Are you eating clean but still feel "off"? Do heartburn, constipation, mood swings, hormonal changes and weight gain plague you but for no good reason? Do countless doctors visits leave you feeling confused because you receive a "perfectly healthy" diagnosis but still don't feel 100%?
If this sounds like you, your body might be too acidic.
Our bodies optimum PH level is between 7.2-7.4. Very specific, I know. But the standard American diet (filled with things like caffeine, sugar, legumes, grains and meat), excessive stress, parasites can all impact the alkalinity of our bodies and leave us feeling weighed down and unwell. Chronically speaking, it can lead to serious ailments such as cancer and diabetes.
At the turn of the last century, scientists realized there was a correlation between a lack of oxygen in our blood and illnesses such as cancer, heart issues, arthritis and candida infections and diabetes. Alkaline foods work to raise the amount of oxygen in our blood, thus helping to ward off these disease and illness.
So what exactly are acid-forming foods (hint: it's all the stuff you probably gave up in the New Year) -
- Processed foods
- Sugar
- All animal food (meat, eggs, chicken, fish, lobster, oysters)
- Grains: (white) wheat, rice, pasta, flour, bread etc.
]ome fruits (i.e. oranges, pineapples, lemons, limes, grapefruits, - Dairy products (milk, cheese, butter)
- Bad fats (saturated and trans saturated fats)
- Peanuts, cashews
- Vegetables - especially raw green leafy vegetables. Kale is a big one!
- Fresh herbs and spices - parsley, basil, cilantro, cayenne, ginger;
- Fruits - watermelon, avocado, cucumber, young coconuts;
- Wheatgrass
- Sprouts: i.e. alfalfa, mung bean, broccoli etc.
The answer to feeling better? It really does seem to be "eat more kale!"