How Alkalinity is

important for our

Health
Presentation for Jain Community in Mumbai
On Sunday Dec 31, 2017, 9 AM to 1 PM at
Mysore Association, Matunga, Mumbai

By Surendra Halgeri
Nutritionist & Health Ambassador, HPB
Singapore.

Event Organized by Mahesh Vora

WhatsApp no. +91 77385 20565
Email : [email protected]
 Presenter Introduction - 1
• Surendra Halgeri, 67.
• BE (E & T/C) COEP, M.Tech. CS (IIT Kanpur)
• COEP Classmate of Mahesh Vora
• 40 years work in IT Industry (India & Singapore)
• Currently living in Singapore last 27 years
• Interested in Nature Cure since last 20 years
• Self Study and practice, test on myself first!
• Diploma in Nutrition Science in Singapore in 2017
• ITEC UK Nutritionist Certification (2016)
• Health Ambassador certification from Health
Promotion Board, Singapore.
 Presenter Introduction - 2
• Surendra Halgeri
• Self Study reading books, websites, blogs.
• Trials and experimentation, Read the Book “Fit for
Life”
• Tried Raw Vegan diet in 2000, good results
• Water-only Fasting on Ekadashi since 2004
• Also tried Dry Fasting on some Ekadashis.
• Attended Fasting Workshop in Malaysia conducted by
Ray Kent, disciple of Dr. Herbert Shelton, the doyen
of water-only fasting Science.
• Have done longer water-fasts of 5 to 30 days.
• Done Juice-only fasts, maximum 60 days.
• Teach Diploma classes for Diet & Nutrition
• Nutrition Consultant for Salad Bar Chain in Singapore
 You are What you eat
• Our Health is 80% dependent on diet for normal
individuals.
• The rest 20% on exercise, stress level,
contentment, happiness, friends
• Nutrition advice from Medical profession is
conspicuously absent due to Pharma dominance.
• Related to medical treatment profits, pharma
industry profits. Doctors are busy in Disease
Management & making ……!!!
• The task of evangelizing the techniques of Health
Management & ‘Disease-Free living’ by good diet
and lifestyle falls on self-practitioners like me!
 Basic Requirements of our body

• Our body has 4 trillion cells of different types.

• All cells require Five Elements: Air, Water,
Sunshine, Nutrition, Exercise
• Air: Breathe purer air in area with greenery &
trees. Do Pranayam. Walk on grass barefoot to
ground your body and remove static charge &
reduce stress
• Do gardening to absorb minerals from soil
through the skin. Reduce stress & relax. Be
happy.
• Do walking, yoga, taiji etc. in morning sunshine
to absorb vitamin D. Lack of vitamin D makes us
vulnerable to cancer & diabetes.
 Drinking water for better hydration - 1
• Start the day with hot (500C) lemon water
(filtered), 2-4 glasses, drink in sitting
posture, in one sitting.
• This is for alkaline cleaning of digestive
system, cleans liver, prevents cough & cold,
helps reduce constipation. Drink more if you
can.
• Drink 3-5 liters of filtered water on empty
stomach during the day (between meals)
based on thirst, blood group and clear urine.
• Drink water half hour before eating or two
hours after eating for better absorption in to
body cells, mainly muscles.
Drinking water for better hydration - 2

• Drinking water during eating or just after

eating dilutes the digestive process.
• Water washes saliva in to stomach, wasting
it and affects the digestion adversely since
saliva is alkaline and stomach is acidic.
• Drinking water 15-30 minutes before
eating ensures faster absorption of water in
to the muscles from stomach before you
start eating. It does not affect hunger or
appetite in any way.
• Drink water slowly sip by sip. Do not gulp.
1 Kg = 2.2 lbs
8 Oz = 237 ml

80 Kg person
Weight = 176 lbs
Water requirement (Oz) =
176/2 = 88 Oz
= (88/8) x 237
= 2600 ml (cold countries)

A, AB Blood groups,
moderately active ---- 3 liters
A, AB Blood groups, highly
active ---- 4 liters
O Blood group, moderately
active ---- 4 liters
O Blood group, Highly active -
--- 5 liters
 Diet for Disease-free living

• Living food diet from plants

• Ripe Fruits, leafy salads, raw vegetables,
nuts
• Filtered water
• Cooking used only when it is a must
• Pre-biotic diet which promotes growth of
Probiotics i.e. friendly bacteria in the gut.
• Also called Alkaline diet
 pH Potential Hydrogen

