A few weeks ago I began starting my day by drinking a very large glass of water (more like 2 glasses) with the juice of a squeezed lemon. I started doing this after I heard a bit about the health benefits of starting the day by eating alkaline foods
Alkaline diets are promoted and marketed primarily by practitioners of alternative medicine, with the claim that such diets might prevent cancer, fatigue, obesity, allergies, osteoporosis, and a variety of other physical complaints and illnesses. Proponents of an alkaline diet include Robert O. Young, Edgar Cayce, D. C. Jarvis, and Herman Aihara.
A similar diet, called the Hay diet, was developed by the American physician William Howard Hay in the 1920s. A related alternative medical system called nutripathy was derived by another American, Gary A. Martin, in the 1970s.
Proponents of an alkaline diet include Robert O. Young, Edgar Cayce, D. C. Jarvis, and Herman Aihara. A similar diet, called the Hay diet, was developed by the American physician William Howard Hay in the 1920s. A related alternative medical system called nutripathy was derived by another American, Gary A. Martin, in the 1970s.
So how do you get started doing this? I am not interested right now in becoming a vegetarian but I think it is very important to be more alert in what I eat always and trying to eat alkaline foods at least sometimes will make a big difference in doing this.
In general, the alkaline diet involves eating certain fresh citrus and other low-sugar fruits, vegetables, tubers, nuts, and legumes. The diet recommends avoiding grains, dairy, meat, sugar, alcohol, caffeine, and fungi. Proponents believe that such a diet maintains the balance of the slight alkalinity of blood without stressing the body’s acid-base homeostasis.
Here is a list of great Alkaline foods that you can try incorporating into your diet
Vegetables that are high alkaline foods
Alfalfa, Beet Greens, Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celery, Chlorella, Collard Greens, Cucumber, Eggplant, Garlic, Green Beans, Green Peas, Kale, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Onions, Parsnips, Peas, Peppers, Pumpkin, Radishes, Rutabaga, Spinach, green, Sprouts, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Watercress, Wheat Grass, Wild Greens
Fruits that are high alkaline foods
Apple, Apricot, Avocado, Banana, Berries, Blackberries, Cantaloupe, Sour Cherries, Coconut, Currants, Dried Dates, Dried Figs, Grapes, Grapefruit, Honeydew Melon, Lemon, Lime, Nectarine, Orange, Peach, Pear, Pineapple, Raisins, Raspberries, Rhubarb, Strawberries, Tangerine, Tomato, Tropical Fruits, Watermelon
Protein Sources that are high alkaline foods
Almonds, Chestnuts, Tofu, Whey Protein Powder
Non-Alkaline – High Acid Foods to Avoid
You can see by the list above that most fruits and vegetables are high alkaline foods and that at the same time meats and proteins are not included as they are high acid foods. Below I have included a list of some foods that are high acid and therefore not alkaline so you should try to minimize (remember though that I do eat meat and other non-alkaline foods as well)
High Acid Vegetables
Corn, Lentils, Olives, Winter Squash
High Acid Fruits
Blueberries, Canned or Glazed Fruits, Cranberries, Currants, Plums, Prunes
High Acid Nuts and Proteins
Cashews, Legumes, Peanut Butter, Peanuts, Pecans, Tahini, Walnuts
So try this out for yourself. Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables is definitely good for you no matter what the science about alkaline foods. I personally have found a much better feeling and energy have been my results of eating alkaline foods.