The Alkaline Acid Diet

• Low energy, chronic fatigue
  
• Excess mucous production
  
• Nasal congestion
  
• Frequent colds, flus, and infections
  
• Nervous, stressed, irritable, anxious, agitated
  
• Weak nails, dry hair, dry skin
  
• Formation of cysts, such as ovarian cysts, polycystic ovaries, benign breast cysts (fibrocystic breasts)
  
• Headaches
  
• Joint pain or arthritis
  
• Neuritis
  
• Muscle pain
  
• Feel better after a detox diet
  
• Hives
  
• Leg cramps and spasms
  
• Gastritis, acid indigestion

Medical doctors try to test the acidity or alkalinity of the body tissues and cells by analyzing the blood. Pioneers Carey Reams, Harold Hawkins, or Emanuel Revici developed methods to measure urine pH and other factors such as saliva pH. Modern proponents of the alkaline diet look at the pH of blood, saliva, and urine, in addition to health symptoms and other factors.

What are the guidelines of this diet?
An alkaline diet is composed of approximately 75-80% alkaline foods and 20-25% acid foods.

• Alkaline Foods
  Higher alkaline are better
  
  Vegetables -- High alkaline: wheat grass, barley grass, alfalfa spouts, broccoli sprouts, other types of sprouts, cucumber, kale, parsley, sea vegetables. Moderate alkaline: avocado, arugula, beets, bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, celery, collard, endive, garlic, ginger, green beans, lettuce, mustard greens, okra, onion, spinach, tomato. Slightly alkaline: artichoke, asparagus, brussels sprouts, carrot, cauliflower, kohlrabi, leeks, peas, rhubarb, rutabaga, turnip, watercress, zucchini
  
  Fruit -- Slightly alkaline: coconut, grapefruit, lemon, lime
  
  Beans and legumes -- Moderate alkaline: lima beans, soy beans, white beans. Slightly alkaline: Lentils, tofu.
  
  Nuts, seeds, oils -- High alkaline: pumkin seeds. Slightly alkaline: almond, borage oil, coconut oil, cod liver oil, evening primrose oil, fish oil, flaxseed oil, olive oil, sesame seeds.
  
  Grains -- buckwheat, quinoa, spelt
  
  Condiments -- Moderate alkaline: cayenne, red chili pepper, sea salt, stevia. Most herbs and spices are somewhat alkaline.
  
  Dairy -- Slightly alkaline: goat milk
  
  
• Acidifying Foods
  Lower acid are better. Most acidic are worst
  
  Dairy and Dairy Substitutes -- Slightly acid: cow's milk, rice milk, soymilk. Most acid: cheese (including cottage cheese, hard cheese, aged cheese, and goat cheese), ice cream, soy cheese, whey protein powder.
  
  Animal meat -- Moderate acid: wild fish. Most acid: beef, chicken, duck, eggs, farmed fish, gelatin, lobster, organ meat, pheasant, pork, poultry, seafood, squid, turkey, veal, venison.
  
  Grains -- Slightly acid: amaranth, millet. Moderate acid: oats, rice (brown rice, white rice), rye, wheat. Most acid: barley, corn, rye.
  
  Beans and legumes -- Slightly acid: black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans.
  
  Vegetables -- Most acidic: mushrooms, potatoes. Fruit -- Slightly acid: cantaloupe, dates (not dried), nectarines. Moderate acid: apple, apricot, banana, all berries, figs (fresh), grape, honeydew, mango, orange, papaya, peach, persimmon, pineapple, tangerine, watermelon. Most acid: dried fruit.
  
  Nuts, Seeds, and Oils -- Slightly acid: brazil nuts, flaxseeds, hazelnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil. Moderate acid: butter, ghee, corn oil, margarine, walnuts. Most acid: cashews, peanuts, pistachios.
  
  Condiments -- Moderate acid: ketchup, mayonnaise, table salt. Most acid: jam, mustard, soy sauce, vinegar, white sugar, aspartame, molasses, sugar cane, barley malt syrup, honey, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, yeast.

Tips on alkalinizing your diet

1. Eat lots of vegetables and fruit
   
2. Squeeze lemon or lime into water as a beverage
   
3. Try to eat 1 cup of alkalinizing greens daily, such as kale, mustard greens, or broccoli
   
4. Eat millet or quinoa as an alternative to wheat
   
5. Choose fish and lamb over beef
   
6. Use olive oil instead of vegetable oils
   
7. Try a greens powder
   
8. Learn to make a miso broth. Dissolve one teaspoon of miso into a cup of hot, not boiling, water.

Source: From Cathy Wong