What Is The Alkaline Diet?

THE ALKALINE DIET

The Alkaline Diet is built upon the notion that if you consume more "alkaline-forming" foods you will enable your body (or your blood to be more specific) to stay at the perfect pH of 7.365 more easily. When the body can stay balanced easily all of its functions work optimally and we are more likely to experience more radiant health.

It is also known as the "acid-base diet" since it recommends eating a balanced diet of foods, with greater emphasis on alkaline/basic/+7 pH foods and lesser on acidic/-7 pH foods.

ALKALINE AND ACID FORMING

FOODS

When we ingest food it metabolizes, or in other words, our bodies burn the foods to form an ash. This ash is either alkaline or acidic. The ash then contributes to either raising or lowering the pH of the blood.

Acidic foods: sugar, dairy, meat products, coffee, alcohol and wheat

Neutral foods: water

Alkaline foods: vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and low sugar fruits

THE pH

pH is a scale which ranges from 0 to 14. Our bodies are made up of different pH levels. Hydrochloric acid inside the stomach usually stays at a pH of 1.5 to 3.5 and our saliva is normally stays within the pH range of 6.5 and 7.5. The most important pH level that is maintained within the body however, is that of the blood which stays within a tight pH range of 7.35 and 7.45.

STAYING BALANCED

Our kidneys and lungs are the primary organs which maintain the pH our blood, if it weren't for them we would most likely have an over-acidic body... and we would not stay alive for long. Some of the more acid-forming foods (refined foods, processed foods, sugars and dairy) find their way into our diets a lot more easily than our body's would like.

By the process of homeostasis, natural systems within the body, can re-balance the excess acids these foods produce. Conversely, when we introduce more alkaline-forming foods into our diet (vegetables, legumes and nuts) we can help out these natural systems and organs, and stop them from having to work so hard to re-balance the pH.

SUPPORTING THE BODY

Just in the same way our bodies core temperature needs to stay at around 98.6°F (37°C) in order for us stay alive, our blood's pH needs to stay at around 7.365. If not terrible things can happen. We never stray to far from this number, unless we are seriously ill, but our organs have to work harder the more it has to keep neutralizing. Eating more acid-forming foods will put a strain on these vital organs and systems and this is where health problems begin. Feed it a balanced diet, weighted towards alkaline-forming foods and we can support our organs better and we will stay balanced more effortlessly.

What's more, foods that are alkaline-forming tend to be more nutritious. What better way to support our bodies than to feed it tonnes of vitamins and minerals from fresh sources. This is what the Alkaline Diet encourages.

MEASURING THE pH

The pH of our urine is a rough reflection of the pH of our blood. After eating a large fast-food meal it is likely our urine will be more acidic (below 7). By contrast, after at least 3 days of consuming more fresh greens and lemon water our urine's pH will be higher. If these foods are passing through our bodies and influencing the pH of urine then it is highly likely that they are having an influence on the pH of our blood.

See how to measure your pH here!