What Is An Alkaline Diet and How it Makes You Healthier
Implementing an alkaline diet can be an easy move to a healthier lifestyle. What is an alkaline diet and what can it do for your body?
Having a balanced PH can lead to better overall wellness - including helping control inflammation and reducing stress levels.
Recent studies have shown that eating an alkaline diet may help improve certain diseases, including chronic kidney disease. It is believed that the everyday foods we eat can lead to an acidic environment that is prone to illness.
So what is an alkaline diet, and how can it help your health?
Keep reading to discover what exactly an alkaline diet is and how it can lead to a healthier lifestyle.
What Does it Mean to Be Alkaline?
To better understand what an alkaline diet consists of, it is essential first to understand what alkaline means.
When talking about being alkaline, it is referring to your body's PH being greater than seven on a PH scale.
The PH scale is a measurement of how acidic or basic something is and has a range from 0 to 14. Having a PH of 7 is considered neutral, whereas anything less than 7 suggests acidity, and anything over 7 suggests basic.
For example, vinegar, as many people know, is very acidic and has a PH of 2. On the other hand, baking soda is basic and has a PH of around 9.5.
Our blood has a natural PH around 7.4, meaning slightly basic. It is critical to keep the PH around these levels for optimal health. Certain medical conditions can lead to changes in blood PH levels, including acidosis.
Typically, it is very hard to change the PH of your blood levels. However, what you can alter is the PH of urine. The PH of your urine should be close to alkaline, around 7.
One way individuals are balancing the PH of their urine is through an alkaline diet.
What Is an Alkaline Diet?
There have been many claims on the potential benefits that an alkaline diet can bring, including:
- Supporting weight loss
- Reducing pain
- Fighting off osteoporosis
- Improving hormone levels
- Supporting cardiovascular health
- And even preventing cancer
There have been several studies showing that an alkaline diet can, in fact, help balance urine PH levels.
The alkaline diet consists of cutting out or limiting as much as possible the amount of acid-producing foods as possible and replacing them with healthier, alkaline foods like fruits and veggies.
Alkaline Foods to Include
Including alkaline foods in your diet can help contribute to your overall wellness and can also promote a healthier lifestyle. These include:
- Kale
- Kelp
- Spinach
- Parsley
- Broccoli
- Sprouts
- Cucumber
- Green juices
- Potatoes
- Mineral water
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Legumes
- Soy
- Raisins
- Beetroot
- Avacado
- Cabbage
- Celery
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Radish
- Okra
- Onion
- Quinoa
- Carrots
You can see many of the foods included in the alkaline diet are vegetables. Most vegetables are very alkaline and can promote a balanced PH level.
Acidic Foods to limit
Acidic foods, on the other hand, you will want to limit or even avoid altogether. These include:
- Vinegar
- Cheese
- Sugar
- Dairy
- Alcohol
- Coffee
- Sweetened fruit juice
- Yeast
- Pasta
- Brown rice
- Ketchup
- Soy sauce
- Miso
- Jelly
- Jam
- Pork
- Beef
- Corned beef
- Soda
- Grains
Eating too many acid foods can lead to health problems like acid reflux, heartburn, indigestion, tooth decay, and can even make you susceptible to illness and disease.
Alkaline Diet Meal Plan
With individuals consuming massive amounts of acid-producing foods like sugar, animal proteins, and grains, it is leading to unwanted health problems. To combat this, it is recommended to consume more foods that are alkaline-producing to maintain homeostasis.
A typical alkaline diet meal plan will consist of the following:
Breakfast
For breakfast, it's best to skip the coffee and opt for herbal tea instead, as coffee is much more acidic. A great example of an alkaline breakfast could be oats with sliced strawberries, or if you are a light breakfast person, try a green smoothie.
Lunch
For lunch, you have a lot of options - a nice salad is a good option, complete with spinach, raisins, and sliced almonds. Just be sure to skip the vinegar dressing and try something like natural ginger dressing instead.
Snack
Alkaline snacks are relatively easy to come by and can be great on the go. Dates, nuts, and seeds are good options for when you need a snack.
You can also make smoothies to get you through until your next meal - Almond milk, a banana, almond butter, and spinach is a natural, filling treat.
Dinner
For dinner, it's best to stick to lighter options that are not so heavy. Salmon and roasted veggies are a nice, light meal that will fill you up without overfilling.
Alkaline Diet for Weight Loss
Many users report losing weight as a result of consuming an alkaline diet. If you are considering the alkaline diet for weight loss, here are a few tips for you to get started.
Consume Plenty of Water
Consuming enough water is an essential part of any diet plan, but especially with the alkaline diet. Water is a natural filter for people and allows toxins to be released from the body.
Water will help keep you full longer, and can also bring other health benefits. It's best to stick to water and cut out all coffee and soda.
Skip the Additives
Additives can be found everywhere and may seem to be harmless, but when consumed in large amounts, you can experience unwanted side effects.
If losing weight is your goal, try sticking to natural items that don't contain any preservatives, artificial sweeteners, or food coloring.
Eat a Balanced Diet
Eating a balanced diet is easier said than done. However, with the alkaline diet, getting enough macronutrients shouldn't be a problem.
Keeping various fruits and veggies around makes it easier when you are looking for a snack. And when it is time for a meal, make sure you are balancing between protein, fats, and carbohydrates.
Consider a Greens Powder
One easy way to include enough vegetables in your diet is through supplementation. Greens powders are an easy solution that you can add directly to your smoothie.
Ready to Start Your Alkaline Diet?
There are so many "trendy" diets that influencers push to sell their products, but not all of them are effective. The alkaline diet works with your body naturally to maintain a sort of homeostasis, or regularity that can lead to some incredible health benefits.
If you are still questioning "what is an alkaline diet?" and would like to hear more about the benefits, contact us today and we can help you go over your options.
