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Food Ph Warm Greetings, Well, this is the last newsletter of the year. I am sure that you are all looking forward to a well-deserved holiday and are not in the mood for "heavy" newsletters. This time we will keep it simple and I would just like give you a brief summary on the pH of various foods. The acidity level of a food is measured by it's pH value. pH 7 = neutral pH under 7 = acidic pH over 7 = alkaline Baking soda has a pH of about 8 and milk of magnesia a pH of over 10. That is why these are used as antacids. People vary, but for most, the ideal diet is 75% alkalizing and 25% acidifying foods by volume. ALKALIZING FOODS: Vegetables; garlic, asparagus, fermented veggies, watercress, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, pumpkins, peas, green beans, spinach, okra, parsley, peppers, lettuce, cabbage, cucumbers, potatoes, sweet corn, carrots, squash etc.. Fruits; apples, apricots, avos, banana, melons, cherries, mangoes, grapes, figs, prunes, raisins, dates, pears, Other; apple cider vinegar, bee pollen, lecithin granules, probiotic cultures, green juices, fresh fruit juices, almonds, soured dairy products, molasses, coconut, maple syrup. ACIDIFYING FOODS: fats & oils; avocado oil, canola oil, corn oil, hemp seed oil, flax oil, olive oil. Nuts & butters; cashews, brazil nuts, peanuts, peanut butter, pecans, tahini. Drugs & chemicals; medicinal drugs, psychedelic, pesticides, herbicides. Lemons seem acid but change alkaline in the body. -------------------------------------------------------------- I received a e-mail the other day entitled RED MARBLE and would like to share it with you, here goes. A RED MARBLE During the waning years of the depression in a small southeastern Idaho community, I used to stop by Mr Miller's roadside stand for farm-fresh produce as the season made it available. Food and money were still extremely scarce and bartering was used, extensively. One particular day Mr Miller was bagging some early potatoes for me. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas. I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pusher over for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr Miller and the ragged boy next to me. "Hello Barry, how are you today?" "H'lo Mr Miller. Fine thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas sure look good" "They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?" "Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time." "Good. Anything I can help you with?" "No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas." "Would you like to take some home?" "No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for'em with." "Well, what have you to trade me for some peas?" "All I got's my prize marble here." "Is that right? Let me see it." "Here 'tis. She's a dandy." " I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?" "Not 'zackley..but, almost." "Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble." "Sure will. Thanks, Mr Miller." Mrs Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said: "There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes or whatever. When they come back with their red marble, and they always do, he decides he does not like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one perhaps." I left the stand, smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys and their bartering. Several years went by each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there I learned that Mr Miller had died. They were having his viewing that evening and knowing my friend wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon our arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could. Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts, very professional looking. They approached Mrs Miller, standing smiling and composed, by her husband's casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket. Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary, awkwardly, wiping his eyes. Our turn came to meet Mrs Miller. I told her who I was and mentioned the story she had told me about the marbles. Eyes glistening she took my hand and led me to the casket. " Those three young men, who just left, were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim "traded" them. Now, at last when Jim could not change his mind about colour or size.. they came to pay their debt. "We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world," she confided, "but, right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho." With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three, exquisitely shined, red marbles. MORAL: We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breath we take, but the moments that take our breath. And on this "food for thought" we wish you all a wonderful holiday with all the wishes and blessings for the festive season. The Crazy Nut team P.S. We will be resuming the newsletters in February 2003 P.P.S. If you have missed any of the previous articles and would like to read them, please visit our archives at http://crazynut.theshoppe.com