The Easiest Food Formula to Follow

Learning how to eat well for the reversal or prevention of disease need not be difficult. While there are many paths to follow: plant-based, vegetarian, vegan, pescitarian, flexitarian, paleo, gluten-free, ovo-lacto vegetarian, etc., there is one common underlying concept that can help fast-track your understanding and success.

The easiest formula to follow for health and wellbeing is an alkaline diet. When you master the concepts of acidifying versus alkalizing foods, you will be able to make wise and clear choices that support your health.

The human body is alkaline by design and necessity. Most metabolic functions produce acidic by-products which means that all your breathing, digesting, exercising, sleeping, cleansing, and eliminating create acidic wastes.

The body naturally moves acid out of the body, neutralizes acid (by drawing calcium from the bones, for example), and maintains an alkaline inner environment, however the body can slow down and falter due to an excessive intake of acidic foods, drinks, and habits which not only create more work for the body but also interferes with vital metabolic duties.

Inflammation Response

Inflammation Response

When this happens, the body slowly creates disease which is an acidic and inflamed inner body environment. You can become more susceptible to colds, flus, and allergies, you feel tired or your recovery from exercise can take longer. These are early indications of over-acidity. Deeper and more complex diseases can develop when the inner body environment stays too acidic for too long.

Acute inflammation is a healthy body response to injury or infection, however chronic, systemic inflammation is an unhealthy response to long-term acidic destruction and dismantling of health. Chronic inflammation can lead to arthritis (osteo- and rheumatoid), heart/cardiovascular disease, diabetes type 2, hypothyroidism, auto-immune diseases, depression, anxiety, Chron’s, IBS, ulcerative colitis, obesity, high cholesterol, cancer, eczema, and Multiple Sclerosis. Chronic inflammation essentially puts your body in a constant state of injury response which weakens your immune system.

In 1931 German cell biologist Dr. Otto Warburg received the Nobel Prize for discovering that cancer cells thrive in a high-acid, low-oxygen biological terrain. In his speech he claimed that nobody could say we do not know the prime cause of cancer.

Dr. Otto Warburg

Dr. Otto Warburg

An alkaline inner body environment is one that is oxygen-rich. Inflammation, germs, and disease can not exist in an oxygen-rich environment, therefore it is important to eat water-dense foods rich in oxygen content. These ideally are water based drinks and raw fruits and vegetables.

pH Scale

pH Scale

Acidity and alkalinity are measurements of pH in the body fluids of the body other than stomach acid. The pH scale slides from zero to 14. Neutral is 7, higher than 7 is alkaline (or basic), lower than 7 is acidic. For optimal health our bodies need a pH between 7.365 and 7.45 which is just slightly alkaline. Even a tenth of a variation outside this range can result in death (acidosis).

The blood never becomes acidic during life. An alkaline blood and lymph is necessary to life and health and for the blood to reach even the point of neutrality (pH 7) would cause speedy death. The body will pull alkalizing minerals like calcium from the bones in order to prevent this whereby causing osteoporosis (density loss) or osteomalacia (softening) in the process.

Acidity can also be caused by smoking, drugs (recreational, over-the-counter, or prescriptive), air and water pollution, lack of sleep, excessive exercise, and emotional stress as well as acid-forming food (see charts below) and drinks like alcohol, carbonated drinks (sodas), coffee and black tea.

The mineral content of a food or drink is the primary determining factor as to whether the food produces an alkaline or an acidic reaction in the body. This is why vegetables are very alkalizing. The “acid minerals” are sulphur, phosphorous, bromine, fluorine, copper, silicon, iodine and choline, which predominate in meat, eggs, refined sugar and refined grain products, and most nuts and seeds. The “alkaline minerals” are sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron, which predominate in virtually all fruits and vegetables and some nuts and seeds. To maintain the proper acid/alkaline balance, the diet should be 80% alkaline-forming foods and 20% acid-forming foods.

