John Myers
The aim of an alkaline diet is to bring the acid-base balance into balance. Here you can find out what is behind it and which foods this concept recommends.
Lots of plant-based food: basic nutrition
All body fluids contain both acids and bases. Both arise naturally through metabolic processes, but also enter the body through food. In order to promote health and well-being, according to the theory of alkaline nutrition, they should be in the right proportion to each other. Like most alternative forms of nutrition, the concept is not based on scientific knowledge, but it is good for many people in practice. One reason is the choice of food, which is predominantly plant-based.
Why is acid-base balance important?
While the stomach and skin need an acidic environment in order to function optimally, the other organs need an alkaline one. However, the overall balance of a healthy, balanced body should be “neutral” to “slightly alkaline”. The body has built in several buffering mechanisms to regulate acid-base balance, such as: B. breathing or kidney function.
The supporters of an alkaline diet assume that this endogenous regulation only works as long as it is not permanently overloaded by too many acid-forming foods. Such over-acidification due to an unbalanced diet can lead to diseases typical of civilization such as obesity, rheumatism, gout, inflammation of the intestines, nervousness, imbalance and constipation. In addition, an alkaline diet helps with heartburn, against orange peel skin and supports intestinal rehabilitation and weight loss. During pregnancy, an alkaline diet is also beneficial. Incidentally, the pegan diet also claims some of the same health benefits.
The goal of a predominantly basic diet is therefore to achieve a balanced acid-base balance so that all processes in the body function and the important nutrients can be absorbed and optimally utilized.
Which foods go well with an alkaline diet?
According to the basic nutritional concept, “acidic” foods should only make up a small proportion of the diet. The recommendation is no more than a third. “Sour” does not mean sour-tasting foods, but those that the body processes into acids.
Basic nutritional science divides foods into acidic, alkaline, and neutral categories. The following overview offers you a basis for developing your own alkaline recipes with healthy foods.
Acid foods:
Animal products (meat, fish, cheese, eggs), white flour products (rice, pasta, cereals), convenience products, sweets, alcohol
Neutral foods:
Vegetable oils, milk, yogurt, cream
Alkaline foods:
Fruits, vegetables, lettuce, potatoes, tofu, almonds, seeds, and most legumes
Mainly basic nutrition – this is how it works!
Ideally, the ratio should be two-thirds basic and one-third acidic. This can either be at every meal or in the overall balance – e.g. B. in a weekly plan – a basic diet are taken into account. If the relationship is out of balance, a base fast can be useful. This is what a detoxification cure is called, in which only meals consisting of purely alkaline foods are on the menu for a certain period of time. The guideline for the duration of such a detox diet is 10 days.
Getting started with an alkaline diet is easier than you might think. Many recipes meet the criteria or can be easily adjusted. The number of alkaline vegetables is very large: let yourself be inspired by our vegetable recipes. Breakfast can also be made basic. A bowl of oatmeal, a banana milkshake, or a fruit salad with almonds will set you up for the day.
The following tips help with a (predominantly) alkaline diet:
- Eat fruit and/or vegetables with every meal.
- Consider meat and fish “side dishes.”
- Eat potatoes more often instead of pasta or rice.
- Adapt smoothie recipes with alkaline ingredients such as dandelion or parsley, cucumber or dried figs (unsulphured, unsweetened).
