What's the Alkaline Acid Diet?
Balance your Diet
I've never been one to diet but a recent health craze has definitely grabbed my attention - the alkaline diet. This diet is not about depriving yourself of any type of foods but is based on balancing your body's chemistry or pH level with the foods you eat.
The idea is that what we eat and drink affects our pH level, which is "alkaline" at 7.4. The goal is to maintain that level by eating more alkaline foods and less acidic foods, helping your body maintain a pH balance, which in turn will have a positive effect on your health. On the contrary, eating lots of acidic foods harms your immune system, triggering a whole array of health issues. My 31-year old brother-in-law, Eddie who exercises regularly and has generally maintained what a healthy diet has recently faced some unexpected health issues, including high cholesterol levels. To switch things up, he decided to try the alkaline diet a couple of months ago and now he swears by this diet, claiming that since starting it, his cholesterol level is below average and he feels better than ever. Could the alkaline acid diet be behind his improved health? Can the alkaline diet do wonders for you too?
The Unbalanced Diet: Are you suffering from one?
Symptoms of a diet that is unbalanced in pH levels include:
- diarrhea
- water retention
- migraines
- fatigue
- halitosis
- cardiovascular disease
- depression
- forgetfulness
Note: If you're suffering from any of these symptoms, do not try to treat them yourself but consult a doctor.
Benefits of a pH Balance in the Body
Proponents of the alkaline diet claim that following the diet:
- promotes weight loss
- improves immunity
- improves mood
- prevents cancer
- prevents allergies
- prevents osteoporosis
- prevents other illnesses
Alkaline Diet Books
How to Balance the pH Level in Your Body
A balanced pH level should be slightly alkaline, at a level ranging between 7.35 - 7.45. A pH level below or above this level means that something is amiss.
A pH of 7.0 is neutral. A pH below 7.0 is acidic. A pH above 7.0 is alkaline.
In order to reverse an acid forming diet, you will need to balance your diet by avoiding acidic foods. To maintain your current health and pH level, your diet should consist of 60% alkaline forming foods and 40% acid forming foods. To restore balance to your diet and improve your health, your diet should consist of 80% alkaline forming foods and 20% acid forming foods.
Alkaline forming foods include: most fruits, green vegetables, beans, lentils, herbs and seasonings, seeds and nuts.
Typically, acidic foods include: wheat, meat, fish, sugar, caffeine, poultry, dairy, grains, and legumes.
List of Some Alkaline Forming Foods and Drinks
Fruits
| Vegetables
| Seeds and Nuts
| Fats and Oils
| Grains and Cereals
| Dairy
| Drinks
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grapefruit
| Asparagus
| Almonds
| Olive oil
| Amaranth
| Goat milk
| Pure water (distilled or ionized)
|
Lemon
| Beets
| Buckwheat
| Canola oil
| Millet
| Goat cheese
| Freshly-squized juice
|
Tomato
| Broccoli
| Chestnuts
| Flax seed oil
| Wild rice
| Soy cheese
| Water with lemon/lime
|
Papaya
| Garlic
| Flax
| Quinoa
| Soy milk
| Herbal tea
| |
Apples
| Onion
| Whey
| Green tea
| |||
Avocado
| Spinach
| Ginger tea
| ||||
Mango
| Sweet potato
| Unsweetened soy milk
|
*According to the Alkaline Diet, 80% your daily diet should consist of these alkalizing foods if you're trying to restore balance to your body. If you want to maintain your current Ph balance, 60% of your diet should consist of alkalizing foods.
List of Some Acidifying Foods and Drinks
Fruits
| Vegetables
| Seeds and Nuts
| Fats and Oils
| Grains and Cereals
| Dairy
| Meat
| Drinks
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cranberries
| Asparagus tips, white
| Cashews
| Corn oil
| Pasta
| Cheese
| Beef
| Beer
|
Blueberries
| Brussel Sprouts
| Pecans
| Hydrogenated oil
| Pastries
| Cream
| Chicken
| Carbonated drinks
|
Kiwi
| Rhubarb
| Peanuts
| Margarine
| Wheat
| Ice cream
| Lamb
| Coffee
|
Plums
| All dried beans
| Pumpkin seeds
| Saturated fats
| White rice
| Milk
| Pork
| Dairy smoothies
|
Prunes
| Lentils
| Sunflower seeds
| Sunflower oil
| White flour
| Yogurt
| Turkey
| Milk
|
Watermelon
| Chocolate
| Walnuts
| Vegetable oil
| Brown rice
| Cottage cheese
| Seafood
| Spirits
|
*According to the Alkaline Diet, 20% your daily diet should consist of these acidifying foods if you're trying to restore Ph balance to your diet. If you want to maintain your current balance, 40% of your diet should consist of these foods.
Celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston and Kirsten Dunst are following the Alkaline Diet. Are you planning on following it?
Ph Neutral Foods
In addition to alkaline foods and acid foods, there are neutral foods. Those are foods that have a pH of 7.0, or a number close to that range. A pH below 7.0 is acidic. A pH above 7.0 is alkaline. Foods that are considered pH neutral include:
- Butter (fresh, unsalted)
- cream (fresh, raw)
- cow's milk
- margarine
- vegetable oils (excluding olive oil)
- yogurt (plain)
Note: There appears to be a large variation in the pH classifications of foods. In my research, different sources had differences regarding which foods are alkaline, acid or neutral. The ones listed in this hub are listed in those categories where I found them to be listed most consistently.
