Hello everyone. Today’s article is a guest post from Maria Rainier who is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She currently writes for http://www.onlinedegrees.org/ which provides free advice on how to get the most out of college.
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The Health Benefits of an Alkaline Diet
When you think of a balanced diet, you probably see images of meals prepared using every element in the food pyramid. And that’s a great place to start since everyone’s bodies need the variety of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients found in different foods. But there’s another kind of balance that’s often ignored in the majority of people’s diets: pH balance. Often, the typical diet is too acidic and should be tempered by an alkaline diet until the body’s pH levels are balanced. At that point, the diet should become a balance of acidic and alkaline foods to maintain the body’s optimal pH levels.
What an Alkaline Diet Can Do for Your Body
The healthiest pH level for your body is between 7.3 and 7.4, which is more basic (alkaline) than acidic. This means that the modern predisposition to eat out, consume over-processed foods, and overeat in the protein and oil categories makes for an acidic and unhealthy body. Acid-producing foods create yeast in the body that expands throughout the system, starting in the digestive tract and growing to affect the intestines and blood. Once in the bloodstream, yeast can affect any part of the body with negative consequences. However, adopting an alkaline diet until your body’s pH level reaches the optimal balance can prevent you from experiencing the debilitating effects of an acidic diet. Symptoms of an overly acidic diet include fatigue, loss of muscle tone, feeling cold, frequent infections, depressive tendencies, nervousness, paleness, headaches, thin nails, dry skin, hives, and leg cramps. If you suffer from these health problems, you might consider changing your diet to include more alkaline foods – you’ll be surprised at the improved quality of your life. If not, maintain your current balance of alkaline and acidic foods to ensure that you won’t need an aggressive alkaline diet in the future.
How to Start an Alkaline Diet
An alkaline diet means eating 80% alkaline-producing foods and only 20% acid-producing ones. This may seem like a daunting task, but the following lists of healthy and unhealthy foods can help you identify meals that will fit your new diet.
What to Consume:
• Vegetables including leafy greens (spinach, lettuce, kale, cabbage) and carrots, green beans, cucumber, broccoli, artichokes, asparagus, peas, turnips, and more – most vegetables are alkaline-producing;
• Fruits like lemons and limes (they may seem counterintuitive, but they are alkaline-producing), rhubarb, avocado, grapefruit, and tomato;
• Beverages like almond milk, unsweetened soy milk, fresh vegetable juice, herbal tea, vegetable broth, distilled water, and lemon water (squeeze a slice of lemon into your distilled water);
• Nuts and grains such as almonds, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, spelt, lentils, and any sprouted seeds;
• Oils like olive, flax seed, borage, avocado, and coconut;
• Probiotics such as miso, which is natural; however, you can also buy probiotic supplements.
What Not to Consume:
• Meats (if you’re having trouble with this one, stick to occasional seafood);
• Dairy products;
• Caffeinated beverages, fruit juice, and alcohol;
• Fast food, canned food, microwave meals, “instant” and powdered foods, and candy;
• Yeast;
• Sugar (including sweet fruits);
• Chemically processed or created foods; and
• Antibiotics (if you must take them, follow them with aggressive probiotics – consult your doctor).
About the Author:
Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education, researching areas of online colleges & blogging about student life. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.
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