The standard American diet is highly acid-forming, overwhelming our body’s mechanisms for removing excess acid. The staples of the American diet are meat, dairy, corn, wheat, and refined sugars (all acidifying foods). At the same time, the diet is notably deficient in alkalizing fruits and vegetables.

Detoxing and Weight Loss

You’ll likely lose some weight when you detox, and if you’re trying to lose weight it’s recommended to detox first in order to give yourself the best chance of success. Your body will be able to absorb nutrients from the foods you eat better, and you’ll be able to draw a distinction between your old ways and your new ways with a Before Detox and After Detox separation.

The alkaline diet greatly reduces this acid load, helping to reduce the strain on the body’s acid-detoxification systems, such as the kidneys.

1. Hydration

Hydration Action Steps
– Drink 6-18 cups of water each day. A good rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces.
– Drink lemon water: 2 cups of lukewarm, filtered water with freshly-squeezed juice from 1/4 lemon. It helps cleanse the digestive system, ignite your metabolism and buffer excess acids.

2. Go Green!
The alkaline diet is also about alkaline foods. There is conflicting information on the Internet about which foods are alkaline and which are acid-forming. This simple rule covers 90 percent of foods:

Alkaline foods are those you already know are good for you: fresh vegetables, salads, leafy greens, low-sugar fruits, nuts, seeds and healthy oils; unrefined, organic, high-water-content foods.

And acidic foods are those you already know are bad for you: refined foods, fast foods, trans-fats, meat, dairy, sugar, caffeine, white bread, white pasta and rice, condiments, alcohol, chocolate, chips, ice cream and pizza.

Aim for a ratio of 80/20: Consume 80 percent alkaline foods to 20 percent acidic foods.

Examples of Alkalizing Vegetables: Beets, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Celery, Cucumber, Kale, Lettuce, Onions, Peas, Peppers, Spinach

• Examples of Alkalizing Fruits: Apple, Banana, Berries, Cantaloupe, Grapes, Melon, Lemon, Orange, Peach, Pear, Watermelon
• Alkalizing Protein: Almonds, Chestnuts, Tofu
• Alkalizing Spices: Cinnamon, Curry, Ginger, Mustard, Sea Salt

1. Draft beer (most neutral)
2. Honey
3. Asparagus
4. Margarine
5. White wine
6. Broccoli
7. Marmalade
8. Mineral water
9. Watermelon
10. Apples
11. Red wine
12. Zucchini
13. Hazelnuts
14. Green beans
15. Tomatoes
16. Cherries
17. Radishes
18. Cauliflower
19. Potatoes
20. Apricots
21. Carrots
22. Celery
23. Bananas
24. Spinach
25. Raisins (most alkaline-promoting)
26. green tea

5 day dinner plan with recipes! The 5 day menu plan is only a suggestion with examples of recipes to show you have super easy this can be.  You can stick with one smoothie  everyday or switch it up. If you were to buy the entire menu it would cost you a arm and a leg. I am only giving you idea’s of what you can eat. Your in control,  have fun and enjoy it.

Day 1

Breakfast
Omega 3, cage free Eggs (acid-promoting) scrambled with organic spinach (alkaline) served with half a grapefruit (alkaline).

Lunch
Organic Salad greens (alkaline) served with slices of roasted turkey meat (acid-promoting) dressed with a chunky, homemade avocado-lemon dressing (alkaline).

Dinner
Salmon patty (low acid-promoting) on half a whole-wheat bun (acid-promoting) served with stir-fried veggies (alkaline).

Day 2

Breakfast

Breakfast— Gluten free Steel cut oats with blueberries (fresh or frozen), toasted walnuts, organic butter, organic whole milk or rice milk and a soft-boiled egg

Snack—1 orange, sliced with ¼ avocado, diced, sprinkled with balsamic vinegar

Lunch—White Bean Stew* and 1 apple

Snack—Handful of tropical trail mix: toasted nuts, dried coconut, dried apricot pieces, dried mango

Dinner—3-4 oz. roasted chicken

¾ cup roasted sliced sweet potatoes & parsnips

Roasted Brussels sprouts with roasted red peppers

Simple green salad with oil and vinegar

Day 3

Breakfast—1 cup seasonal fruit salad

¼ cup organic, full-fat plain yogurt

1 tsp ground flax seeds

1 poached or soft-boiled egg with sautéed spinach

Snack—1 pear

Handful of raw pumpkin seeds

Lunch—Apple, celery, and cucumber mixed green salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette*

1 Bowl of tomato soup

Snack—Celery with 1 tsp almond butter

½ baked sweet potato with organic butter and cinnamon

Beets and greens*

Dinner—4 oz. oven-roasted salmon, roasted Brussel sprouts and

Day 4

Breakfast

All-About-the-Berries Detox  Smoothie ( recipe @ bottom of page)

Snack-

1/2 cup pineapple

Lunch-

Simple salad

chick peas, tomatoes, fresh broccoli, orange bell pepper, romaine lettuce and cucumbers

snack-

1/2 grapefruit

lunch- Apple, celery, and cucumber mixed green salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette*

1 Bowl of asparagus soup

Dinner –

3-4 oz. roasted chicken

¾ cup roasted sliced sweet potatoes & parsnips

Roasted Brussels sprouts with roasted red peppers

Simple green salad with oil and vinegar

Day 5

Kale-It-Up  Detox Smoothie ( recipe @ bottom of page)

snack-

lunch- Cucumbers, tomatoes, onion and avocado salad with balsamic vinaigrette

snack-  celery with almond butter

Dinner-  Cabbage soup

A study published in Cancer Research in 2009 confirmed that inhibition of tumor’s acidity reduced the number of metastasis in some cancers. A new study is underway at the University of Arizona Cancer Center, which will look specifically at the effects of sodium bicarbonate on breast cancer patients.