• To understand Alkalinity we need to

understand pH (Potential Hydrogen)
• pH is a log10 measure where ‘Complete
Acid’ value is 1 and ‘Complete Alkaline’ is
value 14
• Water is ideally at pH = 7, City water 6.5
• Stomach (HCL) acid is near pH = 1
• Sodium Hydroxide is near pH = 14
Table 2: pH in Living Systems

pH in Living Systems

Compartment pH
Gastric Acid 1
Lysosomes 4.5
Granules of Chromaffin Cells 5.5
Human Skin 5.5
Urine 6
Neutral H2O at 37 °C 6.81
Cytosol 7.2
Cerebrospinal Fluid 7.3
Blood 7.43-7.45
Mitochondrial Matrix 7.5
Pancreas Secretions 8.1
 Acid-Alkaline Balance in Human Body

• Human body works in the pH range of 7 to 7.8.

• Our typical pH levels in a healthy human being
are saliva (7), Cerebrospinal Fluid (7.3),
Pancreatic Juice (8.1), Bile (8.8), Urine (6.8) and
Faeces (7.5).
• For proper digestion, the digestive enzymes need
proper environment at correct pH value.
• Except for Gastric Juice in stomach (0.9), rest of
a healthy human body is alkaline!
• Eating food that metabolizes in to Alkaline blood
plasma is beneficial for our health. Conversely,
eating food that metabolizes in to Acidic blood
plasma causes progressive damage to our health.
Importance of Blood pH in Human Body

• The most important, most sacred and

most protected part of human body in
acid-alkaline balance is our ‘blood’
• Blood pH value must be maintained at 7.4,
within +/- 0.05 for keeping alive!
• A variation of +/- 0.2 in the Blood pH
value would prove fatal!
• Does it mean that eating acid producing
food would prove fatal for any of us?
Importance of Blood pH in our Body - 2
• Short answer: Not immediately.
• Our Body is deceptively ‘tolerant’. It ’buffers’ the
acids by sacrificing non-critical parts of the body.
If the person continues eating ‘acidic’ food for
decades together, his bones, muscles, organs and
body cells progressively turn acidic in the
process!
• A terminally ill Cancer patient has typical body pH
of around 4.5, instead of a healthy 7.5
• But Blood remains at pH 7.4 till the last few days
of life!
• When blood pH starts to change, medical world
‘recognizes’ it as Acidosis! By then, it is too late!!
So What exactly are Alkaline and Acidic
Foods?

• Alkaline foods are ‘living foods’ (not cooked or

processed) almost all fruits and salad vegetables
(when eaten raw), some nuts, some cold pressed
oils, Millets, Quinoa, some beans and lentils
• Acidic foods are pasteurized dairy foods like milk,
yogurt, cheese, non-veg, grain food like wheat,
Rice, Rye, Oats, most Beans and Lentils, coffee,
tea, Alcohol
• All processed foods like burgers, pizza, cakes,
pastries, biscuits, cookies, soft drinks, canned
fruit juices, sugars, drinks are acidic as well as
loaded with chemical additives & preservatives,
which do further damage to our body.
Classification of Alkaline & Acidic Foods
Why is Non-veg, Dairy, Gluten Grains Acidic? (1)

• The main reason is larger portion of proteins

• Our Body needs some portion of proteins for
growth, repair, body maintenance functions
• This need is typically under 40g/day for a
moderately active adult. (RNI number of 0.75
gm/Kg of body weight is a ‘lobbied’ number! RDA
is 0.8)
• Normal non-veg and pasteurized dairy eating
person may consume more than 100-200 gm of
protein daily!
• These Proteins have Nitrogen (N), Sulphur (S),
and Phosphorous (P) compounds.
• When in excess, they convert to strong acids in
our body: Nitric Acid, Sulphuric Acid and
Why is Non-veg, Dairy, Gluten Grains Acidic? (2)

• Nitric Acid, Sulphuric Acid and Phosphoric Acid

are strong acids. They can burn holes and
dissolve bones!
• They need to be neutralized by alkaline
compounds like Calcium, Sodium, Potassium,
Magnesium, Manganese etc. before they can be
excreted out of kidney as urine.
• So excess proteins suck up our body’s alkalinity.
• If a person does not eat any fruits, salads,
vegetables and eats only non-veg, or bread, rice,
cheese, milk, sugar, processed food etc for years
together, where will his body gets alkaline
compounds to neutralize the accumulated excess
acids?
 Gluten Grains: Health Problems - 1
• Gluten Grains contain gluten proteins which
progressively damage nutrient absorption part of
our small intestine as well as satiety sensors.
Soak, Roast & Cook
 Why Milk and Dairy turns Acidic in our body?

