> I did that. Most of the sites that discuss acidic vs. alkaline are
so confusing! Maybe the topic itself is just confusing! I thought
maybe someone had actually FOUND a site that one could make sense out
of.


Well, Rhonda, Yes and No. Don't you hate that. It seems like any
answer to a question is never yes or no but yes and no. [wry grin]

I found one site that had archived messages about this subject and one
of the posters shared this list. I'll give you the web site address of
the homepage too - it's http://askwaltstollmd.com. This doctor uses
conventional an alternative medicine. I'm, basically, just gathering
information now and then later I'll see if I can check out how
authentic they are. For now, if they look decent I copy the web addr.
I get so angry, though, when I see a web site that promises a CURE for
GERD. They cover themselves by offering a moneyback guarantee.
Sometimes, alternative remedies can help some people but to just make
a blanket statement like that, that ALL will be cured by buying a book
is just criminal, I think.

You may have to look this over more than once to get the hang of it. I
know that I did. I don't know why they put the # symbol in there
because it doesn't mean anything, really. The left side shows + for a
food forming acid and - for a food forming alkaline. On the right side
in parenthesis (lower down on the list) are the numbers showing
concentration. 1 is the mildest and 4 is the strongest. Hope this
helps you but I think it's one of those 'trial and error' things
because each person's body can react differently to the same food item
or food group. Still, if you're keeping a journal for awhile to see
what your trigger foods are, this might be helpful.

How to read the chart:

+ # This Food Forms ACID
- # This Food Forms ALKALINE

Range: 1 = Mild to 4 = Strong

- 1 Almonds (unsalted)
- 2 Apples, fresh
- 2 Apples, dried
- 3 Apricots
- 3 Apricots, dried
- 3 Asparagus
+ 1 Bacon, fat
+ 2 Bacon, lean
- 2 Bananas, ripe
+ 2 Bananas, yellow
+ 2 Barley, pearled
+ 1 Barley, whole
- 3 Beans, lima, fresh
+ 1 Beans, lima, dry
+ 3 Beans, baked, navy
- 3 Beans, fresh in pod
+ 2 Beef
- 4 Beets, fresh
- 2 to - 4 Berries, all kinds
+ 2 Bread, white, milk
+ 1 Bread, whole grain
+ 1 Bread, corn, whole grain
+ 1 to + 3 Breakfast Cereals
- 3 Cabbage
- 2 Cabbage, red
- 3 Cantaloupe, eaten alone
- 4 Carrots
- 3 Cauliflower
- 4 Celery
- 3 Chard
+ 2 Cheese, hard
+ 1 Cheese, cottage
- 2 Cherries
+ 3 Chicken
+ 3 Clams
+ 2 Corn Flour
+ 1 Corn starch
00 Corn, green (1)
- 1 Corn, dried
- 1 Cranberries (2)
- 3 Currants
- 4 Cucumber, fresh
- 3 Dandelion, greens
- 2 Dates
+ 3 Eggs, whole
+ 4 Eggs, whites
- 4 Figs, dried
+ 2 to + 4 Fish
- 3 Fruits, nearly all fresh
+ 1 to + 4 Fruits, stewed, sugared (3)
+ 2 to + 4 Game
- 2 Grapes
- 2 Grape Juice, natural
+ 3 Grape Juice, sweetened (3)
+ 3 Halibut, steak
+ 2 Ham, fresh, lean
+ 2 Hominy
+ 2 Lamb
+ 1 Lamb Stew
- 1 Lard (4)
+ 3 Lemon Juice, natural (3)
- 4 Lettuce
+ 3 Liver,beef
+ 4 Lobster
- 2 Milk, whole
- 3 Muskmelon, eaten alone
+ 2 Mutton, average
+ 3 Oatmeal, cooked
- 3 Olives, ripe, dried
+ 2 Olives, green picked
- 2 Onions
- 3 Orange Juice, natural (3)
+ 4 Oysters
- 3 Parsnips
- 3 Peaches
+ 2 Peanuts (a pea, not a nut)
- 2 Pears
+ 2 Pecans
- 3 Peppers
+ 2 Plums
- 1 Peas, fresh, green
- 3 Pineapple
+ 2 Pork Chop, lean (5)
+ 2 Pork Sausage (5)
- 3 Potatoes, white (6)
- 3 Potatoes, sweet (6)
- 2 Prunes, large, dried (2)
- 2 Prunes, small, sweet
- 1 Pumpkin (7)
- 3 Radishes
- 2 Raisins
- 3 Rhubarb (8)
+ 2 Rice, natural
+ 2 Rice, polished
+ 3 Salmon
+ 2 Shredded Wheat
- 4 Spinach
- 2 Squash, summer
+ 1 Squash, winter
- 4 Tomatoes, fresh
- 3 Tomatoes, canned (9)
+ 2 Turkey
- 2 Turnips
+ 3 Veal
+ 1 Walnuts
- 3 Watermelons
+ 2 Wheat, whole, cracked
- 3 Whey

By the way, if I've got this right here's another way of explaining
Acids and Alkalines. An orange is acid when you put it in your mouth
but it changes to an alkaline in your body. A food that is alkaline
when you put it in your mouth changes to an acid in your body.

I think what is confusing is when they say the same thing in a little
more convoluted way. You know, like an acid food creates an alkaline
ash, etc.

This sometimes is a source of confusion to people that want to clear
up a bladder infection. They think that if they eat or drink something
that is acid that it will clear up the infection. What they don't
realize is that if it's acid going into the mouth the body's processes
turn it into alkaline inside the body which won't help the bladder
infection.


Speaking of confusing, don't you love it when you read that one
medical opinion is that you should chew gum because it neutralizes
acid and yet if you go to another web site it tells you not to chew
gum because it produces gas and burping. Ah, yes, the joys of the
information age. Thank goodness we've got each other to encourage and
lend a listening ear plus share information and ideas.

Warmly,
Ruth