Before you kick off the 21-day trial, you should understand what the alkaline diet is and what it claims to do.
The idea behind the alkaline diet is that your food can affect pH levels in the body. Your pH level, in turn, affects your overall health and well-being.
What does pH level mean? Well, pH is actually a spectrum, measured from 0 to 14. On the one end (0.0-6.9), you have “acidic”. On the other (7.0-14.0), you have “alkaline” or “base”. But what does this have to do with your diet?
When you eat something and digest it, your body doesn’t absorb everything. You produce what is called “metabolic waste”, or as proponents of the alkaline diet plan call it, “ash”. If you eat high acid foods, the ash will be acidic. If you eat high alkaline foods, the ash will be alkaline.
Scientists do agree that it’s important to maintain the relatively alkaline pH of our blood, at 7.365-7.4. The acid-ash diet theory believes that you can better manage your blood pH levels through an alkaline diet.
Furthermore, there are supposedly lots other benefits of having an alkaline body. The diet claims to help you shed some pounds, improve energy levels, and prevent diseases like arthritis, osteoporosis, and diabetes.
The Alkaline Food Chart
The alkaline diet divides food into three categories: acidic, neutral, and alkaline. Acidic foods include red meat, chicken, fish, chocolate, wheat, and alcohol. Neutral foods include natural fats like butter, most oils, milk, and cream. Alkaline foods include most fruits and veggies.
It’s not always intuitive. Is vinegar acidic or alkaline? Acidic. Is lemon acidic or alkaline? Surprisingly, alkaline. You can check out alkaline food lists like the one to the right for guidance.
