of my clients, with whom I’d been discussing acid- and alkaline-forming foods, expressed this important concern about what she should eat. ‘What about lemon and lime?’ she began. ‘They’re acidic yet they’re antioxidants, and good for you.’ This is a common assumption – that what tastes acidic stays acidic during digestion. However, the pH value of a food or drink isn’t always the same as its acid-or alkaline-forming tendency in the body. It’s what happens after we eat and drink that counts. ‘Acidic’ limes or lemons actually produce an alkaline residue in our bodies – the opposite of what we would expect. Likewise, meat doesn’t taste acidic at all, but it leaves a very acidic residue in our bodies after digestion. So, like nearly all animal products, meat is very acid-forming.
All foods can be categorized as acid-forming, alkaline-forming or neutral. Water is neutral, against which all other foods and drinks are measured. To help you get your body back into pH balance, see the listing of acidic-forming foods and drinks to avoid (page 104) plus all the alkaline-forming super foods you’ll need to eat your way to great health, energy and weight loss.
But I already eat healthy foods …
James, a client, had been feeling overweight and listless. In fact, his tiredness had been going on for so long that he admitted to me that he had almost become used to it. And the more tired he felt, the less he wanted to work out at the gym; and the more he used stimulants such as coffee and biscuits during the day to pep himself up. Otherwise, he thought he ate an excellent diet – lots of lean meat, potatoes, some vegetables.
pH Values of Some Common Liquids
On closer examination of James’ eating habits, I explained to him how many of his favourite foods were acid-forming – and how his body could only fully assimilate nutrients when it’s pH balanced. If your pH is too acidic you can eat healthy food packed with vitamins and minerals, yet get little or no health benefits. The goodness in food can’t be absorbed in the gut because of the acidity there, so the nutrients are wasted. This helped to explain James’ tiredness – he was nutrient-deficient because of his ‘acid’ diet. By changing to the pH Diet, he was able to break the tiredness cycle, cut out the stimulants and enjoy better health. He lost 5lbs in the process.
Getting the balance right
By eating enough alkaline-forming foods, you’ll be able to establish and maintain a good acid/alkaline balance in your body. This is vital for good health, because acid-forming foods are inflammatory, whereas alkaline-forming foods are anti-inflammatory. So eating alkaline-forming, anti-inflammatory foods will give your body a tremendous boost. Acid-forming, inflammatory foods, however, may have only detrimental effects on the body. Below are examples of some common dietary habits that cause acid overload:
• A high-protein diet
• Eating lots of refined carbohydrates, such as bread and pasta
• Eating few vegetables and fruits
• Drinking high levels of alcohol
It’s easy to see from the list above that none of these eating patterns provides a balanced diet. A balanced diet means getting the correct proportion of nutrients for health and vitality. The balance of carbohydrates, fats and proteins is important, but if you balance your diet between acid- and alkaline-forming foods by following the pH diet, you’ll automatically get a balance of foods from the three major food groups. You won’t feel deprived by forgoing all your carbs, or eliminating foods such as nuts because they’re high in fat: with the pH diet, you’ll regain your body’s natural acid/alkaline balance, and get all the nutrition you need.
What about high-protein diets?
High-protein diets have become popular recently because they help people lose weight successfully. However, the long-term effects of diets such as these are not beneficial. Clinical studies have shown them to be a precursor to osteoporosis (brittle bone disease). In the short term, a high-protein diet will cause constipation, bad breath and low energy levels due to insufficient fibre and carbohydrate levels.
The urine of someone who regularly eats high-protein foods often gives an alkaline reading. However, this is misleading. When excess protein is consumed, the body releases calcium and magnesium from the bones and organs to neutralize the acids. As more and more minerals are taken from the bones, the weaker they become. A diet high in protein must therefore be considered with caution.
Starting the pH diet
The pH Diet is organized in three steps, or levels. All three levels are easy. In fact, they get easier as you move through them. They involve lifestyle as well as dietary changes.
In Level 1, you learn how to reduce the toxic load on your body. You do this by cutting back on the acid-forming liquids and anti-nutrients in your diet. These include:
• Milk
• Caffeine
• Nicotine
• Alcohol
Don’t worry – you won’t have to go cold turkey. You gradually reduce your intake of these toxins at a pace that suits you. You’ll soon begin to feel the benefits, giving you the incentive to move up to Level 2.
In Level 2, you’ll increase your alkaline reserves. This involves reducing wheat and including suggested alternatives, and introducing the 80 alkaline-forming super foods (see pages 43–87). There are lots of vegetables and vegetable juices in this part of the diet to rebuild the alkaline reserves. Vegetables are used for healing and are more alkaline-forming than the fruits used in Level 3. You can expect to be on Level 2 until alkaline reserves are in place. This could be six to eight weeks or longer, depending upon your previous levels, diet and lifestyle.
Level 3 concentrates on maintaining the balance. It explains how to eat a true alkaline-forming diet with less cooked food and more emphasis on raw foods. You’ll also include more fruit and fruit juices in your diet. (Although fruits are mildly acidic, you can begin to eat them at this stage as you’ll have built up more alkaline reserves, enabling your body to deal more efficiently with the acids they produce.)
We’ve included three dietary plans to help you choose your meals. There is one plan for each of the three levels, together with sheets for you to record your daily progress.
How long does the diet take?
You can spend as long as you like at each level of the programme. The longer you spend at each level, the more benefits you will get, and the more natural the programme will become to you. When you do go off track, which you probably will, simply start back at Level 1. One month at each level is beneficial, but knowing how keen you will be to start the programme, we suggest no less than a week on Level 1 before moving to Level 2. The longest possible time (four to six weeks minimum) should be spent on Level 2. Only when the alkaline reserves are in place can you move to Level 3.
Level 3 is the true pH Diet. It allows you to eat unlimited fruit and vegetables, and increase
