What is the Acid Alkaline Diet Anyway?

By Jason Katz

The acid alkaline diet has become quite popular in recent years, however it should not be confused with some hyped up, quick fix diet 'fad'. No the acid alkaline diet is about becoming conscious of the foods and drinks you consume and understanding their effects on your body.

The little known effects of food on the body

When I speak of 'effects' I am talking about whether these foods or drinks have an acidic or alkaline effect on the body. See what happens is once our food is digested, it leaves behind a residue in the intestines. The PH of this residue either makes it acidic or alkaline.

Now our bodies are naturally slightly alkaline so the whole theory behind the acid alkaline diet is that we need to maintain this slightly alkaline state in order to maintain good health. Sound simple enough? It really is simple.

What happens with this acidic or alkaline residue is it absorbed into the bloodstream and then travels around the body to all of the cells, tissues and organs. The whole PH of your blood is effected by this residue and the state of your blood IS the state of your health.

When the trouble starts

The health problems begin when you are consuming too many foods that create an acidic residue in the body, such as refined sugars, caffeine, dairy and meats. Studies have shown that the typical western diet is 80-90% acidic which many believe is why there is pandemics such as obesity and diabetes as well as many other debilitating ailments.

The acid alkaline diet serves to reverse this by encouraging us to create a diet lifestyle where 80-90% of our diet is alkaline forming in the body and this maintaining the natural slightly alkaline state of our blood. Remember the state of our blood equals the state of our health and our cells can only be as healthy as the fluid that surrounds them.

So what are the best alkaline foods?

Foods like fresh green vegetables including broccoli, spinach and celery, citrus fruits especially lemons, limes and grapefruits. These are just known as the strongest. Basically any raw fruit or vegetable will have an alkaline effect on the body and will work toward increased health.

The basic rule of thumb is to simply reduce the amount of fats, dairy, sugar, caffeine you consume and massively increase the fresh fruits and salads (minus the fatty dressings) in your diet. Hardly rocket science is it and certainly nothing new.

The other recommendation from this acid alkaline 'way of life' is to increase the amount of water you drink. Not by sculling down 8 glasses before breakfast, but rather sipping water throughout the day, all day long.

A simple solution

If all of this sounds too hard for you to do or you are just looking for an easy way to start, then simply squeeze some fresh lemon juice into your water bottle. The water will keep you hydrated and the lemon will help to keep you alkaline.


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