Nearly 54 million people around the globe suffer from arthritis. The number of people suffering from diabetes isn’t any less either.

A staggering 1.1 billion deal with the problem of acute hypertension. Obesity too impacts over 38% of adults. Basically, there is no or little respite from ailments.

With health crises like this, it is important to review our relationship with the root cause behind these problems. Yes, I am talking about the food we eat.

Our food has a number of chemical and physiological reactions to our body. You may have noticed these when eating certain foods. Let’s talk about foods rich in Vitamin C for example. The apples and lemon make you feel energetic. Isn’t it?

You might have also noticed that eating junk food can cause you to feel unhealthy. This is because of its toxic reaction.

This affect both our mental and physical health. The chemical disbalance can cause everything from depression to heart disease. So it makes sense to approach our dietary habits from the perspective of our body’s chemistry and how our food affects it.

In this regard, the alkaline diet is perhaps the only diet that uses these bases of biochemistry. Here is all you need to know:

What is Alkaline Diet?

 The alkaline diet bases itself on a simple idea. Maintaining an ideal pH balance in our body. In case you are wondering, a pH balance determines how acidic an element is.

The more acidic it is, the lower it scores on the pH scale, and the more alkaline, the higher it goes on the meter.

At 7.35, our blood is slightly alkaline. When we eat food, the metabolism process fetches us energy. What remains in our blood as digestive residue affects its pH. So if you have food that leaves behind a high amount of acidic residue, like lean beef, you are likely to change the pH of your blood.

On the other hand, if you have alkaline-rich food, like broccoli and eggplant, you are more likely to maintain an ideal, alkaline pH.

An alkaline diet tries to ensure that you eat food that helps to maintain this pH balance.

Benefits of Alkaline Diet

 By maintaining alkaline pH balance, you can acquire better overall health. The alkaline pH Balance in your blood and urine creates a suitable environment for your dying cells to rejuvenate.

Plus, achieving this balance means that vital nutrients in your blood are also stabilized.

Part of achieving this balance requires you to (by and large) cut out all acidic foods. This means that the detrimental aspects of your diet are completely negated. You fuel up on foods that, on metabolizing, leave some alkaline residue in your blood.

Most alkaline foods are filled with vitamins and nutrients that are known to have positive effects on your body.

For example, alkaline foods like kale, spinach, and celery are rich in Vitamin A, C, and K and contain a host of nutrients.

These foods are known as fat burners, help in muscle-building, lowering cholesterol and even improving brain function.

Alkaline Diet Sources

The best part of an alkaline diet is that it suits everybody. Most alkaline foods are similar to vegan and vegetarian diets, so it is not difficult to incorporate alkaline foods to our diet.

Now this does not mean that if you are a meat-eater, you need to worry. When starting with an alkaline diet, do not completely restrict your meat intake. Cut down slowly.

Take larger portions of alkaline fruits and vegetables. Foods you can include in your diet include leafy greens like kale, celery, and spinach. These foods also have detoxing properties, so they make a great impact.

Fruits like kiwi and cherries are highly alkaline in nature. Besides making for a sweet snack between meals, they are highly beneficial when taken alone too.

Cherries, for example, contain anthocyanins, which studies suggest, can help fight cancer. You can even have pears, which have similar properties. Most legumes and nuts are also alkaline in nature.

Risks Associated with Acidic Diet

 There are several reasons as to why a largely acidic diet is bad for health. First and foremost, foods that are acidic in nature are mostly processed and can cause high cholesterol.

Immediately, junk food like burgers and pizzas would come to mind. However, acidic foods also include rich red meats like venison, poultry, and beef, as well as dairy products.

When you take these foods, your blood and urine become more acidic. This puts you at greater risk of getting diseases.

Everything from hypertension to arthritis is linked up with acidic diet. If you are at genetic risk for these diseases, unwittingly consuming acidic food can cause serious harm.

The health of middle-aged women, in particular, is endangered by acidic foods. After menopause, female bones health take a serious hit.

This can cause diseases like osteoporosis which has seriously engulfed millions of women over the world.

Few people know that consuming acidic foods like meat and poultry actually worsens this predicament.

This is because even though meat, poultry, and dairy are rich in calcium, digesting them leaves behind acidic residue.

Since this makes your blood acidic, your body has to rely on the existing alkaline deposits in your body to restore balance. Your body then harnesses the calcium present in your bones.

So the net effect of eating this food is negative, rather than positive.

Final Words

Switching to a new diet is not merely a fad, but an important lifestyle change.

By making the right food choice, you can lead a positive and healthy life.

The alkaline diet is one of the simplest ways to attain this.

If you’re still unsure, try switching to it for a couple of months. I’m sure it will stay for rest of the lifetime.

About Nikky Watson

Learning stops the day you stop sharing. I always try to experience things first hand. That’s what gives me conviction to go and freely talk about it. I love all things fun. Drop in sometime and you’ll know what I mean 🙂 For living and out of passion, I write and blog. I often contribute to Otr-reviews and other blogs.

You can connect with Nikky on Twitter: @nikky_watson.