The alkaline diet is an eating plan that focuses on maintaining an optimal pH level in the body. It is also known as the acid-alkaline diet; it emphasizes eating fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, and legumes to maintain an ideal pH balance in the body.
The alkaline diet has been making waves in recent years. Followers of an alkaline diet swear by it and tout it as the best way to lose weight and become fit.
The popularity of the alkaline diet skyrocketed when celebrity Victoria Beckham tweeted about it in 2013. Other celebs have also expressed their love for this diet that claims to help you lose weight, improve your health, and even fight cancer and arthritis.
But what exactly is this diet and how does it help you to stay healthy? Let’s take a look.
What is the Alkaline Diet?
An alkaline diet is based on the premise that the food we eat alters the body’s pH to be either acidic or alkaline. It recommends eating specific foods that make your body more alkaline. The thought behind this is that changing the body’s pH level can improve your health and help you lose weight.
The diet involves avoiding meat, dairy products, sweets, caffeine, alcohol, artificial and processed foods, and consuming more fresh fruits and vegetables and nuts and seeds.
An alkaline diet has gained so many followers is that it aids not only in weight loss but in reducing the risk of diseases that are caused due to a lack of nutrients and antioxidants in the body.
But how do you maintain the pH level of your body, why does the body become acidic, and how do you make it alkaline. Let’s try to answer these questions.
pH, Being Alkaline, and Being Acidic
The pH scale measures the acidity-alkalinity of your body on a scale from 0 to 14. The pH of 7 is considered neutral, a pH less than 7 is acidic and a pH greater than 7 is alkaline. The pH level of the body is strictly regulated. However, the foods you eat can influence the pH level of your body. Actually, our bodies are naturally alkaline but the foods we consume have altered their pH.
Your body’s internal environment is maintained at an alkaline pH (6.5 – 7.5). For essential functions to occur, your body must maintain this appropriate pH. While your body can regulate pH, but it can’t do so beyond a limit.
When you continue to eat acidic food, excess acid builds up in your body. This puts the alkaline system that regulates the pH under tremendous stress.; it has to work doubly hard to neutralize the acids in your system. The excess acid load negatively affects the body’s cellular functions, and your body does not work very well. So, the high acid levels in the body lead to various health issues.
Why the pH Levels Change?
Our ancestors were hunters and gatherers. They consumed a diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, and legumes and were always very active. Modern diseases were practically non-existent amongst them.
With the advent of the agricultural revolution and industrialization, our diets transformed drastically to include grains, salty foods, trans fats, dairy products, and red meats. This altered the pH and net acid load of the human diet. Our ideal pH balance was disrupted. The high consumption of acidic foods impacted our bodies resulting in low calcium, potassium, magnesium, and mineral levels, making us more prone to illness.
As the saying goes, “you are what you eat,” the food you eat makes or breaks your health. Foods fall into one or the other category, that is, acid or alkaline. The current diet of us humans is high in processed junk food. The foods we eat are too high in fat, protein, and sugars resulting in excess acid production. Our lifestyle is also not helping the matter. The stress and distress we suffer from add to the acidic nature of our bodies.
You can see that the one factor that can determine how healthy you are is whether you have an alkaline body or an acidic body. Even a minor disruption in pH has a significant impact on your health.
The goal of the alkaline diet is to give the body foods that are alkaline and keep the body alkaline. An alkaline diet provides the body with all of the nourishment to help support the body and maintain pH. Avoiding foods with high acidic content and eating more alkaline-forming foods will make your body alkaline, preventing the damage that can occur with an overly acidic diet.
However, you have to remember that each cell, tissue, or organ (like muscle, stomach, or blood) has its own optimal pH level. You also have to remember that food in itself cannot change the body pH. Some of the factors that make your diet acidic are sugar content, fermented foods, refined foods, meats, and dairy products. They cause the body to be overrun with acidity.
Another thing to note is that the pH level in your blood does not change except for when you are critically ill. The body regulates blood pH by excreting acids in the urine. But food can change the pH of the urine and saliva.
An acidic pH can occur due to high consumption of acidic foods, toxic excess, distress, lack of exercise, and immune reactions. In such situations, the body tries to use alkaline minerals to compensate for acidic pH. If the diet lacks minerals, a buildup of acids in the cells occurs.
An alkaline diet encourages eating more alkaline-forming foods. This neutralizes excess acids and makes it possible to lead a healthier and more fruitful life.
