Acid-Alkaline Balance

Body Chemistry 101

Summers in the Napa Valley can be brutally hot, not that “wet” east coast hot, but a ‘bake you dry’ hot. It was one of those days; I’d started it out early, with a long morning run on the crusty earth of the vineyards. Life can seem flawless there with its blue-sky cool mornings and smell of ripe grapes.

Then I went to my design office in downtown St. Helena. This day was supposed to herald the completion of a 6-month design project. Instead I found myself dealing with my client’s new project manager who just seemed to want to fight. You know the type, all our communications were unexpectedly tough and acidic. It wasn't just the temperature outside that was heating up. 

By noon the calm from my morning run felt like it had never happened. I put the phone on “answer mode” and bolted out of the office to chill. This situation was unhealthy, and certainly not my idea of good interpersonal communication. I know you’ve experienced this – getting completely drained and unable to think clearly while your body feels like someone injected it with toxic chemicals.

Alien Green Drink

Having a beautiful design sidetracked is one thing, having my body (and mind) react to the acidity is quite another. I had to step outside of it and make some choices. Driving home I decided to trek over to my neighbors and use their pool. Water and sunlight has an amazing ability to pull negative energy away. Swimming laps started to recharge me up.

I realized that I didn’t want to continue the status quo, and that shifting my internal chemistry was paramount to making a change. I'd been studying living foods, so I made a “green drink” including a huge bunch of parsley. A drink like this wasn’t new for me but they always look like something out of the alien bar in Starwars. I could feel it working right away.

One green drink and fifteen minutes of meditation later, I was ready to head back to a phone call with the project manager. With no acidity in my body and a peaceful mind, every aspect of the phone call got handled in an open way from my end. I’d managed to let go of attachment to the outcome. In the end the design prevailed with just a few changes, the project manager was surprisingly happy – she actually hired me again – and I’d learned an unforgettable lesson about my body chemistry and relationships.

Exercise Chemistry

Exercise can create acidity, the same kind that my body created interacting with that project manager. Up until exhaustion, our bodies are in a fairly alkaline state. Once exhausted, we release stored acidity (lactic acid). This acidity creates sore muscles and stiffness making recovery time from our workouts slower. When combined with an acidic diet for extended periods of time, acidity depletes our body’s natural alkaline reserve (think of it as a bank account). When this reserve is depleted, or goes bankrupt, parasites, yeast infections, viruses and cancers thrive. This includes Herpes Simplex II, kidney and urinary tract infections and Candida. And, we might find ourselves chronically stiff and sore.

Any form of exercise can push the body into an acidic state. If you’re healthy, strong, and in relatively good condition – great – go for it. Get that intense workout in, then go and replenish and restore your alkaline reserves. If you’re just starting, or are feeling weak and already acidic, start with a mild exercise program and build up slowly, and stay on the alkaline path.

Our bodies start to crave exercise once we get into a consistent program. It pumps our organs and glands and keeps our hormonal and digestive functions operating at their best. Exercise and alkaline forming foods can help us maintain a healthy alkaline-acid balance in our bodies.

“Generalized fatigue, weakness and 

malaise are the results of an overly acidic body.

These waste acids accumulate over years of too 

many acid foods, stomach malabsorption,

lack of water, and constipation." 

– Dr. Theodore Baroody

I figure that if we’re going to be kicking our butts at the gym, walking stairs instead of taking the elevator and eating to stay lean, we’d better keep an alkaline balance in mind as well. After all, what will we accomplish with all that work if our body slips into disease?

You probably stay away from people with “acid personalities” and have an idea of some acid forming foods such as coffee, alcohol, carbonated drinks, white sugar, peanuts, most ketchups, mayonnaises and mustards, bleached table salt, and vinegar (Don’t forget tobacco and drugs – prescription or otherwise). But do you wonder why people on a self-healing path eliminate all meats and fish from their diets? Meats and fish are acidic. There just aren’t any alkaline forming meats or animal fats.

Alkaline forming foods = energy

Acid forming foods deplete energy

Foods that contain the acid-binding minerals of magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium iron and manganese are usually alkaline forming. 

We all want abundant energy to fire us up at the gym, at work and in our personal relationships. If you want to get ripped, you have to be healthy. This is a list of some of my favorite alkaline forming foods. Dr. Baroody recommends a ratio of 80% alkaline forming to 20% acidic forming foods. It's a ratio to strive for. I usually make a morning and evening fresh lemon juice drink to help with the balance.  Try this Alkalizing Tonic:

Lemon juice (fresh), distilled water, pinch of cayenne pepper and a little sucanat or honey if you want it sweet. Drink as a tea or room temperature.

