Robin Walsh, ND | Naturopathic Doctor | Waterloo, Ontario

Alkalize Your Body and Lose Weight

Eating foods that are more alkalinizing will help your body function vibrantly and will help you lose weight, have more energy, help keep your bones strong, improve your digestion and much more. For a complete list of alkalinizing foods refer to the chart below.

pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline something is. pH balance is a very important part of health. pH is measured from 1 (very acidic) to 14 (very alkaline). Our body works really hard to keep the pH of our blood at a slightly alkaline level (7.4). Our diet can have a significant impact on our blood pH. When we eat more acidic foods such as sugar, processed food, red meat our bodies have to work extra hard to restore the pH of the body. Consider this: A 350 ml serving of Coke, Pepsi or similar drink delivers a sugar fix equivalent to about 9 teaspoons of sugar straight into the blood stream. This instantly acidifies the bloodstream to the extreme point that without an immediate emergency response from the body, it would kill you in a mater of minutes…you’d have to drink 32 glasses of alkaline water to neutralize the blood pH…to prevent death by acidosis, the body reacts swiftly by drawing huge amounts of organic calcium from the bones and teeth and pouring it into the bloodstream to neutralize the excess acid and quickly restore alkaline balance. Calcium is the body’s most potent alkalizing agent”.

It’s no coincidence that acid foods that pack on the pounds and contribute to other help problems such as osteoporosis. Acidic foods accelerate aging, especially after our 40’s when the body isn’t as efficient at buffering the blood with calcium.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that alkalizing diets improve bone density and serum growth hormone concentrations; the acidosis resulting from acidic diets contributes to bone and muscle loss.

Our fat cells actually help to protect us again the excess acid in our body by trapping the acid in the fat cells. The more acidic the diet is the more your fat cells grow. Also, the body resists breaking down fat stores when the body is acidic, so to help mobilize and breakdown fat you need to alkalinize!

Clinical studies show that alkaline mineral water (such as spring water) is the best way to obtain alkaline minerals and acid waters like colas are the best way to quickly deplete them!

The most nourishing alkaline foods are nature’s super greens – spirulina, barley and wheat grass. Other super foods are Essetential Fatty Acids (omega 3) help maintain an alkaline body. For a more complete list of alkaline and acidic foods please see the chart below.

5 Top Ways to Stay Alkaline:

1. Drink, Drink then Drink some more!
   1. By far the most important and yet the easiest way to accelerate your alkaline diet weight loss results is to hydrate consistently. Avoid Coffee, tea, soda and other acidic drinks.
2. Avoid Foods with preservatives, food colouring and additives.
   1. The body wasn’t designed to digest these chemical substances, so it must either: eliminate them, neutralize them or park them away where they can’t damage your body
3. Avoid artificial sweeteners like the plague.
   1. If you have been trying to lose weight, chances are you have relied on artificial sweeteners to cut calories.
4. Always have cut veggies and soaked nuts ready in your fridge
   1. Having more of the alkaline foods readily available makes it easier to make the healthier choice. Buy veggies that you enjoy eating!
5. Choose more vegetarian sources of Protein
   1. Meats are more acid especially red meat. Choose less acid protein such as vegetarian protein – beans, nuts, seeds, fish

General Guidance:

Stick to salads, fresh vegetables and healthy nuts and oils. Try to consume plenty of raw foods and at least 2-3 litres of clean, pure water daily. Avoid or reduce of fatty meats, dairy, cheese, sweets, chocolates, alcohol and tobacco. Packaged foods are often full of hidden offenders and microwave meals are full of sugars and salts.

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