23 Aug The Acid Antidote – Creating An Alkaline Body for Health
Acid alkaline is a balancing act in your body that can be the litmus test for good health. An over-acidic body weakens your system and opens you up to many of the degenerative diseases we see skyrocketting in the world today. In your own world, there is a lot you can do to support your body and keep it happily in the green.
Acid Alkaline Explained
The food we eat either has an acid or alkaline effect in our bloodstream. This is where it matters most, and some foods that may seems acidic on the outside may not have the same effect once you have consumed them.
A rule of thumb though is that certain foods tend to be acid forming, things such as grains, fish, meat, poultry, shellfish, cheese, milk, sugar, soft drinks, processed foods lacking fibre, and processed table salt. This looks a lot like the typical western diet doesn’t it?
Too much acid has the effect of leeching minerals from our bones as your body tries to rebalance, and the lack of fibre in acidic foods leaves your gut open to imbalance as you need fibre for your gut ecology to function well. Leaving your body to slide down the over-acidic slope for too long can eventually result in chronic illness such as arthritis, gout, fibromyalgia, MS, and lupus and cause unpleasant symptoms like acid reflux, heartburn and poor digestion.
Diet has a cumulative effect and so it’s your daily dietary habits that add up over time. Making some changes to your diet and cultivating some good alkalizing habits can do the trick if you are suffering from the harmful effects of an over-acidic body.
Testing for Acidity
If you are suffering from illness such as arthritis and aching muscles or candida, chances are you are over-acidic, but you can check you acid alkaline levels using pH testing strips. Your body’s pH should be between 6.75 and 7.25. A lower reading means you are getting too acidic and taking some steps to alkalize may be well worth it. An alkalising diet is a very healthy diet in all respects anyway.
An Alkalizing Diet
Eat Your Greens And Raws
These are one of your best friends when it comes to alkalizing, especially when they are raw. Foods such as kale, barley grass, chard, dandelion greens, alfalfa, spinach, bok choi, parsley, watercress, broccoli, green peppers, zucchini, celery, cucumbers – if it’s fresh, green, edible and raw (and preferably organic), it’s a good bet. Raw greens are brimming with vital vitamins and minerals and bio-compounds that are like super-juice for your body battery.
Fruits
Certain fruits are also alkalizing: ripe fruit such as papaya, lemons, limes watermelon apples, apricots, avocados, berries, cherries, grapes, grapefruit, mangos, nectarines, olives, passion fruit, peaches, pears, pineapple, pomegranates and all melons.
Seaweeds
These veggies from the sea are a multi-mineral in one delicious package. They have very alkalizing effects due to their high mineral content.
Nuts and seeds
If you don’t eat animal products, nuts are a very important part of your diet. They provide you with protein and valuable fats such as Omega 3. The most alkalising nuts are almonds and chestnuts, but there are others that are mildly alkaline forming such as cashews and macadamias. Raw seeds are also alkalizing. Chia seeds are top of this list here, and pumpkin and sesame seeds also fit the bill.
Sprouting and activating your grains, legumes, nuts and seeds has an amazing alchemical effect. It makes all their nutritional goodness more bio-available and they also become more alkaline forming.
Sprouting can be done with pulses like mung beans, chick pease and lentils and all sorts of seeds.You keep them moist (getting yourself a sprouter is a good idea) and wait for the little greens to sprout, making mini plantlets bursting with goodness.
Activating is done by soaking nuts, grains or legumes in salt water for a few hours, then drying them. This starts the germination process that releases all the magical nutrition and starts the process of turning the seed into a green plant, which is naturally more alkaline and digestible. It also helps remove a lot of phytic acid in foods such as lentils and rice, which according to the Weston Price Foundation is an anti-nutrient that can prevent the absorption of other important minerals.
Juicing and smoothies
Creating raw juices and smoothies with your alkaline fruit, veg, nuts and seeds is one of the best ways to get a nutrient boost of note that alkalizes your body as a matter of course. Green juices can be simply delicious, think kale, green apples, ginger, yummy green cocktails with a health kick. And smoothies can be as yummy as a dessert with added nut butters and flavours like cacao and vanilla. You can add all sorts of great superfoods to your juices and smoothies too – another wonderful alkaliser is hemp powder.
17 Jul, 2015, By Estee
After much deliberation we decided to go for gold and purchase the oscar and it has been one of the best decisions my husband and I have made. Our family of 5 are now juicing every day for almost 2 months now and the difference in our health and energy levels is astounding. I don have experience with other juicers, but my research showed that the Oscar was the best and we are very very happy with the capability of this machine. Easy to use; easy to clean. If I could give this 10 stars I would!
Alkaline Grains
Grains are for the most part acid-forming, but amaranth, quinoa and millet are alkalising.
Daily support
Aside from our diet, we are exposed to toxins and pollutions in our environment on a daily basis that also contribute to the acidity of our bodies. Here are some easy ways we can give ourselves some extra alkalizing TLC:
Lemon juice: a squeeze of lemon in hot water first thing every morning is not only extremely cleansing for your liver, but also has a powerful alkalizing effect on your blood. Not to mention a dose of one of our favourite antioxidants, vitamin C.
Apple cider vinegar: a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in some warm water, sweetened with raw honey, or if your taste buds appreciate it, just as is with a glass of water, is also a wonderful alkalizing tonic. Using apple cider vinegar in your salad dressings instead of other acid-forming vinegars is another way you can enjoy its benefits.
18 Aug, 2015, By Rayhaan
I have used 3 different ACVs and this one has shown the absolute best results. You can go wrong with this product!
Alkaline water is the ideal way to hydrate your body. Our bodies use water to flush toxins and alkaline water has the added value of not leeching any valuable nutrients, while contributing to your alkalinity and hydrating you more effectively too. You can get water filters that are designed to alkalize your water for you so you can simply pour out a glass with minimal fuss.
Alkaline powders can help you neutralize excess acid that causes heartburn, aching joints, and food cravings. We recommend Multiforce Alkaline Powder as it has had some very good results in some recent university studies researching its use for arthritis.
I am a true believer of this product.
A Vogel Multiforce Alkaline Powder
By Bonita
I am a true believer of this product. Have been taking it since July 2012 and I have not been sick since then. I take a teaspoon in a glass of water every morning and it just makes me feel cleansed and energetic. Now I need to get my kids to start taking it too.
Healing clays are the earth’s contribution to your alkaline body – these natural clays are heaing in so many ways and draw acidic toxins from your tissues, replenishing you with alkalizing minerals. Zeolite, French green clay, bentonite clay, they are all simple wonder of the earth that can help you rebalance your pH.
26 Aug, 2014, By Jonathan
Works fantastic as a face mask – leaves your skin feeling super clean and soft. Tastes like ash when you mix it with water but its more a texture than a taste – not bad at all. Works great and makes you feel super healthy and clean from the inside out.
And lastly – breathe! Breathing really does have an important effect on alkalizing your body. We inhale oxygen, and breathe out carbon dioxide, which is acidic in the blood, so some good, deep breathing exercises such as found in yoga, are a valuable way to find that balance. Not only that, but its incredibly de-stressing too!
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