What Can You Eat on An Alkaline Diet?
In an alkaline diet, the focus is on eating lots of alkaline foods and fewer acidic foods. These foods help maintain the pH balance in your body.
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
You can eat avocado, broccoli, celery, cucumber, lettuce, tomato, lemon, spinach, peppers, apple, banana, cantaloupe, watermelon, raspberry, blackberry, grapefruit, grape, strawberry, tangerine, peach, pear.
Onion, Garlic and Ginger
Onion, garlic and ginger enhance flavor are great flavor enhancers and are great at maintaining pH balance too.
Include peas and beans in your diet.
Sweet potato, radish, turnips, beetroot, and carrots are great source of alkaline foods which helps to keep up the pH balance. They are also amazing source of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber.
Nuts & seeds
Include cashews, chestnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds in your daily diet.
Foods to Avoid
- Flours (except buckwheat and millet)
- Peanut butter
- Fried food
- Salty food
What You Should Know
The alkaline diet does not involve fasting. You need to eat more alkaline foods and fewer acidic foods. Moreover, you should focus on striving for a balanced diet.
You should talk with your physician or dietitian before starting with the alkaline diet. You want to make sure you’re not cutting out important nutrients or inadvertently harming your health.
Testing and Monitoring pH
Once you start following an alkaline diet, you will have to keep track of your pH levels. You need a pH test paper.
This paper tests the acid-alkaline levels of your bodily liquids. You can either use urine or saliva to test your pH levels.
However, using your first urine in the morning is highly recommended. Just dip the pH test paper in the urine you have collected.
The test paper packet has a color chart to help you figure out your acidity levels.
The colors have numbers written by their side. Ideally, your first-morning urine pH should be in the range of 6.5 to 7.5. If your number is below seven, you are acidic, but you are healthy if you are above 7.
If you are acidic, you should start on an alkaline diet. Once you start consuming foods with higher alkaline content and lower acidic content, your body starts to heal.
The alkaline diet brings it closer to a healthy alkaline level rather than an acidic one.
Benefits of Alkaline Diet
An alkaline diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, high in fiber and minerals, and healthy fats can be beneficial for overall health.
Aids in Weight Loss
Since an alkaline diet is mainly a plant-based diet, it promotes weight loss. You are consuming fewer calories which helps your body burn fat faster.
However, remaining physically active, staying hydrated, and eating a wide variety of healthy food are key to weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight.
Protects bone density and muscle mass
When your acid content is lowered, bones become stronger and can absorb the healthy minerals that contribute towards better bone health.
Your body gets more strength from the minerals it consumes; this helps increase muscle mass and strength.
Improves growth hormone levels
An alkaline diet prevents acidosis and improves growth hormone levels.
Improved growth hormone levels may reduce cardiovascular risk factors, improve body composition, and promote better memory and cognition.
Lowers risk for hypertension and stroke
A healthy diet such as an alkaline diet helps you to stay fresh physically as well as mentally. If you’re less stressed, you are unlikely to suffer from high-stress-related diseases like hypertension and stroke.
Lowers chronic pain and inflammation
Alkaline foods help with chronic pain. Alkalinity helps avoid chronic back pain, joint pains, muscle spasms, headache, and inflammation.
An alkaline diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole foods grains and avoids meats might prevent cancer.
Reduces heart disease risk
An alkaline diet lowers heart disease risk factors by removing red and processed meats from the diet.
Modern diets high in processed junk food give rise to acidity by altering the body’s pH levels.
An alkaline diet emphasizes mindful eating – it advocates healthy choices of foods including vegetables, fruits, nuts & seeds, drinking plenty of water and exercising. It limits processed foods salty foods, sugar, meat, soda, and alcohol.
Thus, it enhances overall well-being, helps shed excess pounds, reduces inflammation and lowers the risk of cancer. However, before embarking on this diet, be sure to talk to your dietitian and physician. They will help you to arrive at the diet plan that suits your health and lifestyle.
