Read an Excerpt
"Until man can produce a blade of grass, nature can laugh at his so called
scientific knowledge. Remedies from chemicals will never stand in favour
compared with the products of nature, the living cell of the plant and the
final result of the rays of the sun, the mother of all life." — Thomas A.
Edison
The purpose of this book is to share with those individuals who are
suffering from interstitial cystitis (IC) my discoveries and recovery from
this painful dis-ease. Briefly, through my research, studies, and my own
healing process with IC, it became apparent that I had an acid-alkali
imbalance—, that a person with IC is in an acidic state.
"I believe that our differences arise out of our one major commonality,
which in my opinion is this…
"IC patients have a toxic body.
"We are all toxic for different reasons and to different degrees, but I have
found that IC patients have pretty much the epitome of the toxic body. The
more severe the IC the more toxic and sick the rest of the body. IC patients
often feel as if they are full of poison or on chemical overload. There is a
feeling of too much acid in the system. (This is why antacids, baking soda
and water, Prelief™, and Tummy Tamers are so helpful to many IC patients.
They allow them to be able to eat and drink things they normally couldn’t
tolerate, providing them some relief from the pain and burning.) The
stomach, the intestines, the kidneys and bladder are all burning with acid.
This is what IC felt like to me and to many other IC patients I have spoken
to."
Reports from the medical community show that individuals with IC complain
that acidic foods and beverages cause an exacerbation of symptoms, such as
pain and burning in the bladder. It has also been reported by the medical
community that taking alkalizing substances, such as baking soda as a
supplement or Prelief™ sprinkled on food, diminishes IC symptoms. What this
indicates to me is that persons with IC need to decrease the body’s acidity
and increase alkalinity.
Most Americans are eating an inverted diet of 80% acid-forming foods and
only 20% alkali-forming foods.
In Dr. Susan Lark’s book The Chemistry of Success, she examined the Economic
Research Service of the USDA statistics of the American diet. She added up
the number of pounds of highly acid-forming foods that the average American
eats per year with the average yearly intake of more alkali-forming foods.
The ratio she discovered was 17:3 in favor of acid-forming foods. This
highly acid-forming diet puts a great strain on the buffering systems of the
body to neutralize all the acid that is produced by such a diet.
Dr. Lark states, "As we age, our ability to maintain a slightly alkaline
balance in our cells and tissues diminishes. All too many factors in modern
life, including the standard American diet, also affect acid-alkali balance
in the body. Our diet is high in acidic and acid-creating foods, and the
fast pace of life today increases acidity."
"Maintaining the cells and tissues of the body in their healthy, slightly
alkaline state helps to prevent inflammation. In contrast, over acidity
promotes the onset of painful and disabling inflammatory conditions as
diverse as colds, sinusitis, rheumatoid arthritis and interstitial
cystitis."
"The body does not have an endless quantity of bicarbonate ions available to
neutralize all irresponsible infringements on the law of alkaline-acid. The
alkaline reserve is only a back-up system with limited quantity to keep you
from constantly poisoning yourself with too much acid-forming food. When
there is overindulgence in acid-forming foods (especially fried processed
foods), the body sickens. In its marvelous wisdom, the body will make every
possible effort to rebalance this transgression by expelling as quickly as
possible, all the acid-forming residues. But when this alkaline reserve is
depleted, death follows."
In this book, I will define interstitial cystitis and present demographics
and the history of some acid-alkali studies. I will also review the anatomy
of the bladder and briefly discuss some current treatments for IC. I will
explain acid-alkali balance and how to measure your body’s pH. I will
discuss the leaky gut syndrome (LGS) and its relationship to allergies and
inflammatory conditions. I will also present the following topics relative
to IC: liver flush, osteoporosis, hormones, sex, alkali-forming diet,
alkaline water, meal suggestions, lifestyle alternatives, and supplements.
It was only a matter of few days before I started to feel better on the
alkali-forming diet. Just like a diabetic checks their blood sugar levels
and alters their diet I was able to monitor my own progress by measuring the
pH of my urine and correcting my diet.
By changing to an alkali-forming diet/lifestyle, eliminating foods and
environmental factors to which I was allergic, and addressing the leaky gut
syndrome, I was able to gain control over my own healing process.
"Modern medicine teaches that pain means sickness. It does not recognize
that pain is also the body’s way of informing us that we are doing something
wrong. Pain can tell us that we are smoking too much, eating too much, or
eating the wrong things."
