The usual American diet is extreme with toxic and acid-forming foods such as processed sugar, processed refined grains, artificial sweeteners and mass produced diary and meat products with hidden GMOs. These everyday food choices, added to other environmental issues such
The usual American diet is extreme with toxic and acid-forming foods such as processed sugar, processed refined grains, artificial sweeteners and mass produced diary and meat products with hidden GMOs.
These everyday food choices, added to other environmental issues such as stress, pollution, pharmaceutical drugs, lack of proper sleep and so forth, lead to a plethora of chronic degenerative diseases.
One of the basic issues is that most people do not understand that the human body must balance the blood’s pH levels at a slightly alkaline level of 7.365 in order to survive and survive optimally.
When we eat, our bodies convert food into fuel and the metabolic processes result in an ash that is either acidic or alkaline.
It is not so much whether the organic nature of the food is acid or alkaline, but rather what the inorganic matter of it is.
That is, the calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, sulfur or phosphorous component of the food determines whether the ash is acid or alkaline.
Because all foods contain both acid and alkaline forming elements, pH balance is achieved by choosing the right foods.
Too many acid forming foods and we become acid and need to draw from the bones or other vital tissues to regain pH balance in the blood. Even an only slightly acid environment in your body (neutral is 7.0) of 6.9 can lead to coma and death.
Of course, eating too many alkaline forming foods could also lead to an imbalance, but given today’s sorry state of nutritional choices, this is highly unlikely.
Here is a list of foods that are the most alkaline forming. Root vegetables such as beets, carrots, turnips, horseradish and rutabaga, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, leafy greens such as kale, Swiss chard, spinach and other greens, garlic, cayenne pepper and lemons.
Hard to think of some of these foods as alkaline forming, especially lemons, but remember it is the ash after digestion and metabolism that we are talking about, not how it might appear on your plate or in your mouth.
The experts say that the alkaline forming diet can help us lose weight, and is preventative against cancer and diabetes. As well as cutting back on the grains, meat, alcohol, smoking, coffee and sugar, the addition of the listed foods obviously cannot help but make you healthier simply because they are packed with nutrients.
The other great benefit to this way of eating is that you will save money — up front because you won’t be buying a lot of expensive prepared foods, and also in the long run because your health will be better and you will likely avoid costly medical bills.
Bodies are more comfortable in the alkaline zone, too. I have many clients report to me that once they eliminated acid forming foods and included alkaline forming foods, their mysterious aches and pains dissipated.
I always think that if you go with nature and go with the big plan, eat right, choose your friends wisely, sleep well and exercise thoughtfully, not much can go wrong.
(People have asked me if that C.N.A. after my name means that I was a nurse.
No, I’m a Certified Nutritional Advisor and of course I’m “Train with Jane” Certified Personal Fitness Trainer).
• Jane Riley, M.S., B.A., C.P.T., Certified Nutritional Adviser, can be reached at janerileyfitness@gmail.com, 212-1451 or www.janerileyfitness.com.