Chakula cha alkali ni mpango wa kula ambao unazingatia kudumisha kiwango bora cha pH katika mwili. "Kila mtu anaweza kutumia ""chakula cha asidi-alkali"" - chakula ambacho kinahusisha kula mboga, matunda, karanga na mboga za mboga ili kudumisha usawa wa pH katika mwili." Chakula cha alkali kimekuwa kikifanya mambo yawe magumu katika miaka ya karibuni. Wafuasi wa lishe yenye chumvi huamini kwamba lishe hiyo ndiyo njia bora ya kupunguza uzito na kuwa na afya nzuri. Chakula cha alkali kilipendwa sana na watu wengi, lakini Victoria Beckham alitoa maoni yake kwenye Twitter mnamo 2013. Watu mashuhuri pia wameelezea upendo wao kwa lishe hii ambayo inadai kukusaidia kupoteza uzito, kuboresha afya yako, na hata kupambana na kansa na ugonjwa wa viungo. Lakini ni nini hasa lishe hiyo na inasaidiaje kudumisha afya? Hebu tuangalie. Chakula cha Alkaline Ni Nini? Chakula cha alkali kinategemea nadharia kwamba chakula tunachokula hubadilisha pH ya mwili kuwa ya asidi au alkali. Inapendekeza kula vyakula hususa vinavyofanya mwili wako uwe na alkali zaidi. Wazo la hili ni kwamba kubadilisha kiwango cha pH ya mwili kunaweza kuboresha afya yako na kukusaidia kupoteza uzito. Mlo huu unahusisha kuepuka nyama, bidhaa za maziwa, peremende, kafeini, pombe, vyakula vya bandia na vilivyotengenezwa, na kula matunda na mboga safi zaidi na karanga na mbegu. Chakula cha alkali kina wafuasi wengi kwa sababu husaidia kupunguza uzito na kupunguza hatari ya magonjwa yanayotokana na ukosefu wa virutubisho na antioxidants katika mwili. Jinsi ya kudumisha kiwango cha pH ya mwili wako, kwa nini mwili unakuwa na asidi, na jinsi ya kuifanya kuwa na alkali Hebu jaribu kujibu maswali haya. Kiwango cha pH (Alkaline) na Acid (Acid) ni vipimo vya acidity na alkalinity katika mwili wa binadamu kulingana na kiwango cha pH kutoka 0 hadi 14. pH ya 7 ni neutral, pH ya chini ya 7 ni acidic na pH ya juu ya 7 ni alkaline. Kiwango cha pH cha mwili kinadhibitiwa kwa ukali. Hata hivyo, vyakula unavyokula vinaweza kuathiri kiwango cha pH ya mwili wako. Kwa kweli, miili yetu ni ya asili ya alkaline lakini vyakula tunavyokula vimebadilisha pH yake. Kwa mfano, mwili wako una pH ya alkali (p=6.5). Ili utendaji wa mwili uweze kufanya kazi, ni lazima mwili uwe na pH ya kutosha. Wakati mwili wako unaweza kudhibiti pH, lakini haiwezi kufanya hivyo zaidi ya kikomo. Unapodumu kula vyakula vyenye asidi, asidi nyingi hujikusanya mwilini mwako. Hilo huweka mfumo wa alkali unaodhibiti pH chini ya mkazo mkubwa. Ni lazima kufanya kazi mara mbili ngumu neutralize asidi katika mfumo wako. Kiasi cha ziada cha asidi huathiri vibaya utendaji wa chembe za mwili, na mwili wako haufanyi kazi vizuri sana. Kwa hiyo, viwango vya juu vya asidi mwilini husababisha matatizo mbalimbali ya afya. Kwa Nini Kiwango cha pH Hubadilika? Mababu zetu walikuwa wawindaji na wakusanyaji. Walikula matunda na mboga safi, karanga, na mboga za magugu na walikuwa na shughuli nyingi sikuzote. Magonjwa ya kisasa hayakuwapo miongoni mwao. Baada ya mapinduzi ya kilimo na viwanda, chakula chetu kilibadilika sana na kuwa na nafaka, vyakula vyenye chumvi, mafuta ya trans, bidhaa za maziwa, na nyama nyekundu. Hilo lilibadili kiwango cha pH na asidi ya chakula cha binadamu. Usawa wetu wa pH uliovunjwa. Kwa sababu ya matumizi ya chakula chenye asidi nyingi, mwili wetu unakuwa na kiwango cha chini cha kalsiamu, potasiamu, magnesiamu na madini, na hivyo kuwa na uwezekano mkubwa wa kuugua. Kama