There are many different diets out there but the term diet can be quite negative as it alludes to restricting or denying yourself. The approach to take is a healthy eating lifestyle. It’s more about including as much beneficial nutrition as possible and that’s what the alkaline diet is. In this article I’ll give a quick breakdown along with a list of alkaline foods.
What Is The Alkaline Diet?
The simple definition of eating alkaline is consuming foods that put your body in more of an alkaline state as opposed to an acidic state. When you’re in an acidic state it can make your body vulnerable to illness and disease.
We measure whether something is acidic or alkaline on the pH scale and if you can transport yourself back to high school the pH scale goes like this:
- 0-7 acidic
- 7 is neutral
- 7-14 is alkaline
If it’s been awhile you can be forgiven for not remembering what acid is but you are NOT forgiven for the acid washed jeans you wore in high school…
How Does The Alkaline Diet Work?
People who support the alkaline diet say that when you replace acidic foods with alkaline ones you can really improve your health. The first step is eliminating those foods that can be seen to cause an acidic state in the body. Not surprisingly that would include things like refined grains and sugars, processed foods, and alcohol. Also on the list would be:
- Meat, poultry, and fish
- Wheat
- Eggs
- Dairy
So what’s the list of alkaline foods that you want to include to be as healthy as possible?
- Most fruits and vegetables
- Soybeans and tofu
- Nuts and seeds
- Legumes
What you are looking at here are real whole foods that can fit into a mostly vegetarian lifestyle. It can also accommodate vegans with it not including dairy. Ideally you want to for the best stuff you can find specifically local and organic. A lot of these things you can even grow yourself to save some money while you’re at it.
Is The Alkaline Diet For Everyone?
Ideally you want to keep your body in an alkaline state and your blood is always at that state being around 7.34-7.45 on the pH scale. Your stomach on the other hand is highly acidic, around 2-3.5. This is critical though as the hydrochloric acid in the stomach needs to be that way to break down food.
The problem that arises is that your urine pH and blood pH can be different. A urine pH reading does not indicate the same thing in the blood. The urine measurement may be high but that doesn’t give a good indicator of body pH and your overall health. There’s really nothing you can do to change your blood pH as your body will regulate that itself.
Another issue is the possibility of being deficient in other nutrients when you cut out quite a wide variety of foods. But even if you are a full on carnivore your diet should still be plant based. You are wanting to include many of these alkaline food each day for optimal health. You should be aiming for double digit servings of non-starchy vegetables each day.
The foods listed as alkaline are good for you so should be included daily and if you do consume animal proteins you want to look for the cleanest sources possible. Ideally grass fed and finished animals that are free from hormones.
What Are Some Take-aways From The Alkaline Diet?
One of the main things the alkaline diet is based around is not just about what it includes but what it DOES NOT include. There aren’t any processed and junk snack foods. There isn’t any fast food, refined carbohydrates, alcohol or trans fats. There isn’t any high fructose corn syrup or artificial flavors and sweeteners. It’s focused on real whole foods that are nutrient dense and natural. As far as diets go it’s pretty good because of what it promotes.
When you start eliminating those things is when you can start seeing some improvements in your health. When you make it a point to include things off this list of alkaline foods each day you make it easier for your body to run optimally and for you to feel your best. When you combine this with good exercise, reducing stress, and getting quality sleep you start getting yourself on the road to true wellness.
Remember, you always want to check with your doctor before embarking on something new as it pertains to your health.
