10 Best Alkaline Foods

The principle on which the alkaline food is based is that certain foods produce acidity in the body through the residual elements left after digestion.

The negative health effects of acids can be reduced by limiting the consumption of foods that cause acidity and by increasing the consumption of foods that alkalize the body.

To combat the effects of an acid diet, check the list of 10 best alkaline food which you should introduce in your daily meals.

You can find more info about the benefits of an alkaline diet in my article ‘Benefits Alkalizing Your Body‘.

Alkaline Foods For Your Body

1. Spinach

Spinach is rich in chlorophyll, a powerful alkalizing food necessary for red blood cell production.

It also contains vitamin A, manganese, folic acid, magnesium, iron, vitamin C, vitamin B2, calcium, potassium, vitamin E and dietary fiber.

Health Benefits: It is a powerful antioxidant, prevents ovarian cancer, slows down the aging process of the body and treats anemia.

2. Kale

Kale is another food with alkalizing effect in the body, rich in antioxidants that prevent cancer, reduce cholesterol and nutrients that help detoxification. You can read more about detoxification in my article ‘The Best Detox For Weight Loss‘.

Like spinach, kale cabbage is rich in vitamin K, vitamin A, and vitamin C, also providing a generous amount of chlorophyll.

Health Benefits: The nutrients provided are transformed into compounds that prevent cancer development, prevent atherosclerosis, protect heart health, inhibit the proliferation of cancerous cells in the bladder, etc.

3. Cucumbers

The richest vegetable in the water (95%), the cucumber is also a strong alkaline food, a moisturizing food, with many antioxidants in the composition (including lignans).

Cucumbers are rich in vitamins K and C, but also in alkaline minerals calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, selenium, copper, manganese, iron and zinc.

4. Broccoli

Broccoli is an alkaline food indispensable to a healthy diet, which increases the vitality and energy of the body.

This popular cruciferous vegetable prevents the development of cancer, improves digestive health and cardiovascular system, stimulates detoxification processes in the body and provides an essential amount of antioxidants.

Broccoli has a powerful alkalizing effect if eaten raw. It can be used in salads, fresh juices, soups or grilled.

5. Avocado fruits

Avocados are rich in healthy fats (85% of their calories come from fat), so it is recommended in any diet that is beneficial to health.

Oleic acid in these fruits helps to reduce LDL cholesterol levels and prevents the heart attacks, stimulating the production of antioxidants.

Avocados also contain other nutrients with important health benefits, with an anti-inflammatory role, which reduces the risk of heart disease and lowers blood glucose levels.

Avocado fruits contain essential antioxidants, such as alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein, selenium, etc. Avocado fruits are also considered as some of the most alkaline foods that you can introduce into your daily diet.

6. Celery

Celery, similar to cucumber, is an alkaline food very appreciated for its abundant water content and is often used in the preparation of fresh juices and soups.

One of the major benefits of celery is the significant amount of vitamin C, with its well-known health effects.

Celery also supplies phthalides, nutrients that have proven effective in lowering cholesterol levels, and coumarin anticoagulants that inhibit the development of certain types of cancer.

The same healthy and alkaline vegetable contains full potassium and sodium, being an excellent diuretic – helps the body to eliminate excess fluid.

7. Garlic

Garlic is also a strong alkaline food, having an important action on metabolic processes in the body. Besides, garlic strengthens the body’s immunity, helps regulate blood pressure, helps detoxify and successfully fight disease.

8. Lemon

An important source of vitamin C and an excellent natural disinfectant, lemon is also one of the most alkaline foods. In addition, it helps to detoxify the liver and has a tonic effect.

9. Hot pepper

Capsicin from hot pepper, another important alkaline food, has important antibacterial properties. In addition, this variety of peppers helps to fight stress and strengthen the immune system during the cold season.

10. Red bell peppers

The list of the most alkaline foods is supplemented by red pepper, a real source of nutrients essential to maintaining health and preventing the development of severe flavonoid diseases (luteolin, quercetin, hesperidin), carotenoids (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin) acidic acid, etc.

In many specialty studies, red bell peppers have proven useful in reducing the risk of heart disease, developing type II diabetes, macular degeneration, and so on. At the same time, this type of pepper supplies the well-known palette of antioxidants (vitamins C, A and E) in generous amounts of red pepper has twice as much vitamin C than oranges!

