Glasses with fresh vegetable juices for alkaline diet
There are countless diets to choose from and you can add the alkaline diet to that list. This diet is gaining more support, especially from Hollywood celebrities. While low carb diets like the Paleo diet continue to garner most of the publicity, the alkaline diet is slowly carving out its own niche of believers.
The alkaline diet, also known as the acid alkaline diet and the alkaline acid diet, focuses on eating foods that will balance the pH level of the body and therefore, helping the body remain healthy and balanced. Proponents of this diet claim most people eat too many acid-forming foods that create an imbalance in the body that can lead to health problems.
There are similarities between this diet and a vegetarian or vegan diet, since they all focus on vegetables and avoid meats and dairy products.
Getting an equilibrium in the pH level of your body is the goal of the diet. The pH level of 14 is totally alkaline, while a pH of 0 is totally acidic. You want to be in the middle range of about 7 to 7.5.
Normal pH levels of blood are about 7.3 to 7.5, while the pH in your stomach is around 3.5 or lower. Your urine pH should be in the 7 range, according to alkaline diet proponents.
The alkaline diet used to be considered a fringe diet, but it has gained a lot of support in the last few years and can now be considered a mainstream diet.
While the research on this diet is limited, there is some studies that show that the alkaline diet can be beneficial for heart health, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and possibly reducing the risk of cancer and diabetes.
One of the problems with the alkaline diet is the lack of scientific evidence to prove the claims of the diet supporters. This has not stopped supporters of the diet from claiming that this diet will help you regain your health by eating less acid-forming foods and focusing on alkaline-forming foods.
What can you eat?
The alkaline diet limits what kinds of foods you can eat and this can be difficult for your average dieter to stick with. Here are a list of some of the acid-forming foods that should be avoided:
- red meat
- chicken
- fish
- eggs
- dairy products
- certain grains
These high-protein foods create a toxic acid atmosphere in your body, according to alkaline diet proponents, and this leads to a breakdown in the body and the susceptibility to diseases.
Here is a list of some of the foods that are recommended:
- vegetables – especially cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and spinach
- fruits – including berries, apples, oranges, lemons, limes, grapes, watermelon, and bananas
- certain proteins – almonds, tofu, and hazelnuts
It is obvious that this type of diet can lead to certain imbalances, especially with a lack of protein and essential fatty acids. One thing that is usually not a problem is losing weight. With so many fat-producing foods omitted from this diet, it would be hard to remain overweight if following the alkaline diet guidelines.
One of the biggest claims from alkaline diet proponents is that the diet can help prevent or even alleviate cancer. This diet is sometimes called the cancer diet. The diet is also promoted for helping your kidneys and your liver work more efficiently.
One of the big positives of this diet is that it is easy to lose weight. Since you are cutting out a lot of the unhealthy foods, the foods allowed for the alkaline diet will help you lose weight and keep it off.
If you want to try out the diet, be prepared to cut out some of your staples like sugars, meats, corn and wheat, along with processed foods. The diet is not for everyone, but it can help improve your overall health.