Lemons, too, help to balance the body’s pH. They have an alkaline effect on the body, despite their initial (citric) acidity. They contain limonoides which are phytochemicals and have anti-cancerous properties.

Vitamin C destroys free radicals, which damage our cells. An interesting thing about lemons is also that they act as an anti-microbial. Some researchers suggest that cancer is like a fungus, and should be treated in the same way, so lemons might be a powerful remedy.

Now put baking soda and lemons together, and you get a potentially powerful anti-cancer concoction. Also, lemons are a safe way to introduce high alkaline substances into the system.

If successful, this method destroys only cancer cells, while healthy cells are left alone. You can ingest the mix by drinking a glass of water with half a lemon and half a teaspoon of baking soda.

It is recommended to drink this mixture between meals, as if taken with food, it will reduce the effectiveness of the stomach’s acid and compromise digestion.

Beware, this method is not ideal for people with high-blood pressure because of the sodium content. Also, the taste will take some getting used to.

Beets and Greens

½ onion, sliced

1 Tbsp olive oil

2-3 peeled, shredded beets

Greens from beets

Sauté onion in olive oil.

Add peeled, shredded beets.

Stir, then add washed, chopped greens from the beet bunch.

Cover and simmer eight minutes.

Remove beets from pan, top with Orange-Mustard Vinaigrette*, and serve immediately.

Orange-Mustard Vinaigrette

Juice of 1 orange

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp mustard

Mix in a jar and shake well.

1 1/2 cups Berry Mix (Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries)
1/2 cup Coconut Milk

1 tsp Turmeric
1 cup Purified Water
1/8 cup rolled oats

Instructions: Blend everything together until you reach a smoothie consistency. The beauty of berries is their easy prep. Fresh berries need a rinse before going in, while frozen you just pop right in. When detoxing organic produce is always recommend

Kale-It-Up  Detox Smoothie

1 handful Kale

1 tsp Turmeric
1/2 apple
1 cup Coconut Water

Instructions: If you use curly kale make sure you cut off the hard and stringy ribs that run down the middle of the leaf. Most blenders will have a tough time with these, and even if you use a professional grade blender it might still leave bits behind. We recommend baby kale, since you can just grab it and toss it in.

Ginger Spice  Detox Smoothie

What You Need

1 nub Ginger Root
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 handful Spinach
1 cup Purified Water

Instructions: The more you mince the ginger before adding it in, the less bits you’ll have to crunch on once it’s all blended up.

Green and Clean Detox Smoothie

1/4 Cucumber
1/2 handful Spinach or Other Leafy Green
1/2 Avocado
1 Celery stalk
2 sprigs Fresh Mint
1 Kiwifruit

1 tsp Turmeric
1 cup Purified Water
1/2 of apple
Squirt of lemon

Instructions: Blend everything together in your blender. If you’re using organic cucumber (recommended) you can leave the peels on for added nutritional value.

Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Onions, Avocado, and Balsamic Vinegar
(Makes 2 generous servings or 4 side-dish servings, recipe created by a reader named Lisa who lives on Maui.)

Ingredients:
3 small Persian cucumbers or garden cucumbers
1 cup diced tomato or cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup thinly diagonally sliced green onion or thinly sliced sweet onion (or more)
1 avocado
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice (optional, for tossing with avocado)
about 1 T good-quality balsamic vinegar (I used Fini)
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Simple really – it’s a quick and easy way to see how alkaline or acid you are. Many believe, the more acid is in the body – the weaker it will perform. Robert Young* lists fatigue, allergies, overweight & mood disorders as some of the most common problems of over acidity.

When to test your pH

It is recommended to test your body’s pH at different times of the day, first of all to get a more accurate average reading and also because the pH can naturally vary throughout the day. By keeping a track record, you can monitor your progress. Testing the pH of urine is more reliable than the pH of saliva, as it is more stable.

Order your test strips here

Disclaimer

The information and recipes contained in blog is based upon the research and the personal experiences of the author. It’s for entertainment purposes only. Every attempt has been made to provide accurate, up to date and reliable information. No warranties of any kind are expressed or implied. Readers acknowledge that the author is not engaging in the rendering of legal, financial, medical or professional advice. By reading this blog, the reader agrees that under no circumstance the author is not responsible for any loss, direct or indirect, which are incurred by using this information contained within this blog. Including but not limited to errors, omissions or inaccuracies. This blog is not intended as replacements from what your health care provider has suggested.  The author is not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use of any of the suggestions, preparations or procedures discussed in this blog. All matters pertaining to your health should be supervised by a health care professional. I am not a doctor, or a medical professional. This blog is designed for as an educational and entertainment tool only. Please always check with your health practitioner before taking any vitamins, supplements, or herbs, as they may have side-effects, especially when combined with medications, alcohol, or other vitamins or supplements.  Knowledge is power, educate yourself and find the answer to your health care needs. Wisdom is a wonderful thing to seek.  I hope this blog will teach and encourage you to take leaps in your life to educate yourself for a happier & healthier life. You have to take ownership of your health.

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