THE MIRACULOUS PH BALANCE DIET
From a purely physiological and scientific point of view, the human body is in peak condition when the pH of the blood is between 7,35 and 7,45. Studies have shown that if your pH falls between these levels, it is common to experience good health, mental clarity and physical efficiency. It is not only healthy to balance the pH levels of your body; it is also essential for successful weight loss. The more alkaline our bodies are, the easier it is to burn fat!
How do you classify a food as an acid or alkaline food?
All foods contain both alkaline and acid-forming nutrients. Whether a food is classed as acid or alkaline depends on minerals that are predominant in the food. Acid minerals contain a large number of hydrogen ions. This includes sulphur, phosphorus, and chlorine. The alkaline minerals include iron, sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium and contain a much smaller amount of hydrogen ions. If more acid minerals predominate, the food will leave an acid residue in the blood, known as an acid-forming food. The same is true for alkaline minerals.
How to distinguish between alkaline-forming and acid-forming foods
Acid-forming foods
- All animal products (meat, fish, poultry, cheese) except raw butter and cream
- All grains (breads, pastas), except millet
- All processed foods
- Vinegar
- Some types of drugs
- Sugars
- Teas, coffees, cocoa and chocolate
- Legumes
Cooked fruit
Nuts, except almonds
Alkaline-forming foods
- All fresh and dried fruits (except plums and cranberries), raw
- All vegetables (including potatoes in their skins), cooked and raw
- Sprouts
- Almonds, raw and unsalted (Brazil nuts, Hazelnuts and Pine nuts are also slightly more alkaline)
- Millet (a grain)
Our diet today
The typical Western diet is too acid forming and too high in fat, protein and processed foods. This diet sets us up for degenerative diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. It also lowers our immune function and keeps us from reaching our perfect weight.
There’s some confusion with regards to the topic of “acid fruits”, namely grapefruit, oranges, lemons, berries, pineapples etc., as alkaline-forming foods. The classification of a food into the alkali or acid forming groups does not relate to the ‘acid’ taste of the fruit but to the end product in the body. Acid fruits have a very high alkaline effect on the body. The acids of these fruits leave the body within an hour mainly through the lungs, skin, urinary tract and bowel. The alkalis that are released from their combination with the acids provide a highly valuable contribution to the body’s alkaline reserve. The only time when acid fruits increase the acidity levels in your blood is when the food is wrongly combined with starches. This happens when the fruit is eaten with starches at the same meal.
It is also important to note that the actual pH of a food has nothing to do with the classification of a food as an alkaline-forming or acid-forming food. Lemons, for example, are very acidic, but the end product after digestion and assimilation are very alkaline forming in the body. Meat, on the other hand, tests alkaline before digestion, but leaves a very acidic stream in the body.
How to make the diet more alkaline?
One of the most effective ways to increase the number of alkaline-forming meals is to make breakfast consist solely of fruit. Doing this will cause no drop in energy as the energy required for today is provided by the foods eaten yesterday. Eating a large breakfast that is acid forming, actually ties up some of one’s energy during the morning. Food combining is also important when trying to get the body more alkaline. The reason for this is because when proteins and starches are eaten at the same meal, it can be very acid forming. I suggest that you have one starch meal with salad or veggies and one protein meal with salad or veggies for the rest of the day.
