Increased production of the stress hormone cortisol in the body can be attributed to the imbalance of the body's acid/alkaline. An acid-base balanced body will ensure a high energy level bone density.

How is this done? Start by reducing your intake of sweets, milk, cheese and refined grains. Reduce your coffee intake and when drinking water, all types, add a teaspoon of lemon or lime juice per eight ounces of water. This will keep your heart healthy and raise your energy level.

Make the body healthier by replacing sweets and refined grain with leafy greens. This change in your diet can help prevent calcium plaque build-up in the arteries as well as weak bones and kidney stones.

Some healthy foods that we love can flood the body with acid. Some of the foods that will introduce acid to the body they are spinach, honey, brown rice, and some types of fish, navy beans, pinto beans, yogurt, wheat germ and others. Total Health, Dr Michael Cutler, M.D.

However these foods are packed with vitamins, proteins, minerals and other nutrients, so do not give them up. Just eat more of the alkalizing foods.

Try to eat alkalizing greens such as kale, collard greens and mustard greens twice a week. These greens add magnesium, potassium and calcium which are a great source of alkalizing minerals and they are a source vitamins K, A, and vitamin C. Greens contain alkalizing trace minerals and are rich in phychemicals such as allicin, carotenoids and indoles.

Many people who lived in rural areas years ago, were comfortable drinking water from a spring, and later tap in the kitchen. Because of chlorine and fluoride it became necessary to switch to bottled water.

Later it was found, some of the bottled water contained tap water or at best, it was no better than tap water. During the same time we were told to drink eight glass of water a day to stay healthy. Water is one of the reasons that our bodies are acidic, the calcium and magnesium content in the water is linked to cardiovascular disease.

Almost anything will dissolve in water and will affect its PH. Pure water is neither acid nor alkaline; its PH is neutral which is PH 7. This can change very rapidly because it can absorb carbon dioxide from the air bringing the PH to an acid level of 5. Other materials' chemical characteristics which dissolve in water can raise or lower the water's PH. Of course this will also depend on the amount of material.