Showing posts with label kidney. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kidney. Show all posts

Monday, June 1, 2020

How Healthy pH Levels Can Help With COVID-19


An overlooked aspect of the coronavirus pandemic is the fact that most viruses are pH sensitive. pH medicine offers us a key to treating viral infections that is easy, safe and inexpensive. Shifting a patient's pH, combined with high dosages of vitamin C, vitamin D and other immune boosting support is foundational support to both treat and prevent COVID-19.  
There are many additional treatments like zinc, glutathione, iodine and selenium, even hydrogen, but the first thing we should reach for is baking soda aka sodium bicarbonate, which offers us control of oxygen and carbon dioxide levels.
Wherever the body has low voltage (pH), the cells begin to have problems that get more serious the lower the voltage goes. The lower the voltage goes, the lower the pH goes, and the lower oxygen levels go.  Chronic disease is associated with low pH values (acid conditions).  This means that alkaline (higher pH) tissues have more oxygen in them. 
Wherever the body becomes acidic, voltage drops as does tissue oxygen levels. What is pH after all? It is ultimately a measure of redox potential. Redox potential is a measure of whether electrons are available in surplus (and thus are “electron donors”) or whether electrons are positive (and thus are “electron stealers”). Electrons are necessary for life and are needed for health and in high quantities for healing and the growth of new cells.
Dr. David Brownstein wrote, “The human body is constantly removing old and injured cells and replacing them with healthy new cells. This process can only occur if the voltage of the cells is maintained at an optimal level. This process works more effectively when we are young as compared to when we are older. In the body (or in a solution), voltage is a direct reflection of pH, which is a measure of the degree of acidity or alkalinity of a solution, measured on a scale of 1 to 14. A low pH reading (highly acidic) indicates a low voltage state. Conversely, a high pH reading (highly alkaline) means a high voltage state.”
The amount of oxygen in cells is determined by voltage. If a cell has adequate voltage, it will also have adequate oxygen. If cellular voltage is low, the amount of oxygen in the tissues will be low. This applies to metabolism as well. When voltage and oxygen are low, metabolism becomes anaerobic, which means that oxygen is unavailable. The more aerobic metabolism we have the healthier we are.  
So now that you know what pH is you need to know that the Coronavirus needs a slightly acidic pH to penetrate the cell. The simple alkalinization of the blood reduces the cells susceptibility to the virus and this goes for lots of other viruses and pathogens as well.  When we are alkaline we invariably don't get sick or have mild attacks of viral infections and the same is true for bacterial and fungus infections. Studies have shown there is significant decrease in the growth of bacteria and fungi in the lungs of pneumonia patients when sodium bicarbonate is used compared to saline during nebulizer treatments.  


Although the pH of blood ranges from 7.35-7.45, the pH of other body fluids is different. If the pH blood levels drop below 6.9, it can lead to coma. The pH of saliva is ranges from 6.5 to 7.5. After swallowing, the food reaches the stomach where upper and lower parts of stomach have different pH values. The upper part has a pH of 4.0−6.5, while the lower part is highly acidic with a pH of 1.5−4.0. It then enters the intestine which is slightly alkaline, with a pH of 7.0−8.5. Maintaining the pH values of different regions is critical for their function and good digestion.  

