Alkaline Foods for Health and Well being

What are alkaline foods and how do they contribute to well being?

What is alkalinity and why do you need to be more alkaline to be healthy? It is thought that being too acidic – which in turn, causes inflammation – can be a key factor in developing many sicknesses, such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, irritable bowels, and cancer, to name a few. Being too acidic is also not good for bone mass as the acidity can break down your bones thereby causing  diseases of the bone such as osteoporosis.

What are Your Favorite Alkaline Foods?

With all that in mind, the question now becomes, how do we know if we are too acidic? You must test your ph levels. PH means “potential for hydrogen”, in other words, the amount of acidity or alkalinity that can be measured in a solution. The PH scale goes from 0-14; 7 being neutral; below 7 acidic; above 7 being alkaline. One way you can test your ph levels is either through saliva or urine tests. You won’t get  a completely accurate result as the levels are constantly fluctuating but you will get a good indication.

Eating more alkaline foods and less acidic foods is the best way to get your body back into a higher ph or more alkaline. Some examples of some medium to high alkaline foods are bananas, avocados, apples, cruciferous vegetables, leafy greens, garlic, citrus fruit, pumpkin seeds, cashews, sweet potatoes, etc.

Maintaining muscle mass, while aging, is an important aspect of diet which helps prevent falls and fractures. Metabolic acidosis promotes muscle wasting, and the net acid load from diets that are rich in net acid–producing protein and cereal grains relative to their content of net alkali–producing fruit and vegetables may therefore contribute to a reduction in lean tissue mass in older adults.

Okay, so now that we have some idea what foods are more alkaline, what about a few examples of some of the more acidic foods? Brace yourselves folks, some of the foods I’m about to list are some of the foods you likely love…they are: Animal proteins, all kinds, dairy products, corn, soy, refined sugar, carbonated drinks like pop, or soda, alcohol, peanut butter, all deep fried foods, these are just to name a few.

That was a rough ride and believe me, I felt it along with you. When I gave up gluten, sugar, soy and dairy, it was one of the toughest times in my life. Your body literally becomes addicted to these false comfort foods. It’s a chemical reaction in your brain that makes you think that your body is getting something positive out of eating them, when really, you’re just making your body work harder and function like it’s stuck in quick sand. I understand how difficult it can be to give up some or all of your favourite foods. In light if this, I strongly suggest if you’re going to try eating more alkaline, don’t give up everything all at once like I did. Going down that road is as hard on your body as eating the “comfort foods” was in the first place.  What happens is a type of shock to your system where your body goes through a massive and intense detoxification process.

Eating better means genuinely feeling better and if you can somehow find a way to make it easier not just on your body but on your pocket book, wouldn’t that be the proverbial icing on the cake? Growing your own organic alkaline produce is the way to go! Using our LED lighting solutions will prove to be a sustainable way to keep you and your family supplied with alkaline and nutrient rich produce for years to come!

References: Alkaline diets favor lean tissue mass in older adults