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  What Does an Alkaline Diet Consist of?

A regular diet of acidic food results in an imbalance in the body causing obesity, premature ageing, heart problems and cancer allergies. To balance the body’s acidity or pH level, a diet should consist of 75-80% alkaline foods and only 20-25% acidic foods.  

 

 

alkaline dietSugar, white rice and pasta, white bread, coffee, sodas, junk food, soft drinks, beef, pork, chicken and other animal proteins are considered acidic. 

 

This particular diet should consist of mostly the following: 

 

  • Alfalfa sprouts, wheat grass, cucumber, barley, broccoli sprouts, parsley and sea vegetables.
  • Avocado, beets, bell peppers, cabbage, green beans, tomatoes, and spinach.
  • Artichoke, cauliflower, carrots, leeks, peas, watercress, zucchini and turnip.
  • Pumpkin seeds and almonds
  • Fish oil, and olive oil. 

 

Sugars, caffeine, dairy products, soft drinks, white rice, pasta, and tobacco should be avoided and among meats, only fish should be included in the diet. White rice and pasta may be replaced with low-glycemic varieties to keep the pH level in balance since pasta and rice are carbohydrates and carbohydrates are classified as simple sugars. 

 

In place of store bought juices, soft drinks and sodas, one can also replace it with fresh fruit juices made from citric fruits since these are considered to be highly alkaline. 

 

It is important to note that a food that is acidic outside the body does not necessarily have the same effect after it has been eaten and digested. Citric juices are an example of such and so is apple cider vinegar. On the contrary, sugar and milk, even though they taste sweet have an acidifying effect on the body once digested. Keep in mind that you can’t always tell how a food will affect the body’s internal pH levels by how they taste. 

 

Foods such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium can have an alkalizing effect on the body. Potassium has the biggest effect on the body’s internal pH levels. 

 

Sulfur, phosphorous and iodine are highly acidifying ingredients which affects the body to produce more acids. An example is meat because it is high in protein. When the body digests meat, it is broken down into certain ingredients releasing the acidic minerals phosphorous and sulphur. 

 

There are also a number of alkaline supplements and drinks to help with the alkaline intake rather than just relying on picking out the types of food to eat. The drinks usually come in powder form which is mixed with water to help attain the desired pH levels of the body. 

 

Raised pH level of the body can result in alkaline tissues holding up to twenty times more oxygen as compared to acidic tissues. This means lessening ones chances of cancer since cancer cells do not survive in oxygen. An alkaline diet would prevent cancer cells from forming because it enables the body to hold in more oxygen. 

 

According to some alternative medicine practitioners, alkaline diets also help with the lack of energy, nasal congestion, frequent cold and flu, anxiety, nervousness, ovarian cysts and benign breast cysts. 

Even conventional doctors do believe that increasing the consumption of fruit and vegetables and reducing the consumption of meat, salt, sugars and processed food is beneficial to the health which basically is the same principle as that of the alkaline diet. 

 

Alkaline diet will not only help maintain the pH balance in the body but may also help lose weight as it increases the speed of metabolism. The popular method of losing weight through the low carbohydrate and high protein diet might not be as healthy. A high protein diet means having a highly acidic intake and this leads to fatigue and mostly makes the body susceptible to various illnesses. 

 

Before starting on any type of diet, a nutritionist should first be consulted to determine what would work best for ones body type and needs. Every body type is different and may need different levels of different types of food compared to others. The simplest way to follow an alkaline diet is to eat a healthy amount of fruits and vegetables and lessen the intake of food containing sugars, simple sugars, fat and acid.