Alkalizing Foods

VEGETABLES

     ·      Kelp

·      Asparagus

·      Beets

·      Broccoli

·      Brussels sprouts

·      Carrots

·      Swiss Chard

·      Dandelion greens

·      Endive

·      Parsley

·      Seaweed

·      Pumpkin

·      Watercress

FRUITS

·      Melons

·      Strawberries

·      Dried dates

·      Grapes

·      Grapefruit

·      Kiwis

·      Lemons

·      Limes

·      Mangos

·      Papaya

·      Peaches

·      Pears

·      Pineapple

SUGARS

·      Brown rice syrup

·      Sucanat

·      Raw honey

·      Bronner’s Barley Malt

NUTS and SEEDS

·      Almonds

·      Chestnuts

·      Coconuts

·      Pignolias

·      Alfalfa

·      Radish

·      Chia

BEVERAGES

·      Parsley juice

·      Wheat grass juice

·      Carrot, celery and beet juices

·      Distilled water

BEVERAGES

·      Most herbal teas

·      Ginger tea

·      Ginseng tea

·      Comfrey tea

·      Fresh fruit juices

GRAINS

·      Amaranth

·      Millet

·      Quinoa

BEANS

·      Fresh green

·      Fresh lima

·      Fresh peas

·      Fresh Snap

·      Fresh String

STARCHES

·      Arrowroot flour

·      Essene bread

·      White sweet potato with skin

OILS

These oils are neutral to alkaline forming. 

Buy the freshest, cold-pressed, untreated as possible.

Rancid oils are unhealthy.

·      Almond

·      Avocado

·      Canola

·      Coconut

·      Olive

·      Sesamie

·      Soy

·      Sunflower

Train your Body, Train your Mind, Tame your Tongue.

An excellent reference book is Alkalize or Die by Dr. Theodore A. Baroody.

Information on this site is not a substitute for consulting a licensed medical professional or nutritionist. Never begin an exercise or nutritional regime without consulting your health care provider.

Metabolic Meal Plan

Getting Results

The hardest part of my own fitness program isn’t getting to the gym or taking part in body conditioning on a committed basis, it’s eating right. You probably figured that out by how much I write about food. The food part always seems like another job ­– plan it, shop it, cook it, and then hopefully be in the mood for it when it’s time to eat. Then start all over. 

Do it. The results are worth it.

If you missed “Eating to Burn”, you might want to read it and then return to here. Eating every three hours is not a fad diet. It’s just sensible, and the quality of what we eat makes all the difference. Aim for health first, you’ll never go wrong.

Ayla Yavin, L.Ac., an acupuncturist at Longevity Health, says that she has seen people actually reverse the aging process and become more physically fit and resilient as they get older. Four keys to this are good nutrition, plenty of rest, a sustainable exercise program, and rejuvenating therapies such as acupuncture, chiropractic and massage.

Eat Well

A diet loaded with fresh organic vegetables, legumes and seasonal fruit will help keep you healthy.

Gluten free grains will keep your muscles pumped and your brain clear. When it comes to grains, the less processed the better. Whenever I’ve forgotten this and taken a turn down the processed food aisle (that includes the cookie aisle) my energy, clarity and metabolism gets sluggish.

Quality protein will build muscle. You want this! Replace some of your evening carbs with protein – you’ll add more muscle while burning additional calories digesting the protein.

We feed our cars with the fuel that makes them run best. Why treat our bodies any differently? The way food interacts with our individual body chemistry is one of the most important aspects of health and fitness for us to understand. 

Fad Diets

Fad diets arrive, they peak and then new ones appear. That’s partly from marketing, but mostly from the fact that each diet only works on one-third of the people who try it and doesn't on the other two-thirds… it just isn't suited to their body chemistry. 

Fad diets can have value though. If you’re trying one, pause and learn what part of the diet structure works for your body. Learning to eat right is a lifelong process because our body’s requirements are constantly changing.

What's in – What's out

I’ve received a lot of emails asking what my personal daily diet looks like, so I’m going to share one with you here. My day starts at 4:30 am, but for writing this plan, I started it at 7 am – when I'd really rather get up.

My eating is fairly simple and always starts with breakfast. There are three meals and three small snacks. Eating like this keeps me fueled all day long and gives me abundant energy to work out. The snacks are foods that can be kept in a desk or cooler – or in a gym bag if you’re on the run. New York fitness trainer and former Mr. Australia, Gennaro Ferra, uses a diet similar to this to keep his clients in shape.

Alcohol, most dairy, soy, peanuts, wheat (and gluten sources) and highly processed foods  are eliminated from my daily diet. Try this for yourself – go 10 days without them and see how you body feels. Then, if you want, add them back one at a time. Be sure to notice how you feel after each one re-enters your body? Does the wheat and gluten bloat you up? Do your joints hurt when you have an alcohol binge, or are you suddenly re-craving sweets the day after?

You’ll probably notice that red meat isn’t listed on my typical day menu. It is part of my diet though, a couple of servings a month. It’s better for us to eat less red meat and be sure it’s the best – hormone free, organic grass fed beef. 

Eggs are organic and free-range. Chicken and turkey is organic – or at least hormone and additive free. Vegetables and fruits are organic and seasonal. I visit local farmer's markets or purchase their produce whenever possible.

If you are over 40 – or in my case, over 60 – keeping your meals small and frequent is one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself.  Plus when you eat like this, you’ll have a metabolic furnace that will burn fat, support muscle growth, and keep your energy levels high all day long. None of these meals should hit you like a Thanksgiving Day feast. If they do, you’ve eaten too much. The same applies if you’re still full after 3 to 3 ½ hours – cut down your portions at the previous meal.

