How to Alkalize Your Body
Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and plant products., Eat legumes and beans for protein., Drink soy or almond milk, rather than dairy., Consider drinking alkalized water., Enjoy a wide variety of other alkaline-forming foods., Avoid acid-forming...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Eat plenty of fruits
The core of any alkaline diet is a strong emphasis on fruits and vegetables, rather than meat, dairy, eggs, and carbohydrates.
As a general rule, plant products like fruits and vegetables usually break down into alkalines, whereas the other foods mentioned usually break down into acids.
Thus, emphasizing vegetables in your diet is a sure-fire way to start increasing your alkaline intake.
Alkaline fruits and vegetables include:
Apples, broccoli, asparagus, bananas, artichoke, beetroot, kale, grapes, spinach, cantaloupe, cauliflower, and many more.For a complete list, see an alkaline diet resource (like, for example, Acidalkalinediet.net) -
Step 2: vegetables
As noted above, the alkaline diet forbids many traditional sources of protein, like meat, eggs, and dairy.
Protein is an essential nutrient that's vital for a huge range of bodily processes, which means that it's extra-important to get a good amount of vegetable protein on an alkaline diet.
Luckily, beans and legumes provide ample protein (and, as a bonus, are less acid-forming than meat, eggs, and so on.) Don't be tempted to skimp on protein altogether — protein is an essential nutrient that's used in a wide variety of vital processes, like building healthy bones, fueling growth, facilitating muscle function, and maintaining a healthy weight. , Since normal dairy is off-limits for its acid-producing properties, non-dairy alternatives should be substituted.
In addition to lacking the acid-forming property of traditional dairy products, soy and almond milk can be quite nutritious in their own right, as they both lack the cholesterol and calories found in cow's milk., While drinking plenty of plain, unsweetened, ordinary water is something that's frequently recommended by health experts, alkaline diet practitioners often go as to recommend water that's been treated to give it alkaline properties.
While there is some limited evidence that alkalized water can possibly help limit bone loss, this property isn't certain or even particularly well-understood.However, alkalized water won't hurt you, so if you're interested in going the extra mile, it may be a worthwhile investment. , The recommendations above represent just a few of the choices someone on an alkaline diet has.
In addition to the foods recommended above, foods frequently included in alkaline diets are:
Nuts and seeds:
Almonds, chestnuts, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds.
Certain non-meat protein sources:
Tofu, soy, millet, tempeh, whey protein.
Certain spices and seasonings:
Sea salt, chili pepper, curry, mustard, ginger, cinnamon, stevia.
Certain unsweetened dried fruits:
Dates, raisins, figs. , Though meat, dairy, and eggs may be the things that many people miss most after starting an alkaline diet, they're not the only things to avoid.
In addition to meat, dairy, and eggs, other foods that alkaline diets frequently recommend avoiding are:
Grains and grain products:
Pasta, rice, bread, cereals, crackers, spelt, etc.
Processed foods:
Sugary/greasy snack foods, soft drinks, pre-packaged meals, most desserts, jams and jellies, etc.
Select fruits and vegetables:
Artificially-sweetened juices, blueberries, dry coconut, pickled olives, plums, prunes. , An alkaline diet doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing proposition.
Some amounts of acid-producing foods are allowed — even encouraged, if they make it easier to stick to your diet.
One moderate tactic is to practice the "80/20" rule — try to make 80% of the foods you eat fit your plan for an alkaline diet, but let the remaining 20% be "forbidden" foods.
There's no "right" way to do this, so feel free to make a plan that's easy for you.
For instance, you might try planning your meals so that about 20% of your calories from each come from non-alkaline foods.
Alternatively, you might try simply adhering to the diet perfectly most of the time while giving yourself a "break" from the diet every fifth meal. , Be wary of any alkaline diet resource that argues that the only way to follow the diet properly is to buy specially-formulated (usually expensive) foods.
These are, almost without exception, scams.
A simple look at the list of ingredients above should be enough to reveal that it's possible to get all of the foods you need to follow an alkaline diet at your normal grocery store, so waste your money on dubious alternatives. -
Step 3: and plant products.
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Step 4: Eat legumes and beans for protein.
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Step 5: Drink soy or almond milk
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Step 6: rather than dairy.
