The pH Test
by Amanda • September 2, 2012 • Dietary Concerns, pH - Acid/Alkaline • 57 Comments
What a wonderful morning it is! I woke up today bright and energized with out the help of an alarm clock, completely unprecedented lately, I will explain later. Inspired by the burst of energy and the rain storm that hit our area last night, I brewed up a cup of mint tea, slipped on a pair of flip flops and walked out the front door.
Dew drops were abundant, wildflowers were radiant, and the quiet peace of morning calmed my soul. A hummingbird found my neighbors flowering tree. And the highlight- as the sun broke over the tip of the mountains (which are still more green than this photo) the birds erupted in chorus welcoming new day.
My heart was filled with prayerful gratitude. These moments have been few and far between for me. Health problems have been abundant- fibromyalgia symptoms of fatigue, foggy brain, achy muscles… and most recently, a tormenting 12 day migraine.
This migraine blew any headache I’ve ever had completely off the radar. My head felt like it was going to explode for days. I walked around indoors with sunglasses (no, I was not just trying to be cool!) whimpered in pain as my children made even happy sounds (how messed up is that?) and every task took monumental effort to accomplish (if I was lucky enough to finish.)
Something was seriously wrong with my body. I found myself questioning what I’ve been doing wrong- I run, I eat a healthy vegan diet loaded with fruits and veggies, I avoid processed foods, white flour, sugar, and soda. How in the world could it be that I was putting so much effort into health and yet my body was completely shutting down?
DAY 10: I finally caved. I went to the urgent care (I REALLY don’t like hospitals) who turned me away and sent me to the Emergency Room (did I mention I don’t like hospitals?) I then sat for 2 hours in the waiting room, still sporting sunglasses at 8pm, only to realize I had another 2 hours before I would even get back to see a nurse. I made a call and my husband came to pick me up- the torture of a jam packed lobby loaded with injured and sick people was worse than the headache.
DAY 11: I went to the Doctor who started me on a cleanse diet 3 months ago in an attempt to “clean out my gut.” Surely he had some way to figure this out! He gave me a vitamin IV and two medications. I was so hopeful. Maybe my migraine would finally give! Maybe I could feel like myself again!
But alas, relief was not to be found. Instead I found myself back in the hospital, severely drugged and having a serious reaction to the medicine. Thankfully this hospital was quiet with no wait and I was swiftly brought to see the doctor. He gave me more drugs (yikes!) and everything went into slow motion with a hint of nausea and slurred speech. They ran tests (CAT scans, bloodwork, etc) and the results- I was perfectly healthy! Say WHAT?!
The doctor blamed it on stress. He wasn’t the only one who had mentioned it. Maybe I am more of a stress case than I thought? But it didn’t sit right. Most of my stress lately has come from the inability to function at my normal level and do the responsibilities required of a mother of 3.
DAY 12: In comes Somer (angels sing in chorus.) She spent the morning scouring the internet and came across the relation of migraine headaches to the pH levels in your body. Her theory- I was acidic.
Since I still had no relief, I quickly jumped on the bandwagon of possibility. I pulled up some acid vs. alkaline charts and got to work.
First up- Lemon Water. 3 Tbl organic lemon juice in a 16 oz glass of RO water. I chugged it. Did the “sour-shiver-dance” and waited. Within minutes, it felt like a cloud lifted a little in front of my eyes.
I broke out whole avocados, more lemon, almonds, greens- I powered through more alkaline foods as the day went by and I continued to feel improvement! *insert happy dance*
DAY 13: I woke up with a hint of a migraine. It continued to progress, regardless of my alkaline food intake. What if it was all an illusion? Afternoon rolled around and so did the need to go on a family outing (5 people in 1 car + migraine, ouch!) I was desperate. We chose the restaurant next to Jamba Juice where I would make a final attempt at the pH theory with a double shot of wheatgrass.
I kid you not- within SECONDS I felt the difference. A thick cloud lifted, the migraine cleared and I joined the kiddos in being ridiculously goofy through their dinner. My husband’s eyes danced wondering “Is this really happening? Has my pained wife come back to life?” We all smiled and cheered and celebrated by going back to Jamba for wheat grass shots all around. I had another double, as did my hubby, and my oldest had a single while the younger two had sips. I was light on my feet, social with the neighbors, and bright-eyed through the evening. Success!
Day 14: I laid in bed for a minute this morning as my dream floated into the distance. My mind was alert and my body energized. NO HEADACHE. I couldn’t stay in bed, I wanted to be up at 6:45am! [Insert morning walk from above here]
Coincidence? I think not. We’re going to roll with this one. Doctors have been baffled. Specialists have given me the what-in-the-world-will-I-do-with-you look. And yet, in a moment of prayerful desperation, a health minded friend came through.
3 months into veganism, I am travelling another route- onward to alkalinity. Keeping my fingers crossed!