Whenever I want to prepare for a photo shoot or event, I make sure I stay on course like a Cessna getting directions from air traffic control. Our bellies are the center of our power. Take charge of your eating, and you'll be surprised at how more much personal power you feel.

My Six Meal Plan

Breakfast 7 am

·      1/2 cup of cooked oats with a scoop of protein powder mixed in, or

·      Hot brown rice or buckwheat cereal with protein powder, or combine with fresh fruit, or cook in a spoonful of raisins.

Mid-morning 10 am snack

·      6 oz organic or goat's milk yogurt, 1 organic apple, pear, or

·      5 oz tuna with lemon and a small white sweet potato, or

·      2 hard boiled eggs plus 1/3 cup buckwheat cereal, or

·      8-10 oz homemade protein shake, or

·      2 spoonfuls of hummus and gluten free crackers or vegetables

·      12 Almonds and an apple, pear or other fruit in season, or

·      6-8 Gluten free crackers with almond butter.

Lunch 1 pm

·      Steamed or grilled chicken and cruciferous vegetables, or

·      Grilled salmon or turkey with steamed vegetables

·      Include a serving of grain like brown rice or quinoa, or white sweet potato

·     If I have a craving for something sweet, I'll wait for a half hour. If it doesn't pass I'll eat half a piece of fruit. 

Mid-afternoon 4 pm snack

·      6 oz organic or goat's milk yogurt, 1 organic apple or pear, or

·      5 oz tuna with lemon and a small white sweet potato, or

·      6 0z satay chicken and vegetables, or

·      2 hard boiled eggs and vegetables, or

·      8-10 oz homemade protein shake, or

·      2 spoonfuls of hummus with vegetables, or

·      12 Almonds and an apple or pear (or other fruit in season)

Dinner 7 pm

·      Wild salmon or white fish, or

·      Chicken or turkey breast

·      Vegetables including steamed asparagus, broccoli, spinach and cauliflower

Evening 10 pm

·      If you get hungry, make a protein shake. I prefer this with water only late at night, but you could make it with blueberries and almond milk.

·      Prep yourself for a restful sleep with hot caffeine free tea – mint, ginger or one of your favorite herbal teas.

Train your Body, Train your Mind, Tame your Tongue.

Photo: Sarah Bailey. Taken on my 60^th birthday. 

Information on this site is not a substitute for consulting a licensed medical professional or nutritionist. You should never begin an exercise or nutritional regime without consulting your health care provider.

Heartbeat Hotel

It's in our Chest

When I moved to NYC  5 years ago I had my own personal recession going on. No surprise, my identity had been used by someone very close to me and I had lost almost everything. (This did have a happy ending – it took 8 years, and he ended up with "felon" after his name). Anyway, one afternoon walking through Chelsea on the way to an audition, I passed the VIEW Bar and saw a sign up for "Best Chest Contest" – winner gets $1,000. 


Take off my shirt for the possibility of ending my financial recession... why not?

The night of the contest – in my mid-50's – I was definitely the "old guy" there. And being next to Mr. Gay New York didn't give me lots of encouragement. But my friends and boyfriend, Steven, braved the rain to support me. My intention that night was to win. It worked for the judges and the crowd because I left the bar with my rent paid for the next month.

Most of us don't work out to win contests in bars, but every once and a while it comes in handy. There were better chests in the show, but I had worked on symmetry, balance and proportion. If you're cut, defined and fully present you can always win a crowd – no matter what your age. 


Thinking back to earlier times, us natives used to respect and admire our elders. That is until we were taught to treat them as old – by the elders themselves. Somewhere along the way, the older, wiser members of our tribes turned into – just plain "old folks". What's up with that? Age is a chronological number, never a pass to drop out of life. 

Breath and Form
When we drop out we cease to be present, we become numb to the everyday things that turn us on. We simply become tourists that visit our own life – stopping in once and a while to take snapshots and pick-up souvenirs. When we stop being a drop-in tourist and are fully present, we create a vibration that will keep us young and healthy. And the more present we are, the better it gets. The higher the vibration, the better we feel. Even diseases have difficulty staying with a happy body.


When you workout for an hour, with full attention to your breath, form and nothing else, your mind clears and your body relaxes. You're not focused on anything except the present, so everything comes into focus. 

Transform yourself 

from the inside out, 

or the outside in, 

and you'll transform 

your world.

The physical-spiritual transformation creates peace in your body. When you've worked out the tensions that press on your chest – and your vibration is clear – bingo, your heart opens to the world. Now, you're lighter and suddenly everyone is attracted to you.


Go figure...  all you did was workout.

An open heart filled with light and love is a gift we all have. Go ahead, unwrap it – it's Valentine's Day. 

Wishing you peace, love and abundance,

Rick


Train your Body, Tame your Mind, Tame your Tongue.

Information on this site is not a substitute for consulting a licensed medical professional or nutritionist. You should never begin an exercise or nutritional regime without consulting your health care provider.