An alkaline diet is not only recommended to drop a few pounds but there are many case studies of people who have used this diet to cure themselves from major disease, like cancer. Luckily, the nutrition principles are easy to learn and follow. Basically, your body pH should be ideally around 7.3, which is slightly alkaline. Many diseases thrive in an acidic environment (pH under 7), such as cancer, arthritis, heart disease, osteoporosis, kidney disease and gallstones. Your body pH fluctuates daily mostly due to your diet choices and stress levels, so it’s helpful to test your body/urine pH on a regular basis.
Tips for Boosting your Body pH
1. Test your pH first to gauge your starting point. I test my urine pH daily because it helps me stay on track with my food choices. pH testing paper is hard to find, so I sell it on my site, pH Testing Paper
2. Eat the foods from my chart below that have an alkalizing effect on your body. An alkaline diet is loaded with tons of fresh vegetables and fruit and minimal meat.
3. Try adding lemon or lime to your water throughout the day.
4. Making your own fresh vegetable juice is the fastest way to boost your body pH. If you are unable to juice regularly, you can mix a Green Supplement with water every day.
5. Minimize or manage stress to the best of your ability and get quality sleep every night.
Vegetables:
Most Alkaline (Best) Vegetables: broccoli, cucumber, cilantro, garlic, onions, kale, spinach, parsley, bell pepper, cauliflower, sweet potato, cabbage, celery, carrots, asparagus
Notes: Most vegetables are highly alkaline. It’s better to eat veggies raw because it preserves their alkalinity. Juicing vegetables is an excellent way to boost your body pH. Incorporating tons of fresh vegetables throughout your day is the area where you can make the most impact on your body pH and overall health.
Fruit:
Most Alkaline (Best) Fruits: all melons, raisins, nectarine, apple, grapefruit, lemon, lime, mango, pear, peach
Notes: Most fruits are alkaline, however fruit contains a lot of natural sugar so they may need to be limited. The chemicals sprayed on fruits and vegetables lowers its pH causing more illness, therefore buying pesticide free or organic produce is the best for your health.
Meat/Poultry/Fish:
Most Alkaline (Best) Sources: None
Notes: Unfortunately, most fleshy protein sources are acid-forming (disease promoting) for your body. As a Registered Dietitian, I still think it is important to balance your diet plan with sufficient protein. The least acidic options are fish, turkey, and most seafood. When menu planning, I try to incorporate vegetarian meals with more of these choices as well as non-flesh protein sources, like nuts/seeds and eggs.
Grains:
Most Alkaline (Best) Grains: millet, buckwheat, quinoa, rice
Notes: Most grains are acid-forming, except for the ones listed above. Since the typical diet is filled with breads, baked goods, and refined grains, this is the area where most Americans get into trouble. Sprouted seeds and grains become more alkaline in the process of sprouting so they are better for you.
Nuts:
Most Alkaline (Best) Nuts: almond, chestnut, coconut
Notes: Raw nuts are the most alkaline for your body.
Dairy:
Most Alkaline (Best) Dairy Sources: None
Notes: Milk from cows is extremely acidic (disease promoting), especially when pasteurized and homogenized. Better options are milk derived from oats, rice, coconut, and other nuts. My favorites are unsweetened coconut and almond milk. Also, raw and cultured dairy products are more alkaline because of their good bacteria that helps with digestion.
Beverages:
Most Alkaline (Best) Beverages: fresh vegetable juice, herbal teas, purified water
Notes: Coffee, alcohol, soda, and diet soda are the worst (acid-forming).
Sweeteners:
Most Alkaline (Best) Sweeteners: stevia
Seasonings:
Most Alkaline (Best) Seasonings: sea salt (Celtic Sea Salt is the best)
Oils/Fats:
Most Alkaline (Best) Sources: coconut oil, olive oil, avocado
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