A predominately alkaline diet is optimum for health, healing and recovery. But remember it’s all a BALANCE.
Too alkaline or too acid means symptoms and disease.
Human blood pH should be slightly alkaline which is 7.35 – 7.45
7.0 is neutral. Below this is acidic.
It’s not just diet which can cause acidic blood pH; stress, toxic overload and immune reactions can all contribute.
If you have an acidic blood pH your body will compensate by using alkaline minerals in your body. This includes leeching calcium from your bones (osteoporosis anyone?).
An acidic balance will decrease: your ability to absorb nutrients, cell energy production, ability to repair damaged cells, ability to detox.
An acidic balance also allows tumor cells to thrive.
The main acidic factors in our diet today are eggs, white flour, meat, sugars, drugs, alcohol, artificial sweeteners, dairy, gluten and caffeine.
Generally alkaline forming foods include most fresh fruits and vegetables, peas, beans, lentils, spices, green vegetables, herbs, seeds and nuts. To restore health we should be eating a diet consisting of 80% alkaline foods and 20% acid forming foods.
Generally acid forming foods include meat, fish, poultry, eggs, grains and legumes.
Don’t be under the impression that acid forming foods are bad for us. They are not.
But they should not make up the bulk of our diet, alkaline foods should.
I have included a chart of acid and alkaline foods. Some foods are still a bit of a mystery and an appear on either side of the chart. Its safe to assume these foods are pretty neutral. They include Brazil nuts, Brussels sprouts, buckwheat, cashews, chicken, corn, flax seeds, green tea, honey, maple syrup, nuts, potatoes, quinoa, soy, squash and tomatoes.
