Alkaline Diet

Most people have never heard of an Alkaline Diet, probably because it is the exact opposite of the high protein-low carb diets that have been so popular over the last few years. But many doctors are now recommending the Alkaline Diet to their patients because of how necessary the proper alkaline-acid balance is to healthy living and well being.

What is Alkaline and Why is it Important?

Alkaline occurs naturally in our bodies, and its main function is to neutralize excess acids and remove them from the body. It is important to maintain sufficient alkaline levels, because when our alkaline levels are low, our bodies deplete essential nutrients from organs and other body parts in order to neutralize the excess acid. This can result in a number of diseases, deficiencies, and disorders.

What Happens When Our Bodies Are Not Supplying Enough Alkaline and acid Alkaline diet?

When our bodies can no longer find alternative means to neutralize acid, a condition known as acidosis occurs. Dangerous levels of acid infiltrate our tissues and remain stuck there, where it can no longer be neutralized. As a result, our levels of acidity are greatly increased. Acidosis is thought to be responsible for nearly all fatal diseases, as it is essentially the one thing that all diseases have in common with each other. This is why many doctors believe that an Alkaline Diet is essential to good health. If we are able to maintain proper amounts of alkaline by carefully selecting the foods we eat, we will maintain a healthy alkaline pH balance, thus avoiding acidosis.

Health problems caused by acidosis

If you have a health problem, most likely you are suffering from acidosis. Research shows that unless the body's pH level is slightly alkaline, the body cannot heal itself. So no matter what means you choose to take care of your health, it won't be effective until the pH level is balanced. If your body's pH is not balanced, for example, you cannot effectively assimilate vitamins, minerals and food supplements. Your body pH affects everything.

Acidosis will decrease the body's ability to absorb minerals and other nutrients, decrease the energy production in the cells, decrease it's ability to repair damaged cells, decrease it's ability to detoxify heavy metals, make tumor cells thrive, and make it more susceptible to fatigue and illness.

An acidic pH can occur from an acid-forming diet, emotional stress, toxic overload, and/or immune reactions or any process that deprives the cells of oxygen and other nutrients. The body will try to compensate for acidic pH by using alkaline minerals. If the diet does not contain enough minerals to compensate, a build up of acids in the cells will occur. Acidosis can cause such problems as:

Cardiovascular damage.
Weight gain, obesity and diabetes.
Bladder conditions.
Kidney stones.
Immune deficiency.
Acceleration of free radical damage.
Hormonal problems.
Premature aging.
Osteoporosis and joint pain.
Aching muscles and lactic acid buildup.
Low energy and chronic fatigue. Slow digestion and elimination.
Yeast/fungal overgrowth.
Lack of energy and fatigue.
Lower body temperature.
Tendency to get infections.
Loss of drive, joy, and enthusiasm.
Depressive tendencies.
Easily stressed.
Pale complexion.
Headaches.
Inflammation of the corneas and eyelids. Loose and painful teeth.
Inflamed, sensitive gums.
Mouth and stomach ulcers.
Cracks at the corners of the lips.
Excess stomach acid.
Gastritis.
Nails are thin and split easily.
Hair looks dull, has split ends, and falls out.
Dry skin.
Skin easily irritated.
Leg cramps and spasms.

What do pH Levels Have to Do With an Alkaline Diet?

Both alkaline and acid naturally occur in the body. pH, which signifies our alkaline to acid ratios, is a measurement scale that is used to determine the amounts of alkaline and acidity in our body fluids. The pH scale ranges from 0-14. 7 is considered “neutral,” while anything lower than 7 is considered to be acidic. A pH level of 7.1 or higher is alkaline. Obviously, it is much healthier to have higher amounts of alkaline in one’s system than to have higher amounts of acid.

Doctors who support an Alkaline Diet believe that our bodies’ pH levels, which are normally between 7.36 and 7.34, must remain perfectly balanced in order to stay healthy and avoid many damaging and fatal diseases. If our pH levels are more acidic than they are alkaline, acidosis is likely to occur.

What you eat and drink every day will give you a good indication, if you think your body might be acidic. How acidic or alkaline your body is, directly affects your health and is controlled by what you eat, drink and breathe. Most people eat The SADD diet (standard american dead diet) processed, microwaved and/or fast food on a daily basis; and often coffee, sodas and alcohol. (Not to mention pharmaceuticals)

These toxic foods, drinks and substances are nutrient deficient, acidic and create a burden on the liver, kidney, heart, digestive tract and so on. A few of the commonly know toxins are found in:

** Mercury amalgam fillings, fish

** Aluminum in cookware, sodas, toothpaste, deodorant etc.

** Environment pollutants in the air we breathe i.e. exhaust, smoke,

fumes, plastics, industrial chemicals etc.

** Water – chemicals, chlorine, polluted lakes, rivers, streams,

often bottled water absorbs toxins from the plastic bottle itself

** Food – herbicides, pesticides, food additives,

preservatives, hydrologized vegetable protein (aka msg,) etc.

** Pesticides and fertilizers we use at home

** Toxic thoughts and emotions

How Does the Alkaline Diet Work to Stabilize pH Levels?

Alkaline occurs naturally in many foods, just as it does in our own bodies. The object of the Alkaline Diet is to supply our bodies with sufficient amounts of alkaline through the foods we eat, in order to maintain healthy, predominantly alkaline pH levels. The theory is that the more alkaline we can provide our bodies with, the more efficiently our bodies will neutralize acid and remove it from the body, thus maintaining good health and longevity, and our ability to ward off diseases.

How Do You Follow the Alkaline Diet?

Following an Alkaline Diet is relatively simple. You should talk to your doctor before starting any diet, as people vary and existing or unknown health problems may impact the way an Alkaline Diet works for you. But generally speaking, the ideal Alkaline Diet consists of eating 75% alkalizing foods and 25% acidifying foods. Essentially, this means that the foods you eat should contain three times as much alkaline as they do acid.

Which Foods Are High in Alkaline and which are High in Acid?

I have put 2 food chart links at the bottom of this page. You can click on them both for a food list - it's always good to compare charts.

How Do I Know if My pH Levels Are Alkaline?

Once you’ve started an Alkaline Diet, determining whether or not your pH levels are predominantly alkaline is simple. You can purchase pH level test strips, and test your urine and saliva in the privacy of your own home. The best time to test is one hour before a meal or two hours after a meal. Twice a week is a sufficient number of times to test your pH levels.

What Should the pH Test Strip Say?

If you are following the Alkaline Diet correctly, your urinary pH levels should read between 6.0 and 6.5 in the morning, and between 6.5 and 7.0 in the evening. If testing your saliva, the pH strip should read between 6.5 and 7.5 all day long. Basically, your urine pH strip results gauge how well your body is excreting acids; while saliva pH strip results determine how much acid your body is producing.

Here are a few tips to get you started.

Don’t assume that your body is acidic. Get some saliva or urine test strips from the pharmacy and find out. A too alkaline body is just as bad as a too acidic body. Strive to keep your body between a pH of 7 and 7.5.
Don’t drink soda, coffee or tea. Instead alkalized ionized water or unsweetened fruit juices. Squeeze a lemon in your water to increase the alkalinity.
Eat lots of veggies. Have them already cut up in your fridge so that you’re not tempted to grab an unhealthy snack. Make a big salad to nibble on or to eat for lunch or dinner.
Don’t forgo all acidic forming foods, just limit them.
Stay away from artificial sweeteners. They are very acidic. Honey, maple syrup and agave nectar are only slightly acidic. Stevia is the only alkaline sweetener.