Alkalizing vegetables and how they work for you
“Alkalizing” diets are popular at the moment. But what does “alkalizing” really mean?
Remember your high-school chemistry? Alkaline is the opposite of acid. To get a neutral pH, you’ve got to balance the two. That’s what your body does with the food you eat. It has to maintain exactly the right pH for every organ and system, or they’ll break down if the pH gets too out of whack.
Some foods (including meat) produce acid when you digest them. That’s one reason why extreme carb-free, meat-heavy diets are so harmful. The excess acid can wreck your kidneys, flood your body with stress hormones—and your muscles and bones can actually start to break down. Go off the diet and start eating carbs again, and you’ll pack on 40 pounds in a hurry.
Luckily, nature designed a perfect way to counteract acid-producing foods: eat your veggies. Unlike meat, vegetables produce alkaline compounds as your body breaks them down. This soothes the acidity and evens out your pH.
Almost all vegetables have an alkalizing effect, but green veggies are the real alkalizing superstars:
- Arugula
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Collard Greens
- Cucumbers
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Mustard greens
- Spinach
- Swiss chard
- Watercress
That is why when you are doing the Fast Metabolism Diet, it is important to enjoy tons of green vegetables along with the protein you are consuming.
Bottom line? Don’t skip protein (like some “alkalizing” fad diets do). But do get serious about alkalizing vegetables. No piddly half-cup servings, either—go for two or three cups of veggies at a meal! It will help keep your body in perfect balance.
“Alkalizing” diets are popular at the moment. But what does “alkalizing” really mean?
Remember your high-school chemistry? Alkaline is the opposite of acid. To get a neutral pH, you’ve got to balance the two. That’s what your body does with the food you eat. It has to maintain exactly the right pH for every organ and system, or they’ll break down if the pH gets too out of whack.
Some foods (including meat) produce acid when you digest them. That’s one reason why extreme carb-free, meat-heavy diets are so harmful. The excess acid can wreck your kidneys, flood your body with stress hormones—and your muscles and bones can actually start to break down. Go off the diet and start eating carbs again, and you’ll pack on 40 pounds in a hurry.
Luckily, nature designed a perfect way to counteract acid-producing foods: eat your veggies. Unlike meat, vegetables produce alkaline compounds as your body breaks them down. This soothes the acidity and evens out your pH.
Almost all vegetables have an alkalizing effect, but green veggies are the real alkalizing superstars:
- Arugula
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Collard Greens
- Cucumbers
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Mustard greens
- Spinach
- Swiss chard
- Watercress
That is why when you are doing the Fast Metabolism Diet, it is important to enjoy tons of green vegetables along with the protein you are consuming.
Bottom line? Don’t skip protein (like some “alkalizing” fad diets do). But do get serious about alkalizing vegetables. No piddly half-cup servings, either—go for two or three cups of veggies at a meal! It will help keep your body in perfect balance.
