What is an alkaline diet?

So I decided to do tons of research on the Alkaline Diet for the both us!

I’ll break down what it is and why it’s good for our bodies. I’ll also talk about how I plan on incorporating this into my daily lifestyle.

What is an alkaline diet?

The alkaline diet is when you change the foods you eat in order to alter the pH value of your body. The pH value is the measurement of how something is acidic or alkaline.

Once you digest food it can leave a residue in your body which depending on what you eat could be acidic or alkaline. This could affect you because it changes your body’s acidity and could make you more vulnerable to illnesses and diseases.

SO when you choose more alkaline food you can improve your overall health!

Certain food groups are considered acidic, alkaline or neutral:

• Acidic: Meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs, grains and alcohol.
• Neutral: Natural fats, starches and sugars.
• Alkaline: Fruits, nuts, legumes and vegetables.

I found this excerpt that also explains it well:

“When you eat, your body burns food and turns it into energy. The process leaves an ash residue, which is why the diet is also called alkaline ash. The alkaline diet theory is that alkaline foods produce alkaline ash and acidic foods produce acidic ash, which can make your body pH more alkaline or acidic. Some people believe acidic ash puts you at higher risk for certain health conditions. The alkaline diet emphasizes alkaline foods in an attempt to make the body’s pH more alkaline.” Source

I summarized this section from an article I found on google and you can find it by clicking HERE!

Below is a nifty chart I found on google! You can find so many charts online but this was pretty simple to show you the pH values of the food you eat!

Why is it good for you?

Well overall, you are choosing to eat more fruits & vegetables in this diet which obviously is more healthy. There are tons of studies that already prove that eating more fruits & vegetables are good for you. Some claims of an alkaline Diet curing Cancer or other illnesses are not necessarily proven in a published scientific study but incorporating more healthy food into your diet is! Below is a really cool chart that explains how acidic foods affect the body so you can understand why it is good for you to eat more alkaline foods. I found this picture HERE.

How will I incorporate this into my lifestyle?

If you know me, you know that I eat several things on the more acidic side, animal protein, practically all the carbs, and sugar!

I will be doing an 80%-20% rule where I will focus on eating 80% Alkaline and 20%  acidic food. I will be staying away from most carbs, all processed sugar, alcohol, and limiting the animal protein to slim or none at all.

This will last for a period of 21  days!!! Now this is for sure going to be a learning process and I’ll learn as I go. I may choose to carry this on longer but for now the goal is at least 21 days.

I want to seriously kick my sugar craving and stop eating all the candy in sight. Funny how I am starting after Halloween LOL! Natural sugar in fruit is OK for this diet but no added or processed sugar.

I will officially start tomorrow November 1st- November 21st.

Foods that I’ll be focusing on and making different meals from:

pH 7: Lima beans, chickpeas, fava beans, kidney beans, oatmeal, olive oil, oat flour, quinoa, flax seeds, balsamic vinegar

pH 8: Apples, tomatoes, almonds, grapefruit, bell peppers, pineapple, wild rice, lentils, apple cider vinegar

pH 9: Avocados, green tea, celery, sweet potatoes, melons, tangerines

pH 10: Spinach, Broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, lemons, limes, asparagus, baby kale, onions, pumpkin seeds, Alkaline water

I will also be breaking down the carbs, fat, and protein percentage to make sure I have a balanced diet!

 

Well, if you are interested at following along let me know! We could be accountability partners and give each other tips! I want my husband to do this with me and as of right now I can’t tell you he is 100% on board! Hopefully he will be and I am going to the grocery store today to stock up on everything before tomorrow!!

Please keep in mind I looked up all of this stuff up on google & pinterest and I summarized things in my own words. If you have done this diet, currently doing it, or your diet is similar, comment down below!!!

It’s been real.

 

XOXO,

 

Liz-Laugh- Love