Acid Alkaline Diet

Monday, March 31, 2008

Health Food Nutrition - Alkaline Food List To Avoid Obesity

 

The nutrients found in health food, alkaline dietary supplements, alkaline foods, and alkaline water can bring the body back into pH balance. The vitamins, minerals, and herbs contained in alkaline foods infuse the body with new energy, adjusting less energized areas to a new level of healthiness.

pH Balance To Avoid Obesity

When the pH level in one's body is unbalanced, almost any area of the body can be affected; muscles (fatigue), skin (aging), nervous system (depression), cardiovascular system (heart disease) etc. Even obesity is a sign of over-acidity, which is a normal body response to protect vital organs from damaging acids and their effects. Conversely, in an alkaline environment, the body reaches an ideal weight and corrects negative health challenges naturally.

Healthy, alkaline foods not only increase energy, but also help to destroy harmful organisms that decrease one's energy and vitality. For instance, the electric charge and frequency of powdered green particles are designed to match that of the body's cells. In this manner, a new level of health may be achieved; health problems, diseases, illness, fatigue, and excess weight diminished.

Alkaline Food Provides Nutrients That Neutralize Acids and Toxins

Alkaline food and alkaline nutritional supplements should freely be consumed in order to provide nutrients the body needs to neutralize acids and toxins in the blood, lymph, and tissues, while strengthening immune function and organ systems. Taste buds that have been jaded by the toxic effect of sugar, salt, and other artificial flavors may take some time to adjust and appreciate the subtler taste of greens and vegetables. Some individuals opt to add an alkaline food and eliminate an acidic food each week, some do not change their eating habits but add alkaline green food powders to their daily diet, until ultimately reaching the goal of an alkaline diet.

The following list shows examples of food transitions from acid producing to alkaline forming:

Better Food Choices

From Cow 's milk...To Almond, Soy or Rice milk

From Beef, Chicken, Pork, Shellfish...To Fresh salmon or trout

From Pancakes...To Millet, Buckwheat, Quinoa

From Baked potato with butter...To Basmati rice with olive or flax oil

From Coffee, Soda, Alcohol...To SuperGreens™ with Prime pH in water

From 1 liter/quart of water per day...To 1 gallon or more of water per day

From Pizza, Hamburger, Fried Chicken...To Sprouted wheat tortilla with veggies

From Iceberg lettuce salad...To Spinach/red leaf lettuce with avocado

From Vinegar/cream-based dressing...To Olive oil-based dressing with lemon juice

From Pasta...To Buckwheat soba noodles with olive oil/tomato

From Bread with jam...To Brown rice cake with almond butter

From Potato chips and ranch dip...To Wheat tortilla chips with hummus or salsa

From Candy, Cake, Pie, Donuts...To Almonds, Pumpkin Seeds, Raw Veggies

From Meat and starch meals...To Vegetables and low-carbohydrate meals

From Cooked or microwaved meals...To Raw, steamed or low-temperature meals

Balance-pH-Diet.com informs people about over-acidified body cells due to fast paced and unhealthy lifestyles, which is the reason for many diseases and weight gain.

Get information about Alkaline Food and Alkaline Diet.

Click here to learn more about How to Alkalize & Lose Weight.

Acid-Alkaline-Food-Chart

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Monday, March 24, 2008

Easily Improve Your Health With An Alkaline Diet

 

Because of factors like diet and stress, many people in the industrialized world have bodies that are too acidic and over-burdened with toxins, and so are afflicted with health problems that run the gamut from minor and major skin irritations to depression, chronic fatigue and back pain to arthritis, ulcers, osteoporosis and cancer.

Just consider the following facts:

• Diseased bodies are unbalanced, having a high concentration of acidity in their tissues and the blood. And yet the absence of this balance is rarely noticed by our standard medical tests. So tests may show you are fine, but you feel otherwise.

• The #1 cause of excess acidity is waste products left behind by incomplete digestion. We need hydrochloric acid to digest our food. The more difficult a food is to digest, the more acid is required to digest it.

• In general difficult-to-digest means acid-forming, and easy-to-digest means alkaline.

• Health is easier to achieve and maintain if one consumes four times as much alkaline food as acidic food. When such an ideal ratio is maintained, the body usually has a balanced body chemistry and strong resistance against disease.

SIMPLE SOLUTION: Find out what to eat (and what to avoid) to improve your health! The more alkaline foods are excellent for almost everyone, with certain exceptions like patients of ulcer, allergy and sugar-sensitivity -- who may react to sweet fruits or other specific foods.

