For a more comprehensive list of alkaline foods and acid forming foods, take the FREE ALKALINE FOOD TEST

Alkaline foods and pH balance are not a daily topic for most of us.  However, energetic people who cycle, run, hike, play tennis, golf, build muscle up, or do any physical activity and want to perform at peak levels of fitness, have a choice to make. It's a choice many never consider, but one of the most important for overall health and fitness. It stares you right in the face every time you look at a menu or a shelf full of groceries. The choice to consider is whether or not a food or beverage is going to help you maintain proper pH balance, or is it going to throw that delicate balance off and leave your body's defenses vulnerable to health problems.

In order to maintain suitable pH balance, nutritionists suggest 80% of dietary intake should be alkaline and 20% acidic.  What exactly does that mean? It is a widely accepted nutrition fact that the alkalinity or acidic properties of a food or beverage come into play when your body burns them for fuel.  Consuming too many acidic foods, drugs, tobacco, sodas, cocktails, and coffee causes the pH level of the blood to become overly acidic, therefore, out of balance. It's kind of like a swimming pool that has an overly acidic pH level and as any pool owner knows, that can cause problems. 

Here are 10 types of foods that create an acid ash when the body burns them for fuel:
1. White flour
2.  Refined sugars
3.  Dairy products
4.  Meat
5.  Fish
6.  Peanut butter
7.  Chocolate
8.  Nuts (not all of them, but most)
9.  Plums
10.Cranberries (surprising, but true, even some healthy fruits and vegetables can form an acid ash, especially over-cooked  vegetables)

Here are 10 good choices for alkaline foods to help maintain proper pH balance in the bloodstream:
1.  Almonds
2.  Apples
3.  Avocados
4.  Bananas
5.  Leafy green lettuce and spinach
6.  Citrus fruits
7.  Broccoli
8.  Cantaloupe
9.  Carrots
10. Peas
 
Most people have the 80/20 alkaline/acid ratio upside down, which means the body has to find a source of calcium it can always count on in order to correct the acid/alkaline imbalance.  A human being's blood pH level is meant to stay at 7.4, so the body is constantly working to sustain that pH balance, no matter what you consume.

When the body has to neutralize more acid than it is designed for, the best place to find a readily available supply of something alkaline enough to perform that function is in your bones. When the consumption of alkaline food and drinks is insufficient to do the job, then the body has to pull calcium from bones in order to neutralize excess acid in the bloodstream.

It is a nutrition fact that too many acid forming foods and beverages such as meat, coffee, alcohol, sugar, dairy, and refined flour products can cause a body's pH balance to be too acidic.  This can lead to all sorts of health problems, not the least of which is bone weakness.

A calcium supplement may help. However, if the calcium is not from a whole food source, the body does not absorb it as efficiently due to the lack of live enzymes, but more about that in a future article. The best whole food sources for calcium are broccoli, green leafy vegetables, and other alkaline foods.

PH balance is just one of many considerations when choosing a balanced diet. Search the Internet for more all natural food options and other choices to consider for improving overall health and fitness.  The easiest way to consume the 80% alkaline food intake you need each day is with concentrated food and health drink formulas that are heavily weighted to the alkaline side of the balance. 

Look for products made with real fruit and food grade herbs becuase we know that most of those natural whole food ingredients are alkaline by nature. However, to consume enough fruits, herbs and vegetables you will need help from some of the concentrated formulas that are available today.  Your body will come into its own perfect balance and your overall health will reflect a positive change as you consume more alkaline foods and health drinks.

Author Profile-Cliff Smith and his wife, Jane Wakefield are constantly researching the latest nutrition information.  The Alkaline Food Test they devised is a must for anyone who wants to know if they are eating enough alkaline foods.  Their personal success stories are highlighted by Cliff's natural weight loss achievements and Jane's recovery from breast cancer with a combination of concentrated health drinks, calcium supplements and alkaline foods discussed here.