In today’s world, we know health. We’re constantly bombarded with healthy trends and new diets; we know to eat fruits and veggies, have all at least thought about going 22 Days Vegan like Beyoncé, and know to stick to one glass of wine a day (whether or not we heed that advice). The alkaline diet, specifically, has been in the limelight—but there may be more to balancing the chemicals in your body than just a diet fad that comes and goes.
Studies show that limiting your intake of acidic foods and eating more foods with more alkaline might be able to solve a number of health problems, like everything from digestive issues to hormone imbalances, and can even help prevent kidney stones, chronic pain, and acid reflux. Not to mention that when your body’s pH levels are balanced, it improves your ability to absorb vitamins and minerals, can help you maintain a healthy weight, gives you more energy, and improves your mood.
Your body’s pH levels can be affected by everything from stress management, to air pollution, to the beauty products you use, so you might be more unbalanced chemically than you realize. So how do you reach that perfect balance? It starts with understanding acidic and alkalizing food—along with what they do to your body.

Acidic foods

Your body naturally regulates a specific pH level, which is a measure of acidity in the tissues and fluids. Even small changes within the pH level of your body can cause symptoms like nausea, fatigue, headaches, etc. The kidneys work to regulate this balance, but being cautious of the balance when eating can have many health benefits. Highly acidic foods you should avoid or limit include extremely processed foods, meat, eggs, peanuts, walnuts, caffeinated drinks, alcohol, bread and oats.

Alkalizing foods

While limiting or removing the foods high in acidity is crucial, it’s equally important to add in the foods that balance out the pH levels of the body. Alkaline foods can sharpen brain activity, help limit muscle loss, and even help you live longer. Add in more Greek yogurt, most fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices (but not salt, mustard, or nutmeg), olive oils, nuts and seeds, and whole grains like millet or quinoa. For a full list of the pH levels of foods, click here. To see if you need to improve your pH levels, you can talk to your doctor about symptoms and your diet, or take this quiz.  
Here’s to using what little we remember from chemistry to help us look/feel good!
Edited by Alexandra Pierson