The foods you eat can impact a variety of health issues, from sleep to bone health to body composition. If you want to have good health, your body’s pH level matters. By eating more alkaline foods, you can combat inflammation, reduce stress and protect bone health. As a general rule, you can classify foods as either acid forming or alkaline forming in the body. Your body’s pH is 7.35, or slightly alkaline. Your body constantly seeks balance and works hard to maintain an alkaline ph. Your body must compensate for a high intake of acid-forming foods by leaching calcium (an alkalizing mineral) from your bones to keep the blood at it’s proper ph. Over time this leaching of minerals may lead to bone loss and potentially osteoporosis. It is also a stressor that leads to inflammation and increased cortisol levels, which has damaging effects on long-term health.
In contrast, alkaline-forming plant-based foods are nutrient dense and rich in antioxidants. Adding more alkaline-forming foods will help slow down the leech of calcium from your bones, helping maintain your bone health for years to come. They also help fight free-radical damage and inflammation while supporting healthy cellular regeneration within your body. The most alkaline foods have a high level of chlorophyll – the greener the food, the better. Look for dark green leafy greens, as well as sea vegetables and algae such as chlorella and spirulina. Barley Grass, Oat Grass & Wheat Grass are also highly alkaline & mineralizing.
Should you eat only plants? If you’re transitioning to a plant-based diet you might be slowly adding in more alkaline foods to your diet. An easy way to do this is to make at least 1 meal per day alkaline. For example make a green smoothie in the morning for breakfast with fresh fruit, hemp seeds, baby greens like kale or spinach, and a non-dairy milk or coconut water. You can also use a concentrated green food supplement. My personal favorite is Premier Greens from Premier Research Labs. See the following post titled Acid/Alkaline Food List for more details on what foods to emphasize & reduce on an alkaline diet.