Alkaline diets prominently focus on a high plant-based diet of increased green vegetables daily and lowering the intake of meats, breads, pastas and other high acidic foods.
Numerous studies have shown there are many benefits of an alkaline diet, ranging from a decrease in disease risk and even weight-loss.
What is an Alkaline Diet?
Table of Contents
The alkaline diet is a diet plan based on the concept of manipulating and controlling a healthy balance of the body’s PH levels. The idea behind this eating pattern suggests the food we eat contributes the increased and decreased levels of the body’s acid and alkaline levels.
When the acid levels are too high, bacteria and other health concerns can start to show in the body and when the acid levels are too low, lactic acids begins to form resulting in acid reflux and other health concerns.
Controlling the body’s acidic level using an alkaline diet to stabilize a healthy PH level of the body helps to achieve optimum health and overall well being.
It’s important to note, there are many perceived acid type foods such as lemons. Lemons are quite alkalizing for the body, helping to stabilize PH levels in the body.
Studies have shown many different types of acidic foods often turn into alkalizing foods, due to the processing mechanism of saliva in the mouth; which is already heavily alkalized in preparation for breaking down foods. By the times these foods hit the stomach, they have been controlled by the PH levels of the body and become low acid allowing for the stomach to fully digest the foods.
Healthy acidic food, however, should not be confused with bad acidic foods. Food like pasta, pizza, red meat and some dairy products; like yellow cheese, over time create a PH imbalance in the body, making the body too acidic. This often results in bad skin, weight gain, contraction of diseases like cancer and other types of infections and even affect osteoporosis and arthritis.
That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a good bowl of your favorite pastas occasionally. It just means you need to reduce the intake and swap that meal for a high green vegetable one instead. To ensure you are balancing the PH levels of the body.
Here is list of some acid and alkaline forming foods:
Acidic Foods
- Meat
- Poultry
- Fish
- Dairy
- Eggs
- Grains
- Peanuts
- Walnuts
- Coffee
- Alcohol
Alkaline Foods
- Fresh Fruit
- Green Vegetables
- Almonds
- Legumes
- High Antioxidant Foods (Vitamin C producing)
Balance Your Alkaline Diet
Most dietitians, naturopaths and nutritionists who specialize in alkaline diets use the 70/30 ratio for a healthy PH balanced diet.
That means, you should be eating 70% alkaline foods and only 30% acidic foods. For example, if you eat fish for dinner, then you should eat it with a bowl of healthy green vegetables, to help support the acid levels of the fish you just ate. This also means, no potato, salad or chips with your fish, as the acid levels will raise to high and not even a side serving of broccoli can help balance the PH.
