Among other things, Young says that chronic fatigue, excess mucous production, nasal congestion, frequent colds and infections, stress, anxiety, weak nails, dry hair, dry skin, headaches, arthritis, muscle pain, hives and leg cramps are all signs of excess acidity. If you have had any of these symptoms for an extended period of time, your acidic diet may be to blame. The body can only rid itself of so much acid bound fat, so when you eat a lot of acidic foods you will store a lot of fat. So people who are overweight and obese are actually showing signs of being too acid. Their diets are too much for their body to handle, so body fat is being used as a line of defense. When oxygen enters an acidic solution it combines with hydrogen ions can form water. Oxygen helps to neutralize the acid, but acid prevents oxygen from reaching tissues where it is needed. When oxygen enters an alkaline solution, the two hydroxyl ions combine with the solution to create one water molecule and one oxygen atom. While the 90s were marked by the low-fat diet craze, the last six to seven years have been focused on low-carbohydrate diets like Atkins, the South Beach Diet, Protein Power and Sugarbusters. As people become frustrated with each type of diet, they look for something new to try. The pH Miracle diet is the focus of a lot of new interest. Try a few new recipes each week and build your portfolio of alkalizing meals until you have 10 meals that you and your family love to eat. Look over the list of alkalizing foods, and take note of which foods that you and your family already enjoy. Then try to find more recipes that incorporate those tastes and textures. Measuring your pH for the pH miracle diet Did you know that your blood has a pH level? pH is the measurement of how acid or alkaline something is. The pH level scale runs from 1 to 14 with 1 serving as very acidic 7 being neutral and 14 being very alkaline . In fact your bloodstream goes to great lengths to maintain a pH level of 7.35 to 7.45, slightly alkaline.