Questions and Answers Acid/Alkaline, Calcium, Sweet Cravings, and Healing Diet Carl Ferré ACID/ALKALINE meat and sugar intake. Thus, the daily for a short-term turn around due to BALANCE recommended requirement of calci- an extreme condition. However, the With your knowledge of macro-bi- um has gone up considerably over the macrobiotic approach is to stop the otics, is the book Acid and Alkaline past thirty years. cause—an over-acidic meat and sugar the best and most easily compre- The dairy industry readily points diet. This would seem like common hended book that you are aware of out that milk contains calcium and sense, but it doesn’t sell the special concerning the acid/alkaline balance many people drink it believing it is products, keep the doctors busy, and in the body? If so, what is the price healthy for them. However, the over- let’s face it, the reality is most people and does your organization carry this all effect of milk is acid-forming. don’t want to change their diet. book? If not, please recommend an What’s a person to do? Enter the al- To specifically answer your ques- acid/alkaline book as I have a friend kaline-forming products such as coral tions, we are the publishers of Acid whose body is tremendously out of calcium and various alkalinizing and Alkaline and do sell it for $8.95 balance. Also, where do I find recipes drinks. There are also machines that plus shipping. Even though the lat- for overcoming the acid/alkaline im- are reported to make water more alka- est edition is 1986 and some of the balance? Thanks, line and more digestible. chemistry terminology has changed, – E.Z. Herman received one of the earli- it is still one of the best books to un- via email est models of a device that reportedly derstand the need for acid alkaline separated the water into acid water balance and how to accomplish it in oday, many people are begin- and alkaline water. He was instructed one’s body. The chemistry (first three ning to realize the dangers of to drink the alkaline water and use the chapters) can be skipped if one has a Tan over acidic condition. Hard acid water in the garden or to wash the hard time with it. to believe that Herman Aihara wrote dishes. We used it for a few days with Another excellent book that has a the first edition of Acid and Alkaline no noticeable results in increased en- chapter on acid and alkaline is Food over thirty years ago in 1971. Part of ergy, etc. I asked Herman if we could and Healing by Annemarie Colbin the reason more is being said about experiment with it a little. We then ($14.95). There is much more useful acid alkaline balance is that people took a pictcher of water and poured information in this book in addition have figured out how to profit from it through the machine. It divided the to acid alkaline balance. Verne Varona it. water equally into alkaline water and has an excellent chapter on acid and Basically, the modern typical diet acid water. We then took the alkaline alkaline in his newer book, Nature’s of meat and sugar is very acid form- water and poured it through the ma- Cancer Fighting Foods ($16.95). ing. Two of the major alkaline-form- chine. It divided the water equally The Foundation sells all these books. ing elements in the body are sodium into alkaline water and acid water. We Books that I’ve heard discuss acid and calcium and since people are tried the acid water with the same re- and alkaline but have not read yet are cutting down on sodium due to the sult - equal amounts of acid and alka- The PH Factor by Dr. Robert O. belief that it causes heart problems, line water! We sent the machine back. Young, Alkalize or Die by Theodore that leaves calcium as one of the main I understand that improvements have Baroody, N.D., D.C., and Death By counter balances. Vegetables are alka- been made over the years and that the Diet by Bob Bearfoot. line-forming and thus of some help, machines now available are better. Several people have suggested that but most people don’t or can’t eat There is nothing wrong with using we produce a cookbook of alkalizing enough to fully balance an excessive one of the calcium or alkalizing drinks recipes and we might do this some 14 MACROBIOTICS TODAY • November/December 2002 day. In the meantime, all one has to do cium. Sea vegetables, soybeans, and crave sugar, mainly in the form of is to read Acid and Alkaline and fol- soy products also are good sources. tropical dried fruit papaya, dates, gin- low