Did you know the foods and drinks you consume affect the balance of your body's acidity and alkalinity? The body needs Alkaline with minerals and nutrients to neutralize acids and toxins.
The alkaline diet, also known as the acid-alkaline or the alkaline ash diet, is based on the idea that eating certain foods can change the body's acid levels, also known as its pH. The key aim is to consume more alkaline foods to prevent acid build-up, which can supposedly decrease the risk of specific health issues.
1. Signs of pH Imbalance
A normal blood pH level is 7.40 on a scale of 0 to 14, where 0 is the most acidic, and 14 is the most basic. Too much acid can raise the body's pH balance. Alkaline helps to reduce the body's acidity and bring it back in balance.
First, it's essential to understand the signs of pH Imbalance. When pH is ‘out of balance,’ the body's defense system tries to correct the problem. Some of these signs include:
Susceptibility to cold, flu, fatigue, viruses, bacterial infection, and allergies.
An imbalanced pH can affect the nervous system, resulting in depression or anxiety.
Cardiovascular and heart-related problems are another issue. It can affect the arteries to thicken and fail to function in pumping blood to other parts.
Once the pH affects your muscles, you may feel tired and pain when walking.
Skin can have significant aging and even breaking out.
It's worth mentioning that the body has numerous effective mechanisms (like breathing and urination) to keep the body’s pH level in a tight range. Therefore, the impact of diet on the body’s pH is limited. However, the alkaline diet’s emphasis on fresh produce and limiting processed foods aligns with general healthy eating advice.
2. Why Alkaline Diet
∎ Enhanced Bone Health
Some research suggests that an alkaline diet might help preserve bone density and prevent muscle wasting. However, more research is needed to understand these effects fully.
∎ Improved Cardiovascular Health
The alkaline diet encourages the consumption of fruits, vegetables, and plant-based proteins – foods that are known to help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease.
∎ Better Kidney Health
An alkaline diet might help prevent kidney stones, lower chronic kidney disease progression, and reduce kidney damage, thanks to its emphasis on fruits and vegetables and reduced meat and processed foods.
∎ Reduced Risk of Chronic Diseases
Many proponents of the alkaline diet believe that it can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as arthritis and cancer. However, it's important to note that more research is needed to support these claims.
∎ Weight Loss
The alkaline diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, and plant-based proteins and low in fat and processed food, which can aid in weight loss and help maintain a healthy weight.
∎ Increased Energy, Improved Digestion
Some people report increased energy levels and improved digestion on an alkaline diet, but individual results may vary.
3. Tips on Alkaline Diet
You can naturally maintain a healthy pH balance. Here are seven sure-fire ways to get your pH back into balance with alkaline diets paired with healthy food choices.
∎ Avoid sugars
Avoid added sugars in drinks or foods. This includes foods with high sugar content like sodas, sweets, pastries, and juice drinks.
∎ Avoid refined or processed foods
Avoid refined or processed foods. They contain high content of fats and sugars which tend to alter the body's pH when consumed in high amounts. These include crisps, sausages, chips, French fries, doughnuts, cereals, cakes, biscuits, cheese, tinned vegetables, bread, crisps, and others.
∎ Avoid microwave cooking and reheat
Avoid using the microwave to cook or reheat. Microwaves have the potential to cook unevenly. It can be dangerous to your health if the heating process doesn't kill fridge micro-organisms.
∎ Limit dairy, fast foods, and meat
Limit dairy, fast foods, and meat. Meat, poultry, cheese, fish, eggs, and grains all contain acid ash. Foods with a high content of proteins consumed at high levels leave high content of acid ash in the body. Eat more foods that contain alkaline ash. Such as fruits and vegetables, except for cranberries, prunes, and plums.
∎ Eat fresh fruits and vegetables
Eating raw vegetables and fruits can do wonders in balancing your pH back to normal. Instead of toast for breakfast, try a fruit or vegetable smoothie.
∎ Eat whole-grain
Eat whole-grain meals. Whole grains are full of fiber and other antioxidants that help relieve acid in the body. They can help with weight loss since they help one to feel fuller.
∎ Drink lots of water
Drink a lot of water. To state the obvious, water is life. Staying hydrated does wonders for your body and your skin. You can also try alkaline water to help reduce acid in the body.
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