Most people consume an abundance of highly processed foods that acidify the body. As a result, they are afflicted with health problems ranging from minor skin irritations, chronic fatigue, back pain, and depression to arthritis, ulcers, and osteoporosis. To enjoy optimum health, the body needs balanced quantities of alkaline and acid substances. In The Acid-Alkaline Diet for Optimum Health, naturopath and detoxification expert Christopher Vasey shows how a simple change in diet to restore your acid-alkaline balance can result in vast improvements in health. With two new chapters, this updated and expanded second edition provides the latest information on proper hydration and deacidification, important alkalizing supplements, and how to eliminate the body's accumulated acids through intestinal cleansing. It also includes a new, detailed example of an alkaline detoxifying diet. Rather than organizing alkaline and acid foods based on their chemical composition, Vasey categorizes foods by their effect on the body, explaining that some foods, such as fruits, can have either an alkalizing or an acidifying effect, depending on who eats them. He describes how to determine your acid levels and how to design a diet best suited for your particular health needs.