Alkalize or Die: Superior Health Through Proper Alkaline-Acid Balance

by Theodore A. Baroody

Dr. Baroody's comprehensive research and clinical findings indicate that illness and disease are directly linked to overacidity in the system.

By following the guidelines in this book you can evaluate your alkaline/acid situation, determine a course of correction, and achieve a high level of vitality and strength. Includes a 21 day meal plan.

Genres: Health, Nutrition, Nonfiction, Self Help, Food

242 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1991

Reviews

[Tonkica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jako jednostavno pisana knjiga o zdravlju koju bih preporucila svima koji imaju bilo kakvih zdravstvenih tegoba. Nikakve dijete i cudni naporni pripravci.. Cisto jednostavno kako pomoci sam sebi i pomoci svojem tijelu da bude u sto boljoj formi! Sretno svima! :)

[Guillaume Belanger · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is a collection of recommendations and statements about what the authors thinks we should do to be healthy and alkaline as opposed to being sick and acidic. Although I was eager to read it because of a very positive review and recommendation about it I found somewhere, I was very disappointed and, in fact, found it almost completely useless: there was hardly a thing in there I hadn't read somewhere already, there are many things I believe are just wrong, and I don't think there is one statement that is supported either by a fact or a convincing, science-based explanantion; all of it is just grand-motherly advice with the added aggravation of the author's penchant for religious comments.

Nonetheless, there is one important thing I gained from reading this book that I had not really considered as crucial, but that truly is: if there is a deficiency of hydrochloric acid in the stomach during digestion, because protein will not be decomposed completely, it will putrefy and seriously increase the acid load on the body. It is therefore extremely important to ensure that there is an adequate amount of hydrochloric acid for complete protein digestion, most effectively done through supplementation, especially after the age of about 35, but with progressively increasing importance beyond that.

[Georgia Roybal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recently had to go to the emergency room with what turned out to be kidney stones. A friend who is a nutrition adviser recommended this book. The basic idea of the book is that we eat too many acid producing foods. The acid wastes in our cells create a number of imbalances and health problems such as kidney stones. The author maintains we need to eat 80% of our food from alkaline producing lists and 20% from acid producing lists. Most fruits and almost all vegetables are alkaline-forming so it makes sense from a weight control standpoint as well. Now I will increase my intake of vegetables and see how it works.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moody Baroody is not going to change his title, but this somewhat hard line guy has a valid point anyway. Eating seventy to eighty percent fruits, veggies, (and milk products if you do so) is a really big factor in staying healthy. If you do hard physical work you get some leeway because your body burns off the acid foods (meat, beans, bread, candy) . Years before reading this book, and knowing somewhat about the alkaline principle from Cayce, I roughly ate an alkaline diet as a vegetarian for three years, and had zero colds. I used to catch whatever cold was going around. Once I became vegan and gave up solidly akaline foods like milk, cheese, even yogurt and initially replaced these with soybean alternatives that are of an acid ph, I returned to catching colds. Now I am back on an alkaline diet AND vegan this time, and no colds for three years again. This book did help to shore up a healthy habit.

[Sodapop Liptrott · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bad book! I am interested to know what kind of "Doctor" Theodore baroody is. Bizarre acid alkaline food scale, and according to the doctor praying to God is the most alkaline forming thing you can do which when done right can INSTANTLY cure you of ALL diseases and ailments... No scientific evidence to back up what he is saying, he thinks schizophrenia is a symptom of severe acidity? Anyone looking for a serious book on alkalizing the body go elsewhere, this religious nut is only a master of fiction, not health. He claims that you'll easily live to 150 years old following his dietary and spiritual purification manual....... Should have known something was fishy when I saw the book was published in North Carolina, he even claims smoking weed once a month will poison you and negate all other healthy choices you make on a daily basis. Dudes on another planet! How does this stuff even get printed and make its way to me in Canada..

