Polycystic kidneys are unable to eliminate many of the acids produced by the body. The PKD body increases its production of acids— uric acid, oxalic acid, lactic acid, and mallic acid. The entire job of buffering these acids falls on the flanks of the kidneys. The body functions best in an alkaline state. This job can eventually overburden the kidneys that are trying to neutralize these acids. My theory is that nanobacteria come into play at this point attempting to turn to stone the acid minerals within the body. It then can become increasingly difficult for the kidneys to continuously keep the body alkaline. Kidney functioning starts to decline. Blood urea nitrogen starts to rise, (an end product from the digestion, storage, and assimilation of proteins). The liver and kidneys work hand in hand to detoxify and maintain alkalinity. As we approach end stage renal disease many physicians may prescribe an alkalizing medicine such as sodium bicarbonate to counteract this acidosis; or doctors may prescribe sodium citrate, or potassium citrate, all effective alkalizers. Calcium citrate is less effective. The citrate may afford additional health benefit to kidneys.

Health exists in an alkaline pH of 7.0 - 8.0. Strong emotions can exist in a certain pH. Joy requires an alkaline pH. Love requires an alkaline pH. Fear does not. Anger does not. Fear, and anger can exist in both an alkaline pH and an acidic pH. A state of fear creates acidity within the body. If allowed to continue fear may impose an illness within the body. I know this from testing my own pH. At times I become fearful that my writings will not be received in a helpful way, or sometimes I become fearful about events in my personal life. In that very moment my urine pH will test acidic. It will test yellow, a pH of 5.0. For me, it means I need to stop; get some rest and take time to nourish my being. After rest and nourishment my pH of the urine changes to a green low alkaline pH of 6.5. If I then take the time to recognize some quality about myself that is positive this further affects the alkalinity of my urinary pH so that for the next 3, 4, or 5 days I will register a blue alkaline 7.0 pH consistently each evening.

Urinary pH testing is a reflection of what is going on within the body. It is not a direct measurement; pH testing has allowed me to trust myself that I am indeed doing appropriate things for my body to keep it healthy. I think that when I trust, then I can relax, and when I relax, I can allow my body to become healthy.

I traveled extensively throughout southeast Asia. Many of the people I came in contact with were very poor when it came to monetary holdings but they were each rich in knowledge of caring for the body. They all knew where to get help to be healed. There was a place where each one of these individuals could go to obtain medical care. They could not afford expensive western medicine techniques. They relied on the local healer to help them. It varied from country to country. In some it was massage, locally grown herbs, grasses and roots; in others there were centuries old systems in place such as ayurvedic medicine, or Chinese medicine. There were also magical healing ceremonies which took place coupled with spiritual beliefs. Oftentimes this was all the medical care available. It worked within these cultures. The sick became healthy. The trigger was a supreme trust that this person would be able to call forth from themselves a power which would activate healing from within. Once I experienced the following:

It was the monsoon season, the wet season, the rainy season. Disease was particularly rampant at this time. Mosquitoes can breed in one drop of water and even more so from this yearly deluge of rainfall. Mosquitoes had bitten me and I had become infected with tropical breakbone dengue fever.So named because people shiver intensely that they can actually break bones. The blood platelets fall off; a transfusion of platelets might help.

At the time, I had no idea what illness I had. I knew I could not drink water. I could not eat food. When I tried to raise up from the bed I bumped into walls. I lost my balance, living alone in a losman, in the middle of the bamboo forest, on a tropical island with a very high fever. The temperature was 105 degrees outside and I was shivering, unable to move. A beautiful friend, Ibu Agung, named for the majestic volcanic mountain in Bali, stopped over to bring me breakfast of fresh tropical fruit, jeruk Bali (also known as pomelo) and golden ripe papaya. Once she saw how sick I was, she got to work immediately. She gave me a healing massage from head to toes and wrapped me in banana leaves then chewed some herbs and placed them in my naval. Within an hour the fever broke and I started feeling much much better. I had begun to heal. I had immense trust. It took me three days to fully recover. I have since learned dengue fever can last for months.

What does the body use to neutralize protein or acid ash foods?
The body has three neutralizing systems in place, the bicarbonate-carbonic acid system, the phosphate, and the plasma protein buffers. Minerals are needed to complete the buffering of acids. The body's first choice is to obtain minerals from the foods which we eat, especially from raw fruits and vegetables. The body is alkaline by design and it attempts to remain alkaline. As it functions, the movement of potassium and sodium in and out of the cells produces acids. These cellular acids can easily be exhaled and eliminated through the lungs by breathing.
There is a vast difference in the acid which cells produce and the acid which is generated by eating an excess of high protein (acid ash) foods. Acid from cells, physiological acid is a lot weaker than acid from high protein foods. Cellular, self produced acid does not need to be neutralized by vital minerals before it is sent out of the body. Cellular acid is eliminated through your lungs when your breath. This is why taking (8) eight full deep breathes upon arising can help to shift the axis toward alkaline.
Fruit acid in citric oranges and lemons cause some people discomfort when eating them. The body gets rid of the tag along acid from fruits & veggies the same way as it gets rid of the acid generated within the cells; it is eliminated through the lungs.

