Do you want to know more about alkaline foods? What could be the benefits of these alkaline foods? How are they different from acidic foods?
Maybe we are used to eating food that is acidic like dairy products, meat, and refined sugars. This results to weaken our immune system. Food can be classified whether it is acid forming or alkaline forming.
The human body‘s pH is 7.35, or slightly alkaline. The body is always seeking a state of balance or homeostasis and it works hard to maintain the healthy neutral alkaline zone.
Alkaline forming foods reduce inflammation. Likewise, the muscles work at more functional level.
The alkalizing foods are better for your health and help to balance the pH of your body. While acid, alkaline, and pH are common terms, many people do not understand exactly what they mean and what they have to do with nutrition and health.
Acid and alkaline are chemical opposites. Whenever these bases interact with acids, there is a struggle between them and salt is the result.
In the chemist’s lab, these interactions are very simple and straightforward. However, in our bodies, the interaction becomes more complex because of the scale at which acids and bases meet.
However, science can make some generalizations about the effects of acids and alkaline in the human digestion system. Acidic foods are acid forming in the human body. They make blood, lymph, and saliva more acid and cause a lower pH number. Alkaline foods make blood, lymph and saliva more alkaline and cause a higher pH number.
Just for reference, the “normal” range for saliva pH is between 7.3 and 7.4. Most people, however, are too acidic and have a pH that is much lower. They are burned out, tired and their bodies are starving for balance. Under the influence of acidic foods, the muscles fatigue easily. You literally slow down because your body cannot produce the same physical results as before.
The free radical oxidation that occurs when you eat acidic foods makes you age faster. Vitamins and minerals are not absorbed as readily. Friendly bacteria in the small intestine die, which puts the digestive system off balance.
Further hurting the function of the intestine is the fact that a high level of acidity inhibits the ability for intestinal walls to absorb nutrients. Cells become stressed with the toxins that build up and cannot remove them. The vast majority of bodily systems cannot run at full capacity.
On the other hand, alkaline foods have a wide variety of benefits to your health. Eating them improves your muscle output. They also have antioxidant effects in the body.
They increase assimilation at the cellular level and allow cells to operate in the manner that they should. There is a reduction of parasites and yeast overgrowth with the use of alkaline foods.
Alkaline foods promote deeper and more restful sleep, more youthful skin and relieve suffering from colds, headaches, and the flu. Alkaline foods promote abundant physical energy.
Perhaps the most important differences between acid and alkaline foods are their relationship to cancer. Cancerous tissues are acidic, and healthy tissues are alkaline.
When oxygen enters an acidic solution it combines with hydrogen ions can form water. Oxygen helps to neutralize the acid, but acid prevents oxygen from reaching tissues where it is needed.
When oxygen enters an alkaline solution, the two hydroxyl ions combine with the solution to create one water molecule and one oxygen atom.
The sole oxygen atom is free to go to the next cell and bring the benefits of oxygen to all of the tissue in the body. At a pH of slightly above 7.4, cancer cells become dormant. Studies show that at pH 8.5, cancer cells die and healthy cells live.
It is recommended that diet consist of about 80% alkaline food sources and the remaining 20% are acidic foods. Those foods that are alkaline forming are typically plant-based and highly nutrient dense, and also loaded with antioxidants.
Check this video for more information.
Alkalizing Vegetables
The best choice in alkalizing varieties is broccoli, celery, chard greens, collard greens, cucumber, cauliflower, and mushrooms, just to name a few. These foods are alkaline and will not only help reduce stress on the body in fighting acid but are also highly nutrient dense and plain good for you!
Alkalizing Fruits
Some of the best fruits are also alkalizing ones, including, melons, lemons, oranges, peaches, pears, apples, bananas, berries, cantaloupe and grapes.
Besides, other sources provide some charts of different alkaline food that have high or low alkaline levels. Here are other sources for additional lists of alkaline foods.
http://phmiracleliving.com/t-food-chart.aspx
http://naturalsociety.com/14-alkaline-foods-drinks-optimal-health/
http://bembu.com/alkaline-foods
http://www.livestrong.com/article/450414-list-of-natural-alkaline-drinks/
http://www.astinternational.com/alkalineacidicfoods.html
Remember, you do not have to eliminate dairy products, rice, and all protein from animal sources in order to maintain a healthy pH level.
However, it might benefit you to substitute your refined sugars with healthy fruits and vegetables.
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