Alkaline foods are critical for maintaining a healthy body. There are many benefits to keeping your body’s pH in line and this is easily accomplished through consuming alkaline foods.
Minerals are required for numerous bodily functions and they’re partially responsible for determining the pH levels in your body. Mineral deficiencies can cause a leaching of Calcium from your bones – leading to a weakening of your bones causing Osteopenia or Osteoporosis.
Modern farming practices have led to a decrease in the mineral density of our produce. We used to consume foods with a potassium to sodium ratio of 10:1, now our foods contain a ratio of 1:3!
Our kidneys are responsible for maintaining the electrolyte balance, but when the minerals are constantly being pulled to deal with acidity, we end up with imbalances in those electrolytes.
What benefits does an alkaline diet provide?
- Improved production of growth hormone
- Improved vitamin D absorption (better bones and Calcium regulation)
- Decreased inflammation
- Protects against high cholesterol
- Maintains blood pressure
- Prevents kidney stones
- Reduces stroke risks
- Protects from memory loss
- Prevents plaque build up in the arteries
- Builds stronger bones
- Reduces muscle wasting, weakness, and spasms
- Lowers chronic pain in back and joints
- Decreases headaches and menstrual symptoms
- Boosts vitamin absorption and prevents magnesium deficiency
- Magnesium deficiency is one of the most common deficiencies: leads to heart complications, muscle pains, interrupted sleep patterns, headaches, and anxiety. Magnesium is responsible for activating vitamin D and preventing vitamin D deficiency.
- Prevents colds and illnesses: bacteria, fungi, and yeasts are not equipped to flourish in an alkaline environment.
- Causes cancer cells to more rapidly die off on their own. May also prevent cancers for this reason!
What foods should you consume?
Mushrooms, citrus, dates, raisins, spinach, grapefruit, tomatoes, avocado, black radish, alfalfa grass, barley grass, cucumber, kale, jicama, wheat grass, broccoli, oregano, garlic, ginger, green beans, endive, cabbage, celery, red beet, watermelon, figs, and ripe bananas. Almonds, navy beans, lima beans, alkaline water, distilled water, or filtered water with lemon, lime or baking soda added. Green drinks containing green veggies, grasses, and chlorophyll. Sprouts, Kamut, fermented soy, and seeds are also great sources.
What foods should you avoid?
High sodium foods, cured meats, processed cereals, caffeinated drinks and alcohol, milk, peanuts, pasta, rice, bread and packaged grain products, artificial sweeteners, food colorings. Don’t overdo it on oats, whole wheat products, eggs, and walnuts; although these are healthy, they can lead to acidity when consumed in abundance.
Consuming too many animal proteins can actually lead to acidity too.
Are all acidic foods risky?
Actually…no. There are several foods that are acidic on their own, but alkaline after being metabolized! Lemons are an example of this. They’re a great source for alkalinity in the body!
Foods are rated on the PRAL scale (Potential Renal Acid Load) – a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a food once it’s metabolized. On this scale, a negative number indicates an alkaline food and a positive number indicates an acidic food when metabolized.
Alkalinity is important for women following intermittent fasting or ketogenic diets!
Why? These ways of eating, while incredibly healthy, do affect hormones. Consuming an alkaline diet while following IF and/or Keto, will help regulate your hormones so you won’t have moodiness, fatigue, acne, bloating and all of the other not-so-fun symptoms of hormone imbalances.
So, there you have it! All the reasons why alkaline foods are super beneficial to your healthy lifestyle. Please share this content with your friends, family, and co-workers who are on a healthy lifestyle path too!
I also covered this topic in a video. Check it out!
To your health,