msemo unavyosema, "wewe ni kile unachokula", chakula unachokula hufanya au huvunja afya yako. Vyakula huanguka katika jamii moja au nyingine, yaani, asidi au alkali. Chakula cha sasa cha wanadamu ni chenye vyakula vingi visivyofaa. Vyakula tunavyokula vina mafuta mengi sana, protini nyingi sana, na sukari nyingi sana, na hivyo kutokeza asidi nyingi kupita kiasi. Mtindo wetu wa maisha pia hauwezi kusaidia jambo hilo. Mkazo na huzuni tunazokabili huongeza asili ya asidi ya miili yetu. Kwa mfano, kuna sababu moja inayoweza kuamua afya yako: Je, una mwili wa alkali au mwili wa asidi? Hata mabadiliko madogo ya pH yanaweza kuwa na athari kubwa kwa afya yako. Lengo la chakula cha alkali ni kutoa chakula cha mwili ambacho ni alkali na kuweka mwili wa alkali. Chakula cha alkali hutoa chakula cha kutosha kwa mwili na kusaidia kudumisha pH. Kuepuka vyakula vyenye asidi nyingi na kula vyakula vinavyounda alkali zaidi hufanya mwili wako uwe na alkali, kuzuia uharibifu ambao unaweza kutokea na lishe yenye asidi kupita kiasi. Hata hivyo, ni lazima ukumbuke kwamba kila chembe, tishu, au kiungo (kama vile misuli, tumbo, au damu) kina kiwango chake cha pH. Pia, kumbuka kwamba chakula hakibadili pH ya mwili. Vitu vinavyofanya chakula kiwe na asidi ni sukari, vyakula vilivyokaushwa, vyakula vilivyotengenezwa kwa njia ya kusafisha, nyama, na bidhaa za maziwa. Hizo husababisha mwili uwe na asidi nyingi. Jambo jingine la kuzingatia ni kwamba kiwango cha pH katika damu yako hakibadiliki isipokuwa wakati unapokuwa mgonjwa sana. Mwili husimamia pH ya damu kwa kutoa asidi katika mkojo. Lakini chakula kinaweza kubadilisha pH ya mkojo na mate. Kiwango cha asidi cha pH kinaweza kutokea kwa sababu ya ulaji mkubwa wa vyakula vyenye asidi, kupita kiasi kwa sumu, dhiki, ukosefu wa mazoezi, na athari za kinga. Katika hali kama hizo, mwili hujaribu kutumia madini ya alkali ili kulipia pH ya asidi. Ikiwa chakula hakina madini, asidi hujikusanya katika chembe. Chakula chenye chumvi huchochea kula vyakula vingi vinavyofanyiza chumvi. Hilo huzuia asidi nyingi na kufanya iwezekane kuishi maisha yenye afya na yenye matokeo zaidi. Unaweza Kula Nini Ukiwa na Chakula Chenye Alkali? Katika mlo wa alkali, lengo ni kula vyakula vingi vya alkali na vyakula vichache vyenye asidi. Vyakula hivyo vinaweza kusaidia kudumisha usawa wa pH katika mwili. Mazao ya matunda na mboga: avocado, broccoli, celery, cucumber, lettuce, tomato, lemon, spinach, pepper, apple, banana, cantaloupe, watermelon, raspberry, blackberry, grapefruit, grape, strawberry, tangerine, peach, pear. Vitunguu, vitunguu na tangawizi huongeza ladha na kuongeza pH. Ongeza maharagwe na maharagwe katika mlo wako. Matofaa, radish, turnips, beet, na karoti ni chanzo kikubwa cha chakula cha alkali ambacho husaidia kudumisha usawa wa pH. Pia ni chanzo cha ajabu cha nyuzi za chakula zinazoweza kuyeyuka na zisizoweza kuyeyuka. Nyanya na mbegu: Kuingiza cashews, chestnuts, almonds, mbegu za pumpkin, mbegu za sesame katika mlo wako wa kila siku. Vyakula vya Kuepuka - Unga (isipokuwa buckwheat na millet) - Mchuzi wa karanga - Vyakula vilivyokaangwa - Vyakula vyenye chumvi Unachopaswa Kujua Chakula cha alkalini hakihusishi kufunga. Kwa hivyo, unapaswa kula chakula chenye alkali zaidi na chakula chenye asidi kidogo. Isitoshe, unapaswa kukazia fikira kula vyakula vyenye usawaziko. Unapaswa kuzungumza na daktari wako au mtaalamu wa lishe kabla ya kuanza kula chakula cha