You may have heard the term “alkaline diet” thrown around by that friend of yours who’s always drinking cold press juices, never skips a day without a salad and loves their yoga. But what exactly is the deal? Stay with me and I’ll give you a quick run down so you’re not raising your eyebrow no more! Who knows, may be you’ll actually try it yourself?
Alkaline what?
Alkaline diets aren’t another fad diet that promises that you’ll shed kilos and feel amazing, although they are common side effects. No, we’re talking about a way of life. Fuelling your body with alkaline minerals to detoxify efficiently and effectively. You do this by following a general 80/20 rule. 80% alkaline forming foods and 20% acid forming foods. Notice I said "forming". Many people confuse the two because of their taste. For example citrus fruits taste acidic but they’re in fact the most alkaline forming. This is because lemons for instance are rich in potassium and calcium - alkaline minerals.
How do they determine if a food (or liquid) is alkaline or acidic? The food is burnt to ash and then the pH of the ash is measured. This is important because as your body uses the food as fuel, it is effectively doing just that - burning the material to it’s base components.
Alkaline diets aren’t about being vegan or vegetarian. It’s about limiting acidic food such as meat, diary, wheat and eating more alkaline food which are most fruits and vegetables (click here for a free alkaline/acid food chart). So you can still have your steak dinner. Just have a smaller steak and load up on the veggies!
What are the benefits?
If you're like most people, your diet primarily consists of meat, processed food, wheat, grains, dairy and sugar. These are all acid-forming and put you at a greater risk of chronic health conditions. Dr Otto Warburg, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate discovered that cancer flourishes in an oxygen deprived, acidic environment but cannot survive in an oxygen rich, alkaline environment. It's useful to note that alkaline water by definition contains more oxygen than acidic water as it’s higher in hydroxyl ions.
A build-up of excess acidic waste also weakens your immune system and depletes your body of essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium, causing your body to steal these minerals from your bones and cells to properly feed the tissues and balance your blood pH. This results in the reduction of muscle mass, weakens bones and teeth, the possible forming of kidney stones and even the growth of cancer cells.
Making a habit of including more alkaline food in your meals can literally save your life. There are so many reasons for going alkaline from greater energy levels to better immune function to lowering your cancer risk.
Eating alkaline food neutralises acidic waste in your body and allows it to flush it out. These foods are rich in minerals your body needs daily to effectively perform its functions. You’ll feel lighter, experience less bloating, improve your mood and productivity. Not only that, your digestive system will function better than ever before, you will lose weight or maintain a healthy weight when the excess acid which is stored in your fat cells, is eliminated from the body.
You can of course boost your alkalising efforts by replacing your normal drinking water with a natural alkaline water to speed up the process. Making a choice to switch your everyday drinking water to a mineral-rich alkaline water can be a game-changer.
Now you know the benefits, why don’t you give it a go? And if you’d like to try some of our amazing alkaline water to boost your efforts, click here to view our range and have them delivered to your door free of charge! (Minimum orders apply.)
About the Author
Tom (AKA The Waterboy) is passionate about natural 
health and helping others improve their wellbeing by following a natural alkaline diet. He is the director of alkalife working with his brother John on a mission to educate the world on how to take control of their health naturally. He is also passionate about reducing his carbon footprint which flows onto a lot of business decisions too. His pet peeves are inconsiderate people, people that cut into your lane without indicating and ironing.
