The Alkaline Food Diet Explained
March 4th, 2011
The theory of the Alkaline Diet takes us back to the beginning of human history and looks at the diet of our ancestors. When humans were a hunter-gatherer community, they ate raw foods: unprocessed plant and animal foods. As technology evolved, so did the human diet. Grains became refined when tools were invented. Milk, cheese and other processed dairy foods came about when livestock were domesticated. Salt intake increased over the years. As did meat products, especially as technology evolved to quickly fatten livestock animals. And of course, sugar intake increased over the years, especially after the Industrial Revolution. As these new foods were introduced into the diet, fresh fruits and vegetables were eaten less and less.
So as time progressed, human diets changed and our blood became more acidic. Advocates of the Alkaline Diet believe that in order to be healthy people should return to the diets of our ancestors. An acid-producing diet can disrupt the levels of essential minerals in the body, whereas an alkaline-producing diet does not.
Some health practitioners believe that an acid-producing diet that disrupts the pH level of the blood is the cause of many chronic illnesses and doctors often prescribe an Alkaline Diet to patients who exhibit:
• Extreme fatigue
• Chronic headaches
• Nasal congestion
• Frequent colds
• Anxiety/depression
• Ovarian and breast cysts
Eating an alkaline-producing diet requires shifting to an 80-20 way of eating. 80% of the diet should be alkaline and 20% acid. Introducing raw fruits and vegetables, nuts, oils, and plenty of water are a great way to shift your diet to an alkaline base and keep your pH levels in the correct range.
People with kidney problems, heart disease, or who are on medication that affects potassium levels should not start an Alkaline Diet without consulting a physician. Otherwise healthy people should find an Alkaline Diet increases energy, promotes healthy weight loss, decreases anxiety, lifts moods and boosts the immune system.
Entry Filed under: diet