Sport drinks promote the replacement of electrolytes – calcium, potassium, and sodium – after exercise. After muscles have been worked and metabolic acids (like lactic acid) have been produced, it is important to alkalize. Rather than ingesting a sport drink with electrolytes AND excessive refined sugars and food colorings, both of which are acid forming, choose instead freshly squeezed fruit juice (like orange or lemon) diluted with quality water and a pinch of sea salt. Or drink coconut water.

Electrolytes are important because they are what cells (especially nerve, heart, muscle) use to maintain voltages across their cell membranes and to carry electrical impulses (nerve impulses, muscle contractions) across themselves and to other cells. Kidneys work to keep the electrolyte concentrations in blood constant despite changes in your body.

For example, during heavy exercise, electrolytes are lost in sweat, particularly sodium and potassium. These electrolytes must be replaced to keep the electrolyte concentrations of the body fluids constant. Chronic laxative abuse or severe diarrhea or vomiting can lead to electrolyte disturbances along with dehydration. People suffering from bulimia or anorexia nervosa are at especially high risk for an electrolyte imbalance.

Gatorade

Gatorade

This Gatorade has two sugars as the second and third ingredients and questionable artificial food additives. While the potassium and sodium can help alkalize, the sugars and artificial ingredients will acidify.

Gatorade G2

Gatorade G2

This calorie reduced Gatorade has sugar as its second ingredient and questionable artificial additives. It also contains two artificial sweeteners: sucralose and acesulfame potassium both of which are acid producing. Instead of using these or similar sport drinks, make your own or drink natural coconut water.

The chart below comes from Dr. Robert O. Young’s website.


ALKALINE FOODS
ACID FOODS

VEGETABLES

Artichokes
Arugula
Asparagus
Avocado
Basil
Beets
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Cabbage Lettuce
Capsicum/Pepper
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery
Chives
Collard/Spring Greens
Comfrey
Coriander
Cucumber
Endive
Garlic
Ginger
Grasses
Green Beans
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lamb’s Lettuce
Leeks
Leeks
Lettuce
Mustard Greens
New Baby Potatoes
Okra
Onion
Parsley
Peas
Pumpkin
Radish
Red Cabbage
Red Onion
Rutabaga
Spinach
Sprouts
Squash
Turnip
Watercress
White Cabbage
Zucchini

FRUITS

Avocado
Coconut
Grapefruit
Lemon
Lime
Pomegranate
Rhubarb
Tomato

MEATS

Pork
Lamb
Beef
Chicken
Turkey
Crustaceans
Other Seafood (apart from occasional oily fish such as salmon)

DAIRY PRODUCTS

Milk
Eggs
Cheese
Cream
Yogurt
Ice Cream

DRINKS

Almond Milk
Fresh Vegetable Juice
Green Drinks
Herbal Tea
Lemon Water (pure water + fresh lemon or lime)
Non-sweetened Soy Milk
Pure Water (distilled, reverse osmosis, ionized)
Vegetable Broth

OTHERS

Vinegar
White Pasta
White Bread
Wholemeal Bread
Biscuits
Soy Sauce
Tamari
Condiments (Tomato Sauce, Mayonnaise etc.)
Artificial Sweeteners
Honey

DRINKS

Fizzy Drinks
Coffee
Tea
Beers
Spirits
Fruit Juice
Dairy Smoothies
Milk
Traditional Tea

SEEDS, NUTS & GRAINS

Almonds
Any Sprouted Seed
Buckwheat Groats
Caraway Seeds
Cumin Seeds
Fennel Seeds
Hemp Seeds
Lentils
Sesame Seeds
Spelt

CONVENIENCE FOODS

Sweets
Chocolate
Microwave Meals
Tinned Foods
Powdered Soups
Instant Meals
Fast Food

FATS & OILS

Saturated Fats
Hydrogenated Oils
Margarine (worse than butter)
Corn Oil
Vegetable Oil
Sunflower Oil

FATS & OILS

Flax
Hemp
Avocado
Olive
Evening Primrose
Borage
Oil Blends

OTHERS

Sprouts (soy, alfalfa, mung bean, wheat, little radish, chickpea, broccoli, etc.)
Hummus
Tahini

FRUITS

All fruits, aside from those listed in the alkaline column.

