Your blood registers a pH balance of about 7.4, which means it is alkaline. In order to help the body sustain this level of alkalinity, it is important to consume the perfect mix of alkaline foods and acid foods. The blend that alkaline diet proponents recommend is 80 percent alkaline foods to 20 percent acid foods.
The pH balance is a way of measuring the alkaline or acid composition of substances on a scale of zero to fourteen, with a pH of seven being considered neutral. A pH lower than seven is thought to be acidic and a pH balance above seven is alkaline. For every unit a solution moves on the pH balance scale, it registers a tenfold increase in the degree that it is acid or alkaline. When evaluating alkaline foods and acid foods, the mineral structure of the substances after metabolization is what is being calculated.
Sustaining a proper pH balance plays an important role in your total well-being since viruses, yeast, bacteria and harmful organisms flourish when the body is more acidic. So, choosing more alkaline foods than acid foods creates an uninviting environment for the little things that may contribute to disease.
The most reliable alkaline foods to choose are fresh fruits and veggies, herbs and spices. Simple seasonings like cinnamon, sea salt, and cayenne pepper can be excellent alkaline choices. Leafy green vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, and rainbow chard are high quality alkaline foods. Squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, peppers and other orange or yellow vegetables also help alkalize the diet. There are a handful of fruits and vegetables considered to be acid foods, so pay attention to your intake of plums, corn, green olives, and cranberries. It is interesting to note that ripe bananas are usually considered alkaline foods while green bananas are not. Also, this may seem to go against normal thinking, but citrus fruits are usually said to be alkaline foods. Keep in mind that what is being assessed is the pH balance these foods register once they have been digested.
It is important to remember that a proper blend of acid foods and alkaline foods is the goal to achieve. Most supporters of an alkaline diet recommend primarily alkaline foods, but about twenty percent of your daily choices should be acid foods. Common acid foods are pasta, meats and fish. Of course, refined sugars, processed snack foods, and sodas can really tip pH balance to the acid side of the scale. Other items that are considered healthy may also be acid foods, such as nuts, whole grains and beans. This doesn’t mean you should stop eating them. It just means that you should notice the ratio of alkaline foods that you consume each day.
Cliff Everett Smith is co-owner of the fastest growing health food store online, www.BestHealthFoodStore.net. See the list of alkaline foods . Take the free alkaline food test to calculate your daily consumption of alkaline foods and acid foods.