• Cow's milk has three times more protein than our

mother's milk. This is to build a calf with strong
bones from 20 kg at birth to 800 kg animal in
two years!
• This large amount of protein is converted into
strong acids in humans, and these strong acids
leach more calcium out of the bones than was
provided by the milk in the first place!
• Pasteurized Cow's milk causes osteoporosis. It is
an absolute lie when they say, "Milk builds strong
bones“, which is sponsored by Milk Lobby in USA.
• Vegetables have plenty of bio-available calcium
for us.
 Why Milk and Dairy turns Acidic in our body?

• In addition, 50% of the calcium that is ingested

by the drinking of pasteurized milk is not
absorbed. Same for cheese & yoghurt.
• Feed a baby calf pasteurized milk for a few
months, it will die. A proof that pasteurizing
damages the milk further!
• Add to this that about 80% of people cannot
digest milk due to lack of lactobacillus in the gut.
Milk ends up as phlegm due to calcium in form of
casein in milk. Also not good for diabetics.
• It is good to avoid dairy foods in your diet.
• If you must have milk, get fresh raw A2 milk
from desi cow for your consumption!!
 How body deals with excess acids?

• To keep the Blood pH fixed at 7.4, the body

progressively sacrifices the alkaline minerals in
the bones, joints, muscles, organs over years and
decades. This also causes inflammation,
stiffening of arteries (Aging, lack of energy, leaky
gut, Hypertension)
• This results in lifestyle diseases like fibromyalgia
(too much acid in muscles), Osteoporosis,
Arthritis, Digestive disorders, IBS, Crohn’s
disease etc.
• If a person still continues with acidic foods,
organs start getting acidic. Once cells of Liver &
Pancreas are affected, it may result in Diabetes
and Chronic Heart Disease or Cancer
depending upon genetic background of the
 From Acidosis to Cancer – the downfall

This is a battle of the human against toxins. When the body can
no longer expel them, for want of alkalinity, it tries to hide the
damage already sustained in six phases. This is Latent Acidosis
or Chronic Degenerative Disease which affects whole body!
1. Excretion phase or the expulsion of toxins through body
orifices, e.g. diarrhoea, vomiting;
2. Reaction phase - where toxins are removed by the body
reacting against them, e.g. fever, inflammation and mobilization of
white blood cells to consume the toxins, heartburn, colitis;
3. Deposition phase – storage of toxins in connective and fat
tissue followed by deactivation in organs, arteries, polyps, guts
4. Impregnation phase - severe disease occurs in the body's
weakest organs like heart, liver, pancreas, intestines, kidneys,
stomach.
5. Degeneration phase - the organ is increasingly and
irreversibly damaged, with alteration of the cellular enzymes and
in the organic structure;
6. Neoplasm (Cancer) phase- cell genes (DNA) are damaged!
 How can I find out my current state of body
alkalinity and blood toxic level?
• It is very simple to measure your digestive system
pH by using a litmus strip, placing it on the tongue,
wet with saliva for 2-3 seconds first thing on
wakeup in the morning before brushing or washing.
Compare the color on pH chart within the next 10
seconds.
• Early morning saliva pH reflects the intestinal fluid
pH after digestion of previous day food in take.
Ideally it should be between 7 & 7.5. Up to 6.5, no
cause of worry. Between 5 & 6.5, need to increase
alkaline food intake. Lower than 5 is a cause of
worry. Need to go on salad or smoothie diet.
• Check the urine pH for the second urine of the
morning. It should be between 6.8 & 7.
• Your normal working pulse rate is a good indicator
of blood toxicity level. Count your pulses on the
wrist for a minute. Pulse of 60 or less beats/minute
indicates low toxic level. Heart needs to beat less to
clean your blood. So it lasts longer!
What about acidic fruits like Lemon, Oranges,
Pineapple? How are they alkaline?