SEEDS & NUTS

Peanuts
Cashew Nuts
Pistachio Nuts

General Guidance:Stick to salads, fresh vegetables and healthy nuts and oils. Try to consume plenty of raw foods and at least 2-3 liters of clean, pure water daily. General Guidance:Steer clear of fatty meats, dairy, cheese, sweets, chocolates, alcohol and tobacco. Packaged foods are often full of hidden offenders and microwaved meals are full of sugars and salts. Over cooking also removes all of the nutrition from a meal.

One misconception about alkalizing foods is that citrus, like lemons and grapefruit, and tomatoes are acidic. They are in themselves acidic, however they have an alkalizing effect in the body once digested.

There are many products and supplements that you can add to your routine to help achieve ideal alkalinity, however nothing more is required than a pH understanding and wise shopping at the grocery store.

You can see that the chart above promotes a high-vegetable, high-fat (nuts) diet. I favor a low-fat, high-fruit diet because vegetables are generally low in calories and I’d rather source my calories from water-dense, sweet fruit full of vitamins, fuel-ready fructose, and antioxidants rather than nuts. When eating a high-fruit diet, it is important to limit whole fat intake from nuts, avocados, seeds, coconut and olives.

Here is another chart from Health Wyze which breaks foods down a little differently. You can see that there are some discrepancies between the two charts above and below, however the overall messages are in alignment.

Category Strong Acid (least healthy) Medium Acid Weak Acid Weak Alkaline Medium Alkaline Strong Alkaline (healthiest)
Fruits Blueberries, Cranberries, Prunes, Sweetened Fruit Juice Sour Cherries, Rhubarb, Canned Fruit Plums, Processed, Fruit Juices Oranges, Bananas, Cherries, Peaches, Avocados Dates, Figs, Melons, Grapes, Papaya, Kiwi, Berries, Apples, Pears, Raisins, Alfalfa Lemons, Watermelon, Limes, Grapefruit, Mangoes, Pineapple, Papayas
Vegetables, Beans, Legumes Potatoes (without skins), Pinto Beans, Navy Beans, Lima Beans Cooked Spinach, Kidney Beans, String Beans Carrots, Tomatoes, Fresh Corn, Mushrooms, Cabbage, Peas, Potato Skins, Olives, Brussels Sprouts Okra, Squash, Green Beans, Beets, Celery, Lettuce, Zucchini, Sweet Potato, Carob Asparagus, Onions, Vegetable Juices, Parsley, Raw Spinach, Broccoli, Garlic
Meats Pork, Shellfish, Rabbit Turkey, Lamb, Beef Venison, Cold Water Fish Chicken
Eggs and Dairy Cheese, Custard, Homogenized Milk, Ice Cream Butter, Buttermilk, Cottage Cheese, Raw Milk Goat Milk, Goat Cheese, Whey, Yogurt, Eggs
Grains and Cereals Wheat, White Flour, Pastries, Pasta White Rice, Cornmeal, Buckwheat, Oats, Rye Sprouted or Whole Wheat Bread, Brown Rice Millet, Wild Rice
Oils Safflower Oil, Sesame Oil Sunflower Oil Corn Oil Hemp Seed Flax Seed Oil Olive Oil
Beverages Liquor, Beer, Soft Drinks Tea, Cocoa, White wine Ginger Tea, Red wine, Distilled water Green Tea Herb Teas, Lemon Water, Spring/Mineral Water
Sweeteners NutraSweet, Equal, Aspartame, Sweet ‘N Low White Sugar, Brown Sugar, Molasses Processed Honey Raw Honey, Raw Sugar Maple Syrup, Rice Syrup Stevia, Agar, Ki Sweet
Nuts and Seeds Peanuts, Walnuts Pecans, Cashews, Pistachios Pumpkin Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Sesame Seeds Chestnuts Almonds
Misc. Chocolate Jam, Ketchup, Mayonnaise, Mustard, and Vinegar Margarine, Lard Sodium, Potassium, Apple Cider Vinegar

