I wanted to spend $600-$700 on a good digital pH meter recommended for food testing and make some tests on every raw fruit and veggie I can get my hands on, then I had the idea of asking here in the Forum - maybe someone own such a pH tester or can borrow one - or even better - maybe we can find this kind of info somewhere.

My entire idea was to make a close to neutral (pH) smoothies or blends in order to help maintaining a good balanced intestinal flora, avoid killing the "good bacteria".

I was thinking to blend individually a small amount of every kind of fruit/veggie FRESH & RAW in a power blender (perhaps with some water - if necessary) and to pH test each kind, making a chart and making it public here on Forum.

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Volunteers?

Can anyone help or I should keep saving?

Thank you
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Optional reading (or "Why I believe that the pH of my food matters":
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After major digestive problems (before I started to eat raw - 5 months ago) I tried to experience what combinations of fruits/veggies are good for my upset stomach w. massive acid reflux.

Some fruit blends are too acidic and too sweet for my taste (and blending them in my VitaMix is even enhancing their taste and sweetness - compared with the same fruits eaten "normally".

Taking 3 months (1 pill/day) of HSO Probiotic Formula normalized my intestinal transit and bacterial flora (and I was happy), then I had to do a root channel therapy and hours later the inner side of gums started swelling and the lymph nodes too. I knew I was in trouble. Initially I did not want to take the antibiotics prescribed by my dentist, but after such symptoms I started to take them for 3 days only.

What happened was that in no time I started to have the same unpleasant symptoms of acid reflux, etc. I knew that I ruined in 3 days what I built in 3-4 months, but at least now I know what to do and how to fix it.

This is why I believe that maintaining a well balanced healthy bacterial flora avoids digestive problems and is assuring a good/fast digestion.

Pls. excuse my English - foreigner.

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Medicine, Food Industry and Commerce are businesses.
Is their goal to make/keep me healthy or to make more profit?
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i think one thing you might consider is

just cuz you test one apple at a certain time .. the next apple from another farm during another time of year is going to test differenttly

there are going to be alot of variables

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

Something to consider...the pH of any food prior to eating is not necessarily an indicator of how it influences stomach pH while being digested. For example, lemons are obviously acidic. However, they have an alkalinizing effect on the body.

Regarding acid reflux...the reason most people reflux is because of too little stomach acids not too much. As we get older, our bodies produce less. I don't know how much you know about food combining but there is a direct correlation between improper food combining and improper/inadequate digestion. www.rawfoodexplained.com has excellent discussions on the topic. The book, "The Raw Gourmet" by Nomi Shannon explains well and "The Raw Food Detox Diet" by Natalia Rose explains too. I am sure there are other good reseources out there.

Here is the discussion abbreviated, when you consume the "wrong" combinations of foods OR your body is not making enough stomach acid (called pyloric acid and is mostly hydrochloric acid) food sits in your stomach and ferments. When the food ferments it produces lactic acid and gases. It is this lactic acid that you are refluxing. It is these gases that cause you to belch and feel bloated. This problem is in your stomach not your gut. Trying to improve your intestinal flora will help other issues but not this one.

I have experienced tremendous results by taking supplements by a company called Quantum Nutrition Labs. My chiro sent me in this direction. The website is www.healthline.cc. I use what they call their HCL Detox kit. (HCL stands for hydrochloric acid.) Because of other issues, I have had to add some cooked food back into my diet so I also take a product called "Digest." The HCL detox kit contains Betaine HCl and an HCl activator. This helps you to digest your food in the stomach before it reaches your intestines and all the good flora down there.

You might want to take the money you are saving for a pH meter and use it for either some very high quality digestive aids or to see a naturopathic practitioner/nutritionist who can lead you down the right path. I am sure there are other companies out there besides the one I mentioned above that manufacture a similar product. I am VERY impressed with this product and my chiro told me that others he recommended the products to have said the same.

At least look into the www.healthline.cc website or call and speak with one of their reps. Yes, they are going to recommend which products of theirs to purchase to resolve your issues but they might give you some other insight. Oh, this company promotes a raw lifestyle so they will know what you are talking about. As a matter of fact it was from listening the related radio show that I even learned about raw in the first place. The website lists where you can access the radio show in your area.

If you don't understand something I wrote, please let me know and I will elaborate.

Good luck.

Patty