alkalizing

water with lime | photo: o0o0xmods0o0o

Those of you who read my Facebook Fan Page know that I regularly remind people to start their day with an alkalizing drink.  This invariably brings up the questions, what is an alkalizing drink and why do I need to drink it?

Second question first. Our bodies do better when they are in a more alkaline state.  If you remember from high school biology, a pH of 7.0 is base or neutral.  We should be somewhere between 7.2-7.4 in order to be healthy.  When our bodies are in a more acidic state we can potentially be prone to illness.  Maintaining an acidic body state for a long period of time can cause a wide variety of illnesses such as headaches, inflammation, bloating, acne, and possibly even hair or nails that break easily.  Because the body seeks balance if it is too acidic it will pull minerals from our bones and from muscle tissue.  This is not an appropriate solution as eventually there can be a depletion of minerals.

Our modern diet is very acidic.  Especially if we eat a diet that is high in processed foods and animal products.  This makes it a good idea to include more more alkalizing foods which are primarily vegetables and most fruits (specifically those with less sugars).  In addition to making sure we add alkalizing foods to our diet it is often a good idea to start the day with an alkalizing drink.

So back to question number one...what is an alkalizing drink?  A glass of water with 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice or raw apple cider vinegar is a great choice. Many people may have to work up to 2 tablespoons as it may be too tart if you are not used to it.  Adding greens powder to water or a morning smoothie is another way to get an alkalizing beverage into your day.  Another option would be to drink kombucha or water kefir, another great start to the day and one that has the added benefit of probiotics to further support gut health.

If you want to test to see whether your specific body state is more alkaline or more acidic you can purchase Ph Test Strips.  These strips test either urine or saliva (urine is generally considered to be a better indicator).  If you are interested in changing your diet you could also consider getting a copy of The Acid Alkaline Food Guide.

And to answer the unasked question.  "But vinegar and lemons are acidic so how can they be alkalizing?"  It's one of the odd properties of acid-alkaline balance.  Yes, we do consider them to be acidic however their ash, or residue after they have been broken down, is alkaline.  That makes them an alkalizing food.  This alkalizing effect is also found with limes and grapefruits however not with oranges.

So start your day with an alkalizing beverage and drink to your health.

disclaimer: cmp.ly/5