Within the body the citrate separates and forms citric acid or maleate forms mallic acid. Both of these processes add oxygen to the body. Citrate is especially useful for the kidney when the kidney uses citrate for energy. This increase in oxygenation keeps the organs healthy. To avoid discomfort from citrus fruits acids, I wait twenty minutes before eating anything else.

There was a study done on the post mortem autopsy reports of 10,000 individuals who had died after a procedure was performed on them clearing their blood vessels of clots. Most of the people who died had not re-clotted their blood vessels. The blood vessels were open. The heart muscle itself, the left ventricle was in a state of oxygen loss; it was in acidosis. The clearing of acids had become too great for the body and it was unable to recover.

The number one cause of death of individuals with polycystic kidney disease is left ventricular hypertrophy LVH, or enlargement of the ventricle muscle of the heart. This portion of the heart muscle has to work extra hard pumping blood through the body quickly attempting to rush it to the kidneys so it can be rapidly changed to alkaline. This is intensified by an anemia, a symptom commonly found with polycystic kidney disease. This heart muscle is the very same muscle the researchers found to be in acidosis, an acidosis from which the body could not recover. Anything which can be done to keep your heart and kidneys in optimum health will keep you in optimum health as well. By maintaining an internal alkalinity, you assist the liver, kidneys and heart.

Researchers have discovered if individuals take vitamin C (rose hips all natural) and vitamin E (all natural full spectrum) immediately following a protein rich fatty meal they will decrease their chances greatly from having a heart attack. Both these vitamins thin the blood, prevent the platelets from sticking together and clumping. The protein rich meal causes a thicken of the blood, a slowing of circulation and a decrease in the oxygenation of red blood cells.

Citrate and maleate are contained in many raw fruits and vegetables. They also release oxygen to the system decreasing platelet clumping. This is one reason I have a fresh piece of fruit or a small glass of juice about ten minutes before a meal. The other is I just really enjoy the taste of fresh raw fruits. I take advantage of the abundant natural enzymes present in the raw food to help digest the meal. For the noon meal, I often have my salad first, then my soup.

The body requires sodium and calcium to neutralize high protein foods that we eat. If we do not eat enough vegetables and fruits, the body will attempt to survive, that is its purpose. The inner intelligence of the body starts searching for other sources of vital minerals. A huge store of calcium is in our bones! The body will buffer using the calcium from our bones. If we eat too many sugars: cane sugar, beet sugar, corn syrup, fructose, honey, the body will get sodium from the gallbladder to neutralize these sugars and may form gallstones in the process. This stimulates the liver to produce cholesterol the basis for many different enzymes which the body must manufacture in order to neutralize the extra acid load brought upon by eating sugars and excess proteins. The excess protein is broken down into sugar and the sugar is stored as fat.

If we ingest sodas, it takes 32 glasses of alkaline water to neutralize the acid from one 12 ounce cola. When you drink cola, the body will use its own buffers, including calcium from the bones to raise the body’s alkalinity level.

Is it necessary to test pH if eating an alkaline diet?
Each person reacts differently as to what foods will make the urine test alkaline. There is the added factor of emotions that can change the pH to acid to alkaline depending on if you are joyful or fearful and if you are exercising long enough to clear the body of lactic acid. I try to sustain a walk for a full ten minutes daily. Testing your own pH gives you reinforcement that all is in balance. There is also intimacy with my partner which contributes greatly to me remaining alkaline. This sharing, this bonding, the love transforms my body to the alkaline state for three days or more.

Generally alkaline foods are all fruits & vegetables (especially raw) The exception to this are cranberries, blueberries and plums. Traditional acidic foods are protein —animal products, dairy, red meat, fish, poultry, game, most grains, processed foods, flour & sugars, most nuts. By testing urinary pH and exchanging information with others we develop specifics as to what foods seem to be of benefit to bring us toward health. We also post foods which have had a detrimental effect upon us. Some who have made the transition slowly are using digestive enzymes to aide in the diet transformation. Daily drinking of cranberry juice maybe necessary to convert the ammonia to ammonium. E-mail PKDiet .

last updated Sun July 6, 2008