Any increase or decrease in the blood pH can lead to inflammation and we know inflammation is the cause of all disease.  Maintaining the right pH is so important to have good health.  The body does this using primarily three mechanisms: buffer systems, respiratory control, and renal control.
Proteins form a part of the buffer system to regulate the pH levels. These proteins can act as electron acceptors or donors because of the presence of basic or acidic groups. Similarly phosphate buffers also help in moderating the levels of pH. Buffers may help in regulating pH during minor physiological changes, such as during breath holding (which increases the CO2 in the blood), exercise (which increases lactic acid in the blood), or when stomach acid is secreted.
The pH of blood during normal conditions is 7.4. However, CO2 dissociates into carbonic acid in the tissues. Thus, presence of more CO2 makes the blood more acidic. That is the reason when we hold our breath for long durations, the CO2 levels increase in the blood lowering our pH leading to fainting. On the other hand with increased pH, the breathing may get slow in order to increase the CO2 levels and reduce the alkalinity. However, low breathing rate could also lead to low oxygen levels which could be detrimental. Thus, respiration provides an important control to regulate the pH levels.  We already know how important breathing and lung support is for the Coronavirus.  For more info on good breathing techniques, click here
The kidneys (renal system) regulates the pH of water in your body. The changes in pH induced by the respiratory system are in minutes, while the changes induced by the renal system are in the order of days. If the acidity of the fluids is high, kidney secretes H+ ions, while if the carbonate ion levels are high it retains H+ ions and secretes HCO3 ions. Although this process is slow it can prove an effective mode to regulate pH. One limitation of renal regulation is that the pH of urine cannot be below 4.4 so renal regulation can only do so much. 

Respiratory acidosis occurs when too much CO2 builds up in the body. Normally, the lungs remove CO2 while you breathe. However, sometimes your body can’t get rid of enough CO2. This may happen due to:

  • chronic airway conditions, like asthma
  • injury to the chest
  • obesity, which can make breathing difficult
  • sedative misuse
  • overuse of alcohol
  • muscle weakness in the chest
  • problems with the nervous system
  • deformed chest structure
Metabolic acidosis starts in the kidneys instead of the lungs. It occurs when they can’t eliminate enough acid or when they get rid of too much base. There are four major forms of metabolic acidosis:

1. Diabetic acidosis occurs in people with diabetes that’s poorly controlled. If your body lacks enough insulinketones build up in your body and acidify your blood.

2. Hyperchloremic acidosis results from a loss of sodium bicarbonate. This base helps to keep the blood neutral. Both diarrhea and vomiting can cause this type of acidosis.

3. Lactic acidosis occurs when there’s too much lactic acid in your body. Causes can include chronic alcohol use, heart failure, cancer, seizures, liver failure, prolonged lack of oxygen, and low blood sugar. Even prolonged exercise can lead to lactic acid buildup.

4. Renal tubular acidosis occurs when the kidneys are unable to excrete acids into the urine. This causes the blood to become acidic.

Factors that can contribute to your risk of acidosis include:
  • kidneys not functioning
  • obesity
  • dehydration
  • aspirin or methanol poisoning
  • diabetes
If you body is too acidic which most people's are, here are some common symptoms:

  • fatigue or drowsiness
  • becoming tired easily
  • confusion
  • shortness of breath
  • headache
  • lack of appetite
  • jaundice - yellow skin
  • increased heart rate
  • breath that smells fruity, which is a sign of diabetic acidosis 

If you think you may have acidosis, you can get blood work to check your pH levels and your kidney function.  
Blood work can also check your calcium, protein, blood sugar, and electrolyte levels which are all important levels to know to see if the body is too acidic.  

If you are concerned about respiratory acidosis is you want to test the health of your lungs. This may involve a chest X-ray or a pulmonary function test.

If metabolic acidosis is suspected, you’ll need to give a urine sample. Doctors will check the pH to see if you are properly eliminating acids and bases. 

Now that I know the relationship between pH and viruses I will start checking oral pH in the office to keep everyone healthy.  It's a quick easy thing that can give us a good idea of your overall pH and the health of the mouth which is part of the digestive tract.  Based on the results we may test you for mineral drops, phosphorus drops or add a baking soda drink in the morning on an empty stomach to help become less acidic.  The less alcohol you consume and the more water you drink can also help your pH levels.  Chlorophyl can also be very helpful in supplement form or just increase your intake of green leafy veggies.  Because this coronavirus likes to hit the back of the throat and go into the lungs the less acidic our mouth and throat are the better.  A mouth wash can really help but not the Lysterine types.  You need to get a more natural one and I love Oxy Pulling mouth wash.  It advertises to do Oxy Pulling instead of oil pulling but instead I love to do them together.  The extra oxygen is exactly what the mouth and throat need to kill any germs and keep the body healthy.    