• These acidic fruits have weak acids like Lemon &

Pineapple (Citric Acid), Apple (Vinegar, Acetic Acid),
Tomato & Grapes (Malic Acid), Tamarind (Tartaric
Acid). They are made up of C, H, & O.
• They do not ionize and do not dissolve bones!
• When mixed with water they convert to Carbonic
Acid (H2CO3) which breaks up in to water and CO2
(breathed out)
• They have plenty of alkalizing minerals like
Calcium, Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium and
Manganese, Iron, Copper, Zinc etc.
• This added body alkalinity is used to neutralize the
acids lodged in muscles or alkalize the digestion
support organs like liver, pancreas and salivary
glands.
 So how to get rid of this acidity spread over
the body?

• Simply by eating fresh salad vegetables like

spinach, kale, cucumber, lettuce, broccoli,
avocado, green coconut, red/green pepper, bean
sprouts, tomatoes, carrots, beets, sweet peas,
garlic, ginger, herbs in salads or smoothie.
• Eating variety of ripe fruits with skin when
possible, as per season and choice.
• Eating raw nuts, green coconut water & pulp,
soaked almonds, soaked chia & flax seeds,
spirulina, chlorella, Aloe Vera Gel
• Eating soaked & cooked beans & lentils, steamed
pumpkin, sweet potatoes, millets, buckwheat and
Quinoa
• Exercising regularly, partly in morning sun for
 How do I make my diet more alkaline?

• Let 50-70% of your food by weight be made of

living food like leafy salads, variety of ripe
seasonal fruits, vegetables, sprouts and nuts in
raw form as a salad or smoothie or freshly made
juice.
• Eat 25% of your food as cooked millets, quinoa,
buckwheat, brown rice, beans & lentils, sweet
potato, pumpkin as your main source of protein &
carbs.
• Use cold pressed olive oil, flax seed oil or coconut
oil as dressings base.
• Eat 3- 5% of your food made of raw nuts like
almonds, walnuts, pumpkin / sunflower / flax /
 What type of food should I avoid?
• All processed food that is made in a factory where
natural plant food is heated, cooked, fried, roasted and
added with chemical preservatives, enhancers, coloring
and packed for sale. This includes fast food, pizza,
sodas, alcohol, juices, cakes, breads, biscuits, cookies,
chips, tidbits, candies, chocolates. A normal whole meal
bread has more than 15 chemical additives &
preservatives.
• Dairy products like pasteurized milk, yoghurt, cheese,
butter, creams. Use Almond, nut or rice milk instead.
• Avoid synthetic spices like vinegar, soya sauce and ready
salad dressings. Make salad dressing from fresh
ingredients like fresh herbs & spices, orange skin, ginger.
• Grains with gluten like wheat, rye, spelt, barley, oats and
grains with empty calories like white rice.
 Healthy Lifestyle with Alkaline Food - 1

• On waking up drink 1-2 liters of filtered warm

water with fresh lemon (5-7% by volume) to
clean and alkalize your body and digestive organs
and clean the colon, ending constipation.
• Do a 10 min stretch, 30 min cardio workout, 20
min weights.
• Eat fruits first, then nuts, millets and small salad
as breakfast.
• Drink plenty of filtered water during the day with
soaked lemon slices or citrus fruit slices when on
empty stomach, i.e. 15 min before meals or 2
hours after meals.
 Healthy Lifestyle with Alkaline Food - 2

• Avoid tea, coffee, tidbits to reduce acidity. Drink

green tea instead.
• For lunch, eat millets, beans, lentils with a big
bowl of salad.
• Evening do a light activity like yoga, taiji,
gardening, beach stroll, voluntary work or social
visit to reduce stress
• For dinner eat vegetable soup, beans and small
alkaline vegetable salad
• Sleep 7-8 hours, preferably 10 PM to 5 AM which
is ideal for liver detox and brain recharge.
• Chew your food well for better salival digestion.
Mix soft food like rice/millet with salad to ensure
longer chewing time.
For 70 Kg person:

1. Ripe Fruits 750

gm /day, 3-5 types,
2. Raw Vegetables
750 gm/day
3. Leafy Salad Veg
75 gm/day
For 70 Kg person:
Soaked Raw Nuts & Seeds 40 gm /day, 3 types
Beans and Lentils
- Soaked and Cooked
- Whole beans is better
than split, more fiber
 Health Benefits of Alkaline Food

