Are there foods that you need to avoid at all costs, or are potato chips fine in moderation?

There’s really no way of completely removing all acidic foods from your diet. Not that you would want to anyhow. You do need to keep some level of acid in your body in order to remain healthy. But, you do want to limit your intake of acid. By eating highly acidic foods in large portions on a regular basis, you’re only tempting a fertile breeding ground for dis-ease, low energy, excess weight and other more serious conditions, and even if you think you can handle a little discomfort now and then, it will do permanent damage to the body over time. There are foods that are acidic that you really want to avoid more often than not.

So… here are some acidic foods that you should try to avoid for the most part, and when you do enjoy them, enjoy them in controlled portions with plenty of water and low acid foods like green vegetables.

List of Acidic Foods

Proteins

As far as proteins most meats are quite acidic once the body digests them. Fresh water fish is one of the least acidic meats. Even so, it should be treated as a delicacy and enjoyed now and then, not every day. Eggs are also very high in acid content, but we tend to eat something with egg in it almost every day. This is fine, just keep track of how much egg you’re eating in a day and as great as omelets taste, one or two a week should be plenty.

Fruits and Vegetables

The truth is, you really don’t have much to worry about when it comes to acidic fruits and vegetables. Alkaline is what you need to watch out for. You need to keep your blood’s alkaline or pH at a stable level. Check an alkaline food chart for ratings on particular fruit and veggies.

Junk Food, Snacks and Treats

As far as our favorite treats go: beer, cigarettes, anything fried, artificial sweeteners, ice cream, soda (anything with high fructose corn syrup, really) and any drugs, recreational or otherwise, are amongst the highest in acidic content and should be avoided if you’re trying to regulate your blood’s pH.

As with anything that’s not good for you, the fact is that beer, tobacco, liver, soda, are all very acidic, while the protein provided by eggs and lentil may be worth their acidic content, you need to be able to enjoy these things in moderation. Starting every day with an omelet isn’t a very good idea, nor is drinking beer constantly every single day. But, enjoying a nice hearty omelet with friends a few times a month and having a few drinks on the weekend is perfectly fine. Smoking cigarettes is a terrible habit which should be your first priority in improving your health.

If you’re passionate about maintaining a healthy lifestyle, talk to your physician, get your blood levels checked and see foods that are acidic to avoid vs. what you could use a little more of. Refer to our alkaline and acidic foods chart for ratings on particular acidic foods.