More about an Acid Alkaline Diet

Hi all,

Here is a broad description of how an acid alkaline diet works.  I realise that IBS Eliminated talks a lot about this, but I thought this would a useful point of reference.

The body is always trying to maintain a state of balance known as homeostasis.  The alkaline acid diet is designed to help you reach this balance when the internal environment has become more acidic.  Anybody suffering from IBS (or actually any health problem), should implement the alkaline acid diet.

The basics

Acidity and alkalinity are measured on the pH scale.  Numbers from 1 to 6 are considered acidic with 1 being the most acidic.  On the other end, numbers from 8 to 14 are considered alkaline with 14 being the most alkaline.  The body maintains a neutral internal environment which corresponds to a pH of 7.  The stomach contains a weak hydrochloric acid but it is maintained within the organ.

Your food

Have you ever had to take a Tums for a sour stomach?  The formulation in acid indigestion pills is designed to be alkaline to neutralize the overabundance of stomach acid.  Each cell in the body has to operate in a neutral environment.  When the environment is acidic you can become more prone to diseases like IBS (of course!), cancer, digestive distress, obesity and heart diseases.

The culprit is the diet.  Fast foods, processed foods, sweets and lots of meats can contribute to an unbalanced internal environment.  The foods we eat contain sugar alcohols and other substances that tend towards the acidic side when they are digested.

Proponents of the alkaline acid diet contend that if the acidic environment is counteracted with more alkaline foods, disease and other chronic conditions can be avoided.  This is the basis of the diet.  By testing your saliva and/or your urine, you can determine the pH within your body.  Normal levels for a homeostatic environment are around pH 7 ± 0.25.

What to eat

Changing the script is the way to combat an acidic internal environment.  Most of your diet will be composed of alkaline foods.  One of the most alkaline types of food is vegetables.  You already know that vegetables are good for your body due to their low caloric content and high fiber and water content.

Other alkaline foods are fruit and grains.  Itís no coincidence that all of these foods are also good for you normally.  Early settlers survived on these types of foodstuffs before processed foods came into existence.

Foods to avoid

On the other side of the pH scale are the acidic foods.  These foods unbalance the delicate internal environment of your body.  If you eat them, and most of us can’t do without them, eat in moderation and in combination with mostly alkaline food.

The alkaline acid diet attempts to restore the neutral pH of your body.  Many foods we eat contribute to a more acidic environment which can lead to disease.  Eating alkaline foods in abundance will help you return to normal.

If you don’t remember the way to combine your foods when following this system, have a listen to the audio podcast I did recently which runs through it.

To your health,

Kimberly