Feeling Off? Acid-Base Balance May Be to Blame

What is an Acid-Base Balance?

Every food we eat is either an acid or a base. This means that they are either MORE or LESS acidic.

Acidity makes your body’s environment unfriendly to other substances. You need to have a certain acidity level for your body to function properly, but too much acid and you risk making it unfriendly to things you need—like vitamins and minerals.

To balance out the acidity, you need foods that are alkaline. That means they are basic, the opposite of acidic.

Do You Need to Worry About Your Acid-Base Balance?

Normally, the body does a great job of balancing the acids and bases in your body all on its own. It creates a pH neutral environment that keeps you healthy.

The problem comes when our diets are out of balance. If you eat too many acidic foods, your balance can become hostile to really important nutrients. Vitamins and minerals begin to be rejected from your body in reaction to these acids.

Is Your Diet Too High in Acid?

With a well-balanced diet, you don’t have to worry about your acid balance. But, if you eat a lot of processed foods, you might need to be concerned.

Foods that are high in carbohydrates, like pasta and bread, are acid-forming. A diet that is high in acidic foods can leach nutrients like calcium, sodium, potassium, and magnesium from your vital organs and bones.

This can be dangerous for your overall health and wellbeing.

So, the obvious answer is just to cut the acidic foods. However, that’s easier said than done. Some of the foods we like best are acidic in nature, including:

• Rice
• Bread
• Pasta
• Meat
• Dairy
• Cheese
• Eggs

Sandwiches, burgers, pizza—all are acidic foods.

How to Balance Your Diet

Here is a useful pdf that lists foods and tells you where they fall on the acid/base spectrum. (http://acidalkalinediet.com/listofalkalinefoods.pdf)

Are you eating too many acidic foods? If so, you need to balance your diet!

As you can see on the chart, almost ALL vegetables are bases. They can go a long way in evening out your pH balance. Root vegetables are especially good as bases.

Things like potatoes, carrots, and parsnips can replace other acidic foods as healthier options. Of course, you also get the advantage of the vegetables’ high nutrient and fiber content. With lower calories, it is a great option for both your health and losing fat.

What About Supplements?

Sometimes, it’s hard for us to adjust our diets enough to achieve a healthy balance. Time gets in the way, or maybe we just don’t want to give up any of your favorite foods. Luckily there is another way to balance out your acid balance.

One superfood that is an amazing shortcut to acid balance is algae. These come in pill form, so don’t worry about having to eat something nasty. They’re also available in powder form, which you can just add to a shake or a smoothie like you would a protein powder.

These algae, Chlorella and Spirulina, have tons of additional health benefits as well. They contain antioxidants, increase energy, improve heart and liver health, and are a great source of vitamins and minerals.

Balance your acid/base levels and you’ll achieve a whole new world of health and fitness.