Alkaline Diet

 

We  have written a short guide on what a alkaline diet is and its basic concepts, this short primer will help  give some knowledge on how it works.

The alkaline diet has a number of nicknames including the “Miracle Diet,”
“pH Diet,” and of course the “Alkaline Diet,” but they all have the same goal: balancing acid and alkaline foods for positive health benefits.

Following a pH-balancing, alkaline diet is one of the best things you can do for your health. There is a plethora of scientific evidence that supports it. The results of many peer-reviewed studies, including one published in 2007 by the Human Nutrition Research Center, prove that diets rich in alkaline-forming foods provide so many different health benefits.

Focusing on diets for seniors, the same study found that alkaline foods, including fresh vegetables, helped the elderly combat acids in dietary proteins and improve their ability to retain healthy muscle mass. Mom knew what she was talking about when she told you to eat your veggies!

Acid forming foods are not good for you. But you may not realize the negative aspects, because the damage starts inside, where you can’t see it. Out of sight, out of mind, unfortunately that’s how many of us see our diet and health connection. They can’t see the damage acid-forming foods are causing, so they don’t do anything to change it.

On an acid alkaline diet you see the results of the foods you eat when you measure your pH. These measurements reflect the acid-alkaline balance in your body.
Everything in our universe has an opposing force — night and day, yin and yang, and, of course, acid and alkaline. On a scale from 0 to 14, which is called the pH scale, acidic substances range from the lowest pH of 0 and up to 7. Vinegar, for instance, has a pH reading of about 2.0 (acidic). Conversely, alkaline substances (minerals) fall between 7 and 14 on the scale. Calcium, which is highly alkaline, has a pH around 10.

Alkaline Diet Foods

Every food (and drink) you ingest has the potential to form acid or alkaline during digestion. This of course changes your body’s pH levels, which is how foods are categorized as “acid forming” or “alkaline forming.

Remember that pretty much everything you eat and drink has an effect on your pH balance, which impacts your health. The whole point is to help your body balance its pH, with proper nutrition and eating the right foods to increase the overall measurement alkalinity throughout your body. Your body is naturally alkaline (pH greater than 7.0) and functions at its best when it’s more alkaline. However, chronically eating acid-forming foods like for example red meat tips your pH balance out of balance(Yin and Yang) which could put you in the direction possible illness.

The purpose of eating more alkaline forming foods is very basic:

You decrease the amount of acid-forming foods you eat, which allows your body to build up your immune system and not waste its energy in trying to balance your PH.
A consistently alkaline pH allows your body to start fixing acid build-up and all of the health problems associated with it, such as digestive disorders or skin problems. When your body is not acidic, it can work on healing and repairing any damage.
Alkaline-forming foods are synonymous with healthy foods and include:
Vegetables
Fruits (natural, not sweetened or dried)
Sprouted grains
Almonds and lentils
Tofu and soy products

You should limit the acid-forming foods to no more than a 20 and 40 percent range. Acid-forming foods come in shades of gray you have a choice of lean animal proteins (poultry), that are the least acid-forming, and you have the atomic bomb of acid proteins, which are your fatty red meats and wild game.

Some examples of the acid-forming foods include:

Red and processed meats
Fried and fatty foods
Whole dairy products
Yeasty breads and wheat products
Sugar-laden snacks and beverages
The following foods are highly acidic before digestion, but alkalize the body after digestion:
Apple cider vinegar like the Braggs brand
Lemons and lemon juice, fresh lemons are best
Limes and lime juice, fresh limes are best
Oranges, tangerines, and grapefruit (just the fruits, not the juices which have concentrated sugar and are acid-forming)
Tomatoes
Some fruits are good for your pH, here is a short guideline:

Least alkalizing: Apple, banana, blueberries, orange, strawberry, tomato

Moderately alkalizing: Apricot, grapefruit, honeydew, peach, pear, tropical fruits such as kiwi, mango, papaya, and star fruit

Very alkalizing: Avocado, cantaloupe, lemon, lime, pineapple, tangerines, watermelon

Fresh vegetables should be a staple when on the acid alkaline diet. For an out-of-this-world alkaline pH, the majority of your daily intake should come from the “Very alkalinizing” category of this list:

Least alkalizing: Artichoke, celery, leek, lettuce (it’s mostly water), okra, scallions

Moderately alkalizing: Asparagus, cauliflower, celery, parsley, spinach

Very alkalizing: Bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, eggplant, endive, garlic, kale, lentils, mustard greens, onion, pumpkin, seaweed, sweet potato

Least alkalizing: Egg whites, egg replacements, whey protein powder

Moderately alkalizing: Almond milk, seeds such as flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds, soy yogurt, soy milk

Very alkalizing: Almonds and chestnuts; fermented soy as in tofu, tempeh, and miso; all sprouts; lentils

The healthy, alkaline-forming grains, nuts, and oils include:

Least alkalizing: Barley, millet, pine nuts, quinoa, rolled oats, spelt, wild rice

Moderately alkalizing: Chestnuts, cod liver oil, flax seeds, poppy seeds, pumpkin seeds

Very alkalizing: Almonds, avocado oil, cold-pressed olive oil, sprouted grains including sprouted bread and tortillas

You can find plenty of dairy replacement products at the grocery store, which are usually hiding in the health food section by the tofu.

Try some of these alkalizing dairy substitutes:

Least alkalizing: Egg whites, egg replacement products, ghee (clarified butter), whey protein (isolated milk derivative)

Moderately alkalizing: Almond milk, soy cheese, soy milk, soy yogurt

When you’re looking to add a little hidden pH booster to snacks and meals, the substances listed here should do the trick. Sometimes it’s the simple things that turn an okay snack into an alkaliizing one!

Least alkalizing: Aloe Vera, clover honey

Moderately alkalizing: Algae, ginger and herbal teas, stevia

Very alkalizing: Apple cider vinegar, baking soda, green tea, lemon water, mineral water, sea salt

PH Strips

So now you have some basic ideas on what an alkaline diet actually is and its basic concept, you can find plenty of books online or at the library for more information and even recipes for an alkaline diet. The best way to test your PH when starting a alkaline diet is with special strips of paper that you place in your mouth for a second and the saliva changes the color of the strip from yellow (acid) to green (alkaline).

These PH strips come in a small roll encased in a plastic dispenser and can be purchased at our water store. Even if you do not start a alkaline diet it is wise to still check your PH periodically to see the state of your acid-alkaline balance.

 

Are you familiar with Alkaline Water? We have it, read about it HERE!