Alkaline foods
My boyfriend is VERY into eating healthy, and when I told him I was trying to lose a few pounds, he told me I have unhealthy eating habits and suggested I "alkaline my body." Of course, I had no idea what that meant, and like MOST PEOPLE who are told they need to change something they've been doing all their lives, I became defensive! LOL Well, rather than totally ignore his advice, I decided to do some research of my own to see if what he said made sense. Here's what I found out:
Alkaline foods
are foods that raise the the amount of oxygen that your blood takes in. The most alkalizing foods are RAW green leafy vegetables, non-sweet fruits and (wheat) grasses. The opposite of alkaline foods are acid foods.
How much oxygen your blood can absorb is measured on a pH Scale that ranges from 0 to 14. A PH of 0 is most acidic while a PH of 14 is most alkaline.
The Right Acid - Alkaline Balance
Our blood is in balance when we're slightly alkaline: with a pH of 7.365.
In the beginning of the 20th century, very smart scientists and nobel prize winners made a great discovery. If our blood cannot absorb enough oxygen we get sick: cancer, heart issues, arthritis and candida infections, diabetes are the result.
You know that our body tries to maintain a constant temperature 98.5F or 37C. But but do you know that your body tries even harder to maintain the right amount of oxygen in your blood (a pH of 7.365)? When our pH is too high or too low, we don't feel well, we feel tired, gain weight, have poor digestion and get aches and pains.
Most people in the US and Europe are too acidic: they cannot absorb enough oxygen. That's why cancer, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes are epidemic.
Why are we too acidic? The famous four:
• Stress;
• Toxins;
• Parasites; and
• The FOOD we eat.
Acid Foods List
It's too bad that the foods we like most make us most acidic and thus sick. What are these food? You guessed right:
• Junk & Processed foods;
• Sugar;
• Coffee & Tea;
• All animal food (meat, eggs, chicken, fish, lobster, oysters);
• Grains: (white) wheat, rice, pasta, flour, bread etc ;
• Some Fruits;
• Dairy products (milk, cheese, butter);
• Bad fats;
• Peanuts, cashews.
Alkaline Foods List
During most of our lives, the majority of the foods we eat are (highly) acidic. These make us sick and tired. By eating raw alkaline foods and drinks, we can help our body heal itstelf from most diseases:
• Vegetables - especially raw green leafy vegetables.
• Salads - made of lettuce, spinach, celery, cucumber, avocado etc.
• Fresh Herbs & Spice - parsley, basil, cilantro, cayenne, ginger.
• Fruits - watermelon, avocado, cucumber, young coconuts.
• Wheat grass.
• Sprouts: i.e. alfalfa, mung bean, broccoli etc.
The best alkaline drinks are alkaline water, vegetable juices and wheatgrass juice. (I doubt I'll ever be trying this!! LOL)
I am a frequent sufferer of stomach pains (and had ulcers in the past!), sore throats, back and neck pain, and headaches. I have knots in my shoulders that cause pain and numbness that runs down my arms into my finger tips, due to car accidents. After reading more about alkaline foods, I realize I probably DO need to change the way I eat. I doubt I will become a full-fledged vegetarian, but I think I can cut down on meat. I have already eliminated pork from my diet, and only eat beef every once in a blue moon!
The hardest thing to cut down on for ME would be breads and starches. I'm going to continue to read about high alkaline foods and how they can be beneficial.
Click the link to see a chart of Alkaline and Acidic Foods:
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