Many people don't know that several of the foods we regularly eat have a negative effect on our alkaline body balance.
The human body is naturally an alkaline environment, with a blood pH of 7.4 to 7.6.
However, when we consume an overly acidic diet, we throw off our body's healthy pH balance, causing us to become more susceptible for illness and disease.
When our body's normal pH balance becomes too acidic we expose ourselves to elevated risk of suffering from heart disease, diabetes arthritis, cancer, and other chronic diseases.
How to Control the Body's pH Balance through Diet:
Fortunately, the human body is equipped with several mechanisms that work together to keep pH at an optimal level.
Our organs are able to neutralize and eliminate excess acid from the body but this ability has its limits. The best way to maintain an adequate acid-alkaline base within the body is to consume a healthy diet composed of at least 60-80% alkaline foods and limiting highly acidic foods.
The standard Western diet is generally high in acid-forming foods such as meat, dairy, corn, wheat, and refined flours and sugars which overwhelm the body's mechanisms for removing excess acid. At the same time, our diets are notably deficient in alkalizing foods such as fruits and vegetables.
Therefore, an overall healthy diet should consist mostly of alkaline foods:
Vegetables: salad greens, cabbage, carrots, radish, watercress, turnip, garlic, squash, zucchini, cucumber, asparagus, onion, peas, chives, celery, kale.
Fruits: apple, bananas, berries, cantaloupe.
Seeds, nuts, and grains: pumpkin, sesame, flax, sunflower, pine nuts, almonds.
Natural fats and oils: olive, flax, coconut, macadamia.
Drinks: water, herbal teas, fresh vegetable juices, non-sweetened soy milk.
What can you expect from following a high alkaline diet?
There are many benefits to eating an alkaline diet:
- Improved energy levels
- Healthier teeth and gums
- Improved immune function
- Reduced pain and inflammation
- Lower risk of chronic diseases
- Protect the body against cancer and even help to manage it if it develops
- Slower aging better functioning cells when subjected to less acidic environment means a younger appearance for you.
- Weight Management
Tips for Starting an Alkaline Diet:
The more you learn about how everything you've been doing up until now has caused an extremely acidic environment in your body can give you the motivation and determination to make some much needed diet and lifestyle changes.
Get a list or chart that identifies foods as either alkaline or acidic (use it while grocery shopping)
Drink plenty of pure water. This is vital for a number of reasons. The body needs enough water to properly function and metabolize stored fat in an efficient way. Key role in getting rid of excess weight, and also helps dilute salt to reduce fluid retention.
Search for delicious alkaline recipes
Use herbs and spices frequently to find creative and healthy ways to add flavors to your meals
Drizzle on healthy oils (Extra Virgin: olive oil, grape seed oil, flax, coconut)
Start slowly by gradually incorporating more alkaline foods into your regular diet
Choose alkaline food combinations that you and your family already enjoy