To help you get started in improving your health, take a look at this list of alkaline and acidic foods:

Alkaline-to-Acid Food List

Lower down foods become less alkaline and more acid-forming (usually more difficult to digest)

MORE ALKALINE: The best foods, also good for detox-diet

Lemon/calamansi water with a pinch of salt
Herb tea
Honey (a little)
Apple cider vinegar
Coconut water
Citric fruit juice
Other fruit juices
Vegetable juice
Lactobacteria drinks without milk
Citric fruits
Juicy fruits
All other fruits including super-ripe banana (except 4 starchy fruits below)
Green leafy vegetables and sea vegetables , sprouts
All other vegetables (except 2 starchy veggies in next category, and 3 listed at bottom of chart)
Extra virgin oil produced without heat friction- best flax oil, hemp oil, then coconut and olive oil

SEMI-ALKALINE: Good for healthy people

Small amount of yogurt just for lactobacteria (among dairy, best is goat’s milk yogurt)
Molasses
Starchy vegetables/fruits (potato, eggplant, normal banana, avocado, jackfruit, breadfruit)
Nuts (in small quantity, blended or very well-chewed, not fried)
Raw sugar

SEMI-ACID-FORMING: Good for healthy people in smaller quantity

Buckwheat (which is an herb, not a grain)
Mildly sautéed vegetables (better use coconut oil)
Millet (the most alkaline grain)
Other whole grains (including 100% wholegrain bread/rice/noodles, corn, oats, barley)
Fresh tofu
Legumes (e.g. mung beans, lentils, soya, peanut)

ACID-FORMING: A little bit is not too bad for healthy people

Refined grains (including white bread, white rice, white noodles, veggie-meat)
Most “junk foods”

EXTREMELY ACID-FORMING: Eliminate or minimize

Deep fried foods
Fish
Poultry
Meat
Eggs (the most difficult to digest food, and also the #1 cause of bad cholesterol)

Notes: 1) Dairy products vary according to personal situation – for some it is good, for others it is bad. 2) Refined sugar, tea and coffee are not difficult to digest, but if one consumes them liberally then they are very acid-forming and also rob the body of needed nutrients. 3) Onion, garlic and mushroom are not difficult to digest, but they heat up the lower glands, and thus very much disturb the emotions.

Gradually increase the alkaline foods in your diet, and see for yourself how your health improves!

Dada Dharmavedananda has been teaching yoga and natural therapy for nearly 40 years. He is the founder-director of the Ananda Marga Wellness Center. Visit his website to find out more about natural therapy and for more health information

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Tuesday, February 26, 2008

The Acid - Alkaline Debate: Part 3 – 6 Steps To Go From Acidic to Alkaline!

 

Before I go into the steps you can take to create the proper alkaline balance in your body, I want to quickly review several items to drive home my personal belief that most dark colas, whether they be regular or diet, have been one of the leading causes of all the degenerative diseases we are seeing. It is not the sole cause but a leading contributor. Why?
 

Remember What We Said About the pH Scale?
The pH scale is not arithmetical but logarithmic. Logarithmic means that the values separating each unit are not of equal value along the scale but increases in proportion to their distance from a pH of 7. For example, a pH reading of 6 is 10 times more acidic than 7, but a pH of 5 is not 20 times more acidic but 100 times more acidic. If you’re catching on, then a pH reading of 4 is 1000 times more acidic that a pH of 7.
 

The pH value for Coca-Cola is 2!
That would make it 100,000 times more acidic than a pH of 7. If your diet is lacking in alkalizing foods, then how are you going to offset this high acidic environment? Your body is going to pull calcium and other minerals to offset this so that you can maintain a slightly alkaline environment. If your diet is high in acidic foods and drinks, poor in alkaline foods and lacking in mineral and trace mineral intake, then you are setting yourself up for calcium to be taken from your bone structure. This is a recipe for osteoporosis.
 

6 Steps to Go From Acidic to Alkaline!
To regain your optimal pH balance, you will need to take the following steps:
 

1. Change your diet to include more alkalizing foods.
2. Increase your water consumption and eliminate dark colas.
3. Cleanse and detoxify your body of microforms and the toxins they have created.
4. Replenish your mineral reserves.
5. Replenish your enzyme reserves.
6. Replenish the populations of healthy probiotics in your GI tract.

