The Master Key of Maintaining Health is Alkalinity
The very definition of "diet" means to restrict oneself to small amounts or special kinds of food in order to lose weight. Many times we go on a "diet" with the intention of eventually going off of it to get back to normal eating. But in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, we have to change the mindset where eating well is only temporary.
After going through a 21 day juice fast of eating one healthy meal and juicing breakfast and dinner, I felt so fantastic that I realized most of my health ailments were food related. The culprits were gluten, dairy, caffeine, sugar, corn syrup, artificial flavors and colors, preservatives, and GMOs. The difference was like night and day. One slip up and the ailments were back. Then I found out about pH balance - acidosis vs. alkalinity - and this has become my key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Some days when I feel off (because of cross contamination at a restaurant or from not having enough leafy greens), I test my pH balance with a litmus strip and find that my blood pH is pretty low. Our bodies continually strive to be at a pH balance of 7.35; it knows we must remain there to survivie. But the Standard American Diet is far from alkaline with its emphasis on meat, bread, dairy and sugar, which are all acidic. How can we counter this acidity? For one thing, we must be aware of what we should be eating, and then be prepared ahead so we don't fall into the habit of "grabbing a bite". This can be overwhelming if you don't have a plan. Think of your plate as 70% alkaline foods and 30% acid foods, instead of the other way around.
For me, the key is alkalinity. If 70% of what I eat is alkaline, that pretty much dictates what kinds of things I can eat. In my old way of thinking I would plan meals around my protein and starch, and then throw in a little vegetable to round it out. Unfortunately, proteins and starches usually consist of the acidic foods, whereas the vegetables and fruits are the alkaline ones. This meant I had to re-think the way I planned my meals. Now I plan mostly vegetable meals and add in a little protein and starch. According to the USDA, a person of my age and gender only needs 50 grams of protein a day. I had it backwards. Now when I look at my "plate", I want to see 70% of it vegetable and a little fruit, 15% protein (meat, fish, beans, or nuts), and 15% starch (rice, potato, pasta). This took some getting used to; but since I love to cook, it's been a fun challenge. One difficulty has been changing my lunches to consist of something other than a sandwich. I think I've been eating a sandwich for lunch my whole life. That was a hard habit to break. It's just so convenient. Now I prepare an alkaline lunch enough for two or three days so it's all ready, otherwise I just want to "grab" whatever's convenient - and that's not usually alkaline. I have a chart posted in my kitchen to remind me of what to keep on hand. According to the Happy Herbalist these are some of the alkaline and acidic foods to keep in mind. http://www.happyherbalist.com/alkaline_acid_balance.htm
Highly Alkaline
Beans String, Banana speckled, Dandelion greens, Dates, Figs,
Prune, Raisins, Swiss Chard.
High Alkaline
Almonds, Avocado, Banana-Yellow, Bean Fresh, Beet, Blackberries,
Carrot, Chives, Cranberries, Endive, Grapes Sour, Kale, Peach dried (org), Persimmon,
Pomegranate, Plum, Raspberries (org), Spinach.
Neutral Oils
Cold Pressed, Expeller Pressed, Almond, Avocado, Coconut, Linseed, Olive, Safflower, Sesame, Sunflower,
Walnut.
Alkaline
Agar, Alfalfa (org), Apple & Fresh Apple Cider (org), Apricot fresh,
Artichokes globe, Bamboo shoots, Bean snap, Beans sprouted, Berries most (org),
Blueberries, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cantaloupe, Cauliflower,
Celery, Cherries, Chestnuts, Chicory, Coconut Milk, Collards, Corn fresh
and sweet (org), Cucumbers (org), Daikon, Eggplant, Escarole, Garlic, Ginger root, Gooseberry,
Grapefruit, Guava, Horseradish fresh and raw, Kelp, Kohlrabi, Leek, Lemon and
Peel, Lettuce, Lime, Loganberry, Mango, Melons, Milk raw, Acidophilus Yogurt,
Whey.
Highly Acid
Alcohol, Artichoke root, Barley, Bread, Buckwheat, Caffeine,
Coffee, Corn, Custards, Drugs, Flour-all, Ginger preserved,
Honey, Lentil dry, Mate, Millet, Oatmeal, Peanuts, Rice-all, Rye Grain, Soy
Bread, Soy noodles, Sorghum, grain, Spaghetti and other Pasta, Beet Sugar, Sugar Cane, raw
beet, Tobacco, Walnut (English), Wheat grain.
Acid
Asparagus, Beans dried, Cashews, Coconut dried, Cranberry Juice and
concentrate, Egg yolk, Filbert, Fruit Jellies (Jams Canned, Sulphured, Sugared,
Dried), Grapes Sweet, Pasteurized Milk Products, Dry Peas, Pecans, Plums Damson,
Tofu fries, Water-chestnuts.
Acid Fats
Butter, Cream, Margarine, Lard.
According to Webster's Dictionary, "Habits are routines of behavior that are repeated regularly and tend to occur subconsciously, without one being conscious about them".
