The Benefits of an Alkaline Diet

The alkaline diet is specifically designed to help you restore and maintain the pH balance in your body. You may have heard the saying “You are what you eat.” Your body’s pH should be slightly alkaline with a healthy balance in the vicinity of 7.4. In order for it to be in balance your food intake should be approaching 75% to 80% alkaline forming foods.

Most fresh fruits, vegetables and spices have an alkaline effect on your body. Whereas, animal proteins, sugar, processed foods, alcohol and caffeine are all acidic forming and an acidic pH in your body creates a favorable environment for diseases to form because harmful bacteria are able to rapidly grow and multiply. Knowing this, it is easy to clearly see why, over time, the health benefits of the alkaline diet are numerous.

 The Benefits of an Alkaline Diet

One of the first benefits that you will notice after transitioning to an alkaline diet is that it will be much easier for you to begin to lose those excess pounds even without crazy amounts of exercise. This is because the high fiber content in fruits and vegetables will begin to clean your whole digestive system and increase your metabolism so that you can begin to lose that excess weight.

Another almost immediate benefit of the alkaline diet is an increase in the amount of energy you will have. Once your digestive system is able to function properly, you will no longer be weighed down with heavy toxins which cause you to feel lethargic and fatigued, as these toxins will be removed from your body much more quickly.

Excess toxins in your body are the number one cause of premature aging. As they build up, your cells begin to deteriorate which causes wrinkles to appear. When the beneficial antioxidants in the fruits and vegetables release the toxins from the cells, they begin to come back to life, slow down and even reverse the signs of premature aging.

Find Out How an Alkaline Diet Can Benefit You

Naturally when your body’s pH is too acidic, your body’s systems will do everything in their power to restore that pH balance. To do this, the body takes the minerals which are stored in the bones and breaks them down and passes them into the bloodstream. Some of these minerals are calcium, potassium and magnesium. This causes your teeth and bones to become weak and eventually this can result in osteoporosis and tooth decay.

Studies have shown that Alzheimer’s is caused by a toxic buildup of metals around the brain. The high amounts of antioxidants which are consumed with the alkaline diet help to remove those harmful metals and other toxins in order to restore clarity back to the brain. Attention deficit disorders (ADD), anxiety, nervousness and depression can also be prevented and reversed with the correct diet.

Hydration is Key

Proper hydration will also help to balance your pH levels. It is recommended that you drink 8 glasses or more of water each day. Once your pH is balanced you should continue on a healthy diet in order to prevent disease.

Inflammation is where many problems start. There is a wide range of conditions and diseases that are linked with chronic inflammation or that have an inflammatory component. When your body goes into an inflammatory process, your defenses are weakened, which wears on your resources, leaving you susceptible to other diseases. According to many experts, consuming more alkaline foods than acidic foods may help to reduce low-grade inflammation, thereby reducing your vulnerability to other diseases or conditions. When your body does not have to work as hard to stay in balance, it will remain healthier and able to fight off inflammation and disease. It should be noted that stress and environment can also be important factors in all of the major inflammation based diseases, but assisting your body in staying healthy and in balance, instead of forcing it to work harder, can only benefit you and decrease your risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, arthritis and many others.

Did you know that cancer cells can only form in an acidic environment? When there is an alkaline environment in the body, the malicious bacteria which cause cancer and other diseases will rarely be able to grow or multiply to the point where the body can no longer fight them off. That is one reason why the alkaline diet helps to prevent cancer, heart disease, asthma, diabetes, arthritis and many common ailments associated with the typical western diet.

Juicing and Blending Are Beneficial

Consuming foods that are alkaline forming is especially important for your heart. Not only can you reduce low-grade inflammation, but because alkaline foods consist of vegetables, fruits, and certain proteins that are all heart healthy anyway, you are getting twice the benefit. This is not to say that eating high-alkaline foods will totally prevent or cure heart disease. 

Another benefit of eating high alkaline foods is that it may help fight the onset of type II diabetes. Again, the list of foods high in alkaline, includes vegetables and fruits. Acidic choices are processed foods and foods high in simple sugars. Vegetables and fruits may not only help reduce low-grade inflammation, but they will release glucose slowly from the liver, keeping your blood sugar levels within a tighter control. Most experts maintain that you still need to eat a variety of foods, but your alkaline selections should be substantially higher than the acidic choices in your diet. Many feel that the best goal to set is 80% alkaline to 20% acid forming.

Find Out How You Can Start Improving Your Diet Today

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