 

When someone consumes a diet rich in acid producing foods, the body’s overall pH balance can be thrown off. To counter this effect, alkaline food and water must be consumed to provide the nutrients necessary to neutralize the acids and toxins created from an acidic diet. The top alkalizing foods and nutrients are:
 

• Wheat Grass
• Calcium
• Sodium
• Potassium
• Chloride
• Bicarbonate
• Kamut Grass
• Barley Grass
• Alfalfa Grass

 

Think Green – Think Green Fusion Technology!
Notice that it is the grasses and certain key minerals that are necessary part of your diet. A good Green Fusion drink would be an excellent replacement for the dark colas. A diet rich in green and colorful vegetables would help create an alkaline diet. Increasing your intake of pure, clean water to at least ½ gallon per day will not only aid in maintaining the right pH balance but will also aid in weight management and weight loss. Get a good mineral supplement into your daily diet plan. However, Tums with Calcium is not the answer. Even though calcium is an alkalizing mineral it needs the acidic environment of the stomach to be absorbed properly. The purpose of Tums is to reduce stomach acids. This interferes with calcium absorption. I’ve never understood why doctors promote this type of product in their offices as a calcium supplement.
 

There is so much more that could be said in this area. Hopefully, these three articles on The Acid – Alkaline Debate have provided you with knowledge which is the precursor to prevention. As our American culinary tastes have evolved to the Super Size Me diet of acidic foods, we have also seen an explosion of both the waist line and degenerative diseases. Diseases that are not only preventable but robbing us of our youth and vitality as we grow older. You can see the critical importance of maintaining an alkaline environment for your body. Enjoy the foods that will help you create optimal health and wellness and potentially allow you to live a long life disease free.

Dan Hammer has a background in biology, chemistry and exercise physiology. He used to run one of the largest health club operations in the Chicagoland area and has been helping people with their wellness issues for more than 25 years. His website http://www.AgingNoMore.com provides current information on how to slow down the aging process. He offers a free daily email that breaks this information down into actionable steps that are easy to understand and implement.

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Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Benefits Of Alkaline Food Are Tremendous

 

The human body is a complex machine that performs several functions simultaneously. The fuel needed for these functions is derived from the food that we consume. This food is burned or digested by the digestive juices so as to release energy which is used for the different bodily functions. Our body ph is normally 7.3 and so more alkaline than acidic in nature. To keep this ph maintained we need to eat more of alkaline food rather than acidic food. Needless to say there are several benefits of alkaline food.

Alkaline food is essential for our body and should be consumed in abundance to keep the ph level of the body balanced. Seventy to eighty percent of our food intake should be in the form of alkaline food. Alkaline food comprises of mostly vegetables and fruits with egg and chicken breast. Other meats should be eaten in great moderation while it is advised to go slow with various cooking oils too.

All this care in consuming alkaline food leads to great benefits. The ph of the body controls and affects all the functions of the body. The brain which is the commander of the body cannot store fat cells so it gets all its energy directly from the blood that flows through it. With the ph dropping the brain finds it difficult to absorb energy from the blood cells. So having a diet comprising of over 80 % alkaline food is very beneficial to the proper functioning of the brain. Further the heart which is a vital organ of the body is also affected if the ph level of the body gets altered. With a higher acidic level the blood cells change their polarity from negative to positive and then stick to the negative vein walls causing clogged arteries. This serious problem leading to heart attacks can be overcome if alkaline food is eaten on a regular basis. Mineral absorption is optimal if alkaline food forms over 80 % of ones diet. When the body ph is maintained all functions are carried out fully well and this ph level can only be maintained if the food eaten is alkalizing.

Serious cell degeneration can be controlled and the process of aging be slowed down if alkaline food is the major source of nutrition. Alkaline food prevents the body from feeling fatigue and stress causing great vitality and vigor. Not only does one feel good from the inside but it translates into most of his outside activities too. A healthy person is much less prone to depression and illness than one who is fatigued and unhealthy. Consuming alkaline food also helps to not only prevent but also cure many chronic diseases like arthritis etc.

Simply put, the benefits of alkaline food are tremendous. Health and vitality are regained which cause inner satisfaction and one feels he is able to achieve much more in his day to day living.

Discover How Alkaline Food Works and Why An Alkaline Food Diet Is Recommended, including Free Food Chart: http://www.AcidAlkalineDiet.com/Health

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Friday, January 18, 2008

The Top 5 Alkaline Diet Recipes - Yum!

