A list of alkaline foods and pH balance are not a typical daily topic of conversation. 

However, people who cycle, run, hike, play tennis, 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.

For a more comprehensive list of alkaline and acid foods, take the
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In order to maintain suitable pH balance, nutritionists suggest 80% of dietary intake should be alkaline and 20% acid foods.  What exactly does that mean? It is a widely accepted nutrition fact that the alkaline or acid properties of foods and drinks come into play when your body burns them for fuel.

Consuming too many acid foods, drugs, tobacco, sodas, cocktails, and coffee causes the pH balance of the blood to become overly acidic, therefore, out of balance. It's kind of like a swimming pool that has an  acid pH level, and as any pool owner knows that can cause problems.

When we refer to a list of ALKALINE FOODS or ACID FOODS here we're talking about what happens to them in the bloodstream after they have been consumed.  All foods and drinks leave either an alkaline ash or an acid ash in the blood, depending on what happens to them after your body has burned them for fuel.  This is what effects blood pH balance, as well as urine or saliva pH balance, which can all be tested different ways.

Here are 10 types of acid foods that create an acid ash when metabolized:

1. White flour (breads, pastas)
   
2. Refined sugars
3. Artificial sweeteners
4. Dairy products
5. Processed corn and many grain products
6. Meats
7. Fish
8. Nuts (not all of them, but most)
9. Cranberries (surprising, but true, even some healthy fruits and vegetables can form an acid ash, especially over-cooked  vegetables)
10. Coffee and sodas

Here is a list of alkaline foods with 10 good choices to help maintain proper pH balance in the bloodstream:

1. Almonds (raw)
   
2. Apples
3. Avocados 
4. Watermelon
   
5. Leafy green lettuce and spinach 
6. Citrus fruits 
7. Broccoli 
8. Cantaloupe 
9. Carrots
10. Peas

It is a nutrition fact that too many acid foods such as meat, 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 choices from this short list of alkaline foods.

The easiest way to consume the 80/20 ratio from this list of alkaline foods and acid foods is with concentrated health drinks that are heavily weighted to the alkaline side of the scale.  Look for products made with real fruit and food grade herbs, because we know that most of those natural whole food ingredients are alkaline by nature.  As you consume more alkaline foods and drinks for proper pH balance, your body will come into its own perfect balance and your overall health will reflect a positive change.

pH balance is just one of many considerations when choosing a balanced diet. Search the Internet for all natural foods, another list of alkaline foods, health drinks, and other choices for improving your overall health and fitness. 

Author Profile-Cliff Smith is one of the owners of BestHealthFoodStore.net and is constantly researching the latest nutrition information.  The Alkaline Food Test he devised is a must for anyone who wants to know if they are eating a healthy balance of alkaline foods and acid foods.  Cliff's personal success story is highlighted by his natural weight loss achievements.

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