 

To test your pH, you can obtain pH paper from a drug store or online. Testing your first morning urine or saliva (before brushing your teeth!) can indicate where you’re measuring on the pH scale.

pH Paper

pH Paper

 

Institutions that are achieving success reversing disease with diet use many of the same foods as on the alkaline charts. While there are some differences between the protocols, it’s interesting to note which foods help to reverse disease.

• The Gerson Institute Diet

• The Hippocrates Health Institute Cuisine

• Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center Protocols

Hallelujah Acres Diet

I like to look at organizations who are facilitating success with reversing chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes type 2, cancer, and heart disease to learn which foods help the body to heal. Eating these same ways to prevent disease is the best way to avoid needing to adopt strict protocols for healing once the body has tipped over to the side of inflammation, acidity, toxicity, and disease.

What can heal or cure can prevent.

Symptoms of acidosis (too much acid) are fatigue, headache, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, general nervousness, acid stomach (hyperacidity), acid perspiration, ongoing, irritating joint or muscle pain, allergies, asthma, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, ulcers, IBS, chronic skin problems, irritations or rashes, frequent bouts of colds, and a sour disposition. Chronic fatigue is often nothing more than acidosis.

“The cells of the body are born, pass through their regular life-cycle and are exfoliated and replace by new ones. Whether they are replace by normal cells or diseased ones depend wholly upon the kinds of materials out of which the new cells are created and upon what inhibiting waste is present of absent. The body is created anew daily; but if its blood and lymph are not normal, the process of renew is imperfect.” Dr. Herbert M. Shelton

Cell Regeneration

Cell Regeneration

Understanding an acid versus alkaline diet can help you bypass the myriad – and sometimes confusing – options to healthful eating. Studying the charts then shopping and eating accordingly  from the grocery store will allow you to invest your precious time and money in an effective and affordable wellness plan.

I aim to eat a low-fat, high-fruit diet 80% of the time which allows me a little wiggle room to splurge on the weekend. This keeps me on task, motivated, interested, family-friendly, and sustaining. In the event of injury, crisis or other need for increased, clear energy (the undertaking of a creative endeavor, for example) I know that I can get to 100% low-fat, high-fruit with relative ease. Healing and creative energy is available when the body is not in a chronic state of inflammation or acidosis.

Did this post help simplify a sensible approach to eating for you? Is there anything that is not clear? Please comment below and I will explain further. Alkalinity is the best concept to master! Get started today with my online Fruit Til Five™ program!

Additional Resources:

How Much Water Do You Have to Drink to “undo” a Cola?

pHMiracleLiving.com

Extensive pH charts

Acidic & Alkaline Attitudes

Detoxing is the New Crash Diet Fad

The Alkaline Sisters

{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }

Kirsten reed August 5, 2013 at 2:07 pm

I have a question – what do you think of kangen water, which promotes it is a highly alkaline water and a better choice for drinking. Hype or truth?

Reply

Carla Golden August 5, 2013 at 4:57 pm

I have a two-part answer. First, if you eat cooked food (cooking cooks the water out of food) you need to replace the water. This is why most nutritionists advise drinking 8 8oz glasses of water per day…because it’s assumed you are eating cooked food. If you drink water, consider a filter/purifier to improve upon tap water. An alkalizing one would be a good chioce. The second part is if you eat a predominantly raw fruit and veggie diet, you may not drink much water because you’re eating so much water. No water is more pure than the water in edible plants. It’s been filtered by the best filter: Mother Nature! I have been considering a water purifier. We’ve been filtering our water for a while (Brita pitcher) however I’d like to step it up a notch for my tea. I’m looking at the Berkey water purifier and with added mineral stones, it will alkalize the water too. More about that here: http://bit.ly/12VzKLU Hope this helps Kirsten! xo.