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alkalize or Die--such an intense title, which of course sets itself up for mockery, but this is an excellent overview on how the food and environment we consume and are exposed to has such a dramatic effect on how we feel, think, and interact in the world. This book was recommended to me by trusted, "get it" people and I come back to it repeatedly to readjust and get a sense of the power of alternative modalities.

[Morgan Summerfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this book on a trip to Santa Fe. It was well worth the investment. I read it on the plane back home and realized that I was acid high. I immediately started applying some of the strategies and saw a significant difference in my overall health and wellbeing. I recommend it as a good starter read for getting healthy.

[Cheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read, really helps you to understand so much in regards to our bodies and illness.

[Linda Nozicka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought the info was very good and I find myself going back to it again and again.

[Roos · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book talked about how alkalize your body by your food, because if your body lessing the alkalize it will became easy get sick, tired and problem with your stomach. The opposite of Alkalize is Acid. And it will be not good for your body if it's too much acid.
There are few recipes in this book, and what kind suplements, foods, vegetables, and Fruits that can help your body to be alkalize.

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

great nutritional info on how our bodies process certain foods... but the recommended food combinations are not realistic (and I don't agree with all of them)

also, the guy is insane... knowledgeable but totally loony... (didja know GOD is alkalizing in all HIS glory?!?!?!?! So eat him I guess)

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book changed my life...literally. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to understand health and wellness.

[Cory Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book with good advice; however I have a few minor concerns: Can a person really live to 200 or did I read it wrong? He also mentions the problems of smoking marijuana, which was good. The problem there was that his criticism of marijuana did not go deep. It was only a few paragraphs and I wanted more details. Has anyone given an unbiased, honest evaluation of marijuana?

Overall it is a good book. Even if you follow only some of the advice you will be better off. Some will be overwhelmed by all this advice. I understand and so does the author. Such changes do not come in a week or more. This book could serve as a guide for positive health changes.

[Arthur Zhuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-5 stars due to author getting emotional about 'GOD' and not having supporting details, really changes the vibe of the first half of the book which was more scientific and experience based. Other than that I'd say 90% of the book was quality information and opened my mind significantly. Points like stressing out causes physical negative effects on the body, combining certain foods will cause them to be acid forming together but alkaline forming by themselves left an effect on me.

I'd highly recommend this being the first book people read when starting their journey to healthier living.

[Cathie Ochoa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite Valuable

Understanding Acid/Alkaline balance is key to good health. Dr. Baroody is very thorough in examining all aspects of this balance and shares in an easy-to-understand fashion his extensive research and experience. Highly recommended, if you are concerned about any aspect of your health.

[rajibbasu · Rating 4 out of 5]

.

It is a very knowledgeable book, you can clearly understand the importance of alkaline food and water in our diet.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

good nutritional information.

[Shannon Dykstra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book. I can certainly feel the difference when I choose alkaline… I have a way to go but I’m making better choices;) My body thanks me. Less joint pain! Less illness.

[P.J. Sullivan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping this book would teach me how to test my pH. Instead it says to forget testing, because it is almost impossible to tell accurately from body fluids the state of body tissues. OK, sounds reasonable. What then can you do? Just adopt foods and practices that are alkaline-forming and let your body sort it out. This book tells you what they are. Remember that some acid-forming foods are necessary for good health. So the issue is balance.

Included is a large catalogue of supplements for sale. Supplements are not necessary. They are concentrated and can create dangerous imbalances. If we cannot get a good read on the state of our body tissues, how can we know what they need? How can we safely self-medicate? Why not trust the wisdom of the body to maintain itself in homeostasis?