Monday, March 23, 2015

To Have More Passion In Your Life, Balance the Sacral Chakra

The Sacral Chakra is your passion and pleasure center and it is located in the pelvic area. While the Root Chakra is satisfied with survival, the 2nd chakra seeks pleasure and enjoyment.



If you are interested in purchasing the sacral chakra orange glasses just email me and let me know at info@healingartsnyc.com! $30 plus shipping.

The gift of this chakra is experiencing our lives through feelings and sensations. When balanced, the second chakra is the center of feeling, emotion, pleasure, sensuality, intimacy, creativity, friendliness and connection.

The main challenge for the second chakra is the conditioning of our society. When the sacral chakra is not balanced we can have trouble handling our emotions. We live in a society where feelings are not valued, where passion, and emotional reactions are being frowned upon. We are being taught not to "lose control". And we get disconnected from our bodies and our feelings.

As if this was not enough, we also experience the wounds of our collective cultural struggles over many sexual issues of our society. On one hand sexuality is magnified and glorified, and on the other hand it is rejected. This results in either blocked or excessive second chakra issues.

The sacral chakra is related to feelings of guilt and kidneys, constipation, muscle spasms, bladder, and large intestine. The stones of carnelian agate, tiger’s eye, and orange calcite can help balance this chakra. So can wearing the color orange. The sacral chakracise are pelvic thrusts upward for at least 15 seconds and then circular in the clockwise direction and then counterclockwise, then clockwise again for at least 45 seconds.

Affirmations can also help. They can be said at any time of day and used with Emotional Freedom Technique.

Sacral Chakra Affirmations

I love and enjoy my body.
I have healthy boundaries.
I am open to experiencing the present moment through my senses.
I am passionate.
I feel pleasure and abundance with every breath I take.
I nourish my body with healthy food and clean water.
I know how to take care of my needs.
I value and respect my body.
My sexuality is sacred.

Monday, June 30, 2014

Which Salt is Best?



Patients ask me a lot about whether or not they should have salt in their diet. As long as they are not suffering from water weight, kidney dis-ease or high blood pressure, salt is a great thing to add to your food. The real question is what kind of salt? And my answer is the pink one!

Over the last couple of years there has been a rave about sea salt being a healthy alternative to table salt but do you know why it's better or have you just been using it because you like it's texture and you think it tastes better?

Sea salt is obtained directly through the evaporation of seawater. It is usually not processed, or undergoes minimal processing, and therefore retains trace levels of minerals like magnesium, potassium, and calcium.

Table salt, on the other hand, is mined from salt deposits and then processed to give it a fine texture. This processing strips table salt of any minerals it may have contained, and additives are also usually incorporated to prevent clumping or caking. Chlorine is also used to make the salt the pearly white that it is. Yes, that's right, they use chlorine, meaning that they bleach it, just like we use bleach to make our whites whiter that's what they use to make table salt white.

Some say there are no real health advantages of sea salt because one can receive the trace minerals found in sea salt in other healthy foods and that table salt does have iodine added since the 1920s to prevent the iodine-deficiency disease goiter. And I say that given the choice of trace mineral filled salt or salt with synthetic iodine, bleach and other preservatives I'll go with the all-natural sea salt.

An even better salt than sea salt is Himalayan salt which I think tastes even better and has 84 trace minerals in it compared to sea salt's 7. Trace minerals are important to the nutrition of the body in order to regulate many enzymatic reactions. If we aren't getting enough minerals from our diet then a trace minerals supplement can always help.

I wonder if all the problems we attribute to consumption of too much salt is actually due to the toxicity of chlorine or food additives or the stripping of minerals from the salt. I wonder if the salt, not having its natural minerals, causes our digestion system to borrow the minerals from the body in order to digest it properly and in the long run actually cause deficiencies in the body that turn into water imbalances in the body that if left long enough these imbalances turn into disease - high blood pressure, heart disease or kidney dysfunction. Just food for thought or should I say, salt for thought? :-)