Reply

Stephanie Lei August 5, 2013 at 8:09 pm

Aloha Carla,

Thanks for this email, I really liked reading it and your thoughts.
I have two questions.
1) Do you know where passion fruit fit on either of the alkalinity charts?
2) With the introduction of Young Living’s NingXia Nitro, what do you think about that related to these charts? And also, what do you think about YL’s NingXia Red related to these charts, as well?

Thank you!
Aloha, Stephanie

Reply

Carla Golden August 6, 2013 at 9:16 am

Hi Stephanie!! Thank you for writing. HERE is a bit of research that I found regarding the pH of passion fruit. As mentioned in the article some fruits are acidic in and of themselves, but have an alkaline reaction in the body. I’m not sure whether or not passion fruit is like this. If you’re eating a diet of mostly fruit, eating acidic fruit is not much concern. It’s when you’re eating cooked foods, grains, animal products etc. that you’ll want to limit acidic fruits because you’ll already be producing so much internal acid.

As far as juices go, NingXia Red and NingXia Nitro are both lovely juices, however no packaged juice compares to eating the whole fruit or fresh pressed vegetable juice. In general, fruits should not be juiced as they need their full water and fiber content for optimal digestion and to avoid blood sugar spiking. All food and drink is on a spectrum. There’s no magic dividing line between good and bad. You’ll need to decide for yourself if drinking a Ning juice is the only way you’re going to eat these super foods/fruits or if you’re willing to eat the whole fruits.

In general I’m not a fan of supplements, proprietary juices, powders, etc. however if it’s the only way a person will intake some of these preferred nutrients, then go for it. Ultimately I’d like to see everyone eat real whole food in the form of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Until you try it, you have no idea how awesome you can feel. xoxoxo.

Reply

Jan Schochet August 5, 2013 at 8:54 pm

Great blog post, Carla. What a good explanation of the alkaline diet approach. I particularly like the 2nd one because, like you, I appreciate all the good things about fruits. Thanks!

Reply

Carla Golden August 6, 2013 at 9:06 am

Glad you enjoyed the post Jan! Fruit, glorious fruit! xoxox.

Reply

Pamela Ann Ezell August 6, 2013 at 1:27 am

Dear Carla,

Wonderful post and site. thanks for sharing. A couple of points were concerning. The high fruit being one of them. They too produce lots of sugar in the body which can be quite upending to those who have candida. Since many of those people don’t even realize this fact they may be scratching their heads in wonder when they do feel the rapid improvement that an alkaline diet can provide.

The other point I would like to respectfully share with you is the importance of having sufficient amounts of raw fat in your diet. Each cell requires a 4to1 ratio of fatty acids so they can store and conduct the electrical currents in our body (4 short & medium fatty acids to 1 long chain fatty acid) If we consume cooked fats, they are literally 1 carbon away from being plastic and plastic cannot conduct electricity. Hence, cooked fats or a low fat diet may be one more factor why people are not thriving in their lives.

I trained under the brilliant Dr. Jerry Tennant who worked with the Russian astronauts to help them maintain their electrical currents while in space for long periods of time.

This knowledge along with what you are sharing helped me regrow my body. I literally raised my electrical currents from -22 ions to -50 ions. which is literally like changing from a frog to a salamander. As you know, a salamander can regenerate their bodies…because they have higher electrical currents in their bodies.

I used to bedridden for decades and now I write books and travel the world. At 60 plus years I am very healthy and vigorous. If you are interested in hearing one of my radio programs on this subject simply go to my website and signup for the “insiders Only” area on the right hand side of my home page. You will also receive 6 free chapters of one of my books. No worries, I’m not trying to sell you anything…just sharing some very powerful information that I know will be profoundly supportive of you and your clients.

Thank you for sharing your gift with others. you are doing a wonderful job and I appreciate you. I would love to visit with you some at your convenience. My website is my name, pamelaannezell and my phone number is 520-333-6015.

