I’m new to this community, and very happy to find a place where I can connect with other like minded people. I’m sort of crunchy-granola when it comes to health. Not that I don’t have a drink every now and then, or never indulge in some cheese (my weakness, and the reason I could never go vegan). But over the last year and a half I have been battling a stomach ulcer and that has caused me to severely alter my diet.
Prior to my ulcer I had never considered an alkaline diet. Alkaline water was as foreign as Timbuktu. But then I started only drinking alkaline water. I bought bottles of it, I had the drops, and I noticed a difference in the way I felt. Before, everything I ate made my stomach hurt. Drinking water made me nauseous. I was drinking sauerkraut juice, and aloe vera juice to heal my ulcer. The sauerkraut worked the best, but tasted the worst. Don’t ask me why sauerkraut works since vinegar is highly acidic. I assume it’s the probiotics that occur during fermentation. I don’t really know. Either way, I was getting somewhere, so I became more proactive in healing my ulcer.
I began watching what I ate, cut out alcohol completely, and avoided foods I knew would be a trigger – spicy spices, anything fried, pineapple, cheese (sigh), mushrooms (who knew shrooms where highly acidic?). After being religiously strict with my diet for six months, I slowly started to add foods back to test out my reaction. I had a beer at trivia, no problem. I had another beer…problem. Okay. I could moderate that. So, I made my way through the re-introduction list with no major problems. I learned a little was okay, too much was bad. I could deal with that. I’d just have to pay more attention to how much I was consuming, and limit myself. I hate limitations, but this was for my health – so, better healthy than bleeding to death on the inside.
I took a hands-on approach to healing the ulcer myself because when I went to the doctor, she gave me some anti-acid medication that masked the problem but did nothing to heal it. I don’t want to bash doctors, because there are good doctors out there, but with something like an ulcer it requires treatment not a band-aid, and I didn’t feel that I was receiving the treatment I needed.
I haven’t completely healed my ulcer…yet, but I believe a balanced diet, light on the acid foods and minimizing stress will heal it completely. Ulcers are a symptom of severe stress and/or general unhealth, we should see them as a sign to reflect on what’s happening in our body and address the situation fully. It’s been months since I’ve had any ulcer-related pain, so I know I’m on my way to renewed health; and I’ve been eating anything my pescetarian heart desires without too much thought, for quite awhile a now. Hope this article is helpful if you’re suffering yourself, or just curious about an alkaline diet.
Here’s a link to food chart for alkaline foods: http://www.energiseforlife.com/acid-alkaline-food-chart-1.1.pdf
By Hayley Chesshir
hchesshir@gmail.com
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