Acid Vs Alkaline In The Body

What exactly is an Alkaline diet?

As Wikipedia states, an Alkaline diet is "based on the belief that certain foods can affect the acidity and pH of bodily fluids, including the urine or blood, and can therefore be used to treat or prevent diseases."

It is based on the body's pH levels from a scale of 0-14 whereas a pH of 7 is neutral (water has a pH of 7). Those levels vary throughout your body. Your blood is slightly alkaline, with a pH between 7.35 and 7.45. Your stomach is very acidic, with a pH of 3.5 or below, so it can break down food. An Alkaline diet is based on how certain foods affect your body by whether or not they cause your body to produce acid when consumed.

For example, if you eat acid-forming foods, alkaline minerals such as calcium will be released from the bones to alkalise the blood, and over time this can cause osteoporosis. This diet simply consists of eating foods that metabolise to leave behind an alkaline ‘ash’ of minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium and copper in the body. Foods are therefore classified as alkaline, acidic or neutral according to the pH of the solution created with their ash in water.

Does this mean you can't eat fruit because it is acidic? No, absolutely not. The acid in an apple and its pH level in its physical form are not the same thing as acid-forming foods. Knowing the difference between alkaline foods and toxic-acid-forming foods (and what they do in your body) can ultimately help you prevent toxic diseases such as diabetes and prevent kidney and liver damage. (See list of foods below)

Here's the deal.. We all know that eating healthier can help you in many ways. Before modern medicine people were using plants and organics to heal the body (and they still are). Therefore, food IS medicine. Before fast food, chemical additives and GMO's, people didn't have the same diseases there are today. If you check out websites like Wikipedia and WebMD, they will say that none of this is Alkaline Diet stuff is scientifically proven, but there is living proof walking among us today that it works, and those are real people with real physical results you can see for yourself. Some celebrity examples today include Tony Robbins, Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Victoria Beckham, & Kirsten Dunst. Now, there's no need to get rid of all acid forming foods but it is important to create a balanced diet and choose wisely when loading up on some of your favorite foods. Here is a general list from the average American diet of 24 acid-promoting foods that are better to consume less regularly (or some not at all if you're vegan/vegetarian), as seen on the Dr. Oz Show:

1. Olive oil (most neutral) 2. Low-fat yogurt 3. Whole milk 4. Butter 5. Lentils boiled 6. Whole wheat cooked spaghetti 7. Plain bagel 8. Peanuts dry roasted 9. Walnuts 10. Hotdogs 11. Chicken 12. Pepperoni 13. Lean beef 14. Wild cooked trout 15. Whole egg hard-boiled 16. Oats 17. Brown rice 18. Cooked salmon 19. White canned tuna fish 20. Mozzarella 21. Canned sardines 22. Cooked turkey bacon 23. American or cheddar cheese 24. Parmesan cheese (most alkaline producing)

--- Here are 24 alkaline-promoting foods to eat more of, that are better for preventing diabetes, kidney and liver damage: 1. Draft beer (most neutral) 2. Honey

3. Asparagus

4. White wine

5. Broccoli

6. Marmalade

7. Mineral water

8. Watermelon

9. Apples

10. Red wine

11. Zucchini

12. Hazelnuts

13. Green beans

14. Tomatoes

15. Cherries

16. Radishes

17. Cauliflower

18. Potatoes

19. Apricots

20. Carrots

21. Celery

22. Bananas

23. Spinach 24. Raisins (most alkaline-promoting)

Again, balance is important in any diet, whether Paleo, Vegan, Atkins, etc. The word "diet" isn't supposed to mean a "fad" or temporary restrictions on what you can eat, although so many of us use it that way when referring to what we are doing to lose weight especially. That's what we call a detox. A diet however is supposed to be what you eat on a daily basis, all the time. A diet is a lifestyle. Your diet affects the way you create and burn energy, sleep at night, the way you think, react, and feel every single day. Paying attention to what you put in your tummy shouldn't be a difficult task, however with all the fast food options and unhealthy eats out there it can seem that way, especially for the traditional "on the go" lifestyle. We are so conditioned nowadays to want something and then get it immediately.. can you imagine being thirsty and having to walk 10 miles for a bucket of water?!

Anyways, you don't have to memorize the lists above, but you can easily

- pick a few things that stand out to you that you see yourself eating somewhat regularly, or everyday, and refer back to see where it falls in these categories

- or, pick a handful of things you like to eat from the alkaline list, and try to eat more of those things

If it's not on the list, here's another quick solution for the on-the-go eater and grocery shopper: GOOGLE! :)

Yep, almost all of us have smart phones. Use them to your benefit and do a quick search to see if you can find some information! I do this ALL the time. The internet is an amazing thing these days.

An alkaline diet isn't the only path to becoming a healthier individual obviously. Reading the labels on your foods is just as important. I use the general rule of thumb that if there are more than 5 ingredients, especially ones you can't read, it's probably safer not to eat it.

Eating clean, organic, fresh foods is the best way to eliminate questionable foods, rid your body of some of the additives, chemicals and GMO's we consume, and lower your risks for certain diseases.

Thanks for reading. If you liked this article feel free to share it!