Till then, enjoy your day!

Reply

Carla Golden August 6, 2013 at 9:04 am

Thank you so much for taking the time to write Pamela! I appreciate your input. I am studying with the University of Natural Health (Bachelor of Science under the belt, pursuing MS and PhD) which teaches Natural Hygiene. Dr. Douglas Graham has been a great source of inspiration and education for me. His book 80/10/10 (low-fat, raw vegan, 80% daily calories from carbs, 10% from fat, 10% from protein) addresses the issue of candida on a high-fruit diet. I have posted those pages for you HERE.

If you are curious, HERE is my Food Diary. I have never had a candida issue and I seem to be doing pretty well with my fat intake (a little higher than Dr. Graham recommends).

You seems very knowledgable and quite interesting. I’d love to know more about you, your story and the diet you recommend to others. I will go to your site now and request download the free information.

Thank you for being in touch!! Best, Carla.

Reply

Winsome Belnavis February 17, 2014 at 5:23 pm

This is a very informative article. You have presented vital scientific health information in a credible and simple manner. Your experience and knowledge is evident. Understanding the physiology of the body along with what and how we eat affects the PH.and hence our state of health.

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Laurel March 18, 2014 at 10:50 am

Hi Carla – I have gastritis which flares up every few months. I have been avoiding limes and lemons because I thought they fell in the acid category…can you explain why they don’t? I have all the symptoms of being too acidic.

I also have to avoid gluten completely and nuts. Thanks!

Reply

Carla Golden March 18, 2014 at 11:07 am

Citrus is acidic outside of the body, but once it is metabolized, it increases the alkalinity of urine. The effect foods have on the pH of urine may be very different than the pH of foods themselves. Oranges are highly acidic foods, but after metabolism they cause urine to become alkaline. Remember though pasteurized mass market orange juice is cooked and dead and basically flavored sugar water. Sugar causes urine to become acidic. Slowly introduce citrus in your diet to see if causes you any distress. Look at other factors like coffee, medication, alcohol, refined grains and sugar and other acid forming foods and try to reduce those.

Reply

Bethany May 19, 2014 at 7:27 pm

Carla, Thank you for this brilliant article! I’m going to print it out and study it carefully. SO much good info!!
Bethany recently posted..The Mother Wound as Initiation into the Divine FeminineMy Profile

Reply

Carla Golden May 19, 2014 at 8:40 pm

Glad you enjoyed it and will incorporate it into your daily living Bethany!

Reply

paul spivack May 19, 2014 at 8:35 pm

Carla, very interesting. of course my own interest in nutrition has increased. So am I understanding correctly that alkalinity and disinflammatory are directly corelated? And salt (which I know I need to limit) is alkaline?

Reply

Carla Golden May 19, 2014 at 8:43 pm

Yes, alkalinity and anti-inflammatory foods are correlated. Salt (sodium chloride) and sodium are two different things. Sodium is an alkalizing mineral just like potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Table salt is to be avoided. When choosing a salt, choose a whole salt like sea salt, not a refined one like Morton’s brand. You want all the trace minerals.

Vegetables & roots with natural sodium content are celery, artichoke, beets, carrots, turnips, greens, sweet potatoes.

More on sodium: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium
More on sodium chloride: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt

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paul spivack July 8, 2014 at 9:22 pm

ph and inflamation are concepts I easily accept. Carla, are they exactly correlated , that is, is a high ph always equally disinflamatory, or are there exceptions. For instance, I noticed that avocados are listed as only mildly alkaline, but I can almost swear that they are very disinflamatory, based on my positive experience with reducing joint pain.

Reply

Carla Golden July 9, 2014 at 9:31 am

I don’t think they are exactly correlated Paul, but they certainly are associated. Inflammation can happen in an otherwise healthy person like with an injury or after exercise. Acute inflammation vs. chronic inflammation. I believe that if you are eating a predominately plant-based diet you are eating an ideal 80% alkaline, 20% acid diet.

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