Throw out the old food pyramid we were all taught growing up. Even the revised version is still way off. The low fat, grain based diets are responsible for obesity, diseased (or at least irritated) colons, diabetes and possibly cancer. If it were properly revised, the grains would be in the smallest group at the very top, followed by legumes and starchy vegetables like potatoes. Meat, fish, dairy, nuts and oils would be in the middle with fruits and vegetables making up the large base at the bottom. This is according to the proponents of an alkaline diet. Considering the first food pyramid was created by politicians rather than scientists, you may want to listen to what they have to say. The fear of fats has faded and the alkaline diet has emerged as the preferred plan for both health and weight loss.
An alkaline based diet is recommended by many for the prevention of osteoporosis. When our body is in an acidic state, usually from our diet, it tries to bring itself back to an alkaline state by releasing minerals like calcium and magnesium from the bones, and even ammonia from the muscles. Once the body’s ph is back in balance, these minerals leave the body through the urine. The more this has to happen, the more bone and muscle mass are lost. This is called acidosis and is thought to be the reason why the United States has one of the highest incidences of osteoporosis in the world, despite having one of the most calcium rich diets in the world.
The foods that create an alkaline state in the body are primarily fruits and vegetables. At least one third of your diet should come from fruits and vegetables, preferably more. They are the most dense in the micro nutrients our bodies need, including potassium. According to Loren Cordain, PhD., author of The Paleo Diet, our ancestors had a potassium to sodium ratio of 10 to 1, but today the typical diet is reversed with a sodium to potassium ratio of 3 to 1. It is this potassium that makes acidic fruits and vegetables like lemons and tomatoes have an alkaline effect on our bodies.
The foods that have an acidic effect on our bodies are meat, fish, dairy, legumes and processed foods. Most Americans consume more grains than fruit and vegetables, displacing the healthiest carbohydrates in their diet with the least nutritious. The acidic effects of meat and dairy can be offset by a diet rich in fruit and vegetables. The protein needed for tissue repair and the fat needed for the brain and nervous system as well as hormone production put the meat and dairy foods in a more nutritious and essential category than the grains and legumes.
To learn more about the effects of an alkaline diet on osteoporosis, visit the “Better Bones” site by Dr. Susan E. Brown, PhD.
According to proponents of the Paleo Diet (a.k.a. the caveman diet, hunter/gatherer diet) grains, legumes and potatoes are actually toxic and responsible for many diseases. They are low in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytosterols, basically providing empty calories. They also contain enzyme blockers and lectins. One example of these enzyme blockers is a protease inhibitor, which means it blocks the enzyme that helps digest protein. Lectins are proteins that remove protective mucus from tissue, damage cells in the small intestines, create the release of insulin and cause abnormal growth of white blood cells. The paleo diet doesn’t include dairy and is made up of meat, fish, fruit, non-starchy vegetables and certain roots. It is much more restrictive than the typical alkaline diet but will definitely keep you in an alkaline state. One of the best sites for explaining the Paleo Diet belongs to Dr. Ben Balzer from Australia, a link to which can be found at paleodiet.com.
In contrast to an alkaline diet, the typical Western diet has an overabundance of grains and starchy vegetables. No one would argue that these foods are high glycemic and create insulin spikes when eaten, causing the body to store fat. While some fruits also cause insulin spikes, they offer more nutrition in exchange and can be eaten with more fibrous fruits and nuts to slow insulin response. The low fat, high carb diet craze of the last century seems to have been more about selling processed, grain based foods and cholesterol lowering pharmaceuticals than a healthy lifestyle and we have obesity and diabetes at epidemic proportions to show for it.
via Paleohacks Paleo Cookbook Review http://paleohackscookbook.com/the-alkaline-diet-for-better-health-and-weight-loss-3/
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