The Benefits of an Alkaline Diet in the Spring
(Tools for the Toolbox)
As part of my wellness philosophy, I am taking a deeper dive into the benefits of an alkaline diet, especially in the spring. Here are my findings.
You may wonder: What is an alkaline diet? How can it benefit me and my health? The premise of an alkaline diet is simple but controversial. As noted by Wikipedia; when the body is in an alkaline state (a pH greater than 7.0) diseases like arthritis and cancers lose their ability to survive. Folk wisdom or no, with this thought in mind, it makes sense to explore the chemistry of your inner environment.
How can I know if my body is alkaline? A simple litmus test will tell you. When dipped in saliva, test strips, found at your local pharmacy or online, will provide you with your body’s pH range.
How can I create a more alkaline environment in my body? It’s simpler than you think. Regardless of your belief about alkaline diets, following one may improve your health. For example, if you think in terms of acids and alkalinity, what foods come to mind? If you think, “Plant-based eating is alkaline,” you would be correct. If you think, “Sugar-based eating is acidic,” you would be correct, also.
Before we discuss the specific methods for creating alkalinity in the body, let’s first look at some of the alleged features and benefits of making the leap to higher pH. Here are my top 5 benefits of an alkaline diet in the spring according to my findings.
Alkaline Diet Benefit 1.) Hypothesized by many alternative health professionals, it bears repeating that many chronic diseases cannot survive an acidic environment. “Starve them out!” they say. As discussed above, the thinking goes, chronic diseases like cancer and arthritis thrive in acids but find it difficult to survive in an alkaline environment. Although there is no hard scientific proof, the authors of The China Study (Campbell & Campbell, 2006) sing the praises of alkalinity. According to them, leaning more toward plant-based eating will increase your longevity.
Alkaline Diet Benefit 2.) You will naturally reduce your sugar intake. If you lean toward plant-based eating and avoid simple carbohydrates, this is true. Even if you do not have diabetes, your future health could be at risk if you fall into “insulin resistance,” now a common health buzz word. The details of insulin resistance are beyond the scope of this article, but the premise is that eating too many refined sugars (white bread, candies, and high-fructose corn syrup) could send your insulin into overdrive putting your heart and other body functions at risk. Plant-based eating will help reduce the insulin spikes, those which put you in the health issue red zone.
Alkaline Diet Benefit 3.) You will naturally reduce your dependence on processed foods. If you want to live long and strong, you could do well to give up boxed foods, prepared foods, and fast food. If you do decide to lean toward a plant-based diet, do your best to eat live foods, avoiding ones in a bag or box and those listing weird ingredients that can’t be pronounced.
Alkaline Diet Benefit 4.) You will naturally lose weight. Weight loss is another side effect of a higher pH. Plants and natural foods tend to be lower in calories and, therefore, will help you lose weight if you need to. Your body’s organs and systems will act favorably in a more flora-friendly environment and weight loss will most likely be your reward.
Alkaline Diet Benefit 5.) You will naturally boost your energy levels. A fun way to help alkalize your body is with beets, the “superfood.” Beets can be found everywhere these days. Concentrated and mixed with water, they are highly alkaline and are thought to add nitric oxide to your body’s metabolism. Nitric oxide boosts energy levels naturally, without the use of caffeine or other stimulants. Green plants will also give you this energy boost.
Alkaline Diets in Review: Whether you believe the claims or not, there are simple ways to help create a more alkaline environment in your body. If only for fun, you could test your body with litmus paper. You can usually find test strips at your local pharmacy or buy them online at places like Amazon or (my favorite) The Baar Catalog.
Once you know your body’s pH level, you could add a few dried beets or aim to go meatless once a week in Meatless Monday-type fashion. You could also check out the alkaline drops (also found in The Baar Catalog) that are placed into filtered water for an instant alkaline boost. Finally, if you would like to know more about plant-based eating and its benefits, check out The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., and Thomas M. Campbell II, M.D.
Hopefully some or all of these ideas will help you get on the fast track to a higher pH and help keep you healthy now and far into the future. Who knows, maybe the benefits of an alkaline diet might be right for you!
Check Out Other More Miles to Go… Toolbox Articles in This Series:
Invisible Beauty: Discovering the 7 Sources of Healing Energy and How to Use Them