How Alkaline Foods Reduce Chronic Disease

In order to thrive – our bodies need to be in balance. Your pH level measures how acidic or alkaline your body is at any given time. If your body has a pH of 0, your body is entirely acidic.

If your body has a pH of 14, your body is entirely alkaline.

According to experts, the ideal range is between 7.35 – 7.45 with a slight tilt toward alkaline. Though pH balance is a process your body adjusts naturally, our increasingly high-acid diets force your body to work harder than ever before to get the same results.

Why You Need Alkaline Foods

Marjorie Nolan, RD, with the American Dietetic Association, explains that a more alkaline diet is common sense health.

She maintains that primary nutrition comes from more citrus, cruciferous vegetables and leafy greens, and encourages people to limit meat, dairy, caffeinated beverages, tobacco and alcohol consumption.

The importance of balancing your body’s pH levels has been studied for almost 100 years but – despite the valid science – pH balance has only recently been taken seriously.

The Difference between Alkaline and Acidic Foods

Some foods that are considered acidic do not have an acidic effect on the body – it depends on the way your body breaks these foods down.

It is the vitamins and minerals left over after the food is synthesized that determine whether a food is alkaline or acidic. Alkaline foods

Though there are some variations, most experts suggest a ratio of approximately 70% alkaline foods and 30% acidic foods to keep your pH in balance.

Acidic Foods

    • Liquor, wine and beer
    • Coffee, tea, sparkling water and sodas
    • Sweetened fruit juices, pineapple, pomegranate and mandarin oranges
    • White bread, corn tortillas
    • Condiments such as ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard and soy sauce
    • Beef, pork, chicken, salmon and tuna
    • Cheese, eggs and yogurt
    • Peanut butter, peanuts and pistachios
    • Artificial sweeteners, white sugar and molasses
    • Pickled, microwavable and canned foods

Balanced pH Foods

    • Yeast, honey, maple syrup, lentils, oats, basmati rice, coconut oil and olive oil
    • Water, green tea, apple cider vinegar, rice milk, almond milk, soy milk and milk
    • Tomatoes, squash, onions, peppers, pumpkin, asparagus, potatoes, carrots and eggplant
    • Banana, apple, cranberry, lemon, lime, strawberries, watermelon and pears
    • Ginseng, thyme, basil, chives and parsnips
    • Fennel, flax, pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds
    • Almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pine nuts and walnuts

Alkaline Foods

    • Avocado, beets, celery, radishes, lima beans, green beans and cucumber
    • Baking soda and stevia
    • Alfalfa, wheat grass and barley
    • Oregano, cilantro, garlic and ginger
    • Spinach, endive, cabbage, kale and broccoli

Top 4 Reasons to Balance Your Body pH with Alkaline Foods

#1- Better Weight Control

A diet high in alkaline foods has been proven to detoxify the system, improve digestion, boost metabolism and preserve muscle mass. Adults can lose more than four pounds of lean muscle mass per decade after age forty which results in higher risk of injury and reduced strength.

In a study of nearly 40,000 people, Oxford University found that vegans who primarily ate alkaline foods had the lowest body mass index (BMI) while meat-eaters had the highest.

Additionally, poeple who eat less or no meat tend to have smaller waistlines and higher levels of disease-fighting antioxidants in their blood.

Further studies are being done but initial results indicate that a more alkaline diet helps your body process foods more efficiently – which means better absorption of nutrients, more regular flushing of toxins and the elimination of the high-fat, high-sugar processed foods that have been proven to keep weight on.

#2- Keep The Years From Showing

Recent studies have linked refined sugar to faster aging. Glycation – the process whereby sugar molecules attach to proteins – produces advanced glycation end products (AGEs) that attack skin elasticity.

Adding more alkaline foods– such as honey, citrus and berries – to your diet limits refined sugar intake while satisfying your sweet tooth with antioxidant-rich foods to help you look younger longer.

#3- Natural Energy Boost

Fatigue, inability to focus and general sluggishness are common side effects of an acidic high-fat, high-sugar diet. Boosting digestion and eliminating toxins allows your body to run more smoothly.

The result is more energy and better concentration.

Relief of depression, hyperactivity and anxiety has also been linked to a diet high in antioxidants and low in chemical additives.

#4- Disease Prefers Acidity

Cells that mutate and cause disease are more at home in a high-acid environment. The less acidic foods are, the better your body can absorb the nutrients they contain.

Your immune system spends less time fighting the effects of acid and is better able to do its job.

A reduction in total body inflammation, regulation of blood sugar, heart health and improved brain function are just a few of the benefits your body will experience when you remove high acid foods and eat more alkaline based foods.