Why Alkalise Your Diet?

Josie Beevers Nutritionist - Natural Fertility Therapy, Womens Health, Mens Health in Hackney March 26, 2015

Eating an alkaline diet is a natural, almost an evolutionary requirement in order to maintain vibrant health.

Your body’s pH lies between 7.35 – 7.45, slightly alkaline.

Your body works hard to maintain this delicate homeostasis (balance) because your internal pH is vital to the healthful functioning of every cell, tissue and organ in the body.

In prehistoric times, we ate a predominantly vegetarian diet, rich in leaves, berries, shrubs, algae, and roots, ideal for maintaining a health benefiting pH. Yet, through the domestication of our livestock, mass production and industrialisation, our diets have dramatically changed. During this time, our consumption of meat, grains, sugar, salt, alcohol and dairy have sky rocketed.

More recently still, our bodies have been bombarded with processed, ready-made foods that contain even greater amounts of sugar, salt, dairy and unpronounceable ‘alien’ fats - all of which are highly acidifying and which may contribute to many of the health problems that we see today.

And it’s not just food, all situations physical, emotional, mental e.g. stress and trauma will affect the body and either leave an acidic or alkaline residue in the body (traceable through the urine).

Reasons to Maintain an Alkaline Body

· The heart is the most alkaline dependant organ in the body, an alkaline environment is necessary for maintaining a regular heartbeat.

· An acidic body has a lessened ability to fight infection, disease or even cancer, (cancer thrives in an acidic environment yet cannot grown in an alkaline body).

· Acidity contributes to premature ageing; cells in an acidic environment have a reduced capacity to gain sufficient oxygen, or detoxify, meaning toxins sit in our tissues causing damage. This not only promotes visible signs of ageing, but more importantly, internal signs of ageing in our organs and blood vessels.

· Adopting ’alkalising’ dietary changes to your body’s pH levels can lead to weight loss, increased energy levels, better sleep patterns, youthful looking skin, faster healing and recovery from illness, stronger hair, bones and teeth, and much more.

Have we convinced you to alkalise your diet and life yet?

Good news is it’s fairly straightforward. By basing your diet around an abundance of vegetables, vegetable juices, fruits, alkaline grains (quinoa, millet, amaranth) and plant-based proteins (sprouted beans nuts and seeds, tofu, coconut) whilst reducing your intake of animal protein (red meat, white meat, fish eggs, dairy) refined sugars and alcohol you’re halfway there.

6 Daily Steps to Alkalise Your Body

· Eat your greens – wilted, juiced, steamed, blended, fresh, just get them in every day of the week!

· Incorporate warm water with fresh lemon juice first thing each morning.

· Swap red/white meat for tofu, oily fish, beans and lentils.

· Cut the refined sugary snacks; opt for berries with coconut yoghurt, almond milk based smoothies, fresh juices or a raw fruit & nut bars.

· Breathe deeply.

· Work to manage stress; stress and trauma are big contributors to acidity in our bodies, start yoga.

· Download a guided meditation podcast, take Epsom salt baths at the end of a hard day and incorporate calming herbal teas – Lemon balm, Camomile, Valerian.

And if you’re really intrigued, you can purchase urinary test sticks to check your own pH levels!