 

For cleansing of the body as well as weight loss it is essential to follow an alkaline diet which comprises of eating mostly vegetables and fruits along with a few nuts. The problem with most diets is that as soon as one goes off them, the weight comes right back on. The alkaline diet is a plan that you can incorporate in your daily schedule so as to last a life time. The other problem with diet foods is that they taste horrible and one has to sacrifice most of their loved recipes. To solve this, below are 5 of the best alkaline diet recipes which will tempt any food lover.

The best of the alkaline diet recipes is the lime chille stir fry. Pulp coriander, pestle, motar, chilles and lime juice together to form a sauce. Then stir fry broccoli, beans, peas, and cabbage till soft yet crunchy. Add on a bed of brown basmati rice and pour the sauce over the vegetables. Not only is this pick of alkaline diet recipes high in nutrition and of course alkaline foods but it also is an easy to make yet fancy tasting dinner.

The next on the list of alkaline diet recipes is the dressed asparagus. Steam the asparagus and a few spring onions till tender. Add avocado butter, some grated lemon peel and some lemon juice and thyme to make a dressing. A simple dish, full of alkaline ingredients as well as taste. Remember to snip off any white asparagus tips though since white asparagus tips are acidic foods. This is one of the easiest alkaline diet recipes. Can be made on real short notice and taste best if served hot.

Hummus is highly alkalizing food and so definitely a part of the alkaline diet recipes. So all one needs to do is take some chick peas, tahini paste, garlic lemon juice and some olive oil. Mix all the ingredients together in a mixer and add some salt and pepper for seasoning and voila your hummus is ready. It is a lovely side dish as a dip with steamed vegetables. Alkaline diet recipes can be found to suit each time of the day as well as all taste buds.

Another good alkaline diet recipes pick is broccoli soup. Take some steamed broccoli and put in a blender with avocado, spinach, red onions and celery stick, and churn. Add seasoning to taste and you have a lovely warm soup for those winter evenings. Also the spinach stays raw and so does not loose its alkaline essence.

Another raw soup from the alkaline diet recipes is the missed vegetable soup. Take as many vegetables as you like and blend them in the blender with some vegetable stock. The stock should be hot but the vegetables should all be raw and thoroughly washed. Add seasoning to taste and it is ready.

These picks from the alkaline diet recipes are easy to make and delicious to have. They help alkalize the body and are essential for a healthy and long life.

Discover How Alkaline Foods Work and Why An Alkaline Diet Recipes Are Recommended, including Free Access To Our Alkaline Diet Recipes Database: http://www.AcidAlkalineDiet.com/Health

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Thursday, January 10, 2008

Looking for Alkaline Diet Recipes? It's easier than you think!

 

Adopting a healthier way of eating with a high alkaline diet is simple when you have access to alkaline diet recipes. Finding at least 10 recipes that you like is really all that you need in order to adopt this way of eating. Most individuals and families really only need 10 good recipes that they enjoy in order to switch from the standard American diet to the alkaline diet way of eating.

Alkaline diet recipes may seem intimidating at first because a lot of them rely on unfamiliar ingredients. Most people are not used to cooking with tofu and other vegetarian protein sources. There are also a lot of alkalizing vegetables that can be unfamiliar.

However, you don't have to worry about making those things at first. In fact, there are plenty of alkaline diet recipes that include familiar foods. You just have to take the time to understand which foods are alkalizing and which foods are acidic.

How do you find alkaline diet recipes that your family will enjoy? Start by scanning over the list of alkaline foods and picking out which foods your family already likes to eat. It will be much simpler for you, and for them, to make the transition with foods they already know and love.

Build your list of recipes from the alkalizing foods that you already enjoy and already know how to prepare. As you become more comfortable with the alkaline diet recipes, you can expand your repertoire to include some of the more out of the ordinary ingredients. Many people are surprised to discover that they love kale or rhubarb, or other "exotic" vegetables and fruits, once they try them.

A lot of the intimidation with preparing alkaline meals comes from the fact that most people eat the vast majority of their foods out of a box or a can. Since alkaline diet recipes rely on fresh, unprocessed foods you'll have to get used to preparing them if you're a recovering "fast food junkie." Cooking, like all skills, takes time to learn but it isn't impossible. You'll be surprised what you can accomplish after just a few weeks of preparing your own tasty, alkalizing meals. I'm a weight loss and natural health enthusiast. After finding out more about the alkaline diet, I tried it myself and had more energy, lost weight and feel better. For more on my experience with alkaline diet recipes, visit http://www.squidoo.com/alkalinedietrecipe

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Saturday, January 5, 2008

The Acid-Alkaline Debate-Part 2-Your Body's pH, Cancer & Other Diseases

 

In part 1 of The Acid ? Alkaline Debate we discussed the health crisis in America. To put it in greater perspective America is first in having access to clean water and sanitation facilities. We spend more money per person on health care and a greater percentage of our gross domestic product that any other country. Yet, we are 34th in infant death rate, 29th in maternal death rate, and 48th overall in life expectancy. Where we used to be #1 in life expectancy for women age 65 we are now 20th. Many feel the source of the problem lies in our calorie consumption. Americans consume more calories per capita than any other nation and we show it by leading the world in the prevalence of obesity.

