About the Alkaline Diet
An Alkaline Diet or pH Balanced diet is based on the fact that the body has an overall pH that is slightly alkaline in its natural state. Various factors in our lives, especially the foods that we eat, effect the pH balance of our bodies. An Alkaline Diet or pH Balanced diet simply means eating more foods that have an Alkalizing effect on the body than food that have an Acidifying effect on the body in order to maintain the proper pH Balance.
Having an Acidic environment in the body leads to many different ailments and leaves the body prone to disease and illness. This is because disease and illness thrive in this type of an environment. When the body has a slightly Alkaline balance all of the cells are functioning as they should because they are receiving all of the resources necessary to carry out their regular business. This means that disease and illness have a much more difficult time succeeding in this type of an environment.
When your body’s pH Level is slightly alkaline it is firing on all cylinders so to speak. This will have an overall effect on your energy level and feeling of well being. Many people who have achieved this say they never realized how good a person can feel on a regular basis!
The How To Overview
First you will need to measure you pH level. This involves litmus paper and testing your urinary pH Level. Litmus paper can be purchased in many stores.
There are three important parts of this diet that must be followed in order to be successful:
Cleansing/Detoxifying
This is to be done in conjunction with the other aspects of the diet and is a very important step in achieving the desired pH Balance. One must use supplements that aid the body in ridding acids that have been accumulated throughout years of eating foods that cause acidity in the body. These supplements are made up of minerals that the body uses to bind to acids so they can be expelled. Supplements should be used until you reach the ideal pH level. You will then gradually reduce the amount of supplements being taken while maintaining the ideal pH level (between 7.0 and 7.5 for urinary results on litmus paper). Eventually you will reduce the amount of supplement needed to the point of not needing them anymore and your diet will simply maintain the ideal balance. See Supplements and Cleanse for more information on this stage of the process.
Hydration
Keeping the body well hydrated is essential. You have all heard that the body is 70% water so that means it needs lots of water to ensure it is functioning properly. How much water should you be drinking in a day? The golden rule is half of your body weight in ounces of water per day. This means that if you are 170 lbs you should drink 85 ounces of water per day. This amount will increase if you exercise as the body will be expelling more water through sweat. You should aim to drink natural spring water as they are more clear about their pH level. Needless to say you want to drink water that is going to have an alkalizing effect on the body. Having said that, water means water and not soda, juice, coffee, etc. Follow the Beverages link for information on what beverages to enjoy and which to avoid.
Eating Right
Last but not least we have the food requirements. Because where would a diet be without food? The Alkaline diet is about balancing foods that cause acidity in the body with foods that alkalize the body. The ratio will be different for different people but almost always requires more alkalizing foods than acidifying. The golden rule of sticking to this lifestyle is to ensure that you are having an alkalizing food whenever you are eating. There are three categories of foods according to the alkaline diet:
Alkalizing
Foods that are alkalizing are largely made up of green and colored vegetables, potatoes, milk, bananas, almonds and Brazil nuts. These foods are good to eat and are a surefire way of bringing your pH balance to where it needs to be.
Weak Acid Foods
These foods have a different effect depending on the metabolism of the person who is eating them. Therefore, they can either have an alkalizing or acidifying effect. The foods in this group include mainly fruit, yogurt, and vinegar. The one way to determine is by eating these foods and measuring your pH level. Then you will know what type of an effect they have on you.
Acidifying Foods
These foods are generally rich in protein, carbohydrates, and fats. These include meats, refined grains, junk foods, condiments, sweets, etc. It is important to make wise choices when selecting foods from this section. Many of the foods in this category have very beneficial nutritional value whereas some have no value whatsoever except as a treat.
Remember!
It is important to have balance. You can eat foods from all three categories but you must ensure that a greater proportion of foods have an alkalizing effect on the body. Please use the links on the top left for more meal ideas.