• Regular eating of Alkaline Foods ensures body pH

in normal alkaline range.
• Lifestyle diseases do not progress and ageing
slows down considerably.
• Youthful looks, glowing skin, boundless energy to
work, unlimited enthusiasm, clear mind, sharp
brain, sound sleep, good stamina, low heart rate
are the tell tale signs of a person on alkaline diet!
• Weight loss, fat loss, reduction of blood pressure,
lower blood sugar, stronger bones, less joint pain,
reduced back pain, unblocked sinuses, more lung
capacity, diminished cancer markers, more
energy, lower heart rate and better stamina are
some of the benefits seen by those switching
A Salad a Day Keeps Acidosis (Cancer) Away
A Smoothie a Day Keeps Acidosis (Cancer) Away
A Smoothie a Day Keeps Acidosis (Cancer) Away
So what about elimination of toxins which are
already lodged in the body?

• The only way this can be done is by doing a

‘Water-only Fast’ also called water-fast. The
digestive system is given complete rest and the
body energy is entirely used to repair and
detoxify the body. Our body is a miraculous self-
repairing engine! No mechanic needed! Better
than Annual plant shutdown!
• The Water-fast can last 24 or 36 hours, 3 days, 5
days, 10 days, 15 days to even up to 60 days or
1440 hours!. The longer you fast, the deeper
goes the body healing, repair and rebuilding.
• After 3rd day of fast, the process of ‘ketosis’
starts which dissolves the stored body fat in to
glycogen to provide energy during fasting. Most
 Water-fasting Rules
• The priority of repair is set by the body giving
importance to critical organs like brain, heart,
liver and then other organs.
• Eating even a tiny morsel of solid or liquid
food will result in total stoppage of body
healing. So please be very very strict.
• During fasting body throws toxins out via all body
excretion outlets & pores like urine, bile from
liver, bad smelly breath, whitish tongue, bad
taste in the mouth etc. This is normal detox in
progress. When you break fast it will end in an
hour!
• Breaking the fast must be slowly done starting
with coconut water, freshly squeezed water melon
juice, then fruits, salads. The slow ramp-up
 My Water Fasting experience
• I started water fasting in 2004 by doing a 36-hour water-fast (2N1D) on
every Ekadashi (once a fortnight). I continue this practice even today. It is
indeed a great way of keeping health in check.
• First few fasts I got headache due to sinus cleaning. It vanished after 3rd
fast. Hunger, acidic feeling, grumbling etc. was felt initially. I drank water
whenever I was having such feeling. The grumbling vanished. Water
served to feel full.
• My first 7-day long fast was done in a water fasting workshop in JB
Malaysia, conducted by Ray Kent, disciple of Late Dr. Herbert Shelton, the
fasting guru. I learnt the dos and don'ts of fasting there.
• I have done several long fasts 10, 12, 15 days once a year since then. My
last fast in June 2015 was 30 days long. My colon (large intestine) has
cleaned up and my current food transit time (FTT) is around 6-8 hours
getting 3-4 bowel movements a day. Normal FTTs are around 24 hours
getting one bowel movement a day indicating constipation.
• Anyone wishing to start Water-fasting, I will be more than happy to
provide hand-holding, even remotely over phone or WhatsApp. This will
ensure that you will succeed in your effort. You will need strong will power
especially getting thru first few fasts.
• Wishing you the Best Of Health and Happiness! – Surendra Halgeri
[email protected] +65.98763190 (WhatsApp and FaceTime)
 Natural Remedies for Diabetes, CVD, High BP
• Fenugreek seeds, soak overnight, drink water & eat
seeds
• Sprout fenugreek seeds, Methi leaves
• Mango leaves, boil in water, drink water
• Drumstick & Moringa Leaves
• Jamun: Eat the fruit, dry seeds, powder, take with
water
• Tulsi / Basil leaves, eat.
• Drink Green Tea
• Raw Onion / Onion juice, Leek
• Raw Garlic, Ginger
• Mung Bean sprouts
• Cinnamon, Cumin, Turmeric, Bay leaf
• Flaxseeds, Almonds
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Karela / Bitter gourd eat/juice
• Okra/Bhendi, slit & soak overnight, drink/eat
Natural Remedies: Methi seeds, leaves, sprouts

1. Eat Methi leaves raw – make salad

2. Soak Methi seeds overnight, drink water in
the morning, eat soaked seeds
3. Eat Methi seed Sprouts
Jamun Seed
Powder
Eat Tulasi & Sweet
Basil Leaves
Eat raw mung bean sprouts