What Does This Have To Do With The Acid ? Alkaline Debate?
Everything!
The vast majority of the American diet centers on foods that create an acidic environment in your body. This then allows other acid producing pathways to take hold having a negative impact on your health and wellness. The body becomes acidic as a result of the following three things:

1. Ingesting Acidic Producing Foods. When food is metabolized or ?burned? in our body it leaves an ?ash?. This food ash will be neutral, acidic, or alkaline depending largely on the leftover mineral composition of the food. Although the following list is not complete, it will give you a general idea of which foods leave behind an acidic or alkaline environment:

Acidic Foods: corn, canned fruits, cranberries, most grain and grain products, most beans & legumes, milk, peanuts, peanut butter, most animal proteins, tuna, most fats and oils, sugar, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, catsup, cocoa, and aspirin.

Alkalizing Foods: water, most vegetables, most fruits especially if they are low sugar, almonds, fermented tofu, whey protein, all herbs and many spices, soured dairy products, probiotic cultures, bee pollen, and juices that are green, veggie or fresh fruit.

Super Acidifying Food: Coca-Cola ? pH 2, Beer ? pH 2.5, Coffee ? pH 4

Super Alkalizing Minerals: Potassium ? pH 14, Sodium ? pH 14, Calcium ? pH 12, Magnesium ? pH 9

Now you can see why the standard American diet of animal protein with a refined grain product washed down with a beer or dark cola creates an extremely acidic environment.

2. Creation of an Acidic Environment Resulting in Toxicity & Microform Overgrowth. As you eat and drink food combinations that create an acidic environment, microforms and pathogens start to grow and proliferate in your body. For example, yeasts, Candida, and anaerobic bacteria now have an environment that fosters their growth which results in toxins and acids being excreted into your system causing a further pH imbalance.

3. Poor Elimination & Neutralization of Acids. Your body will go to great lengths to maintain its normal pH level. It will even stress other tissues and body systems to do so. It uses minerals such as calcium to act as a buffer. Your body will even pull calcium out of your bone structure to help in this process which can lead to osteoporosis.

Got Milk?
The dairy industry has created a great campaign slogan so you might think that all you have to do is drink more milk. The fat and protein in whole milk creates a greater ?acid ash? than the amount of calcium it contains. The net result is whole milk will actually deplete calcium stores. If you are going to drink milk, then make it skim milk only. Not only will you save on calories and fat but you will be able to offset the ?acid ash? from the protein and get a positive influx of calcium. And, since we are on this topic, stay away from dark colas. Most dark colas whether they be regular or diet contain phosphoric acid. I firmly believe that this has been one of the leading causes of all the degenerative diseases that we are seeing. Dark colas create an acid environment and most Americans consume such large quantities of it.

So, How Do I Find Out If I?m A Walking Flask of Acid?
You could spend lots of money and make lots of visits to your doctor?s office to get your blood analyzed on a regular basis or you could do a simple urine test at home. One of the primary systems for getting rid of acids in the body is your kidneys or renal system. Under normal or optimal conditions, the pH of your urine should be in the 6.75 to 7.25 range. Anything under 6.75 would most likely mean that your body?s internal environment is becoming acidic. By using pH test strips you can test your urine?s pH at home. There are special test strips designed to give you a color gradation to help you accurately determine your urine?s pH so that you can maintain a proper pH level.

If you take the time to find out if your body is acidic, then what steps can you take to go from acidic to alkaline? I?ll cover that in Part 3 of The Acid ? Alkaline Debate!

Dan Hammer has a background in biology, chemistry and exercise physiology. He used to run one of the largest health club operations in the Chicagoland area and has been helping people with their wellness issues for more than 25 years. His website http://www.AgingNoMore.com provides current information on how to slow down the aging process. He offers a free daily email that breaks this information down into actionable steps that are easy to understand and implement.

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