When we think about keeping our body healthy, maintaining a healthy pH level is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. However, the wrong pH level is at the root of many diseases, from arthritis and constipation to obvious signs like acne flare-ups. The pH scale ranges from 0-14, with 7 being the midpoint where the pH is neutral. Anything below 7 is acidic and anything above 7 is alkaline. Our body is designed to function in an alkaline environment. When our body is alkaline, most diseases and microbial infections cannot survive.
Why Is Our pH Imbalanced?
Balancing a person’s pH was never a concern before because people followed a largely nutritious, wholesome diet. Natural grains and fresh produce tend to have a higher pH level, while refined, sugary foods have a lower pH level. The Standard American Diet is high in processed foods, sugars, refined carbs and lots of caffeine. All of these foods combine to create an acidic environment in our body, which fosters bad bacteria, inflammation and leads to chronic diseases. Balancing our pH has become increasingly important because our current natural diets are very acidic in nature. Luckily our body’s pH value responds very quickly to any change in diet. If you want to make your body alkaline, a simple inclusion of certain foods and restriction of acidic foods is all you need to do.
Acidic Foods You Need To Avoid
Acidic foods are foods which have a very low pH level and disrupt your body’s optimal pH. A typical American diet is heavy in these foods, which is the main reason why inflammation is on the rise in our society today. If you want to change your body’s acidic pH, these are the foods you need to steer clear from.
1. All Sugary Drinks
How many cans of soda do you get through in a week? Drink like flavored sodas, sparkling water and sports drinks are extremely disruptive of our body’s pH. Cut your intake of these drinks and stick to plain water which has a neutral pH.
2. Fruit Juices
While fruits are certainly healthy, drinking just the juice can make your body very acidic. Fruit juices -even the ones with no added sugar- contain high concentrations of natural sugars. Without the fibers in the fruit to regulate them, they instantly spike your blood sugar levels and turn your body acidic.
3. Alcohol
Surprise, surprise, alcohol is bad for you. Magnesium is an important mineral in our body which contributes towards making it more alkaline. However, when we drink alcohol, it prevents magnesium from being absorbed and creates a very acidic environment.
4. Caffeine
If you can’t start your day without a big mug of coffee, then you might be contributing towards turning your body acidic. You could switch to decaf coffee or drink green tea which has caffeine in very low concentrations.
Alkaline Foods To Eat More Of
Alkaline foods produce alkalizing minerals which turn your body’s pH right around. Include plenty of these in your diet to ward off diseases and keep your bodily functions fully intact.
1. Raw Vegetables
While cooking can make certain compound sin vegetable more bioavailable, it can destroy many alkalizing minerals in the process. Make sure you eat a mix of cooked and raw vegetables to get the most nutrients. Eat plenty of spinach, broccoli, celery and sweet potatoes in particular as they have a very high pH level.
2. Lemons
Drinking warm lemon water every morning on an empty stomach can be one of the most effective ways to make your body alkaline. While lemons are acidic in themselves, once they’re ingested, they turn alkaline in your body.
3. Alliums
Alliums like garlic and onions have a very high pH value and can help your body become more alkaline. Many experts recommend eating raw, crushed garlic everyday to steer your body onto a more alkaline path.
