Friend, pH is a chemistry term that describes whether something is acidic or basic (alkaline). It's based on a scale from 1-14. 1 being the most acidic and 14 being the most basic. The middle is neutral at pH 7. This is an important number, since your body happens to function most optimally at pH 7. In fact, you can only survive within a very strict range of pH 7. Thankfully, your body has many built in mechanisms to ensure that the pH level doesn't ever veer too much. However, it's always best to keep as much strain off of your body as possible to ensure that it keeps functioning optimally.
One way to do so is by eating a well balanced diet. Now, all foods have an acidic or basic value. All proteins (meats, poultry, fish and dairy) and refined carbs (ESPECIALLY grains) are acidic foods, whereas all unrefined carbs, which are your fruits and vegetables are basic and most fats are neutral.
Since proteins are essential in your diet, these are acidic foods that are 
necessary and it's easy to balance them out by eating enough fruits and vegetables.
Where you can get into trouble is when you consume refined carbs - especially grains like breads, pasta, rice and all packaged snacks such as chips, cookies, crackers and so on. These foods are highly acidic not to mention packed with sugar and calories and do nothing for your weight loss endeavors. Another food you should try to avoid is cheese. I know it's delicious, but it's also highly acidic and dense in calories.
Avoiding these highly acidic foods will give your body a break from having to use its own vital organs and bone minerals to neutralize the acidic foods. The less your body has to expend energy and nutrients on keeping your body functioning, the more energy it has to enhance metabolic processes that helps you recover faster, burn more fat and build lean muscles quicker.
So to optimize your body's functions stick to eating natural whole foods. Eat plenty of protein and balance it out by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. You really can't eat enough greens...ever! This is one case where more is better. And don't forget to throw in some healthy fats in the mix to balance it all out.
The great thing is the way you need to eat to maintain an optimal pH level in your body also happens to be the best way to maximize your health and weight loss as well! Coincidence? I think not.
Keep the balance!
The gym team.
