6.6

You’re in the middle ground.  Your alkaline reserve isn’t totally depleted but it is inadequate.  Your body is starting to use calcium (from your bones and teeth) to neutralize the acidity of your diet and lifestyle.  You might be stiff in the mornings and tire easily.  Take a month and start to eat more cooked and raw frutis and vegetables.  Try decrease the amount of protein (meat and dairy) and sugar (grains and processed foods) in your diet.  The most important thing is to do this gradually.  Add the fruits and vegetables first and go for variety.  Find the ones you like and they’ll slowly start to replace the acidic foods on their own.  Also, start supplementing with Alka-Green (a natural alkalizer).  After a month or so do the whole test over again and ideally you’ll be in the 5.5 - 5.8 range.  Even if you’re not there, don’t be disappointed and keep on alkalizing, your body is still in need of a lot of alkalizing minerals to build up its reserves.

pH between 6.8 - 8.0

You need help, your alkaline reserves are depleted.  Your body doesn’t have the alkalizing minerals available to neutralize a strong acid into a weak acid.  It is turning to your emergency backup system and using ammonia to handle the excess acid.  Your urine probably smells like ammonia and it might burn a bit too.  More likely than not you aren’t feeling that great either.  You may be dealing with headaches, joint pain, fatigue, or a chronic illness.  Immediately reduce the amount of acidic foods in your diet and add cooked vegetables.  Drink cranberry juice to help with any burning on urination.  Start supplementing with Alka-Green and Alka-Cleanse to help clean things up and bring more alkalizing minerals in.  As you change your diet and your body becomes more alkaline you’ll probably notice that you start to feel better, less aches and pains and more energy.  Keep going!  It’s going to take a couple of months for your body to get things back on track.  Patience is key.  

Once you’ve scored between 5.5 - 5.8 you can test your first morning void on any given day.  If you score 6.2 or above your diet has a good balance of alkalizing fruits and vegetables and everything else.  Keep it up!  If you’re below 6.2 your diet contains too much acid food (meat, dairy, grains, sugar).  Eat more fruits and vegetables.

Your body is alkaline by design but acid by function.  This is a great way to be proactive and make sure you are doing things that contribute to good health over a lifetime instead of waiting for emergencies to arrive.  Be proactive not reactive!

There’s also a way to test how your body is handling emotional stress by checking your saliva pH. But you’ll have to get the Self Test Kit to find out more...