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

 

My Yearly Detox Juice Fast

January is as good a time as any to clean out your system, mainly because it follows Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and many other holiday celebrations where food is invited in abundance. Last year I followed the 21-day detox according to the Clean book, by Dr. Alejandro Junger, and it changed my life. I got rid of toxins, pain, and weight. So here I am a year later and am ready for a follow up visit.

The first thing I've done is clean out the kitchen of holiday goodies. I'VE THROWN AWAY THE COOKIES. "What!!!" You say? That's right. The only other way to get rid of them is to eat them, so.... bye bye sugar.

The next thing is, I've found my Clean book and I'll be reviewing it to refresh my memory, but also to keep me in motivation mode. It's really important for me to get my head in gear so that once I start I'll have no excuses to turn back or "cheat". Perhaps I'll also re-watch one of my favorite food documentaries: "Hungry For Change", "Fat Sick and Nearly Dead", or "Forks Over Knives". We humans get ourselves excited and motivated but then it tends to trail off. So we need to refresh our memories - often.

The third important thing I'll do is find some "Clean" recipes that I can live with, at least 7 for starters, to get me through the first week of lunches. Throughout the past year I've had a keen eye out for "Clean" recipes, so I've got a few up my sleeve. There are also some in the book. Then I'll be making a shopping list. I've also collected a few juicing recipe books so I think I'll glance through those and pick out some favorites for my grocery list.

The fourth thing on my "to do" list is to eliminate the "no-no" foods from the house and from my brain. Over the past year some of these foods crept back into my diet, so I'll be eliminating them again for the 21-day detox. One of the purposes of eliminating these foods was to see if any of my health issues were, in fact, allergic reactions to food. It was a great surprise, and relief, to find that I was indeed allergic to gluten and dairy. My life changed dramatically for the better after permanently eliminating these.

YES INCLUDE THESE FOODS	NO EXCLUDE THESE FOODS
FRUITS: whole fruits, unsweetened, frozen or water-packed, diluted natural juices	Oranges, orange juice, grapefruit, strawberries, grapes, bananas
DAIRY SUBSTITUTES: rice, nut milks such as almond milk and coconut milk	Dairy and eggs, milk, cheese, cottage cheese, cream, yogurt, butter, ice cream, nondairy creamers, canned coconut milk
NON-GLUTEN GRAINS AND STARCH: brown rice, millet, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat	Wheat, corn, barley, spelt, kamut, rye, couscous, oats
ANIMAL PROTEIN: cold water fish, wild game, lean lamb, duck, chicken, turkey	Raw fish, pork, beef, veal, sausage, cold cuts, canned meats, hot dogs, shellfish
VEGETABLE PROTEIN: split peas, lentils, legumes	Soybean products (soy sauce, soybean oil in processed foods, tempeh, tofu, soy milk, soy yogurt, etc.)
NUTS AND SEEDS: sesame, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews, walnuts, nut and seed butters (organic)	Peanuts, peanut butter, pistachios, macadamia nuts
VEGETABLES: preferably fresh, raw, steamed, sautéed, juiced, roasted	Corn, creamed vegetables, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, peppers, sweet potatoes
OILS: cold pressed olive, flax, safflower, sesame, almond, sunflower, pumpkin, walnut, coconut	Butter, margarine, shortening, processed oils, salad dressings, mayonnaise, spreads
DRINKS: filtered water, green tea, herbal teas, seltzer or mineral water, yerba mate	Alcohol, coffee, caffeinated beverages, soda pop, soft drinks
SWEETENERS: organic brown rice syrup, organic agave nectar, stevia	Refined sugar, white or brown sugars, honey, maple syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, evaporated cane juice, Splenda, Equal, Sweet ‘N Low, etc.
CONDIMENTS: vinegar, all-spice, sea salt, dried pepper, basil, carob, cinnamon, cumin, dill, garlic, ginger, mustard, oregano, parsley, rosemary, turmeric, thyme, raw cacao, small amounts of miso, small amounts of wheat-free tamari	Chocolate, ketchup, relish, chutney, soy sauce barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce, other similar condiments

And the last thing I'll do is indulge in my favorites - a glass of wine here, some peanut butter there - just one last time before a 21-day hiatus. Not everything on the "no-no" list is forever banned, but I do eliminate them just for the cleanse. Who knows, maybe I'll find that something else is wreaking havoc to my system and needs to be furrowed out. After all, my goal here is to be and feel as healthy as possible, so I WANT to find the culprits.

I'll be doing the elimination portion for the next week, and then start the actual 21-day detox on Friday, January 11, 2013. Please come and travel with me on my journey in search of better food for better health. I wish you all a happy and HEALTHY New Year.