The American diet is high in acid producing products such as meat, cheeses, grains and alcohol and typically too low in alkaline producing foods such as green vegetables, fresh fruits, spices and pro-biotic cultures (such as those found in real yogurt, like kefir and amasai). Furthermore, we have become a society that is literally consumed with high fructose corn syrup, refined flours and coffee, cigarettes, pharmaceuticals and artificial sweeteners – all of which are extremely acidic to our bodies. One of the easiest and quickest ways to help correct an over-acidic pH level is by controlling diet and healthy nutritional choices.
To maintain health, an alkaline diet should consist of 60% alkaline forming foods and 40% acid forming foods. To restore your health, your alkaline diet should consist of 80% alkaline forming foods and 20% acid forming foods. Here are some alkaline foods to help you get started….
Healthy, Alkaline-Forming Fruits & Vegetables
Some fruits are highly alkaline foods…
Including apples, apricot, avocado, bananas (high glycemic), blackberries, cantaloupe, fresh coconut, real cherries, dates and figs, pears, oranges, pineapple, peaches, raisins, grapes, grapefruit, honeydew melon, lemons and limes (citric acid? more on this shortly), nectarines, raspberries, tomato, tangerine, most tropical fruits, watermelon and strawberries.
Vegetables Foods with High Alkalinity
Including most green vegetables, such as asparagus, dandelions, wheat grass, alfalfa sprouts, seaweed, sea vegetables and salt, watercress, broccoli, spinach, celery, fresh green beans, sweet potato, pumpkin, peas, peppers, onion, lettuce, mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, green beans, eggplant, garlic, escarole, cucumber, cabbage, carrot, fennel, beets, chestnuts, almonds, chili pepper, tamari, ginger and cinnamon.
Additional high alkaline-forming foods
Other food products are alkalizing or become alkaline once they are eaten. Alkalizing sweeteners include rice syrup, unprocessed maple syrup and stevia. Millet, whey protein powder, almonds, chestnuts and fermented tofu are alkalizing proteins. Alkalizing beverages include pure or mineral water, almond milk, vegetable broth, non-sweetened soy milk, fresh vegetable juice, lemon water and herbal tea. Lemons are naturally acidic, but they become alkaline after digestion.
Note that the opposite applies to meats; while they are alkaline before digestion they become acidic afterward.
See here six easy to prepare alkaline recipes from our Alkaline Cookbook.
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