There is an alcaline ash diet and an acidic ash diet.
Maintaining a healthy body is important. It is linked to longevity and happiness. The foods that you eat have a role to play in this process.
It may not seem like it, but the internal workings of our bodies are quite delicate. Each cell has to do its job to keep the machinery working like it should.
Alkaline ash diet
Consider the alkaline ash diet to keep your body in balance.
What is pH?
The body tries to maintain a state of balance called homeostasis. Part of this includes maintaining a normal, neutral pH factor. PH determines whether something is acidic, alkaline (base) or buffered. The scale runs from one to thirteen, with seven representing the middle or buffered state.
Acidic pHs are on the lower range, less than seven. Alkaline pHs are on the higher end, above seven. For optimum functioning, the body seeks to return to a level that is in the middle. The fluid in the body that runs over and through every cell and organ is the biological matrix.
When it is neutral, it is not reacting with other chemicals leading to dysfunction. It has been theorized that a body that is too acidic can lead to problems such as cancers, gastrointestinal issues, decreased immunity and a lack of overall well-being.
Going basic
The body can’t maintain its neutral pH without help. Part of the equation is the foods that we eat. Sometimes, the foods that we choose don’t seem like a big deal but they can dramatically change the make-up of our inner life.
When foods are broken down in the body and digested, they leave behind a residue called “ash.” That “ash” determines what type of effect those foods have on the body, whether alkaline or acidic. To return your body from acidic to a more neutral pH balance, more alkaline ash needs to be added to your body through your food.
Experts suggest that a diet that ensures a proper balance in the body needs to contain both alkaline and acidic foods. About 20 percent of the diet can be acidic while about 70 to 80 percent is alkaline foods.
So what are these foods and where can you get them? They are foods that we already eat except that we don’t always eat them in the proper proportions for optimum health. Here is an example of acidic foods: meats, dairy, saturated fats, alcohol and sweets.
Sweets or processed sugary foods are best eaten in moderation anyway. Alcohol is also best in moderation. Saturated fats are a contributor to high cholesterol and not the good kind either.
What about the alkaline side? Usually these are the foods that are healthier for you in the first place. Think of green leafy vegetables, most fruits, healthy oils (olive, flax seed), onions, honey, syrup and herbal tea. Eating more of them tips the balance inside towards alkaline and a cleaner, detoxified body.
Are you looking to change how you feel inside and out? Try an alkaline ash diet.
Acid ash diet
The acid ash diet is one way that people can keep their inner workings running full steam ahead.
PH
PH refers to the acid or alkaline level in the body. Think of an Alka-Seltzer. Its job is to neutralize the acid in your stomach. They work wonders when you get an upset stomach. Too much acid is churning up and a base (or alkaline substance) is what you need to neutralize that acid.
Well, the internal environment of your body loves to maintain a neutral state. It’s called homeostasis. But, sometimes, the foods that we eat can swing the pH level to the acidic or the alkaline side. To counteract that and the effects within the body (high blood pressure and the threat of illnesses like cancer) that same food can be used.
Acidic Ash
Foods are made up of all sorts of smaller substances: vitamins, minerals, chemical compounds and so on. It is some of this residue, or “ash,” that is left behind when the body digests food. That residue determines the pH of your body’s fluid matrix. Too many of one kind of food is not usually healthy.
Experts have talked about the benefit of an alkaline ash diet to help eliminate some illnesses and to also increase immunity and energy levels. So, why would you need an acidic ash diet?
Have you ever had a stone inside your body, maybe a kidney or a gallstone? They are calcified deposits that become lodged in an organ. Stones can also contain other minerals like phosphorus or magnesium. When they move, they can cause intense pain and damage.
Acidic ash diets may be just what the doctor ordered for people who have experienced stones in the past or who are susceptible to stones. Increasing your acidic intake means knowing the right types of foods to eat to lower the alkaline levels in your body.
Here are a few of the foods that you can eat: meats, dairy, yeast, grains, chocolate, sugar and some fruits. Remember to add to your diet in moderation. Too many acidic foods can lead to a condition called acidosis, where there is a lower than normal alkaline presence in the blood – which is not healthy. At each meal, add a bit of extra protein in the form of meat to increase your acidic load. If you aren’t keen on meat, you can add dairy products or another of the food items from the list above.
Food plays an even more important part in how your body runs than even you may have realized before. An acidic ash diet may be prescribed for those who have certain health problems (stones).