During the 21 day juice fast I was able to establish some good habits and break some bad ones. Now when I get up in the morning and grab a lemon to squeeze into a glass of spring water, I realize I've formed a habit - one that I want to keep. Other habits I want to keep are to juice once a day, continue exercising, continue to plan out weekly meals, package juice ingredients, keep healthy snacks in my car so I don't have to use a "drive through", and spend a good part of one day prepping food - like making homemade stock, or cooking quinoa for the week.
But there are also habits I used to have which I want to break and lose for good. Things like drinking coffee every morning. I've substituted the "hands wrapped around a mug" with hot tea instead. Needing starch or bread at every meal is gone as well as a daily or weekly dessert. I've substituted the need for chips and a sandwich, with carrots and hummus and a collard wrap. The more I eliminate breads and sugary foods altogether, the easier they are to resist. I get my sweet fix now from fresh and dried fruit. While all these changes did not happen overnight, they are all helping to keep my blood pH alkaline. Now when I'm feeling "off" and I check my lipmus paper, I know exactly what foods to eat to get back on track.
A few foods to add to your weekly regime could be: quinoa with cooked broccoli and slivered almonds; quinoa with sauteed zucchini, onions and garlic; or apple waldorf salad over baby kale with a lemon, honey and oil dressing. Fresh fruit, almonds, and dates are great snacks, as well as celery with almond butter and raisins (ants on a log) or almond butter on apple slices.
For breakfast, try using almond milk instead of cow's milk - there's a wide range of different brands and flavors. Also, if you eat oatmeal, try mixing it in with quinoa and then add raisins, slivered almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cinnamon and grated apple or pomegranate seeds.
The more alkaline you become, the better you'll feel and the more your body will be able to ward off disease, from the common cold to cancer. Why not go ahead and try it. You're worth it, you know.
Here's an alkaline recipe adapted from Bon Appetit to get you started:
Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large English cucumber, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Bring quinoa, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Let stand, uncovered, for 5 minutes to evaporate out all of the water. Spread out on a cookie sheet to cool.
Whisk lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl. Gradulaly whisk in olive oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
When quinoa is cool, transfer to a large bowl; mix in half of the dressing.
Add cucumber, tomatoes, herbs, and scallions to bowl with quinoa; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle remaining dressing over and stir. Serve on a bed of fresh baby spinach.
Happy alkalizing.
Adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2012/06/quinoa-tabbouleh#ixzz1ve9spZpO
Last year when I found I was gluten and dairy intolerant I didn't think much of it. In fact, I was happy to know what was causing my chronic pain and weight gain. I lost my joint pain, stuffy sinuses, foggy brain, swollen ankles, inflammation, and a myriad of other symptoms. I also lost a lot of weight. Happy right? My only distress was needing to buy new clothes since dropping 5 sizes.
Well now that a year's gone by and the newness has worn off, I have to ask myself, "Is it worth it to have these limitations"? I mean let's face it, not being able to have even one piece of pasta or cheese puts a damper on my profession. Trying to teach students how to make homemade pasta stuffed with cheese is a bit challenging when I can't eat the food. I can't even touch the pasta dough without wearing gloves, or tell my students how it's supposed to taste. What if it doesn't taste right? And believe me, I've tried to have just one taste. Within one hour I am in pain again...not worth it. So, what to do?
Unlike others who change their way of eating because it's the right thing to do or because they simply want to lose weight, I can't slip back into my old patterns. No matter how much I want a cup of coffee with cream, a piece of pizza with gooey cheese, or how tired I get of having to make everything I eat from scratch, I have to press forward or I'm back to much pain. Call me a wimp, but I don't like pain.
A couple months ago I wasn't feeling that great - a little joint pain, fatigued, not sleeping well, puffiness, and a bit of ankle swelling. Nothing that I haven't lived with in the past, but I know what it feels like to be rid of all these and feel great. Besides, I now know how dangerous it is for me to continue in inflammation. It means my body is in trouble and is trying to protect itself from acidosis - a condition in which my pH balance is too low. Once I'm too acidic my cells don't have enough oxygen to do the job of getting rid of toxins and fighting cancer cells and bringing nutrition where it needs to be - they're too busy trying to keep alkaline. My cells become sluggish and tired and a toxic build-up brings inflammation and chronic pain and fatigue. 
But pain is a good thing, in this case. It is a way for my body to tell me there's a problem and it's asking for help. It's saying, "Please give us more nutrients and stop feeding us acidic foods. We need more greens, more vegetables." Because I am more in tune with my body and have some knowledge as to what to do about it, I don't have to run to the doctor to ask her for some pill to relieve the pain. I can simply get rid of toxins through juicing, eating more vegetables and less sugar, and getting my body back in balance. A simple litmus paper test can let me know if I'm at 7.35 pH, where I'm supposed to be. 
But litmus paper doesn't need to tell me that I'm too acidic, painful symptoms have already told me. It's a good thing that I am gluten and dairy intolerant since it won't allow me to slip from my resolve to eat well. It's my accountability. If it weren't for that, perhaps I wouldn't be so faithful to eat healthily. And then where would I be?