Table 20 on pages 90 and 91. It is Sesame seeds are very high in cal- ger candied, plus raisins, and lots of important to remember that both acid cium, making gomashio (ground seasonal fruit. I still enjoy marihuana and alkaline are necessary for health. sesame seeds and salt) an excellent moderately (one to two times weekly) Thus, overdoing alkaline-forming source. Small dried fish (iriko) are a as well. How do you explain that? food such as consuming large amount good choice for people who wish to My lifestyle is very active physi- of coral calcium over a period of get a large amount of calcium from cally outdoors and I’m exposed to time can have dangerous effects. As one source.” heat as well as cold, depending on Ohsawa would say, “every front has Sea vegetables, sesame seeds, and the seasons. I’m female, single (no a back, the bigger the front the bigger leafy green vegetables also are sourc- yin from a man), and 65 years of age, the back.” es of iron, which might be helpful for although my biological age is 42. A thorough reading of Acid and Al- the anemia. Also, chewing your food Please enlighten me. kaline should give one the knowledge very well (100 times per mouthful or I must be doing something right needed to cook good balanced meals more), especially the whole grains, is as my energy level is very good and I both with respect to yin and yang or helpful for anemia. Avoid foods that usually feel good. I hope to get an an- acid and alkaline. Also, see David contain oxalic acid such as spinach, swer to my questions from you as you Briscoe’s article, Easy Alkalinity, in Swiss chard, and beet greens, and any are the best source I know. Thank you the September/October 2002 issue of food with additives as these hinder very much in advance. I sure appreci- Macrobiotics Today. In addition, my iron absorption. Miso soup and rice ate your efforts to keep Macrobiotics book, Pocket Guide to Macrobiotics, bran pickles every day are recom- Today going. Peace and Love, contains a brief summary of acid and mended, especially when the anemia – Y.L. alkaline and the basics of producing is acting up. Arkansas balanced meals using macrobiotic Of course these are general sug- principles. I hope this is helpful. gestions and there are many reasons he main concern with any for anemia. If the condition per- soybean product these days is sists you may wish to check with a Tthe prevalent use of Roundup macrobiotic counselor or other health Ready Soybeans. Rebecca Wood’s ex- CALCIUM SOURCES care provider. cellent book, The New Whole Foods May I ask a question? How does a Encyclopedia contains a caution re- woman (myself) in her late 40’s, done garding GMOs (genetically manipu- with menopause (no hormone thera- lated organisms). py), get calcium from the macrobiotic CRAVING SWEETS We have a bottle of Bragg Liq- diet? I don’t tolerate milk products I have another question for your uid Aminos that was given to us by well. I have been using a calcium Questions and Answers column. Bragg a friend although we haven’t experi- supplement. Also, I don’t like meat, Liquid Aminos looks like soy sauce mented with it much yet. The state- and I suffer from anemia quite often. but to me tastes a lot better. Made ment “certified non-GMO” is on the Any suggestions? of soybeans and water only, it seems bottle and the quality appears to be – Lu to satisfy my cravings for salt. How very good. via the Internet come? What is your opinion about However the bottle also says that Bragg’s quality and replacement for the soybeans are not fermented. Re- irst, see the preceding question shoyu or tamari? I eat seaweed daily, becca Wood also points out in her on acid/alkaline balance as the so I get minerals from that. book, “If merely boiled, soybeans Fanswer contains some informa- As for cravings for sweets, I eat inhibit the digestive enzyme trypin; tion on calcium and part of the need seasonal foods out of my garden, no they are a bear to digest. Asian cui- for it. Also, see David Briscoe’s arti- pressure cooking, and rarely (ten sines have devised numerous healthful cle on Osteoporosis in this issue. Here to twenty times a year) some fish. A methods to tame this bean into an eas- is information from my book, Pocket pound of salt lasts me a couple of ily digested food. I do not recommend Guide to Macrobiotics. years; however, I do eat seaweed dai- hard-to-digest Western soy products, “A basic macrobiotic diet includes ly.