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Page 8
testing the pH (level of acidity or alkalinity) of blood, urine or saliva. Saliva and urine are the easiest to test; all it takes is a minute and the appropriate pH paper (see Resources).
Most Americans have acidic bodies that are brought into balance by eating alkaline-forming foods such as raw fruits and vegetables. Common sense suggests that if you eat acidic foods such as lemons and pineapple, your body will become more acidic, but not necessarily. Foods that are themselves acidic can cause an alkaline reaction in the body, and vice versa. This sounds confusing, but as you monitor your diet and your body's responses, the connection between food and pH will become more obvious.
According to Herman Aihara in Acid & Alkaline, the most acid-forming foods are rice bran, brown rice, wholewheat bread, fish, shellfish, egg yolks, oat-meal, chicken, barley, beef, pork, peanuts and cheese. The most powerful alkaline-forming food by far is seaweed, especially wakame, Irish moss and kelp (kombu).; Ginger root, kidney beans, shiitake mushrooms, spinach, cabbage, mustard greens, parsley, endive, carrots, strawberries, oranges and other fruits and vegetables are alkaline-forming.
The safest and most sensible way to approach detoxification is to spend several weeks preparing for it by eating foods that nourish and support the organs that will be most affected. See page 12 for precleanse or preparation-phase guidelines.
Richard Anderson, N.D., who developed the Clean-Me-Out program described in his book Cleanse and Purify Thyself, recommends the following tests to determine whether a person is ready for serious detoxification. If urine and saliva pH do not reflect ample

 
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