What Foods Are Alkaline Forming or Acid Forming?

Hi Everybody

I said after my last post that I would put together a list of the different types of foods and how they break down in our bodies to produce either Acidic Ash or Alkaline Ash.

It's very important that we start to take note of these foods because it would appear that the demands of modern day living have pretty well persuaded or seduced us into consuming a larger share of foods that are acid forming in nature.

The reasons for this are patently clear; quickly prepared, ready made food is – well – quick n' easy. If you add to that the massive amounts of money spent on advertising these quickly prepared meals via the the media of newsprint, magazine, television and bill-boarding (electronic or otherwise) it isn't hard to see how we've all been lulled into thinking that they are OK if not even actually healthy for us.

Let's face it we're sold the idea through clever use of words – let me give you a few that you're already all too familiar with - "healthy option" " sugar free" "extra lean" low carb" "sugarless" "fat free" "fortified with ***" added vitamins" blah, blah, blah, blah.

Here's the thing – I know from my own experience that these new labour saving meals just sort of crept in almost unnoticed. For a start, looking back just a simple thing like making a basic spaghetti bolognaise sauce would require maybe half a dozen or so ingredients but the next thing we have the thing done for us in a jar and it's sold to us "Just a like a Momma used to make it".

It's fine I used it myself and liked it however it just sort of like steam rolls out of control because the next thing we know we're buying ready made sauces for this that and the other and pretty soon it's a case of well why bother with the jar when you can just buy the meal ready made and chuck it in the microwave. Three minutes and a ping later and it's steaming hot and ready to eat.

The problem is that much of this ready made stuff or convenience food is acid forming when broken down in the body. What we're looking at at the moment dear reader is a WORLD-WIDE epidemic of chronic diseases that are killing people prematurely in their millions. Yes you did read that correctly, people are dying in their MILLIONS word-wide because of the acid forming crap we are putting in our mouths and at this point it has to be said but the second biggest factor in this sorry scenario is peoples complete and utter lack of movement.

You know our bodies were designed to move and to be active.

More and more of us are moving less and less and eating less and less natural raw foods with very dire consequences.

Check this out – experts from Cambridge University have recently concluded that modern-day grain eating, agricultural, man is 10 per cent smaller and shorter than his more active hunter gathering ancestors.

Interestingly enough they also concluded that we also have smaller brains and that the decline set in about 10,000 years ago. Their conclusion – this sad state of affairs was probably brought about by restricted diet with vitamin and mineral deficiences.

Hmmn add to that what's been happening with the advent of "dead" processed convenience food and it's not hard to understand why the world is experiencing chronic disease.

This is not just my opinion – check this out from the World Health Organization and I quote:

"The burden of chronic diseases is rapidly increasing worldwide. It has been calculated that, in 2001, chronic diseases contributed approximately 60% of the 56.5 million total reported deaths in the world and approximately 46% of the global burden of disease. The proportion of the burden of NCDs is expected to increase to 57% by 2020. Almost half of the total chronic disease deaths are attributable to cardiovascular diseases; obesity and diabetes are also showing worrying trends, not only because they already affect a large proportion of the population, but also because they have started to appear earlier in life".

Here is a list of foods showing whether they are acid or alkaline forming. It's not a comprehensive list by any means but it will give you an overall "feel" for what is what in this Alkaline/Acid forming food debate.

I think a first glance will tell you that much of the Alkaline forming foods come under the headings of Fruit and Veg – hmmn – how long have health authorities been banging that drum – get your five ad a day fruit n' veg for optimum health.

I think that was increased recently to 8 portions a day.

What needs to be added is a great deal more encouragement to get people MOVING EVERY DAY – IT'S WHAT WE ARE DESIGNED TO DO – MOVE.

When I started this blog I didn't think that exercise was going to be a major part of it but it's patently clear from the evidence that you move or die prematurely.

Well it's a topic for another day. If you have read "My Story" you will know how importantly I rate the humble lemon and as you can see it heads the list of Alkaline Forming Foods and not for nothing either – it is one of the most powerful alkaline forming foods that there is!

Of course 3 years ago when I started drinking the juice of a lemon every day I had no idea that this was so. All I knew is that this little sucker brought 35 years of chronic pain to an end.

This is page 1 of a 2 page post….

Please see next page for Acid forming/Alkaline forming food list.