Spring is Green

Spring is Green: Understanding Alkalinity in the Body

We often hear that's important to eat an alkaline diet, however, most people don't know what that actually means. Here's the scoop:

First of all, pH is a term used to describe how acidic or alkaline a substance is. The pH scale is from 1–14, with any reading of 6 or less reflecting acidic… and 7 or higher being alkaline. What you eat and drink directly affects your pH levels with some foods raising or lowering the pH. This is based on the mineral content of the food, not the actual pH of that food. For example lemons have a naturally low pH of around 2 (very acidic) but due to their mineral content they have a wonderful alkalizing effect on the body.

The bottom line is that disease can flourish in an acidic environment and so our "wise" bodies will always strive to maintain a relatively alkaline state. As always, it's about balance. The human body was designed to operate at its optimum when body fluids are more alkaline at 7-7.5. The body moves between acidic to alkaline all day, so to live 100% alkaline is unrealistic. But if you choose to do more kind, alkaline things to your body you will have better health.

Unfortunately, many things associated with fun are more acidic—coffee, chocolate, ice cream, alcohol, fried foods etc. But if you continually eat this way, your body’s natural pH level is bound to be more acidic than alkaline. Many big and small health issues are associated with an acidic body: Low energy, headaches, poor concentration, skin issues, weight gain, craving carbs and sugar may all mean your body's struggling to counteract acidity.

Here are some things to do to keep you in an alkaline state:

1. Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of clean water throughout the day (preferably not in plastic.)

2. Eat lots of leafy greens….raw and cooked. They have loads of minerals!

3. Cut out dairy (if you can’t live without it, opt for goat or sheep milk varieties).

4. Reduce coffee to one small cup per day.

5. Cut out white flour products and replace them with whole grains such as quinoa and brown rice.

6. Reduce sugar and remove artificial sweeteners.

7. Include a de-stress activity into your day (like meditating, walking, yoga, or swimming. Stress also causes acidity.)

Spring is the season of green! Add more green foods into your diet to tip the scales toward alkalinity and health!