This is really interesting!
I’m dealing with shingles pain myself right now, and my family and I have been wondering how someone as seemingly healthy as myself could have had such low immunity as to end up with shingles. I wonder if even with my vegan diet and healthy lifestyle, acidity could be my problem. I
‘ve tried wheatgrass juice in the past and liked it, and it seemed to help my husband through the flu one year. I am very motivated to go to our local juice/smoothie joint now and order up a shot of it, to see if it relieves my pain and helps kick the virus into submission.
I’m glad you experienced such a return in health, with a little help from Somer! Great post, and good luck on your alkalinity journey. I look forward to seeing how it’s going.
Ugh, shingles! So sorry!!! You’ll have to let me know if wheatgrass helps at all. Sending super-immunity energy through the cyberwaves!
Thank you! I could use some of that!
Well, I did actually manage to get a shot of wheat grass today. I felt perky and much more like myself immediately, and I had more energy for the rest of the day than I’ve had in a couple of weeks.
My ibuprofen has worn off by now and I would say I’m definitely in less pain than usual. It’s kind of amazing.
I hope to get more soon, to see the effect it’s having on my pain and recovery from the virus.
I’m going to have to look into having a more constant supply of this stuff. Whether acidity is my problem or not, I’m convinced that drinking more wheatgrass juice is going to improve my quality of life. I like the idea of growing some – it never occurred to me that I could just plant some wheat berries from the health food store! Silly me.
That’s fantastic Elizabeth! So grateful you had some relief!!
I know it sounds crazy, but I’ve heard lots of miracle healing stories about people applying Melaleuca (or tea tree oil) to their shingles. That should help with the shingles and the wheat grass should definitely boost your immunity. Good luck!
That doesn’t sound crazy at all! I have some of that, and I will have to try it. Thank you so much!
I loved reading this and am so happy to hear your headache is gone! I, too, happened upon the acid/alkaline balance by accident as the solution to many health problems I have been having (candida, acne, fatigue, etc.) And wheatgrass juice is like liquid gold in the alkalizing department – I also feel better almost instantly after drinking it. It is a very strong detoxifier, so sometimes it can make you feel a bit nauseous, but that’s just a sign that it is cleaning the gunk out of your system. Good luck on your new journey – I’m super interested in how to find and eat alkaline foods, and am looking forward to whatever you have to write about it.
Liquid gold. I love it. I already started soaking wheat berries to grow our own! I did almost toss on the second double shot, but it passed quickly.
I found these gals yesterday, they have some yummy looking recipes. We can learn together. 
Interesting. I’ve never tried wheatgrass, but I’ve had some issues with feeling below par recently. I’ll give it a go.
Give it a try! What do you have to lose?
So glad you’re feeling better. I’ll have to give this a thought next time I spring a migraine. I have noticed that allergy symptoms ease up within seconds of drinking a kale heavy smoothie – maybe the same thing?
I would believe it! Kale has superpowers.
Wow, that is crazy! I guess I have never considered ph balance as a reason for bad headaches. Interesting! So glad you are feeling better! Love the picture of the hummingbird
Neither have I. Who would have thought. I wish I could take ownership of the hummingbird photo, but I found it online! It was the closest match to the one I saw this morning.
Amazing! Glad your migraine is gone. Yay for Somer and her help.
Agreed! Hooray for wheatgrass. Hooray for a clear head. And a hip-hip-hooray for Somer!
Thanks Jill!
Great video. I need to add wheatgrass to my diet now.
So happy to hear you’ve had some relief, Erika! Bravo to Somer for the diagnosis. Keep chuggin’ that wheatgrass!!
Will do. I have a 9am wheatgrass date tomorrow.
Aw shucks, thanks Annie!
let’s get the wheatgrass growing! don’t know if it helps crypto, but I am so, so grateful you are well(-er). still home-bound-ish, but made it to a beautiful morning at the garden and felt almost normal. like, really normal. Can we give the weather a little of the credit for our recovery?
Already started soaking! Super glad you are well(er)! This morning was gorgeous and the beautiful weather can spur my wellness any day.
That’s really cool! I’m going to remember that as I get migraines too!
Darn migraines. Hope it helps you too!
Wonderful Erika! Yes to wheat grass shots
So happy to hear of your miraculous recovery! Well done Somer!!
That makes 6 of us (including our family- everyone is in better spirits now)!
