Alkalizing your body has many positive health benefits. The Standard American Diet (SAD) typically has an acidifying effect on the human body with negative impacts on pH balance. However, the bottom line is that it's not your job to adjust your body's pH--it's your body's job to keep the tissues, organs and body fluids in their proper pH balance. So, why all the concern on alkalizing our bodies? Because diseases and illnesses come from acid/base imbalances, and acid/base imbalances come from feeding our bodies the wrong foods. Our job is to give our bodies what they need to stay in balance and maintain health.
Step 1
Determine why you want to alkalize your body. Are you seeking better overall health? Is there a specific health issue you're dealing with? Knowing why you want to make changes is important. Keeping a food journal will assist you in analyzing food choices. Using an acid/alkaline food chart (available online) is the best way to know which foods are acidic and which are alkaline-forming.
Step 2
Know what you're eating. All foods have the potential to change your body's normal pH in either an acid or an alkaline direction. The body works hard to maintain a blood pH of 7.35 to 7.45 (slightly alkaline). Foods can be classified according to the acidic or alkaline ash they leave behind in the body. When a food leaves an acidic residue in the body, it is said to have a pH value below 7, while those that leave an alkaline ash have a pH above 7. Experts agree that eating a balance of 80 percent alkaline and 20 percent acid foods is ideal.
Step 3
Add more alkaline foods to your diet. Fruits and vegetables are at the top of the list. This will provide your body with the building blocks it needs to maintain the proper internal pH levels throughout the body. Beets, broccoli, kale, eggplant, collard greens, all types of berries, lemons, tangerines, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds and green tea are all alkalizing to the system. To jump-start your alkaline diet use green drinks or raw fruit juices.
Step 4
Decrease the amount of acidic foods. Some acidic foods are diary products, meats, grains, white pasta and white sugars. In addition, alcohol, drugs and caffeine (coffee, tea and soda) all make a significant acidic contribution. To truly alkalize your diet, you'll need to eliminate these obvious perpetrators. If you feel your body is highly addicted to sugars, caffeine and other acids, you may want to consider a whole body detox to eliminate acids at the cellular level.
Step 5
Assess your progress. You can purchase a personal pH testing kit in order to test your urine or saliva at home. However, the most important indicator of your body's response to an alkaline diet is to ask yourself, "How am I feeling? Do I have more energy? Is my irritating skin condition clearing up? Am I sleeping better?"
Remember, if you've been on the SAD diet for a long time, it may take several weeks of changing your diet and detoxing your body before you'll see the changes you're seeking.
Tips and Warnings
- Green drinks and raw fruit juices are by far the easiest ways to alkalize. A quick, highly alkalizing way to nourish your body is to drink some water with fresh-squeezed lemon juice in it. This is ideal first thing in the morning. Some foods, like citrus fruits, have an acid pH before they are consumed, but leave an alkaline residue in the body after they have been metabolized. Drink plenty of water every day.
- Avoid all artificial sweeteners--very acidic. Use natural sweeteners like Stevia, agave or honey.
Things You'll Need
- Food Journal
- Raw fruits and vegetables
- Personal pH testing kit
