Strictly speaking, the alkaline diet is centered around eating a group of foods which when digested by the body result in an alkaline as opposed to acidic ash or residue. Okay, so what does this really mean?
Most foods, once metabolized, will release either an acid or an alkaline base into the bloodstream. With civilization and the industrial revolution the modern diet is heavy in grains, meats, shellfish, dairy and salt which all produce acid. As we have increased the intake of these foods and moved away from fresh fruit and vegetables decreased we have moved towards acid and away from alkaline in our diets.
The theory id that food in the alkaline diet should reflect the pH level of the blood, between 7.35 and 7.45, and be slightly alkaline. Proponents of the alkaline diet feel that the over-acidification of the body is the single underlying cause of all disease
. That is a lofty claim, for sure, so forgetting about those bold words it may be easier to think of it in this manner: what we eat has an effect on the state of our bodies. Much of the processed food and drink we ingest causes our bodies to subtly sway to a more acid then alkaline balance, and this has an effect on our weight and energy levels.
Why eat alkaline?
People who follow an alkaline diet find that they:
- lose weight
- ache less (joint aches are a good example)
- have more energy
- think more clearly
- are less irritable
Food
The principle foods in an alkaline diet include fresh vegetables, roots and tubers, nuts, and legumes. Alfalfa sprouts (pictured above) are an example of a very alkaline food.
Criticisms and concerns
The largest issue with the alkaline diet is that proper clinical trials on its effectiveness for general health have not been undertaken. Much of the positive anecdotal evidence can be attributed to the fact that people who undertake the alkaline diet shift from a poor diet to a more natural and healthy diet, and therefore the positive changes.
Our own personal evidence, while not radical in terms of large weight loss or the like, has been positive. Mental clarity and less tiredness being two big extras, we have also found that by eliminating coffee (hey, we weren’t as tired as we were so sadly we let coffee go) we lost cravings for chocolate and other poor food choices and also slept better at night and were less irritable.