Me too! Feeling for your friend…
Blushing!
i struggled with poor health(stomach issues) for 2 years, going to doctor after doctor, emergency room visits, test after test- so many misdiagnosis’s, so many prescription drugs recommended, i.v. vitamin drips, many holistic supplements taken with worsening symptoms. had to figure it out for myself by reading of other’s experiences on the web. my research led me to finding out that stomach issues were caused by a lactose intolerance, along with processed foods, foods eaten sprayed by pesticides, etc. i kept a food diary which helped alert me to offending “foods”. i ended up going vegan, cutting out all processed foods, staying away from things in a can, box or bag- in most cases, even if it says organic. organic foods can still be made with chemicals or processed oils. the difference in my health was extraordinary and i am continuing to learn how to improve . some people seem to treat their bodies like garbage cans. the goal is to eat the most optimally nutritious foods that you can. i had thought before this that i was eating healthy, but i learned that most of us have no clue what that is. wheatgrass juice is next on the list for me!
The things we do for our health. I keep trying to focus on the things I CAN eat, helps me be more positive.
Way to go on all of your hard work and improved health- well done! And happy wheatgrassing!
I feel inspired to finally start putting to use the little pH test strips I bought from Amazon a few months ago…especially since I have about 200 of them. Thanks for the push!
Oooo… pH testing strips on Amazon? I was thinking I’d have to find them at the drug store. I am a big fan of front door delivery!
Me too! I guess I didn’t really get 200, but it is 160 for $10: http://www.amazon.com/Phinex-Diagnostic-Results-Seconds-Balance/dp/B003PDB79W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1346689695&sr=8-3&keywords=pH+testing+strips
I always wait until I have $25 worth of stuff I need to buy so I can get the free shipping
That’s a much better deal than Whole Foods. 90 for $15. Thanks for the tip- it’s in my shopping cart (until I fill it to $25!)
I think its something to do with your body detoxing out your old diet. Toxins are stored in your tissues (especially fat tissue) and as you change your diet, often, you will get all sorts of symptoms that can’t be explained other than your body is finally rid of some or other toxin that you have consumed in the past. It happens to me whenever I lose weight. Headaches are usually a good symptom that you are detoxing. Using alkaline foods would be a good help with detoxing and lots of liquids as well but like anything else, the migranes were a symptom of detoxification. Cheers for the charts by the way
I love the science of it all- thanks for your fantastic insight! With all the things that have been put in my body over the years, who knows what the culprit may be. Living healthy now, hoping my tissues catch up soon!
It’s hard not to reach for the panadol when we get “symptoms” but usually they are our body detoxing the garbage that we put into it years ago. I was a yoyo dieter for years and always had migranes and when I stopped yoyo dieting and started to follow a healthy vegan diet, no more migranes! (only after I lost 40kg though!
). Well done on your healthy change and I hope that your migranes will soon be a thing of the past from one migrane ex-sufferer to another 
Aw thanks. You give me hope. Detox hit in full force today- trying to stay focused on the long term!
Can’t even articulate how happy I am that you are doing better, your 12 day migraine was starting to really stress me out in your behalf. Love you and your wheatgrass!
Happiness all around.
This is awesome, Erika. I’m not going to say anythign nice abotu Somer here, because I don’t want her to get a big head, but, it’s pretty amazing that your unnamed friend managed to find help for you.
I’ve heard amazing things about wheatgrass, and now that we’re growing sprouts, maybe we can find a little room for a wheatgrass pot.
Do you think the cat would eat it before we had a chance to?
I have heard that cats love wheat grass, so it might get to it, I do mine in a window planter.
http://goodcleanfood.wordpress.com/2012/05/23/a-week-in-the-raw/
Sprouting more now!
And yes, my head is getting so big, it’s about to explode.
Somer’s hat did look a little snug the other day… I just read that cats love wheatgrass and will lay down right on top of your tray. Netting was recommended as the solution? Good luck that!
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What a story! The things that natural medicine (or should i say grass) does for our bodies always baffles me. I’m so glad you’re feeling much better now. Viva nature! Viva wheatgrass!
Hear hear!
I am soooooo thankful that you wrote this post. My husband had a HUGE debilitating migraine out of nowhere (he’s never had one) while visiting family. It was so bad he was vomiting. There was nothing that could help. I made him read this post so if it does happen again, he knows what to try. Thank you so much, Erika! I’m glad you’re feeling better.
Oh no! Poor guy, such an awful place to be. I hope this is the solution- how silly that two years of doctors have been trumped by a wheatgrass shot!
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I can’t believe I haven’t made the acidity/migraine link yet! It’s like a big duh lightbulb just went off in my head. I track everything – why have I not tracked how alkalined I was (or wasn’t) when my migraines have struck! I’m on it starting right now- can’t wait to track the results!
I truly hope it is an answer for you!
You’re not the first success story I’ve heard (concerning migraines). I may just have to try it! And wheatgrass? Totally cheap ’cause you can grow it on your own. Thanx for the recommendation!
Already growing two trays in the kitchen. We got the Lexen handcrank wheatgrass juicer- which is the cost equivalent of 15 wheatgrass shots- it will pay for itself quickly. I hope you find some relief, sorry you have had so many migraines, wish I lived closer to help you out more!!! Please keep me posted as to how you’re doing. xoxo