Many of us are inclined to eat an overly acidic diet. Acid forming foods are typically found at fast foods joints, on many restaurant menu selections, and even the foods we cook at home. When we eat these foods we throw our bodies out of proper PH balance.
Acidic foods are those that measure low on a ph scale.
A PH scale measures the alkalinity or acidity of various substances – generally soil and liquids . . . in our case the liquids and tissues in our bodies – blood, saliva, urine, intra-cellular fluids.
The scale assigns a value of 1 to 14 to our body’s fluid, with 1 being very acidic and 14 very alkaline. We can test our body’s ph balance by using a litmus test strip purchased from the local drug store. Measure by testing your urine or saliva in the morning – before your first meal of the day.
Prevent pre-diabetes by avoiding acid foods
It’s been determined that for optimal health our bodies should measure between 7.35 to 7.45 on the ph scale, or slightly more alkaline than acidic. Whenever our bodies become too acidic for extended periods we tend to set ourselves up for chronic disease. And pre-diabetes is one such condition.
One major effect of being too acidic is developing acidosis, a serious health condition, which can lead to kidney stones, erossion of teeth enammel and an increase in cortisol which is caused by stress. Of course, we know that when our bodies are in a constant stressful state it will lead to weight gain which is a risk factor for pre-diabetes.
In addition, severe acidosis can be fatal. It causes our vital organs to rob excess minerals from their primary functions inorder to return them to a neutral balance. The unfortunate result of this can be a deficiency in minerals necessary to maintain proper bodily functions such as building strong bones, cell regeneration, and organ and tissue growth.
Your body is constantly seeking balance. It doesn’t want to be too skewed either way and is constantly working to reach optimal ph level.
Acid forming foods
Some examples of acid causing foods include:
- Meat
- Ocean fish
- Dairy foods
- Breads
- White grains
- Certain nuts –including cashews and peanuts
- Butter, margarine and corn oil
- Sugar and sweeteners
- Processed foods
- Alcohol, soft drinks, coffee and black teas
Eating alkaline foods
On the other hand, when we eat an alkaline diet it supplies us with proper minerals amounts to maintain our body’s vital organs including brain, lungs, heart and kidneys. So there is no need to deplete your stores of necessary minerals.
This type of diet calls for eating fresh fruits and veggies and avoiding processed food products especially meats – typically sandwich cuts and non-organic or conventional meats, alcohol and highly caffeinated drinks. Also foods that have a lot of salt as part of its ingredient should be eliminated from your diet.
How does alkaline foods help to prevent pre-diabetics?
Researchers believe that a decrease in the blood ph from consuming excess acidic foods will result in a decrease in insulin sensitivity. This results in an increase in circulating blood sugar. Our body’s cells are not getting their main source of energy.
Eating an alkaline diet has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and the ability for our cells to use glucose more effectively.
What foods make up the alkaline diet?
To improve your ph balance and prevent pre-diabetes start eating foods that are more alkaline. They include fresh fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, quinoa and a host of other healthy mineral-supplying sources. The veggies I like to eat are leafy greens (a great source of calcium), broccoli, fresh tomatoes, carrots and cabbage. There are others but these make up the bulk of my diet. I am also a big fan of wild caught salmon, almonds and nuts in general.
Is your body out of balance?
As I mentioned above, test your ph balance occasionally to determine whether you need to adjust your diet. This is another weapon in your arsenal to prevent pre-diabetes.
Also visit How to Prevent Pre-diabetes for more tips on using exercise to keep this dreaded disease at bay.
The body counteracts to acidic foods and in doing so it becomes more alkaline. Same reason why regular lemon intake is believed to reduce the overall PH level in our body fluids, despite them being acidic. Note though that it is not a clear science of what governs the PH levels in our body; it is all a bit anecdotal. However, in my opinion acidic intake (like vinegar or lemons) does not reduce the acidic environment in your stomach – the stomach acids is govern by completely different mechanisms than your overall body’s PH levels. It influences the stomach environment indeed, and might very well mean that the body itself counteracts by reducing the production of stomach acids but it does so to keep the overall environment intact, and likely there will be no difference in the end. and yet Apple Cider Vinegar often helps to reduce e.g. acid reflux. Why, it is difficult to say. It is clear though that too much acidity may not always be the cause, in fact too little acidity can cause Acid Reflux as well. Best answer is more likely that your stomach experiences an imbalance in its production of acids. And so the positive effect is probably because the stomach environment experiences a sort of kick-start if you add Vinegar of not only regarding acidity but also biotics (which is likely more relevant). In the end of the day, the best way to influence your stomach is simply by diet not partially or magic-bullet like, but completely.