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Step 7: Consider drinking alkalized water.
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Step 8: Enjoy a wide variety of other alkaline-forming foods.
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Step 9: Avoid acid-forming foods whenever possible.
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Step 10: Consider following the balanced 80/20 rule.
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Step 11: Don't fall for diet scams.
Detailed Guide
The core of any alkaline diet is a strong emphasis on fruits and vegetables, rather than meat, dairy, eggs, and carbohydrates.
As a general rule, plant products like fruits and vegetables usually break down into alkalines, whereas the other foods mentioned usually break down into acids.
Thus, emphasizing vegetables in your diet is a sure-fire way to start increasing your alkaline intake.
Alkaline fruits and vegetables include:
Apples, broccoli, asparagus, bananas, artichoke, beetroot, kale, grapes, spinach, cantaloupe, cauliflower, and many more.For a complete list, see an alkaline diet resource (like, for example, Acidalkalinediet.net)
As noted above, the alkaline diet forbids many traditional sources of protein, like meat, eggs, and dairy.
Protein is an essential nutrient that's vital for a huge range of bodily processes, which means that it's extra-important to get a good amount of vegetable protein on an alkaline diet.
Luckily, beans and legumes provide ample protein (and, as a bonus, are less acid-forming than meat, eggs, and so on.) Don't be tempted to skimp on protein altogether — protein is an essential nutrient that's used in a wide variety of vital processes, like building healthy bones, fueling growth, facilitating muscle function, and maintaining a healthy weight. , Since normal dairy is off-limits for its acid-producing properties, non-dairy alternatives should be substituted.
In addition to lacking the acid-forming property of traditional dairy products, soy and almond milk can be quite nutritious in their own right, as they both lack the cholesterol and calories found in cow's milk., While drinking plenty of plain, unsweetened, ordinary water is something that's frequently recommended by health experts, alkaline diet practitioners often go as to recommend water that's been treated to give it alkaline properties.
While there is some limited evidence that alkalized water can possibly help limit bone loss, this property isn't certain or even particularly well-understood.However, alkalized water won't hurt you, so if you're interested in going the extra mile, it may be a worthwhile investment. , The recommendations above represent just a few of the choices someone on an alkaline diet has.
In addition to the foods recommended above, foods frequently included in alkaline diets are:
Nuts and seeds:
Almonds, chestnuts, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds.
Certain non-meat protein sources:
Tofu, soy, millet, tempeh, whey protein.
Certain spices and seasonings:
Sea salt, chili pepper, curry, mustard, ginger, cinnamon, stevia.
Certain unsweetened dried fruits:
Dates, raisins, figs. , Though meat, dairy, and eggs may be the things that many people miss most after starting an alkaline diet, they're not the only things to avoid.
In addition to meat, dairy, and eggs, other foods that alkaline diets frequently recommend avoiding are:
Grains and grain products:
Pasta, rice, bread, cereals, crackers, spelt, etc.
Processed foods:
Sugary/greasy snack foods, soft drinks, pre-packaged meals, most desserts, jams and jellies, etc.
Select fruits and vegetables:
Artificially-sweetened juices, blueberries, dry coconut, pickled olives, plums, prunes. , An alkaline diet doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing proposition.
Some amounts of acid-producing foods are allowed — even encouraged, if they make it easier to stick to your diet.
One moderate tactic is to practice the "80/20" rule — try to make 80% of the foods you eat fit your plan for an alkaline diet, but let the remaining 20% be "forbidden" foods.
There's no "right" way to do this, so feel free to make a plan that's easy for you.
For instance, you might try planning your meals so that about 20% of your calories from each come from non-alkaline foods.
Alternatively, you might try simply adhering to the diet perfectly most of the time while giving yourself a "break" from the diet every fifth meal. , Be wary of any alkaline diet resource that argues that the only way to follow the diet properly is to buy specially-formulated (usually expensive) foods.
These are, almost without exception, scams.
A simple look at the list of ingredients above should be enough to reveal that it's possible to get all of the foods you need to follow an alkaline diet at your normal grocery store, so waste your money on dubious alternatives.
About the Author
Richard Gibson
Writer and educator with a focus on practical home improvement knowledge.
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