Everyone is talking about eating alkaline foods but what exactly are they and are they really good for our health?
Well I’ve done some research and the results will surprise you. Keep reading for more.
In today’s fast paced, modern lifestyle we are exposed to several toxins in pesticides, environmental pollutants, heavy metals and chemicals every day. These are stored in our tissues and cells which can affect our immune system function, mood and metabolism. By eating more alkaline foods we can help to remove these toxins and improve our health.
An article published in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health found that eating a diet high in alkaline foods had the following benefits:
- “An alkaline diet improves the bodies potassium/sodium ratio and may benefit bone health and reduce muscle wasting, as well as mitigate other chronic diseases such as hypertension and strokes.
- The resultant increase in growth hormone with an alkaline diet may improve many outcomes from cardiovascular health to memory and cognition.
- An increase in intracellular magnesium, which is required for the function of many enzyme systems, is another added benefit of the alkaline diet. Available magnesium, which is required to activate vitamin D, would result in numerous added benefits in the vitamin D apocrine/exocrine systems.
- Alkalinity may result in added benefit for some chemotherapeutic agents that require a higher pH.”
We asked Nutritionist and Dietitian Giovanni from LifeLifting Nutrition about the benefits of an alkaline diet which he explains below.
“Our bodies are regulated by an immense amount of regulating systems and mechanisms. One of these is the acid/alkaline system, also called the buffer and pH scale. If our bodies pH changes slightly and starts moving away from the normal values (around 7.4), we suffer from different ailments, caused by our bodies effort to restore its pH back to normal. So, in general terms we want to avoid acidic foods and eat more alkaline foods.”
Giovanni says “our lifestyle affects our bodies pH in a harmful way, making it usually more acidic. Stress, over-working, over-training, alcohol & tobacco consumption, among others are the behaviours that takes us to a more acidic organism.”
“In the same regard, when we eat acidic foods such as soft-drinks, red meat, greasy and overcooked animal fat sources, deep-fried food, coffee, etc. we are giving our bodies sources of acid producing nutrients.”
What should we do then to make our bodies more alkaline?
Giovanni recommends the following: “one glass of water every morning with lemon juice on an empty stomach is a really good way to start the day” as well as “consuming acid-taste like fruits… Even though they taste acidic, the response they produce in our bodies makes it more alkaline.”
Also “eating more plant protein sources” as well as “dark green vegetables like spinach and kale is an amazing way to fight off metabolic acidosis”. Remember that every day we are making our bodies more acidic just by having a “normal” lifestyle, filled with work, studies, smog and fast-paced decisions.
Acidic foods to avoid or limit include:
- Red meat
- Alcohol
- Dairy products
- Refined carbohydrates
- Deep-fryed food
- Smoked products
Alkaline foods to eat more of include:
- Plant based protein
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Legumes
- Tubers
- Seeds and nuts
We need to constantly help our organisms get rid of the acid producing free radicals. Giovanni recommends “if you have ever felt tired without apparent reason, if you are under constant work pressure, of you are suffering from gastritis or digestive tract discomfort then you might want to consider going on an alkaline diet.”
If you want to help improve your health and alkalise your body then I recommend ElevenLabs Alkalising Super Greens because it’s full of alkaline superfoods and greens like spirulina, chlorella, matcha green tea, broccoli, beetroot and more. Click here for more info.
More about Giovanni can be found at LifeLifting.