Categories Of Alkaline Foods

1. Vegetables

All vegetables are alkaline. Eating more vegetables is an essential step in your diet.

It is best to consume them in a less processed form – raw or steamed are ideal, fried or cooked (such as carrot cake) are the least indicated forms of consumption.

All types of algae are alkaline. Greens, like spinach, parsley, are all strongly alkaline.

Also in this category are herbal teas and fresh vegetable juices.

2. Fruits

Most of the fruits are alkaline, except blueberries and plums, they are more acidic.

Fruits should be eaten raw so that some vitamins can be destroyed by cooking, such as vitamin C.

Among the most alkaline fruits are melons, lemons, dates, figs, and grapes. Fresh fruit juices and smoothies are also tasty.

Even apple cider vinegar is alkaline, contrary to expectations, because vinegar, by its nature, is an acidic product.

But the quality of food to be alkaline or acid is due to the amount of acidic residue that is produced by digestion. The body is affected by these residual substances, not the acidity of the product.

3. Nuts and seeds

Almonds, sesame seeds, and chia are all alkaline, the rest of the nuts are slightly more acidic.

Hydrate the nuts before consumption, and they will become more alkaline.

Nuts and seeds are neutral so they should be eaten occasionally. These include almond oil, sunflower, rapeseed or sesame oil. The oils tend to rancid fast, so the best ones are fresh, cold pressed and untreated.

4. Beans and Cereals

Millet and quinoa have an alkaline effect. Fresh legumes, such as green peas, lime beans or soy products – tofu and tempeh – also have an alkaline effect.

Generally, all cereals and legumes have an acidic effect, especially in their processed form, in the form of bread, cereals, pasta or other bakery products.

As for legumes, as in the case of oil seeds, they become more alkaline if they are moisturized before they are prepared.

Healthy Replacements For ‘Bad’ Foods

1. Coconut instead of milk

Replace cow’s milk with unsweetened coconut milk whenever possible. Coconuts are rich in healthy fats and alkaline minerals such as potassium.

If you do not like coconut milk, you can try products based on unsweetened almond milk, which also has an alkalizing effect.

2. Stevia instead of refined sugar

Sugar creates acidity in the blood, causing large imbalances in all organs. Regular consumption of large amounts of sugar refined in the form of sweets can lead to the development of diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

Replace white sugar with a natural herbal sweetener, such as stevia. A natural sweetener, stevia leaves have shown that they do not have the same negative impact on blood sugar and have an alkalizing effect on the blood.

Stevia can be used instead of sugar in any recipe or drink.

3. Pumpkin seeds instead of peanuts

Peanuts create acidity, so peanut-based products should be replaced with other more alkaline oils such as pumpkin seeds. These are a great snack and can be sprinkled in salads for extra protein and healthy fats.

What Indicates The pH Of The Body

In general, pH measures how much alkaline or acid is our body. Thus, a pH equal to 0 indicates that the body is entirely acidic, while a pH of 14 indicates it is totally alkaline. A pH equal to 7 indicates a neutral environment.

A healthy body is not 100% alkaline or 100% acidic. For example, the stomach ideally has a pH of 1.35 – 3.5, because it has to be more acidic for proper digestion. On the other hand, the blood must be slightly alkaline, so it has a pH of 7.35-7.45.

A handy device in your kitchen should be the cold press juicer for the preparation of green leaf juices, vegetables, and fruits.

This type of juicer basically presses vegetables, works at low speeds, and the pulp remains almost dry, almost all the juice is extracted.

Final Thoughts

Alkaline products help you to recover faster and maintain your body’s natural health status, respectively a PH level of 7,365.

Remember to introduce the alkaline foods in your diet and prepare healthy juices at home with the help of a cold press juicer.

Alkaline foods:

– cucumbers, lettuce, onions, garlic, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, green beans, green peas, celery, cabbage, leeks, carrots, courgettes, turnips, radishes, parsley, dill, peppers, rich in chlorophyll);

– lemon, lime, avocado, grapefruit, rhubarb, watermelon, coconut (attention, whole coconut, not ground), soy, beans, buckwheat, quinoa, millet;

– pure water, lemon water, herbal tea, freshly squeezed juices from vegetables, soy or almond milk, vegetable soup;

– cold pressed olive oil, rape oil, generally any oil that is cold pressed, pike oil, grape seed oil.

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Stay healthy!