Dr. Baroody says that genetically engineered foods are a difficult topic, as "there are many pros and cons." I disagree! There are no pros for consumers. On page 60 he says that you need some table salt, which is nonsense. Salt in any quantity is toxic and not bio-available. It does nothing but harm. He advises drinking lots of water, another myth. Water drinking is entirely unnecessary if you eat a proper diet and, in the absence of thirst, is not beneficial. Of course, if you eat salt you will need water to dilute the toxic salt. He says that water drinking "assists proper digestion," but I agree with Dr. Emmet Densmore, who said, "Digestion goes forward much better when the gastric juice is not diluted with fluids."

If you adopt a proper diet and lifestyle, you need not be concerned about pH. Extraordinary measures are not needed. Get your trace minerals from foods, not supplements. This book can give you a general idea of what to do, but so can many websites.

[Marjan · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Alternative" thinkers often have one huge problem when they write books: they fall in love with their ideas. I could name a number of such books (TheHolographic Universe by Michael Talbot or The Chance Theory by Glasser spring to mind at once), and this one falls completely in line. What happens is the following: a person develops a radically new and ingenious view on things, somewhat proves it with experience, falls in love with it and then applies it to practically everything!

This book too starts with a very promising idea of healthy nutrition, develops it and then this idea suddenly overwhelms every aspect of our personal and social enterprise. Towards the end of the book everything fits into his theory of alkalizing our bodies and practically ruins the whole thing.

However, it still delivers a good view on nutrition. I do have my objections (especially his advocacy for lots of additives in form of pills, inventing his own acidity scale, pushing that scale where is not supposed to be, etc...), but one thing remains the same whatever health book you take in hands: winners and losers among foods are consistently the same. What to eat to be healthy? Raw fruits and vegetables. Period.

[Jean-philippe Millard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good book. The nutritional information matches up with what I have been learning in my nutrition and anatomy and physiology classes. I think that eating more raw fruits and vegetables is the ideal for anyone's diet. The suplement recommendations are very helpful as well. Dr. Baroody really knows his stuff inside and out. I liked that he included how our psychological health can affect the alkalinity of our bodies. I didn't like that he failed to provide any evidence to support this information. This book is also interspersed with a religious commentary about how as you become healthier you become more aligned with god and become filled with more of the holy spirit. I disliked that aspect of the book and found it to be very biased in a book that had useful and mostly unbiased information.

[Lynnea · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first this book made a lot of sense to me - eat lots of fruits and vegetables, drink lots of water, etc. But then he says we shouldn't eat fruits and vegetables together. I am all for eating better, getting healthier naturally but I am not going to go as far as Baroody on timing when I eat what and when I drink water and don't... But anyway, I kept reading, trying to glean a bit more info. He started talking about people who eat healthy live to 150 years old. At that point, I lost interest. If there are truly "countless records of individuals living 150 years and longer" why is he the only one who seems to know that? Maybe he is refering to Biblical times when food wasn't so modified, etc. but the attitude behind it just lost my interest.

[Y Anotherday · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a vegan for some time now, after reading this book I am now living the Superior Diet and have been a raw vegan for now 42 days, dropped 15 lbs, skin is tighter, eyes are brighter and I have energy! Today is Sept. 6, 2010

[Dan Lurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the worst health books I've ever read.

Its not even that I don't agree with the concepts in the book, but he provides nothing convincing to support them: no studies or even testimonies. Weak.

[Dannie Lane · Rating 1 out of 5]

If this book was called detox or die it would be ok. What gets me is people still believe it. Over the last 10 years study's have showed that you can eat all the so called " alkalizing" foods you want but it will not change the PH of the body.

[Ginger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Learned clear definitions of alkaline and acid, how to prevent acid-related maladies that accelerate aging.

[BiblioBrandie · Rating 3 out of 5]

not the greatest writing but i think there is good advice here.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

recommended to everyone

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting book. It expands on knowledge that I already have learned. I am listing it as a reference because, there are minute details I wish to refer back to for my wellness clients.

[Linds · Rating 4 out of 5]

The American diet is almost all meat and carbs, which is very acidic. Shows many ways to alkalize your blood and body through diet and lifestyle.