When I first started eating the Alkaline Diet, I was constantly researching the alkalinity of foods. ‘Are blueberries alkaline?’ and a million similar searches filled my browser history. I was constantly scrambling to find foods that I could eat without acid-bombing my body. When in doubt, I would opt for a smoothie since I knew most smoothie ingredients were alkaline. I found some amazing smoothie recipes in Dr. Sebi’s Detox Cookbook, which specializes in alkaline smoothies, juices, and recipes. That book pretty much saved my peace of mind, as I learned more about acidity and alkalinity of different foods.
Did you know that a wide variety of fruits are acidic in nature, but alkalize as our body metabolizes them? This was one of the most challenging parts of this diet for me to understand, since a simple Google search of ‘alkalinity of tomato’ will tell you that tomatoes are acidic. When you look further into it, you’ll learn that tomatoes are considered alkaline, due to their low PRAL’s.
What is PRAL’s?
PRAL stands for Potential Renal Acid Load. This means the acid load your kidneys need to get rid of to keep a balanced pH. So for example, dairy has a high PRAL, so when you drink a big milkshake, your body needs to get rid of more acid to keep your body pH balanced.
If you eat a big salad full of low PRAL foods like tomatoes and avocados, you are consuming less acid that your kidneys need to get rid of in order to keep your pH balanced.
I made this visual for you to gain a bit better of an idea where different foods fall on the acidity and alkalinity range, but there’s more to it!
Viewing the chart, we can easily gather an understanding of foods that are acidic and alkaline. Certain food groups tend to lean a specific way, such as meat falling more acidic, where vegetables tend to fall on the alkaline side.
This chart is not a fully comprehensive list of the alkalinity and acidity of different foods, but we have a free PDF you can download here!
This PDF is an incredibly simple resource, I use it daily to determine just how alkaline or acidic my meal is about to be, and what steps I can take to make sure I’m eating an alkaline serving of food. On it, I’ve make a detailed list of different foods, sorted by alkalinity and acidity. Next to each food, I’ve listed its specific pH, so that you can begin to understand the pH balance of different foods.
The alkaline diet is very flexible, while also being somewhat restrictive. For example, I’ve completely cut out alcohol and coffee, but I like to have a piece of dark chocolate (pH 7) every so often as a treat. I think the alkaline diet is a great way to begin exploring new foods and to get back to a more whole food based lifestyle.
When you begin the alkaline diet, there are many steps you can take to help your body become more alkaline. I recommend drinking spring water rather than tap water. Both have a pH around 7, but tap water contains many solvents and chemicals that can be harmful to your gut health. Spring water is pure and contains minerals that your body loves. This is the spring water I drink every day!
There is a wide range of supplements that you can take to help alkalize your body while eating an alkaline diet. One of the supplements that is backed by the most clinical studies is potassium bicarbonate. Research has also shown that magnesium and calcium have alkalizing effects on the body. The supplements linked are free of unnecessary additives or seed oils, which many supplement companies have sneakily begun to use. I believe in using supplements that are devoid of nasty fake ingredients, and did research to find those that have the least chemicals possible.