Today I'm going to tell you all about the alkaline diet, one of those buzzing diets that you've heard about for some time now. Does it work? Is it safe? And most importantly how much can it help you lose? Read on to find out.
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This diet was created by nutritionist Vicki Edgson and organic chef Natasha Corrett. The purpose of the diet is to keep the body pH levels between 7.25 and 7.35. The diet suggests keeping your intake to 80 percent alkaline foods and 20 percent acidic. Other versions of the diet say 60 percent alkaline and 40 percent acidic. There are no absolute standards.
They claim that most western diets are mostly acidic which leads to tiredness and overall poor health. Alkaline foods are easier for your body to digest so the minerals and vitamins are more easily absorbed into the body.
To be sure your alkaline level is correct you'll need to take urine tests. However, the secret to this diet is really eating a diet of healthy fruits, veggies, nuts, roots, and legumes. You will need to do a little research to discover which foods are alkaline and which are considered acidic.
To give you a basic idea; some of the most alkaline foods include: grapefruit, fennel, figs, cauliflower, lemon, lime, broccoli, asparagus, artichoke, almonds, coconut oil, edamame, kale, beetroot and spinach.
Deciding which foods are alkaline can be somewhat confusing. For instance, raw spinach is alkaline, however, when cooked it becomes acidic. Food like lemons and lime seem like they would be acidic, but because of how they react in the body they are alkaline.
Avoid foods such as pasta, dairy, sugar, coffee, fish, shell fish, alcohol and red meat.
The nuts and seeds in the diet help provide essential fats to your diet. This can help improve your skin tone and give you a younger appearance. Cutting sugar out of your diet also helps maintain a more youthful appearance, too.
An alkaline diet can also help you maintain muscle mass better than an acidic diet. The alkaline diet not only assists in weight loss but can help with a multitude of other health issues. This includes improved memory and energy levels. It reduces headaches, heart disease, insomnia, muscle pain, and bloating. The creators also claim it helps reduce the risks of diabetes and cancer.
If you're suffering from any of the above ailments then it might be worth your while to give the alkaline diet a try and see how it works for you.
The research is still non-conclusive on this diet. Whether it provides all the health benefits the creators claim is still debatable. However, because it promotes a diet high in fresh veggies and low in salt and sugar, it's hard to claim that it's not a good choice.
In summary, to follow the alkaline diet you need to fill 80 percent of your diet with fresh veggies and 20 percent with healthy grains and protein.
I'm curious if any of my readers have tried an alkaline diet. How did you feel if you tried this diet? Did it help you reduce headaches or fight insomnia? I'd love to hear of your success or problems with this diet.
This post was originally published on April 3, 2014.
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