Complete Guide For Foods That Are Alkaline

Long before school-trained physicians and prescription drugs had been trying to provide answers to health and wellness problems, philosophers and medicine men of the world’s earliest cultures had already discovered the key to feeling good and living well.

The secret lies in achieving and maintaining the proper balance of acidity and alkalinity in the body.

Of course in those days, the terms may not have been as scientific or precise as the way we know them today.  But the basic principle behind the best proven and most enduring health tips then and now remain the same – to eat the foods that the body needs to keep it functioning and performing well.

This means taking in foods that maintain the right balance or combination that would effectively maintain good health or, if the goal is to improve health and prevent for heal illness, then to specifically focus the diet of foods that increase the body’s alkalinity.

Early advocates of what we now know as an “alkaline-rich” diet may have been led by instinct, insight or experience.  But today, we have the decided advantage of scientific and medical research, as well as laboratory experimentation to prove why and how alkaline foods are good for health and wellness.

But first we need to understand the meaning and value of alkalinity.

What is alkalinity?

Acidity and alkalinity are conditions of substances – such as water, food and blood – that indicate the concentration of Hydrogen ions.  The measure of acidity or alkalinity is expressed as pH, where in a range of 0 to 14, a pH of 7 is considered neutral.  The lower the pH level, the more acidic the substance is; and convesely, the higher the pH level, the greater the alkalinity.

The human body is has been found to function best at a pH level above 7, which means at a higher alkalinity than acidic level. This is not surprising since studies have established that the higher the alkalinity of the body as indicated by a higher pH level, the greater the amount of oxygen that the blood is able to absorb.

This value is significant because in recent years, scientists also discovered that the inability of diminished capacity of our blood to absorb oxygen is what leads to negative health conditions and diseases such as cancer, heart disorders, neurological disorders, diabetes and various infections.

What pH should you be aiming for?

A healthy body is achieved when our blood is in the proper acid-alkaline balance, which science and medical professionals have established to be a pH of 7.365.  Lower than this means the blood – and body – has a high level of acid, is not absorbing enough oxygen for its needs, and is thus vulnerable to diseases.

How to neutralize acidity in your body

The good news is that the way to counteract acidity is to improve or increase alkalinity. And the best way to do this is through foods that are alkaline in the body.

What’s important for you to realize – and the first step to a healthy life – is that all solid and liquid foods have their respective pH values.  Thus, there are acid foods and alkaline foods. And what’s even more crucial is to have a clear guide of which foods belong in which groups.

As a general rule – and you probably already know or feel this – acid foods include all foods derived from animals (meat, seafood, eggs, milk), processed and junk foods, grains, sweet fruits, dairy products and most nuts.

You should follow a list of food that are alkaline. On top of the list of highly alkaline foods are raw leafy green vegetables, fruits (non-sweet), herbs and spices and wheatgrass.

Give yourself a healthful wellness boost.  Get our acid/alkaline food chart. It explains which foods that are highly alkaline, including those that you can include in your everyday meals and make part of your regular healthy diet.