I’m fascinated with algorithms and equations. Part of me thinks that I don’t actually love optimizing for Google, as much as Google is the most profitable problem solving puzzle the modern world has ever seen.

What does this have to do with balancing the equation of acid and alkaline foods and a healthy diet? Read on.

I see websites in terms of positive and negatives. A + for keyword density and link profile, a – for too many on page links and shallow content. So obviously when I started looking at my health goals for 2012, I took to it with the same mindset.

The average American diet is seriously out of balance, and I realized that mine is too. Healthy eating doesn’t just mean watching your protein, carbs, and intake of double cheeseburgers, there is a whole separate equation that I was missing. This starts with the types of foods we eat and even includes focusing on more non-GMO produce and organic meats.

The issue is clear. There are no alkaline foods to balance the equation, just check out the chart below and ask yourself what our average American diet looks like.

This is where the equation of balancing acid vs. alkaline foods comes in. You have to understand why it matters, how it works, and the consequences of not getting it right.

Have you ever seen somebody buy an above-ground pool on a whim and then not keep the water balanced? They forget how important the right chlorine levels are and soon the water is green with algae.

Balancing your diet is like drinking balanced water. It does not happen overnight, and it requires slow and careful changes to get there.

It’s the same thing with keeping your car clean or vacuuming your home once a week. A clear space leads to a clear mind. And that brings me back to balancing your diet.

It’s the same way with our bodies. According to most medical studies, too much acid in our diet leads to arthritis, cancer, stomach problems, etc. Too much alkaline foods in our diet can also lead to problems.

The issue in America is that we consume far too many acidic foods, and barely any alkaline foods. I love what microbiologist Dr. Young says about internal pH.

The pH level of our internal fluids affects every cell in our bodies. The entire metabolic process depends on an alkaline environment. Chronic over acidity corrodes body tissue, and if left unchecked will interrupt all cellular activities and functions, from the beating of your heart to the neutral firing of your brain. In other words, over-acidity interferes with life itself.

Like many others, I often wonder why so many people have health problems today. It seems that more people than ever struggle with obesity, high blood pressure, and chronic auto-immune diseases. But all you have to do is look around to see we aren’t doing a very good job of balancing our diet.

Chronic health conditions were found in 12.8% of children studied in 1994, compared with 26.6% of another group of same-aged children studied in 2006, the researchers found.

Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food —Hippocrates

We have to get better at understanding the foods we eat, instead of just treating everything with a prescription. Not once have I ever seen a doctor who asked about my diet, they all just want to prescribe medicines to “fix the problem”.

But often the problem is not in our bodies, more often than not it is caused by the foods we eat. We’re doing this to ourselves, and a large part of it is that we keep our bodies constantly in a state of high acidity.

I am the typical American, no different than most. Here is my typical day:

Breakfast
I wake up with a big bowl of acid (cereal), and wash it down with a cup of acid (orange juice). Maybe on the way to work I stop at the gas station to fill up my car, and while I’m inside I grab some acid (red bull) as a wake up drink.

Lunch
For lunch of course it’s more of the same, a double acid burger with cheese, acid fries, and to wash it all down more acid (coke). After work I need some acid to unwind (beer), plus some acid (chips) to snack on.

Dinner
Whew I’m finally home! Now I can have some grilled acid (chicken), with some cheesy acid (bread), and maybe a salad before. That used to be the way the majority of my days went, does that sound like you?

Sure I’d throw in veggies or fruit (alkaline foods) now and then, but the most of the time my daily intake was 80-95%, if not 100% acid. Now my goal is different, more alkaline foods and less acid ones each day.

Many people attribute a highly acid diet to be one of the main causes of premature aging, and that’s exactly how I felt, like an old man.

I really encourage you to just think about what you eat for a few days, in terms of acid vs. alkaline foods. Keep a mental checklist, or maybe write it out if you aren’t quite the spatial thinker I am.

You might be surprised at just how much acid you’re throwing at your expecting your body to deal with each day.