The human body has a delicate internal pH that it is always striving to maintain. Ideally, you want to be in a slightly alkaline state. Unfortunately, most Americans spend the majority of their lives in the opposite- an exceedingly acidic state. So why should you care?
- Signs Your Body is Overly Acidic
- You gain weight easily, but losing it is a struggle
- You often feel bloated or like you have a food baby.
- Fatigue has you feeling like you need a nap every day at 3 pm.
- Your skin is dull, dry, itchy, oily, or plagued with breakouts
- You become irritable and stressed easily.
- Why Alkalinity Matters
All foods promote either an acidic or alkaline state in the body. A diet high in alkalizing foods is essential for promoting healthy weight loss, bringing balance to your body, and feeling your best.
In an alkaline state, your body works more efficiently because it is using less energy to neutralize acidity in the body. Preserved energy = less exhaustion and unhealthy food cravings.
However, the “typical American diet” is highly acidic. Meat, cheese, wheat, processed foods, and alcohol all shift your body’s pH to an acidic state. When there is an excess of acidity present, your body adapts by storing that excess acid in fatty tissue. That's when you start to feel miserable, get sick, and gain unwanted weight.
What Foods Are Acidic?
- Dairy
- Grains with gluten
- Alcohol
- Processed sugar (white table sugar, high fructose corn syrup)
- Sugary desserts (cakes, desserts, ice cream, etc.)
- Artificial ingredients
- Fried foods
- Meat
8 Simple Ways to Become More Alkaline
- Eat (and drink) more raw foods! Most cooked foods are acidic, but ALL raw fruits and vegetables are alkaline. Get into an alkaline state with a quick raw juice cleanse!
- What foods are alkaline? Start with leafy greens. They are the most alkalizing food on the planet. You can never go wrong drinking a green juice.
- Eat fewer foods derived from animal sources. Get more of your protein from nuts, seeds, and leafy green vegetables. Hemp seeds are a great choice because they provide all of the essential amino acids your body requires.
- Replace milk and dairy products with substitutes made from plant-based ingredients like coconut, hemp, and almond. Trade your butter for creamy avocado or extra virgin olive oil.
- If you're having a highly acidic food, pair it with an alkalizing food. Add diced raw vegetables to your pasta or have a colorful kale salad with your steak.
- Squeeze lemon or lime in your drinking water. These citrus fruits taste acidic on the tongue, but they metabolize alkaline in your body.
- Drink less alcohol (If you are a social butterfly, try limiting it to Friday and Saturday nights).
- Avoid processed foods. Read ingredient labels. If something has more than 5 ingredients (or ingredients you can't pronounce), don’t eat it.