alkali. Unataka kuhakikisha kwamba wewe si kukata nje virutubisho muhimu au bila kukusudia kuharibu afya yako. Kuangalia pH: Baada ya kuanza kula chakula cha alkali, unapaswa kuangalia kiwango cha pH. Kwa mfano, unaweza kutumia karatasi ya mtihani wa pH. Karatasi hii inachunguza viwango vya asidi-alkali vya umajimaji wako. Unaweza kutumia mkojo au mate kupima viwango vyako vya pH. Hata hivyo, inashauriwa sana kutumia mkojo wako wa kwanza asubuhi. Piga karatasi ya mtihani wa pH kwenye mkojo uliokusanya. Kifurushi cha karatasi ya mtihani kina chati ya rangi ili kukusaidia kujua viwango vyako vya asidi. Rangi hizo zina namba zilizoandikwa kando yake. Kwa mfano, pH ya mkojo wako asubuhi inapaswa kuwa kati ya 6.5 na 7.5. Ikiwa namba yako ni chini ya 7, wewe ni asidi, lakini wewe ni afya kama wewe ni juu ya 7. Ikiwa una asidi, unapaswa kuanza kula vyakula vyenye chumvi. Baada ya kula vyakula vyenye kiasi cha juu cha alkali na kiasi kidogo cha asidi, mwili huanza kupona. Chakula cha alkali kinamleta karibu na kiwango cha afya cha alkali badala ya cha asidi. Chakula cha alkali, chenye matunda na mboga nyingi, nyuzinyuzi nyingi na mafuta yenye afya, inaweza kuwa na faida kwa afya ya jumla. Msaada wa Kupunguza Uzito Kwa kuwa chakula cha alkali hasa ni chakula cha mimea, huchochea kupungua kwa uzito. Unatumia kalori chache na hivyo mwili wako unachoma mafuta haraka. Hata hivyo, kuwa na shughuli nyingi za mwili, kula vyakula vyenye afya na kula vyakula mbalimbali ni muhimu ili kupunguza uzito na kudumisha uzito mzuri. Inalinda mifupa na misuli: Wakati asidi yako inapopungua, mifupa inakuwa na nguvu na inaweza kunyonya madini yenye afya ambayo huchangia afya bora ya mifupa. Mwili wako hupata nguvu zaidi kutoka kwa madini unayotumia; hii husaidia kuongeza misa ya misuli na nguvu. Inaboresha viwango vya homoni ya ukuaji Chakula cha alkali huzuia asidosis na kuboresha viwango vya homoni ya ukuaji. Kuongeza kiwango cha homoni ya ukuaji kunaweza kupunguza hatari ya ugonjwa wa moyo, kuboresha muundo wa mwili, na kuboresha kumbukumbu na uwezo wa kutambua. Kuondoa hatari ya ugonjwa wa damu na kiharusi: Mlo mzuri wa chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula. Ikiwa huna mkazo mwingi, ni vigumu kuwa na magonjwa yanayohusiana na mkazo mwingi kama vile shinikizo la damu na kiharusi. Inapunguza maumivu ya kudumu na uvimbe Vyakula vya alkali husaidia na maumivu ya kudumu. Alkalini husaidia kuepuka maumivu ya mgongo, maumivu ya viungo, mshtuko wa misuli, maumivu ya kichwa, na uvimbe. Chakula chenye chumvi chenye matunda, mboga, na vyakula vyenye nafaka nzima na kuepuka nyama kinaweza kuzuia kansa. Kwa sababu ya hatari ya ugonjwa wa moyo, chakula cha alkali hupunguza hatari ya ugonjwa wa moyo kwa kuondoa nyama nyekundu na nyama zilizotengenezwa kutoka kwa chakula. Chakula cha kisasa chenye vyakula vingi visivyofaa huchochea asidi kwa kubadili viwango vya pH vya mwili. Chakula cha alkali kinasisitiza kula kwa uangalifu - inasaidia chaguzi nzuri za chakula ikiwa ni pamoja na mboga, matunda, karanga na mbegu, kunywa maji mengi na kufanya mazoezi. Pia, inazuia vyakula vyenye chumvi, sukari, nyama, soda, na pombe. Kwa hiyo, huongeza hali ya afya, husaidia kupunguza uzito, hupunguza uvimbe, na kupunguza hatari ya kansa. Hata hivyo, kabla ya kuanza kula chakula hicho, hakikisha unazungumza na daktari wako. Wataweza kukusaidia kupata mpango wa chakula unaofaa afya yako na mtindo wako wa maisha.